Well, Helloo there Draco! Miss seeing your handsome face <3

"Are you listening, Draco?"

The emperor's smokey eyes lifted to meet those of Iredine's, a frown on her lips as she handed him the results that were conjured from the rituals. He had barely glanced at them, knowing whatever was on that paper was beyond him.

"Sorry" he apologized, running his fingers through his hair. "Continue, please."

The two were sitting in the dining hall, the lights dimly lit and a glass of bourbon besides them. After carefully transporting Onyx back to the palace, they had tucked her away in her room where her powers would fully undergo a complete transformation.

Now it was time for him to do his part and figure out what the hell Aries and Eshara bred seventeen and a half years ago.

"Are you sure you want to hear this?" Iredine warned him, cautiously toying with the piece of paper in her hand. "At the end of the day, she's not your responsibility."

Her words had a certain truth to them. Technically, she wasn't his responsibility but after seeing what she has been through with Rheynoak and the Catalyst Oath, the thought of abandoning her once again truly struck a bad chord within his soul.

"Yes, she is" he replied back coldly. "I took her in willingly and it is my job to protect her."

Sighing, she nodded. "Well according to the results, she is a demi-hybrid and based on her blood type, her siphon heritage mark, and fragments of her memories, she is the heir to the throne" Iredine explained, pushing her red hair behind her. " As far as what kind of demi hybrid she is, Onyx is a rare combination of a Mind Siphon, a cross breed between a Black Magru and a Redwing Witch, a Bloodbone, a Silostria, and a ShadowReaper. She also possess great characteristic of strength and infinite knowledge."

And just like that, Draco's heart dropped.

Iredine looked up to see his face flushed white and his eyes nearly black. "She's a monster created to destroy," she said, pushing the paper towards him. "She could kill us all if she wanted to."

The emperor looked down at the paper, shaking his head in disbelief. In all his life, he had never seen anything like this. Of course, he had met demi-hybrids in all shapes and sizes but never one that possessed such a rare combination as Onyx did.

"She just learned about her powers, Iredine. She barely knows how to control them" Draco defended, pushing the paper away. "Besides, she would never try to kill anyone. At least not without a reason."

"Draco, you are blinding yourself with this girl. She's a catastrophe. Having someone like her in Elsavior will surely upset the balance of things. It wouldn't even matter if the other rulers knew but if word gets out to the desert tribes and mortal kingdoms, Elsavior is going to crumble."

Green eyes flickered to the emperor's conflicted face, seeing how caught in the middle he was. His fingers curled into his palms, his jaw hardening but his eyes were as vulnerable as ever, sparkling with what seemed like tears.

His fingers ran through his hair, a groan escaping his lips. Iredine placed a hand on his shoulders, squeezing them tightly. "You have fought in many battles but this is one you don't have to join. I know you want to help Onyx but there are certain things we just can't get ourselves involved in. It's better if we just show her another way out."

"I can't do that," the emperor said instinctively, lifting his head up. His eyes were red, his brows furrowed. "She's too important. If she were a mere Mind Siphon, maybe I would consider it but she is probably one of the most powerful demi-hybrids in this decade. If I let her wander off, she will fall into the wrong hands and Elsavior won't be the only kingdom affected by this."

Draco shook his head again. "She's staying with me."

Iredine pressed her lips together in annoyance but nodded her head, having nothing else to say.

Though Draco knew his friend had nothing but good intentions in mind, he couldn't help but ignore her. There was just a primal instinct within him to protect Onyx that he couldn't explain. It was like second nature, an act he didn't have to think about. Yes, he knew he was dragging himself and everyone else into a troubling situation but there was very little he was doing to stop himself.

Reaching for the bottle of bourbon, he poured himself another glass and refilled Iredine's glass as well. "I know it may seem crazy but I can't let Onyx Walk away. She's a living history, someone who possesses great power and can potentially help us restore the Inner Circle to the way it was."

"I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into"Iredine responded back, clinking her glass against his. They drank in silence, letting the darkness speak for itself. Draco's thoughts swam through dark waters, his sanity slowly sinking as well.

A faint presence of magic wafted through the air before the knock on the door sounded, indicating it was one of the court members. "Come in" he invited. The door opened, Orion, Yongui, and Sahara stepping inside.

"My goodness, she has driven you to drink" Yongui claimed, ruffling the emperor's hair. A smile cracked on his lips, watching as she took a glass from the center table and poured herself some bourbon.

"How is Onyx doing?" Draco asked as the three sat down.

"Much better," Orion replied. "Azura, Falcon, and Castrin are caring for her in her chambers. Besides a few awakening moments, she is doing fine."

The emperor nodded, swirling the drink in his cup. "How are you doing?" Yongui asked, raising her brow. "I don't think I've seen you this stressed in decades."

"That's because he refuses to admit when he needs a break" Sahara added on, crossing her arms over her chest. The emperor glared at his friends, taking a sip of the bourbon. "There is nothing to confess Sahara" he reassured, pushing the crumpled piece of papers towards their direction.

"Read it."

Taking the paper, Sahara read it, her lips twisting into a frown before her eyes began to glare. She briefly paused, looking up to meet the emperor's eyes before shaking her head and continuing. When she was done, she pushed the paper towards Orion's chest, cocking her head at the Emperor as he read it.

Silence wallowed as Orion passed the list to Yongui who read it out loud, the next word more terrifying than the previous. When she reached the end, she looked up at Draco with a confused stare. "She's a beast!" she exclaimed, folding the paper in half and passing it back to the emperor.

"One that is beyond our help" Sahara added with a sharp tone.

"What gives you the right to conclude that?" Draco questioned Sahara. She snarled, a huff escaping her lips. "You might be mesmerized by her but I'm certainly not. That girl is a creature made to destroy! She will bring nothing but burdens and wars to the Inner Circle! In any case, I say we abandon her and let her find her own path."

"At least someone thinks like me" Iredine muttered.

"No, that's not an option! We are not abandoning her!" Draco exclaimed.

"Why not? The other emperors and empresses will find out and soon it will spread beyond the Inner Circle to the mortals and desert tribes. We would be saving our asses if we isolated her now!"

"But you have to think about it in a reasonable way" Orion interrupted. "Onyx is a powerful demi-hybrid and the heir to the Crojesian throne. If we let her walk away now, there is a possibility that she will fall into the wrong hands and her powers will be used for sinister plots. What we can do is introduce her to the other rulers, familiarize her with her past, and train her with her current powers."

"You might as well stand in the lion's den" Sahara retorted back. Orion raised his brows, lifting his glass cup to his lips. "That's more pleasant than conversing with you" he muttered underneath his breath, shaking his head.

"Yongui, you have to agree with me to a certain extent" Sahara reached turning over to the witch. "This girl is hazardous."

"I understand your point of view and in any case, it would benefit us if we abandoned her before she turned on us. However, I have worked with Onyx and she has great control over her powers. She's willing to sacrifice a lot for those around her and she is quite cooperative. I think we should give her a shot and try to understand her powers before we feed her to the wolves."

"Why don't you just stake yourself now before she does it for you?" Sahara exclaimed, shaking her head. "My bet is that she will kill us before we even touch her. We should kill her now before it's too late."

"Not another word from you, Sahara," Draco growled, gripping his cup. "You have no right to suggest such a morbid idea to me." The emperor's patience was thinning out, his jaw hardening with every word he spoke.

"It's the truth" she persisted.

"No, it's you simply being inadequate. I don't want to hear Onyx's name come out of your mouth for the rest of the night" he warned. Unfortunately, Sahara was not backing down, rising from her chair with a hand resting on her hip. "Why do you care so much? Is it because you're looking for a way to get into her panties as well? Upset that Rheynoak beat you to it?"

Her words shattered something within him, his ruby ringed eyes glowing red. With a growl, he smashed his cup against the dining table, bits and pieces cutting into his palm. "Silence yourself!" he ordered, his voice echoing through the room.

The whole room flinched at his voice, Sahara crumbling into her seat. Draco's face was ablaze with different shades of red, blood dripping down his palm from the glass. He surveyed the room with cloudy eyes, his thoughts consumed in red smoke.

"Onyx is staying and I don't want to hear another word about it!" he decided. "Protest all you want but she is not leaving Elsavior. Not without me at least!"

Not uttering another word, the emperor pushed his chair in and proceeded to make his way out. Iredine stopped him shortly, grabbing on to his arm as he walked away. "Choose your battles carefully, Draco" she warned with a concerned smile. "Not everyone is worth it."

Hearing but ignoring her words, he pulled his arm away and walked out of the dining hall, making his way up the spiraling staircases to his chamber. He passed Onyx's room, only glancing momentarily through the creaked door.

It was only when he rested upon his bed did his mind calm down. The wound on his palm had healed, leaving the blood to dry up on its own. Alone in his room, Draco curled underneath his comforter, his eyes straying to the moon that peered through his opened balcony doors.

Sleep didn't come to him. As the hours ticked by, all he could wonder about was Onyx and whether or not he made the right choice letting her stay in Elsavior. He loved his people more than he loved himself.

But perhaps Onyx would prove to be an essential part of Elsavior and the Inner Circle.

Sitting up on his bed, he reached over his bedside table for a pen and his journal. Using a stream of his magic as a light orb, he opened a fresh new page and began to plot his plan to restore Onyx back on her throne.

It was barely dawn when Draco finally closed his notebook.

The stars were still twinkling in the sky by the time he bathed and changed into his training clothes. Ditching his royal attire for a pair of black sweatpants and a loose tank top, he sauntered his way down to Onyx's room.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked on her door. A second passed before her voice called out to him. "Come in."

He opened the door slowly, only seeing the silhouette of her figure staring outside the wall length windows. She was dressed in a shirt and a pair of shorts, her arms wrapping around each other to keep her warm. Wet hair was plastered to her forehead.

"Enjoying the view?" he asked, closing the door behind him.

"I'll never get over it" she replied back with a bubbly laugh. She turned around to face him, her face lighting up in surprise. "No cloak today?" she questioned, raising her brows. Light laughter left his lips, his head shaking. "I'm going with a casual look today."

He beckoned her to come closer. Together, they sat on her bed, leaving a little space between them. "How are you feeling?" he asked, examining her face. Her face was no longer pale, her cheeks flushed red. She seemed brighter, much more alive than the past few days.

"I feel great" she confided, smiling. "I don't know what Iredine did but ever since I woke up, I have been feeling this jolt of energy. I feel stronger, more powerful. Even my body is getting back to the way it used to be."

She pointed at her body arms and slimming waist. Though he knew that some of her dramatic weight loss was from the transformation her body went under, most of it was from Rheynoak. A spark of anger twinkled in his eyes before it disappeared, a smile replacing his frown.

"Well, it's going to take some time for your body to fully bounce back but I am glad you are feeling well," he said, clearing his throat. "Listen, the results from the ritual came back and needless to say, you are quite the hybrid."

"What am I?" she asked with a worried voice.

"Do you really want to know?" Draco asked even though he knew the answer to that question. Onyx nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line. "It's all I've ever wanted to know."

"Well, if you insist" the emperor replied back. "Proving that you are in fact the heir to he Crojesian throne, you are a rare combination of a Mind Siphon, a Black Magru, a Redwing Witch, a Bloodbone, a Silostria, and a Shadow Reaper."

The room was silent for a moment, Onyx's face stuck on one emotion: shock. Her jaw tightened, her fingers curling into her palms. Draco held his breath, waiting for something, anything. When she finally spoke, her words shattered him. "What kind of monster am I?" she questioned.

"You're not a monster, Onyx. You are so much more than what you see yourself." His body moved closer to hers unwillingly, closing the gap between them. "Listen, I've met so many hybrids and have heard so many stories but none as miraculous as yours. You have the power to change history, rewrite all the wrongs."

"But what if I don't want to?" she questioned, meeting his eyes. Her body moved closer to his, her fingers curling around her crossed feet. "I have no knowledge of my family, no control of my powers, and no allies in my corner. I'm all alone in this."

For the first time in a long time, Draco saw the desperation in her eyes. He saw just how broken she was, how vulnerable she has let herself become. When others looked at her they saw Onyx Ashrevion, a heartless killer with no mercy to spare.

But when he looked at her he saw Onyx, a young woman who was to caught up in her present to even remember her past or imagine her future.

"You have me" he whispered after a moment, reaching over to squeeze her hand. Her eyes trailed to his tattooed fingers, her own curling around his grip. "I know you said you were only staying for a short amount of time until you figure things out but I'm begging you to stay here a little longer. You don't have to do this alone, Onyx. My court and I. We can train you, introduce you to powerful allies, and help you reclaim your throne."

His other hand trailed to brush a strand of hair from her cheek. "You'll never be alone. Please stay."

Their bodies were close, too close, his hand cupping her cheek delicately. He could see her breath hitch, her eyes torn between so many emotions. Uttering something inaudible, she reached up to cup his jaw, mesmerized by the tattoos that crawled up to his neck and the underside of his jaw.

Her touch awoken something within him. A burning sensation crawled up his skin, sizzling until it practically stung him. He flinched a little, directing his gaze to her fingers. From the look in her eyes, it was obvious she felt it too.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened" she pleaded, tucking her hand away. The emperor cleared his throat, pulling himself away from her. "Quite alright" he responded back.

"I'll think about it," she said after a moment passed. "I'll see if I can stay a bit longer."

That slither of hope broke a smile across his face. Her fingers uncurled from his own, regaining her regal posture. The tension between them was gone as quickly as quickly as it appeared, the two exchanging nods.

"So what do you have planned for me today?" she asked, raising her brows.

"Some breakfast and a whole lot of training," he said, getting up from her bed. He extended a hand towards her. "Care to join me?"

A smile broke on her face, her hand placed in his. "Lead the way."

With a light laugh, the two ran out of her room and bounded down the stairs together in a fit of laughter. They ran through the corners and across the hallways to the kitchen where the maids worked on preparing breakfast.

"Morning your highness" they greeted.

"Morning to you all as well" Draco greeted back. "Do you guys require any help?"

One of the maids shook her head, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Nonsense, no. Relax, your highness. Let us prepare a fest for you" she said, turning her attention back to the fruits she was cutting into a heated pan.

"Nonsense, please let us assist." He gestured over to Onyx who was happily picking at a fruit bowl, her eyes growing in wonder every time she tasted something new. Though the maids resisted, the two decided to help anyway and soon they were all laughing. Onyx showed the maids at the stove how to make a fruit puree while Draco grilled the heavy meats.

An hour passed before the two finished their breakfast and headed over to an open field outside. Going down another set of stairs, Draco led Onyx to the back of the castle. It was a massive land that overlooked the ocean. The perimeter was gate so that no misfortunes would happen.

"This is my central training ground," he said, smiling. "Sometimes, I like to go down to the shores and train by the tides but for today we are going to stay up here." Onyx turned around to see the emperor's large wings spread into the air, hovering over him. His shadow seemed much more intimidating.

"Assuming you are pretty good with your Siphoning abilities, the first thing I am going to teach you is channeling one of your powers to the surface. Since you are a rare combination, there are ways to manipulate your powers so that one even two can surface at the same time."

He gestured towards his wings, a wicked smile on his face. "One of the easiest things to do is to channel your wings. Since you are part Silostrian, you are gifted with magnificent wings and amazing flying abilities. If you can accomplish that, everything will be much easier.

"But how do I do that?" Onyx questioned.

"Simple. It's all about mind control. If you can somehow grasp the powers of a Silostrian, manipulate your body to bend at that request, it will appear. I have been doing this for so long so my wings can arise with just a simple thought but with you, it will require much more training. First, close your eyes."

Feeling uneasy, Onyx closed her eyes, her hands shaking.

"Good. Now let your mind wander. To trigger the Silostrian powers, it needs to be connected to something dark, emotional. Think of a moment in your life where everything was morbid, where it seemed as if no hope were to come. Use that pain and create your wings as a shield from all those morbid memories."

A memory began to paint itself in her mind, cries of agony echoing in her mind. So far away, she could hear the sound of merciless laughter, feel the hands of those who have slaughtered her guardian. She could still see herself, a mere five-year-old, crawl in a corner to hide as vicious men attacked, raped, and killed her guardian.

Onyx's body began to ache, her insides twisting. Her magic flowed through her veins, glowing bright red as it seized her body. A crunching pain captured her bones, draining her weak as she let herself remanence.

"Please, hurt me. Don't hurt her."

Those words still rang in her ear as those men clawed at her guardian's skin, ripping whatever they could off of her body and mutilating her beyond recognition. She could see her five-year-old self-shaking in the corner, with tears streaming down her face, trying so hard not to make a sound.

Onyx's heart seized and struggled to beat, her bones twisting as her body pushed to remove her wings. In her mind, she could make out a shadow falling over her memories, almost like wings protecting her from those tragic times. A groan escaped from her lips as she fell on all fours, her spine bending as the first hint of her wings pushed through her skin.

"That's it, Onyx! Breathe. You're doing it!" Draco's voice seemed far as she continued to cry, letting her body twist as it pushed out black feathers and bones through her back. Blood coated her skin, her heart squeezing any strength it had into her bloodstream.

"You're almost there, Onyx!"

And just when it seemed as if she was about to complete her transformation, something within her snapped. Her eyes opened, only to see red and a horrendous scream escaped her lips. Fighting against her emotions, her other powers combined inside her body, releasing a bolt of light from her fingers.

A force pushed her back until her body hit the ground, her magic a stream of knives that pierced through the air, striking Draco in the shoulder. He cursed underneath his breath, stumbling as he fell backward. A ray of magic shattered in the sky, releasing illuminating rays that blinded them before dying out.

When all was silent once again, Onyx opened her eyes to see blood on her hands, tears down her face, and Draco's silhouette moving towards her. With a groan, she pushed herself up just as the emperor intertwined his fingers with her and pulled her up.

"I don't know what happened!" Onyx exclaimed, breathing heavily. Tears streaked her face, slick blood passing between her fingers. "It's okay, Onyx. It's okay" Draco reassured, holding on to her wrists. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have pushed you that far."

"But I was so close" she whispered in disbelief. "I don't know what happened."

"I do."

Both of them turned around to see Azura by the back exit. She was quickly joined by Yongui, Castrin, Falcon, and Orion. "Morning to you too," she said with her brows raised. "What are you guys doing up here?" Draco asked. "Well, Draco. I was peacefully sleeping in the downstairs guest room when an explosion awakened me. Needless to say, I figured out what happened."

"I was just training her" the emperor insisted. Yongui shook her head, running her fingers through her hair. "Not in the right way," she said, approaching him. The emperor backed up, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Listen, what happened last night was unfortunate," Yongui said, gesturing over to Orion. "We feel terrible about it. It could have gone a completely different way but it happened and there is nothing we can do about it. However, we do want to help and you can't do this on your own."

Her gaze lingered over to Onyx's confused face back to Draco. "Please, let us help."

Though his anger was still present, Draco nodded, unfolding his arms. "Fine."

He stepped back, allowing Yongui and Azura to come through. The two girls examined Onyx as Draco discussed some training plans with Castrin and Orion. "She's still a bit weak. Her body, her mind, her heart is exhausted. It's going to take some time to get used to all her powers but if we break each of them down over the course of several weeks, it can be done."

"We can assemble some combat plans, show her how to transport from place to place and teach her the art of flying when it reaches that point," Orion said. "But for today, she needs to rest. We can begin training tomorrow but tonight, we need to get her ready."

"Ready? For what?" Onyx questioned.

"The monthly Inner Circle meeting arranged by all the rulers of the kingdoms. It is being held tonight in Krayos" Azura informed her. She turned to Draco, shrugging her shoulders. "I was informed about it around midnight by one of the maids. I thought you were still asleep."

A groan escaped Draco's lips. "Well, I need to make some arrangements. Have any of you heard from Sahara?" he asked.

"She's at her house. She stated that she needed some time to herself" Yongui said. Thought the look on the emperor's face was anything but delight, he nodded. "Alright. Azura, Yongui, please take Onyx back up to her room and care for her. Make sure she is able to attend the meeting with me tonight. I have some discussion points to prepare."

Draco turned his attention to Onyx, acknowledging her with a smile. "Until we meet again."

Onyx smiled through her pain, nodding her head as she was led back to her room. At the entrance back to the castle, she turned around to see the three men talking only to be met by a pair of light eyes reflecting back at her.

A breathless sigh escaped Onyx's lips as Azura zipped up her dress, smoothening the gold sequins of the dress.

"There we go. You look like a Krayos royal!"

With a scowl, Onyx turned around to stare at her reflection. With the day passing and the meeting getting closer, Azura and Yongui had spent the majority of the morning and afternoon schooling her on what to do and what not to do at the meeting.

With the meeting only an hour away, they had then convinced her into wearing this dress. It was a floor length golden dress with a high neck. The material hugged her body, the gold jewels of the dress decorated around her neck. Her hair was twisted up into a curly updo, her fingers decorated with rings.

"Is all of this really necessary?" she asked as Yongui squeezed some earrings into her ear. "Yes, as aggravating as it is. The Empress of Krayos thrives herself on first impressions. She is a persuading, cunning woman but she is also one of the most stylish rulers in the Inner Circle. Any meeting that is held at her castle is presented as a lavish dinner."

"So does everyone dress like this in Krayos?" Onyx asked. Yongui nodded, brushing the strands of dark hair behind her ears. "Either that or you get shunned."

Getting up from her place on the bed, she slipped her feet into a pair of heels and gathered her courage. "I guess I am ready" she uttered, looking at herself in the mirror once again. "Will you guys be going?"

"All of us but Sahara. If I had to guess, she has probably been assigned to look after the palace while we are gone" Yongui explained. Azura seemed to scowl at the mention of Sahara's name, shaking her head as she headed towards the door. "She's a bit difficult to warm up to but once you get to know her, she's a loyal friend" she informed. 

"And a killer assassin" Yongui added on, following Azura. "We'll see you downstairs soon."

Gathering the material of the dress in her hand, Onyx followed them out of the room. They separated ways when they reached a staircase, the two heading down the continuing hallway while Onyx went down the stairs.

She walked down to the main ballroom where she saw the silhouettes of Draco, Orion, and Falcon chatting happily. They were dapperly dressed, cladded in dark colors and complimenting trench coats.

"And the bell of the ball arrives" Falcon greeted with a smile. Onyx's cheeks flushed red, smiling at him. "You look beautiful" the emperor complimented, bowing down at her. "Your Highness."

Falcon and Orion did the same to Onyx's surprise. "Oh God, please don't," she said, stopping them halfway. "You don't have to do that." They all shared a laugh, standing up straight once again. "Just for the record, it was Draco's idea" Orion pointed out.

"You are so untrustworthy" the emperor pointed out.

"When do we leave for the meeting?" Onyx asked. Falcon passed a look at his watch, his gaze trailing up the stairs. "In about thirty seconds. Azura and Yongui will be down any second now." As if they heard their cue, the two women came down the stairs, holding the material of their lavish gowns in their hands.

"How did you know?" Onyx asked him. Falcon smiled. "I've been around these two for a very long time" he uttered. "Five hundred years of my life I will never get back."

Azura threw him a glare, straightening the material of her blue silk gown. The sequins sparkled under the light as she sauntered over to Falcon, locking their arms together. "Are we all ready?" she questioned, looking around the room.

"About as ready as we can be" Draco replied back, sighing. "This is going to be a long meeting." Yongui laughed, walking over and locking her arms with Orion. Her color block red and pink gown complimented her complexion, her icy locks twirled into a bun. "We'll suffer together."

Draco turned his attention to Onyx, holding his arm out. "Ready?"

With a nod, she locked her arm with his. "Where is Castrin?" she asked as they descended down the staircase to the main entrance. "Outside preparing the rides. Due to such a large population, flying in Krayos can be a bit tough so instead, we'll be using the next best thing."

The double doors opened to reveal a large courtyard containing seven dragons. In the middle was Castrin, dapperly dressed and climbing on to the back of a green-scaled dragon. "You remember my beautiful horse Cresa?" Draco said, approaching a black-scaled dragon who nuzzled his hand.

"She's beautiful" Onyx complimented, her eyes searching for her own dragon. Yet none of them looked familiar.

"Where's Aithne?" she asked with a worried tone. The emperor passed her a confused tone before pointing to a sunset orange scaled dragon with gold reins. "That is not Aithne" she whispered as she approached the creature. The dragon cuddled her hand, her gold eyes staring back at her.

"Shifters tend to change color when they transform. Nothing to worry about" he reassured her. Onyx was still skeptical, stroking the cheek of the gentle creature. But when she looked into those gold eyes, she knew it was Aithne staring right back at her.

Climbing onto the creature's back, she joined the others who were already standing at the gates of the palace, ready to leap off into the sky. "Nervous?" Orion asked, looking out into the horizon. "Maybe just a little" the siphon replied back.

"Don't worry" Azura reassured her. "It will be a fun ride."

With those being the last words she heard, Onyx held her breath as Aithne leaped off the edge, diving straight down to the bustling city below. Her heart dropped to her stomach, the lights of the city blurring into nothing but fog. A scream escaped her lips but was quickly silenced as she lurched upward into the air.

The horizon was just beyond her reach, everything else falling around her. Taking a deep breath, Onyx reminded herself to stay calm as they soared through the air, their backs turned against the wind and their hearts reckless like the evening sky. 

A/N: And that is the end of Chapter Twenty Three!

It feels good to be back! If you guys didn't know, I took the whole month of August off to focus on my school year. I am going to be a senior and my main focus has become getting my applications in, test scores, essays, and all that jazz. Things aren't exactly calm right now but I took this personal day off to update since it's been so long!

I MISSED YOU GUYS!!!

Anyway, this chapter was extra long with so many new hints as to what is going to happen int he next upcoming chapters. It's going to be a wild ride but grab on to your dragons! It's not over yet! Not even halfway through!

So tell me what you guys thought of this chapter.

Any NEW ships lately?

Any specific scenes you liked! Any conspiracies? I would love to hear them!

Thank you guys for all your constant support. It means so much to me that you enjoy this book. I enjoy writing it and to hear your feedback always makes my day!

So tell me what your thoughts are on this chapter and don't forget to comment down below and vote if you liked it.

Until next time Lovelies!

With love, May