Page 67 of The Last Dragon King
“Arrows are poisoned,” he breathed, eyes wide as he looked over me. “Did we bring another antidote?” he called to Nox.
Nox stepped forward. “No, sir, only the one you just took.”
The wild panic that consumed his face made my knees go weak.
“I’m going to die,” I whimpered.
Maybe that was best. Maybe tonight would be known as the Night of Sorrows. The night when the king’s betrothed, backup, and commander were all taken from him. I didn’t care anymore, I just wanted to be out of pain.
“No!” He shook my shoulders and then glanced up at Cal. “Can you and the others make it back to Embergate on foot?”
Cal nodded.
“My lord, she will not survive the flight home. Dr. Elsie is too far,” Falcon said.
Drae dipped his head. “I know. But we’re only a few miles away from the Archmere border.”
Cal’s eyes widened. “You’re going to the elves?”
Drae sighed. “I have no choice.”
A horrible cramping seized my stomach then and I fell backwards. Drae reached out to catch me.
“Just let me go. I want to be with Joslyn and Regina,” I whimpered.
He pulled me to his chest and muttered in my ear, “I can’t. Ineedyou.”
I need you.It was something I’d wanted him to say for so long, and yet… somehow I didn’t think he meant it in the way I wanted.
He needed mywomb. Not me.
Everything got hazy then and life began to pass by in snippets.
Flying.
Drae running into an elven couples’ humble home with me in his arms as he screamed in panic.
The elven woman of the household scanning me with her healing wand.
Her shaking her head to Drae that I would not make it.
More flying.
It all finally ended with an ominous-looking male towering over me. He had bright white hair and a thin silver crown on his head. I was lying on some type of crystal bed. Hard, and yet… it was not uncomfortable. It seemed to be carved out of a giant rose quartz with indentations that fit my body like a glove.
“This matter does not concern me,” the male said as he stared down at me.
I rolled on my side and moaned as the cramping in my muscles became so painful I wanted to die. My heartbeat felt like it was in my ears.
“Raife,” Drae growled. “She is important to me. I know you can save her. If you do… I’ll give you whatever you want. Coal, boats, jade. Name your price!”
Raife? Raife Lightstone. The elven king? Rumor had it that he lost his entire family in one night at the hand of the Nightfall queen. His parents and seven siblings. Now he was a broken man hadesbent on revenge.
“My price?” King Raife cocked his head to the side. “Brother, my price has always been the same, and yet you deny me at every turn. You know what I want, what I require.”
I moaned, a burning sensation rising up in my throat. Drae reached up and yanked on the sides of his face. “Fine, I’ll help you kill the Nightfall queen if you save Arwen, but you have to get Lucien and Axil to agree to help us. She’s too powerful unless we unite.”
Lucien Thorne the fae king and Axil Moon the wolf king? Did Drae just agree to take down the Nightfall kingdom to save my life?
