Page 68 of Burn Her They Said
Yet my legs remain rooted in place while the servants help Varic out of his harness. Minea landed facing the dens, so Varic dismounts with his back to us. I pull in a breath, entranced by the dance of his muscles in his back and those curving down and over his backside, flexing and twisting as he raises his leg to dismount.
A different kind of heat flares in my cheeks once his boots land safely on the ground. Judging by the whispers from the crowd, I am not the only one to have noticed, and I do not dare interfere with their emotional states afterward.
Minea climbs on top of the large gray boulder to look upon us with even more majesty than before. Varic blinks, then leans against the side of the rock, apparently waiting for the dizziness of the ride to wear off.
Emperor Aldritch raises his hands, gesturing for his audience to react.
Cheers, clapping, and shouting commence as Minea and Varic take theatrical bows. Varic pushes off from the boulder, then stumbles back a step, and I can’t help but feel amused to see him need the same support I required from him the night before.
“Bravo!” His Majesty exclaims, clapping his hands up by his face.
“What a marvelous display of unity, wouldn’t you agree?” The voices of the crowd grow, cheering for the sorcerer standing by the emerald green Dragon to whom he is bonded for life.
My heart flips.
Bonded for life.
Varic and I—we are bonded for life.
I’ve had years to accept this with each of my Guards. But not him.
I never wanted this for him.
No matter how hard I try, my limbs refuse to carry me at a regular speed, which His Majesty unfortunately notices as he turns to glare at me for creating a wider-than-normal space between us.
A gentle hand lands on my lower back, and I don’t need to look to recognize the coolness of his healing, soothing the fatigue in my muscles while siphoning my exhaustion, helping to energize me. I turn back to smile at Cirrin in thanks, to which he nods in return, already having his own smile ready for me.
The Emperor looks back with only mild disdain as I keep close to my regular pace.
Dead grass crunches underfoot as we move to congratulate Varic and Minea. My heart does a flip when we are close enough for Varic’s smile to greet me, beaming with the joy he feels. My chest clenches while I close my eyes and nod—the only congratulations I’m allowed to offer him.
Varic looks good for someone who just finished their first ride, even if his skin is a bit paler than usual. The edges of his eyes crinkle as he looks up at me with a crooked grin, and I freeze the moment his impossibly bright brown eyes capture my aquamarine ones.
His Majesty claps him on the shoulder before grabbing hold of Varic’s hand to shake vigorously. I pull my lips into a line in an attempt to keep my reaction to myself, though the one I can’t seem to keep anything from notices, despite the fact we need to be calling less attention to our obvious connection.
Minea drops a paw from the boulder and nudges Varic toward me, and my eyes widen as he hops to stand by my side. Cirrin falls back at the same time as Roy, removing himself from my detail as he lines up to return with the others.
His Majesty takes his place at the front of the procession as we return to the Palace as if nothing of significance has happened.
Cirrin’s gift of renewed energy is welcome for the trek through the mountain, though I wish for a diminished ability to experience emotions this intensely.
Clever.
I pause, and my Guards stop around me as we hold up everyone traveling behind us. I turn and look for the source of the voice. I don’t see Mirinea or any sign of her golden scales. Each of my Guards stares at me with a mix of concern and confusion, weighing my limbs with every step as we resume our march forward, refusing to rile up Wyrth any more than I have by pointedly ignoring him earlier.
Careful, Tasch.
My lungs suck in a slow breath, unable to seek her gold eyes without drawing attention.
This gift of yours is not one you can reveal to just anyone.
A chill rolls down my spine.
A gift like this spells certain death for yourself, and all of those bonded to you, were your ruler or certain others to ever learn of it.
Chapter Twenty-Four
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