Rebirth of the Villain
Chapter 42: The Dragon’s Price

Chapter 42: The Dragon’s Price

Arthur made his way through the palace’s eastern wing, where the guest chambers had been hastily converted into a recovery suite.

The corridors here carried a different energy—ancient and wild.

Two guards flanked the doors, but they stepped aside without question at Arthur’s approach. His authority was absolute now, unquestioned after the events in the medical wing.

The chamber beyond was spacious, with high windows that let in streams of afternoon light. But it was the figure reclining on the oversized bed that commanded all attention.

Sera Nightwind was even more magnificent than his fragmented memories from the rescue had suggested. Her recovery had progressed remarkably—the gaunt, tortured woman from the Syndicate facility was gone, replaced by someone radiating ancient power despite her current vulnerability.

Long silver hair cascaded over bare shoulders, and when she turned toward him, her golden eyes held depths that spoke of millennia. She was beautiful in the way that dangerous things often were—all sharp edges wrapped in deceptively soft curves.

"Prince Arthur," she said. "Or should I say, King Arthur? Word travels quickly through these halls."

"Just Arthur," he replied, settling into the chair beside her bed. "Titles feel unnecessary between us, don’t you think?"

She laughed. "How refreshingly direct. Most rulers insist on ceremony, even in private."

"I’m not most rulers."

"No," she agreed, her gaze sharpening as she studied him. "You’re not. I can feel it through our bond—the changes in you since that night. The Primordial’s touch runs deeper than you’ve told the others."

Arthur felt the connection between them pulse with recognition. Unlike his other bonds, this one carried an otherworldly resonance that made his Incubus abilities amplified with new possibilities.

"You can sense that?"

"Dragons see truth, Arthur. Always have." Sera shifted, sitting up straighter, and the silk sheet slipped to reveal the pale expanse of her chest. "Three years of forced extraction taught me to recognize power in all its forms. What you carry now... it’s not entirely human anymore."

The honesty in her voice cut through any pretense he might have maintained. "Does that concern you?"

"Concern?" Sera’s smile revealed teeth just slightly too sharp to be entirely human. "Child, I am an ancient dragon who has watched empires rise and fall like seasons. I find your transformation... intriguing."

Arthur leaned forward, studying her expression. "And what exactly do you find intriguing about it?"

"The way your power calls to mine." Her voice dropped to a purr. "Dragons bond rarely, Arthur.

When we do, it’s because we recognize something that complements our nature perfectly. Your Lustborn abilities, enhanced by cosmic touch—they resonate with draconic magic in ways I haven’t felt in over a thousand years."

Through their developing bond, Arthur felt the truth of her words. The connection between them wasn’t just growing stronger—it was evolving into something unprecedented.

[BOND ANALYSIS: SERA NIGHTWIND - 94% SYNCHRONIZATION]

[DRACONIC RESONANCE: UNPRECEDENTED COMPATIBILITY DETECTED]

[POWER SYNERGY: REALITY MANIPULATION POTENTIAL UNLOCKED]

[WARNING: EVOLUTION THRESHOLD APPROACHING]

"There’s something else," Arthur said, feeling the system’s notifications pulse with urgency. "The bond between us—it’s different from the others. Stronger."

"Of course it is." Sera reached out, her fingers tracing along his jaw with touch.

"I am not some court lady or palace servant, Arthur. I am an ancient being who chose you after seeing what you’re truly capable of."

Her touch sent heat racing through his veins—a recognition of compatible power that promised incredible synergy.

"Chose me?" Arthur caught her hand. "You were captive when I found you."

"Was I?" Sera’s smile turned predatory. "I could have broken free from those pathetic chains at any time, Arthur.

Dragon magic doesn’t diminish simply because fools extract essence. It regenerates, grows stronger through adversity."

Arthur felt his pulse quicken. "Then why didn’t you escape?"

"Because I was waiting." Her golden eyes held his with intensity that seemed to see straight through him. "Waiting for someone worthy of what I could offer. The Syndicate thought they were harvesting power—they were simply preparing me for you."

The implications hit him. "You orchestrated your own captivity?"

"I endured it," she corrected. "There’s a difference. When I sensed your approach, felt the cosmic power you carried and the way it would complement mine... I knew the wait had been worthwhile."

Arthur leaned back, processing this revelation. The ancient dragon before him wasn’t a victim he’d rescued—she was a calculating predator who had positioned herself to be found by him specifically.

"Impressive," he said finally. "And slightly terrifying."

"Good. You should be cautious around me, Arthur." Sera’s smile revealed more of those sharp teeth. "I am not like your other lovers. I don’t submit easily, and I certainly don’t share power gracefully."

"Yet here you are."

"Here I am," she agreed. "Because what we could become together transcends petty concerns about hierarchy and harem politics."

Arthur felt the truth of her words through their bond. The connection between them was approaching something that would fundamentally change both of them—and possibly the entire balance of power in his kingdom.

"Show me," he said.

Sera’s eyes flashed with golden fire. "Gladly."

She rose from the bed in one fluid motion, the sheet falling away to reveal her completely. Her body was a masterpiece of predatory elegance—all dangerous curves and barely contained power. But it was her eyes that held him captive, burning with ancient fire as she approached.

"Do you feel it?" she whispered, her hands settling on his chest. "The way our magic recognizes each other?"

Arthur did feel it—a resonance that seemed to awaken every enhanced ability he possessed. The Primordial’s whispers grew louder, encouraging him to embrace the power flowing between them.

"Yes," he breathed.

"Then let me show you what a dragon’s choice truly means."

Sera’s lips found his with hunger that seemed to burn through his veins. Unlike his other bonds, this kiss carried actual fire—controlled but real, a demonstration of the power she offered to share.

Arthur pulled her closer, feeling the heat of her skin against his as their connection deepened. Through their bond, he sensed the vast depths of her magical reserves, accumulated over millennia and refined through recent adversity.

"Not here," he said against her lips. "Not in a recovery chamber."

Sera’s laugh was pure temptation. "Then where would you have me, King Arthur?"

"Somewhere worthy of what we’re about to become."

Arthur stood, lifting Sera effortlessly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her body pressed against his as he carried her toward the chamber’s private balcony. The afternoon sun streamed across them as he set her down on the marble overlooking the kingdom’s heartland.

"Here," he said, his hands mapping the curves of her body. "Where the entire realm can witness the birth of something unprecedented."

Sera’s eyes blazed with approval. "Claiming me in full view of your domain. How delightfully possessive."

"Not claiming," Arthur corrected, his voice carrying new harmonics as their bond strengthened. "Merging."

The distinction was important—this wasn’t conquest but true partnership, the joining of equals who recognized their combined potential.

[EVOLUTION THRESHOLD: 99%]

[ARCHON RANK ADVANCEMENT: IMMINENT]

[PRIMORDIAL INTEGRATION: STABILIZING]

[DRACONIC SYNERGY: MAXIMUM COMPATIBILITY]

Sera pressed herself against him, her naked form as her hands worked to remove his clothing. "Then merge with me, Arthur. Show me what a Primordial-touched Lustborn can become with dragon fire to fuel him."