‘That’s the direction of the royal wing,’Donavyn growled in my head.
I picked up the pace, uneasy with losing sight of the man—but the moment the intersecting hallway opened before us, Donavyn cursed under his breath at the sight of the men standing guard—who’d just let Hanson pass and were now turning to look at us.
Donavyn nodded to them, but continued pushing me further down the main corridor, storming towards the end where light dimmed and there were no wandering nobles.
‘If it wasn’t the proposition, what upset you?’he asked darkly.‘What did he offer you? Tell me everything.’
I sighed, but followed him, craning my head back to look over my shoulder, cursing when it was clear we wouldn’t be able to follow Hanson discreetly. I was nearly trotting next to him as we passed out of the main corridor and into one of the side halls, where most of the lanterns and sconces had been left unlit. But there were no moving bodies. We were alone. Thank God.
‘He offered to take me on, both as a companion, and for my skill with the dragons.’
‘It’s bullshit. He’s just—’
‘He told me he can give me a dragon of my own.’
Donavyn stared at me, his face painted in shock.
I nodded.‘That’s why I paled. What could he possibly mean?’
His eyes flicked over my shoulder, then without warning, Donavyn moved so quickly I barely registered that the dim light behind us had flickered with shadows. He grabbed me up and whipped us both sideways, turning into a curtained alcove at the side of the corridor that housed a bust of one of the royal family, and would normally be lit with its own lantern. But the lights had already been doused for the night, so we were draped in shadow, and obscured by the depth of the curtains swept up to each side of the opening
Donavyn pressed me against the wall and covered me with his body, and he hissed at me through the link.‘Be very specific, Bren. What precisely did he tell you he wanted, and what did he offer you?’
I opened my mouth, but Donavyn, tense and dark eyed, clapped a hand over my mouth, as if he wasn’t certain we were alone yet.
Glaring, I spoke in the bond.‘He said he wanted me—and that he wanted my skill. He’d pay me for both, and when he was done with me, I’d be rich enough tonot need a managain.’
I immediately regretted the baldness of my words. Donavyn flinched like I’d stuck him.
‘Donavyn, I was following him because of the dragons, not—’
‘It’s notyourmotives I’m worried about,’he snarled, glancing over his shoulder, but not moving to give me space yet.
And then I felt the fear in him—not the simple jealousy. But actual fear.
‘Donavyn, what’s wrong?’
He shivered and stared down at me, his eyes darkening.‘He wants you, and he’s powerful enough to force me to step aside.The King of Fyrehold might back him if he pressed. If they wanted to make a point to Alexi.’
I went still.‘I would never—’
‘I know—but we’ve painted you as a woman whowould.Even reluctantly. This is precisely what I was worried about.’
But that wasn’t all of it, because that was too distant. Something brimmed in him.
‘You were already tense before I told you that—what happened over cards?’
His jaw rolled and his eyes flickered to the side again, checking the alcove. But there was nothing out there, no one in the hall.
‘I was faced with my own limitations,’he graveled.
I swallowed and put a hand to his chest.‘What limitations?’
He huffed, then dropped his chin to stare at me, his gaze black.‘Turns out, I don’t like to share,’he sent.
Then he descended on me.
55. In the Shadows
