The Matchmaker (by Sophie Smith) novel Chapter 34

CHAPTER 34

Saphira moved cautiously, each step slow, deliberate, barely rustling the forest floor beneath her. The fire she had glimpsed was growing clochs so illuminating the dense trees in flickering orange hues. She pressed herself against the thick hedges, Inovering her breathing, Isteing herself to bas

Carefully, she parted the branches just enough to see.

Her breath caught.

Two dragons.

One of them–massive, twice the size o mer–was pure black, its scales absorbing the dim firelight like a living void. It was the one thrashing, its

movements restless, distressed. It let out a guttural foar, deep and raw, vibrating through the air with something close to pain.

The second dragon was smaller, though still formidable, its scales a muted shade beneath the night sky. But unlike the first, it was still. Unmoring–except for the subtle tilt of its head, shifting just barely, as though watching something.

Saphira squinted, trying to follow its gaze, but from her angle, she couldn’t see who or what it was looking at.

Her pulse quickened, uncertainty clawing at her chest. Was it Nikolas?

Saphira stilled, her breath catching as a figure stepped into view.

Draped in flowing white robes, hood pulled low, their face remained hidden–only the firm, commanding posture visible. Medium in build, yet every movement carried weight, precision, an unmistakable presence that sent an icy shiver crawling up her spine.

Even at a distance, she knew. Whoever this was, they were powerful. Dangerous.

She pressed herself further into the hedges, barely daring to breathe, watching as the figure strode forward with deliberate purpose.

Then they spoke.

A deep, resonant voice sliced through the air, calm yet unwavering. “So, Nikolas, have you made a choice?”

Saphira’s chest tightened.

Nikolas.

The larger dragon–pure black, twice the size of the other–roared in response, a fierce, guttural cry that shook the very ground beneath her feet.

It was him.

She found him.

But now, standing frozen in the shadows, she had no idea how to save him.

Saphira remained motionless, pressed tightly against the thick hedges, heart pounding so fiercely she feared it might betray her presence. All she could do was listen. And wait.

The figure laughed–a sharp, twisted sound that sent a fresh wave of unease down her spine. “I take that as a no,” he mused, his voice deep, deliberate. “But the choice isn’t one you can refuse.”

He paced, slow and measured, his movements carrying him dangerously close to where she stood. Her breath caught, pulse hammering in her throat. She had no idea who he was, only that power clung to him like an unseen force, something she could feel even from this distance.

And she could not risk him sensing her.

“I think I might change the offer,” he continued, pausing slightly. A beat of silence stretched before his next words came, cruel, calculated,

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CHAPTER 34

“Instead of trading your life for your sister… how about the life of your mate?”

Saphira’s body went rigid.

Mate.

Her chest tightened, blood roaring in her ears.

Nikolas.

“You chose to save her once already,” the figure added, voice dripping with amusement. “Will you do it again?”

The massive black dragon thrashed violently, an agonized snarl tipping through the air, shaking the very ground beneath her.

Then–it hit her.

Something invisible, something unseen slammed into her, gripping her with an unnatural force.

A pull, sharp and unrelenting.

And suddenly–her feet moved forward.

No–no, no, no!,

This cannot be happening.

She fought against it, fought against the invisible force dragging her from the shadows. But it was stronger–too strong–pulling her toward the clearing, toward the figure.

Saphira stumbled forward, her body no longer her own, dragged by an invisible force until she stood right next to him.

The figure barely reacted, as if her sudden appearance was nothing more than a mild inconvenience. Slowly, deliberately, he turned toward her, and she was finally able to see him.

Her breath hitched.

ars–thin, jagged lines across his face, brutal reminders

White hair, stark against the darkness, hung just past his shoulders. His skin, weathered, bore deep scars–t of battles long past. But it was his eyes that sent a chill down her spine.

White. Hollow. Void of anything human.

Power radiated from him, thick and suffocating. This was not a man who needed brute strength to be terrifying. His very existence demanded fear.

Then–her gaze dropped, catching a glint of metal pinned to his robe. A crest.

Saphira’s stomach twisted violently. She knew that symbol.

Days ago, she had seen it while learning about the Elders. A mark of authority. Of control.

He wasn’t just powerful. He was an Elder.

The Elder turned his gaze on Saphira, his white eyes gleaming with amusement as he regarded her like a piece in a game only he controlled.

“So, my dear,” he mused, voice smooth, deliberate. “Your mate has a choice. What do you think he will da?”

Nikolas let out a fierce roar, the sound ripping through the clearing with an intensity that made the very ground tremble beneath her feet. It was more powerful than before–more desperate.

The Elder laughed, slow and mocking. “I’m surprised,” he said, pacing slightly, hands clasped behind his back as if they were discussing something trivial.

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CHAPTER 34

“He wasn’t this intense when I threatened his sister.”

Saphira’s breath hitched, her heart pounding violently as she locked eyes with the massive black dragon.

Don’t do it. Not again.

The words left her lips in a whisper, barely audible, but the subtle movement of Nikolas‘ head told her he heard her. The tension in his body shifted, like he was listening, thinking. But she had no idea if that would be enough.

The Elder merely tilted his head, feigning curiosity, before he spoke again–this time, with unmistakable finality.

“Well. You’ve had a chance to choose,” he said, turning back toward Nikolas, steps slow, measured. “Now it’s my turn.”

Saphira remained frozen, held captive by whatever unseen force had dragged her forward, unable to move, unable to stop what was coming.

Then–the Elder lifted his hand. And in an instant, a sword materialized from thin air–golden, massive, glowing with raw, pulsing magic.

Saphira’s breath caught violently in her chest.

No.

A scream tore from her throat before she could stop it.

“No!”

The blade gleamed under the moonlight as the Elder advanced.

And Nikolas roared–one final, earth–shaking sound of resistance.

But Saphira had no idea if it would be enough. And she had no way to stop it.

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