Astra's POV
"Let him go, Drayven. Let him go," I screamed, beating hard against his arms. "He is my brother; let him go." I yelled. Each word crashed through my throat as my heart threatened to jump out of me, beating furiously against my chest.
Nathan's small hands clawed at Drayven's wrist, his feet kicking helplessly in the air, as he fought for freedom.
Drayven whipped his eyes to me, hooded, brows narrowed. "Your brother." He growled whilst his thick fingers pressed tighter into Nathan's throat, squeezing the life out of him.
"Yes, he is my brother." I pulled his arm. "Let him go."
"I am sorry. He approached you too fast," Drayven said, voice low and stiff. Not even a flicker of remorse coated his voice. "I sensed a threat."
"Well, he isn't a threat. He is my brother." I snapped.
Drayven's grip loosened immediately.
Nathan collapsed into my arms, coughing violently. I dropped to my knees with him, holding his head to my chest as he wheezed for breath, clutching and rubbing his neck. Nostrils hung high in search of air.
"It's okay," I whispered, rubbing my palm on his hair and another along his chest to ease his breathing as his chest rose and fell. "It's okay, I'm here. Your elder sister is here."
Above us, Drayven stood motionless, watching quietly. His presence heavy. I could practically feel the heat from his powerful body forming a cloak around me, just as I felt his dangerous aura. It was tangible in the air.
He truly wasn't exaggerating when he hinted that he was evil. If I hadn't stopped then, he would have killed Nathan, killed my only brother.
The images of Nathan's neck trapped between his fingers, struggling and dangling like a loose robe just to be free, burned sharper and sharper in my mind, replaying before me.
I shut my eyes tight to keep back the images, and I snatched Nathan closer to my chest, cradling him against me. I'd almost lost him, almost.
"You should have told me," Drayven finally spoke again. Still no damn remorse in his voice. He talked like almost killing my brother was just a regular, unimportant mistake.
That made blood rush fast to my head. "So I should have told you that I have a family? Please tell me who doesn't have one?" I snapped without looking up. "Forgive me for not submitting their list of names for your imperial approval." My tone as scathing as was possible.
There was silence between us and the whole hall. No one said anything. Not even a whisper dented the silence.
One could have heard a pin drop.
"Since you have informed me of your brother now, I won't attack him next time. So is there anyone I should watch out for again, like your mom and dad?" He asked. And still, no emotion came with his words.
He was a super biological robot.
"So you can kill them too." I turned to glare at him.
"So I don't have to kill them," he responded. His jaw clicking hard with a tension born from impatience rather than concern. "I warned you, Astra. I wasn't exactly a nice creature. My kind aren't."
I don't know if Dragon had a soul and conscience, but he, I was sure, didn't have one.
"How can you even talk like this when you almost killed my brother?"
"He was moving suspiciously—"
"He is only ten. Ten, how do you expect him to come meet his sister?" I snapped, almost growling.
Drayven wanted to speak but just grunted instead. "This is why I don't like humans. You lots are too emotional. You make issues out of everything and nothing." He gritted his teeth against his jaw and looked away from me.
I wanted to yell at him so he knew how emotional humans can be, but he just turned around, striding away from me, his shoulders stiff and high. He strolled back to the throne he had sat on before, moving like a king.
Now, I wished he didn't have to wait three days before he was resealed again. I would give everything to do it now.
I whisked my gaze back from his disappearing figure. I turned to Nathan.
He tugged weakly at my sleeve. "Astra…"
I crouched and cupped his face. "Are you alright?"
He nodded, though his gaze flicked fearfully past me to Drayven. Seeing him far away from us, his uneasy eyes calmed a bit.
I stroked his chin tenderly with my fingers, and he forced a tight, petulant smile up at me. He rose from my hand to his feet. I stood up after him.
I reached into the hidden fold of my dress and pulled out the small pouch of coins I had saved, every copper and silver I had earned from Valenreach the day before.
It wasn't much, but it was enough to get Mom, Dad, and Nathan by until I get my next pay. How I wished I had gotten my hands on the crystals! But instead, I got myself involved with an ass, emotionless dragon, who knows nothing other than killing.
Talk about bad luck. Perhaps if I had just stayed at the entrance and plucked off a crystal, I wouldn't be here. If I hadn't ventured too deep into the cave as I promised myself, I would have had extremely expensive crystals in my hand and not a centuries-old monster.
I pressed the coin pouch into Nathan's hands.
"Take this home," I said softly. "Give it to Mother. Tell her to buy medicine. Stay inside. Do not speak to guards or to the elders. If anyone asks questions, say you know nothing."
He drummed his head in a powerful nod. His lips trembled. "Are you coming home, Astra?"
"Not yet." I said, stroking his cheek again with my fingers.
His eyes widened. "But—"
"I have work," I said firmly. "Go."
He hesitated only a second before nodding and running down the corridor, disappearing into the thinning darkness.
The guards and the elders watched him go, but they didn't stop him.
Not because they can't, but because Drayven knows about Nathan now.
The dragon seemed to be useful for something still, I thought. I refused to glance back to see him as I moved towards the corridor.
I was getting to the stairs when a wave of air whooshed around me. He appeared beside me, his arms folded across his chest.
I didn't look around at him. I wasn't surprised to see him. I just hated that I had to.
"Where are you going to, Astra?" He asked.
"Not where you are going…" I said, drawling deliberately on the word. "...which is hell." I hissed, and I continued down the stairs.