The queen, who has been hovering by the door until now, steps farther into the room. So far, she’s been relatively impassive, but right now she is looking at Skylar with a definite expression of dislike. Only one of her guards is with her today, standing just behind her. Skylarwonders what this one can do—though she’s not sure she wants to find out.
“I might not be able to killyou,” the king murmurs, his voice as cold as Bruma’s breath, “but there must be people out there you care about. Those people can be found.”
Cold settles into her veins as she does her best not to blink. Cam. If they find out about him, if Axel tells them she’s looking for someone…
“My love,” the queen says gently, moving to rest a hand on his arm. He glances at her, almost like he can hear her thoughts. Maybe he can. She has no idea what those mate marks on their foreheads enable them to do.
The king takes an audible breath, then runs a hand through his graying hair. “I’m canceling the parade.” Right. She’d forgotten about the parade, where the heirs are put on show for the city to gawk at. “With the rebel activity increasing—”
Axel straightens. “We’re doing everything we can to—”
“I know that.” The king waves a dismissive hand. “But I can’t risk having an untrained heir out in the open. Some people may look at it as an… opportunity.” Aldric will be disappointed, Skylar thinks grimly. A parade would have been the perfect place to let Izzo loose.
“So we’ll use that moment to send her to the island instead,” the king finishes.
Skylar frowns, trying to catch on, while Axel shoots her a look. She’s not sure she likes what she sees on his face—is thathorror?
The queen stiffens. “You want to send her to Isla Draka? Is that definitely… wise?”
“Without a dragon, we risk losing to the witch,” the king says, voice firm.
A dragon. The island. They want to send her to the island, to claim a dragon.
“Anyone going to ask what I think?” she says, and watches the muscle in Axel’s jaw twitch.
Whatdoyou think, Lar? Don’t you want a chance to go there, get one?
She has a brief, glorious image of charging in on a dragon to save Cam, wherever he is being kept. Of pulling him up with her, flyingboth of them to safety. It’s a pipe dream, though. Only bonded riders can fly their dragons, everyone knows that. If anyone else were to try and get on, they’d be dead. There was one particularly cruel royal, once. Rumor has it he liked to drag unsuspecting lovers onto the back of his dragon. It never ended well.
“Axel has informed me that you have some basic fighting skills,” the king states, looking out the window but clearly talking to Skylar. “And we know you’re handy with a dagger. But it’s going to take a lot more than that to kill a witch who has been training for this since birth. Especially as you’ve still shown no sign of a useful Blooded power.” He glances at his mate, who gives a subtle shake of her head. Like the continuation of a previous, private conversation.
Skylar wonders what exactly they’ve talked about. If the queen has been desperately trying to discern some latent power in her.
You are not Blooded, Skylar.
“All things considered,” the king continues, “you can see why I’m insisting on the island.”
“She could die,” Axel points out, sounding like he doesn’t care one way or the other.
The king shrugs. “Without a dragon, she’ll be dead in the duel. So it’s worth the risk.”
Maybe it would suit them better if she died before the duel—the witch would be dead, thanks to the Blood Binding, and Zryan would be next in line to rule. Maybe that’s the aim here. They can’t kill her themselves—but they can get the dragons to do it for them.
“It’s decided, then. She’ll go to the island at the three-week mark. Any longer than that, she won’t have time to cement the bond before the duel.”
Axel tries to control the flicker that passes over his face—but Skylar sees it. And she knows—he doesn’t think she can do it.
If she refuses to go, what will they do? She opens her mouth, shuts it again uselessly. No one seems to notice.
“Zryan can train with her tomorrow,” the king is saying. “Help prepare her.” Axel hesitates, then nods.
The king strides to the door, then glances over his shoulder at Axel.“When you’re done, come to my office. There are a few more things I’d like to discuss in relation to the republicans.”
She’s beginning to get an idea of what Axel’s job is here. Something to do with the rebels, clearly. How high up is he? Did he order that woman killed, the one she saw hanging on the street?
The king leaves without offering a goodbye. The queen briefly hesitates, then moves swiftly out of the room behind her mate.
There is a beat of quiet between Skylar and Axel. Then Skylar feels panic descend. She gets to her feet, spins to Axel.
