Evanthe turned to Seren. "You should give that brooch to . Erebus won't like it if you keep sothing like this. He won't be as understanding as Drayce."
Seren looked at the brooch with a conflicted gaze but eventually handed it over as Evanthe suggested.
Aureus watched her give it up so easily, as if it no longer held any significance to her. As much as it hurt him, he felt a sense of relief. The last thing he wanted was for Drayce's darker side to conflict with him.
He had always treated both Drayce and Erebus like brothers and could only be happy for them. Yet, he couldn't control his feelings for a certain woman—one who happened to be Drayce, his brother's wife.
In his heart, Aureus knew he had liked Seren first, long before Drayce had even t her. When only he, in his beast form, could be near her. If Tyra hadn't placed the spell that prevented him from transforming into his human form, he would have been the one to protect Seren in that tower and bring her out.
Would things have been different if he had shown her his human form back then and beco her companion in that lonely tower? He could only wonder. Or maybe there were just not ant to be.
Morpheus glanced at Aureus and understood what was going on. He decided to break this sudden tense silence around and walked to Ember. "You called ," he asked softly.
Ember, realizing she had unintentionally made Seren aware of sothing she should not have, responded quickly. "Yes. I was thinking of taking Seren to visit the Divine Eagle Clan. Would that be alright?"
"Why not? And who could object when the lord of the Divine Eagle Clan is right here," Morpheus replied with a smile, turning to a still-quiet Aureus. "My Lord, will it be alright if these ladies visit our clan?"
Aureus snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. "They don't need my permission. And please, don't address by my title."
Morpheus chuckled. "I'm not wrong, you are a lord. Your position in this kingdom cos right after Draven, the most powerful divine beast."
Aureus sighed, wondering why his uncle had brought that up. It wasn't like his rank would make any difference to Seren. All her heart held was Drayce. "I'll head ahead to inform the others so they won't be surprised when Ember and Seren arrive," Aureus said, and with that, his magnificent golden wings unfolded, and he flew away.
Seren watched him disappear into the sky, feeling a swirl of emotions. So Dusk, her loyal pet, had been by her side in his beast form all along. It explained so much. She thought back to how long he had been gone, and now it made sense—he had been here, in Agartha. He was the one who protected her from Zaria. If not for him, she might still be locked away in so dark place.
More than the deception, Seren felt gratitude. 'He's the reason I'm still with Drayce. For that, I can only thank him,' she thought.
"Seren, shall we leave?" Ember's voice interrupted her thoughts.
Seren nodded, her eyes briefly lingering on the brooch in Evanthe's hand. A part of her wanted it back, but she knew Evanthe was right about keeping it safe.
Evanthe, sensing Seren's hesitation, spoke softly, "Don't worry, I'll keep it safe."
Seren gave a small nod, accepting it. "How are we getting there?"
Morpheus pulled Ember close, his arms wrapping around her waist. "My mate is leaving with ," he said with a teasing smile, then looked at Evanthe. "You can take care of your son's mate."
Evanthe nodded in acknowledgnt, while Seren watched Morpheus and Ember. Morpheus held Ember tightly, his hands firm yet gentle as he pressed her slender fra against him. His wings, now unfurling, shimred as they shifted from blue-gray to a brilliant gold. Even his hair took on a golden hue.
"You've been missing flying with , haven't you?" he teased.
Ember gripped him securely, her arms circling around his neck, ready to take flight. "Can't I?" she replied with a playful smile.
He chuckled, "Only you can," and then flew away with her. Evanthe, using her power of teleportation, left with Seren as well.
They appeared at Redcrest City, an imposing settlent within the territory of the shapeshifting feathered races and the land ruled by the Divine Eagles.
Seren was awestruck by the dense forest that stretched across the mountain peaks. This was unlike any forest she had seen in the human kingdoms. The trees were massive, towering like ancient giants. Each tree was so tall and wide that houses could be built atop them. These were ancient trees, dwarfing anything Seren had ever encountered in the human lands.
She noticed that each tree had large thatched hos made from interwoven branches, hanging like nests on the trees' massive trunks. The structures resembled giant nests, and she found herself curious about how they looked from the inside. She wished to visit at least one of them.
"Seren, those are hos—or nests, as they are for these people, who are birds," Ember said with a soft chuckle.
"And you're one bird's mate, so that makes you no different, Ember," Morpheus teased.
Ember smiled, unable to deny it.
Soon, Agraleus arrived with Aureus to welco Seren. They had inford the others to give their guests so space. Though Aureus was now their king, Agraleus, still serving as the chief of the feathered clan, dutifully greeted Seren and introduced her to various aspects of the city. After a brief introduction, he left her with her friends to explore.
"Your Eminence, I have sothing to discuss with you," Agraleus said to Evanthe.
She humd in acknowledgnt and turned to Morpheus and Ember. "I'll leave Seren with you until I return."
"Don't worry, Evanthe," they assured her.
Once Agraleus and Evanthe had left, Ember turned to Seren. "Would you like to check out one of those hos?"
Seren's face lit up, and she nodded eagerly, her gaze fixed on the towering trees.
"Shall we take her to your nest?" Ember asked Morpheus.
"Mine, not yours?" he responded with a teasing grin.
"Sorry, I ant ours," Ember corrected with a smile.
Morpheus chuckled. "I have a mate, and the presence of another unmated female in my nest wouldn't be appropriate," he explained. "But we can take her to Aureus' nest."
Aureus was stunned by his uncle's suggestion and shot him a sharp glare, trying to figure out what he was up to.
"You don't mind, do you, Aureus?" Morpheus asked, a playful tone in his voice.
Aureus glanced at Seren, who was gazing back at him with hopeful eyes, clearly eager to see one of the hos. Helpless in the face of her silent plea, he simply nodded.
"You'll have to carry her since she doesn't seem to have the ability to teleport or fly," Morpheus added, already holding Ember close as he flew toward Aureus' nest.
Baffled, Aureus stood there, unsure of what to do. He glanced around, hoping Evanthe might be nearby to teleport Seren instead, but she was already gone. It seed Agraleus had serious matters to discuss with her.
"Is it alright if I carry you?" Aureus asked, his awkwardness apparent.
Seren studied him for a mont. It wasn't the first ti he would be carrying her—he had done it before to protect her. But sothing had been troubling her, and she needed to hear it from Aureus himself.
"Are you Dusk?" she asked, voicing the question that had been on her mind.
"Yes," he replied without hesitation.
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