Chapter 8

Midnight Dragon

Evelynn ran.

Not gracefully.

Definitely not heroically.

Just pure survival instincts and very poor decision-making.

The moment the massive creature in the cavern began moving, she turned and bolted back toward the staircase, nearly slipping on loose stone in the process.

Behind her, another deep growl rolled through the darkness beneath the mountain.

The sound vibrated through her ribs.

Nope.

Absolutely not.

She took the stairs two at a time until her lungs burned.

By the time she slammed back into the upper corridor, her heart was hammering hard enough to hurt.

And directly outside the hidden stairwell—

stood Kael.

Of course he did.

The Dragon King leaned against the corridor wall with his arms folded, dressed entirely in black like some nightmare waiting patiently for disappointment.

His golden eyes lifted toward her slowly.

Expression unreadable.

Evelynn stopped so abruptly she almost fell backwards down the stairs again.

“…well,” she breathed, “this is embarrassing.”

Kael’s gaze moved past her briefly toward the darkness below.

“You went into the catacombs.”

Not a question.

Evelynn straightened slightly. “In my defense, nobody explained there was a giant nightmare lizard downstairs.”

Kael looked exhausted already.

“It saw you?”

“Unfortunately.”

Silence.

Then:

“Did it attack?”

“No.”

Another pause.

Kael’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

Interesting.

“You were told not to wander.”

“I was told humans shouldn’t wander,” Evelynn corrected. “Nobody said anything about terrifying underground dragon graveyards.”

“That should have been implied.”

Fair.

Kael pushed away from the wall slowly.

His expression remained calm, but there was tension beneath it tonight. More than usual.

The shadows under his eyes looked darker too.

Like he hadn’t slept at all.

Again.

Before Evelynn could ask anything, thunder suddenly cracked across the palace.

A violent storm had rolled in outside.

Rain slammed hard against the windows now, replacing snow with sheets of black stormwater driven sideways by brutal wind.

The palace lights flickered slightly.

Kael’s jaw tightened instantly.

Evelynn noticed immediately.

“You okay?”

Wrong question.

The atmosphere changed so fast it felt physical.

Kael went completely still.

Not calm stillness.

Controlled stillness.

Dangerous stillness.

Then somewhere deep inside the palace—

something metallic snapped loudly.

Kael closed his eyes briefly.

“Go back to your rooms.”

Evelynn frowned. “What was that?”

Another loud crack echoed through the palace.

Metal breaking.

Kael turned away immediately.

“Now.”

The sharpness in his voice hit differently this time.

Not angry.

Urgent.

Then Evelynn heard it.

A roar.

Not distant.

Inside the palace.

Every torch in the corridor burst brighter instantly.

Kael cursed quietly under his breath.

And for the first time since meeting him—

Evelynn saw genuine panic flash across his face.

That terrified her more than the roar itself.

Another metallic crash thundered through the halls.

Closer now.

Kael moved fast.

One second he stood beside her.

The next he was halfway down the corridor.

“Stay in your rooms,” he ordered without looking back.

Then he disappeared around the corner.

Evelynn lasted approximately thirty seconds before following him.

Again, terrible survival instincts.

The palace had descended into chaos.

Servants hurried through corridors carrying lanterns while guards rushed toward the western towers armed with massive black spears.

Everyone looked frightened.

Not nervous.

Frightened.

Evelynn grabbed one passing servant.

“What’s happening?”

The servant looked pale.

“The restraints broke.”

“…the what?”

But he was already gone.

Thunder shook the palace again.

Another roar exploded through the upper halls.

This one sounded wrong somehow.

Painful.

Furious.

Human and inhuman at the same time.

Evelynn followed the noise upward through twisting corridors until she reached a section of the palace she hadn’t seen before.

The western tower.

Or what was left of it.

One entire wall had partially collapsed inward. Rain poured through shattered black windows while dragonfire scorched the stone floors.

Guards stood frozen near the entrance.

Nobody seemed eager to go inside.

Evelynn pushed past them before anyone stopped her.

And immediately understood why.

Chains.

Huge iron chains hung broken from the walls of a massive circular chamber. Some were thicker than her waist. Others had been ripped directly out of the stone.

The room looked destroyed.

And at the center of it—

stood Kael.

Or something close to him.

Rain poured over his shoulders through the broken ceiling above while dragonfire flickered violently around the chamber.

The black scales had returned.

Worse this time.

They spread across his throat, arms, and part of his face now, sharp and gleaming beneath flashes of lightning.

His hands had fully shifted into claws.

And behind him—

massive black wings strained violently outward.

Not fully formed.

Half-dragon.

Half-human.

Completely terrifying.

Kael braced one clawed hand against a broken pillar, breathing hard like every breath hurt.

The room temperature kept surging dangerously around him.

Dragonfire crawled wildly across the floor.

One of the guards whispered near the doorway:

“He’s transforming too fast…”

Kael suddenly roared again.

The sound slammed through the chamber hard enough to shake the walls.

Evelynn flinched instinctively.

Kael’s head snapped toward the doorway immediately.

Toward her.

Oh no.

The guards behind her panicked instantly.

“Get her out—”

Too late.

Kael was already moving.

Fast.

Far too fast.

Dragonfire exploded across the chamber as he lunged toward the entrance.

The guards scattered immediately.

Cowards.

Evelynn barely had time to react before Kael slammed one clawed hand against the wall beside her.

Stone shattered instantly.

He towered over her now, wings partially spread behind him while rainwater and dragonfire steamed from his skin.

His pupils were completely vertical again.

Predatory gold burning through darkness.

And yet—

he looked in pain.

Real pain.

Kael stared down at her breathing hard.

“Why…” he growled roughly, “…are you never where I tell you to be?”

Honestly?

Fair criticism.

Evelynn’s pulse pounded painfully in her throat.

“You’re welcome,” she said breathlessly. “Lovely reunion.”

Kael shut his eyes briefly like she physically exhausted him.

Dragonfire burst across the ceiling above them.

The chamber shook again.

Evelynn noticed blood running slowly down one of the broken chains wrapped around his wrist.

The iron looked melted.

He’d torn himself free.

“Those chains were for you?” she asked quietly.

Kael opened his eyes again.

“Yes.”

Another crack of thunder echoed overhead.

The wings behind him twitched violently.

Not fully controlled.

Evelynn swallowed hard.

“Why chain yourself up?”

Kael stared at her for several long seconds.

Then answered honestly.

“So I don’t kill anyone.”

That silenced her.

Another wave of dragonfire rippled outward suddenly.

Kael stumbled slightly.

The transformation spreading across his body looked unstable now, scales shifting beneath his skin like something fighting to break free.

Evelynn realized something horrifying.

He was losing.

Not against enemies.

Against himself.

Kael’s breathing turned rougher.

“Leave.”

This time it sounded less like an order and more like desperation.

Evelynn should have listened.

Instead, she stepped closer carefully.

Kael’s entire body tensed immediately.

“Evelynn.”

Warning.

Sharp.

Dangerous.

But she ignored it.

Because despite the claws and scales and wings—

he looked terrified.

Not of her.

Of what he might become.

Rain continued pouring through the shattered ceiling while thunder rolled above the tower.

Kael’s voice came strained now.

“If I lose control—”

“You won’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

Evelynn looked directly into those burning gold eyes.

“No,” she admitted softly. “But I think you’re trying very hard not to.”

For one strange second—

everything stopped.

The dragonfire flickering across the chamber weakened slightly.

Kael stared at her silently.

Confused almost.

Then pain twisted sharply across his face again.

The scales spread higher.

His wings jerked violently outward.

Kael staggered backward instantly like he suddenly feared being too close to her.

“Go,” he growled again.

But weaker now.

Evelynn didn’t move.

And somewhere beneath the storm, thunder, and dragonfire—

she realized something terrifying.

The Dragon King was not the monster everyone feared.

He was the cage holding the monster back.