Page 16 of The Forgotten Throne

“Vasin, can you come get me? I need some space and advice.”

“I can do that, Cass. Give me a moment to find a place to land.”

Grabbing my rations, I marched off without giving any explanation to the guys. I felt someone following me and peered over my shoulder to see it was May. She kept a few paces back and didn’t try to stop me or talk to me, just keeping an eye on me. Vasin was in the air wheeling, looking for the best place to land which was easier now that most of the tents had been packed up. Once he was safely on the ground, I sped up. Reaching him, I gave him a big hug, relieved to be able to escape everyone just for a bit.

“Can we fly around for a bit just until the other dragons have picked up the people they are going to take?”

“You may stay with me for as long as you like. I will never turn you away.”

I climbed up and was strapping in when Paxton came running up. “Cassarah, wait! Please let me explain things to you better.”

“Not now, Paxton. I just need a little space,” I answered.

He tried to push the issue but a snarl from Vasin stopped him dead in his tracks. “Cassarah, I’m sorry. I fucked up. You’re right. I did know what the mark meant, and I ran from it. But I won’t anymore. It’s why I’m here with you.”

Meeting his gaze, I could tell he was being earnest about his words, but I just needed some space. No matter what I was dealing with, it just seemed like the hits kept coming. Flying with Vasin helped to ground me. He was a wise sounding board who wasn’t trying to manipulate me in any way. That is what I needed right now. Paxton must have seen that in my look because he backed up and hung his head in defeat as Vasin took off.

Chapter Ten

Thank the Gods for Dragons

Vasin didn’t press me to talk right away, allowing me to just simply enjoy the sights around us as my mind calmed. It wasn’t really the fact that Paxton didn’t come to find me right away. It’s not even that the Clan Leaders talked to him behind my back. What got me in that moment was the overwhelming feeling that I was in over my head. I was twenty-one, unmarried, with no family around me and they expected me to rule over a whole country! I’d just wrapped my head around dealing with the small group of mercenaries hidden away in Norden. Now I was heading towards Sheca which was a whole new ball of yarn to untangle. Every time I felt like I was getting footing in what I was doing, it changed, and I was starting all over again. This time there was far more pressure, seeing as there was a prophecy written about me from hundreds of years ago that I had to live up to. It frustrated me even more that I kept having these moments of self-doubt. You’d think I’d be over that after all I’ve been through so far.

“Cass,” Vasin spoke, nudging me to tell him what was wrong.

“How do I make all this progress and keep tumbling back down to where I started? Every time I get overwhelmed, I run. Why can’t I get to the point where I’ll be able to stand my ground and face whatever comes?”

“Do you truly think you are that scared girl who was secreted out of her bedroom in the dead of night? I certainly don’t. Would she have been able to do what you did back at the castle, saving those men of yours? What about flying off to another kingdom with three men and a dragon to back you up to beg them for their help?”

“I wasn’t going to beg.” I scoffed.

“Yet another bit of proof to show that you have grown from who you used to be. The Cassarah I met on the sands of the roost would have never thought like that.”

He had a point. Going off to Sheca on the word of my guardian was an incredibly risky move, but I didn’t hesitate once. “So why am I running now?”

“Only you can say, but perhaps explaining to me what happened might help you understand yourself better.”

“The morning started off really well for being in a small tent with three of us in it. I slept well and was warm. Gavin and Cole bantered some, but it wasn’t out of anger. It was how Becka pokes fun at me. You know they don’t mean any real insult, but they want to get a rise out of you for some odd reason.”

“They spent the night in your tent?” Vasin’s tone was that of a disapproving father, which made me chuckle.

“It happened because they gave up their tents to others. Apparently, I was the only one with space left.”

“I doubt they looked very hard.”

“Aren’t you always the one telling me to let down my guard and to take a chance for them to see the real me?”

“Yes, well, I don’t believe I told you to invite them into your bed—”

“We had all our clothes on plus cloaks and blankets. Besides, I never would allow myself to end up in a compromising situation. I might not be a noble lady any longer, but I was raised like one. My virtue will stay intact until I am properly joined to my partner.”

“Or partners.”

“How can that even happen if they hate each other? Just because Cole and Gavin are becoming friends doesn’t mean it will happen with the rest of them.”

“Have they shown you proof they can’t be friendly to each other?”

“There was a heated argument between Paxton and the others the moment he showed up this morning. I was talking to Jade when he literally dropped in from the sky, spooking the horses. Jade yelled, then somehow, all the others got involved in the argument as well. Seems like they have some history with each other from way back in the day.”