I Married A Dragon (Prime Mating Agency)(24)

“Why?”

“Because, if the rift shifts, you could find yourself exiting over a chasm,” Cedros said matter-of-factly.

“Ugh. Are all the portals this tricky?” I asked, feeling discouraged.

“No. The black gate is very reliable, with stable, marked doorways. You will also find permanent portals around every city that are just as safe. And then the ones we summon, whether with a shadow obsidian stone or with our powers, also have a clear and trustworthy destination.”

“Well, that’s reassuring,” I mumbled, still feeling somewhat dejected.

Cedros chuckled and kissed my forehead.

I smiled, but my mind was stuck on my mission. I needed a safe and reliable way to explore the void in order to complete my assignment. I eyed Cedros, considering bringing it up, but decided against it. Now wasn’t the time. I had no intention of hiding anything from him. In truth, I could use some of his assistance and knowledge. However, I could only hope that, once he found out, he wouldn’t go all caveman, overly-protective on me.





Chapter 7





Cedros





My hearts still hadn’t settled from the ordeal my Ejaya had just faced. Had she been a Derakeen, I would have been embarrassed at best not to have warned her of it. Then again, she would have felt it first and stepped out of the way. But my Kaida was a human. So damn fragile and helpless when it came to heights.

I couldn’t hold her close enough to reassure me she was indeed safely back in my arms. The sight of her falling off that floating rock would haunt me forever. If only I could give her wings… But of all the new abilities I might give Kaida, should we become true mates, her growing a new pair of wings sadly didn’t feature on the list.

Still, the affection that had steadily been blossoming in my hearts for my Ejaya only increased further as I once more kissed her forehead. She had every right to be mad at me for failing to protect her, yet she had fully absolved me and only displayed gratitude that I had saved her… as was my duty.

She was perfect.

“Tell me, what’s it like to be a Shadow Lord?” Kaida asked, lifting her face to look at me while snuggling sideways in my lap.

I thought about it for a second before answering. “It is extremely rewarding, but also quite lonely. Now, I’m used to it, but my first years as a fledgling were extremely hard.”

“How so?” she asked, her voice filled with commiseration.

“I was just five years old and had never been separated from my mother and two siblings before.”

“Five?! What happened? Did you start showing your powers, and they sent you to some Shadow Lord training school?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “No. I wish. When Derakeens reach the age of five, both male and female younglings go into the void with a compass and food for thirty days. We must remain inside the black gate for at least ten days and follow the Shadow Trail. It’s a special path with a series of beacons that we must mark to prove we have completed the journey. Most fledglings will come out after ten to thirteen days. A Shadow Lord will remain for at least a couple of years.”

Kaida straightened and stared at me with disbelieving eyes. “What?! Two years?”

I nodded gravely. “I actually remained for three years. While difficult, it benefited me. The longer you stay, the more powerful you grow.”

She frowned, giving me an assessing look. “So, you chose to stay that long?”

I smiled and shook my head. “No. Nobody chooses to remain that long in darkness. Our body tells us when it’s time… when we’re done. It normally coincides with when our shadow horns finish growing, although sometimes you can remain there a few weeks longer after they do.”

“But… you were just a child! You only had food for thirty days. How did you eat? Who raised you? Who looked after you?” Kaida asked, flabbergasted.

“I raised myself, and I hunted for food,” I said with a shrug. “There are entire realms and complex civilizations that exist in the void. They wouldn’t qualify as a traditional species by the UPO’s standards, but they are organized peoples. And there are also wild creatures to feed from.”

“The aqrats?” she asked with a shudder.

I chuckled. “You only eat aqrats out of desperation. Not only do they taste foul, they often give you stomach aches or can even trigger jokraz if you inadvertently eat one of their toxin sacs.”

“But how would you even successfully eat one of them? Don’t they turn into smoke and dissipate when killed?” Kaida asked, looking slightly confused. “The chunks of flesh we shot off with our blasters in the research lab just evaporated.”

“Good observation, my Kaida,” I said proudly. “But that was because they were in the physical world, where they shouldn’t exist. In the void, they remain whole. Thankfully, there are many other creatures to hunt, mostly inoffensive and easy to capture by a fledgling.”

Kaida shifted in my lap and chewed her bottom lip as she reflected on my words. “I still can’t imagine a five-year-old in such a situation. You must have been scared.”

I shrugged again. “At first, yes. But the trail is quite safe. It was only once I went beyond it that I became scared, as this was uncharted territory. Mostly, though, it was loneliness that plagued me. I used to be very close with my siblings. I no longer had anyone to play with or talk to.”