“Aurum, I… I am truly sorry,” Rorik said pleadingly. “I wish this never happened.”
My twin’s expression turned grave as he looked Rorik over. “I overheard what Saffron said. So, you’re the victim of a weird cult. Don’t think I didn’t notice those scars all over your body, either. You’ve had it rough, huh?”
My heart squeezed. Aurum must’ve seen the scars when Rorik was naked in our living room, but decided not to bring them up.
“It’s no excuse,” Rorik muttered.
“No,” Aurum agreed. His voice was scratchy from the injuries, but he was determined to speak, so neither Mylo or I tried to interrupt him. “To tell you the truth, Rorik, I’d be more pissed off if I hadn’t seen you interact with my daughters.”
Rorik lifted his head, eyes wide.
“You were amazingly gentle with them. Didn’t even want to drop clothes on their little heads.” He laughed, but it came out more of a cough. “When I saw that, I knew who you were. The real you.”
A wave of emotion crested inside me. At that moment, I’d thought the exact same thing as my twin. Aurum felt how I did, too.
“Those fangs of yours are strong,” Aurum continued hoarsely. “You don’t want to hurt us. You’d rather use ‘em to protect those kids, and the rest of the family. Wouldn’t you?”
Rorik stared at him like he’d said something magical. Slowly, he nodded. “Yes. I would.”
“There you go.” Aurum coughed again. Mylo rubbed his back.
The room was quiet for a moment. Rorik’s shoulders heaved as he sighed. “I was an idiot.”
Aurum smirked. “Just like me and Saffron. You’ll fit right in, big guy.”
Rorik opened his mouth a few times and nothing came out. Finally, he sputtered, “How are you okay with any of this? I almost killed you!”
Aurum snorted. “Don’t give yourself so much credit. Dragon scales are harder than you think. Besides, you missed any major arteries. Almost like you didn’treallywant to kill me.”
Rorik let out a deflated sigh. “No, I didn’t.”
“There you go.” Aurum’s eyes remained lighthearted, but his voice suddenly took an edge. “But if you’d tried that shit on Saffron, I wouldn’t be so forgiving. Be glad it was me and not him.”
I saw a shudder roll down Rorik’s spine. He met Aurum’s gaze gravely and muttered, “Trust me, if I hurt Saffron, I could never forgive myself.”
My breath caught at the raw emotion in Rorik’s voice. The gravity of it hinted at his true sentiments. Hedidhave feelings for me. I heard it in the way the words caught in his throat, saw it gleam in his dark eyes.
My chest stirred with hope. Could this wretched moment be the catalyst for Rorik’s true self to finally shine?
Jade sauntered over and readjusted his glasses. “Well, that’s settled. Aurum’s prognosis is good, and Rorik will not be disqualified from the Games.”
Rorik swung his broad face up in surprise. “Even after my crimes?” he cried.
Jade smiled. “With the magic of post-production editing, nobody has to know. Except everyone who was present at the scene, of course.”
Rorik’s shoulders slumped, torn between guilt and relief.
“But that does mean we’ll need to re-film the second challenge,” Jade mused. In a teasing tone, he asked, “I assume you can behave this time, Rorik?”
Rorik leapt to his feet with a serious look. “Yes. I won’t blow this chance.”
At the same time, Aurum and I snickered under our breath.
Rorik’s cheeks flushed. “I meant—”
“We know what you meant,” Jade said kindly while he shot us a silencing glare. “All right. Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow will be a fresh start for all of us.”
Rorik nodded seriously. “Understood.”
