Elemental Heir | ✔️

Chapter 16

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Dristan slid his calloused hand from my mouth and reached for the hilt of his sword. He moved away from me, leaving me feeling cold and vulnerable, and leaned over the side of the branch. He gazed down toward the forest floor with cold, hard determination written across his face.

"What are you doing!? Fly us out of here!" I whispered urgently through the shadows. The increasing pain on the right side of my body, along with the chilly night air and growing fear creeping across my skin, was a sickening combination. I shivered uncontrollably and had to clench my jaw to keep the noise of my chattering teeth under control.

"I can't. They know your scent, now. They'll follow us... and I cannot risk anyone finding the Aviary." He answered with hushed frustration.

"What are you going to do then? Take on four of those... things? They'll kill you!" I argued, panicked.

Dristan had been able to take out the human soldiers easily. But this was different. These were supernatural beings, and they couldn't be killed by fire. And I seriously doubted that Dristan would just so happen to have a large amount of liquid silver on his person.

"You've left me no choice!" He snapped. Even though he was whispering, his words dripped with poison, causing me to flinch away.

He stepped toward me, backing me fully against the tree again. His hands flattened against the bark on either side of my head. His eyes flashed with animosity and his face was only inches from my own.

"You are the most stubborn gods damned woman I've ever met! Why couldn't you just listen to me? Why?! Do you have some sort of unspoken death wish?! What the fuck were you thinking?!"

I gaped at him, feeling myself shrinking away out of fear, due to the inhuman look in his eyes. His slitted pupils stared into me, his nostrils flared in fury. The large, twisted horns atop his head only intensified his intimidating display and I whimpered slightly.

"I-I had to... try..." I whispered shakily.

He noticed my sudden, magnified fear of him and he frowned. He pulled away slightly, studying my face. His reptilian, sapphire eyes seemed to thaw a bit and he sighed heavily through his nose. He was silent for a beat, his eyes alternating intensely between my own pair. I stared back, my brows pulling inward and up toward my hairline.

"I was afraid." He whispered brokenly.

My lips parted as I watched his face crumple in anguish. He dropped his head, staring down at our feet with furrowed brows. "I looked for you all day... I knew you were close, but I couldn't pinpoint where. And then I heard you scream..."

He lifted his gaze back to mine. "I haven't felt fear like that in a very long time. Not since my father..." His voice trailed off as he stared at me. I couldn't remember how to breathe properly.