The Dragon King and His Fallen Star novel Chapter 15

Chapter 15: She Who Wasn’t Burned

GIRL’S POV

Spending time in Ashteryn’s workshop had quickly become my favorite part of the day.

Today, I mostly watched him work: pulling glowing metal from the furnace, hammering it with precise, rhythmic strikes, shaping it into something new with every blow. I sat on the same worn stool as always, hands wrapped around a large mug of hot chocolate he made just for me. Apparently, I have a sweet tooth. His words, not mine.

That’s another reason I liked being here. I learned things. A lot of things. Ashteryn answered even my strangest or simplest questions without ever making me feel foolish. He taught me new words too, words he said were important for me to know, especially if I wanted to understand this world

better.

He’d run out of ideas for my bracelet days ago. He said he needed time to think, and that working helped him do exactly that.

Still, I kept coming back. Thankfully, Kierygan still let me. He dropped me off each morning and picked me up at dusk, even though I insisted I already knew the way by heart. But he refused.

He’d been less stern these past few days, a little easier to be around. I didn’t want him slipping back into that cold, distant version of himself… so I didn’t argue.

I noticed the sun had already dipped below the horizon through his open window. But Kierygan still hadn’t come. He always arrived before the light completely vanished.

I

“Do you think… maybe I should go by myself?” I asked, my voice hesitant. “I know the way.”

Ashteryn paused mid–swing, the clang of his hammer dying in the still air. “No,” he said flatly. “If I let you go alone, we’ll both catch hell. You know how he gets when you defy his orders.”

He grabbed a rag, wiping soot and sweat from his hands. “He’ll come. I’ll get you another mug while you wait,” he said, already heading toward the cramped little kitchen.

I quickly shook my head. “No more,” I said. “Or I won’t be able to eat dinner.”

“Alright,” he said. “Just hang in there. He’ll be here any moment.”

But he was wrong.

More than a moment passed, long enough that the warmth of the forge started to lull me. I slumped forward onto the table, my arms folded beneath my head. My eyelids grew heavy. I’d already drifted off when the door burst open with a bang, jolting me upright.

Finally, he arrived.

Chapter 15 She Who Wasit Buried

Claim

Kierygan stood in the doorway, hand still gripping the handle, worry etched into his face. “Sorry I was late,” he said, his voice rough with what almost sounded like guilt.

Ashteryn raised a brow without missing a beat. “Really?” he said, dry as dust. “I hadn’t noticed.”

I rubbed my eyes and blinked–then suddenly remembered the word Ashteryn had taught me

earlier.

“Sarcasm!” I exclaimed, beaming at him.

Ashteryn gave me a satisfied nod. “Told you, you’d recognize it when you heard it.”

Kierygan’s gaze flicked between Ashteryn and me, his expression unreadable as usual. Then his eyes narrowed slightly as they settled on me.

“We’re going,” he said, his voice clipped.

I scrambled off the stool, circling around the table and Ashteryn’s anvil, careful not to trip over the tangle of tools scattered across the floor. Just as I reached the edge of the forge, two sharp voices rang out. They sounded panicked.

“Watch out!” Kierygan’s commanding voice boomed over Ashteryn’s.

I froze, feet rooted to the ground, my heart pounding.

What did I do?

Before I could make sense of it, Kierygan was already there, a blur of motion closing the space between us. His hand clamped around mine and yanked me away so fast I nearly lost my footing. Only then did I realize I had been leaning on the edge of Ashteryn’s anvil, right where a glowing strip of hot iron had been cooling. My palm had been resting flat against it.

Kierygan gripped my hand, his face tight with concern. “Are you alright?” he asked.

I blinked at him, dazed. “I… I think so.”

He turned my hand over, inspecting it. And then his brows drew together. “There’s nothing,” he muttered. “You should’ve been burned.”

Ashteryn stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he examined my hand. “Are you hurt?”

I stared down at my palm. Nothing. No redness. No blisters, Not even the faintest mark.

Slowly, I lifted my gaze, first to Ashteryn, then to Kierygan.

“I… I’m not hurt,” I said quietly. “I’m fine.”

Still holding my hand, Kierygan crouched slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. “What are you, really?”

I wasn’t sure if he was asking me or himself.

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Chapter 15 She Who Wasn’t Huned

He stayed silent for a breath, his gaze searching mine. Then he stood, his grip on my hand tightening just a little.

“We really need to go,” he said. “It’s almost dinnertime.”

The walk back to the palace was quiet, but I kept catching Kierygan glancing at me from the corner of my eye, as if afraid I might vanish, even with his hand wrapped tightly around mine. I kept my gaze fixed on the stone path, pretending not to notice.

By the time we reached the palace, the scent of roasted meat and warm bread drifted into the air.

Dinner. And from the noise spilling out the doors, everyone was already there.

My heart sank the moment we stepped inside,

Mirael. She was back.

Seated in the

the chair beside mine, the one Evander usually took while she was gone. Now, Evander was seated farther down the table, on the opposite side. He caught my eyes and gave me a small

smile, but it didn’t reach the warmth it usually held

Mirael must have sensed the shift in the room, because she turned–her gown shimmering like oil in the candlelight. Her eyes landed on Kierygan first but they didn’t linger. Instead, they dropped to our hands. He was still holding mine.

I tried to pull away, suddenly self–conscious, but Kierygan didn’t let go.

Mirael’s smile returned, slow and measured. She rose to her feet and drifted toward us, arms open, her steps light and graceful. She was going to hug Him.

For reasons I didn’t fully understand, something churned in my stomach. Maybe it was the look she gave him. Or maybe it was because I’d found out she called me that awful name:

An insult. That’s what Ashteryn called it.

Before Mirael could close the distance, Kierygan raised a single finger. Mirael halted mid–step.

Not a word was spoken. He simply walked past her hand still clasped around mine, guiding me

toward the table like she wasn’t even there.

I ate in silence, slowly cutting through whatever was on my plate while voices rose and fell around me like distant waves. I wasn’t really listening, only catching fragments as they drifted past.

Mirael’s voice carried louder than most. Something about a mission. She sounded frustrated. Said it led to nothing. Fruitless, was the word she used. Maybe that’s why Kierygan didn’t want her to hug him earlier..

I understood now what they were to each other. Master and mistress. Lovers.

I kept my gaze lowered, fixed on the curve of my fork, the scrape of my knife. I was determined to

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Chapter 15 She Who Wasn’t Baned

eat quickly, to slip away unnoticed, to escape this too–loud table with its too–many voices and

too–curious eyes.

But then something caught my attention. Callum’s voice, unmistakable and grinning. “I still can’t believe Ashteryn actually made a friend,” he said with a smirk.

I looked up and met his gaze. He was still grinning could tell he wasn’t finished.

“If I were you, girl, I wouldn’t take anything he offers he added. “Unless you want to wake up one

day with tusks like his.”

Laughter burst around the table as he scrunched his face, doing a crude imitation of Ashteryn’s

scowl.

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