Page 42 of Knotted By the Triad

Allie continued staring at me. “You just grabbed your chest and told me you were having a heart attack. Now you're telling me you somehow know Prince Kai is in danger.”

“Yes.”

“How do you know he’s in danger?”

“I... I don’t know. Something inside me keeps whispering mine. And I feel like it wants me to find Kai.”

Allie’s eyes widened. “Princess, is your... is your inner dragon finally awakening?”

I shook my head. “No. That’s impossible.”

That never happened in the book.

“Listen, Princess. Remember that time I lost you near that cave. We got separated because of bandits. It was my inner dragon that helped me find you. My dragon isn’t the strongest. But it led me to you. I was lost, crying, and hoping you were okay. Then suddenly, a warm sensation came over me, and I could hear my inner dragon. She wasn’t really talking, more like pushing me to go a certain way. I listened. And she led me to you in that cave.”

“Could it really be my inner dragon communicating with me?” I whispered, staring down at the ground.

“I think so. And if it’s saying mine, and leading you toward Kai... Princess, that could mean that Kai is your Fated One.”

My gaze snapped to Allie. “Fuck that. But this could be a good thing.”

“How?”

“This feeling can lead me to Kai. Kai is where the smugglers are. The smugglers have the money.” I grabbed Allie’s hand and stood up. “Allie, we still have a chance to rob someone tonight.”

“But your dragon wants you to help Kai, Princess.”

“Fuck Kai. He’s a grown man. He can take care of himself. Or maybe his precious Lin’er will get the same feeling I just got and come save him. That’s not our problem. Our problem is money. Now, let’s go find it.”

I started walking in the direction my inner dragon was leading me. I had an inner dragon. After I secured my funds, I would see if this dragon could shift. This was not what had happened in the book. Had me coming here changed things?

“But...” Allie started.

“No buts,” I told her, continuing forward, pulling her along. “It’s either this, or we’ll have to sell our butts in the brothel.”

“I don’t want to sell my butt, princess.”

“Then come on, Allie. I know how to find the warehouse.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll follow you. Please release my hand, Princess.”

“Oh, sorry.”

I let her hand go. We moved faster now. For the first time all night, I didn't have to guess which direction to take. Whenever I veered too far one way, the strange pressure inside me changed.

We were going in the right direction. A smile crept across my face as I continued following my instincts. We’d reached a small clearing when Allie grabbed my arm. I looked over at her. She placed her finger on her mouth, wanting me to be silent.

I nodded. She stared around us. I followed her gaze, taking in our surroundings. At first, I heard nothing. Then a branch snapped somewhere ahead of us, followed by another. Something was moving through the forest.

Allie pulled me behind a thick tree, and I ducked beside her, pressing my back against the trunk. Footsteps pounded closer, heavy and uneven. Someone was running, but stumbling as they did so.

We exchanged a look. For all the complaining I'd done about our ridiculous outfits, I suddenly appreciated them. With the moonlight blocked by the canopy of branches above us, our black clothing blended almost perfectly into the darkness.

I stared around the edge of the tree just in time to see a man burst through the bushes. He nearly fell when his foot caught on a root, but he caught himself against a tree and kept moving. Blood covered one side of his face.

His clothes were torn and filthy, and he was breathing so hard I could hear him from where we hid. He staggered several more steps before stopping almost directly next to our tree. Leaning back some, I held my breath as he bent forward and braced both hands against his knees.

“Damn it. I only have one shard left,” he muttered.