The dragon bristled.
Good. Let him get up in arms. I had a feeling he’d hoped to bully me into helping them, but I’d never agree to such a thing. I hated all these beings nearly as much as I hated elves. Why should I help them? Even if it was to fight against each other. BUT…ifthey could free my sister…thenperhaps I could ally with lesser enemies to defeat a greater one.
“Now, listen—” the dragon began, but the nymph sighed and laid a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
“What might that be?” she asked, voice level. “Our time is short, but if we need to help you, to get you to help us, that seems only fair.”
As I’d thought.
It was clear they were desperate.
Still, I hesitated for no small amount of time before telling them the truth. As soon as I did, they’d have power over me, which I despised. How could I turn this to my advantage?
“First, tell me what you would have me do. How could I help you?”
“Two ways,” the nymph replied, taking over from the dragon who clearly didn’t want to give away their secrets. “First, by breaking the binding collar on Izzy, or loosening its control enough so she can overpower it before she fights Saldrea tomorrow. If she kills or subdues Saldrea, wouldn’t that help your cause?”
“It might.”
The nymph nodded.
“Second, would be to have your allies on campus help us raid Saldrea’s dungeon. We’d do it when she wasn’t there, to minimize casualties, but we need a strong force to overpower the dragons she has guarding our shifter friend.”
This was no surprise.
“You’d kill your own kind?” This I said straight to the dragon.
“Any of my kind who cannot see the truth about Saldrea deserve what they get.” He spoke so quickly and with such heat, it took me by surprise. I hadn’t expected that level of betrayal for his own kind.
Which spoke of something much deeper.
He was in love with the half-breed. And — it was a guess —but he also knew her true heritage. Something in how he’d said “the truth about Saldrea,” made me think he knew Izzy was a royal and Saldrea a false princess.
I smiled. Oh yes, they were desperate. There was no way they could achieve what they desired on their own. Theyneededme.
Which meant I could trust them… a little. “Betray me — tell anyone what I’m about to tell you — and I’ll kill that half-breed wench myself,” I said by way of warning.
They both bristled.
Yes, this nymph had to be related to Izzy, given how her anger flared.
“Yourfriendis safe,” I said with a more sedate tone, “as long as you keep my secret. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” the nymph said quickly.
I looked at the dragon.
His jaw twitched, clenched so hard, ire in his eyes. But he blew out a huff through his nose and slowly unclenched. “Agreed.”
Hopefully I could trust them, if only for this one venture. We both needed each other with an egregious desperation.
“Saldrea has my sister,” I said, the words pulled from my soul. Never would I have imagined sharing such a thing with the enemy, but in this case… they were the lesser of two evils. “She tortures her and makes me watch. It’s not bad, nothing a titan can’t endure, but it’s enough for Saldrea to show her dominance. That’s how she controls me. Free my sister, and I will help you.”
“We’ll free her as soon as Izzy is safe,” the dragon said, easily accepting my dire secret it seemed.
“No. You need me more than I need you,” I assertedcontrol. “Free my sister first, then I’ll help you, not a moment before. Once I’ve seen my sister is safe and no longer in Saldrea’s dungeon, then I will do as you ask.”
“There isn’t time!” the dragon hissed. “Izzy’s trial is tomorrow morning!”
