Thorns between us

Eleven: Roses

Author’s POV

Drayk woke first.

He didn’t move. He just lay there, watching her sleep. The morning light cut through the trees in thin gold lines and landed right on her face. Her lashes were dark against her skin. Her mouth was slightly open. She looked younger like this. Less like the girl who almost killed him with a spell, and more like the girl from the ball.

“she’s pretty,” Draygon said.

Drayk’s mouth twitched. “shut up, Keth.”

“ohh you’ve named me already i see,” Draygon hummed in his head, amused. “keth sounds too human.”

“do you have any better name?” Drayk whispered, not taking his eyes off her.

“yes. Draygon.”

“Draygon?” A quiet chuckle escaped him. He shook his head. “it sounds—”

“it doesn’t sound stupid,” Draygon cut in, defensive. “draygon or nothing.”

“fine,” Drayk sighed, smiling despite himself. “draygon it is. but i’d still call you keth.”

She shifted. Her brows pulled together. Then her eyes snapped open.

For half a second, nothing. Then her whole body locked. She moved so fast he barely registered it. One second she was asleep beside him, the next she was on top of him, knees pinning his shoulders, hands raised like she was about to strike.

Drayk didn’t flinch.

“hey hey, easy,” he said softly. “it’s me.”

She blinked. Recognition flooded her face, then embarrassment. “ohh hey. sorry. instincts.” She laughed, but it was shaky. She sat back on her heels and reached down to help him up. Her fingers were warm.

“she acted weird,” Draygon said sharply in his head.

Drayk closed his eyes. “no she’s not. she’s just waking up. that was instinct.”

“i see,” Draygon said, but he could hear the doubt.

“i hope i didn’t hurt you?” she asked, eyes scanning him. Looking for bruises that weren’t there.

“no no, i’m fine,” he said warmly. He stayed sitting in the grass, watching her. She was already moving, brushing dirt off her dress, tucking hair behind her ear.

“wait—” He stood and followed her before she could get too far.

She didn’t answer. They walked. The forest was quiet except for birds and the soft crush of leaves under their feet. He matched her pace and didn’t speak. Didn’t want to ruin it. The quiet felt fragile, like glass.

“ask her how she knew you were looking for her,” Draygon finally said.

“no. shut up,” Drayk hissed under his breath.

“don’t shut me up!”

Pain lanced through his skull. Drayk squeezed his eyes shut until he saw stars.

“Draygon…?” he hissed, jaw tight.

“good,” Draygon said, satisfied. “now you know how to say the name.”

Drayk opened his eyes. She was staring at him.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he lied. “Just… headache.”

She nodded, but her eyes lingered on him a second too long. Then she turned and kept walking.

Ten minutes later the trees thinned. Wildflowers.

A whole field of them. White and pink and deep red, swaying in the wind like they were breathing. Bees moved lazy between them. The air smelled sweet.

She stopped.

Drayk stopped too, a few steps behind her.

“Oh,” she breathed.

It was the first real sound she’d made all morning that wasn’t an apology. She walked into the field slowly, like she was afraid it would disappear. Her fingers brushed the tops of the flowers as she passed.

Drayk watched her. The sun hit her hair. For a moment she didn’t look hunted. She looked free.

“You like them?” he asked.

She glanced back at him and smiled. Small, but real. “My mother used to pick them. Before…” She didn’t finish. She bent down and started picking.

Drayk crouched beside her without thinking. “What are you doing?”

“Making a crown,” she said. Her fingers worked fast, weaving stems together. “They used to be everywhere in the palace gardens. I’d make them for the maids. They’d pretend I was a queen.”

“You were,” Drayk said before he could stop himself.

She didn’t look up. “Not anymore.”

The silence that followed wasn’t heavy. It was just quiet. He watched her hands. Dirt under her nails. A small cut on her thumb. She didn’t seem to notice.

When she was done, she held it up. A circlet of white and pink roses, tied with a green vine.

“Here,” she said, and stood.

She stepped in front of him. Drayk stood too, suddenly aware of how close they were. She lifted the crown and set it on his head gently. Her fingers brushed his hair.

“You look stupid,” she said, but she was smiling.

“Thanks,” he said.

She laughed. It was soft.

And then she was looking at him differently. Like she was seeing him, not the prince, not the monster. Just him.

His chest felt tight.

He leaned in.

She didn’t pull away. Her eyes flicked to his mouth. Her breath caught.

Drayk’s hand came up, hovering near her jaw. He could smell roses and her.

He was an inch away—

Movement.

In the trees at the edge of the field.

A deer. Young. Alone. Head lifted, ears twitching.

Drayk froze.

Hunger hit him like a wave. Sharp. Animal. It wasn’t his. It was Draygon’s, and Draygon was starving.

“Feed,” Draygon whispered. “You need it.”

Drayk swallowed. The crown felt heavy on his head. He could see the pulse in the deer’s throat from here.

“Drayk?” she asked, confused. She’d noticed him stop.

He stepped back. One step. Then another.

“I… I need a minute,” he said, voice rough.

“What? Why?”

“Just—don’t follow me.”

He turned and walked into the trees without looking back. His hands were shaking. The hunger clawed at him.

Behind him he heard her say his name once. Soft.

He didn’t answer.

---

Draygon was laughing in his head. “you almost did it. almost kissed her. then you run for a deer?”

“shut up,” Drayk said.

“you’re hungry. you’re a monster now. remember?”

Drayk pressed his forehead against a tree. The bark was rough. “I know.”

“then go eat.”

He didn’t. Not yet.

Because if he did, she’d see. And he wasn’t ready for her to see that part of him. Not today. Not with roses in her hands and his name on her lips.