The Dragons' Crystal

Chapter Twenty-Seven ~ Darius

Never before in my entire life had I needed to lie to someone I cared about. I had never lied for the greater good. I knew it had changed things drastically for the better but it still hurt so much knowing what I had done. 

I had told Odelle that I hated her. I had made her believe that I had used her and hadn't actually enjoyed the company we had shared. I had confirmed her worst fear and told her to go back to Erstonia, as it was the only place she wouldn't cause trouble. 

It was difficult to stand in front of her and yell these lies at her that I knew would break her spirit, but I had hoped it would break her heart away from me in the process. That had been the plan all along. When she had first fallen, I wasn't planning on sending her away. It wasn't until I heard her admit she had feelings for me that it began forming. In that moment, it all made sense. 

I had wondered why the pain was so strong and so frequent for her but I understood after she admitted the truth. Since Odelle was beginning to love me, her heart wanted to willingly give itself to me. The crystal is always bound to a dragon, especially if Allira knew what I wanted to use the crystal for. Odelle's attraction to me meant her heart wanted to rip itself out of her chest and land in my hands. I would never make her suffer through that amount of pain. By telling her all the lies, I made the attraction go away. The crystal would stop fighting, as Allira would think that I was a complete jerk just like my father. I didn't want her to go back to Erstonia. I wanted her to stay here, but I knew that could never be. I wanted to ensure that no dragon ever found Odelle. I wanted Odelle to live a long and happy life of her own. I wanted her to marry, have a family, and do all the things she wanted to do. I wasn't about to rob her rights to that future by keeping her here. If she went back home to Erstonia, she would blend right back in. No dragon would think to find her in a place surrounded by humans without any traces of another dragon around. Odelle would be safe there, even if the people were awful to her. It would keep her safe and protected. 

That night after Odelle had left, I had been confronted by Dove and Finn. I didn't need to worry about protecting them so I had confessed to them the entire truth. While they were upset, they understood. 

"She's really the crystal?" Dove had asked, shaking her head back and forth in disbelief. She took a seat near the door, dropping her head in her hands. 

"That's why she kept having those pains?" Finn sighed, arms crossed, while he kept his eyes locked upon mine. 

At the time, mine had been splotchy and red. I hadn't been able to hold back the crying once I reached my door.  Sending Odelle away was the thing  I didn't want to do. "Yes." I confirmed quietly, letting the drops slowly move down my face. 

"You really broke her heart out there, Darius. Was there really no other way?" Dove questioned, finally raising her head to look up at me. "Did you really need to be that cruel?"

Hesitantly, I nodded. "Her attraction to me was what was mainly hurting her. The crystal wanted to bind with me. Breaking her heart ensured she wouldn't be suffering any longer. She wouldn't feel the pain if she stopped loving me." I tried to not look at the floorboards, but it was hard. I didn't want to believe any of this was real life, but it was. "It needed to be done. Sending her back to Erstonia will keep her protected from any future dragons searching for the crystal. She will blend in as just another outcast living in a village. Allira chose Erstonia for a reason. She will be safe there."

"You look as though your heart has been broken too." Dove's gentle voice broke through the pause of silence between the three of us. She stood and reached out, gently grabbing my hand and squeezing. "Did you love her?"

"Do I even know what love is?" I asked in a whisper, returning the squeeze. 

The conversation ended in a hug and I was alright with that. Dove had decided she would provide me some relief and give me updates on how she was doing. She had followed her home to Erstonia to ensure she was safe. Each visit was different.