The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 25: The Bracelet

Chapter 25: The Bracelet

>>Aelin

The basilisk lunged toward me, its sharp claws extended and teeth bared. My instincts screamed at me to run, but my body was frozen in place. All I could do was raise my arm in a futile attempt to shield myself.

I braced for the impact, but it never came.

Instead, the creature let out a strangled hiss, its body twisting mid-air before slamming onto the ground with a heavy thud. My eyes widened in shock as I looked at it, writhing on the cobblestones. A deep, clean slash ran diagonally across its body, blood seeping from the wound.

What just happened?

My gaze darted around the garden, searching for an explanation. That’s when my eyes landed on Draegon. He was still standing where I’d last seen him, his purple eyes glowing faintly in the fading light. He hadn’t moved a single step, his hands loose at his sides.

I stared at him, my chest heaving with shallow breaths.

Did he...?

Before I could make sense of it, the basilisk dragged itself upright, its injured body trembling with rage. It let out a furious snarl, its eyes narrowing as it locked onto me again.

"Watch out!"

I turned at the sound of Ariston’s voice, just in time to see him rushing toward me, his sword already drawn. The basilisk leapt, but before it could reach me, Ariston’s blade arced through the air in a precise, fluid motion.

The creature fell again, this time lifeless. Its body slumped to the ground, a final gurgle escaping its throat as blood pooled beneath it.

I took a shaky step back, my heart hammering against my ribs. Ariston stood over the fallen basilisk, his breathing even despite the brief struggle. He glanced at me, his dark eyes filled with concern.

"Are you alright, Princess?" he asked, his voice calm yet urgent.

"I—yes," I stammered, still trying to process what had just happened.

His gaze flicked to Draegon, who remained motionless, his expression unreadable. For a moment, the tension between the two of them was palpable, like the air itself had thickened.

"Where were you?" Draegon’s voice was low, dangerous.

???

Ariston didn’t look away from me. "I was doing my duty, protecting the princess."

Uh- I’m sure he asked you something else Ariston but Ariston wasn’t paying much attention to the Draegon

Draegon’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing slightly. "She shouldn’t have needed protection in the first place."

The weight of Draegon’s words hung heavy in the air, but Ariston didn’t flinch. Instead, he turned his full attention back to me, his demeanor softening.

"I’ll escort you back to your room," he said gently. "It’s not safe out here." He sighed, "How did a Basilisk even make its way inside?" He glanced back at the monster, then pushed me to move.

I hesitated, glancing once more at Draegon. His expression was dark, his gaze fixed on me. I wondered what he meant by those words? Did he mean that Ariston shouldn’t have protected me, or that I should have been kept safe from the start?

But as Ariston kept pushing me, I nodded silently to Ariston, allowing him to lead me away. As we left the garden, I couldn’t help but steal one last glance over my shoulder.

Draegon was still standing there, his figure shadowed by the twilight.

!!!

And that was the moment I finally noticed.

He had his claws out still, his hand trembling as if fighting something invisible as the monster’s blood dripped from his claws.

But most of all

He had the wooden beaded bracelet on.

***

>>Ruoxy

I circled Draegon, my fingers twitching with the growing frustration bubbling inside me. How had it come to this? Why was it getting harder to control him?

My mind buzzed with tension as I studied him. He stood there, motionless, but I could feel the resistance in him. A resistance I had never encountered before. I have the Abyss’s power in me, how can a mere demon counter it?

I closed my eyes and focused, summoning the magic that had become my ally. My hands glowed with the telltale signs of my power, tendrils of shadow curling around my fingertips as I reached into his mind. This shouldn’t be happening.

His will was stronger than it had ever been. With a frustrated hiss, I pressed harder, pushing my power deeper into his thoughts, trying to root him in the spell. But no matter how much magic I poured into him, it felt like it wasn’t enough.

When I brought him here, he was completely under my control, he was mindless!

"Why is it getting harder to control you?" I seethed. "This shouldn’t be happening," I muttered aloud. My voice trembled, and I bit down on the edge of my tongue, trying to maintain control.

When I glanced at him, I saw the faint flicker of defiance in his eyes. A surge of anger welled up inside me.

No. You won’t break free again.

I clenched my fists, willing myself to stay calm. The last time, he had broken free of my spell because of some ridiculous jealousy—over that human!

Jealousy?! The thought alone made my blood boil. I had seen it in his eyes when Aelin came into the picture. That human princess had managed to worm her way into Draegon’s thoughts, to cloud his mind with feelings I hadn’t planned for.

But jealousy? Of a human?

"I can’t believe it," I muttered under my breath. My grip on the magic tightened. I took a step closer, my eyes narrowing at him. His silence only deepened my rage. "Why are you slipping away?" I used as much magic as I could. I have to get his mind to go numb again

I can’t risk it.

"And that human!" I hissed, my voice laced with venom. "That filthy human knight!"

My fingers twitched again, and I sent another wave of power crashing into Draegon’s mind, desperate to regain the hold I was losing. His jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with that spark of rebellion, then his eyes dulled into numbness.

I clenched my teeth so tightly I thought they might break.

Oh no!

I can’t do this. I can’t lose my cool!

He will be angry! I can’t disappoint him!