Chapter 323: The Dracolthar That Definitely Wasn’t a Dracula
Chapter 323: The Dracolthar That Definitely Wasn’t a Dracula
Elyn’s POV
Zorathys looked everywhere except at me.
His gaze drifted to the ceiling, then to the floor, then to the walls, then to the shadows curling around his feet. He studied them with intense interest, like they held the secrets to the universe, and he absolutely refused to meet my eyes. His earrings swayed slightly as he tilted his head, examining a particularly interesting patch of darkness.
"My pet isn’t here," he said finally.
I stared at him.
"Did I ask you where the pet was?" I asked, my voice calm. "Or did I ask you what pet it was?"
Zorathys blinked, his ruby eyes finally flicking toward me for just a moment before darting away again.
"You asked me what pet caused me to leave you alone," he said slowly, as if he was trying to find a loophole in my words. "And you asked me what kind of pet it was."
"Yes," I said. "I did. So tell me what pet it was. Not where it is. What it is."
Zorathys was quiet for a moment. His shadows shifted around him, curling and uncurling like they were as uncertain as he was. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.
"Why do you want to see it?" he asked. "What does it matter what kind of pet it is?"
"Because I don’t believe you," I said flatly. "Obviously. You must have suspected that. I’ve made it very clear that I don’t trust your excuse."
He swallowed, his throat bobbing visibly.
"I’m not lying, though," he said.
"Then tell me the pet," I said. "Name it. Describe it. Prove that it exists."
Zorathys was quiet again.
His shadows had gone still around him, and his expression was unreadable. I could see him thinking, could see the gears turning in his head as he tried to come up with something convincing. His eyes darted around the corridor like he was searching for inspiration.
Then he spoke.
"It’s a Dracolthar," he said.
I frowned at that. Did he just make that up?
"A Dracula?" I repeated, my brow furrowing.
Zorathys blinked, his expression shifting to confusion.
"A Dracolthar," he corrected slowly. "Not Dracula. What is Dracula?"
I shrugged, waving a dismissive hand.
"Never mind, summon it."
Zorathys made a face, his expression shifting to something that was almost pleading.
"It’s nighttime, Firefly," he said. "And nighttime means it’s time to sleep. I should sleep. You should sleep... I should sleep."
I crossed my arms over my chest. Even if he said that numerous times, I wasn’t going to go back on my decision.
"If you don’t summon it now," I said, "I’ll make sure you never sleep again. You will never rest. I will become the bane of your existence."
Zorathys stared at me, his eyes widening slightly.
"You would do that," he said with a nod.
"Yes," I said. "I would."
He sighed.
"Fine," he said. "I’ll summon it in the morning. I promise. Just let me—"
"Now," I said. "I want you to summon it now, so you won’t have the chance to cook up some lies with the supposed pet. I want to see it with my own eyes."
Zorathys sighed again.
"If I summon my pet," he said, "the whole demon realm will be awakened. It’s not a quiet creature. It’s large. It’s loud. It’s very noticeable. Everyone will know that I’ve summoned it. So why don’t we just go to sleep? I need rest, you need rest, I need more rest, and it’s nighttime."
"Not everyone is sleeping," I said to him, once more ignoring the fact that he repeated that he needed more rest. "It’s nighttime in the capital. But not everyone is asleep. People are still awake. Demons are still moving around. The city is still alive."
Zorathys stared at me.
I stared back.
He sighed again and then, grudgingly, he spoke.
"Fine."
I thought after his words that, as usual, something would happen, but nothing happened.
Seconds passed. Minutes passed too, but there was nothing.
I looked at him, raising an eyebrow.
"Where is the pet?" I asked.
Zorathys’s expression was calm, almost serene.
"He’s coming."
I was quiet again, watching him carefully. Did I believe him? Given the situation... not really.
More minutes passed.
I opened my mouth to speak, to demand answers, to ask him what kind of game he was playing—
And then I heard it.
A rumbling sound.
It started low and deep, like thunder rolling across the sky. But it grew louder and closer, and I felt it vibrating through the floor, through my bones, through my chest. The ground beneath my feet seemed to tremble with the force of it.
And then I heard the wings.
A heavy, rhythmic flapping, like something massive was cutting through the air. The sound was powerful, almost deafening, and I felt the wind shift around me.
Zorathys’s expression shifted.
"He’s here," he said.
His shadows surrounded me instantly, curling around my body like a protective cocoon. The darkness wrapped around me, cool and gentle, and I blinked.
When I opened my eyes again, we were no longer standing in the corridor.
We were on the rooftop of the palace.
The wind hit me immediately, cold and sharp against my skin. The night sky stretched above us, vast and endless, filled with stars that seemed to pulse with their own light. The moon hung low and full, casting silver light across the palace grounds.
The gargoyles that normally guarded the palace walls were gone.
The flapping sound got closer.
And then I saw it.
A huge shadow, blocking out the stars, descending toward us with the speed and power of a falling meteor. It was enormous — larger than anything I had ever seen — and its wings spanned the sky like dark clouds.
My mouth fell open in shock.
I should have known when Zorathys said it was a Dracolthar. I should have known. What the fucking... what was this? How was this a pet?