His growl deepens. “Careful, human. You’ve proven… entertaining. But apart from my ties to the human king, I care little whether you live or die.”
“I would expect nothing less from a monster who enjoys murdering innocent girls.” I fire back.
“I take no pleasure in killing the truly innocent,” he says, flicking his tail in agitation.
“Thenwhy?”
He regards me for a long moment. “Strange little human,” he finally muses. “So unlike the others. I’ve enjoyed our conversation. But it’s time for you to return to your room. You’ll want to be well-rested for your day with the king.”
“I don’t care. Tell me the truth. You at least owe me that.”
“I owe you nothing, mortal!” he snaps, his golden eyes flaring like an inferno. “Now, return to your room before I make you my midnight snack.”
The edge in his voice is enough to send a chill crawling down my spine. I hurry past the archway, feeling the dragon’s amber, catlike eyes burning holes into my back as I climb the steps and disappear back into the darkness of the keep.
Chapter 20
A Day With the King
Islip back through the tapestry, retrace my steps through the dark halls, and climb beneath the covers, but sleep never comes. My conversation with the dragon echoes through my mind like a curse I can’t unhear. His voice. His insatiable hunger. The knowledge that the king sent him to find me—to save me—tightens around my ribs like a snare.
I watch the sky outside my window turn pale as I slip into the covers. And when I finally rise in the gray of the early morning, I refuse to change into the gown still lying out at the foot of my bed. Instead, I reach for my plainest outfit, a cream-colored linen shirt, soft green sash, and worn leather pants. I tie my hair back in a simple braid, not bothering to fix the flyaway strands. If he expects a show, he’ll be disappointed.
When I open the door, Marb is waiting. Her wings flick nervously, eyes wide and unreadable.
“Oh my stars!” she gasps, hands fluttering to her mouth. “You’re not wearing the dress!”
“I don’t want to wear his stupid dress.”
“It’s incredibly rude to refuse a gift from His Majesty,” she hisses. “You must change at once! You’re alreadylate as it is!”
“No. He can receive me as I am—or not at all.”
Marb lets out a strangled little sigh and mutters something under her breath in Fae. “Fine… Fine. Let’s just go. We can’t keep the king waiting.” She doesn’t speak again as she leads me down the corridor, through a narrow spiral stairway, and out into the lush quiet of the eastern gardens.
And there he is, veiled in morning mist, leaning against the same twisted tree where we first met. His back is to me, but the moment I step past the gate, he straightens and turns as if sensing my presence.
His gaze drifts from my face to my boots and back again. I brace for disappointment. For mockery. For the pointed, biting remark I know he’s capable of.
But instead, he smiles. His expression betrays no surprise—nor, shockingly, disapproval. It’s as if he expected this.
The garden is overgrown and elegant, half-wild in the way dreams often are. The stone path beneath my feet is slick with dew, and the air smells like roses and wet earth. Underneath it all lingers the faintest undertone of smoke. I cast a furtive glance at the sky, half-expecting the dragon to defy his master and swoop down to carry me to my death.
“We met in this very garden,” he says softly, as if plucking the memory from my mind. “I thought it fitting that our first day together begin here, too.”
“The garden where you lied to me?” I lift a brow. “Where you pretended to be a gardener to earn my trust?”
His mouth twitches. “Iama gardener. I cultivated and tend to all that you see.”
I turn my gaze away from him. “You cultivate lies.”
“I’ve never lied to you,” he responds calmly.
“You let me believe you were someone else. And lying through omission is still a lie.”
“Fair enough.” His lips curl into a small smile. “Walk with me. I want to show you something.”
I hesitate. He doesn’t reach for me, but his eyes have a certain gentleness that promises it isn’t another of his tricks. Giving in, I fall into stride beside him.
