A Pet for the Dragons

123.

RADROX

"I'm sorry, Radrox," Arika whispered, wrapping her arms around me and resting her head against my shoulder. I closed my eyes and tried to take in her words.

Was she pitying me? I wondered. A lot of emotions were raging inside me due to recalling my past. It clouded my judgement and senses at the moment, but I tried to anchor myself to the present with Arika's presence.

She sounded genuine. This time, I was sure she was sincere in her apology and meant it. It softened my heart for a bit— stripping it of the armour of crudeness I used for protection.

If only she knew the kind of effect she was having on me... I clenched my jaw and rested my hands heavily on her hips. A groan threatened to escape my lips, but I swallowed it.

I... must protect my heart at all costs. A new realisation washed over me— I feared Arika more now. Not because she could scheme against me and hurt me again. No, I was more afraid this time because she could make me feel vulnerable like this. I'd never felt this way before.

This filled me with more uncertainty about us. For the first time, I had finally broken free from the present tension and was finally thinking about our collective long-term future. Not that I hadn't thought about it previously, but this was the first time I hadn't let vagueness cloud over it.

The more I pondered it, the more it scared me because the present was our biggest enemy. Things were very uncertain with the Empress, and I was sure that we had walked into a grave trap by coming here... and we weren't prepared for it at all. This was the worst time to be vulnerable.

For a moment, I wished we could be back at the Gallow Castle, alone in the middle of the storm with no one to bother us. Things would've been different then... so much different.

Arika snapped me out of my thoughts by yawning deeply and shifting on my lap, unknowingly rubbing against my hardness.

"I feel so sleepy even after having a full night's sleep," She whispered, trying to shift away from my lap. I wanted her to sit there longer and spend more time with her, but I let her go. I hated doing it, but this had to be done.

A sense of urgency and restlessness filled me all of a sudden. We needed to find a way out of here as soon as possible.

The Empress had already shown us some of her motives by trying to separate Zorge and me from Arika. It pissed me off even more now that I thought of it. I wouldn't allow something like this to happen again.

"Sleep," I told her, getting off the bed, but Arika surprised me by grabbing my arm.

"Wait, where are you going?" She asked. Her words gnawed at me because I wanted to climb into bed and curl up with her more than anything, but how could I do that when everything in the near future looked so bleak?

No, I couldn't rest until we got out of here. Ivret was already using all his resources to get us out of here. Compared to him, it didn't feel like I was doing enough. I needed to do more digging. I was disappointed in myself for having grown so careless over the years. I needed to be more firm with my resolve.

"I need to see someone," I told her crisply, freeing my arm from her hold even though it hurt my dragon to do so.

"Who?" Arika asked, narrowing her eyes at me. This finally lifted the moment of softness and vulnerability that we shared, further making me more aware of the present.

"Some old Cardinal Guards who might be able to help us," I told her. Arika's eyes widened, but I told her before she could ask me— "I cannot take you with me. It might be dangerous, and you need to rest more,"

"So you're leaving already?" She asked with disbelief in her voice and face.

"I need to," I told her. "Zorge would be here any minute now, and I'm sure you know better than to leave this place on your own,"

She looked disappointed with my answer for a moment, but she nodded in understanding.

"And what if I get revisited by the Prince? You know he has a habit of sneaking around? And the last time he took me with him, you all freaked out," she reminded me, making me straighten up. I'd almost forgotten about this in the heat of the moment. This was another issue that needed to be dealt with.

This palace was a dangerous place to leave Arika alone. I could only imagine all the dragons who already knew about her and were plotting against us— the Empress being one of them.

"I'll wait for Zorge then," I gritted.

"Or..." Arika's eyes flashed with the same cunningness that always put me on guard, "You can let me talk to him so I can find out more about the Empress' grand schemes. I'm sure he knows a thing or two since he sneaks around so much," Arika proposed.

"No," I growled, "You'll never see him again. Get it in your head, Arika,"

"That's not for you to decide," Arika gave a mocking laugh, "Because I'm sure that sneaky little thing would find way to me one way or the other,"

"You sound too excited to see him," I couldn't help but notice this.

"I am. He was on the verge of telling me something last time, but Zorge found— I mean— saved me." Arika corrected herself after getting a sharp look from me. I knew what Arika was thinking and proposing at the moment, but I found it extremely hard to say yes to this because it was dangerous.

I didn't want to put Arika in harm's way intentionally.

"You're not seeing that brat, Arika," I ordered crisply, but the look of defiance crossed her face, making my heart stutter. "And even if he finds you, you will come to us. You understand?" I pressed.

"Fine," Arika hissed and gave me her back before pulling the blanket over her head. I growled and almost ripped the blanket off her.

"You will stay away from that brat, Arika," I growled, taking her chin and forcing her to look at me. "It's an order from your Master." If anything, she looked even more determined to go searching for that cursed golden Prince. This was the very thing about Arika that irked and scared me.

She liked taking monumental risks. As much as I hated this about her, a part of me liked this because it was the very thing that brought her to us.

"I need your word on this, pet," I hissed.

"Alright," She pouted, turning away again, but I forced her back to face me before claiming her lips deeply. 

~

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