The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon
Chapter 73

DERRIEN

The meeting of the Empire’s Prime Council is never-ending. Issue after issue, all urgent and all-important. And on every decision, I and Dargen clash like our lives depend on it. Sometimes I think he doesn’t even care what he or I suggest – just wants to be on opposite sides and prove me wrong. Which rarely happens and only infuriates him more. Once he gets to the throne it would be chaos…

And once the murders at the Dark Selection are mentioned, all hell breaks loose. That stupid cousin of mine insists on us closing the investigation and dismissing everyone involved in it since HE found out the murderer already and even has her confession. Luckily, our uncle is not that stupid and not convinced at all. But he lets us fight for hours proving our points. So when I win it doesn’t even feel like victory anymore.

But at least she is safe from him. He wouldn’t be able to touch her as long as the investigation proceeds.

All I want now is to sooner come to my chambers in the main palace and close my eyes, trying to reach her. But when I do she is not there. That girl.

One would think that she would sit quietly in my room and wait for me, sleeping peacefully in my bed. But apparently she has better things to do at the Selection! Unbelievable!

I try to reach her again and again but she is not there. It’s so late at night that I start to get worried. Transporting to the castle now would anger the Emperor so it’s not an option. But the thought that something could have happened to her while I am away just make my b***d boil. And my dragon is restless as well.

Then I remember about the simplest method of checking on her – the pendant I gave her. I get my own, its twin, and rub the stone in the middle. Immediately it gives me the rhythm of her heart. Calm and soothing. She is fine.

It’s funny that just knowing that somewhere out there her tiny heart is beating makes me happy and calm. And helps my dragon to go back to sleep and stop burning me from the inside.

I wonder why is she having this kind of effect on me…

I can finally feel her asleep and can enter her mind, imagining her sleeping peacefully on my own bed. Her fiery hair all over my pillows and her full chest going up and down. I sit next to her and brush my fingers over her milky skin. Somehow it feels that gods created her just for me… Although it is probably stupid.

“I missed you,” she smiles and it warms up my heart. However, I am not admitting it to this mischievous girl.

“I thought you are never going to sleep tonight,” I chuckle instead, “You like to keep me waiting, don’t you?”

“Funny you should say that,” her fingers slide over my abs, “Considering I am the one left at the Selection castle and waiting for your return!”

“Do you wait?” I can’t help asking, even though I shouldn’t give her this much power over me.

“Of course, Rien,” she looks away and blushes and all I want now is to r****h her even if it’s just in a dream. I lean down to her and touch her lips gently with mine. She tastes so sweet. Always. And when her arms slide around my neck, I lose myself, not being able to stop. I k**s her face, neck and prepare to go lower when she almost m***s, “Rien, I think that was Alexandra! The murderer, I mean.”

What the actual…chaos?! Here I am, trying to undress and take her and she brings up the murders in the heat of the moment?! Only Mira Freyn can do something like that. I sigh and mutter a few swearings into her neck. And then sit up.

“Why do you think that?” I ask, still disappointed.

“I took Isidore’s hair today and checked it for potions,” she confesses.

“You shouldn’t go to the dungeons alone, Mira!” I reproach her.

“I wasn’t alone!” she interjects and immediately bites her l*p.

The dragon is up and he is furious inside me, fire burning so much I feel like it could escape me any moment now!

“And may I just ask who you’ve been with?” I growl, pinning her hands at both sides of her head. Her green eyes look scared and I feel a prick of conscience doing this to her. But I cannot help it. The beast inside me cannot tolerate knowing she’s been with someone else.

“W-well,” she mumbles and I know that I wouldn’t like the answer, “It was Tristan… but…”

I slam my lips into hers, I hate hearing his name escape them. Not him. I know for sure she hates Dargen. But that human. HE is dangerous. He is always there when I am not, looking at her like a love-sick puppy. Always ready, always eager to please her… Hate the guy! And the worst thing is that they have history. She never loved him but what if she suddenly realizes that she did? Or that it was a mistake and she didn’t see the real him before and now she…

“Rien!” she m***s, her hands are around me and it brings me right back to her, “Rien, I want to tell you what I have found!”

“Of course, Mira,” I exhale into her mouth and take her into my hands, getting cozy on the bed, “Tell me everything.”

“I have found something in Isidore’s hair! A trace of…”

“Let me guess,” I chuckle, “Sideria?”

“You knew?” she gasps and looks at me with those big eyes of hers.

“No, but since you found something – that must be it!” I say, rubbing her cute little nose.

“Oh,” she giggles and leans back on my chest. What would I give for really being with her now and not just in our dreams? “So, I’ve been thinking,” she says, “Isidore said that she was the only one who could access her chest. And yet the artifact was there. I believe her for some reason. And now I think that someone made her open her chest and then they made her forget about it!”

“That actually makes sense,” I agree with her and not tell her that I’ve been thinking about it myself.

“So, who could do that? What if they did that when they found out that I am going from a room to a room asking to have a look at everyone’s jewellery? At first, I thought that it would be stupid to set her up. It would have been easier to just hide the artifacts. I would have never seen them. Our attempt there was a long shot. We both know that. But the murderer must have realized that we are after her. Hence, giving us another suspect to waste our time with could have been a move to win some time for herself! Maybe even escape!”

“You know that with your dark marks escaping is not an option,” I say.

“Who knows,” she humphs, “Anyway, maybe the murderer just wanted time to cover their tracks. The more days pass by the harder it is to prove anything!”

“True.”

“Again, since I discovered Sideria in Isidore’s hair it became clear that someone was telling her what to do. And what if that has been going on regularly?”

“What do you mean, Mira?”

“I mean… the trace in her was significant. Not like in Fawn’s hair at all. She took Sideria more than ones.”

“All right,” I sit up. That is actually an interesting piece of information.

“And at the Selection only two people could be this close to Isidore. Her two minions – Alexandra and Ariadna. But Ariadna lives in a different room. Alexandra, however, is Isidore’s roommate! She definitely knew about the chest and its magical locks. She could have ordered Isidore to open it for her and hidden the artifact inside to set her up. And to be honest, now I am thinking, that Isidore in the dungeons and Isidore that I knew before are like two different people. What if she’s been controlled when Alexandra needed it from the very beginning.”

“Well, it’s a good theory, Mira,” I admit, “But we have no proof.”

“I know,” she sighs sadly and I turn her to face me.

“Don’t be upset, little mage. You’ve done well as always. I am so proud of you.”

Her face lights up at my words.

“Thanks,” she blushes and I k**s her forehead gently.

“And now, Mira, I am going to give you an order. And you are going to do what I tell you,” I say calmly and she turns with her lips parted in surprise.

“Derrien Derwood! How dare you give me orders!” she snorts.

“I just do,” I chuckle, “But I am serious, Mira. I need you to stay in my room until I come back! Do not go to those stupid lessons, do not go to dinners, do not go to meet with your friends. Tell everyone that you are sick. I’ll write to lady Cecilia and to that Sapphire Knight to let them know. I will send you food and drink as well. Do not consume anything that doesn’t come out of my dark flames. Got it?”

“Gods, do you think that I am going to be next?” she cracks me within seconds, “Because I’ve been going to all those rooms?”

“I don’t think that anybody would dare touch as much as one strand of your hair,” I say, “You are both mine and Dargen’s favourite. If something happens to you… Well, it’s just… It’s just better to be safe than sorry.”

“I see,” she blushes.

“Do you promise to do as I say?” I ask her and she avoids my gaze.

“I’ll try…” she clearly lies.

“Mira!”, I growl and throw her next to me, landing on top of her, “I have my ways to make you, do you know?”

“Oh, I am so scared!” she says sarcastically, holding down a laugh. That girl! She drives me crazy…

“Mira, promise me,” I say, looking seriously into her eyes and she stops smiling.

“All right,” she agrees, “But when will you be back?”

“I’ll return for the Ball of Portals, Mira. And I will see you there…”