Her eyes were so big and hopeful and the notion so ridiculous that all I could do was blink at her. And at that moment, all the fight went out of me. My body sagged against the big draken and my knees nearly gave out. The gold one, Nasi, helped me sit back on the bed.
Ronan shot me a look that was half-irritated, half-pressed. “She’s been asking for you.”
I repressed the urge to snarl at him, and instead kept my nod neutral. Nasi had mentioned that Ronan was the one to have brought me here—wherever ‘here’ was.
Perri reached up and touched my hand. A small, warm, trusting hand. Whatever anger and venom I had left died. I cleared my throat.
“Um … why don’t we sit down and eat?” I asked her.
She beamed at me and hopped onto the bed, smoothing her hands down her legs and looking expectantly at everyone else to bring her food. Ronan rolled his eyes and went to a table, fetching a large tray with bread and cheese.
I tried not to drool.
“How … quaint.” My head shot up as a young man leaned against the door’s pillar watching the scene unfold, arms folded, grin massive and unhelpful. He wore an iron crown inlaid with purple and red jewels, rough-looking but still rich. He was dressed in simple breeches and a shirt made out of rough material, with a large fur coat over it, belted with more iron and jewels.
Someone important.
“You weren’t kidding,” he said to Ronan. “He only listens to the girl.”
Ronan shot him a flat look. “Georg, this isn’t funny. He kidnapped?—”
“I think it’s hilarious,” Georg corrected cheerfully. “You drag home a half-dead draken rogue who thinks he’s Canavar, but looks like the runt of the litter, and the only thing keeping him from murdering my guards is a toddler. Yes, Ronan. I think it’shysterical.”
I hissed at him.
The human winked at me.
I did not like him, because I did not understand him. What human was stupid enough to not be terrified of a draken? And why were these drakens acting so friendly toward him? Did these humans not know we could skewer them all in seconds?
Perri tugged on my claws. “Eat,” she commanded with all the imperiousness of a future queen. I took the hunk of cheese and took a large bite, chewing.
Canavar shook his head. “He’s not dangerous. Just stupid.”
I swallowed the cheese heavily. “I AM NOT STUPID,” I grit out. “I am the champion of?—”
“Veskor! We don’t talk with our mouths full!”
My mouth snapped shut. They all turned away, snickering hard. Perri frowned and my face burned.
Ronan ran a tired hand over his face, recovering first. “OK. Enough. Veskor, this is King Georg, of Hoveria. Hehas graciously allowed us to wait out the rest of the storm and house us here before we head back.”
I tensed. “Head back where?”
One eyebrow raised at me. “To Lyoness, of course.”
Of course. I had committed a crime, and would have to be punished. It did not sound like I would die, however, because they would have just done it already. Or they were waiting for a grand trial for all their people to see.
That was fine. I would be fed in the meantime.
Ronan kept talking. “We need answers and we need a plan. When the storm breaks, we’re taking him back to Lyoness. Though we need something to present to Benedict so he doesn’t just immediately kill him.”
Canavar didn’t look thrilled at the prospect of saving my life. I wondered who this Benedict was. Was he more fearsome than Canavar?
“They’ll kill me,” I spat out, hating the thought of any hope at all.
“Only if you give them reason,” Nasi replied.
“You DID give them reason,” Canavar added. “Multiple, actually.” He cracked his knuckles at me and I flinched before I could help it.
