Touch of Flame

Ravina lay there, her body still quivering from the aftershocks of her climax. She was breathless, her heart pounding in her chest as though she had just run a mile. Her limbs felt heavy, her body warm and pliant, as if she\'d been thoroughly kneaded and then left to rest.

The initial discomfort from Malachi\'s intrusion had faded into a dull throb. Her skin tingled from where his hands had roamed, his touch leaving behind a trail of heat that seemed to seep into her very bones.

Malachi allowed her to lay there and bask in the feeling until she shivered. "Let\'s get you dressed before you catch a cold," he told her 

As he helped her up, she felt the ache between her legs again. Her rationality returned, and she thought of how she had said yes to him, to take her. She was grateful that it wasn\'t what she thought. She had only come to accept being his mate. Children were a completely different story, and they scared her like nothing else. They would be her own blood and flesh, after all. The thought of being responsible for raising and protecting small, vulnerable beings when she wasn\'t even responsible for herself sent dread down her spine. 

She wondered what Malachi thought of children. He would probably not think the same as her. She had always been the odd one out when it came to getting married and having children. Even before the tragedy of her parents, she was never interested in those things. She just knew she would have to do it one day. 

Malachi was clueless when it came to human female dresses. Even she got confused sometimes, so she couldn\'t blame him. Back at the castle, usually Ravina opted for a simpler approach when it came to her attire. Rather than donning the elaborate gowns and corsets that were the typical way of dressing. She preferred to pick and choose pieces that offered her greater comfort and freedom of movement.

Instead of a rigid corset that restricted her breathing, she would wear a lighter, less structured bodice, which provided some support without being overly confining. She often forwent the heavy, layered petticoats and instead chose a single-layered underskirt that allowed her to walk and sit with ease. She did the same now, picking and choosing what suited her comfort. 

People back home, often found her undressed for a princess, but she never got less attention because of it. She never cared for beauty but she knew she was considered one even as they began to give her other nicknames such as the \'coldhearted-princess\' or the \'ice-princess\'. 

As she got dressed, a knock came from the door, and Malachi went to answer. "My Lord, breakfast is ready." 

Ravina almost chuckled. My lord? And Malachi? 

He took the tray from her, "thank you." He said. 

"There is more, my Lord," she hurried to say before he could close the door. Ravina could see him raise his brows, and then he stepped aside. Several servants came in and covered the small table in the room with several dishes.

Malachi watched with astonishment again, as the scent of freshly baked bread, coffee, tea, and scrambled eggs replaced the lavender and chamomile from the bath. 

"I hope it is to your liking," one of the servants turned to them. 

"It is. Thank you," Ravina offered her a polite smile. 

Once the servants left, Malachi looked at her. "Your sister must be eager to feed you." 

"Did you meet with Darcy?" She asked as she went to the table. 

Malachi followed her. "Yes. She wondered what you would like to eat." He explained as they sat down. "I told her you like to starve." 

"Malachi!" She looked at him wide eyed. 

He chuckled. "I am joking, but eat now or that will be what I will tell her." 

She shook her head at him. "I am not starving myself. I have been eating more than usual. I have gained a lot of weight." 

Malachi looked her up and down and said, "A lot is an exaggeration. I need more inches of you to grab and kiss." 

Her body flushed with heat again, and she grabbed the glass of cold juice on the table. It felt refreshing to take a sip and suddenly hunger overwhelmed her. 

Malachi watched Ravina eat with great appetite, and he was happy to see that what was happening didn\'t take her back to her old harmful habits, and he loved the glow on her whenever she enjoyed her food. 

"Is everything alright back home?" she asked, and he could see something in her gaze as if she knew. 

"Yes." 

She chewed slower. "What happened?" 

Malachi\'s hold on the fork tightened. "It is just me and Saul." 

"Are you fighting? Why?" 

He shrugged. "Just old habits." 

She watched her for a long moment in silence. "I thought things were getting better. He had been nice to me." She told him. "I really think he cares about you." 

"I know.," He said, looking down at his plate. 

"Do you need to go back? I will be alright here."

He shook his head. "No. Aaron has taken over, and I think it will be good training for him." 

She nodded slowly. "I am sure everything will be alright." She smiled, her hand reaching across to touch his. 

He looked into her cold eyes. They held so much warmth that he believed her in that moment. Everything would be alright. 

After breakfast, Ravina decided to go see Darcy. Malachi had told her that she had gone to sleep. When she arrived at her room, Ravina quietly pushed open the door to Darcy\'s room, instantly met with the hushed sounds of distress. The room was dimly lit, streaks of morning light filtering through the gaps in the heavy drapes, casting long shadows across the space.

Darcy was tossing and turning in her sleep, her brows furrowed and beads of sweat trickling down her forehead. Her fists clutched the sheets tightly, knuckles white from the intensity of her grip.

It was an unsettling sight, Darcy caught in the throes of what appeared to be a nightmare. Her soft whimpers and mumbles filled the room, her body twisting and turning as if trying to escape some unseen terror.

Ravina hurried to her side as she watched, Darcy\'s body suddenly jerked, her eyes snapping open with a sharp gasp. For a moment, she lay there, chest heaving, eyes wide with fear, as she tried to regain her bearings.

Ravina climbed the bed quickly, getting to her side. "Darcy," she placed a soft touch on her forehead. Darcy looked at her confused, her eyes still wide with terror. "it\'s alright, Darcy. You\'re safe," she murmured, smoothing her sister\'s wild curls with gentle strokes. 

"Ravina," she breathed, tears welling in her eyes. 

Ravina\'s heart broke. She knew something had happened to her sister that she hadn\'t told her. 

"It was just a nightmare," Ravina assured. 

Darcy nodded. "Yes." 

Ravina stroked her hair until she calmed down. "What was it about?" She asked. "What haunts you, Darcy?" 

Darcy forced a faint smile on her face. "Just… fears." 

"What do you fear?" 

"People."

Ravina frowned, trying to find a smoother way to extract information. "You must have seen a lot." 

"A lot." She repeated, her eyes drifting to some unknown place. "There is a lot to fight for. To fight against." 

"Like what?" 

"Well, father is here. Who is ruling the kingdom?" 

Ravina shivered. Prince Andrew. 

"It was already bad enough," Darcy continued. "You might not know, but there are humans out there, just waiting to find dragons, and they are ready to die trying to eradicate them. Those people don\'t want peace. We are not only fighting one side."

Ravina nodded, understanding well how that came to be. "They are probably people who lost everything and they have nothing else to lose. They have lost hope." She said feeling saddened by how war could destroy minds and hearts. "We need to fight in all ways possible, not just physically. We need to show them there is hope." 

Darcy smiled. "You know, I would have been one of them." She said sadly. "With no memories and everything starting with having bad experiences with dragons, I might have been like them. If a dragon hadn\'t saved me, I might have become like them." 

Tears welled in Ravina\'s eyes. "It is alright. I was one of them." She said, stroking her hair. "But here I am. Just like a positive experience with a dragon changed your mind, it can happen to anyone. If people don\'t have positive experiences, it is hard to believe. People only see attacks. It is all they know." 

Darcy nodded. "I know. Most people are probably hurt." Her frown deepened. "But there are evil ones out there. People who benefit from having a war ongoing." 

Who was she talking about?

"You know our cousin. How is he?" Darcy asked. "I have done some research and the people he is connected with… I don\'t like them."