Page 61 of The Last Dragon King
The realization hit me hard.
I’d fallen in love with him. I wanted him. I…
Emotion tightened my throat as I thought of Joslyn. Of Cal and how he wouldn’t kiss me. I was the backup—he didn’t choose me. I needed to remember that.
The heat thawed the deep cold that had taken over me and my body stopped its shivering. My teeth no longer chattered, and clarity returned to my mind. I took in a deep breath, no longer feeling only half in this world.
The fire around us died down and Regina and Dr. Elsie rushed forward, patting the sheets to put out the small fires that had erupted around us. The king pushed off of me, chest heaving, naked as the day he was born.
His eyes hooded as he gazed down at me. I peered at my body to see that the tunic had burned off and I was again completely naked as well.
“Keep her safe,” he told Dr. Elsie. “She doesn’t leave my room until I’m back.”
Dr. Elsie nodded and Drae crossed the room, grabbing a pair of trousers from the wardrobe. Regina sidled up beside him. “My king, how will you retaliate for this injustice? The queen of Nightfall just killed your betrothed and then tried to kill your backup.”
Backup.
She saidbackup. So Regina knew too? Was I the only one who truly thought I was here because he wanted me to be in his army? I rolled onto my side, away from them; the tears fell down my cheeks and onto the burnt sheets. Dr. Elsie spread a new blanket over me and began to scan me again with the elven wand.
“She took my opportunity of an heir, so now I’ll take one of hers.” The king’s voice could cut glass and I stiffened at his words.
“One of her sons?” Regina sounded pleased.
The king must have nodded, because then the door slammed and I was left in silence, bathed in the elven healing light and all alone.
The king was going to kill one of the Nightfall queen’s sons? I heard she had seven, and one daughter.
What if Drae got killed trying to retaliate for Joslyn’s death? I couldn’t let that happen, not when I had the power to help them.
I sat up, causing Dr. Elsie to lean backwards to avoid cracking heads with me.
“Am I healed? His fire healed me, right? I feel fine,” I informed her, and by fine I meant physically fine and emotionally fragile.
She frowned. “Your body looks stable, organs functioning as planned, but—”
I leapt off the bed and ran to the king’s wardrobe.
“But you cannot go anywhere. King’s orders!” Elsie demanded.
I threw on one of his tunics, not bothering with underclothes, and burst out the door.
“Ooph.” I ran right into Cal’s chest.
“I can’t let you go anywhere,” he told me, frowning as he took in my appearance. I probably had soot in my hair and the creases of my skin and looked like a wild animal. I didn’t care. I felt like one.
“Move,” I growled, my nostrils smoking.
Cal rolled his eyes, widening his stance. “By order of the king, you will not leave this room, Arwen.”
I raised my hand, calling a ball of fire into it. “Back up, or escort me to Drae. I don’t care which, but get out of my way.”
Cal sighed, stepping out of the way. “I’ll escort you to him and then right back here,” he said.
I took off running, not bothering to wait.
If the king was going to seek revenge in Joslyn’s name, then I was going to help him.
I knew where he would be—in the stables preparing to ride with his army. I ran through the hallway, my legs still shaky from the trauma of seeing Joslyn killed right in front of me. I couldn’t get the image of her body lying in the puddle of crimson blood out of my head. Streaking across the grassy pathway to the barn, I found him addressing a small contingent of six Drayken guards, Regina included.
