Touch of Flame

Ares was losing his mind listening to Ravina trying to convince him and explaining why her plan could be successful. Many times he just wanted to stop her, yell, punch a wall, and just find a way to release his frustration but he wasn’t an emotional man. He decided to build his walls back instead. She wasn’t supposed to be in his heart anyway.

What was the point? He would only end up hurting her and himself. Not that she would accept coming with him now after she came up with this plan. She was very determined as she explained and he could see now what her uncle and Bram meant. This thing kept her alive. She would die but not leave it. As she said, it was a one-time chance. It wasn’t often a human became a breedmate. A dragon tamer.

A dragon tamer? The word was stuck in his head. He felt like he heard it before somewhere. It was familiar in a very odd way. As if… no. It couldn’t be.

“I haven’t read all the books yet. I am sure I can find more information but I have confirmed, that I am his breedmate. And he is certainly affected by the pull. I have confirmed he is very much jealous and possessive. It is also said that they are very protective although…” She paused. “I haven’t tested that one yet. Of course, before we make any further plans, I will have to test that one then you don’t have to worry.”

He chuckled. “I have to worry. Even if he is protective, he could kill you in a moment of rage.”

“You are right. But I don’t plan to escape with him before creating a bond between us. Calm his rage first.”

He frowned. He didn’t like that, but he was getting her out of his heart so it didn’t matter. The sooner the better.

“Even if you calm his rage toward you, he is certainly not going to leave this place without hurting people.”

She nodded. “Some sacrifices have to be made. Keeping him or killing him will kill more people.”

She had a point.

“What about his clan? Once you get there, even if he doesn’t kill you, his people will push him too and feed him hatred again.”

She paused. “I know. That is the difficult part. Look, Ares. I don’t expect him to be all-loving. He won’t. Even if I calm him enough not to kill me, he will certainly not pat me on the back. But… from what I have read, he can keep his hatred but this pull he can’t resist. It is very strong. He was pulling at the chains, not caring if the obsidians killed him. He has no control over it, although I am not underestimating him. He is very cunning and can keep control sometimes but I think that is also good.”

Almost getting himself killed?

She opened the book and turned pages. “As for his clan, they will not accept me easily but he is the king. The one I need to worry about is the mother queen. From what I have read, the mother of the king has great power and influence. The elderly are very respected in their community. I will try to find out more information about what kind of person his mother is.”

Was this it? The dragon tamer. Was this her mission? Was this some kind of destiny?

Dragon tamer. Where did he hear that? He needed to find more information.

“Can you be with him?” He asked her the ultimate question that he knew she was avoiding as well.

Her face paled. She could not stand him.

“Well, keep your friends close and your enemies closer right?”

“You are not keeping him close. You are suggesting to become his breedmate?”

She swallowed. “I know, but I don’t see it only as bad. I am keeping my focus on the good parts. Having the king of the most powerful clan on my side… do you know what that means?”

He knew. She had a powerful tool and he wished he didn’t care because then he would send her away without blinking.

But he wouldn’t jump to any decision now. She still had her theories to test first and maybe they would all fail and she would give up on this. He hoped.

“What do you need me for?” He asked.

“I need you at the time of escaping. There are guards and many chains to be undone, and many guards outside to be distracted. Although I am thinking of taking him out in his human form. There is no way he can fly out without getting killed.”

Of course.

“People will think that I got kidnapped. I hope you can keep things calm with uncle once I am gone.”

Ares smirked. As if.

She looked back at her notebook, focusing on something. Ares strangely believed in her just like he had believed in her father. There was something about them, that made him believe they could succeed. That made him want to help and support their cause. Maybe this was her destiny.

***

Ravina was aware that Ares kept watching her and she stared emptily at her notes. It was just that she couldn’t keep speaking and keep eye contact with him for too long. She was suddenly seeing another man. One who shared her pain. One who listened and was willing to help despite the fact that she could clearly so on his face how much he hated it. His facial expression didn’t relax even once.

Why was he suddenly showing care? She wished he didn’t. She felt more heaviness in her chest. She felt sorry toward him.

A part of her wanted to ask, what was he doing? Why would he die? She knew it wasn’t simply from going out to war. The laboratory and the key given to her told her it was more than that. Something experimental perhaps. Why would there be a hidden laboratory otherwise?

What did he do to himself? She swallowed the lump of sadness in her throat.

“My head hurts. Maybe I should sleep some more.” She said.

“Yes.” He said getting up and adjusting the bed for her. “Rest well.” He turned and left without looking back at her as if he wanted to separate from her just like she did. But truth was, deep down she didn’t want to.

She tossed her notebook aside and fell on the mattress. She hugged her pillow tightly and finally allowed the tears to fall. Why?

After so many years she found someone like him but he was dying. Why did it have to be like this? Why did she have to feel like this?

She pushed her face into the pillow to stifle her cry. How could she let her walls fall down so easily? Damn her! Damn this cursed life that took a man like him from her while making her the breedmate of the enemy. A terrorizer. Son or brother or cousin or friend of whoever killed her father.

Ravina cried and cried until she fell asleep. In the morning she woke up with harder and icier walls around her heart. She looked out the window and watched Ares shoot small boards thrown into the air with precision. He was testing his new weapons probably.

She looked at his face. The grim look was back or perhaps the grim look was only absent in her presence and now she was looking at Lord Steele again and not Ares.

He was back to being Lord Steele to her. Ares was gone. And she was back. Back on mission. Now a breedmate. A dragon tamer.

She looked at the notebook in her hand. King Malachi terrorized. Now he would be tamed.

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Bonus dedicated to my supergifters. Thank you Onix_Rain25 and Needmorecoffee 3