Chapter Ten

"I'm sorry for asking something that should probably be obvious, but what exactly is this link thing?" I asked, feeling awkward being the only one in the room who didn't know.

Veren looked at me, his face looking like a mask of conflict and determination "It means that your life and mine are as one. As long as one of us is alive, so will the other one be. It also means, that once you open yourself to the link, you will feel my emotions, just as I can feel yours."

"When did you open yourself up to the link?" I pointed out, wondering, since he had been aware of my feelings for so long.

"Those born in this realm are always open to the link" Ternia answered for him. "I'd guess the only reason that you haven't felt the link before is because you weren't born in a realm with magic. You didn't even know magic existed outside of your own family, after all."

"So..." I thought aloud, mostly speaking to myself "how do I open myself to the link?"

I instantly saw the surprised look on Veren's face, and had to hold back my curiosity.

"Raelynn, dear, I don't think you understand it enough yet to pursue that at this time." Ternia said, stiffly.

I felt more confused, not sure what it was, but knowing that they were hiding something from me.

My annoyance was probably clear, as I said "What is it that you don't want me to know about this?"

"Rae, the link is something extremely special, and once it is opened, it can never be closed again." Veren tried sounding calm, but I could hear the tension in his voice.

"Something special..." I thought to myself, remember the sense that I'd had in my dream, knowing that the dragon, Veren was somehow special to me despite not knowing him at all.

It also implied that, even if I didn't feel the link like he did, our lives were still somehow connected. As long as I lived, so would he, and vice versa. Same for death. The word 'special' kept running through my mind, perplexing me and driving me to push harder. There was something in my subconscious, I could feel it, just calling to me.

"Raelynn, let's not worry about this until the situation with your sister is handled. We need to focus on our priorities" Ternia suggested, but there was an undertone of power in her words.

I looked at her, feeling as though her words were somehow reaching into my mind, and not liking the feeling at all. I knew that I was becoming agitated, but I didn't know why or what to do about it.

"Mother!" I heard Veren warn, a low growl in his tone.

She looked taken aback, looking between him and myself, and I remembered that Eliot had said that the dragon clan had the power of compulsion. I realized quickly that Ternia had just tried to compel me, but I had somehow turned it around and turned it into something darker. Her magic had just turned into anger within me. No, not anger, power. Something that would push me even harder to find out whatever it was I wanted to know, whatever it was that I wanted to do. I didn't know how I knew it, but I knew that I wouldn't ever be limited here. Not like I had been back on Earth.

I stood from my chair, and looked between both Ternia and Veren, and said "I don't know what it is that you are both hiding from me, but trust me when I say that I intend to find out."

I didn't wait for a response, walking away from the both of them, back out into the hallway.

Again, I didn't know how I knew, but something inside of me automatically knew where I was going. First, was the dining hall for food, and then I was going to explore. I knew the layout of the building without seeing it, and I knew the way to get outside.

I heard Veren calling after me as I walked, one point sounding like he was worried and another sounding like he was warning me. But all I felt was annoyed that they were hiding things from me when I had just opened up an entire wound for them. I didn't even care if he felt my emotions at this point. Let him feel my frustration as much as he wanted.

"Rae, please stop walking away from me" he pleaded one last time before finally quickening his pace until he was in front of me.

His expression actually looked kind of pathetic, like he knew that he had messed up, but he didn't know how to fix it. Not that he would fix it even if I told him what he could do in order to do so. He didn't want me to know about the link any more than I already did. I would find out about it, even if he didn't want me to, I swore that to my self in that instant.

"I'm hungry" was all I said, feeling some level of pride in my commanding tone.

I had never been one to use a commanding tone before, but, if I had, I knew that in the past I would have been hurt for it. Here, I was considered important, for whatever reason they had, and I now knew it without a doubt. I would be safe here while I prepared for a fight I didn't want, and I would fight for something that I couldn't explain why I did want.

A thought finally registered in my mind, one that I just couldn't bother denying. I wanted Veren. I had wanted his attention, even when I hadn't been aware. I wanted to understand him, to be special to him. Not just because we had some invisible link, but because it was me. I hated to admit it, but I had actually started falling for the guy.

I would have slapped myself if he wasn't standing in front of me at that very moment, knowing that he probably felt the level of understanding I had just developed within myself. But it also would have made me proud of myself if it drove him as insane is it was making me feel.

His face was unreadable as I walked around him, back into the main hall, which was now strangely empty, and into the dining hall where there were about 2 dozen people spread out through the entire room. The hall fell silent as I sat at the same spot I had sat the night before, and the maid from my room, Stella was already preparing a set up of food, similar to the night before. Lots of meat, steaming vegetables in odd colors and the scent of seasonings used in the cooking.

The platinum haired girl from before approached where I was sitting, looked at Veren for a moment, before sitting down. I guessed that he was territorial of me, most likely because of the link he felt. If someone got close to me, to kill me, it would kill him as well. But I could tell that there was more to it than just his own life being at risk.

"I wasn't able to properly introduce myself before" she smiled sweetly "my name is Kaya."

"It's really nice to meet you" I smiled back at her, then quickly filled my plate.

"What was your old home like?" A boy approached the table, looking maybe 13 years old, with wild, long green hair and matching eyes, while his skin had an orange tint

"Don't be rude, Selle" Kaya warned, looking at the younger boy with a kind of concern that implied a close relationship.

I analyzed them both for only a second, just long enough to learn their relations. They were siblings, and he was actually only 8, while she was 25. The Dragon clan clearly weren't the kind to look their ages.

"It's alright" I said, turning my smile to the boy "my old home was very different from here, with very little worth exploring and not much fun to have."

I cut into the meat and took a big bite, tasting the flavored juices and loving it all.

Others began to approach the table and conversations started and ended at random, everyone seeming to want to understand how I was the only one of my kind here. I obviously didn't tell anyone any of the details that Veren and Ternia knew, knowing that some things were best left unknown to the world. And Veren seemed to agree, judging by the approving nod he gave me when I gave some of my answers.

I almost wanted to earn a disapproving response, just to test what would happen, but I didn't really feel like causing trouble when I was already too riled up. It wouldn't be wise to completely lose control and do something that really bit me in the butt later.

"I heard that there's a lake around here for swimming in" I said, as I finished eating.

Everyone started talking at once, excitement in the air, and I smiled over at Veren, who was looking more and more frustrated with every passing minute.

I finally began to feel the guilt of putting pressure on him when I remembered that he wasn't known for his socializing. By staying with me, I was forcing him to deal with people, something he wasn't entirely comfortable with.

"Veren, how do you feel about the water? Is it good for swimming in?" I asked, giving him a way to change to focus.

If he answered that the water wasn't good in his opinion, I would have tried to come up with something else to do, like maybe having him show me some books in the study.

He looked at me, his eyes softening, as he understood my intent.

He gave me a small smile and said "The water is amazing. Especially for the water dragons who can breathe under water."

"There are people here who can breathe under water?!" I asked, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Weren't there any dragons where you lived before? Or maybe some Undines?" The boy from before, Selle, asked.

"Nope" I smiled at him, trying to control my emotions "I only ever met humans before."

That earned some gasps and further questions that I had no intention of answer.

"You could probably breathe under water, if you wanted. I mean, isn't the Divine lineage known for their limitless possibilities?" Kaya asked, though it sounded more like she was thinking aloud.

"I want to try!" was all I could say.

Veren looked at me hesitantly, then smiled and said "Then let's go. I'm sure there's some swim wear in the wardrobe upstairs. But if you get dizzy or anything, you let me know"

I knew that he was only warning me of the dizziness in the possibility of the concussion, but, strangely enough, I didn't even feel like there had ever been any trauma to my head to begin with. I felt perfectly fine and healthy.

"There's a beautiful outfit just for such an occasion" Stella said, with an excited smile.

I wondered if maybe she had had some say in my wardrobe choices, and it made me smile.