Kjeld coughed. Loudly.
Lovely.
Once again, she was being relegated to a position of little worth. She didn’t want to think Ariesian was angry with her for the loss of her magic, but his disappointment was certainlypalpable. The mere fact that he was willing to ship her off to Brackroth with Kjeld while she missed the entirety of the Midsummer Season spoke volumes. He didn’t think she would succeed in finding a husband, and without magic or really anything to offer, he was probably right. All the more reason for her to go to Wenfyre and return with any information she could find regarding their mother to prove she was both deserving and competent, even without her magic.
“Fear not, Caelian.” Creslyn stood from her perch on Drake’s lap and closed the distance between them. She clasped her twin’s hands tightly. “You will be doing far more than serving as an elegant distraction.”
Caelian canted her head to one side. “What do you mean? Ariesian just said that?—”
But Creslyn lifted one hand between them, quieting her argument. “Pay no heed to our brother, he is far too focused on only one aspect of this journey.”
“It’s true.” Drake unfolded himself from the chair, the sunlight splintering through the windows never quite reaching him. “You will be in charge of the dragons.”
Caelian paled and her stomach flipped.
“The eggs,” Creslyn corrected, cupping Caelian’s face with one hand. “You’re going to protect the eggs until they hatch safely. We’ve decided the nest is no longer safe and until we can determine the cause of the rotting earth, we want the eggs as far away from Aeramere as possible.”
“They’re coming with us?” Caelian couldn’t quite understand how she’d been volunteered as a babysitter. She knew absolutely nothing about baby dragons, or eggs for that matter. “And what if they hatch? What do I do then? I’m not their mother, I wouldn’t even know the first place to start.”
“Don’t worry, Caelian.” Drake gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Kjeld will be with you. He’s trained whelps from theday they’ve hatched until they’re fully grown, his knowledge is limitless. Any question you have, he will be able to answer.”
Caelian pressed her lips together to keep from expelling a dramatic sigh. She didn’t want to have to ask Kjeld anything. In fact, she would much prefer it if they weren’t required to speak to one another for the entirety of the trip. Not after he yelled at her in the forest when she discovered him…relieving himself of tension. Unfortunately, that notion was growing rather bleak with each passing second. Not only would she have to talk to him, but now she would have to rely on him to explain things to her. Under normal circumstances, she could manage, she would find a way to make things tolerable. But knowing he was capable of torture, mostly when his hand was between her thighs, she wasn’t entirely sure she would survive.
Especially not when her mind drifted to the way he lazily pumped his cock while staring at her the whole time.
Simmering heat spread through her, and she glanced up to find Kjeld’s summer blue eyes piercing her.
“Pack lightly.” He spat the words out. “Between you and the dragon eggs, Odryss won’t be able to carry much else. Bring only what is necessary. Everything else can be purchased in Brackroth.”
His gruff demands hung in the air as he stalked out of the room, leaving Caelian to deal with the pitying glances of her siblings in the aftermath of his abrupt departure.
“Well,” she said to everyone and no one in particular, “this is going to be a wonderful trip.”
In truth, Caelian was only certain of one thing.
It was going to be an absolute nightmare.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Tension gnawed its way through Kjeld. His muscles seized and rippled, making each movement forceful and stiff. As he loaded the gray leather sack securing the dragon eggs onto Odryss, he popped his jaw, grinding his teeth. His nerves hissed and snapped, causing his patience to falter and his temper to spike. Everything imaginable was an annoyance, an absurd irritation that left him disgruntled. The firm leather seat bound to his dragon’s back was once capable of accommodating him and one other passenger perfectly. Yet now he barely fit due to his considerable size. There was hardly a shred of space for Caelian to sit, which meant she would likely be situated upon his lap. The thought alone built a wall of dread inside him.
If she were more proficient, he would allow her to ride Astrylys on her own to Brackroth. But unfortunately, Caelian knew next to nothing about dragons, much less riding them, so their means of transportation fell solely to him. Again, under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t be concerned with such matters. But the lack of space was going to amplify certain…things. Kjeld already hated himself for abandoning her in the tub, then for yelling at her in the forest after she discoveredhim fucking his own hand while imagining her. He had chosen to ignore her every day since, and as much as he despised his decision, he knew keeping his distance from her was necessary. Being short and uninterested was the only way to ensure she stayed at arm’s length. At least until he could sort through the truth of his heart.
Kjeld wanted to love her. Of his own accord. But instead, his rampant interest in her morphed into ardent infatuation the moment he turned fae. He craved her. Yearned for her. Yet his intense appetite for her made him wary, especially now that he knew her virtue remained intact. If anything, it made him selfish. Ravenous. Because he wanted her all for himself.
But he couldn’t seem to release the part of him that clung to his resentment of her actions. He couldn’t ignore the disdain for what she stole from him. He placed all the blame on her, and in doing so, his mind went to war with his heart. It was unfair of him to toy with her emotions, he couldn’t long for her and loathe her at the same time. Caelian deserved better than the uncertainty that plagued him. All the more reason to remain as detached as possible.
A feat that would be epically difficult considering they were being forced to travel together for the foreseeable future.
Odryss stretched into the warm kiss of summer, his stormy gray scales glinting silver in the early hue of dawn. He craned his neck, his dagger-like claws sinking into the fresh, stony earth on the mountain’s ledge as he prepared for the long journey ahead. Opening his jaws, he snapped at the air once. Twice. His dark orange gaze tracked something in the distance. The dragon’s pupils narrowed to vertical slits, then expanded in size, and Kjeld turned around to see what caught the beast’s eye. In the distance, between the curls of morning mist and the rise of purple mountains, Caelian slowly approached with Creslyn and Drake following close behind.
Despite his best efforts, Kjeld could do nothing but stare at Caelian.
This was going to be the longest ride of his life.
Even though she was dressed appropriately for the journey and carried only a single satchel, exactly as he demanded, she looked as though she walked among the stars.
A cape of navy velvet billowed behind her, pinned into place by a sparkling diamond brooch displaying the Starstorm family crest. The fur-trimmed hood was pulled up, hiding most of her face and her eyes from view. The gown she wore was heavier, thicker, but it molded to her curves like liquid starlight. With Caelian’s every step, the dress shimmered, moving with her in the gray morning light and evoking a kind of eerie decadence as the mist curled near her feet. She played the part of an emissary well—the gentle sway of her hips and the proud angle of her chin were all clear signs of her nobility. Yet her gaze remained downcast as she approached him, and she said nothing as Drake took her bag and strapped it onto the back of Odryss.
