Rylana kept her arrow nocked in case Jildarin needed help, but she didn’t raise her bow again. With the dragons twisting and rolling and lashing out in such close proximity to each other, how could she have targeted the right one, regardless? All she could do was watch.
Growls, snarls, and screeches emanated from the skirmish as the dragons battled. A tail clipped the remains of a stone wall,knocking the top off. Someone drew blood—Rylana couldn’t tell who—and it flew, spattering another wall.
Afraid Jildarin's mother would come back and help his aunt, Rylana made herself glance skyward several times, but she couldn’t help but return her gaze to the battle, mesmerized. A little larger than his aunt, Jildarin had greater strength and speed. Even though Lysilria was terrifying herself, and could have slain an army of lesser beings, he rebuffed all her attacks. He was the epitome of power and grace as he flew in and out, landing bite after bite. Soon, the black-scaled dragon dripped blood from multiple wounds.
Relent, my aunt,Jildarin ordered, the same power in his voice that he’d used on Rylana.
But Lysilria didn’t obey. She snarled and sprang once more for him.
Jildarin met her charge, flapping his wings and holding his ground—hisair. When they came together, he knocked her head to the side, gouging her with one of his horns, then bit into her exposed neck. As his fangs sank in, his own powerful neck flexed, and he hurled her entire body away.
Lysilria tumbled through the air, wings flapping as she tried to stop her momentum, but she crashed into the side of the pyramid. Instead of following after her to hurt her further while she was wounded, Jildarin landed on the remains of a building and roared at her, his emerald eyes blazing.
Lysilria rose to her feet, blood dribbling to the ground, but she didn’t launch another attack. She met his gaze and said,That is why all the females desire you, Jildarin-grozanarav.
He growled.
Lysilria turned her side to him, then leaped into the air and flew south, after his mother. Before she disappeared over the trees, she looked back, skewering Rylana with an icy glare.
A chill went through her as she realized his aunt might yet betrouble—not for Jildarin but for her. Judging by that look, Lysilria didn’t like that Rylana had witnessed her getting her ass kicked. And she was probably still thinking that Jildarin might be more obedient to the clan’s wishes if a human female weren’t distracting him.
Rylana huffed in frustration. They weren’t sleeping together; they were just business partners. Jildarin not wanting to cave to female dragon manipulation—a notion Rylana approved of—had nothing to do with her. Other than one dragon-spice-induced kiss, a kiss that he hadn’t returned, she hadn’t done anything to try to affect his sex life. And she had no plans to attempt to do so,especiallynow that she knew what a pain in thebukokhis family was.
With a disgruntled growl, Jildarin jumped down from his perch. After flexing his wings and stretching his neck, he let his shape-changing magic ripple about him, and he turned into his human form.
“I know you bristle when I give you commands,” he said, “but I require you to live and continue to run calculations for the business, so I must order you not to leave Tranquility by yourself.”
“Can you make it a request instead of an order?” Rylana asked lightly, though, after having his aunt threaten her—and give her that long, death-is-in-your-future look—she wasn’t eager to travel outside the borders alone anytime soon.
“No,” Jildarin said without humor.
“You think she’ll really come after me?”
“It is ridiculous, since you have nothing to do with my disinterest in mating with the females who’ve approached me, but yes.”
Rylana walked up to join him and looked toward the pyramid tunnel, wondering if Vormalt remained hunkered in the shadows inside or if he’d used the distraction to sneak away, find his horse, and head back toward the city. She would prefer it if hehadn’twitnessed that demeaning conversation, but if he lingered in thearea, maybe she could question him further while Jildarin glared at him and hopefully cowed him.
Usually, when Jildarin was wearing his chef’s coat and whisking eggs, he wasn’t overly intimidating, but he was glowering after dealing with his kin, and, after watching him fight as a dragon, Rylana wouldn’t want to cross him. She was almost amazed that she’d had the audacity to shoot at him during the war.
“I got some information from Vormalt, but I want to see if I can learn more.” She pointed into the tunnel.
“Youwillstay in the city when I am not with you, correct?” Jildarin asked, apparently not ready to drop that until she answered affirmatively.
“Yeah, unless this curse needs me to venture out for something, I don’t plan to take picnic baskets into the woods anytime soon.”
Frowning, Jildarin reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder, gazing steadily into her eyes. A little shiver went through her. He didn’t usually touch her.
“Be not flippant when it comes to dragons,” he said sternly.
“Sorry. Flippancy is in my nature.”
“I have noticed this.” His hand tightened on her shoulder but not painfully. It was more like he cared and wanted his message to get through.
She could feel the heat of his palm through her clothes and was aware of how close he was, of the magical power that emanated from him even when he was in his human form. She caught herself looking at his lips, at the perfect line of his jaw, at his short silver hair, tousled after the battle. How soft it appeared, inviting fingers to push through it, to stroke it.
Rylana looked away. Just because he was touching her shoulder didn’t mean he had any interest inmating. After the threats from his family, she shouldn’t have any interest in it either.
“I’ll stay in Tranquility,” Rylana said to reassure him.
