Chapter 13: Bound.

  “I have so many questions—how—when—are you—does this mean—”

  “First time meeting a dragon?” Isaac asked, shifting slightly against the log.

  “Second time,” I mumbled. “Actually.”

  He studied me for a moment, then said, “I have several questions of my own. Perhaps they’re best answered one at a time.”

  Heat crept into my cheeks. I looked away, suddenly aware of how fast I’d been talking. “That… is probably wise.”

  I dug through my bag, found the dragon journal, and flipped to a blank page, feather pen poised but hovering.

  “You first,” Isaac said. When he glanced at me, something in his eyes softened, a glint of quiet amusement.

  I hesitated, pen tapping once against the page. “Um… where do I start?” I bit my lip as I tried to pick a question, any question.

  “How is this even possible?” I asked. “I mean—how are you human? I’ve never read about this. Not even a hint of it. Not in any of my studies.”

  Isaac folded his arms across his chest, crossing his legs at the ankle.

  “It’s a gift from our ancestors,” he said. “Though some would call it a curse.”

  He paused, as if weighing how much to say.

  “With humans hunting dragons for over a thousand years, we would have vanished entirely if we hadn’t been given the gift to adapt. I’ll give your kind this much credit,” he added evenly. “You are very good at war.”

  My stomach tightened.

  “So we learned to blend in,” he continued. “To live quietly. To survive. The ones who can shift that is.”

  His gaze dropped briefly, then returned to mine.

  “Not every dragon was lucky enough to be given that choice.”

  I swallowed. “So you live among us? …All this time?”

  “Yes and no.” Isaac’s jaw tightened. “We don’t welcome outsiders and there is too much risk to live with humans. Especially those who spend their lives training to kill us.”

  There was a trace of venom in his voice—controlled, but sharp all the same.

  I scribbled across the parchment, more to occupy my hands than to record anything useful, trying to hide the flush of guilt creeping up my neck. I didn’t know how to respond. If anything, I understood the bite in his tone.

  “My turn,” Isaac said coolly.

  I peeked up from the page.

  “Do you know what happens when you save a dragon’s life?”

  My grip tightened on the pen, the tip trembling slightly. I had to be careful of the answer. Not dishonest, just gentle. “I didn’t know who you were,” I said quickly. “I had no intention of finding you. I know about the oath—but I promise, I had no ill intent. I don’t. I never did.”

  Isaac studied me for a long moment, his gaze searching; measuring as if looking for something amiss.

  “I saw a man,” I continued quietly. “Injured on the shore, reminding me of the people I have lost. It wasn’t until now that I realized the way the stars had aligned.”

  Isaac remained still, but I could feel the anger in him, held tightly beneath the surface.

  “Isaac…” I took a breath. “I made a promise to a dragon a long time ago; that I would never harm your kind. Trust me when I say, dragon or not, saving your life was my only priority.”

  Something shifted in his expression. Just barely. The tension in his jaw eased, as though my words had struck something true.

  “Where did you learn of the oath?” he asked softly.

  “Oh, uh…in here.” I closed the journal and held it out to him.

  He took it, examining the worn cover, tracing a finger over the gold lettering engraved into the leather.

  Andrew Blackwood.

  “Andrew…” Isaac exhaled, the name carrying a weight of exhaustion.

  “Do you know the author?”

  “Know him?... His name is famous amongst dragons. One of the few humans I know that gets his facts correct. Its information from him that we don’t want people knowing.”

  I knew this book should have be kept secret. Only now do I regret everyone I told.

  “I found it in my local library on top of a high shelf. I had no idea it was so valuable.”

  Isaac flipped through the pages, “thankfully the oath is the only thing in here of much worth.” He flipped through till he got to the back pages, one containing a drawing of the lightning dragon I had made. He paused so gently, his eyes tracing the lines of ink.

  “Did you draw this?” he said.

  I nodded meekly, “there wasn’t much on lightning dragons… so I thought I’d draw the one I met as a child.”

  “Its…” he paused and ran his finger tips over the drawing like a memory forgotten to time.

  “I messed up some of the scales, and I wanted to add some colors later. It’s a work in progress.” I tried to excuse any mistakes I had made.

  “You did beautifully." He smiled somberly.

  “Oh, thank you.” I swallowed. “They were beautiful,” I said. “Terrifying, too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so breathtaking and so frightening at the same time.”

  “She is,” he said into the silence.

  That alone answered one question. The dragon I’d met had been female—making Isaac an unlikely suspect after all.

  “You recognize her?” I asked.

  Isaac closed the book with deliberate care and handed it back to me. His expression was composed, but something had turned beneath it, subtle enough that I might have missed it if I weren’t watching so closely.

  “Many lightning dragons share similarities, though the snout on this one tells me it is female,” he said evenly. “Power leaves its marks. You captured that.”

  It wasn’t an answer.

  I took the journal from him, fingers brushing the worn cover. For reasons I couldn’t explain, unease settled low in my chest. I could read him like a book—despite how carefully he guarded himself.

  It was strange. I’d never sensed something wrong so clearly before. I was incredibly aware of his body language… maybe I was just eager to make a good impression.

  “What do you look like?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood. “Are you… similar?”

  Isaac regarded me for a moment. “Would you like to see for yourself?”

  “Are you well enough?” I asked whilst trying but failing to hide my excitement. “You really should be resting.”

  With a quiet groan, Isaac pushed himself to his feet and held out a hand. I took it, and he steadied me as I rose, guiding us carefully toward the water’s edge.

  Bone lifted his head as Isaac approached, alert but calm.

  Isaac reached for the laces at the front of his trousers. I immediately turned away, fixing my eyes on anything else—the water, the trees, the darkened sky—anything but him undressing.

  My throat tightened. “Is that… necessary?” I asked, doing my best to keep my voice steady.

  His response was a low laugh, breathy and soft, like distant thunder rolling across the horizon. The sound sent a strange awareness down my spine, the fine hairs along my arms lifting as it washed over me.

  “Unless you have spare clothes, these will be shredded to pieces.”

  I heard Isaac wade into the water. I peeked at him once, the moon shining bright on the surface of the lake and his silhouette as he dove in and disappeared.

  I brought my eyes back to the spot where he’d vanished.

  Nothing.

  No ripples. No splashing. Just smooth, crystal water.

  The seconds stretched. Too long.

  I stared into the gleaming water, forcing myself to stay calm, hoping this wouldn’t turn into another rescue. I was a strong swimmer—but far too small to drag a grown man from the lake’s depths if something had gone wrong.

  Panic crept in anyway.

  I stepped into the loch, the cold water brushing my knees.

  Bone whinnied sharply and stamped against the river stones. He did it again, more urgently—and then the water ahead of me churned.

  I turned.

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  A dragon rose from the lake.

  Scales black as night broke the surface, water cascading as his long, serpentine neck lifted higher and higher; towering above the tallest pines. His body followed, powerful and immense, every movement smooth and deliberate. Suddenly, his human form made sense. It had only ever been a shadow of this.

  When he finally stood fully revealed, water dripping heavily from his scales, the dragon bent his massive head and bowed to me. It would have taken three of me to wrap my arms around his snout.

  The female dragon I had met, made me realize just how small she was compared to Isaac. Her form had also been simplified.

  A sound like wet tapestries unfurling filled the air as enormous black wings spread wide across the lakebed.

  Razor-dark spikes crowned his head, small near the snout and growing larger as they swept back. Two great horns, capped in bronze, framed eyes that glowed like captured lightning.

  My knees gave out, and I fell back into the water.

  Bone whinnied and ran frantic circles along the shore, but I couldn’t look away. The lake stilled around us, and I swallowed hard, breath caught somewhere between fear and wonder.

  “You’re beautiful,” I breathed. “You are lightning then…”

  My voice trembled as Isaac’s massive snout lowered until it hovered near my lap. Was he—was he asking me to touch him?

  His nose dipped toward the water, a subtle nod.

  A strange buzzing welled up inside me. With a trembling hand, I reached out and brushed my fingertips against his smooth, obsidian scales.

  Lightning snapped beneath my touch.

  I gasped, jerking back as the shock raced through me—more startling than painful.

  A deep rumble followed. Thunder rolled from the dragon’s chest, and it took me a moment to realize he was laughing.

  I blinked, then let out a breathless chuckle of my own. I was so overwhelmed by him that I had to remind myself to close my mouth, to keep from staring like a fool.

  His laughter softened to a low, rumbling growl as he composed himself. Once more, he lowered his head and nudged closer, clearly inviting me to try again.

  “Lightning,” he said, his voice slithering through the air, every t and s edged with a hiss. “A storm, embodied.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him, a spark of playfulness cutting through my nerves. Lifting my hand again—more cautiously this time—I hesitated, watching him closely. I didn’t want to fall for the same trick twice.

  But I wanted to feel him again.

  After a brief standoff, Isaac lifted his snout and pressed it gently into my palm, leaving me no choice.

  No lightning this time. I smiled, small and disbelieving. He was letting me touch him. A dragon, massive, dangerous, terrifying, was allowing this.

  The veins in my hand and forearm began to glow softly with a yellowish light.

  That realization settled heavily in my chest.

  We were bound.

  Isaac exhaled slowly, warm breaths puffing from his nostrils as his yellow eyes drifted shut. He leaned into my touch, solid and real beneath my palm.

  I lifted my other hand, tracing the patterns of his scales—the sleek lines, the subtle ridges, the flecks of bronze catching the moonlight.

  His eyes remained closed. His breathing slow. Steady. It was almost as if he was enjoying this.

  I should have been dissolving in his stomach acid, my bones picked clean by his teeth.

  Instead, warmth spread through me despite the cool water—tingling from my fingertips, up my arms, straight to my heart.

  Isaac released a long, deep sigh, his body easing beneath my hands as his eyes opened once more.

  “As thanks for saving my life,” he said, his voice steady now, solemn, “I am bound to you. To protect and serve you until your life is spent.”

  “Oh—” I pulled my hands back from his snout and stared at them, watching the strange light beneath my skin fade as my pulse returned to normal.

  “I am yours to command, mi Princesa,” Isaac said, bowing his great head.

  “Oh—I—I—” My thoughts tangled uselessly. Questions and answers crashed together faster than I could catch them.

  “You don’t have to do that,” I said quickly, heat creeping into my cheeks. “I helped you because I wanted to. Anyone would have.”

  The idea of forcing someone so powerful to submit to me—to owe me their life, their loyalty—made my stomach twist. Damien as my knight was one thing, Isaac was another.

  Isaac drew back, a low chuckle rumbling through him.

  “You did not force it upon me,” he said. “In that moment, every dragon is given a choice.” His eyes met mine. “And I chose it.”

  I blinked, my thoughts slowly untangling. “So,” I said weakly as the water chilled around my legs, “you’re not going to eat me, then?” I shivered. “Wouldn’t my bones make a nice toothpick?”

  Isaac’s feline eyes held mine. “Mmm… I haven’t eaten in days…”

  I gulped.

  Another chuckle. “You forget that I am also human,” he said evenly. “And I would never eat another. Especially not you.”

  Relief hit me at his words.

  One massive claw slid through the water and came to rest beside me, sending gentle waves toward the shore.

  Lightning snapped between his horns. “I won’t hurt you,” he said then, quieter now. “I couldn’t— even if I tried.”

  I licked my dry lips and pushed myself upright to stand. My legs wobbled violently as the adrenaline drained from them. One foot slipped on a stone, and I pitched forward.

  Before I could hit the water, he dove under me so suddenly that I landed against his muzzle. I barely had time to grab hold before he lifted me, higher and higher, until I was suspended nearly ten feet above the water.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched one of the horns near his nose.

  With controlled ease, Isaac extended his neck and lowered me to the shoreline. My feet touched the cool stones, but I didn’t dare let go of him.

  A warm puff of air brushed my hair.

  I opened one eye—then the other.

  Bone stood inches from my face, sniffing curiously. I let out a breathless laugh and finally released my grip on Isaac’s snout.

  “It may take a moment for your strength to return,” Isaac said, lifting his head once he was sure I could stand. “A dragon bond takes some getting used to.”

  Then—

  Lightning tore through him.

  A violent crack split the air as electricity surged across his back and abdomen. Isaac cried out, rearing as agony ripped through him.

  Disoriented, I grabbed onto Bone to stay upright. The flash blinded me. I couldn’t see—couldn’t think—only hear Isaac’s pain as water exploded around him.

  “Isaac!” I screamed. “Isaac!”

  Bone shifted anxiously beneath me, terrified.

  “Isaac!” I yelled again.

  Moonlight caught his human body thrashing in the water.

  I ran.

  He was chest-deep, writhing as though he’d forgotten how to swim—how to breathe. His movements were wild, uncontrolled.

  “Isaac,” I said, reaching him at last and grabbing his arm.

  The moment I touched him, his body slowed to a stop.

  He floated onto his back, completely limp.

  He wasn’t breathing.

  Panic surged through me as I shook him. “Isaac—please—”

  Suddenly, he gasped and bolted upright, sending me tumbling back into the water.

  “Jade!” he called immediately, hands gripping my shoulders as he pulled me up straight. “Are you hurt?”

  I sputtered and coughed while he held me in the lake.

  “The Vyrathis blade,” Isaac said urgently, realization flashing across his face. “It’s the curse. That sword—”

  His chest heaved. His gaze scanned his body, searching for answers.

  I wiped the water from my eyes, breathing raggedly

  “Stop doing that!” I yelled, plunging my arm into the water and yanking it back up to splash him square in the face.

  Isaac stared at me, stunned, lifting a brow as water dripped from his hair and lashes. “Doing what?” he sputtered.

  I splashed him again.

  “Almost dying!” I shouted. “Nearly giving me a heart attack in the process! For once, I would like my heart not to try to escape my chest!”

  “None of that was my fault,” he protested, turning his face away as I sent another wave at him.

  “Oh really?” I jabbed a finger in his direction. “Then how did you get stabbed, hmm? Aren’t you supposed to be invincible or something?”

  Isaac rolled his eyes. I splashed him again—but this time, he caught my wrist.

  With a short yank, he pulled me closer, inches from him his face.

  “Enough,” he said quiet but firm.

  The water stilled at once.

  Heat flared in his gaze, sharp and sudden, and I instinctively looked away—only to find my eyes tracking the water as it streamed down his chest and abdomen, tracing hard lines of muscle before disappearing beneath the surface.

  I pressed my lips together and firmly redirected my attention back to his face.

  Which, unfortunately, was no safer.

  The intensity in his stare made my breath hitch—but then he exhaled, the tension easing from his posture. His grip loosened, though he hesitated before releasing my wrist entirely.

  “I won’t splash you again,” I said quickly.

  His expression remained unimpressed.

  “I promise,” I added, softer now, meeting his warm bronze eyes and meaning it.

  After a beat, Isaac nodded once and let go of my hand.

  “Are you alright?” I asked, scanning him. He turned slightly, revealing where the sword had pierced his shoulder.

  A dark purple scar marked the spot, veins of violet branching outward like a roots.

  “I feel… fine,” Isaac said slowly. “But it seems I'm human for a little while.”

  He stared down at his arms, his hands clenched into fists.

  “What happened?”

  “If I am correct, the blade your Knight used on me had done its purpose. Its meant to kill dragon’s. With Vryathis you stab twice. Once through scales to make the dragon human…and the second to kill them. The blade was in my hoard,”

  I stiffened at his words, then scrunched my brow at him. “You had a sword that could kill you, in your hoard?” I asked “Were you trying to make it easy for him?”

  Isaac shot me a scowl “I collect fine things. Amongst them rare artifacts and relics. The sword being one of them. It would be better in my possession than worry about who might have it. My hoard is massive. I did not expect him to find it.”

  A long whinny broke our silence. I looked to the shore and noticed my fire dying. Bone awaited patiently, pacing in the water for me.

  I looked back at Isaac, he kept his eyes on his hands turning them over, and over, trying all sorts of things. Tiny sparks arched over his fingers and faded. I could tell he had met utter defeat. The very thing that was apart of him was muted. Locked behind a door he couldn’t open.

  Perhaps being able to see his dragon form earlier was the last of it.

  “Is there a way to break the curse?” I asked.

  “It should ware off in a few days. If it had hit my heart, I would need to find a cure, yes,” Isaac said, huffing his shoulders back in defeat.

  We arrived at the shore and I stoked the wilting fire with more logs as Isaac dressed. I offered a knights shirt I had packed. I liked the loose room of them for sleep sometimes. The fond memory of doing it since I was a child with my fathers shirts danced through my memory as Isaac slipped it on.

  Isaac got close to the hot coals, and blew into them with pursed lips. The dry logs roared up, light and warmth flooded our faces once again. Bone had taken his place next to the fire, and laid down in a spot of higher grass closer to the trunk of the willow tree. I owed him a basket of apples for this.

  It was most likely the middle of the night now. My body was sore beyond belief, tiredness weighed heavily on my eyes giving the appearance of a headache.

  I walked into the forest a ways to remove my wet gown. Once it was off, I flung a cape over my shoulders, my thin chemise the only thing keeping me modest at this point, it was wet but would dry quicker than my dress.

  I moved to the bags that sat on Bones saddle and helped them off him so he could rest a moment. I laid out my thick blanket, and set my small pillow down next to the fire. Then took my place, grateful to be sitting down.

  Once comfortable, I gratefully laid against the log, my head and shoulders leaning on it for partial support and the pillow for comfort. I pulled the blanket and cloak over me to keep me warm.

  With a muffled groan, Isaac sat next to me against the log.

  Sleep tugged greedily at my eyelids.

  I looked at him nervously, wondering if I should even sleep around him. Though we had a dragon bond between us… could I entirely trust it?

  The bond was new information for me. And I didn’t have many sources to back it up in the first place. There could be loop holes I didn’t know. Or tricks buried in the oath. I didn’t know dragons to be untrustworthy though.

  I'd have to put my faith in the legend of the lake to protect me for now.

  I rifled through my questions to ask him, and finally settled on my next one.

  “Isaac?” I said a little above a whisper.

  “Hm?” he hummed, tossing the crook of his elbow over his eyes. I watched his adams apple bob as he swallowed and his lips part.

  “What happens when I go back home? Do you come with me? Do I call on you?” I yawned mid sentence, and stretched.

  “I'm not entirely sure,” he sighed.

  “What usually happens after a dragon is bound to a human?” I asked.

  “I couldn’t tell you. Its been centuries before me that this has happened. My mother would know more,” he didn’t move.

  “Your mother?”

  Isaac nodded and hummed a reply.

  “Where does she live?” I asked making sure I stored the rest of my questions for tomorrow.

  “In Arcantra, my kind lives there,” he answered. “Its nestled between two mountain ranges to the east, several miles from Dragons peak" Isaac yawned.

  I knew some things about Arcantra, and never in my wildest imagination did I think the people were dragons in human form this whole time.

  From maps I studied, outside the capital of the kingdom was miles of farm land, responsible for crops and agriculture. They were a quiet people for what I recalled. But it all made sense now, why they had closed themselves off from Aetheria.

  I studied Isaac’s face for a moment, and realized he looked a few years older than me. Mid thirties perhaps. Dragons lived for hundreds of years, outliving generations of humans, but I imagined they aged slower, more flawlessly.

  “How old are you?”

  “Does asking so many questions help you fall asleep?” he smirked. I rolled my eyes and scrunched my nose at him. Eventually closing them.

  “As a dragon? Three hundred and thirty one,” Isaac answered, I could hear the smile in his voice. “As a human, physical age 34.”

  “Wow, three hundred. I bet you’ve seen so much,” I yawned again.

  “…We’ll talk more in the morning. Get some sleep,” Isaac’s brow was furrowed. But he closed his eyes.

  I closed my eyes too, pulling the cloak up past my shoulder I shivered under it. The wind was not being kind to the dampness of my night dress.

  Isaac put a hand behind his head and exhaled, “Good night Princess,” he whispered.

  “Good night,” I whispered back feeling sleep take me.