"Yes, fuck me, Thane. Let Roxanna watch us," Kaida cried as she bent naked in front of him, taking every hard thrust from behind like it was a show meant only for me.
I did not want to be there. I fought against the strong hands gripping my arms, but they held me tight, forcing my eyes open, forcing me to watch every second of this sick act.
My heart felt like it was torn out of my chest as they both looked at me, making faces meant to break what little was left of me.
"You see how he humps me?" Kaida laughed, never taking her eyes off me. "You never felt him like this. Not just him either. No man would ever want a cripple like you."
"I am not crippled, you jezebel," I spat, because it was the only thing I could still do.
"Then walk. Let me see," she mocked.
I tried to push myself up from the floor, my body shaking as I struggled to stand, but the guards slammed me back down, their hands heavy on my shoulders. Kaida burst into loud laughter, and Thane joined her, followed by the guards, their laughter ringing in my ears like knives.
Fear crawled through me as I watched her move against him again. They did not care that every second was tearing me apart, that my chest hurt, that my eyes burned, that my soul felt crushed under their cruelty.
After a moment, they finally stopped. Kaida reached for a knife on the table, her fingers wrapping around it slowly.
She was going to kill me.
"No, no," I screamed, my voice breaking. I would rather die by the hands of the guards than by this bitch.
Suddenly, something cold poured over me like a bucket of water, and I heard a familiar voice calling my name. "Roxanna, wake up now."
Kaida vanished. Thane vanished. The room faded like smoke, and my eyes flew open as I gasped for air, my heart racing while I tried to understand where I was.
This place was different. The room was larger, neat, and far better than my cabin or Thane's.
"Stop dreaming about your foolish ex. That is the least of your problems right now," Delihah said as she walked to the table at the corner of the room. She poured water into a cup and brought it to me. "Drink, child."
I sat up slowly, took the cup from her, and drank every drop while she watched me closely. When I handed it back, I was still shocked to see her standing there.
Delihah looked like a woman in her late twenties, but I knew that was a lie. She was older, far older. She was beauty itself, the kind no woman in Mistvale could challenge or replace.
"How did I get here?" I asked, forcing my mind to focus on what mattered. I remembered being in the forest. Then something struck the back of my head. I fell, and after that, everything faded into nothing but darkness.
"I had to come after you because I knew you would be a fool and mess this up," Delihah said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Trust me, you did not disappoint."
"Why do you care?" I asked. I was not even sure I had the right to ask that, not when she had risked everything to save my life.
"I helped you by breaking every rule," she snapped. "And I will not let you ruin everything because of a boyfriend who does not give a fuck about you. You are going to forget that loser. We have too much to do."
We?
The word echoed in my head. I swallowed hard, waiting for her to explain where she was going with this.
"Are you willing to survive this?" Delihah asked. "The elders will not stop until you are dead. There is a bounty on your head, and it is a large one."
"W what?" My heart began to pound again. I blinked hard, scared that tears would spill. "I did not want any of this. I swear I did not know I was a female dragon. I do not even want this. If it can be taken away from me, I would be grateful."
"Do not be a fool," Delihah cut me off. "You have so much power that the world is afraid of you." She sighed and shook her head. "Stop thinking with that fish brain of yours. I need you to think. Imagine what we could do with all that power."
Her words shocked me, yet they stirred something inside me. Did I really have such power? The prophecy said I would be a disaster, something that needed to be erased.
"Miss Delihah, I do not know if I have any powers," I said softly. I had felt normal all my life. If I truly had power, why did I never save myself? Why did I never save the stranger?
Sweet goddess.
I suddenly remembered him.
"Good question," Delihah said, pacing the room. "You need a strong tutor and a safe place to hide. I have to get you into the Academy of Sixth without anyone knowing."
"The academy is for males only," I said, shaking my head. "That is impossible. I cannot go there."
"We could make you a boy," Delihah chuckled, looking at me like she had just found gold. "Yes. You will go in as a boy in disguise."
"What?"
"You will pass as my distant cousin and join the second wing of the academy," she continued calmly. "From there, you will learn from the best tutors in the world. They will teach you how to become the strongest female dragon this earth has ever seen."
Her plans for me were so big that they scared me. I studied her face, trying to understand what this meant for me. "So I can enter the academy and no one will know it is me? Roxanna?"
"Exactly. You are catching on," she said with a small smile.
"So what do you gain from this, Delihah?" I asked. My hands rubbed against my bare legs as unease settled in my chest.
Delihah looked at me for a moment, almost proud, then walked closer. Her voice dropped low. "You are smarter than I thought, Rox. I want something in return."
"What is it?" I asked, my curiosity burning.
"There is a man I have wanted silenced for years," she said. "And I believe you can do it."
The smile on her face faded, replaced by pain in her blue eyes. It was clear she hated him deeply. I could feel it.
"If you get into the academy, your first mission is to kill him," Delihah said. "He is dangerous and strong, but I believe you can overcome him."
"I cannot," I shook my head, my hands trembling. "Why would you ask me to kill someone? I have never even raised my hand to hurt anyone before."
"This is not a request, Roxanna," she snapped, turning her back to me. "He must die, and you will do it."
"Who is he?" I asked softly, knowing I had no choice anymore.
"Good question," she said as she turned back, anger burning in her eyes. "Azrael, son of the late alpha Zephrl. He has to die, and I want you to make sure of it."