We watched him go, falling quiet except for a few muffled cries. Scylla broke the silence by whining softly, looking up at me with huge, rounded eyes.
”Key? Is he coming back?”
I nodded, holding my arms out to her. All of a sudden, Andreas let it a gasp. “Oh my god—Elliot—Is she what I think she is??”
The meeting with my father didn’t go exactly as planned. He wanted to meet Elliot, I preferred waiting till Scylla evolved. He didn’t take that nicely. Key didn’t take his disapproval nicely.
”Just because he’s the King doesn’t mean he can do whatever he wants!” Key growled.
I rolled my eyes.
”That’s what it means to be a king, Key,” I pointed out, crossing my arms. ”He can do whatever he wants. Nobody can question his authority.”
My father wasn’t really all that bad. It was just that he took things too seriously. He thought he was entitled to all creatures. He was the King. He needed to know everything. It just so happens that he can’t know everything.
”Can we go back to the dorm?” Key questioned. ”Scylla’s waiting!”
I scoffed, shaking my head.
”You’re ridiculous,” I sighed. ”We have a lot of other things to do. Access the end results of the Oath. Deliver the news to the parents of those who failed.”
I wasn’t looking forward to that. I felt Key’s disapproval, his impatience, and the growing need to connect with someone of his level. I promised him we’ll do that the second we’re free.
[TIME SKIP - Andreas’s POV]
I just sat on the couch for hours, barely noticing as the light faded from the sky, replacing itself with an indigo expanse that cast long shadows across the floor. All that mattered was the dragon coiled up in my hands, looking up at me with huge golden eyes.
I don’t know how many times I burst into tears and clasped him to my chest, stammering his name over and over again. Copper. His name was Copper, and he was the most beautiful little creature I’d ever laid eyes on.
Kaden’s POV:
I always only heard stories about bondmates, how it felt absolutely amazing to bond with a creature. I always heard it felt like finding your other half.
It was all correct. I had Hope in my hands raised above my head as I laid on my bed, rubbing her softly, occasionally butting my head with her.
“Hope,” I whispered, pressing a kiss on her soft forehead, smiling when she purred and tried to cup my cheeks with her paws.
”Kaden,” her voice saying my name felt like music. It was magestic. It was the best thing I ever heard. ”You’re so silly, Kaden.”
I laughed.
“Am I, Hope?” I murmured out loud. “I am, aren’t I? You’re so beautiful, Hope. Your name matches what you are to me.”
Hope grinned, showing off her teeth.
”You can talk to me in your head,” she said, instructing me on his to do it. I passed.
”I’ll go see what Andreas is doing,” I murmured in my head, sitting up and cradling Hope close.
”Copper,” I conveyed mentally, tearing up a second time when he placed one clawed foot on my chest.
”I finally found you… you finally found me….” his voice answered, crackling like a bonfire. I ran a finger down his bronze-orange scales, which warmed beneath my touch.
”You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting..”
The sound of a door opening behind us made my concentration snap. I turned my head, smiling when I saw Kaden.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” I breathed out, approaching Andreas and taking a seat on the couch. “It feels like magic. I never thought I would make it this far…”
Copper stretched his long neck out in the direction of Hope, Kaden’s bondmate.
“Me neither…” I whispered, wiping at my puffy eyes. “If I’m being honest, I was sure that I was going to die… I’ve never really been exceptional, usually the weaker one… God, I’ve never been so happy in my life.”
Hope hopped out of my hold, walking slowly into the direction of Andreas and Copper, sniffing them both and then scrunching her nose. I laughed.
“I didn’t want to be the only one in our dorm to die,” I murmured. “I had a feeling you and Elliot would pass. I wasn’t sure about myself. It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
Copper burped out a hiccupy flame, paddling his little feet in excitement.
“I felt the same about you and Elliot,” I admitted, the volume of my voice dropping. “And this is beyond amazing.. this is more than I ever could have hoped for.” Snifling a little, I rubbed my eyes. “I have to send a letter to my mom…”
Hope covered her nose with her paw, taking a step back before jumping to get closer to Copper. She crawled closer and slowly, licked Copper’s cheek.
“She’ll be so proud of you,” I ruffled his hair. “I can’t wait to tell my big sister. She’s going to be so happy.”
It wasn’t fair that women couldn’t bond. It was ridiculous, but it is what it is. If we tried to fight, we’d be silenced. I didn’t want to hope that maybe Princr Colton was different. He wasn’t. I didn’t want to believe it. When he’d get the throne, he might make it worse.
Grinning like an idiot, I scrunched up my nose, leaning slightly into the almost brotherly touch. “I’ve got a little sister, she’s been sending me letters non-stop ever since I left.. She’ll be happy to hear the news, I think. And I’m sure your sister will be proud of you, too.”
Copper rolled onto his back, tongue lolling from his mouth as he exposed his belly to the other bondmate.
My heart did a small flip when I saw his grin, especially when he leaned into my touch. I swallowed thickly before returning his smile.
“Of course she will be happy,” I chuckled. “You’re her big brother. Knowing her big brother passed would be such a huge news for her!”
I lowered my eyes bashfully, cheeks reddening. One of the many downsides of having the same milky white, freckled skin that I did was how easily it flushed. The moment I was the tiniest bit embarrassed, my emotions were written all over my face.
"I still haven't fully grasped it…" I murmured, half to myself. "Have you?"
I didn't notice the way Andreas's cheeks flushed. My gaze was on our bondmates, who were getting to know each other.
"I haven't," I responded quietly. "It feels like a dream."
"I'm half-convinced that it is…" I dragged a hand through my tangled, messy hair. "That I'll wake up tomorrow, alone, with a few more days left until the Oath. Or that I'll open my eyes and be back at home. Or…."
There was no need for me to finish the sentence.
I responded by smacking Andreas hard on the head before rubbing my hand.
"There," I teased. "It's not a dream, is it?"
"Ow!" Taken by surprise, I blinked up at Kaden, rubbing at the sore spot on the back of my head. A beat of silence passed us by, and I burst out laughing.
Copper, who had immediately raised his hackles upon seeing my roommate hit me, drew back, ogling at me in bewilderment.
I wrapped my arms around my stomach as we both laughed, relief sleeping through. We’d actually made it. We weren’t kicked out. We weren’t dead. We were alive and we had bonded. We passed.
“This is the best day of my life,” I laughed, leaning back against the couch. Hope rolled her eyes at me and swatted Copper with one of her tails, trying to see why I’d done it with Andreas.
The little, lizard-like dragon, blinked at her owlishly, tilting his head slowly. He stared down at his own paws, as if wondering whether or not he should hit her back.
"That hurt!" I complained, but my enormous, ridiculously goofy grin gave me away. "Do I get to hit you back?"
“You hit me and we’re going to have a full out war,” I threatened Andreas. “Won’t we, Hope?”
My bondmate looked at me as if I was the one with three tails. She turned her head away and lightly bit Copper. She wanted to play.
Copper let out a squeak of indignation, raising his paw and swatting Hope upside the head.
Meanwhile, I had my hand pressed to my mouth, trying and failing to stifle my amused laughter. "What if I gave you caramels as a peace offering? Would that satisfy you?"
Hope blinked as if she was trying to take in what happened. She glared at Copper before swatting at him again, jumping on him.
His laughter weirdly adorable.
I immediately shook that thought of my head. What was wrong with me?
“Looks like our bondmates are fighting for us,” I laughed. “And gimme the caramel.”
"I've got a whole stash in my room," I laughed, shaking out my ridiculously fluffy hair. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to sneak them into my bags without my mother noticing? I should really start charging people for them. Five dollars a caramel?"
Offering him a toothy grin, I scrunched up my nose. "I'd be rich by the end of the year."
Beside us, our two bondmates rolled around, swatting and pawing at each other.
I frowned.
“You’re going to charge’me for it?” I pouted, crossing my arms. “And here I thought you loved me, Andreas. Where did all the love go?”
Hope finally jumped back and began licking her paw, swishing her tails back and forth. Her eyes fell on me and Andreas and I swear she snorted.
My heart hiccupped in my chest for some unknown reason. Copper, who felt the tiny jolt, stared down at his own chest in bewilderment.
Clearing my throat awkwardly, I pulled the dorky smile back onto my face. "Fine, fine, you can have one for free. Just this once."
I grinned immediately.
“Thanks, Andreas!” I sang. “You’re the best~”
Hope looked back and forth at Andreas and I before her eyes settled on Copper. She slowly ran towards him, nuzzling his neck playfully.
Copper nearly fell over from shock. Blinking dazedly up at Hope, his forked tongue tentatively flickering out, he rolled over onto his back, exposing his warm belly.
For some unknown reason, my cheeks had gone pink, and I hurriedly stood before I embarrassed myself further. "Come, I'll get you those caramels."
Hope laughed, a melodic sound escaping from her mouth. She rested her head on his belly, flopping down on the floor as his warmth filled her.
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion at Andreas’s antics. Did I say something wrong? Not liking the awkward atmosphere, I reached out for a cushion.
And whacked Andreas straight on his head.
Poor Copper just look helplessly up at me, seemingly unable to move. I opened my mouth to laugh, but a loud whack and the sensation of something hitting my cheek jolted me out of my stupor. It took me a moment to realize that I'd been hit with a pillow, and another to register that it was Kaden who had hit me. A few more seconds passed, a mischievous smile overtook my lips, and I swiftly retaliated, grabbing hold of the nearest couch cushion and flinging it at his face.
Hope jumped up in shock, staring at Andreas and I with surprise. Then I felt something soft hit my face, too, and realized Andreas retaliated.
“Oh, you’re on,” I brought a smirk to my lips, grabbing the nearest cushion and the fight started.
