Warriors of Wind and Ash (Merciless Dragons #2)

I look at Kyreagan, my eyebrows raised, and I silently form the word, Life-mate?

He glances away without replying. “Fly swiftly, brother.”

“I will.”

“I’ll help you find your way to a tower,” says Meridian. “Otherwise you’ll be wandering the palace until morning. You two, wait here until I come back. Be good, and for fuck’s sake, be quiet.” He winks at Kyreagan and flips the silver key through the air. It lands perfectly centered on the feather pillow at the top of the bed.

With the other two gone, Kyreagan and I stare at each other. The uncertain fate of his clan hangs between us, an awkward weight in the air.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur, taking his hand. “I wish I didn’t have to tell you that, but I thought you’d want to know. You can leave if you need to. Go with them, find out if the clan is alright.”

Pain flickers through his eyes. “If they aren’t, there’s nothing I can do to save them. But I have to believe they’re alive. My clan is strong. If there’s a way to survive, they’ll find it. What concerns me more is the existence of this poisoner. Do you have any idea who it could be?”

I shake my head. “I haven’t come into contact with many people. Rahzien has been keeping me isolated, moving me around. I rarely sleep in the same room twice. And I’m lucky to even have a bed. The first couple of days I spent in his power were torture. He keeps telling me things—making me say terrible things about myself…” I press a hand to my forehead. “Sometimes I believe him.”

Kyreagan’s gaze softens, and he takes my waist, pulling me closer. “You mean the things he had you repeat in the market, before you were flogged. Trust me, Serylla, they’re not true.”

“You were there?” I look up at him, startled. “Then the growl I heard—it really was you.”

“Forgive me for leaving you there,” he says earnestly. “I would have snatched you away, but after what he said about the two of you being linked, I didn’t want to risk killing you while trying to save you. I want to get you out of this without causing any more harm to the people of Elekstan. They have suffered enough of my fire and destruction. But Vohrain—” his expression turns malevolent— “they will have to pay for this. And I think I will make one exception to my rule, and destroy that Elekstan lord who groped you tonight. I’ll burn off both his hands.”

“He is already scarred by dragon fire, body and mind,” I say. “Though I think the damage to his soul started long ago, at the hands of his family. Speaking of family, did you leave our eggs by themselves?”

“Of course not! I left them in the care of Rothkuri and Everelle.”

“The blue dragon and his girl?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, that’s good. I like them. What about your brother, and the others—are they—oh fuck—I was going to ask if they’re alright, but we can’t be sure.”

“When I left, everyone was in decent health, except for one dragon and two women who drowned when their cave flooded. The rest were hungry, but alive. And there were eggs, Serylla. Eleven of them, with more on the way. Even if something happened to the rest of the clan, perhaps Hinarax and I can care for the eggs, and the hatchlings. Our species won’t be entirely extinguished.”

“It won’t be just you and Hinarax.” Tears pool in my eyes, and I can’t stop my lips from trembling. “I’ll be there to help.”

Kyreagan tenses, his chest rising and falling with quick, harsh breaths. “You will?”

I nod, pinching my lips together. Two tears escape my eyes and trail down my cheeks. His hold on my waist tightens, and I sense the great power of him, the strength of this body and the raw, feral fire of his soul.

“I should have realized it sooner,” I whisper. “Being here, enduring this… it made me realize what I want, what’s important to me. And that’s you, and those two beautiful fucking eggs we made together. Strange as it sounds, that’s my family. I want to free my people from Vohrain if we can, if there’s a way… but after that, all I want is you. And if it comes down to Elekstan or our family… I’m going to be selfish, and turn my back on everything else, and choose you.”

Wait… he doesn’t look happy. He looks conflicted. Oh fuck… did I read him wrong? Maybe all he needed was a carrier for his eggs and now he’s done with me. Maybe he only came to save me out of a sense of responsibility or guilt, not because he loves me. Maybe I’ve been a fool.

“If you don’t want me, just say so,” I bite out.

“It’s not that.” He lets me go, turns away. “It’s all of this. Everything in your society, the comforts you’re used to having. I understand it more now, and I can see how living with me would be a miserable kind of deprivation.”

“Oh god, is that all?” I release a soft laugh of relief. “I won’t lie, I might appreciate a few extra comforts. We can talk about that after we get out of this mess. But I won’t ask you to change your whole culture or way of life for me. We can compromise.”

“Compromise.” He mouths the word as if he doesn’t quite like the taste of it.

“Yes, dragon. It’s what people in relationships do… I think. I’ve witnessed a few functional ones, here and there.”

“Perhaps we could arrange for water pipes and toilets somewhere on Ouroskelle,” he says.

I blink. “Well, that’s a huge concession to comfort, and I won’t say no, but it would be a complex undertaking. One thing at a time. Speaking of toilets… I have been locked into this thing for hours, and I need to pee.”

Stepping past him, I pluck the little silver key from the pillow and poke it at the keyhole, but from my angle, it’s hard to see what I’m doing. The keyhole is inset between swirls of silver filigree. “Can you do it?”