Chapter Seventeen

Rayne looked at Xerath with a raised brow, "Her name is Aetherius? Why would she show herself to me? I thought, well for starters, dragons were extinct." she said, setting her half empty bowl on the nightstand next to her bed. She didn't feel hungry anymore. More questions began to rise in her, only to leave her more confused.

Xerath sat back in his seat, playing with his beard as he snapped the book shut.

"Not extinct, just in hiding." he set the book down in his lap, running his fingers over the cover again, "Dragons are the most intelligent and powerful beings to ever live, but their scales, bones and teeth can fetch a hefty price to put someone like yourself into retirement." He rose up from the chair, drifting back to the desk and rested the book on it.

"Answer my other question. Why me?" she asked, forcing herself from the bed. Her legs caved beneath her, throwing her hands out to catch the nightstand, spilling her dinner onto the floor. Gideon jumped to his feet, his arms securing her back before she made contact with the floor.

"You need to take it slow, Winters."

"Oh shut it, Ryder. I don't have the time or patience to take things slow." she pushed away from him, only to lose her balance again and land on her ass. She winced on the landing, her head pounding like crazy. Gideon gripped her arms tightly, forcing her to her feet.

"And I don't have the time or patience to keep dealing with your insensitive bullshit." he spat back at her, making sure she was steady on her feet before leaving the room. Rayne rested a hand back on the nightstand, running her other hand over her face.

"I see you're perspective of people and awareness of their feelings haven't changed a bit." Xerath finally spoke up as Rayne eased herself back on the bed.

"I don't like people." she grumbled, leaning down slowly and picked up her bowl. She stopped, glancing over to Xerath, "Wait, have you been spying on me?"

Xerath chuckled softly, "I spy on the world every day. I know the comings and goings, the rising and falling." he turned to her, meeting her gaze, "I know that there is something at work, and you play a part in it." Rayne rubbed her left eye.

"I could care less about all of that."

"But you care in stopping Ravnyk, you care in avenging your mentor's death," Xerath paused, looking to the stack of books and slipped out a thin, blue book that appeared to be more as a diary. He got to his feet and went to stand before her, lending the book out to her, "I have your story right here." She carefully took the book from him and he left her alone. She gazed down at the leather bound diary, no title on the front of it, but it seemed a bit worn down around the edges like it had been sitting for years. She played with the cover, her fingers pressing against the edges, but she didn't have the willpower to open it.

She set the book down on the bed next to her, slowly getting to her feet and managed to get out of her room without collapsing again.

She followed the stairs down until she reached the main floor. The main hall was larger than what she was expecting, and rounded to fit the shape of the tower. An open doorway was dimly lit, revealing the kitchen to her. She saw the large door that she believed would lead her outside. A stone door caught her attention and she opened it slowly, grunting at the heaviness of the door. Steam filled her vision, followed by moisture as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She panted lightly as the heat rapidly hit her, the moisture seeping through her clothes. She heard the ripple of water, and as the steam started to clear, large inground bath appeared. A window sat opposite of the door, smothered in the steam. Gideon sat beneath it, the steaming water up to his abdomen. They met gazes.

"Dammit." she turned her head away, grabbing hold of the slippery doorknob.

"Rayne." he called to her and she stopped, "Stay." his voice wrapped around her like the steam and she nodded slowly, but kept her back to him. "We can share the bath. You haven't bathed since we left the elves." he pointed out and she lifted her shirt to her nose, sniffing a few times and wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"This isn't permission to get frisky with me." she said, and he chuckled deeply.

"I'd like to keep my manhood while I'm still alive." he commented back, and she sighed. She carefully undressed, wincing every so often until she piled everything on the floor. She looked down at her hands, but still barely saw the left side. She settled into the bath, a moan escaping her lips as the water eased her sores.

She lay her head back and shut her eyes.

"Winters..."

"You did it again." she interrupted, slowly lifting her head to look at him. He raised a brow, resting his arms on the ledge of the bath.

"Did what again?"

"You've called me by my first name before. Why?" she asked him, and he cleared his throat, his eyes moving around the room, but wouldn't rest on her.

"I'm struggling with the line between us," he admitted, "seeing you laying there, unable to do anything..."

"You said my name before this. Back in Arakhora, you said my name." she said, watching him shift uncomfortably in the water.

"I don't know why, alright?" he let out a sigh, finally looking her in the eye, "Maybe it was the alcohol talking that night, or just the atmosphere." he ran a hand over his face, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I... I don't like saying a woman's first name."

"That's a lie, you spoke Cassandra's name when we first met." she inclined her head, "What is your real reason?"

"I've started to like you." he blurted out.

"Well, you shouldn't. You wouldn't benefit from being with me." she scoffed, and he glared at her.

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do know that. You've been poisoned and injured by a giant ass troll."

"And yet you took time out of your busy schedule to bring me back to full health and you suffered a near death experience, but I stayed!" he raised his voice at her. She looked at him, seeing the struggle of emotions he was trying to control. He ran a hand over his face, his eyes glancing away from her. She sat back in the bath, letting the steam sink into her exposed skin. She glimpsed at him again, her eyes tracing the muscles in his arms to his broad shoulders and bare chest. The scars of battle evident more so while he soaked. Ideally, he makes an excellent lover, but anything more than that, she wasn't sure she was capable of feeling more. He wasn't wrong though. Even when she developed a relationship with Mel for awhile, even when she got sick once, his servants tended to her instead of him. She scanned his face again, but his hand still covered it and his eyes were fixed on an area of the water, deep in thought.

Her body moved slowly across the large bath until she stood in front of him. His eyes darted to her breasts right away, unavoidable with them bare in front of his face. She reached out with her hand, brushing his brown locks from his face. He lowered his hand, fully facing her as she straddled on his lap. He inhaled deeply, his hands finding her waist.

"I'm not a healthy person to be with, Ryder." she started out slow, careful to decide her words, "I don't think I'm even capable of learning anything more than what I have already experienced." she watched his brows furrow together for a second, but then he met her gaze, his hands firmly gripping her waist. He lifted her hips before bringing them down on his. She released a gasp, grasping his shoulders tightly.

"Then I'll be the one to show you." his voice was low and husky, his hands moving to the small of her back and his lips grazed her collarbone. She shivered in response, letting her body do the talking for her. She leaned into his hands as her hips started to move on their own. His lips trailed down to her breasts, catching a nipple with his teeth, bringing out a soft scream from her. He was experienced, that she knew for sure after their first night together. When he toyed her nipple with his tongue, he massaged her lower back with his thumbs, sending a mix of relief and ecstasy within her body. She panted while her hips worked his length, her arms moving around his neck and slipping her fingers into his hair. He released her breast, moving his lips up to her neck and nibbled gently while roughly grinding against her. He gave her different sensations all over her body, leaving her nearly breathless.

She felt herself tighten around him, her hips rocking against him a bit faster, but he slowed her down by firmly holding her in place. She stared at him with pleading eyes, but his sapphire gaze captured her. His fingers massaged up her spine, making her tilt her head back and let out a soft groan of pleasure. He moved his hands over her slender shoulders, holding her face in his palms.

"We are doing this my way, Winters." he whispered against her lips, teasing her by distancing his when she leaned in to kiss him.

"Rayne." she spoke her name to him, and he watched her face carefully before moving in closer, his breath tickling her.

"Rayne." he said her name tenderly. It broke her.

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The cold wind graced her cheeks as Rayne stepped outside for the first time since they arrived, the sun rising just past the peaks. The scene looked as if the battle never happened. Gideon stepped out behind her, wrapping a cloak around her shoulders.

"Don't do anything stupid now. You're still weak." he said, but their was a gentleness in his voice that wasn't there before. She raised a brow back at him, and he looked away, his cheeks lightly colored. She moved down the steps slowly, the crunch of the snow underneath her boots when movement caught her right eye. A large creature stepped out from the trees, its white fur now decorated with new scars as the troll confronted her. Panic rose up inside her chest, and she found herself frozen in place as it approached her. Gideon stepped up behind her, pressing himself against her back as support.

The troll stopped in front of them, hunched over and softly growls in greeting. She trembled under its gaze, shrinking back into Gideon. He wrapped an arm around her, lowering his head to her ear.

"He's harmless now. He's Xerath's guardian. He formed a contract with it years ago, keeping each other safe from the outside world." he whispered to her as the troll inclined his head at them. She still remained where she stood with Gideon, but she reached out a hand toward it. He leaned in slowly, his nose wrinkling as he took in her scent and pressed his forehead into her palm. Her eyes widened as she felt his velvet fur against her skin.

"It's kind of like a horse. Wait, the horses!" she looked around desperately.

"Relax. Xerath had them moved to the other side of the forest where a river is and built them a small stable to stay in." he squeezed her against him, "Stop freaking out, everything is fine." he tried to reassure her, but there still is an uneasiness in her chest she couldn't ignore. Ravnyk finally made his move in taking control of King Abel, and most likely persuade the civilians under his rule without knowing. Now there is a dragon involved in all of this and wants to possibly help her? What if it was a trick of her mind?

"You're making a face." his voice broke through her thoughts as he poked her forehead gently. She glared at him.

"What face?"

"The face you make when something troubles you." he said, and she rolled her eyes, pushing his arm away.

"I do not make a face like that." she countered. Gideon shrugged at her, patting the troll on the shoulder before walking past it. Rayne followed after him, keeping a safe distance between herself and the troll when he began to follow them.

"Sure you don't, or the other times you made it." he said, and she looked around them as they walked around the tower.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously, only seeing the tower to her right, the forest barely in view on her left side.

As they rounded the tower, a large clearing with a fence wrapping around it greeted them. Xerath stood near the center of the clearing, his hands linked behind his back as he took in the fiery colored sky. He wore a red robe with gold stars stitched around the sleeves, and his hair was neatly tied back in a braided bun.

He turned to them as they approached the fence, smiling warmly, "Good morning, I hoped you slept well." he said as Rayne fumbled climbing the fence. Gideon chuckled at her and she shot a glare at him.

"I can't help having somewhat a bad perception right now, asshole." she bitched at him, making him only chuckle again. He hoisted over the fence with ease, landing beside her and puffed his chest proudly. She jabbed her elbow into his stomach, forcing him to bend over slightly with a grunt.

"I'm glad that you have your energy, you'll need it." Xerath walked up to them, folding his hands into his sleeves. Rayne looked around the clearing, but it appeared empty aside from them.

"So what are we doing out here?" she asked as Gideon turned away from her and started taking off his cloak to reveal a dark brown padded leather armor, with a black long sleeve shirt beneath it and black pants. He had completely discarded his usual attire for something meant for flexibility and speed. He put his hands out in front of him, palms facing the sky and they start to glow a blueish white. Rayne watched in amazement as a transparent staff appeared in his hands. The glowing receded and he past the staff to her. It had a similar weight of a normal staff, and even had the wood texture. The same glow caught her eyes as another staff appeared in his hands.

"The likelihood of your eyesight coming back with it's full potential is very slim considering the amount of damage it received," Xerath started, "so, to prepare you for your next journey, you will be training with Gideon to help you adapt to your new condition." he said, and Gideon spun the staff with one hand before pointing it at her.