“You’re scaring the shit out of everyone,” I whisper. This close, the rumbling of his chest when he chuckles sounds like someone’s cold starting an engine as he looms over me.
“Areyouscared?”
I bite my lip, and shake my head. “I probably should be, huh?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay, remind me to be scared tomorrow.”
“As you wish.”
“So... now what?” I ask, glancing around as the weight of everyone’s attention begins to make my skin crawl. For a split second, Killian and I lock eyes from across the room before I turn my attention back to the monster in front of me.
“Follow me,” he orders. His heavy footfalls echo against the marble floors as he leads us towards the back of the Great Hallwhere a wall of windows has been opened to reveal a patio of some kind.
“Oh,” I pause, suddenly remembering my friends, “I’ll see you guys in a bit.” Brynne distracts a very concerned Tori, while Evie, Nikki, and Vanna lean in and talk amongst themselves. I have to hurry to catch up with Ramsey and not trip over my own feet as I watch the way his wings sway with each step.
I wanna touch ‘em.
And I’m just drunk enough to risk being turned into a kebob-formerly-known-as-Nyx to ask.
“What do they feel like?” I venture when we pass the threshold and shiver in the cold October air as it descends on us. He leads me far enough away from prying eyes, but close enough to still hear the cacophony of conversation resume inside, no doubt the majority of them are placing bets on how long it’ll take for him to eat me or something. They flare out wide, snapping taut to reveal millions of pebble-like scales that reflect the moonlight, dancing and glittering in the dark.
“Not as heavy as you’d think,” he responds with his normal voice, turning slowly until we’re face to face. His eyes rake down my dress, dilating slowly in the dim light. “Nice dress.”
My cheeks heat despite the chill. “It has a cape.”
“I can see that,” he smirks, pulling at the jagged scar that usually drags his lip down. It’s impossible to miss the five deep lines scored into his face, but I’ve never considered him disfigured like Killian “joked” about. I look at him and I see someone like me—someone who survived whatever hell he’s gone through to get here.
“You have a nice smile,” I murmur, realizing too late that I’ve lost not only my sense of self-preservation but also tact when he blinks rapidly and takes a step back. When I reach out to stop him, I accidentally grab his wing instead of his arm and he freezes, spine stiffening. “Sorry,” I grimace and let go, despitehow much my fingers miss the brief warmth of that soft skin. When he starts breathing heavy, I take a step back but his deep growl stops me.
“Don’t,” he grits out.
“Okay,” I say softly. I watch him as he wrestles with… whatever it is he’s wrestling with. After a few minutes, I break the strained silence. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to make fun of you or anything. Promise.”
“Oh sweetheart,” a familiar voice says from behind me, chuckling. When I turn, Killian’s leaning against the stone wall, swirling a glass of amber liquid that I can smell from here. He downs it in one gulp and licks his lips obscenely when it’s empty. “That’s not why he’s about to bring the building down around us.”
“Don’t,” Ramsey’s dragon commands, but Killian ignores him and saunters toward us, setting his glass down on the balustrade.
“You’re not looking sohot, Ram-bam. What’s the matter?”
“What do you want, Killian?” I glare up at him, but his smirk is unrepentant as he inches closer until I’m forced to tilt my head back, refusing to wither under his stare. Ramsey’s growl deepens from behind me, and I see a flash of the monster hiding under Killian’s skin in response.
He slips his hands into the pockets of his suit jacket. “I figured the princess might need a knight in shining armor to rescue her from the wicked dragon before he gobbled her up.”
The low rumbling coming from Ramsey deepens at my back. “Enough.”
“Someone’s all riled up, wonder how that happened. You got any ideas, Nyx?”
“Can you stop already?”
“Seems like since you’re the one who started it, you should be the one to finish it. How’s that sound, Drogon—you want Nyxto finish what she started?” A keening warble reverberates from Ramsey’s throat as the muscles in his neck flex and tense. “This might be your only chance, you know. Once she learns why your father gave you those scars—oops. Cat’s out of the bag now, I guess.” He shrugs.
I turn to Ramsey in shock. “Your father did that to you?”
“It is the Shifter King’s responsibility to mark exiles, after all. Though evenIthink he might have been a little harsh,” he tsks, shaking his head. But I can’t look away from Ramsey, who’s changing right before my eyes. Black scales crawl up the bulging muscles in his arms, and when he crashes onto his hands and knees, his wings snap open as black veins snake through the thin membrane.
“Might want to back up, darlin’.”
