The night was restless. Aric tossed in the straw cot of the abandoned barn, his chest searing with pain. The crimson sigil branded across his heart pulsed like molten fire, glowing faintly in the darkness.
Across the barn, Serenya sat against a wooden beam, her golden eyes watching him like a predator guarding prey.
"You'll get used to it," she finally said, voice calm but edged with pride. Aric grit his teeth. "Used to my heart being branded like cattle?" "You think this is some farm mark?" Serenya leaned forward, her aura pressing against him. For a moment, Aric swore the barn itself trembled. "That seal is the Bond of Fire. You live because I allow it. Defy me—and the mark consumes you."
Aric forced himself to meet her gaze. "And if I obey?"Her lips curved into a dangerous smile. "Then you might survive long enough to matter."
A silence stretched between them. The storm outside rattled the barn roof, red lightning flickering across Serenya's hair. She looked almost… lonely. But Aric shoved the thought away.
This was no ordinary woman. This was a dragon in flesh. And he was her chained hound.