The Dragon King's Heart

She got up from her seat, wanting a breath of fresh air. But before she could do so, Thorne pulled her to sit back down. 

"He did it for you. To buy you time," he explained. 

Laina furrowed her eyebrow, "I don't understand. to buy me time?"

"To be exact, it was to buy both of you time," Thorne continued.

Becoming Emperor gave Dante more powers than he had before. This not only helped him to withstand the effects of the curse, but it also boosted his chances of surviving the trials. Hence, for the time being, Dante was safe. 

"But the curse grows stronger within him, Laina. It's almost as if, the longer you're parted, the stronger it gets."

She had to find a way to get to the Celestial Realm. Even if it destroys her, she had to try. Right now, she had to do what she can to increase her chances of success. 

Thorne took Laina's hand into his. Tracing the lines on her palm, he was able to tell the amount of energy she had within her. 

"The Oracle told you it would last for a year, right?" he asked as he continued to examine her. 

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"Yes. If I use all-"

He stopped her. Thorne already knew Laina's intentions before she spoke. She wanted to use all of it to lengthen the time Dante had. 

"If you use all of it, you won't have enough time," Thorne explained.

His words hit her like arrows through the heart. He knew exactly what she was planning to do. But she did not understand what he meant. Seeing the confusion on her face, Thorne could not help but sigh. Laina had been so focused on moving forward she had forgotten to take care of herself. 

"Have you forgotten about yourself? If you use up all the energy, what's going to happen to you?"

"I'll be fine," she attempted to brush it off, "I'll just get some rest and I will be good to go in no time."

"Laina!" he was no longer speaking to her in a soothing voice. He called her name with urgency, worry. 

Laina was surprised, and so was Margaret. Thorne had never raised his voice like this before. He was surprised himself. As soon as he realized what he had done, he immediately got down on his knees and apologized.

"Please accept my humble apologies, Your Majesty. It was not my intention to disrespect you. I...I..." at that moment, he did not know what else to say. 

Laina leaned forward and patted him on the shoulder. Then, she helped him up to his seat again. Though his sudden outburst surprised her, she was happy to know he cared for her. He was one of the few who dared to speak to her on an equal level.

"It's alright Thorne. The truth is often bitter," Laina sighed as she leaned back in her seat. 

"You're right, I neglected myself. You called me out on it," she chuckled. 

Thorne lowered his head and bit his lip. He did not know what came over him. He had seen how Laina cared for everyone around her, neglected her own needs. He remembered how weak she was after the ceremony was completed. 

If she gave up all the energy now, she might not ever fully recover. 

"How much energy do you think I should use, Thorne?" she asked him. 

He was taken aback, "You're asking me?"

Laina chuckled, "Yes, who better to ask?"

Thorne thought about it for a while before giving his answer. He suggested that they used half of it, meaning Laina would still have six months' worth of energy. 

"I think that's a great idea," Margaret commented. 

"I think so too. But how do we go about it?" Laina pondered.

That was when Thorne stepped up to the task. Since he was connected to Dante, Laina could channel the energy through him. 

"Let's do it now then," Laina declared. The sooner, the better."

Margaret flustered, "What? Now? Is there anything we need to prepare?"

Thorne shook his head, "No there aren't any special preparation needed."

He unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his perfectly sculpted chest. He took Laina's hands and placed them on the center of his chest. Laina was surprised by his actions but she did not say anything. She even blushed a little. 

She could feel the cold temperature of his body and feel his heartbeat. Thorne was surprised when he felt how warm Laina's hands were on his chest. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest but he kept his cool. 

"Close your eyes," he instructed. 

Laina did as she was told. Thorne told her to search for the curse. Seeing as they had already seen its physical form, it did not take long for her to find it. 

"Do you see it?"

"Yes."

"That's good, now I want you to imagine a flame encasing it," 

Laina concentrated all of her energy on the curse she saw before her. In the blink of an eye, it became engulfed in flames. She could not quite explain what was going on, but deep down Laina knew her flame was not strong enough. 

Thorne seemed to have read her mind, "Concentrate on it and unleash all your powers on it. When the color turns black, I'll give you the signal to stop."

Following his instructions, Laina took in a deep breath. Little by little, she let go of the restraints. Some, she did not even know she had. As she did so, the flames grew brighter and stronger. She could feel the heat surrounding her. 

The bright orange and red flame soon turned bright blue.

"You're doing well, keep going," Thorne encouraged her.

Laina could feel Margaret's hand on her shoulder, giving her support too. Her lips began to move. Though she did not understand what she was saying, Laina knew it was an ancient incantation, one that had been locked away deep in her memory bank. 

She was curious about its source, but she could not afford to be distracted. She controlled her breathing and continued to concentrate on the fire she had ignited.

From electric blue, the flame turned purple. A hunch told her she was on the right path. The next color was what they needed. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead as her hands began to tremble. 

Thorne held her hands gently. 

"Don't worry, I got you," he reassured her.