“Gods, that does sound grand.” She shook her head. “I almost want you to take me with you, but…” When her eyes slid to the door, mine followed. “What are you going to do about that lot?”
I straightened up and marched over to the door, opening it far more decisively. Each man rose to his feet when I appeared, even Dain. He scowled at that, going back to lounging against the wall seconds later, but I saw it. With a tiny smile, I faced down the others.
“Let’s go to the mess hall–”
“Knew you couldn’t resist us.” Lorien stuck out an arm, waiting for me to take it. “You’ll walk in that door–”
“Ready to plan what we do next,” I said. His smile faded and Kael’s eyes hardened, though the set of his jaw made me think that he was not about to admit defeat. “We returned to Wyrmpeak to try to find Drathnor’s nest. I need to start thinking about how we’ll achieve that.”
“More books?”
Lorien looked positively mournful as Lance stepped forward.
“Viridian said that the answer is in the earth,” he said. “Stands to reason it’s beneath one of the ruins around the city.” He glanced at the others. “We need to procure a map. Mark each ruin we find on it and then move onto the next. If there’s something to be found out there, my dragon will locate it.”
“And exactly how many ruins are there?” Kael didn’t wait for an answer. “Seems like looking for a needle in a haystack, but if that’s what you want, lass, Slate and I are in.” He looked over at Lance. “Will the general allow us to go flying across the country unescorted?” Kael’s eyes narrowed. “Between classes and uniforms.” He tugged at his collar. “And all these offers from riders to escort Fern to dinner and more.”
The lieutenant’s smile spread slowly.
“Leave the general to me.”
Chapter 53
Kael
The general didn’t want me and my brothers within ten feet of Fern or Auren, and I knew why.
The welcoming committee wasn’t entirely unexpected. I was willing to bet the prick was grinding his teeth in frustration when we left with Fern and Auren to go to the tomb. Admittedly, I fantasised about that as I went to sleep. But powerful men, they don’t leave anything to chance, and who knew that better than me?
Just as my father had sent the Executioner after me to ensure I didn’t pose a threat to any legitimate sons he might have, the general wanted to move me and mine out of the way so his riders could access Fern and Auren. In his eyes, she was a resource that was to be managed, whereas I…
My eyes were drawn back to my girl, like they always were.
She was the brightest thing in any room and I was pulled closer, like a moth might be a flame. As we approached the doorway to the mess hall, my arm wrapped around her waist, her eyes jerked up to meet mine, wide eyed.
“What are you…?”
“What am I doing?” I asked, staring down at her. The way her lips parted when she was surprised had me wanting to kiss her right there and then, which is of course, why I was acting this way. “Just making clear to every man in the keep who you belong to.”
“Belong…?” With a blink, that fire was back. Lips thinning, eyes flashing, Fern shoved herself away from me. “Get your hands off me. You don’t get to mark territory you don’t own.”
Head held high, her nose in the air, she went to storm over to the doorway, when Lorien appeared at my side.
“You couldn’t stop yourself from pissing Fern off for one minute?” he said.
“Not when she looks like that.” As she lined up outside the mess, waiting to be admitted, Fern looked back over her shoulder at me. At my grin, her cheeks flushed a brighter pink and her expression indicated she was far from happy that she’d spared me a second glance. Couldn’t help herself, that’s what I figured. “Never wanted to pull a girl’s pigtails when we were young,” I told him. “Nor one to tease the girls, but Fern…” With a slow shake of my head, my smile widened. “Sometimes it feels like I’m a flint and she’s a pile of kindling, just waiting to go up in flames the moment we get close to each other.”
“You’ve never had a woman.” The lieutenant came to stand beside us. I shook my head. “Figures. If you had, then you’d know…” That possessive way he stared at her. It was almost enough to have my hackles rising, but a quick reminder that we were on the same side had me settling. “There are far more pleasurable ways to get a reaction from a woman if you treat her more kindly.”
Without bothering to tell me what that was, he moved forward, coming to a stop beside Fern. Whatever he said to her had her cheeks pinking for a whole other reason. She smiled up at him, looking like the man damn near hung the moon, then took his arm as he went to escort her in.
“We need to find out what has her smiling like that,” I said, slapping Lorien on the stomach, then nodding at Dain. With agrunt, my brother sighed and then followed us over to the doorway.
“Can’t let you in, cadets.”
Several dragon riders stepped in front of us, blocking the entrance.
“This is the cadet’s dining hall, correct?” I plucked at the embroidered crest on the breast of my uniform. The thing was damned uncomfortable, the fabric stiff with starch. “Well, we’re cadets.”
