“I'm well aware of how dragons behave.” After all, they were once . . .
I lost the thought as soon as it swam through my mind.
Reyla huffed.“And when we weren't training them, we rode them, swooping down on the villages below to battle with fierce creatures attacking the vulnerable. We died, Lore, and too often.” Her voice cracked. “So many died.” Her chin lifted, and her jaw turned rock solid. “We loved each other too much to lose even one. So, no, I didn't expect anything fancy, though it would be odd to stuff the future queen of your court into a tiny cabin. I told you. I wanted fresh air.”
To dispel the kiss I knew—knew—she'd shared with Merrick?
“Fresh air. Is that all this is?” I chuckled coldly, the sound bitter even to my own ears. I leaned forward, bracing my forearms on the rail. “Well, you’ve got it now. Take a deep breath. Fill those pretty lungs of yours with it. Then you can scurry back to your suite like a good girl.” Like she’d done last night.
There was no missing the stiffening of her spine, the tension in her grip on the rail. I liked seeing it more than I should. The spark of fire I’d sensed in her from the moment she stepped aboard this ship, the one that had drawn me to her whether I liked it or not, flickered in her now, barely contained.
And the fates help me, but I couldn't resist fanning it. Aslong as she remained beside me . . . As long as she didn't run . . .
When we’d stood on the deck in front of that frilly, flower-beleaguered arch in front of the captain, she'd saidI doto me.
Me.
Even if I'd signed Merrick's name on the papers.
“Good girl? Is that what you think I am?” she said.
I hoped so because a good girl would soon flee from me.
She glanced my way, her gaze a quick stab. “You’re an ass. We've established that already.” Her voice held an edge that hinted at both frustration and . . . something darker running beneath the surface. “I came up here to get away for a bit. If that bothers you, feel free to let me know. Or better yet, shut your mouth and keep scowling at the sea. Or leave. You don’t own this spot on the deck.”
I smirked at her, shifting my weight to fully face her. “What is it between us, Reyla? Why do you keep coming to me?” Perfectly honed arrogance flowed through my voice, keeping it steady despite the twisting feeling settling deep in my gut.
“Friendship?”
I snorted. “We'll never be friends, Wildfire.”
“Don't call me that,” she said with a gouge of her fingertip on my exposed forearm.
Even that simple touch lit me aflame.
“Face the truth,” I drawled. “You’re not running away from me because you don’t want to. Just like I’m not letting you go because I can’t.”
A muscle tightened in her jaw, and a flash of something unreadable flitted across her features before she quickly shuttered them with that wall she was quite good at buildingbetween us. Her mouth curved into a taunt, but her tone lacked what she intended. “I’m married to Merrick. You need to accept that. Whatever this is between us . . . Realize like I do that it’s nothing.”
It took effort, but I laughed, keeping it as cold and distant as the wind whipping across the sails. “You’re right. It's nothing. Who’s going to care either way when we reach the shore tomorrow? We'll travel to Evergorne, and there, you'll belong to him.” My voice softened even as the bite of jealousy clawed harder this time, adding a brittleness to my words. “Go back to your cabin and forget about me. I'm sure you'll find a way.”
She turned toward me with her chin tipped and her eyes flashing embers. “I don’t need another storm in my life, Lore, especially not with you.Youleave. I'm your queen.” Oh, so haughty. “I command you to go below deck this instant.”
Beneath her words, doubt whispered. Regret, maybe, as well. A small crack that carried more weight than anything else.
I wanted to drag my nail along that line to see how far I could rip it open.
“So prissy,” I said. “Perfect for Evergorne.”
“What does that mean?”
“That tone you’ve perfected already. It’s queenly. It tells me you’re ready for what awaits you at court.”
“What should I expect, exactly?”
“When we arrive, you’ll be the queen consort, but it won’t matter. Yes, you'll be crowned. Yes, the entire court will bow deeply. But you're new. Vulnerable.” Much too vulnerable. This woman felt everything, and they'd pounce on that and use it against her. “They'll tease their elaborate games like always,only now, you’ll be the centerpiece of each play. They’ll bite at you from every angle, looking for ragged areas in your resolve, weaknesses they can sink their claws into and exploit.” I paused, watching the slight shift in her posture. “It’s a court born of secrets, Reyla, and those secrets are hungry.”
“Then teach me how to fight them.”
