Page 85 of The Dragon and the Dove

Leader of the Stargrazer Legion.

Terror of the Skies.

His eyes went right to her, then to the wound on her neck. Hunger sparked. ‘Is it done?’

Andreas held up the vial. ‘Magic in a bottle.’

So that explained his careful delivery of her last night. He wouldn’t dare spill the blood of the Saint-maker before he had a chance to taste it for himself.

Jutting out her chin, Sera summoned every ember of her rage and levelled it at the towering general. ‘I do not gift my power to you,’ she said through her teeth. ‘What you take here today, you take by force.’

His smile was beautiful and cruel. ‘Everything Urnica takes is by force.’

Lark’s chuckle raised the hairs on her arm. Andreas joined in. Nadia remained silent, her spine as stiff as the bedpost beside her.

Snatching the vial of blood from his cousin, Darius unstoppered it with his teeth and downed it in one go.

Revulsion shivered through Sera.

The silence was loud.

‘If this doesn’t go well, I’ll be tossing your body in the Frogrun River,’ Lark crooned in her ear. ‘Then when you’re good and drowned, I’ll fish out your corpse and make it dance for all the villagers.’

Nadia hissed a breath. ‘Enough.’

Darius coughed, thumping his chest. The colour drained from his face, and for a blessed moment Sera thought he was going to be sick.

‘All right, cousin?’ said Andreas, anxiously.

‘I hope it burns you from the inside out,’ Sera spat.

The Urnican frowned. ‘I feel … ill.’

‘Well, at least you’re not hurling,’ said Lark, who seemed to be enjoying the spectacle.

‘It takes time,’ said Andreas, hastily. ‘The magic has to find its way into your soul, chart the waters there and see what it can add. Rest a while. Let your body do the work now.’

Darius gave an answering grunt. Tossing a parting glare at Sera, he strode from the room, coughing as he went.

Andreas went after his cousin, beckoning for Lark to follow.

To Nadia, he said, ‘Clean her up. Then meet us in the war chamber.’

‘I’ll be right there.’

The door slammed shut behind him.

‘Don’t bother,’ said Sera, scooting back on the bed. The wound was slowly knitting itself back together.

Nadia shrugged. ‘Have it your way.’

They stared at each other.

Something occurred to Sera. ‘Have you volunteered for the prince’s little experiment?’

Her lip curled. ‘What makes you think I’d want to drink your blood?’

‘Don’t you want to be a saint? Like your lover?’