“They are very good looking, so it's best you don’t go looking. Teenage pregnancies are no fun,” she says nonchalantly. I choke on air, coughing a few times as I plainly nod at her. I didn’t expect her to say that.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” I explain to her, and she winks.
“Sure, I don’t,” she looks at the guys, and I hear her mumble under her breath, “If only I was forty years younger.” I laugh a little, and then pull her to me, hugging her side.
“What was that for?” she asks.
“I just missed you.”
“You haven’t had a chance to miss me, we see each other every day,” she says as I pull away, “now go and say hello to your roommates, silly girl.” I nod at her before looking back at the guys. It’s weird to see them in jeans, and normal polo shirts. Elias still has a leather jacket on, so some things don’t change, but it’s clear a lot has. I look at Dagan first, noticing his black hair is a little longer than before, but the sides are still shaved, and he still has his lip ring. Korbin and Elias have also grown their hair out, it falls close to their eyes now and just adds to the wild look they both have. Elias’ hair still has dark blue tips, but he mustn’t have been in the sun much, as they are much darker than I’ve seen them. I wonder where their dragons are, they must be inside of them somewhere, but just hidden. My sister must be insanely powerful to do what she has, to make everyone forget, and to even appear as an illusion. I wonder if she has a dragon inside of her, as she is half ice dragon after all, and it could boost her power. Maybe her dragon blood makes her seer powers that much stronger. I guess I have a lot of things to ask her when I see her next.
“Well go and say hello to them, they will be your roommates for a while. Besides, staring is rude,” she chastises, shoving me towards them. I take a deep breath, telling myself I can act normal and like I don’t know them as I walk to their table. They look up, one by one, until they are all staring at me. It’s odd for them to stare at me like this, like I’m a total stranger to them. Their eyes assess me, rolling over my body and making me shiver. Their total attention is on me, three powerful, sexy dragons, and they all look at me like they have just found a treasure they want.
“I’m Isola,” I say, after clearing my throat a little and sliding my fingers into the back of my jeans. Dagan leans back in his seat, his eyes still travelling over my body while moving his lip ring and grins.
“I-Sol-A,” he spells my name out slowly, wickedly, and then chuckles.
“Dagan, right?” I ask him, and he nods, biting his lip a little and giving me a strange look. I look away before I can try to decipher that look, it’s not a look of remembrance, that’s for sure.
“And you’re Korbin?” I ask Korbin, hating that I have to pretend not to know. He isn't even looking at me anymore, and I notice straight away that he no longer has his beard. Damn, I liked that beard on him. Korbin ignores me completely, choosing to mess on his phone instead. Great.
“I’m Elias, and no, I don’t want you to sneak into my room later,” Elias says, winking at me as he gets up and pulls his cigarette packet out his jacket. His hair is longer, making him have to brush it out of his eyes. It makes him look wilder, more untameable, and honestly, so sexy I’m having trouble not reaching up to touch it.
“Those things kill humans,” I say, repeating a warning I once gave him to see if it jogs his memory, but it doesn't seem to have any impact. He just shrugs and puts the cigarette in his mouth.
“Usually the best things in life do kill us, princess,” he says, making my heart pound as he walks past me and to the back door.
“Princess?” I ask, wondering if he remembers calling me it.
“You look like a princess, a naughty one at that,” he chuckles darkly, walking out as I smile. He might not remember who I am exactly. None of them do, but I have hope because of those two words. There’s only one dragon that calls me naughty princess, and I intend to make sure he remembers me.
Chapter Four
Thorne
Is it done?” I ask Melody, shutting her door behind me and turning to look at her. She is sat on a window seat, a crystal ball in her hand and her black hair draping around it until she sits back. The seer’s rooms are just as grand as the rest of the castle, and it makes me uncomfortable. I look around at the gold walls, the gold floors and gold linen hanging everywhere. I didn’t grow up like this, I grew up in a muddy hut in the forest. The nicest thing we had was a small wooden dragon knight toy I used to play with. Melody is used to this, and yet, I hate it. It’s a castle full of lies, secrets, and is dripping with blood.
“Come and see, my King,” she says formally, yet the twitch of her lips tells me she is being sarcastic. I walk over, looking down into the crystal ball as it glimmers before Isola appears. She is in a kitchen, talking to Dagan, Korbin, and Elias by the looks of it. Her blonde hair is much longer than it’s ever been, soft looking, and falling in curls down her back. She looks up, almost as if she can sense us looking, and I get to see her pale blue eyes, doll like features, and pale skin. It hurts to see her when I know how much she must hate me. I just want to be by her side, able to protect her in the open rather than in secret, behind her back. She has good reason to hate me, and I doubt she will ever forgive me, or let me even be her friend after all I've done. But I will protect her, ensure she lives through this.
“How long until she can make them remember?” I ask Melody. She waves a hand over the ball, making it go cloudy and slides off the seat.
“I don’t know, I’ve seen it happen but not the time or date,” she admits.
“We don’t have long! When my mother goes to the dungeons and sees Dagan, Elias, and Korbin are free...” I trail off, looking away from her. I doubt any of us will live when she figures out I’ve betrayed her, that I chose Isola over her. It’s not that I don’t love my mother, or want the crown, it just that I know it’s not what needs to be done. The curses need to end, Isola needs the throne to protect her. I’m no king, if I betray everyone to have the crown.
“I know. I know she will find her guards, but I’ve told you before I don’t know what happens after that. My visions aren’t all seeing,” she says, her frustration clear in her voice.
“Fine, I should go in case someone comes looking for me,” I say, walking to the door, but her voice stops me.
“You should tell her how you feel, what you did to save her. Maybe more importantly, what you didn't do, Thorne,” she tells me gently. I look back, locking eyes with her blue ones as she folds her hands and waits for me to reply. Melody looks nothing like her sister, but yet, they have the same demanding nature. It must run in the family or something.
“She should hate me. I might have fixed some things, but I still betrayed her,” I say emotionlessly, not even able to say her name out loud. That betrayed look she gave me before she lost her memory, it haunts me, leaving me unable to sleep. I can’t get it out of my head, and I know it's my fault, I brought it on myself. I wish I could have warned her, told her how things had changed for us all, and how I had changed my mind when I saw her father die. But being completely honest with myself, the plan changed the moment I met Isola Dragice.
“When you see her, you won’t be able to fool yourself or her. She will figure it out, considering only one person could have saved her dragon guards and kept her alive,” she suggests.
“I will always keep her alive, nothing will ever mean more to me than her life,” I snap, reining my dragon in as it flares to life. Wanting to go to Isola, to protect her.
“Mineee,” my dragon demands, his claim on Isola is overwhelming because of what I did. When I open my eyes, Melody is staring at me with what looks like sympathy written all over her face.
“Here,” Melody says, walking over to a box next to her bed and pulling out a bracelet. It’s all black stones, but I don't have a clue what it is or does. She comes over, handing it to me.