The Dragon Kings' Forbidden Witch

Morgana’s heart hammered. ”What does that mean?”

”It means,” Atheris said slowly, ”that destiny is a strange and terrible thing. It bends. It twists. It brings together those who were never meant to meet. And it breaks those who try to fight it.”

”That’s not an answer.”

”No,” Atheris agreed. ”But it is all I can give you.”

Morgana exhaled, frustration and fear warring in her chest.

”I don’t know how to use my magic,” she said quietly. ”Not really. I know how to hide it. How to suppress it. But if something happens, if I need to defend myself, or if it breaks free....I don’t know what to do.”

Atheris lowered his head until his massive snout was level with hers.

”Then I will teach you. Now.”

Morgana blinked. ”What?”

”Stand.”

She obeyed, rising to her feet.

Atheris shifted, his body uncoiling slightly, and gestured with one enormous claw toward the open space in the center of the cavern.

”Call it,” he said simply.

”Call what?”

”Your fire. Call it forth. Not to hide. Not to suppress. But to use.”

Morgana’s pulse quickened. ”I...I don’t know if I can....”

”You can.” Atheris’s voice was firm. ”You have always been able to. You have simply been too afraid to try.”

Morgana swallowed hard and stepped into the center of the cavern.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

The fire lived inside her....she could feel it, coiled in her chest like a second heartbeat. It was always there, always burning, always waiting.

She had spent her whole life shoving it down.

Now, for the first time, she let it rise.

Heat bloomed in her palms.

She opened her eyes and looked down.

Fire danced across her hands....small, flickering, alive.

”Good,” Atheris rumbled. ”Now make it grow.”

Morgana focused, willing the flames to expand.

They obeyed.

The fire spread up her arms, wrapping around her wrists, her forearms, warm and alive and hers.

”Do not fear it,” Atheris said softly. ”It is part of you. It will not harm you unless you believe it will.”

Morgana exhaled slowly, watching the flames dance.

She had never let it go this far before.

It felt... right.

”Now,” Atheris said, ”release it.”

”What?”

”Let it go. Throw it. Shape it. Command it.”

Morgana hesitated, then thrust her hands forward.

The fire leapt.

It shot across the cavern in a brilliant arc, slamming into the far wall and exploding in a shower of sparks before fading into nothing.

Morgana stared, breathless.

”Again,” Atheris commanded.

She did.

Again.

And again.

By the time she stopped, her hands were trembling and her heart was racing, but the fear, the crushing, suffocating fear she had carried for so long—had eased.

Just a little.

Atheris watched her with something that looked like pride.

”You are ready,” he said quietly.

Morgana shook her head. ”I’m not.”

”You are.” The dragon’s voice was firm. ”You have always been ready, little spark. You simply did not know it.”

Morgana’s eyes burned. ”What if I fail?”

”Then you get back up.” Atheris lowered his head, his golden eyes locking onto hers. ”And you try again. That is what it means to be strong. Not never falling. But always rising.”

Morgana crossed to him and pressed her hand against his scaled snout.

”Thank you,” she whispered.

Atheris rumbled softly. ”Come back to me, child. When it is done. When you have found what you are looking for.”

”I will.”

”I know.”

The sky was beginning to lighten when Morgana finally left the cave.

She walked back through the forest slowly, her mind still racing with everything Atheris had said.

You are not as alone as you believe.

Destiny is a strange and terrible thing.

The kings are not what they seem.

What did it all mean?

She didn’t know.

But as she slipped back into the village, as she eased open the door to her cottage and stepped inside, she felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Hope.

Her mother was still asleep.

Morgana changed out of her traveling clothes and slipped into bed, staring at the ceiling.

Tomorrow, she would walk through the palace gates.

Tomorrow, everything would change.

But tonight....just for tonight...she let herself believe that maybe, just maybe, she could survive it.