Davin had been a royal prince who’d given mercy even when it’d cost him to give it. Shown her love even when he’d been mocked for that kindness. He would be with their ancestors where he belonged if it was the last thing she did. Not in the hands of those who thought him an animal.
Besides, she couldn’t kill innocent children in the village, no matter how much she might hate humans. They didn’t deserve to die because their parents were horrible people without conscience. Granted, those kids would most likely grow up to be the same awful, horrible monsters their parents were. But she wanted to believe some of them might be better. That they might do better.
I will not pass judgement on all of them because one of their kind did my brother wrong. Or me wrong.
Most of all, she deserved to have her one moment of vengeance in this world. In a life marked by misery, she wanted that pure second of bliss where she accomplished the one thing she wanted most.
Kill the bastard. Bathe in his blood. Devour his heart.
I could die happy with that.
After all, she wasn’t just a princess. Thanks to an unconscionable beast, she’d been trained as a warrior. One who’d been forced to fight for food.
For her life.
No one would ever defeat her. Just like she’d done as a scared teen, she would find a way out of captivity. No matter what it took.
At least this time, she wasn’t a scared child with no knowledge of their world. She knew how to survive among humans.
How to kill, if needed.
“Fine. Your terms are acceptable.”
Her answer seemed to surprise him. “You understand what I’m saying. Your life will belong to me once you kill your dragon slayer. You won’t be able to go home again to your family.”
“I understand.” Without Davin, she had no home or family to return to. No one there would welcome her.
He turned his head to give her a haunted stare. “Make sure you think this through. Being a human woman isn’t an easy thing in this world, and once you’re a dragon again, I will own you and you will live in Licordia, not Indara.”
“I’m willing to risk it.”
Dash inclined his head to her. If that didn’t dissuade her, nothing he could think of would.
Damn. Being human was hard for those who were used to it. He couldn’t imagine being a dragon turned human. Worse was being forced to live among others you didn’t understand. His own memories of that nightmare were never far away.
But she was determined, and as such, he knew she wouldn’t give this up. The next unicorn or wizard she trapped might not be so accommodating.
Or forgiving.
There was no telling what the wrong one might do to her.
How he wished he could make her reconsider, but far be it from him to deny her, her stupidity.
“Very well.” There were worse things in the world than a pet dragon, he supposed. To his deepest chagrin, he actually knew a number of them.
Closing his eyes, he felt his horn heat up. This wasn’t an easy spell, nor was it the first time he’d performed it.
For whatever reason, magickal creatures wanted to be human and humans wanted to be wizards. None of it had ever made any real sense to him. He loved being what he was and had no wish to be anything else.
Sadly, others weren’t so content.
And the last time he’d cast this spell hadn’t turned out so well for the man who’d craved a similar vengeance.
He was sure there was still a bitter old man in the world who wanted to gut him. But as with the dragon, Dash had done his best to talk Thomas Drake out of his folly. Just like her, the gryphon had refused, swearing he couldn’t live without having his revenge, even if it meant being human.
Desperate beings do desperate things.
He should know, given all he’d done in his wretched life.
