Skali

"So, we each get to pick a door," Skava said. "This should be fun."

"I'm not sure 'fun' is the right word for it," Skali replied, nervously adjusting his woodmask.

Skava looked at the list of doors, where each dragon had checked off their chosen room. "You should pick 13," she said, fanning her frills playfully at her mate. "Tricksy Shadow magic and all that."

If he had been any other breed of dragon, Skali would have whimpered aloud. "She doesn't work that way," he whispered.

"Nonsense. It'll be fine." Skava wrote his name on the parchment. A glow surrounded the words for a moment. "Wow. I guess it's final now."

"O-okay..."

"Chin up, Skali. I'll take 26. It's got to be twice as unlucky, right?"

"Sure." The Fae stared down the hallway.

"Tidewrath?"

"I'm honestly not sure what my deepest desire is," the Mirror admitted. "It might be something irresistible."

"That's what the protection rune is for," Skali said.

The Mirror huffed, but looked uncertain. "Fine. I'll take 44." Fourth child she thought.

"We'll meet back here in 15 minutes." Skava flapped her frills excitedly. "Let's go."

Maria's protection spell would not take. Such was the reflection of Shadow magic. Skali squirmed and made his own. He never should have let his mate talk him into this. Shadowbinder's magic mixed up with an unlucky number in a cursed temple...it was tempting fate.

Nearly petrified with fright, Skali raised a trembling claw to the door and opened it.

"Skali, come in," Skava said. She was free of all her adventurer's trappings, and she fluttered up with a welcoming expression on her crests. "How was the garden today?"

The room was filled with a soft, filtered light. A cozy fire burned in the fireplace, with a large, comfortable sofa resting in front of it. Skava fluttered over and perched on the arm of the sofa, offering him a cup of tea. "I made your favorite," she said.

Skali stared at the scene in hunger. Was this really what he wanted? More than anything? He wrestled within himself. He imagined snuggling up with this quiet, meek Skava in this comfortable room for the rest of his life. But something deep down inside him stirred. If you don't really love Skava the way she is, you don't love her at all.

"No," he said aloud, and trembled, expecting the plain Skava to turn into a banshee or something and attack. But nothing happened, other than a flash of black light from his protection spell. As the spell shattered, so did the image. He found himself staring at four walls of dimly lit stone. There didn't appear to be anything left in the room.

He hurried back through the corridors and found Skava already waiting for him, crests lifted high and trembling. He wondered what she had seen. "I'm sorry," he whispered, embracing her. "I love you just the way you are."

"Thanks." She hugged him back. "I love you, too."