The After Effects
The Corridors Echo

A couple of hours later, after dinner and putting Harper to bed, I found myself walking through the halls of the castle, headed straight for the training field.

Locke thankfully stayed back with Harper, making me feel better about leaving her for an hour or so. The rest of the day went better after the whole meeting the new dragon guest. Harper seemed to be doing better when she woke up from her afternoon nap. We spent most of the day playing with Ragnar and laying in the field before the sun went door.

And although I should go to bed, I just couldn't fall asleep. For some reason, my mind was filled with amethyst eyes and a snarky attitude. I felt all over the place, confused, as I couldn't stop thinking about the new guest. Something about him just grabbed my attention.

So after tossing and turning in bed for two hours, I got up, dressed in tight jeans and a tighter tank top and black pump stiletto heels, I told Locke I was going to shoot some things.

He chuckled before mumbling a goodbye and falling back to sleep.

Although my heels clicked down the corridor, I couldn't help but hear the slight extra echo that followed me. I became aware of a male presence and turned a corner, hiding in a doorway as the figure turned the same corner and was pinned to the opposite wall with my blade against his throat.

The huge body beneath my hand made me feel like an idiot. This male could easily overpower me. I realized as I met amethyst eyes. Although my heels gave me close to four inches, I was still nowhere near the male's height.

"Why are you following me?" I purred, applying some more pressure to his thick throat, I watched as the male stared down at me... Amusement and attraction dancing in his eyes.

"I was curious why the Acer was restless at this time of night." A deep voice rumbled against my dagger.

"Well now, that doesn't seem like your business... Now does it?" I watched as the male's throat bobbed, his Adam's apple hitting my blade.

"Everything is my business, Little Bird." Rorek's skin broke under my blade, a little bit of red rolled down his throat "Tell me, do you decapitate every male you meet?" The sheer calm in the male's voice was insulting.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I rolled my eyes as I removed my dagger, cleaning his blood off of it on his cheek.

The male still watched me with amusement and... I swear that's attraction. I thought to myself.

Thoroughly confused by the male, I left him against the wall and made my way to the training center. It wasn't long before his footsteps followed me.

Thankfully, he followed silently, only chiming in when he noticed where I had led him. "You must be really restless if you need to shoot stuff."

"Keep talking and you'll replace out if I'm restless enough to shoot you." I glared at the male as I picked up a bow and started firing.

Usually, when I do archery, I get lost in it. My whole world becomes just me, my bow and arrow, and my target. But for some reason that night, I couldn't shake the feeling of the male staring at me.

His burning gaze studied me from top to bottom, distracting me.

Every single one of my arrows missed their targets, embedding in the straw ends of the three targets I fired at.

Cursing, I turned back to the table of weapons.

"I thought the Acer was supposed to be good at Archery." Rorek mused as he leaned against the wall.

I knew a threat was pointless because whatever I'd say he could counter with the terrible target practice I just had.

"Why are you here?" I asked the male, growing irritated with my sudden loss of skills.

He shrugged, "Couldn't sleep."

"And why not?" I sighed, crossing my arms. "I'm sure the King gave you a comfy bed and room to sleep in."

"That's a bit personal, don't you think? After all, we just met and you're demanding I tell you all my woes." Rorek's wording made me roll my eyes.

"Oh please, you and you're dramatics. You're almost as bad as the Prince." I scoffed as I turned back to the table and picked a few ax's to throw.

"Are you and the Prince close?" The male asked, making me pause mid-throw.

Quoting him, I turned and faced his amethyst eyes. "That's a bit personal, don't you think?"

"Touche." Rorek chuckled, the sound deep and melodic.

After I threw three ax's and did somewhat better at aiming, I turned back to the table. "To answer your personal question, no. The Prince and I are not close."

"You and the redhead?" The male asked.

His reference to my brother made me scoff. "Oh my goodness, no. That's my brother." I shivered. "The Prince thought that he and I were together and I almost threw up."

Rorek chuckled again, the sound addicting. I caught myself wanting to make him chuckle more. "So you're single then?"

I side-eyed the male as I looked down at the table. "I'm emotionally unavailable for the foreseeable future."

I watched as a blinding smile crossed the dragon shifters face, his perfect white teeth making an appearance. "I'm a patient man." He said with a smile in his voice.

Totally caught off guard, I nearly stumbled at the male's words. Is he flirting with me?

"Are you flirting with me?" I asked, straightening and turning to the male.

With a shrug, he answered me. "Call it what you want.. But yes."

Deciding to play with him a bit, I let a dangerous smirk cross my face. "There is another male in my life that you would have to compete with." Was all I supplied the male with as I made to leave the training center.

I walked past the male and felt his burning gaze on me as I left, so I threw in a little hip sway as I opened the door.

Curses followed me as I shut the door and walked back to my suite.

Although I wasn't in the training center long, for some reason talking and flirting with Rorek helped my restlessness and I found sleep much more in my grasp.

That night, my dreams were filled with a red dragon and amethyst eyes...