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Are you finished yet? His deep bellow echoed in my head.
I cinched the belt on my robe. “Oh, Radnor. We didn’t know this was your spot.”
It was until you defiled it, he said on a huff of air.
I rolled my eyes at the grumpy drake, even while pretending the sticky seed between my legs wasn’t dripping onto the floor. “I’m sure you can cleanse it with your dragon fire.”
He turned up his nose, looking down at us from beneath hooded eyes. Why should I have to clean up after you?
“Very well.” I waved him off, aggravation pounding a nail in my skull. “Sleep somewhere else. See if I care.” This dragon was so annoying. I didn’t blame Isa for rejecting him.
You’re a hateful shrew, just like your sister. He hovered over us, snarling like a rabid dog.
My mates swore and stepped back, trying to shield me with their wings.
Don’t bother, I projected to them. He won’t hurt us.
“And you’re a liar.” I jutted my hands on my hips, refusing to show the dragon fear. “My sister is nothing but goodness, and you know it. But now I see why you’re Helian’s dragon. You’re a prick, just like him.”
I’m no one’s dragon, and mind how you speak about my rider. The dragon puffed up his chest, a ball of flame visible beneath his scales.
I refused to cower, even as my mates pushed me back and icy tendrils of fear seeped into my bones. “Mind how you speak about my sister,” I called.
Blaze swore, sweeping me into his arms when that flame raced up the dragon’s throat.
Magic buzzed through my veins and rattled my chest. “Put away your fire, Radnor!” I hollered, my siren voice ricocheting through the small temple. “And stand down.”
With a whimper, Radnor fell to his belly in a crouch, the flame dissipating as smoke poured from his mouth.
I climbed out of Blaze’s arms, smoothing my robe with trembling hands as I walked toward the dragon, anger fueling my movements. “Now you will heed my words,” I said, my siren voice losing its strength as I forced myself to calm down. “It’s not our fault your mate rejected you. Find a way to make up with Isa. Beg and grovel if you must but stop taking out your frustrations on everyone else!” The tremor in my voice was masked by the ire that punctured my words. “And think before you act, you stupid drake.” I wagged a finger in his face. “You’re already at the bottom of Isa’s dung pile. Do you think she would forgive you if you turned us to ash?”
He answered with a whimper.
I jutted a finger toward the night sky, my siren voice taking over once more. “Leave us! Do not come back here until we’re gone.”
He sniffled and then turned his back to us, nearly smacking me with his huge tail. Luckily, Blaze was fast enough to yank me out of the way as the drake jumped into the sky.
My knees nearly buckled, and I leaned against Blaze for support as I realized just how close we’d come to being turned to ash.
Chapter Eleven
Helian
I’ve survived falling from Radnor and breaking nearly every bone in my body, my father’s brutal beating after I helped my teen brothers escape his wrath, being turned into a flaming comet by Mantus, and I’d even come back from death at the hands of Malvolia’s dark mage.
Nothing had ever brought my spirit as low as the moment Tari had refused to save me from demonic possession, choosing instead the life of a wyvern over mine. Not that I blamed her. I wouldn’t pick me, either, not after all I’d done.
And now here I sat on a grimy prison cell floor, my head between my legs, my face streaked with dried tears, wondering if she would ever pick me after I’d wasted my chance at redemption.
I looked up at the sound of footsteps echoing in the tunnel outside my cave prison.
Two of Shirina’s mates stood before my cell, their faces grim as they lit the cave with their flames.
A lead ball fell to the pit of my stomach. “What’s going on?”
One of them jutted a foot forward, producing an iron key. “Just shut up and come with us.”
I didn’t bother fighting as they unlocked my cell and hauled me to my feet, dragging me toward the tunnel, my chains clanking against the slate floor.
