‘Hey,’ I nudged him lightly in mock offence. ‘I’m not that easy to provoke.’
‘You should see how quickly you lose your temper. It’s quite entertaining.’
His laughter was infectious, and despite myself, I joined in.
We finally reached the stables, and I couldn’t help but cringe at the field of horses behind them. It reminded me of one of the first times I had travelled with my dragon. As we soared through the skies, Anya had spotted a field of sheep.
I instinctively ran a hand through my hair, just as I had back then, when I returned home and was forced to wash it seven times to rid it of the coppery stench of blood. It had been life-changing, and it marked the beginning of my life as a vegetarian. Reminiscing, I made a mental note to forbid my dragon from treating the horses as snacks.
‘What’s with that face?’ Michael asked, intrigued.
‘I might have my dragon come here,’ I admitted, biting my lip. ‘But I will probably need to camp out here to stop her from becoming the sole cause of the dwindling horse population in your court.’
Michael laughed, then grew unexpectedly serious. ‘Ava, I don’t think you realise how much it would mean to our people to see a dragon fly over Fogoya again.’
I smiled faintly. Maybe I didn’t. But I was beginning to believe that the fire-breathers weren’t as monstrous as I’d been taught.
Perhaps there was still hope for me, for them, and for the fragile peace that bound us all together.
The King
How had it come to this?
Within a matter of days, the life I’d built out of sheer resolve and discipline had crumbled, all because of one girl.
My hatred for her kind had blinded me to the obvious signs that something was wrong, and with it, my chance to learn to conjure had almost vanished. And she with it.
I couldn’t decide which was worse. Either way, I was knee-deep in shit.
She was a witch. Our kinds were enemies. I couldn’t want her.
Yet, my fire wouldn’t rest, straining against my control at the mere thought of her, desperate to burn through my skin just to reach her.
Whether it was the magic itself or my stupidity, I knew one thing for certain: I wouldn’t be able to hurt her like I had planned. The little witch had ruined everything, and I couldn’t even bring myself to hate her for it.
Gods, what a pathetic excuse for a king I was.
I was a legend among my soldiers, the kind of name that turned blood cold. The ease with which I'd slaughtered her kind had made me what I was.
And now what?
I was supposed to care for this one?
My legs, my arms, my fire, my instincts... everything strained to reach for her and keep her close. To wrap her in my warmth, in my flames, to make sure she recovered from the fucking curse I'd failed to notice.
How had I even missed it?
Because my body and my power had been honed to break their necks and bathe in their poisonous blood. I'd been shaped by vengeance and the need to protect my people.
It was a battle of wills—power against reason, instinct against logic.
And for the first time in my life, I didn’t know which side I wanted to win.
Chapter Twelve
Avari
The clock was nearing lunchtime when I decided to have my meal in the garden. I hoped the soothing embrace of nature might help me recover. Although I'd improved considerably, there were still moments when tiny tendrils of weakness spread through me, too overwhelming to bear. I knew I needed time, but perhaps I needed nature too.
