My jaw fell open.
Macir held up an elegant hand as if warding me off. “It is only temporary, but we could make Dragons switch sides, Your Majesty.”
I leaned forward. “How much blood would you need?”
“There's the issue. We need at least three sips and taking such a drink in the middle of a battlefield is difficult.”
“You will need a Dragon to help you,” I said. “Someone who can distract your opponent or restrain them long enough for you to take their blood.”
“Yes, Sire. If we could just get a hold of them from behind, we'd be able to latch on for long enough. But that can be tricky.”
“I imagine it would. Especially with a beast.”
“Your Majesty, I'm sure you can understand how terrible it would be for my people if this information spread. We'd be ostracized. The other races would be too afraid to interact with us. We might even be run out of the city.”
“I will not share this information with anyone unless it's absolutely necessary, and then I will swear them into silence,” I vowed. “Not even the Dragons I pair you with will know. I'll tell them that blood-draining will weaken our enemies, that is all.”
“And when they see those Dragons switch sides?”
“A lot of baffling things happen in war. There won't be time to question them and when it's over, we'll either be dead or celebrating our victory.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
I took his hand and squeezed it. “Thank you, Macir. Thank you for trusting me with this secret. It could win this war for us.”
“You are good to my people, King Lyrandir. Fair. We don't want to risk another king. So, we fight for ourselves as well as you.”
“Then I'm relieved that you see my treatment of your people as fair. I—”
The door opened and Aras stormed in. His stare went to my hand—the one holding Macir's. With a snarl, he launched himself at the Eljaffna.
Macir shrieked and jumped away as I dove between the men. I caught Aras around the middle and we hit the couch, knocking it backward. I looked up to see Macir against the wall, hand at his throat in dismay.
“Go!” I snapped. “And shut the door!”
Macir ran for the door and drew it shut behind him. Meanwhile, Aras struggled to get free of me, his stare locked on the fleeing Eljaffna and his claws out.
“Aras!” I shook him. “Aras, stop!”
He jerked his head to look back at me. “You said it was only me. You said I could kill anyone you betrayed that vow with.”
“I haven't betrayed my vow.”
“I saw you! I saw you flirt with him. And I saw you holding his hand. That is enough of a betrayal for me.” Aras bared his teeth at me. “Now, I get to kill him!”
“I held his hand while I thanked him because he'd just confided a secret in me. A secret that could help us greatly.”
Aras struggled again. “Let me go!”
“Stop it!” I shook him. “Listen to me. I am not fucking him!”
“I don't believe you!”
The words echoed between us. They echoed in my heart. My suddenly hollow heart. It was fair. I didn't deserve his trust. If Aras knew what I was keeping from him, he might never believe anything I said ever again. But still, it stung. I could feel the muscles in my face twitching. Aras seemed to mirror me, his face going through the same gymnastics.
“Lyrandir,” he whispered in horror.
I bent my head and drew my face along his neck, growling in warning. Aras went limp and angled his head to bare his throat. The dragon in me liked this and showed his approval by hardening my shaft. I pumped it against Aras and nuzzled my way up the side of his face, into his hair, along the crest of his ear. I bit him there, on that tender skin, hard enough to make him whimper.
