A Dragon's Heart

6.

BILAL.

I shivered as the cold water, which was originally hot in the lake, ran down my bare body, heat emanating from it. Smoke instantly filled the small cave, and Sameer, my dragon, huffed. I shook my head, bringing my hands to wipe the fog in my eyes before I turned to face him.

The cave was deep inside the heart of the mountains, the air thick with the scent of earth and dampness. The walls were rough and jagged; while the surface glistened with moisture. Bits of pale light filtered through the small openings in the ceiling.

My second in command, Aamir, and I searched the empire far and wide until we found this Effendi Priest, and I was hopeful that his cleansing ritual would work. But undoing a Fae spell without permission was knocking on trouble's door, yet it needed to be done. I had taken this oath to save a life, but now I had to find a way around it to save another. The ritual had to work. It had to or I would have to walk away and it was the same as asking me to take out my heart and have Sameer crush it.

In the center of the cave was the pool like lake I stood in with crystal clear water shimmering softly. Around the lake, stalactites hung like jagged teeth from the ceiling, their pointed tips reaching towards the ground below.

I wanted this to be done so I could go back home and crawl into my warm bed with my mate. My wife. I missed her. I missed her so much!

Effendi poured another douse of chilling cold water on my head. The water bubbled hot in the lake, but every time the Effendi priest scooped some and doused me in it, it landed on my body as cold water. This was part of the magic the cave held.

According to legend, the first dragons on earth resided in this cave. The woman was from Dar Al Gorian, the fire breathing clan, while the man was from Dar Al Kiyan of the ice dragons. Their union, supposedly to work, didn't. It was impossible for both of them to touch each other. Whenever Mudan, the ice dragon, tried to touch Malika, his ice snuffed her fire. And without the fire, she would be no more, and vice versa. To make the bond between them work, they combined their magic, and made the lake, going inside everytime they wanted to touch each other.

Since then, people have considered the lake a sacred place where lovers strengthen their bonds. Where threatening oaths were dealt with.

The soft groan from Sameer helped me maintain a firm grip on my sanity right now as the Effendi priest blew a brown-colored powder to my face, which was entirely different from the white one he had been using for the past five days. I snorted and coughed, my eyes watering as a stinging pain snagged my eyes. I rubbed at them vehemently until the stinging eased a bit and I opened my eyes to catch a glimpse of Sameer’s ember eyes.

My right arm had prominent scales, with dark swirls that rolled from my wrist to my shoulder, intensifying as the water was poured over my head once again. Dragons from my clan separate from their dragons at sixteen. Dragon scales appear on our right arm every time our dragons are close by. It was one of the numerous ways we were still bound to one another.

I hated the cold water I was being doused with because it weakened me on the inside. Slowly, it had been snuffing a better part of the burn in me from within, which made me feel a bit empty. I hated the powders. I hated the oils I had to rub over my body over and over. I hated the bland, spicy drink I was made to take every night. Above all, I HATED reliving the night I took that oath.

But this was the price I had to pay. This was what was needed for me to be near Tiffany wholly, and I would do anything. Even if it meant something worse than this.

‘What if it doesn’t work?’ Sameer asked me as he watched.

“It’s going to,” I responded with conviction.

It had been six days since I had gotten married to Tiffany and that thought filled me with a joy beyond anything I had felt before. That sentiment was short-lived, however, when I remembered that it had also been six long days since I had last seen her. Since she’d last seen me. I knew my letters and the tea blends could only do so much to make her think of me. By now, chances were that she was cursing my name with that tempting mouth of hers.

I was doing everything to get back to my wife. To show her how much she meant to me, but the ritual had intensified with each passing day, making it hard to keep up with everything. From snuffing powders. To being doused in cold water over and over. To the little cuts on my back made by Effendi Priest. Cuts that were filled with an ointment that smelled so bad. The priest mentioned that it would heal and cover up once we would leave the cave.

I remembered both Sameer and I had been completely out of it on day three and by the end of day four, it felt like I had lost my powers. I couldn't harness fire, couldn't feel the connection to the sun. It was one thing after another, and it had to work. For my wife’s sake, this cleansing ritual had to work. Or day five that was the worst of it all. I wasn't able to send my wife letters on those days.

Until today. The sixth day. And I wondered what she'd think of it.

I need to go back home. To explain to Tiffany why I had to leave. To make things right between us.

The ritual was a way to cleanse and rid me of the ties I’d formed in the past when I knew I had to put family first. It was the only way I could be next to Tiffany, and instead of sending tea, we could actually share a kettle together. But it did nothing to ease the guilt that weighed in my heart.

I couldn't shake the image of Tiffany's face from my mind. I could vividly see the hurt and confusion on her face as I left without an explanation. But what could I do? I had little to no time to explain to her, because I wasn't entirely sure the ritual could or would work. I also wasn't supposed to mention anything about the oath or the ritual until it was done. It was one of the rules I was given by the Effendi Priest.

Tiffany was everything I needed. I’d wanted, no, needed her since the first moment I set my eyes on her, and I wish she knew that. But we could…no we would remedy this. I would go back home ready to show her what it means to be my wife. My mate. My woman.

‘I’ve hurt her feelings,’ I whispered more to myself than to Sameer. ‘She must be wondering what’s wrong with her, why I had to leave so suddenly.’

‘There’s nothing wrong with her,’ Sameer said, as a huff of smoke left his mouth.

‘I know that! But she will think there is with the way we left things,’ I responded.

‘True.’ He shrugged nonchalantly. ‘And that’s completely your fault. I licked her face before leaving. She knows how I feel about her.’

I shot him a dark look. ‘You’re supposed to make me feel better about my actions.’

Sameer c****d his head to the side, a knowing glint in his amber eyes. ‘And what good would that do?’ he countered, his voice low and rumbling. ‘As long as we’re still here there’s no guarantee our relationship with her is not in jeopardy. So why in would I tell you that you were right to leave like you did?’

‘We needed the protection,’ I answered through gritted teeth.

‘Yes, and hopefully, all of this won’t be for nothing,’ he grumbled.

I shivered as the water ran down my naked chest, hissing as it clashed with my warm body. I hoped and prayed that this would work. I wanted Tiffany to be safe with me. I wanted her to be happy and satisfied. I wanted to give her everything she wanted.

Then the Effendi priest started chanting, as he poured another round of water, mumbling in Old Arabic. He was saying words I could barely even hear.

When he was done, he brought an incense burner and used it to circle me as he kept chanting the words, the sleeves of his robe billowing around him.

He was dressed in a deep blue keffiyeh, wrapped around his head in a specific manner. The fabric had a lot of old intricate Arabian patterns and alphabets. He wore a russet thobe, the cuffs delicately embroidered in gold thread, and its flowing robes cascading down in graceful folds. His beard was long and grey.

I shut my eyes in quiet contemplation as I listened to his words. I missed my wife. I couldn’t go another day without her by my side. Thankfully, the six day ritual had come to an end today and I’d never been more grateful for anything as much as I was now. I could make it home either tonight or early tomorrow morning after a quick stop at Zambele.

“The fae oath is a dangerous one, one I never recommend for our kind to take,” Effendi priest said. “Breaking it has its own consequences, and I cannot really say what those consequences will be right now, but it will come, and you will pay for it.” He paused then brought the burner to my nose as the smoke wafted into my nose, causing my body to jerk as I coughed loudly. “This ritual does not break the oath. Although we can't break the oath, we are still slowing the effects if it reacts. It would also keep your mate safe from whatever the outcome becomes later,” Effendi priest explained.

“My wife,” I said, my throat hurting. “We are married now.”

Effendi smiled then nodded. “I see. Then rest assured that no harm would come to her from the oath you took to the Fae queen. Your wife is safe from you. But I can't say if that will last for long.”

I popped one eye open to look at him, panicking. “What does that mean?”

“It means that the threads that tie you to the oath you made years ago, also ties your wife now that you are bonded by not only the mate bond, but the sacred tie of marriage as well. It means at any moment, the protective ritual may break and she may face the consequences of what you did.”

I nodded, my expression solemn as I took in his words. “What can I do when that happens?”

“I am afraid nothing can be done then, Sayyadi,” Effendi said quietly as he bowed his head and stepped out of the lake. “We just have to pray that you both survive this. Or perhaps, the queen breaks the oath herself.”

I swallowed the tight knot in my throat. I hated this. The possibility that she still wouldn't be safe from me hurts more than anything.

‘If it comes to it, all I have to do is bite off the queen’s head and we will all be safe,’ Sameer mumbled. ‘I will keep her safe. I will keep both of you safe, Bilal.’

That’s the thing. I took the oath, and not Sameer, but it binds us both. Because while he may be separated from me, we are still one. Born from the same woman. We had been one up until I turned sixteen when we separated, which was the situation with every dragon of the Gorian clan.

If the oath had bound only me, it would have made sense. It would have been better. But it bound the both of us, which made this messier than it was supposed to be.

“I declare you cleaned, and your mate protected from the oath. May the Gorian blood flowing in your vessels protect you both. Be safe, Ya Sayyadi,” Effendi yelled.

Then, he crushed something in his hand and gave it to me to eat. I chewed on it, the sour taste made me wince.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

I thought about his question for a second, trying to decipher if I felt any different, but I didn’t. I only felt wetter than when I first arrived.

“I don’t feel any different,” I responded.

“Well, as I said, it is done. And she will be safe from you. The ritual is finally complete.”

I grinned as I stepped out of the lake. My wet sirwal clinging to my lower body, while I remained bare at the top.

“Shukraan, Effendi.” I clasped his hands in mine. “Shukraan!” (Thank you).

“Laa shurk’ aala waajib, ya Sayyadi (you don't have to thank me for doing my job),” then something flashed in his eyes. “I will, however, advise that you hold on just a bit before consummating your marriage, just to be sure the ritual worked. You can never be too careful.”

I ducked my head down, suddenly shy. Had I been that eager? How did he notice?

I squared my shoulders and cleared my throat. “How long are we talking about?”

“Three months?” He answered, not too sure. “I have only tried to work with an oath like this once so I can't be too sure. But to be safe, three months is long enough for the mate bond to solidify between you two naturally. That way, your wife would still be safe regardless of the outcome in the future.”

I swallowed. There was a possibility that this could work. Or not. My best solution right now was to go back to Amara, and try striking another deal. When I had something much better to exchange, that is.

“Shukran lak ila musaidatik, Effendi (thank you for your help, Effendi).”

He laughed. “I will take my leave now, Ya Sayyadi.”

I nodded and accepted his bow, before I watched him walk out. Aamir was outside waiting, and he’d settle him for his work.

‘You’re cleansed. Great! All is well with the world. Can we just go back? I miss Tiffany,’ Sameer grumbled.

‘Well, I miss her more than you do, but we have a few things to do before we go home.’

‘But we just finished the ritual; we should head back now. I miss home.’

I sighed. ‘Stop whining, Sameer.’

‘Do you think our mate and wolf can handle us when and if we decide to take them?’ Sameer suddenly asked.

That was something I’d thought about countless times and never gotten an answer to. Even if we weren't consummating it now, it would happen. And soon. And I couldn’t wait!

Tiffany was not a dragon, and I was not exactly sure how powerful she was as a wolf to handle us. The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt her when I was trying to pleasure her.

‘We won’t hurt her,’ I said, avoiding Sameer’s eyes.

‘Of course, we won’t want to hurt her intentionally, but in case you haven’t noticed, a lot of dragons tend to lose control during mating,’ he said, stating the obvious.

‘We’ll think about that issue when we get there. For now, We are going to Zambele.’

‘Why?’

‘We have books to pick up,’ I answered as I tied my keffiyah. ‘We should be home tonight if we get everything we want, or early tomorrow morning.’

‘Did you ask the lycan queen for help again?’

‘You bet I did,’ I said with a grin.

Sameer simply huffed, shaking his head. ‘Let's hope she listens to us.’

I swallowed. ‘Let's hope she does.’

“Is the ritual over?” Aamir asked as he stepped into the cave. His blue caftan had less embroidery than the white one I had on.

“Yes,” I answered.

“Are you sure she’s going to be safe?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowed with concern.

We were all worried about Tiffany and the authenticity of the cleansing ritual I’d just undergone. A part of me felt like weakening the oath I made years ago wouldn’t be so easy.

“I hope so,” I mumbled, my words heavy with emotions. “Was my letter delivered?” I asked, trying to change the topic.

“Yes, it was delivered alongside the tea.”

I nodded. “Good.”

“We have one last stop before we go back home, and that’s to visit the werewolf realm,” I started as I put on my clothes. “I have a few books I asked the Lycan queen to get me. Also, Tiffany is feeling uncomfortable with the clothes she's been given here, as they're unfamiliar to her. I want to get her some clothes she feels comfortable in so she eases into wearing our traditional attire." I finished, absentmindedly, mounting Sameer, the same moment my bird decided to return and land on my shoulders.

Aamir laughed. “You’re whipped, Bilal. You’re totally whipped, and you love this woman.”

That I did.

I adjusted myself on Sameer’s back and called to Aamir. “Yes, I’m totally in love with her,” I said as Sameer flew off. “I'm completely and irrevocably in love with my wife.”