The Matchmaker - The Arrax Saga Book 1 Chapter 40

Saphira stirred at the sound of rustling, her senses slowly pulling her from sleep. Her eyes blinked open, adjusting to the dim room, and she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. Dark walls, bare of memories, heavy silk sheets draped over the bed.

This wasn’t her room.

Then, Nikolas’ voice, warm and familiar.

“You’re awake.”

She turned her head, catching sight of him as he finished dressing. A slow smile curled on her lips.

“How did you sleep?” he asked, his tone softer than she expected.

“Good, thanks. You?”

“The best I have in a while,” he admitted. There was something unspoken in his words, a quiet weight behind them.

Once fully dressed, he crossed the room toward her, perching on the edge of the bed.

“We need to speak to Asher today,” he said. “Raven let me know he’s awake and doing well.”

Saphira pushed herself up slightly, brushing her hair back. The mention of Asher tugged her mind back to everything from the night before, the chaos, the revelations.

“You want me to join you?” she asked, still unaccustomed to this, working together.

She wasn’t used to it.

Nikolas’ golden eyes flickered with something warm. Then his fingers gently cupped her face.

“I need you to join me, if you will,” he murmured, his touch sending a soft shiver through her.

Her breath hitched, warmth creeping up her cheeks.

She leaned into his touch, savoring the steady heat of his palms against her skin.

“Of course,” she whispered.

Nikolas exhaled, thumb brushing lightly against her cheek.

There was something undeniable in this moment, something neither of them could put into words yet.

She allowed herself to linger in it, just for a second longer.

Then, with a quiet inhale, she pulled back.

“I’ll get ready now.”

Saphira and Nikolas stepped out of the room, the lingering warmth of their earlier exchange still humming in the back of her mind. But she pushed it aside, there were more pressing matters now.

They moved through the halls, the quiet hum of the stronghold surrounding them, until they spotted Raven standing near one of the side corridors, arms crossed, as if she had been waiting for them.

“You’re up,” Raven remarked, her sharp eyes flicking between them before settling on Nikolas. “Asher’s awake. He’s still weak, but he’s lucid.”

Nikolas nodded, his grip on Saphira’s hand firm but absent-minded. “Take us to him.”

Raven didn’t hesitate, turning on her heel and leading the way.

Saphira followed beside Nikolas, her mind swirling with thoughts about Asher. *Who was he? How had he ended up chained beside Nikolas? And more importantly, what did he know?*

They reached the guest room soon enough.

Raven pushed open the door, stepping aside as Nikolas and Saphira entered.

Asher lay on the bed, his auburn hair slightly dishevelled, his posture tense despite the exhaustion clinging to him. His eyes flickered open at their presence, sharp yet tired, assessing them both.

Nikolas stepped forward first. “I’m Nikolas,” he said evenly. “And this is Saphira.”

Saphira offered a small nod, watching Asher carefully.

His gaze lingered on her for a moment, something unreadable flickering behind his expression before he exhaled and rasped, “I remember you.”

“You’re a dragon,” Nikolas stated, his voice steady but filled with quiet curiosity. The words seemed to jolt Asher back to full attention, his tired eyes flicking toward Nikolas as if assessing whether he could be trusted.

“Which pack are you from?”

Asher hesitated, his gaze shifting between them, as if weighing the consequences of his answer. Then, with a short, uneven breath, he finally spoke.

“We were a small pack,” he admitted. His voice carried a weight, something old, something tired. “We were actually looking for the last remaining dragons. I assume that’s within your pack.”

Saphira’s breath hitched slightly.

Nikolas’ expression didn’t falter, though she saw something flicker beneath his golden gaze. “Yes. I was actually on a quest to find your pack… before things happened, anyway.”

A bitter smile played at the edges of Asher’s lips before he shook his head. “There isn’t much of a pack left really.” His voice dipped lower, heavier.

Nikolas turned to Saphira instinctively, and for the first time since entering this room, she saw the raw concern written across his face. He wasn’t just curious anymore. He was worried.

“What do you mean?” he asked, his focus shifting back to Asher.

A slow, deep breath passed through Asher’s lips, like the weight of the truth was pressing against him, like saying it aloud made it real.

“There used to be around seven of us,” he said, voice laced with something distant, grief, maybe. “But we were hunted. We were all captured.”

Saphira felt her stomach twist, the air in the room growing heavier with every word.

“I found five dead dragons while I was looking for my mother,” Asher continued. His voice was quieter now, restrained, but the pain was there, woven into every syllable. “Then I was caught when I found her.”

Saphira sucked in a breath, her pulse quickening.

“What happened to her?” she asked, though part of her didn’t want to hear the answer.

“She was being kept in another place, like the one we were in,” Asher said, directing the last part toward Nikolas, almost as if searching for some kind of validation, confirmation that he understood. “Before I could help, I was attacked and taken… I don’t even know if she’s still alive.”

Silence stretched, thick and unrelenting.

Saphira swallowed against the lump in her throat. The weight of his words sat heavy on her chest. *How many more were lost? How many had suffered the same fate?*

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, the words barely enough.

Asher gave a small nod, his gaze softening slightly. “Thank you,” he said sincerely.

Then his expression shifted.

“You should know… there was another dragon being kept with her.”

Saphira’s breath caught. *Another?*