There was no signature and no indication of who had sent it, but the message was clear enough.

Ivar read it twice and his lips slowly curved into a smile.

He folded the paper and tucked it into his inner pocket, then leaned back against the seat and stared out the window at the passing buildings of Dragonhold.

"Interesting," he muttered to himself.

Miles away, in his chambers within the Silver Pegasus guild building, Lucien Crowley sat at his desk and placed the quill he'd just used back into its holder.

He leaned back in his chair, picked up the wine cup from his desk, and smiled.

——

The next morning in Ravens Grave…

Both Laela and Arianna had just stepped into Aiden's room, already dressed for travel with packs slung over their shoulders.

They found Aiden standing before his mirror fastening the buttons of his guild uniform.

Laela's brow furrowed as she took in his appearance and she exchanged a glance with Arianna.

Aiden turned to face them and offered what he hoped was an apologetic smile. "Actually, I had a change of heart. I've decided not to go to Dellheim after all." He paused and added, "Cronyssia may really not be there, so I'll find a much better way to seek out the Dragon"

The words hung in the air for barely a second before something hit their senses.

Laela's eyes widened, and she and Arianna turned to each other with matching looks of realization and without a word bolted from the room.

The Aiden standing before the mirror watched them go with a resigned sigh.

The real Aiden had just passed through the main gates of Dragonhold with a large scroll in hand. This was a map he had just gotten from the market.

Without warning, Piers appeared before Aiden; barely awake and still dressed in his sleeping robes. In each hand, he held Laela and Arianna.

Katherine stood beside him, her hand resting on his shoulder. She was also in her nightclothes, so thin that they were almost see-through.

Laela let go of Piers' arm and stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "Did you really think you could deceive us? That you could just leave like this?"

Arianna joined her side, crossing her arms. "You must've forgotten what you told us about how your Dragon's Bond skill works."

Aiden opened his mouth to respond but Laela cut him off. "For the last month, every single time you've used that skill, we've felt it. Every morning when you wake up and have it used, we know."

It was true and Aiden couldn't deny it because the habit had become as natural as breathing, waking each morning and immediately activating Dragon's Bond to sense where his treasures were and ensure they remained safe.

The overprotective dragon instinct that drove him to constantly verify their presence had become routine.

Laela added further, "You also forget that this connection to you only grows stronger when we're physically closer."

Arianna nodded and continued. "This morning you activated it per usual, but just minutes ago when we came to your room and spoke to that duplicate, we couldn't feel the connection close to us. It kept dimming as if it was coming from a much farther distance and growing weaker with every passing moment. That's how we knew you were trying to go off on your own."

Katherine looked between them with growing confusion and her eyes finally settled on Aiden. "What the hell are they talking about? Where were you going?"

Piers had found a nearby stone to sit on and looked like he might fall asleep again at any moment despite the growing tension between the group.

Aiden sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair as he realized there was no easy way out of this situation. "Captain, there's something important I need to take care of and I'm sorry but I can't start explaining what it is right now."

Katherine's expression hardened. "So you were planning to just leave without at least informing me? Without telling your captain that you'd be gone?"

"It's too complicated to explain," Aiden said and heard how weak the excuse sounded even as the words left his mouth. "Moreover, I only intended for it to take a few days, nothing more."

The girls remained silent and neither of them offered any explanation to Katherine about where Aiden had been headed either.

Aiden turned his full attention to Laela and Arianna and his voice dropped. "I'm sorry but it's too dangerous and I can't take you with me. This isn't something I can risk your lives on."

Laela's eyes flashed and her voice came out cold. "Is that how you want to start our marriage? By failing to keep your word?"

The words hit hard and Aiden actually flinched. He had agreed to take them with him initially, but now was trying to desert them.

Katherine watched the exchange and though she still had no idea where this mysterious journey led, she could read the situation clearly enough. "I wish I knew where you were planning to go," she said after a moment, "but I trust that you're doing something worthwhile. That said, it would be unkind of you not to take these women with you when they're clearly so eager to follow."

Piers stirred from his seat and added groggily, "If they went through the trouble of dragging me out of bed for this, you might as well let them come."

Aiden stood silent for a long moment. He looked at Laela's determined face and Arianna's steady gaze and saw the hurt beneath their anger.

"You're right," he finally said and the admission came easier than he'd expected. "I'm sorry. To both of you. I was only trying to protect you both"

He met their eyes one at a time. "If you still want to come, then we go together."

Laela's expression softened slightly though she didn't smile. "That's all we wanted to hear."

Arianna stepped forward and adjusted the pack on her shoulder. "We're not asking you to stop protecting us, Aiden. We're asking you to let us protect you too."

Katherine gave an approving nod, then turned to Piers. "Can you get us back, or should I carry you?"

"I'm awake, I'm awake," Piers muttered as he stood, taking Katherine's hand. She smiled, sly as ever. "Try not to make a habit of this," he added.

In the next instant, the captain and Piers vanished, leaving the three of them at the gate.

Aiden glanced at his companions. "Dellheim, then."

They both nodded, and together they set off toward the Forsaken Continent and whatever awaited them there.

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