If I wasn’t scared of them before, maybe I should be now. “Raine?” I knock again.
“Roark.” There’s a light thud on the other side of the door, like she’s resting her head against it. “Don’t make this harder on me. I need to go. It’s for the best.”
“It’s not for the best. It’s the absolute worst thing.”
“Aw,” one of the women says.
I turn and glare, smoke coming out of my nose and mouth. The three of them back up.
Kate puts her hands on the shoulders of the other two. “We’re going to wait over there.” She steers the other two flight attendants down the corridor.
“Raine, Duchess . . .”
The lock clicks open, and I slide through the door.
67
EVANDER
Ihave never wanted to get back to Cloud Rift more than today. Though, seeing Aisling back to safety is important too. I think of her as a little sister. Much like my own. I’ve got enough—what’s one more? Though my youngest sister isn’t of academy age yet. But being stuck in Crest Wing dealing with court politics? No, I need to get home to Cloud Rift.
TheThessarishuts behind me. Kieren has stayed behind to... well, I don’t know what he thinks he can do, but I get it. Sending their daughter through the portal by herself after another one has been destroyed... Insanity. But I’ve thought them insane for a long time. I’m glad they told us about the Firested portal, but they could have found a different way to reach us. Not that I want the king stomping around Cloud Rift. The time alignment of the portal hasn’t worked in my favor. I’ve been gone longer than I would have liked.
“Raine!” I yell into the foyer. She’s upset about what theking and queen plan to do? I’m fucking furious. I meant what I said to Raine. I feel it in my bones—she’s ours. I’m going to mate her. No way will I go through with a selection ball. I’m wings over tail in love with Raine. I’m not leaving. There’s no way. I’m not leaving her. She’s too important. Too special.
Kieren and I talked before I left him in his parents’ court. Left him waiting for an audience like he isn’t their son. He’s done with them too. Done with the whole process. Finding a way to protect the citizens from Firested—we can do that without ruling. It’s a careful untangling process, but we can make it happen.
“Raine.” I take the stairs two at a time, catapulting myself up. I knock on her door but don’t stop. I’m not respecting her space. I’m not holding back to keep from overwhelming her. Keep her from having the lightning. We’ve played coy for too long.
The door opens. I don’t need to search the room. She’s not here. Her scent of thyme and chamomile isn’t strong enough.
“Raine!” I fling myself into the bathroom and her closet. The door to the hidden passage has been opened since I last checked it. I pivot and head back downstairs, but when I hit the dragon’s eye foyer, unfamiliar women’s voices bounce down the hallway from the southern corridor. My brow furrows, and I run that way.
“Who are you?” Chanda, her name tag reads, asks.
“Raine’s in the collection room?” I ask, not answering her question.
“Yes, with tall, dark, and grumpy,” Ellen says, according to her tag.
I pass them and open the unlocked door. Raine’s sitting in her desk chair, her knees touching Roark’s, her hand inhis. Her eyes are swollen and red. The room reeks of her tears. My dragon’s an asshole. He fucking loves the smell of tears but not Raine’s. Never hers. How could he get pleasure from her tears? There’s something shitty about his scaley ass. Well, my ass. I’ve become overly good at compartmentalizing the shittiness of my personality by placing it on him.
“Don’t go.” I drop to my knees in front of her. “I don’t ever want you to go.”
“But—” she says.
Roark cuts her off. “I’ve already told you, Duchess. I don’t care about ruling Crest Wing. I’ve never cared about ruling Crest Wing.” Roark grips her hands, and I’m worried it might be too tight. His cheeks push up and his eyebrows knit together. “I choose you. I don’t fucking care about a marking. I don’t care about the people of Crest Wing.”
I side-eye him. Because, of the three of us, I thought he would be the hardest to get on board. Living in the human realm for a while is one thing. Staying Earthbound forever is a far different task.
Though, Kieren being able to control his dragon without the calming effect of the energy from the portal? That might be an even tougher sell than him not taking over his parents’ throne. But fuck them. Fuck them for trying to control us. Fuck them for using Aisling as a chess piece instead of a daughter. This isn’t the first time I’m proud to have been born in Elderglen.
“I’ve never cared about being in control of anyone but myself. And they’re trying to take that away from us. I don’t want a mating ball, Raine. I’m so glad you’re here.” I take her left hand from Roark. “I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t here. I’d be lost. Floating in a sea of nothingness for eternity.” I kiss the top of her hand.
Overkill, Roark pushes.
Raine’s blue eyes are disbelieving as well.
“It’s not overkill,” I say, using Roark’s word out loud, “when I believe it in here.” I take her hand and place it on my chest. “Because I do. I believe it in here. Please tell me you will stay. I love you, Raine Fischer.”
