The Dragon King and His Fallen Star novel Chapter 65

Chapter 65: Dreamwalking

KIERYGAN’S POV

As soon as Ulyanna handed me the Dreamsnare, I wasted no time.

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It was small–no bigger than my thumb–carved from obsidian, so dark it seemed to drink in the

light. Silver runes spiraled across its surface, glinting faintly whenever they caught a stray beam. A thin, black chain wrapped around it like a sleeping serpent, whispering with a magic I could almost

taste. For such a small relic, it felt impossibly heavy in my hand.

I tucked it into the inner pocket of my cloak and made my way through the silent halls.

Eirlys would be busy today–training with Orryx and Callum, lessons with Solara or Evander, and

perhaps a visit to Ashteryn in his new workshop. That meant I had plenty of time to do what

needed to be done.

When I reached her room, I paused at the door, that familiar discomfort coiling low in my chest. I hated the thought of entering her private space without permission. But what I hated even more was the idea of letting anyone else into her dreams

But I had to–if I wanted to keep her safe from whatever shadows hunted her dreams.

Steeling myself, I slipped inside.

The room smelled faintly of wildflowers… of her. Her bed was neatly made, books stacked on the

small table by the window. For a moment, I let myself imagine her here, curled beneath the

blankets, her hair spilling across the pillow I now approached.

Carefully, I slipped the Dreamsnare beneath it, nesting the relic into the linens where it would remain unseen. It pulsed once, a cool vibration thrumming against my fingertips before falling

silent.

I straightened and let out a slow breath. Without another glance around, I turned and slipped out of her room, closing the door behind me.

Now, all that remained was to wait for nightfall.

I barely touched my food during dinner.

The low hum of conversation around the table felt distant, muffled by the rush of my own

thoughts. My mind was occupied with what was going to happen later tonight.

“You’re awfully quiet this evening, Kier,” Mirael’s voice cut through my focus.

I blinked, only then realizing I’d been staring at Eirlys for several breaths too long. She sat near me,

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Chapter 65: Dreamwalking

quietly picking at her food, completely unaware of what we had planned for her.

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I didn’t respond to Mirael. My gaze lingered on Eirlys a moment longer before I finally forced a spoonful of food into my mouth.

After a while, Eirlys pushed her chair back, the legs scraping softly against the stone floor. “I think… I’ll go check on Nibbles,” she murmured, her voice small.

I nodded once, unable to trust my voice to remain steady.

She offered me a faint smile before turning away, her soft footsteps fading down the corridor.

I watched her go, my chest tightening. Then I rose from my seat. My eyes drifted to the far end of the table where Ulyanna sat. She met my gaze, her dark eyes solemn. With a small incline of her chin, she signaled her understanding before turning back to her conversation with the others.

Without a word, I turned and left the hall.

Back in my chambers, I sat heavily on the edge of the bed, but the stillness gnawed at me. I stood

again and began pacing, hands clasped behind my back. Restlessness coiled through me, sharp

and unrelenting, as I waited.

A soft knock broke the silence.

“Come in,” I called out.

The door opened without a sound, and Ulyanna stepped inside. A satchel was slung over her shoulder, her expression calm but resolute, shadowed with quiet determination.

She knelt on the cold stone floor, unpacking the contents of her satchel carefully. Small glass vials clinked softly as she set them aside, followed by a bundle of dried herbs bound in black twine.

Next, she drew out a pouch of white salt and poured a thick line around herself, forming a perfect circle of protection. Within the circle, she placed a short, squat candle and lit its wick. The flame flickered low, casting her face in wavering shadows.

Murmuring a chant in a tongue I didn’t recognize, she held the bundle of herbs over the flame. Smoke curled upward, sharp and acrid, filling the room with its bitter scent.

“It’s time,” she said softly, her voice echoing faintly within the warded circle.

I lay back on my bed, my eyes fixed on her silhouette haloed by candlelight. The smell of burning herbs filled my lungs, thick and heavy. My limbs felt heavier with each breath until my eyes drifted

shut.

Sleep claimed me like a black tide.

I opened them again… and I was there.

In the dark forest. At the center of it all, the hooded figure loomed–half shadow, half nightmare.

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Malric and Morwenna stood before it, their twisted smiles turned toward the small bundle cradled in Morwenna’s arms. Silver hair. Violet eyes. An infant… Eirlys.

Then the seven fae appeared.

And among them stood a woman with the same silver hair and violet eyes. Her beauty was sharp, celestial–a mirror of Eirlys, only older.

Beside me, Ulyanna appeared.

She glided across the forest floor, her body floating above the mist, dark robes trailing behind her like curling smoke. She moved closer to the woman, unfazed by the toxic black haze that withered everything it touched.

I called out to her, but no sound escaped my throat. She couldn’t see me. Couldn’t hear me. This

was her realm now.

The woman–who looked like an older Eirlys–moved her lips, forming silent words. But Ulyanna

tilted her head, listening intently.

My heart leapt with hope.

Ulyanna could hear her.

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Then the hooded figure lifted a clawed hand, and black wisps shot out like spears, piercing each of

the seven figures.

One by one, they turned to dust, dissolving into the cold wind. The last to fall was the woman who looked like Eirlys. Her eyes remained fixed ahead, full of unspoken warning.

And then I jolted awake.

My chest heaved with ragged breaths as I sat up. Across the room, Ulyanna still sat cross–legged at the edge of my bed. Her candle had burned out, leaving only a thin curl of smoke rising into the dim air. Her eyes were open now, unfocused and glassy, her lips moving rapidly as she whispered something I couldn’t understand over and over.

I swung my legs to the floor and reached out to her “Ulyanna,” I called softly but firmly. “What did you hear?”

She blinked hard, her pupils dilating back into focus Without a word, she crawled out of her salt

circle, her movements jerky with urgency.

“I need something to write on,” she said, her voice hoarse. “Quickly.”

I gestured to the parchment, quill, and ink waiting on my nightstand. She scrambled to reach them, seizing the quill with trembling fingers and beginning to scribble furiously.

I hovered beside her, straining to read her words as they formed. But before I could make sense of

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them, a faint sound reached my ears–Eirlys‘ soft whimpers, muffled by distance and stone walls.

I hesitated for only a heartbeat. “I have to go to her I said.

Ulyanna nodded vigorously without looking up. “Yes,” she whispered, her quill scratching on. “Go.

I’ll see you in the morning.”

Without another word, I left my chambers, crossing the hall in three quick strides. I pushed open

her door and found her curled tightly beneath her blankets, her small frame trembling in sleep.

“I’m here,” I whispered, sitting down beside her and brushing the damp hair from her forehead.

Without hesitation, I lay down next to her, gathering her into my arms. She let out a soft sigh and

pressed closer, her trembling easing beneath my touch.

I held her like that until her breathing steadied–and only then did sleep finally claim me too.

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