Sprite rushes out, his flames jumping and winking as he disappears into the hall. A crash follows soon after, and I hear the unmistakable sound of gold and gems tumbling to the floor. Anger tries to flare inside me, a rage that is written in my dragonblood when anyone dares touch my treasure.
“Calm, Sire. Please.” Lenka holds up a hand, her palm toward me. “Hurry!” she yells toward the door.
Kanlon stumbles in, a large gray knapsack strung across his chest. “Where?” he huffs, his body shaking from exertion.
“The bed.” Lenka motions.
Kanlon takes heavy steps, his flames low and trembling, then lurches forward and spills the knapsack. Coins and jewels cascade along my side. A buzz of power shivers through me, and it only grows as he empties the full contents. Sprite hurries in, a silver ingot in one hand and a ruby-encrusted crown in the other.
A low growl vibrates through me at the sight of it.Mine. But I don’t move, don’t do what a DragonKin typically does in this situation—rips apart anyone who dares touch its hoard. Instead, I hold Larellin tighter, a slight hint of her pain trickling down our tenuous bond.
“She suffers.” I force myself to look at Lenka instead of Sprite’s fumbling fingers as he places the crown at my feet. “Ease her pain.”
“You will.” Lenka leans back and covers her salve jar with a shaking hand. Wiping her brow, she sighs heavily. “You feelher.” She juts her chin at Larellin. “The bond is there, no matter how faint.Youcan heal her. You can give her what she needs.”
“What?”
“Focus on her. On her wound. On herhealing.”
My wounds have already closed, the treasure feeding the dragon inside me, heightening my innate magic. It’s fuel to my endless, ravenous fire. I’ve read of what Lenka is suggesting, of the ability to share between mates. Share emotions, thoughts, even life force. But that has always been with two DragonKin. Never a mortal. Never one so fragile as my Larellin.
“You won’t hurt her,” Lenka says softly, as if reading my mind. “You’llneverhurt her. Just focus.”
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and focus on Larellin, on the beautiful mate the gods have graced me with. “Heal, my love. I need you.”
Something stirs between us, a ripple along the thin strand from her heart to mine. It must be more. Sheneedsmore from me.
“I’ve waited for you for so long.” The words pour out, all my concentration on Larellin. “To think you’ve been here all this time. I didn’t know. I didn’t want to hope, to believe it could be real. My parents bonded the moment they met, the very moment my father sighted my mother’s golden scales in the morning sun long, long ago. I thought … I thought perhaps it would be that way for me, too. But I was wrong. I’ve been wrong about a lot when it comes to you. I’ll apologize in any way you wish, my treasure, if only you’ll come back to me.”I press a kiss to her hair, her body warm in my arms. “I need you.”
The bond is still rippling, blowing back and forth like a cobweb caught in a slight breeze. But it doesn’t break. It shimmers.
“Please,” I whisper and stroke her soft cheek.
Our bond sparks again, then goes still. Something inside me cracks at the sudden silence, fear causing me to turn her toward me so I can get a better look at her face. “Larellin?” I stare down at her, her features lax. “Larellin, please.” The wound on her throat is still open and bloody, the pink salve barely making a difference. I can’t lose her. Not now. I pull all the power I can from the gold, from myself, and force myself to trust in Lenka’s words that I won’t hurt my mate. That I wouldneverharm her.
“Come back to me.” I press my lips to Larellin’s and will my power into her. Our bond burns bright, the cobweb lit with golden flame as whatever magic I possess passes to her. My entire body hums with energy, the two of us wreathed in a cocoon of golden light.
Larellin’s eyes flutter open. “What …” She gasps as golden flame licks along her throat, closing the wound and leaving nothing but healed, pink skin behind. The flame encircles her, glowing on her skin as she gazes down at herself with wonder.
Then the light fades, melting into her. I can feel it, my power mixing with her essence, our bond growing stronger, the cobweb widening, thickening.
She looks up at me, her beautiful brown eyes now flecked with gold. “What was that?”
“Our bond.” I kiss her forehead.
The gold dissipates completely, and Larellin falls back to sleep. “Larellin?” I cup her cheek.
“It’s done. She’ll be all right,” Lenka says, relief in her tone. “She must rest. All this is too much for a mortal. Her body knows what she needs. Let her sleep.”
I feel down the bond. It still hums faintly, golden and warm. No more pain echoes from Larellin. If anything, there’s a new sense of contentment. It warms me, comforts me in a way I’ve never experienced.
“She’ll survive, and far more than that. Come, Sprite.” Lenka stands, her knees crackling. “Take me to the dungeon. I’ll await my judgment there.”
“Take her to her quarters,” I order.
“Of course, Sire.” Sprite bows and offers Lenka his elbow.
She takes it, and he helps her to the door, her body bent with what I can see now is exhaustion. “I don’t expect either of you to forgive me. But please tell her I’m here for her when she’s ready to talk.” With that, she leaves, her gait halting as Sprite helps her down the stairs.
