“How long have you known?” I asked, turning toward him, hand falling from his arm.
“It was just a theory. Until now.” His eyes blazed. “I had no way to test the theory. No dragon with its flame. Until him.”
I chewed on my lip and his words. Then, slowly, I backed away nodding. It finally made sense, why he wanted to keep Myth’s fire a secret. Why he wanted totestit.
“Ari.” He reached for me, but I pulled my arm out of the way.
I hurried toward Myth, putting a reassuring hand on his side.
“Ari, look at me.”
My eyes drifted toward Rush, then to the roof of his townhouse, to the stars above.
“There’s a reason every dragon has its flame duct severed at birth. It isn’t because we can’t bond with dragons who keep their flame. You’ve proven that.” He lifted a hand toward Myth. “And it isn’t because dragonfire can kill us, even though it can. It’s because of this.”
I finally met his gaze, but my chest was caving in, the weight of his words crushing me.
He stepped closer. “It’s what I’ve been doing all year. Hunting for answers. And now I know.” He carefully touched my shoulder, and when I didn’t jerk away, he stepped even closer.“You and I know what an entire culture, an entire empire, has tried to erase from history.”
My brows rose. “Empire?”
“The most powerful group in this kingdom isn’t the queen or her parliament. It’s my father’s empire.”
“Your father is an emperor?Anda duke?”
Rush shook his head, his hair falling across his brow. “That’s just the name of his organization. His syndicate. They call themselves the Archivists, but few people know that name. Most people who know they exist call them the Empire.”
I furrowed my brow, angry. “Archivists? They bury the truth.”
“They bury more than truth, Ari.” His eyes were wild, uncontrolled, almost feral. “They kill everyone who uncovers their secrets.”
I turned, slowly, to face Myth. “What now? He’ll never be safe.”
“Neither will we when they find out what we know.”
Glancing back at Rush, I said, “I’m afraid for him. Is your father coming to Cardan Lott for the end-of-term dinner tomorrow?” The parents were all invited, and even Fairfax was planning to attend. To try to get information from me, no doubt. Information I didn’t have yet.
Rush rubbed his face. “I don’t know. He doesn’t often tell me his plans. You can keep Myth here tonight, just in case. He won’t be missed tomorrow. My father certainly won’t come here; neither will the Hunt. He’ll be safe.”
I nodded. Our midterm exam with Bryce had been to complete a series of simple commands on dragonback. He’d tested two riders per day, and Myth and I had ridden today. “And us? What do we do now?”
“We try not to die.”
CHAPTER 23
He bought us train tickets for Chesson Station, and we rode in crushing silence back toward the school. His knee bounced incessantly. I picked a hangnail until it bled.
“Shoot,” I said, trying to stop the bleeding. I didn’t want to get blood on the dress Vanya had paid for, despite the fact that there was likely dirt on it from my fall during the fight. I felt Rush’s gaze on my hands, and my stomach cinched.
When his warm hand encircled mine, I sucked in a breath.
He squeezed, and my world constricted with the movement.
“I knew the moment I saw Myth at Cardan Lott that your life would never be safe.” His voice was barely above a whisper. We were nearly alone on the train, only an old man slumped over his hat in a seat at the other end of the coach. “Now we know why my father was so keen to hunt your wild dragon. It’s not because he’s dangerous, but because my father will stop at nothing to keep magic a secret.”
His fingers released mine and fell back to his lap. I stared at them.What did he just say?
“And if he even thinks you know their secret, you will die too.” He paused. Then, “I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”
