Chapter Thirteen
Everything slowed asI froze in place, staring with wide eyes at two of my kindreds. They stared back at me fury and relief and fear in their eyes.
Every particle I comprised of screamed at me to leap over the table and crash into my two kindreds. Aster rose, but I gave the slightest shake of my head, praying he wouldn’t give me away quite yet. He either ignored it or didn’t see it because he was already halfway across the room, Whist on his heels, and then I was in their arms, trapped between them.
I couldn’t hear anything over the roar of happiness racing through me and the wild pounding of my heart, no longer giving a shit this would make things difficult to explain. Their familiar scents swirled in the air, merging together, almost making me moan out loud.
Only remembering our audience gave me the willpower to pull away from them and the knowledge I was about to have a lot to answer for. They didn’t let me go far, both of them huddling into my sides and gripping my hands.
“Where are Saber and Sky?” I asked under my breath.
Whist brushed his lips against my ear as he replied. “They’re searching for you back in Faligrey near the border. We’ll get them here as soon as we can if we can’t leave right away.”
A thousand other questions burned my lips, but the Dragon Assembly wasn’t going to wait for us to catch up. I caught Bastian’s eye, and he looked furious. I ripped my gaze away and turned to Kira who was trying unsuccessfully to smother a grin. At least she wasn’t pissed.
Cala raised a brow. “The holes in the story you told us are starting to fill in.”
I grimaced. “Right. Sorry. I didn’t want to do anything to damage your meeting with Princess Indigo. And I was worried you’d be convinced I was a spy and have me executed.”
Whist and Aster stiffened, moving their bodies a bit to shield me like I was about to be executed on the spot.
Kira turned a laugh into a cough behind me.
“I see. Why don’t you tell us the entire story this time. Actually, Princess if you could tell us what you know of Rhapsody’s story, then we’ll know for certain what the truth is.”
Indigo sent me a questioning glance as Aster led me over to the table and pulled out an empty seat. I shrugged at her. It wouldn’t hurt anything. I kept as close to the truth as I could without admitting I knew any of them.
Indigo cleared her throat and began. “A few months ago, word trickled to the capital and palace of a bard who was singing out in protest against the current kindred laws. My father was furious when he heard the lyrics. He ranted and raved about them for a few weeks, ignoring my reminders and my brother’s that Faligrey is a country where speech and expression is free and she wasn’t breaking any laws. He feared uprising and revolt, so he dispatched his three best assassins to silence her. We heard nothing for weeks, so he instructed his royal guard to find his missing assassins and the rebel bard. Another week or so later, the guard brought all four of them to us where they informed us she was their kindred. And then Prince Aster realized she was his as well.” She paused as gasps of shock passed around the table.
It was the first time I’d heard what had gone on before my arrival at the palace in such detail.
One of the dragons seemed to fight a smile. “This story is so outlandish it must be true.”
Indigo inclined her head. “It’s true. My father has completely lost his way. If he ever had it.”
“What happened then to end up with her here and wounded and malnourished?” Bastian growled the question.
Aster and Whist stiffened even further, but remained silent, their worried eyes heavy on me. I patted their legs beneath the table, trying to reassure them.
Being between them and not being able to crawl all over them made it difficult to focus. I never expected them to show up with Indigo.
“The king still wanted her executed, but after being reminded it would be against his own laws, he placed her under house arrest and confiscated her instrument, forbidding her from any more treasonous music. Things were calm for a few weeks until we had a ball introducing her as the prince’s kindred and there was an assassination attempt on her life. When that failed, she disappeared from the prince’s quarters and we’ve been searching for her ever since. We never expected to find her here.”
“Does the king know you’re here?” Cala asked.
“He does not. He believes I’m taking my brother to get himself under control.” Indigo glanced over at Aster. “He’s been... struggling since Rhapsody disappeared.”
I tightened my grip on Aster’s thigh and he shifted closer.
Cala turned to me. “It’s your turn to tell us what happened on your end.”
I drew in a deep breath. “I was knocked out from behind in the prince’s quarters and I woke up in the back of a prison cart, shackled to the floor. We traveled for days, I’m not sure how many since it all bled together. When I realized we were nearing the dragon lands, I made my escape and hoped they wouldn’t follow me into your country. I was knocked unconscious again and woke up slung over a horse on the lap of a dragon and was brought here.”
Three growls rumbled at my words. My surprised eyes shot to Bastian, but he was too busy glaring at Kira. Aster and Whist almost knocked my air out of me as they squeezed me between them and I noticed them glaring at Bastian.
This was getting complicated and awkward.
Cala resumed control of the conversation. “Interesting. The five of you clearly have some catching up to do. We’ll have Kira escort you to a suite where you can rest and talk while the rest of us discuss the information you’ve brought us. We’ll meet again later in the afternoon and we can continue with what originally brought you here.”
Indigo nodded. “Of course. That will work perfectly.”
Aster and Whist jumped to their feet and hustled me from the room, my arms trapped by theirs. I cast a last glance over my shoulder at Bastian, my throat clogging at the longing and anger and confusion warring on his face before he stripped it of all expression.
Indigo and Elora were slower to follow, so Whist, Aster, and I waited in the corridor for them and Kira.
“Who was that? The dragon with too much interest in you.” Aster’s voice rang with possessiveness.
I nibbled at my bottom lip. “I might have found a fifth kindred here. But don’t worry. He doesn’t want me.”
Aster and Whist exchanged shocked glances, but before they could respond, Indigo and the others emerged, Kira leading the way through the cavernous maze..