I knew I should hold my tongue and not say anymore but damn him. How dare he treat me this way.
Holding a hand to my cheek, I grabbed the post of the bed with my other hand and lifted myself up, staring straight into his amber eyes. Squaring back my shoulders, I met Kyros’ furious gaze. “A good king would honor the wishes of his queen, especially during a time of mourning. Obviously, you care nothing about Laoise’s passing.”
He stepped forward, his expression cold and distant, his breath hot like fire. “Who ever said I was a good king? I am a god compared to you insects. We made a deal, and I have played my role.”
In a scream, I lunged forward, and he grabbed my throat, his strength forcing me to stay my hand. Instead, I let my magic pour out into the room. The purple and silver hues of my chamber disappeared, replaced with the soft sands and rolling waves of the Aegis Sea. Kyros’ face scrunched as the vision disoriented him. The sound of lapping waves echoed around us, the salty air drifting into my nose.
He looked down at the sand squishing between his toes, a wistful expression on his face.
“You made an oath years ago,” I said, my body vibrating with power, “that you would be fair, and I would not pay for my husband’s crimes. My daughters would not pay for his crimes against your people. We have lived a good life. You wanted to take me to the Aegis Sea, fly me over the waters, and let me experience what it was to be a dragon. Do you remember the promises you made to me?”
Removing his hand from my throat, he slid it to my cheek until I pulled away. Taking my face with his hands, he examined the cheek, turning my head in his rough palm. I could feel the bruise already starting. Kyros brushed his thumb across my cheek, and I flinched at his touch, nothing like the warm one I remembered.
“I have fulfilled my oaths. I desire more and I shall have it. Your kingdom flourishes under my protection. Your precious Moon blood is still in line for succession. All that has changed is who I share my bed with. I have outgrown you like I do these charades of being a humanoid. I am a dragon and I will have what I desire. The sisters are my property and you will remember your place,” he said, ignoring the vision and my words. “I will command them to leave you be while you are grieving.”
His thumb trailed down my neck to land right between my breasts. “They give me the type of peace you once gave me, until you stopped coming to my chambers.”
The accusation shocked me. I stopped seeing him? Another sign his mind was being lost to dragon sickness. If he couldn’t remember how our marriage failed, then every oath he made was broken. “That’s not what happened to us.”
The vision disappeared and I stepped back from him, needing more distance than he was giving me.
His gaze roamed over my body, more predatory than a husband who desired his wife. The action made me want to pluck out his eyes so he would never look at me again.
“Your memory is as conflicted as your actions. I will honor your wish,” he continued. “We will close the castle until after the funeral, but enough of these reckless decisions. I would hate to have to take more drastic measures.”
With that, he left and the moment the door shut, my knees shook. I could not believe that he acted as if I was the one that ended our intimacy when he was the one that brought those wicked humans into our bedchamber and between our marriage.
The door to the secret passage opened and a gust of wind rushed into the room. My hair whipped around my face. The table flew back, and I grabbed the post of the bed to keep from being swept off my feet.
Tallis stood before me, his eyes dark, hair lifting on the sudden breeze and his runes glowing a vibrant gold. The surrounding air moved. I had never seen him so angry. He rushed over as he took my face in his hands and looked at the spot where the king had hit me and without a word, Tallis threw me over his shoulder and headed towards the passage from once he came.
My crown fell to the floor.
“What are you doing?” I hissed.
“I’m getting you out of here.”
“Stop.” I swatted his back, trying to squirm out of his strong grip.
He slowed his movement toward the bookcases, and I struck him a bit harder. “Tallis, put me down before you get us both killed.”
Finally listening, he placed me on my feet, his chest heaving.
“Tallis,” I said. His anger was as deafening as his silence.
His jaw tensed; his hands fisted so tightly his tan skin turned white around the knuckles. Tallis was powerful and when he unleashed his elemental ability, he was a tornado. But neither of us were a match for Kyros.
I grabbed Tallis’ face, forcing him to acknowledge me. His gaze refused to meet mine. His whole body was tight and ready to spring. “Tallis,please, look at me.”
When he finally responded, I understood the expression of disgust on his face was not directed at me. The king had never struck me, not once, and that may have been the breaking point for my dear friend. We had to be smart, and I would not let Tallis be slaughtered for my sharp tongue.
“I have an idea,” I said, “but it’s risky.”
If we wanted to kill a dragon, I’d need something to keep him in his human form. Only then would we have a chance. There was only one being who could know of an artifact powerful enough to stop a dragon’s transformation and negate their natural magic resistance. Tallis would never agree to go meet the Lich King, but that evil creature was our best hope. A being who used to be fae but then morphed into something else. His kingdom of the twisted consisted of all the devilish creatures of our world: vampyres, zombies, necromancers, and those odd moss-haired lichen creatures.
“If you think it’s risky, I don’t think it’s a good idea at all,” Tallis hissed, his expression switching to fear.
That made me smile.
