“I’ll help you get that book from the vault,” he said. “The one about the old fae burial lines.”
Cordelle’s face lit up, rare and genuine, and they fell into low, eager conversation, murmuring names of ancient families, dead languages, obscure lore.
It was… strange.
A little too perfect.
Ferrula stood beside me, arms crossed.
“He’s too convenient,” she muttered, her voice low and grim.
Jax grunted. “Yeah,” he said, nodding. “I don’t like it either.”
Neither did I.
Because Remy was never one to seek friendships… only alliances.
You are wise not to trust him,Kaelith said, her voice slithering into my mind as I adjusted the saddle straps across the rail.
I didn’t flinch, barely breathed, I just narrowed my eyes and snorted under my breath.Like Zander is much better?
There was a pause. A slow hum of thought through our bond.
I speak with Hein often.
That caught me off guard.
His rider has been attempting to get out of his marriage contract since before he met you.
I froze. My fingers stilled on the leather buckles.
Before?I licked my lips, my throat suddenly dry.Why does Hein care who Zander marries?
He is bonded, Kaelith replied, each word distinct.And Hein is concerned… for you as well.
My pulse skipped.
Why?I asked, the question tighter than I meant it to be.Why would Hein care about me?
Kaelith didn’t answer right away. Her silence curled around me like smoke, thick with something I couldn’t quite name.
Because dragons know when hearts are truly claimed, she said at last.And Hein has seen Zander’s.
The saddle strap slipped from my fingers.
Chapter
Seven
Zander returned just as we finished calibrating the new saddles, the leather still smelling of fresh polish under the morning sun.
He walked toward us with a tension in his shoulders I could feel before he even spoke—the wind tugging at his dark hair, his jaw set hard enough to crack.
I stepped away from Kaelith’s flank and met him halfway.
“You alright?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
“No,” he said, not bothering to pretend.
