Chapter 13: Acasia

Sarn's lair was different. Not as comfortable as Bastian's, barren actually. Calista, his bride, welcomed me with a soft melodic voice. She was much older than I was, her hair long and grey, her face wrinkled but the beauty she once held was still evident. It was surreal meeting a claiming bride whom I'd studied in school. The other, Megan, belonging to Tahr. She was middle aged, with graceful beauty and still full of life. The dragons seemed relaxed, friendly, and curious of me until Laryn arrived. I received a sharp jerk to my hand, which brought me closer to Bastian's side within seconds of the devastatingly handsome man's approach. With gentler and more subtle moves, Sarn and Tahr brought their women nearer too.

Laryn nodded his head in greeting. "Tahr, Calista, Sarn, Megan." He looked at Bastian, but then his eyes wandered to me.

Internally, I winced. Not from the leer he half-heartedly gave me, but from the pain I saw deep within his dark eyes. They had a blue spark; whereas, B