I watched the men place her over a pile of wood. Then a young man in royal attire stepped forward. He looked to be a prince.He drew out a flame and set it to her body. I watched with a heavy heart as she cremated, bit by bit, until there was nothing left but ash.Her ashes were kept at the centre of the village for seven days. Everyone mourned her, both high and mighty, for seven days.On the seventh day the elders came, accompanied by the prince, the only survivor of the twelve. I had heard that from the villagers gathered around me as I stood in their midst.Tears dripped down the faces of some of the women. Others could only whisper to one another. Most of the men stood with fallen countenance.One of the strongest among them stepped forward. There was no priestess to conduct the ritual. Vorthar had ended her. The same thing I had heard the villagers say.The prince stepped forward too."For the one who laid down her life for us all, we pay our respect," he said with a curt bow."

MORWENNA'S POV "For the last time, what do you want Seraphine" I asked stepping forward, tightening my fist. Her eyes moved from mine to my fisted hands. She scoffed, disappeared and reappeared just an inch away from me. Her hands came up, fingers playing with the locket on my necklace. My breathing heaved and no matter how much I tried to calm myself my heartbeat only increased. "Calm down sis, I didn't come to kill you. Besides I can't, or do you think I can" she whispered. I stepped back. It wasn't safe standing so close to something as powerful as herself. She smiled with the corner of her mouth. "Tell me what you want to tell me and get the hell out of my house" I said, raising my voice at her. "Or what… you'll kill me like you did with Dilenna. How intelligent." I froze. She knew. "Oh sister I know everything, don't look at me with those innocent eyes of yours" she smirked. "One question big sis. What became of the child you conceived" she stared deep into my eyes lik

DRAVON'S POVMorwenna was still unconscious but her chest kept moving up and down, a signal that she was still alive.I placed my hands at the side of her head. It was getting warmer. I breathed a sigh of relief before sitting back in my chair.I should hate her for all of it, for keeping everything from me, but seeing her like this added another crack to the broken fragments that already stood there.She was much more than a mother to me. My thoughts drifted to the day I found her in the woods.She had been helpless, an injury weakening her, and a wild bull charging at her from behind. She couldn't teleport in her injured state. All she could do was run as fast as she could, but not fast enough.I saw it from up in flight and something in me couldn't look away.Now all of that was history and this was reality. But I was pretty sure that wasn't why she had loved me, held me on days I felt lonely, helped me get well on days even my father who was king was too busy to notice I was unwel

NATHAN'S POVSylthara's long lashed eyes were still shut as she lay on the bed, her hair spread like wool over the pillow.I sat by the bed staring at the bandage I had wrapped around her stomach, wondering when those gold flecked blue eyes would look at me again.She was a dragon. She would recover. I knew that. It was just the poison and the normal effect it would have on a dragon.But I couldn't take a step away from her bedside. Not until those golden flecked blue eyes held mine again.This feeling, the need to keep her safe, felt familiar. I had felt this way towards someone before. I closed my eyes trying to remember.There was a shape to it. Not a face, not a name, just a feeling, warm and certain, the kind that lives in the chest not the head. Like something I had carried for a long time without knowing the weight of it.Then the fog rolled in thick and fast and my head split with the effort of trying to hold on.A groan escaped my lips as my eyes flew open.My breath came out

SYLTHARA'S POVThe maid poured water over me. It helped calm the pressure in my mind, the fear that pressed at me, fear not for myself, but for Nathan. A tap came on my hand, and I looked up at the maid."Your Majesty, you can get off the bathtub, we're done with your bath." Gosh, I hadn't even noticed they were done. I stepped out of the tub as they wrapped a towel around me.They led me to the room and sat me at the dressing table facing the mirror, then began doing justice to my white hair."Wool hair," Nathan's words came to my mind, and I caught myself smiling. damn it.What was even wrong with me.She kept combing my hair smooth before fixing it. Aiden, that brat, could have killed me. I didn't know where he got those witch powers, but it wasn't funny, and I knew I wouldn't have had the upper hand over him, not even with my Voidfang gene and warrior abilities, especially with him disappearing and appearing from who knows where with those abilities of his.When he flung Nathan aga