“Where have you been?” I asked.
He snorted out a derisive puff of smoke. “None of your fucking business. Now, let me askyousomething.” He darted around me in a half-circle, blocking my path. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
The question caught me off-guard. I hovered, slowly beating my wings.
“To the city,” I replied.
Viol barked out a cutting, humorless laugh. “No.”
That wasn’t what I expected.
I made the rules, and my brothers followed them. The staff we hired all listened to my orders without question. I wasn’t used to being told ‘no.’
“What do you mean?” I asked, genuinely confused.
Viol’s eyes blazed as he stared back at me. “I said no. That’s it. I’m not letting you fly out of our territory all alone.”
Nothing but ocean surrounded us. I couldn’t see Chromatimaeus Island, not even as a tiny speck in the distance. How far had I flown without realizing it? I must’ve been deep in the haze of my instincts.
I turned back to Viol. The urge to fly still consumed me, except now my own brother was an obstacle in my path.
“You don’t make the rules,” I said.
“No.Youdo. So, follow them,” he snapped. “Stay on the fucking island where it’s safe.”
Was he... worried about me? He wasn’t supposed to do that. It was my job to bear that burden.
“I won’t get into trouble,” I promised, hoping it was enough to assuage his concerns.
Instead, he cackled bitterly. “Oh, really? You won’t? Look at you, Cobalt. You’re a dragon the size of a small country.You’re a fuckingbehemoth.You’ll find trouble wherever you go. Except at home. Go back and stay there.”
I was speechless. I’d been confronted by my brothers before when they fought for something they believed in. When Thystle wanted to attend a concert as a teenager, claiming fervently that his fated mate was there, I’d asked him to prove his resolve. I still had the scars on my arm as evidence of his rightful win.
But Viol didn’t want anything from me. He just wanted me to stay home. Stay safe.
In a way, I felt like I’d failed him again. I was Cobalt, the eldest alpha dragon. I was untouchable. My family didn’t need to worry over me, least of all Viol.
When I didn’t respond, Viol curled his lip to reveal a sneering row of fangs. “Let me guess. Youneedto go.”
“That is how I feel,” I said simply. As a reminder, I added, “Thystle was allowed to leave the island.”
“But he didn’t,” Viol countered. “And if shit went down differently and hedidtry to leave, I would’ve stopped his ass, too.”
He was beyond fired up. He was furious. I hadn't realized Viol felt so strongly about this. But perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised, given his turbulent past.
“It’s about your fated mate, isn’t it?” Viol asked. There was no sympathy or gentleness in his tone. It was as sharp and cold as a knife.
My breath hitched.
My fated mate. Could that be what all this was about? I brought my claws to my broad chest where the ache still lingered.
“I don’t know,” I said honestly.
Viol shook his head and let out a disparaging grunt. “You don’t even fucking know.” Narrowing his dark purple eyes, he snapped his wings and drew closer to me. “Throw your life away for a hunch, why don’t you? That’s a real smart idea. I can’t fucking believe you almost let Thystle do the same thing. I’m still pissed at you about that, but whatever.”
“Viol,” I murmured. I had no idea he felt that way. He never spoke openly about his emotions. He was too guarded, a cornered cat with all its claws out.
“I’ll fight you, Cobalt,” Viol warned. His eyes flashed. He was serious. “Step past me and see what happens. Because I amnotletting anything bad happen to you.”
