The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 96: Lavish Nightmare II

Chapter 96: Lavish Nightmare II

Days bled into nights, and her memories faded like mist drank up by the time that kept acting like a drunkard wanderer that people could see only once. A young master would visit, his presence fleeting but constant, teaching her the delicate art of taming Griffins and using her healing magic.

One crisp afternoon, after a long flight across the skies, she stood in a sun-drenched meadow bathed in autumn’s golden hue to catch a breath and enjoy the scenery, gently stroking the feathers of her brown Griffin. That was when she saw it, something dark slicing through the distance. Her Fae eyes narrowed. Massive black wings were flapping, heading her way.

"A Dracon," she whispered, her breath catching. "Finna, let’s go."

She vaulted onto Finna’s back and crouched low, glancing behind her. Her heart staggered in her chest. The creature was closing in, fast and colossal, with jaws big enough to tear Finna in two.

The Griffin launched into the air, wings cutting through the wind with raw power. Finna was the swiftest of her kind, and the princess had been trained relentlessly over the past five years. Her cousin, Azrael, would visit from time to time, offering praise with that cold, unreadable stare. Yet his words always lingered like a thorn in her mind. "Is that what you want, Anarya?"

She never understood what he meant. And when she asked for clarity, he would vanish with a clipped farewell, "I have much to tend to in the Hall of Mirrors."

The wind lashed against her cheeks as Finna soared faster, desperate to put more distance between them and the border. She just had to cross the throne’s barrier. Dragons couldn’t breach the Summer Fae’s protective magical wall. This realm belonged to the Griffin Tamers to maintain peace.

A breathless smile curved her lips. "Yes, Finna, cross the barrier, and we’re safe."

The barrier shimmered like a ribbon of white lace, stretched from the heart of the realm to the heavens, an unseen veil no Dracon or malevolent creature could pierce.

As they passed through it, the Fae princess let out a jubilant hoot. Finna slowed, wings steadying in relief. But then she glanced back, and her blood ran chilly.

The Dracon had followed.

It tore through the barrier as if it didn’t exist, cutting through the air and halting directly in their path. Its snarl echoed like thunder, savage and unrelenting.

Terror rooted her to Finna’s back. She couldn’t risk Griffin’s life. As for herself, a fall from this height would mean certain death.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" she screamed, voice raw with disbelief. That couldn’t be a Dracon. It couldn’t be. The barrier never failed.

"Reneira," the creature spoke in a voice far too human. "We must go back home. Wake up."

The princess’s brows drew together, her head tilting in confusion. "Who are you? Who is Reneira? You must have confused me with someone else."

The beast’s red eyes narrowed, gleaming with eerie certainty. "Then who are you, if not her?"

Shadow watched her as if he were staring at a ghost. Could it be that Reneira did not even recognize herself? Lost her memories?! The scoundrel Azrael toyed with her.

"I’m Anarya Al-Gathiran, Princess of the Fae Throne," she declared, chin raised with quiet pride. "Isn’t it rude that I’m the only one who introduced herself?"

Shadow felt Kai’s heartbeat spike beneath his scales and in the real world. He was too weak for her.

"Get down. To the ground," he commanded, his voice was low.

He turned sharply and descended, landing with a thud on a crag of stone. But the princess didn’t flee. Curiosity held her in place, tugging at her more than caution. He didn’t feel dangerous. And perhaps... She could help him find the girl he was seeking.

Sliding down from Finna’s leather saddle, she approached with deliberate calm, her steps sure as she climbed the rock to meet the creature. The massive black Dracon lowered his long neck toward her. His face was rugged yet striking, ancient power carved into every line, and when his eyes met hers, they held a haunting recognition.

"Reneira D’Orient," he rumbled. "That’s who you are. Look into my eyes."

The girl gave a short, scoffing laugh. "I am looking into your eyes."

"Deeper." His voice turned guttural, drenched in something raw and far less than commanding. Almost... pleading, perhaps?

The princess flinched at the Dracon’s aggrieved steamy huff. Now that her feet touched the ground, she couldn’t afford to provoke him, not when tension shimmered in the air like a drawn blade.

She looked into his red, mirror-like eyes. His black pupils dilated as she focused, searching for a trace of herself reflected within. And there, buried in the scarlet depths, she saw it. A girl with long, wavy hair. Blue eyes. Standing beside a handsome man.

Memories.

They spilled over her without warning, and tears traced silent paths down her cheeks.

"Milady?!" The voice interrupted the coming tide of memories.

She turned, startled, to see Aveneith, her loyal maiden, standing near Finna with worry creasing her brow.

"What are you doing up there?" the maiden called.

"Talking to this big Dracon!" Ren replied, blinking away the tears.

Aveneith tilted her head, confused. "But, milady... there’s nothing there."

Ren turned back toward the rock and saw the Dracon’s amused expression. He let out a deep, rumbling chuckle that echoed through her mind like a whispered memory.

This is your dream, his voice said within her. She cannot see the Shadow. Only you can, because you are my wife, bound to me. I need you to remember... so you can wake up.

The princess froze. He’d spoken through a mind link. A soul-connection. Only fated mates could do that. He wasn’t lying.

Panic pressed against her ribs. If she acted strangely, Aveneith would report it, and her father would come. They’d confine her, question her sanity. So she forced a laugh, light and airy. "Oh, my dear Aveneith, you believed that? I was joking. Come, let’s go home."

She hopped down from the rock, quickly studying her maiden’s expression, praying her lie had been enough.

"You scared me," Aveneith said, sighing. "I thought you’d lost your memory again."

"I don’t remember much of that time..." Ren hesitated, eyes softening. "Did I hurt you?"

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