“My father is a dictator who presents himself as a king. If I’m not exactly what he wants, he punishes me.” Amos knew he was not to blame for his father’s behavior, but his inability to stop his father’s abuse humiliated him.
The little fox growled and Amos tried not to laugh.“I’ll stop him. I can call the other animals to attack him.”
Amos’ smile dropped. “You can’t. He’ll kill you. He has a dragon.”
“We can’t kill anotherfamiliaror our bonded,”the fox explained.“His dragon wouldn’t kill me.”
“It’s too dangerous,” Amos insisted. “Promise me you’ll stay away from my father.”
The little creature stared at him for the longest time before nodding its head.“Alright, but if you change your mind, let me know.”
Amos repositioned on the hard ground and scratched the fox’s head. “What’s your name?”
“I don’t have one yet,”thefamiliarreplied.“You can give me one.”
Amos rubbed his hand down the fox’s back as he thought. “What about Roland?”
The tiny beast yipped.“I like it.”
Amos unfolded his legs and stretched them out, adjusting Roland in his arms. “There’s something else you should know.”
Roland wiggled around until Amos let him down then turned and sat, staring at him expectantly.“Well?”
Amos blew out a breath and told him everything about Amelia, Clover, Rainer, and his plans to kill his father. After what felt like the longest story in history, Roland inched forward and rested his head on Amos’ leg.
“You’re not alone anymore,”thefamiliarmurmured.“Even if I’m not physically here, you can talk to me anytime.”
A knot clogged Amos’ throat. He couldn’t reply, but as Roland burrowed closer to his leg, he realized he didn’t have to.
A FEW WEEKS LATER
The king stared at Amos’ chest with equal parts outrage and disgust. “This is a disgrace,” Phillip spat. “Even the gods know you’re weak!”
Amos refused to cower or show any emotion that would give his father the satisfaction. He’d already started shutting down his mind to numb himself from the pain to come, refusing to let it reach Clover.
As expected, his father punched him in the side hard enough to break a rib. Amos had become all too familiar with that particular crack. His only saving grace was that his father preferred the whip or cane over his fists, allowing the bones to heal in between assaults.
Fighting back was futile. Amos’ strength was no match for the king, and it gave his father a sick sort of pleasure when he fought back. He hoped when the time came to kill his father he’d fight back so Amos could beat him to death.
Once Amos could barely move, his father stopped to pace. “The kingdom will never accept you with a weakfamiliar. They’ll thinkyou’reweak.” He paused just long enough to spit on Amos. “You are, but they needn’t know that.” Stopping again, he looked back down at Amos. “You will not take the throne until I’m dead. I can’t allow it.”
Over my dead body.His father’s reign of terror would end as soon as Amos’ magic fully manifested. Amos would train dayand night to strengthen his body and become the best fighter in the kingdom.
“Yes, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll rule until I’m gone,” his father decided. “You are not to show anyone your mark. Understood?”
Amos barely managed a nod.
“And if I see yourfamiliar, I’ll keep him in a cage,” the king sneered. “If I could kill him, I would.”
Afamiliarcouldn’t die as long as their bonded was still alive. It didn’t work the other way around, but even if it could, Amos could never—would never—hurt Sasha.
Hearing his father’s threat to Roland only solidified his decision to send the fox to the Human Kingdom to watch over Amelia and Clover.
Without looking back, his father strode from the room, leaving Amos barely breathing on the ground.
SASHA
“Why isn’t Amos’familiara dragon,”Phillip snarled down thefamiliarbond.
