Page 67

I sat there, silent. Feeling strangely ashamed.

“You don’t need me,” Kage said, not unkindly. “You need someone who knows the history of what you are.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t say Rodriguez. Please don’t say Rodriguez.”

Kage had the decency to actually try to look sympathetic. “He might have answers. We already know he knows a hell of a lot more than he should.”

I thought about how Rodriguez had saved Florence’s life by suggesting something none of the rest of us even knew was possible. “You’re right about that,” I said gruffly. “But can we trust him at this point?”

“He fucked up. I think he knows that. You can’t say you haven’t made mistakes, done things you regret.”

“No, I can’t,” I said coldly. “And you? I suppose you’re perfect, Wolf Boy.”

Kage held up his hands. “By no means. I make mistakes all the time.” He gave me a meaningful look, and I knew he was thinking of the way we’d betrayed Nyxaris. “I’ve done things I regret. Things I’ve had to apologize for.”

Had he apologized to Pendragon? She hadn’t told me that. I thought of how he hadn’t tried to stop me from seeing her. Almost as if he’d, well, conceded her to me. He wasn’t trying to get in the way anymore. I wondered why.

Kage watched me and frowned. “Don’t even go there, Drak-harrow.”

“What?” I said innocently. “I was just thinking.”

“Don’t think,” he said icily. “Not about that. It’s none of your fucking concern. Pendragon remains in my house, lest you forget that so easily. This is where she belongs.”

“But she’s my consort. My … mate,” I said, a little stiffly.

Kage smiled thinly. “Is that what she is?”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I said, leaping to my feet like a dragon about to defend his lair.

“I mean Pendragon will decide exactly what she is or isn’t in relation to you. That doesn’t mean I’ve relinquished all of my claims,” Kage said, smiling in a way I didn’t appreciate.

“What the hell does that mean?” I snarled.

Kage rose to his feet and gave me a gentle shove in the chest, just enough to warn me, not enough to actually piss me all the way off. “Relax, Drakharrow. I don’t want to join your little triad.”

“There is no triad,” I said without thinking. “It’s just the two of us. Me and Pendragon. For good.”

Kage raised a brow. “Really? Interesting.”

I looked away, suddenly feeling a little awkward. “Fine. I’ll go to Rodriguez.”

“Good call, Dragon Boy.” I was moving towards the door when Kage spoke again. “And, Drakharrow?”

I paused. “What?”

“If you do lose control of your dragon completely, don’t let it be her you hurt. I wouldn’t want to have to put you down.” He met my eyes.

I nodded tightly. “Believe me, Tanaka—if that happened, I’d fucking beg you to do it.”

CHAPTER 16

BLAKE

I still couldn’t believe I was doing this. Pendragon would kill me. And honestly, after everything we’d done to her, she’d probably be fully justified.

Rodriguez had treated us all like chess pieces. But that didn’t erase the fact that Kage and I had made a choice to behave like pawns. Rodriguez had fucked up, sure, but he was still the only person who might understand what was happening to me. So yeah, I was doing this.

The hallway leading to his office was empty; classes were finished for the day. Dinner was probably half over by now. I stood outside the door and rapped my knuckles against it, hoping he’d still be around. I knew he kept a place in Veilmar, but that was a longer trek. I also knew he spent half his nights sleeping at his desk.