Page 58 of Elemental Becoming

“Yes. I’m going now.”

The halls of the Fire Clan’s stronghold stretch before me, vast and carved from dark stone that drinks in the morning light. Banners hang from the vaulted ceilings, their crimson and black sigils shifting in the draft. Our steps echo softly against the polished floors, the sound swallowed by the sheer scale of the corridor ahead.

Thane walks beside me in black and crimson, the colors of the Fire Clan stark against the stone. The sleeves bear the sigil of his house; an embroidered flame curling along his forearm, almost imperceptible unless the light catches it just right.

A heavy belt rests at his waist, holding the sword at his hip. His boots, polished but well-worn, move with command across the stone floor. Every piece of his attire is a reflection of who he is—practical, disciplined, unwilling to wear excess when steel and strength will always matter more.

And beneath it all, tension hums.

Although Thane has visited his father before at Rowena’s insistence, this is the first time in nine years he will see him not as the fading man he left behind, but as someone still fighting.

Fighting for his family. For the realm. For himself.

We’re almost there.

My dress moves with each step, soft blue like a clear sky. Light. Unrestricted.

A quiet contrast to the weight of where we’re going.

My hair is braided, golden threads woven through it—a quiet acknowledgment of my place at Thane’s side.

At my side, just a few paces behind, walks Elira.

Her presence is subtle but constant. She moves quietly, efficiently, her gaze taking in everything without lingering too long on any one thing. She has served the stronghold since Thane was a child, and now she is assigned to me.

She is more than a handmaid. She is a caretaker. A guide.Someone who has watched the Fire Clan’s history unfold from the shadows of these great halls. She ensures I have what I need, that I’m properly dressed for whatever the day demands, that I don’t stumble through the customs of a world still unfamiliar to me.

But in the way she watches me, I sense something deeper. An understanding. A quiet wisdom shaped by years of service.

As honored as I am to meet Thane’s father, the former Warlord of the realm, my nerves keep me on edge. I would much rather be flying with Calryx beneath this bright, cloudless sky than walking these halls in this dress, my hair adorned and pinned into place. The fabric feels too fitted. Too formal. Too unlike me.

I am used to dresses cut more loosely, with room to breathe. Most of the time, I was in pants and boots and a loose shirt, especially on the farm and at the outpost.

“Are you thinking of me?”a voice rumbles through my mind.“I am quite magnificent, so I understand the obsession.”

Calryx.

I suppress a smile.

“Are you always so nosy?”I tease.

“Your mind is open. You said my name, so I answered. I wouldn’t have to be so nosy if you weren’t calling me.”

“I didn’t call you. I just wish I was doing anything other than meeting Thane’s father right now,”I confess.

“And why is that? Do you not care for the Warlord?”my dragon asks, confusion threading her voice.“Isn’t that what humans do? Meet the loved ones of their mate?”

“By the gods, Calryx. Do you always have to be so literal?”

“I am a dragon. We speak what’s there.”She huffs.“Am I incorrect?”

I sigh, my smile lingering.“No. You’re not.”

A feeling of self-satisfaction purrs through my mind.

“Except for the mate part. I’m not his mate,”I quickly add.

“For now,”she counters.