Twilight's POV
The sparring was not sparring anymore. It had become a fight. A large crowd had gathered.
Max Arkwood looked calm, but his hits were not. Each punch carried force.
My speed matched his power. For every punch he threw, I was faster.He rushed at me again, and I moved out of the way, my boots almost floating over the ground.
Max kicked at me, and I blocked it with my arm. He smiled, the kind of smile that meant he enjoyed hurting others. It made my stomach twist.
"Is that all you got?" he asked, like he was bored.
I narrowed my eyes. "I have more than enough."
He charged, and I stepped aside, then rolled under his next strike. I kicked his knee, and he stumbled.
He turned quickly and grabbed my wrist. I threw a knife at his shoulder. It hit him, but it did not cut deep.
"Nice try," he said. His fist slammed into my ribs. I fell back, the air leaving my lungs.
The crowd got louder. I could feel my neck burning. The black lines pulsed like they had
their own.
I stood up, wiped blood from my lip, and stared at him.
"Is that all you have?" I repeated, and my voice sounded steadier than I felt.
Max blinked, like he was surprised. Then he grinned again.
"Okay, then show me."
He swung at me, fast and strong. I grabbed his arm and twisted it with all my strength.
For a second, I thought I had him. Then he pulled away, using his weight to throw me across the mat.
I rolled, pushed myself up, and ran toward him. My knife was gone, but I did not care.
I kicked his chest. He flew back two steps. I jumped and landed a punch on his jaw.
He blinked.His eyes glowed red for a split second.
That was not normal. That was not just strength. That was something else.
Max looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am Twilight Draven," I said, and my voice shook even though I did not want it to.
The crowd fell silent. Even the guards looked surprised.Max's face changed. He backed away slowly, like he wanted to run.
"I do not want to fight you," he said. "Not like this."
Then he turned and left the mat, walking away without another word. Everyone stared at me.
I felt like I was standing in the middle of a storm.
I took a deep breath and walked out of the sparring ground.
I needed to see Lysa.
I found her near the healer quadrant, mixing herbs and humming like she always did.
"Lysa," I called, and my voice sounded too loud.
She looked up, and her eyes widened. "Twilight, you look like you fought a dragon."
"I kind of did," I said. "Can I ask you something?"
She nodded. "Of course."
I pulled the bottle she had given me out of my pocket. The potion still smelled like mint.
"This potion," I said. "What is it really?"
Lysa stared at the bottle for a moment, like she was trying to decide if she should lie.
"It is a potion to slow the spreading," she said finally. "To hide the lines."
"Hide them from who?" I asked.
Her face softened. "From the people who will use them against you."
My stomach twisted. "What do you mean?"Lysa sighed. "Twilight, those lines are not just a mark. They are a connection. They are waking up. If you get a dragon, they will show you who you are."
I stared at her. "Who am I?"
"Yes," she said quietly. "And you might not like it."
My throat felt tight. "Why did you give it to me then?"
"Because I think you deserve a chance," she said. "And because I do not want to see you
hurt."
I swallowed. "Thank you."
She nodded, but her eyes looked worried."Be careful," she whispered. "Dragon day is coming."
I left the healer quadrant and walked toward the courtyard. The first dragon selection was
about to start.
People were gathering. The air felt electric, like something big was about to happen.
I stood near the edge of the crowd, watching dragons circle above us.
A dragon swooped down, and everyone screamed. It landed in the center of the courtyard.
The dragon raised its head and let out a roar that shook the ground.
It was looking at me. My heart hammering, the dragon stepped closer. The crowd parted like water.
It stared at me, and I stared back. Then it leaned down, and its hot breath brushed my face.
I felt something warm and strange in my chest.
The dragon's eyes glowed, and a voice echoed inside my head.
Twilight Draven.
I felt a pull, like a string tugging me forward. My legs moved without me telling them to.
I walked toward the dragon, and the world seemed to slow down.
When I reached it, the dragon lifted its head and then I saw Isla.
She was standing beside the dragon, smiling at me like she had been waiting.
Her hair shone in the sunlight. Her eyes looked softer than ever.
She reached out her hand.
"Twilight," she said, and her voice was gentle. "Come here."
I stepped closer. She grabbed my hand. I leaned in. My lips brushed hers.
I lifted my hands and held her face gently. She wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me close, like she did not want to let go.
The kiss deepened. My tongue traced the seam of her lips. A low moan vibrated in her throat, and I swallowed it.
"Twilight," she gasped.I found the neckline of her dress, pulling it down to expose the swell of her breast. I took her nipple into my mouth, caressing it with my tongue before sucking deeply. She cried out, her back bowing off the ground.
Her hands were everywhere, pulling at my clothes, desperate to feel skin. We undressed each other in a frantic, silent dance. Then we were naked, the sun warm on our bodies.
I looked down at her, at the perfect curves and fierce eyes now dark with desire.
"I want you," I said, the words raw.
"Then take me," she breathed.
I kissed my way down her stomach, lower. I settled between her thighs. The scent of her
arousal, musky and sweet, filled my senses. I licked a slow, torturous stripe through her folds.
She jerked, a broken sob escaping her.
I worshipped her with my mouth, learning what made her gasp, what made her thighs
tremble. Her hips began to move against me, a rhythmic rocking. Her pleasure became my own, a building tension in my belly. I slid a finger inside her, then another, curling them as my tongue circled her clit.
"Yes… please… there…" she chanted, her voice cracking.Her climax hit her suddenly.
She screamed, her body seizing, her inner muscles clenching around my fingers in waves. I held her through it, gentling my touch until she lay spent, panting.
But she wasn't done. In a fluid motion, she rolled us over, pinning me beneath her. Her eyes blazed. "My turn."
She kissed me hard, then moved down my body. Her mouth on my breast was searing.
Her hand stroked my inner thigh, higher, until her fingers found my slick heat. She pushed two fingers inside me, and I nearly shattered right then.
"Isla," I begged, my hips lifting.
"I know," she murmured. She began to move her fingers in a steady, driving rhythm, her thumb pressing circles on my clit. The pleasure was unbearable, coiling tight and hot.
"Come for me," she commanded.
It broke over me like a storm. A white hot release tore through my body, I cried out her name.
She held me as I trembled, pressing soft kisses to my shoulder.Then, a sound tore through the peaceful clearing, harsh and deafening.
A dragon's roar, My eyes flew open.
I was in my cold, dark cell. The thin blanket was tangled around my legs. My heart was
pounding, my skin slick with sweat, between my thighs. The echo of the roar still vibrated in the stones.
It was a dream.