Corrupted: An Epic Dragons and Immortals Romantic Fantasy (Fallen Emrys Chronicles Book 1) by E.E. Everly (motivational books for men txt) 📕

of flying. I didn’t expect him to, despite the feelings of safety and confidence I sent through him. But his fear of flying wasn’t what stirred my stomach like a swinging pendulum.

No matter how I pushed the feelings away, I still felt his arms around my waist. Still felt his breath on my neck as Kelyn panted and nearly hyperventilated from terror. He pressed his body to mine as any dragon’s second passenger might, but the experience was different.

Because Kelyn was different.

His aura laced me with an untempered restlessness. This pained me and thrilled me and confused me enough that I wished I could knock myself out.

But I couldn’t, so during the restless day after our adventure, I passed bedchambers, stealing through the palace like a criminal. I wrapped my arms across my abdomen and pretended his touch was there.

No. Wasn’t there. I was unable to make up my mind. As I searched with my light, I knew exactly where Kelyn was. In his study, pouring over papers. If he knew what he was doing to me, would he be so engrossed in work?

In my dreary daytime explorations, I approached the great hall where the men practiced. I debated slipping inside to watch because I had yet to see mortals spar.

But a portrait of Kelyn opposite the hall’s doors distracted me.

Everything about Kelyn was opposite Aneirin, who was too serious, all clean lines, and smooth curves. I couldn’t ever recall the hair on his face. Kelyn joked about everything. He had boyishly good looks. Thick lips and eyebrows. A shadow of scruff across his cheeks and down his neck. I wanted to trace the divot above his mouth until my finger touched his moist lips…

I gasped.

The infatuation with Kelyn’s appearance was new to me. My infatuation with Aneirin wasn’t physical. I’d had an emotional connection with him that I mistook for romantic feelings.

I’m turned around! I don’t know my head from my heart. I wasn’t sure if I liked the prickling under my skin these mortals caused.

Seren nagged me with warning. Too soon for romance.

It’s not romance. I can’t help these encroaching feelings. It’s as if my heart has a mind of its own.

You’re not used to feeling like this. It’s this mortal world.

Whispered words of lifelong teachings filtered through my mind. Mortals are corrupted. They will corrupt you. Never leave Gorlassar.

My father once took me to the snowy ledge and had me look out over the mortal world. I saw only white-capped mountains.

He pointed. “There is where the evil is. Never go farther than this ledge. Close your eyes and feel the air. A steady pulse of uncertainty and malignant promises beckon. You must not heed them.”

“What’s out there?” I wanted to see more than the mountains. I wanted to see if mortals were dark and ugly. I wanted to know if what my childhood friends whispered about the weaker race was true. That mortals were liars. They were cheats. Their hearts were black. An evil ruled them.

As I stood on the ledge, I felt the evil. I shivered. My father spoke truth with his words.

It was unwise to consider leaving Gorlassar.

But Kelyn wasn’t evil.

Only when I was still, in the very dark of the night, did I feel those vibrations of a wickedness that hummed on the air, that caressed with haunting fingers and planted doubt in my heart.

Could these humans corrupt me?

I analyzed my heart-center. My light felt fine, but I didn’t have other immortals’ lights to compare it to.

I shook my head as I glanced at Kelyn’s portrait again. A tickling in my stomach made me smile, and a flush of heat raced into my face. If anything, my light glowed brighter as I thought about Kelyn. Romance. I almost giggled. This is not romance. This is silly girl feelings.

I squared my shoulders. Kelyn wasn’t in the great hall. He was busy with princely affairs. The hall was safe, and the sweating men would clear the confusion in my head. Battle had a way of focusing me.

I paused with my hand on the doorframe. The ladies steered clear of the area when the men engaged each other. Was it a forbidden thing for the ladies to watch the men? Was it deemed inappropriate? Men and women trained together in Gorlassar. That didn’t seem to be the case in Talfryn. Would they run me out of the room? I supposed I wouldn’t be permitted to spar with them either.

My face fell. A few men whirled staffs. Others scraped swords against each other. Intriguing. Emrys rarely used weapons. I fought with my light as an extension of my physical self. Weapons were a cumbersome burden.

Forget what everyone else thought. I didn’t care. I was bold anyway.

I entered the great hall.

TWENTY-TWO

“How did I let you talk me into this?” I glared at two dozen men surrounding me in the hall. Kelyn stood at my right, with Kenrik at his side. “This is your fault, Kenrik.”

He held his hands up. “I told Kelyn nothing, as promised.”

The other day, I simply told Kenrik he’d have more force behind his punch if he changed his footing. He waved me over to show him how, and I complied. As I thought about it, I realized the sweaty debacle was my fault because I had wandered down to the hall, again, bored to tears after two days of rain.

Bored after watching the men while I hovered near the wall. I was hesitant to join them, but at least they didn’t chase me out of the room.

Kenrik spent every spare moment catching my eye until I sparred with him. He didn’t think my fighting was unsuitable, and I was glad.

Everyone wanted a round with me after learning of my skill. So the punching session