Chapter 195 Part 2
**Alden**
The ivy shimmered and parted like a curtain, revealing a low, wooden door that seemed to have grown from the very rock. It wasn't grand or imposing, but it radiated a quiet, steadfast strength. I pushed it open, revealing the warm, dim interior of a cabin.
It was a single room, filled with the scent of dried herbs, old parchment, and cedarwood. A stone hearth, cold for many years, dominated one wall. Simple, hand-carved furniture was arranged neatly. Bookshelves overflowed with leather-bound tomes and rolled-up maps. It was a place frozen in time, a sanctuary of peace.
“This was my place,” I explained, my voice echoing slightly in the stillness. “A retreat. But I was not its only occupant. For a time, it was a refuge for five souls who could find no other in this world.”
I walked to a large, carved cedar chest that sat at the foot of a simple bed. My hands trembled slightly as I lifted the heavy lid. Inside, nestled on a bed of faded velvet, were a few precious items. A worn, leather-bound journal. A single, perfectly preserved night-blooming jasmine, its petals like dried paper. A small, intricately carved dragon of obsidian and a bracelet.
“Your parents,” I said, finally looking at Avery, who had approached with a hesitant, reverent awe. “They were hunted, Avery. Your mother was the keeper of the Black Diamond. I was there when you and Sam were born.”
Avery’s breath hitched, her hand flying to her mouth. The mates moved closer, forming a protective circle around her, their faces a mixture of shock and dawning understanding.
“We knew your power was unique,” Conner murmured, his eyes fixed on the contents of the chest. “Shadow and fire.”
“Your mother’s name was Layla,” I continued, my voice thick with memory. “And your fathers… were Akon, Ashton, Ayden, and Adrik. Adrik was… complicated. Powerful. They all loved your mother more than the sun.” I explained how, after they had to place her with a trusted dragon clan for safekeeping. But war and chaos had intervened while I stayed with Sam. I had sent him away for safety because Layla foresaw the fall of the Dragon World. I explained how I failed to keep those I love safe.
“It is not a failing if fate brought her to us,” Vincent said, his deep voice a comforting balm in the heavy silence.
I gave a grateful nod, then reached into the chest, my fingers closing around the most important item. I pulled out a bracelet. It pulsed with energy that it hadn’t had since Layla wore it. “Your mother, Layla, wore this. It was a gift from Ashton, forged with his own fire and her magic.” I held it out to Avery. “It is yours. A piece of them, to wear on your wedding day.”
With trembling fingers, Avery took the bracelet. It seemed to sigh as it touched her skin, a soft, silvery light flaring from the moonstones. She slipped it onto her wrist, and it settled there as if it had been made for her.
And then, it began.
A soft, rhythmic pulse emanated from the bracelet, a thrum of power only those of us sensitive to magic could feel. It was not a sound, but a beat, a cadence like a steady, unheard heartbeat. Avery’s eyes widened, then went distant, as if she were looking at something far beyond the walls of the cabin. The air around her grew cold, and the shadows in the corners of the room seemed to deepen, to stretch towards her, not with menace, but with a sense of longing recognition.
Her lips parted, a name escaping on a breath of pure instinct, a whisper of a memory dredged from the very depths of her soul.
“…Adrik…”
The name hung in the air, electric and heavy.
Cassius, Clint, and Conner all gasped in unison, their bodies going rigid. They exchanged a look of pure, unadulterated shock.
“Adrik,” Clint breathed, his voice tight. “The one from Blackbriar.” The name was spoken like a curse, a legend of a powerful, reclusive, and utterly terrifying dragon who had vanished from the world decades ago. A dragon known for his ruthlessness and his mastery of forbidden magic.
The tension in the small cabin became a physical force, thick and suffocating. My heart pounded. I had known him as Sam, the dragon who loved a shadowmancer. The world knew him as Adrik, a figure of fear and awe.
Then, a sound broke the spell. Laughter.
We all turned to stare at Donn. He was leaning against the doorframe, a wide, wicked grin spreading across his face. He shook his head, a chuckle rumbling in his chest.
“Well, I’ll be,” he said, his eyes sparkling with a familiar, roguish light as he looked at Avery. “Small world, love.” He pushed off the doorframe and sauntered over, clapping a hand on Cassius’s tense shoulder. “Relax, boys.” He winked at a completely bewildered Avery. “I know your daddy,” Donn declared, his grin widening. “And he really doesn’t like me.”
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