Amos climbed to his feet.“Tell me.”
“Cut off your father’sfamiliarmark. The mark is what bonds us together.”
Already rolling his father onto his back, Amos ripped open his father’s shredded shirt to reveal the dragon etched over his heart. Phillip didn’t deserve Sasha, and Amos would never forgive the gods or himself if she died.
He sank the dagger into his father’s chest and cut around the mark like he was field dressing an animal. He didn’t know how deep he needed to cut, so he kept going until he hit bone.
Amos cut as fast as he could, begging his father to stay alive just long enough for him to remove the mark fully. Tossing the skin containing the mark aside, he decided to remove themuscles under it for good measure. Luckily, his father was too far gone to scream.
If this was going to work, that should be enough. Dropping the dagger, Amos jogged over to the dragon to check on her. Sasha’s breathing evened out, and before long, she lifted her head. Relief didn’t begin to touch what he felt.
His hand trembled as he lifted it to rub her nose, but the dragon roared and scrambled to her feet, stepping back with a menacing growl. Amos froze. “Sasha?”
She growled louder and opened her mouth, shooting flames in his direction. He jumped out of the way and retreated to a safe distance. “Sasha, I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” he pleaded. “If I’d known, I would have found another way.”
The dragon backed away, keeping him in her sights. She was no longer shooting fire at him, but neither was she being friendly.
“Roland, cutting off the mark worked, but something’s wrong. Sasha is acting like she doesn’t know me.”
“Because she doesn’t.”
Amos’ heart dropped to his feet. “What do you mean?”
Roland’s words filled with regret.“We are wild animals before the familiar bond forms. Without it…”
“Without it what?”Amos demanded.“What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s a wild animal again, and it sounds like she doesn’t remember being afamiliar. Dragons don’t trust males unless they’re bonded.”
Amos cut the connection and watched Sasha, who’d stopped to watch him. He tried to call her name, but his voice broke at the realization that never again would he sit with her and talk. Never again would he tease her until she stomped her feet. His child would never know her, and if Sasha was once again a wilddragon, Amos wouldn’t even get a glimpse of her because wild dragons didn’t leave the den.
She’s alive,he reminded himself. That was the most important thing.
He watched until she spread her wings and launched into the air, hating his father even more. Approaching his father’s mangled body, he noticed the stillness first. Amose pressed his fingers against the king’s cooling neck, searching for a pulse. Nothing. He waited for the sense of relief, but none came. Even in death, his father stole another piece of good from his life.
Three days later, Alice, Sariah, and Ruth sat with Amos at the dining table of the safe house, planning their next move. Rainer would join them in a couple of days, but a decision on what to do with his father had to be made quickly.
“We need to kill Paul,” Amos said, his voice dead. “Without my father to save him, there is no one protecting him.”
“I vote for a public execution,” Sariah said. “We could frame him for your father’s death.”
“No,” Amos said, meeting each of their gazes. “We can publicly execute Paul, but not for that. My father’s death is mine to claim. I want them to know that tyrants will not be tolerated, and that those who oppose our agenda will be eliminated.”
“We’ll need to replace most of the generals in the battalions,” he added, drumming his fingers on the table. “I’d prefer you two to hold the positions of my top generals,” he said to Sariah and Ruth. “You can be in charge of filtering the current battalion and bringing in any Hydra who are qualified and want to fight for the kingdom. The biggest battalion is here in the capital. Start there.”
Sariah scribbled notes on a piece of paper, then lifted her head. “We’d be honored, Your Highness.”
Amos almost smiled. “As soon as you can have Hydra warriors here, we’ll announce my father’s death.”
“I’ll alert the sleepers working in the palace,” Alice offered. “It will be imperative that they’re on high alert. The palace will be the first place attacked.”
“She’s right,” Ruth agreed. “Whether it’s the outside rebels wanting to take advantage of the unrest you murdering your father will cause, or your father’s loyalists, they’ll come for the palace. Especially if your mate is here.”
“Twelve years ago, rebels in the Mountain Kingdom attacked the palace and killed the queen,” Alice said solemnly. “Tropical Kingdom has dealt with attacks on their palace as well. Garden Kingdom doesn’t see rebel attacks often. We used to deal with them periodically, but the last decade, they’ve been quiet until lately. Jennifer is a sitting duck until Clover claims her throne.”
The kingdom still thought Jennifer was his mate. He made a mental note to send her to Dragon Village to get her out of harm’s way.
“If Clover agrees, we’ll announce her as queen after we return from the Mountain Kingdom’s coronation celebration,” Amos said. “I’ll have Roland tell Ember.” He connected to hisfamiliarand relayed everything they’d discussed so Rainer would be informed by the time he arrived. Amos wished he had known the Desert Kingdomfamiliarscould speak over long distances years ago.
