The Dragon Bond: Heirs of Lyra

Chapter 102

Elysia stepped back, away from Phillip as he eagerly approached her. His smile was too manic, his eyes too hungry. "What have you done, Phillip?"

He reached a hand out, as if to caress her; but Elysia's eyes darkened, warning him against it. "It's all right," his voice was too calm, as if he was trying to soothe a bucking horse. "This way we can finally be together."

"Be together?" Her eyebrows drew close as she frowned, wondering what he could possibly mean. "Phillip, this is insane. You have to let me go, my family is going to be worried sick. War is about to break loose, I need to get home."

He shook his head, his green eyes seemed almost dazed with disillusion. "You are home now, Elysia. With me, everything is finally working out for us."

Elysia couldn't hide the horror from her face. What had happened to her friend, where was the Phillip she once knew? This was not him. This man looked the same, the same blond hair, the same green eyes, the same strong arms from chopping wood. But there was something off about this Phillip; as if rejection had broken him and he was clutching the pieces together for dear life. 

"I don't know how you got involved with Jordan or his men, or why you're in Niebla. But this has to stop. Please." As she looked at him, desperate to bring him out of whatever false reality he was suddenly claiming, she saw his eyes grow dark.

He snapped his head to the right, looking away from her, as if to prevent her eyes from boring too deep into his soul; to stop her from talking any sense into him. "You might know what I've been through," he said, "if you cared enough to check in on me."

Elysia tried to let her gaze soften. She was worried there would be no reasoning with him. "You were mad at me, you said you didn't want to be friends anymore."

"Because I didn't," he spat. "I've always wanted to be more. After you rejected me, I knew it was because I was poor. So I did everything to prove you wrong, to prove I could be good enough for you."

"It wasn't because you were poor," Elysia started to explain, but he cut her off, obviously not willing to hear her side.

"I worked hard night and day doing three jobs. I hoped I could make enough money to leave that small village and put it all behind me. I thought if I learned a few trades, I could eventually have enough experience to work at the castle, so I could at least be close to you." 

"But nothing I did was ever good enough. It wasn't until we got a knock on our door that everything changed. My father showed up."

Elysia sighed. "I thought your father was dead?"

Phillip shrugged. "So did I. But apparently he's not. Apparently he was just hiding out in another kingdom all this time. He had met my mom when he was on the run from your father."

The Princess had no idea what he was talking about. "I'm confused. Who is your father?"

Phillip smiled. It was a condescending smile, as if he enjoyed knowing something she didn't. "You just talked with him." 

"Jordan is your father? The maniac that abducted me? You can't be serious." Elysia did not believe for one second that it was true. Perhaps Phillip thought so, but it was all too convenient, too incredible for it to be true. "You're telling me that your father just so happens to be my half uncle that I knew nothing about, the man that's enemies with my parents?"

"Just because it's convenient doesn't make it any less true," Phillip's tone was defensive. Obviously it was a touchy subject for him. So touchy that he started pacing and ran a hand through his messy hair. 

"You realize that makes us related? And you still want to marry me?" Elysia knew she shouldn't be provoking him. After all, he was on the wrong side now. He was working with the enemy, with a man who was holding her hostage in hopes her parents would surrender.