“It’ll be soft. After it’s done with you.”
I turn to him, and he kisses me like it’s the last kiss we’ll ever have. When he pulls back, he’s taken my breath away. The wind blows all around us, and it again feels like we’re in our ownfantasy world that no one can touch. Except, that world is going to come to an end very soon.
“Just… don’t change,” I say.
He lifts a brow. “Why?”
“I–I like you is all.”
He beams. “I like you too, but, Harper, you should know that I’m not a soft man. I will be soft for you, but with my enemies, I must be hard.”
I touch his cheek. The bone paint doesn’t come off on my fingertips. “I think I understand, and I can be okay with that.”
We fly even lower, and the academy rushes up at us. Dragons soar all around, and I hear Sevrin’s sharp intake of breath as he sees all of them. I have to admit, they’re pretty damn beautiful in the afternoon sun, with the city stretched out behind them, and the academy and the castle below them.
Ebron dives down into the practice yard and lands in his usual spot. It’s clear everyone already knew we were coming, because not only are they out of the way of us landing, the three princes are standing nearby, waiting. My heart clenches at the sight of them. Gareth looks every bit the dark prince that he’s gossiped to be, with his long black hair, black leather clothes, and piercing blue eyes. Alaric has a tenseness to his shoulders that betrays how he feels about this situation. His short brown hair has been left a little messy, and his thick arms are crossed over his chest. He’s not quite frowning at us, but it’s pretty damn close. I look at Lucien last, hesitantly, afraid of what I might see in his expression. His long blond hair has been tied back from his face, and his green eyes are watching me too carefully. His brown leather clothes are like a second skin, like Alaric’s, clinging to his every muscle in a way that reminds me of our night spent together.
I look away as conflicting feelings rise inside me. He’s been such an ass. A complete jerk. Which made being around himhard. Me sleeping with him the night before leaving? That just takes things to a whole other level. I haven’t even had time to decide if I regret what happened between us, or if it doesn’t really matter, because we’ll be married soon. Regardless, as conflicted as I feel about all three of the men, it’s on a completely different level with Lucien.
Sevrin gives my hips a little squeeze, then leaps down from Ebron’s back. A stillness moves over all the dragon riders as their enemy stands on their lands. Ebron lifts a wing to help me off his back, but Sevrin is there in an instant, grasping my hips and pulling me from Ebron’s wing onto the ground.
His golden eyes watch me closely. “Is your ankle–?”
“It’s okay,” I reassure him.
He doesn’t seem convinced, but he nods. Slipping his hand into mine, he leads me toward the three princes, knowing who’s in charge without even being told. It doesn’t escape my notice that the three men’s gazes move to where he holds my hand, and the stiffness I saw there earlier seems to intensify.
“Hello,” Gareth greets, his voice tight. “I am Prince Gareth of the Dravari. These are my brothers, Prince Alaric and Prince Lucien.”
“I am King Sevrin Grimsbane of the Hollowborn,” he responds, “and you know my bride, Queen Harper Grimsbane.”
Grimsbane?The word seems to echo between all of us, and it’s impossible to ignore the looks of pure outrage that flash across their faces.
“You think she’s taking your name?” Lucien asks. He phrases it like a joke, but there’s something sharp about his question.
“I assumed,” Sevrin tells him, a possessive note to his voice. “But I admit, I have yet to ask her what her preference is.”
“Her preference?” Lucien repeats, taking a step forward. “She’ll be taking our name–”
Alaric grasps his brother’s shoulder. “We’ll have time to sort out… the little details later. For now, we should takeKingSevrin to see our father.”
The other man looks like he wants to argue, but he closes his mouth, casting a glare Sevrin’s way. I can practically feel the anger radiating off of him. He’s clearly in complete outrage. Which, again, goes back to the fact that these three men seem to think they own me in some way, even if they have no idea how to treat me so I’llwantthem to have any part of me.
“We’ll head to King Stormvale,” Gareth says, jerking his head toward the corridor.
“Is it far?” Sevrin asks.
They look confused, but Gareth answers, “It’s a bit of a walk.”
Without a word, Sevrin turns to me and scoops me up into his arms. I feel my cheeks heat as dozens of dragon riders, and the princes, witness Sevrin caring for me like I’m something fragile, when all these men have tried to do since they met me is break me.
“She can walk,” Lucien says dryly.
“She injured her ankle. I don’t want her injuring it further on the walk.”
“Then I can take her,” Lucien says, stepping closer to us, arms outstretched.
Sevrin steps back. “My bride is perfectly fine in my arms.”
