Chapter 34
Valentia’s POV
“You just laid an egg!”
Marcelene’s voice was a mix of shock and disbelief, but my mind was too foggy, too overwhelmed to process her words fully.
My breaths came out in shallow gasps as I stared at the object in her hands. It shimmered under the dim, flickering light of the hotel room, a magnificent gradient of gold and turquoise.
Even in my feverish state, I couldn’t help but marvel at it–it was beautiful, otherworldly. Yet, I had no time to contemplate
it further.
A deafening bang shattered the moment.
The balcony window exploded inward, glass shards scattering across the room. A dark, hulking figure burst through the wreckage, its form a blur of movement. Marcelene screamed, clutching the egg tightly to her chest, her body coiled protectively over it.”
I felt a growl rumble from deep in my throat, startling even me. My vision swam, but a voice–soft yet commanding- sounded in my mind.
“Protect me.
It wasn’t my voice. It wasn’t Marčelene’s. It was something- instinctual, something pulling at the very strings of my being.
And then I felt it. Two invisible strings, one connected to the egg and the other to something elseaThey tugged at my heart in opposite directions, winding tighter and tighter, threatening to snap.
But I had no time to dwell on it.
The hulking figure landed with a heavy thud, straightening to reveal itself in the dim light. My stomach dropped as I took it
- in.
Wings. Massive, bat–like wings stretched wide, the edges sharp and pointed like blades. Scales covered its frame, a shimmering gradient of deep brown and evening blue.
A scent filled the air–smoke and hydrangeas. My heart stuttered in recognition.
“D–Dante?” My voice cracked.
His glowing golden eyes locked onto me, and a chill ran down my spine. His pupils were no longer human, now vertical slits like a predator’s. His features were sharp, and though his body retained its mostly human form, the scales adorning his face and arms gave him an inhuman aura.
He looked like something out of a myth. A man and a dragon fused into one being.
But Dante’s attention didn’t stay on me for long. His eyes shifted to the egg in Marcelene’s arms, and a deep growl emanated from his chest. My instincts screamed at me. I pushed myself up on shaking arms, my heart racing.
“Don’t touch I yelled.
I didn’t think about what I was saying, but I knew, deep in my care, that the egg was mine–my baby–and no one, not even Dante, could take it.
I tried to stand, to get to Marcelene and the egg, but my legs buckled beneath me. Strong arms caught me before I hit the
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Chapter 34
ground, pulling me into a crushing embrace.
“Don’t touch it!” I repeated, thrashing weakly against Dante’s cheat.
Marcelene glared at Dante, clutching the egg tighter, but something strange happened. The egg began to lift from her arms, floating as though drawn by an invisible force.
“No!” Marcelene cried, but the egg didn’t stop until it hovered in front of me.
Dante’s voice, deep and gravelly, whispered near my car. “Hold
My trembling hands reached out instinctively. The moment my fingers touched the smooth, hard shell, a wave of warmth spread through me. Tears welled in my eyes as I pressed the egg against me, cradling it close.
I could feel it
A heartbeat.
It wasn’t just an empty shell. It was alive.
My baby was alive.
The string that connected me to it hummed with an unexplainable energy. The connection was so intense, so hitimate, that it stole my breath away.
But the moment shattered as Dante bent down and lifted me into his arms.
“Wh–what are you doing?” I stanimered, clutching the egg tightly.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he strode toward the shattered balcony and leaped into the night.
“Dante, no!” Marcelene’s scream echoed behind us, but there was no turning back.
Wind whipped past me as we soared into the air. My body tensed as I realized what was happening. We were flying.
Dante’s massive wings beat against the air, lifting us higher and higher. The ground below became a blur of shadows and lights as we ascended. The egg in my arms seemed to glow faintly, its warmth steady and reassuring despite the chaos around me.
I held it tighter, burying my face against it to shield it from the biting wind. But soon, the cold began to seep into my bones. Dante slowed down as though feeling my discomfort.
Shivering, I glanced down. Even under the dark sky, the lands below were a stark contrast of beauty and destruction. Fields of flowers stretched endlessly, but amidst them were scars of war–burned–out barracks, bodies lying motionless, blood staining the earth.
Even though the war had ceased, its aftermath was everywhere,
I shuddered, pressing closer to Dante’s chest. His warmth radiated like a furnace, and as if hearing my inner thoughts, he pulled me closer. His body seemed to grow even warmer, enveloping me in a cocoon of heat.
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Soon, the landscape began to change. The air grew colder, crisper, and the terrain shifted to rugged mountains and winding rivers. I glanced down again and gasped.
Even without him speaking I knew where we were headed.
I had been here once in my past life. Though at that time the sitation was not one where I could sightsee like this.
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The Silverclaw territory was breathtaking. Under the moonlight, the massive castle at its heart seemed to glow like polished silver. Rivers crisscrossed the land, their waters sparkling like diamonds. Fields of wildflowers stretched for miles, their colors vivid even in the dark.
Above us, the sky was alight with stars, the Milky Way painting a breathtaking galaxy overhead.
The flight couldn’t have lasted more than a few minutes, but the journey felt surreal. It was beautiful and terrifying all at
once.
My grip on my egg loosened as exhaustion began to take over. My eyelids grew heavy, and no matter how hard I tried to fight it, I couldn’t keep them open.
“Dante…” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the wind.
He made a soft sound in acknowledgment, a low hum that rumbled through his chest.
Now that I had touched it, felt it and could still feel the connection. My fear had subsided a little.
I pressed the egg against him weakly, my strength failing. “Protect him..
The last thing I heard before darkness claimed me was Dante’s deep voice, laced with urgency.
“Valencial”
宙
