The Flame King’s Queen (Fire and Desire #3)

Chapter 16

16

Zabriel

I make sure that Isavelle is safely inside the castle, and then I return to the dragongrounds. All the dragons are restless. Scourge and Nilak have positioned themselves at the center of the vast, dusty expanse, with the flare crowded behind them. Esmeral keeps moving forward to join her mate’s side, but Scourge noses her back. He wants to protect her, but the little dragon is furious at the sight of the enormous yellow dragon that she and Isavelle only just prevented from murdering fledglings. Auryn is at the other end of the dragongrounds with his rider, jaws parted and wings unfurled in a threatening manner.

Stesha joins my side. “We are speaking with Kane?”

I nod in assent, and we both pass our dragons and head for Kane and Auryn. Scourge wishes to follow me, and doubtlessly Nilak wishes to protect her rider as well, but I mentally push back against my dragon’s impulse and he remains in place. I’m not interested in having a teeth-baring contest with Kane and his unpredictable dragon. We will try to resolve this peacefully first.

The dirty-blond-haired Alpha is slouched on a rock with his head between his knees, looking like he’s trying not to faint or vomit. When he hears us coming, he raises his head and hauls himself to his feet. He effects nonchalance, but he’s clenching his fists to prevent his hands from trembling.

I want to get this over with as quickly as possible, and I’m not in the mood to entertain any of Kane’s games. Stesha and I join Kane in Auryn’s shadow, and I say, “Ravenna has made her intentions to stay in Lenhale clear, and we aren’t going to hand her over to you.”

“I told you why I’m here. I heard there are to be Dragon Games. Auryn and I brought the southern barrier down for you, but have you already forgotten that we’re all allies now?”

I haven’t forgotten how provocatively he flew his dragon over the flare as if he was going to deluge us all with dragonfire before bringing the barrier down.

“We were grateful for your assistance, but allies send letters before their arrival.”

“Allies extend invitations to important events like the Dragon Games,” Kane snarls. “Yours aren’t the only dragons in Maledin. My flare will be acknowledged. Auryn and I are here to prove ourselves.”

“And how do you intend to do that?” Stesha asks, his words laced with scorn.

“By winning.”

I admire Kane’s nerve, standing before us sweating and trembling, and yet still proclaiming that he will win the Dragon Games. “And when you don’t win, will you and your dragon lose your ill-controlled tempers and cause injury and death to my people and dragons?”

Kane narrows his eyes and shifts his weight, but he doesn’t deny his foul temper. “ If Auryn and I don’t beat your soft, docile, domesticated dragons in a fair competition, we will accept defeat and return to our own flare.”

Stesha and I exchange doubtful glances.

“You think me a liar?” Kane says. “It’s you who are the treacherous ones. I was peacefully existing with my mate and my flare far to the east when he came and stole her away from me.” He nods at Stesha. “Of course I retaliated, as you both would have done yourselves in such vile fucking circumstances. You deigned to give me my mate back if I helped you in the south, which I did. Now I’m here to celebrate your wedding to that witch in exactly the manner you desire, and you are still treating me as if I’m the villain.”

“Oh yes, you’re so hard done by. Never put a talon wrong. The picture of fucking innocence,” Stesha says.

“Put yourself in my shoes, you white-haired prick. What would you have done if I’d stolen someone from you? Or are you so knotless that you would have done nothing?”

I can tell from Stesha’s scent and the rough way he’s breathing that being called knotless and reminded that he was unable to protect Zenevieve from Emmeric is making him angry.

I put out a placating hand, hoping to calm both of them before they indulge in violence. “All right, both of you. Kane, I hope you’ve learned by now that we will always protect those who are harmed by ignorant Alphas. You may stay and compete if you and Auryn are able to control yourselves. I will hold you to the same standards as I do all my dragonriders.”

“I am not one of your dragonriders,” he snarls.

“No, but you are my subject. Riding an Alpha dragon does not make you king. Do you wish to compete, or do you wish to challenge my throne?”

“I have no desire to rule over a bunch of knotless idiots.”

“Then you may compete in the games, but I have conditions. You must refrain from speaking with Ravenna. She’s told you to keep away from her. Will you accept her wishes without exception?”

His jaw grinds together in irritation. “Are you even going to ask what she did to me?”

My gaze travels down his body. He’s shivering and his complexion is sickly yellow. I wonder how he’s survived this long. Pure stubbornness and rage, probably. “Do you wish to accuse Ravenna of wrongdoing? We can have a hearing in the Great Hall, and you will both have the chance to air your grievances before I pass judgment on you.”

I’m sure Ravenna has reasons for poisoning her mate that we’d all feel sympathetic about.

Kane glares at me. “No, I don’t want to air my grievances, but an acknowledgment of what she’s done to me would be nice.”

“You look like shit. You’re probably going to die. Are you happy?” Stesha says.

“Moving on,” I mutter.

“No, not moving on.” Kane points a shaking forefinger at Stesha. “I don’t want him near my mate. You will not talk to her or look at her or even be in her presence.”

“You don’t order me around,” Stesha tells him coldly.

“Swear it. If you touch even one hair on her head, I will gut you from throat to knot.”

The mention of touching another Omega’s hair, which Stesha once did to Isavelle, ratchets up Stesha’s temper even more, and he shouts, “I’m not the one who is after your mate.”

Kane’s yellowed, bloodshot eyes widen. “What are you talking about? Who’s after my mate? I’ll kill all of you.”

I get between the two Alphas and push them apart. “No one is killing anyone. Ravenna is not interested in any man, and she wishes to be left in peace. Kane, focus on regaining your health so that we don’t have to scrape you off the rocks after the first event. Stesha, get a hold of yourself. Despite what you may think, Kane, I want you and Auryn to do well in the games. There should be peace and friendly competition between our two flares.”

Kane’s nostrils flare as he breathes hard, glaring at Stesha.

“That being said, your dragon can’t remain within the city walls,” I tell him. “Dragons from two flares can’t share the same space. You will find a suitable place for Auryn a short flight to the north. You can ride a horse?”

“Of course. How do think I hunted witches?”

I wish I could strangle him. Kane is always on the cusp of losing his temper, and he goads every other man into acting the same way. “Then I will send a horse and camp supplies to you so that you may remain nearby with your dragon and train for the events. You can enter and leave Lenhale freely to hear news of the games and seek treatment for your sickness at the Flame Temple, but Auryn may enter only for the events. Is that clear?”

Kane thinks for a long time, a muscle in his jaw ticking. “It’s acceptable.”

I turn to Stesha. “Does the dragonmaster agree?”

“If the fledglings and the wider population are safe from harm, then I don’t care what Kane does. May the best rider and dragon win.”

“Oh, they will.” Kane’s gaze shifts to me. “Will you be competing as well, your kingliness?”

“That’s Ma’len to you,” Stesha tells him.

“Compete in my queen’s coronation games? Of course I am.”

“Good. I was worried this would be boring. See you at the first event.” Without waiting for a reply, he turns to his dragon and makes his slow, dogged way up his flank while panting under his breath. It takes him a long time, but he doesn’t give up. He has the grit of a dragonrider, that’s for certain. When he’s finally in the saddle, his eyes are heavy-lidded and he’s shaking worse than ever, but he manages to stay on his dragon’s back as Auryn flies away to the north.

“His dragon will hurl him from the saddle on the first day,” Stesha declares, but there’s a gleam in his pale blue eyes.

“Perhaps the two share a stronger bond than I thought.”

Despite his declaration otherwise, I have the impression that Stesha does care if Kane competes, and he’s determined to beat him in every event. With Kane and Auryn entering the Dragon Games, things just got even more interesting.

We walk back toward the bridge together, and I see Scourge standing proudly and protectively over the flare, as still and solid as stone, his red eyes trained on the north at the point where Auryn and his rider disappeared. Nilak is stalking around the dragongrounds, her head low in the manner of an angry cat, snapping at the ankles of the young dragons who stray too far from the safety of the flare.

“You’ve noticed Ashton’s attentiveness toward Ravenna?” I ask Stesha.

“Yes. Idiot captain.”

Stesha shouldn’t have told Kane that someone in Lenhale has been paying Ravenna a dangerous kind of attention, but he’s already regretting it without me saying anything.

“I know. I misspoke. Sometimes my temper is as bad as Kane’s.”

“As bad as Kane’s? Not at all, dragonmaster. Your temper is far worse.”

That evening, I arrange for a horse and supplies to be delivered to Kane, and for a healer from the Flame Temple to attend to him, lest he not survive the night. I don’t fancy battling with Auryn at dawn if his rider perishes.

There’s no sight of man or dragon the following day, but the Temple Mother reports to me that Kane accepted her potions and treatment. Her eyes are flashing with irritation as she tells me about the encounter.

“What a rude, ungrateful young man. He called me a hag. Me! I’m not a day over forty-one.”

“I’m sorry for his rudeness, Mother. Please accept my sincere gratitude in his stead.”

“It’s all right. You’re a good boy, Zabriel,” she says absentmindedly.

I grin down at her. She’s a small woman, barely up to my chest, but there was a time when she stood over me and scolded me for running in the Flame Temple.

She realizes what she’s said and flushes red. “I’m so sorry, Ma’len . I spoke out of turn, still thinking it was the old days.”

I laugh. “Not at all. Sometimes the old days don’t seem so far away. I’m glad to hear you still think I’m a good boy.”

Two days later, I’m training at the barracks with Stesha and some other dragonriders when I hear the clip-clop of a horse’s hooves at the gate. Kane is dismounting from a glossy brown steed. He doesn’t stagger when his feet hit the ground and his hands are no longer trembling, but when he turns around, I see that his complexion is still pale and yellowish.

There are about two dozen of us sparring or practicing with the training dummies, and he watches us for a moment before calling to me, “I’ve come to spar.”

Stesha wipes sweat from his brow. “Then spar with a dummy. You have no armor and you’re the color of stale piss.”

Kane glances at the dummy and draws his sword. “You doubt my abilities? I can hold my own. The witchfinders trained with the Brethren Guard.”

“Why did you bother when your quarry was unarmed, frightened women?”

“Sometimes the locals would become hostile when we arrested their women.” He holds up his blade before his face, pointing to the sky. “We worked alone, but a few untrained farmers with pitchforks are no match for a man with a sword.”

Kane gets dirty looks from every soldier at the barracks. So this is how he is accustomed to fighting. My soldiers would be too ashamed of themselves to ever pick up a sword again if they drew on farmers.

“One of you spar with me,” Kane demands.

“You wouldn’t last ten seconds,” I tell him.

“Scared?” he asks, an arrogant tilt to his smile.

I have no stomach for a friendly sparring match with Kane, and no obligation to indulge him either. “I’ll tell you what. Enter the events at the Dragon Games that include sword fighting, and I promise you, both Stesha and I will give you what you’re hankering for.”

“Who’s better, him or you?”

In Old Maledin, it was always Stesha who was a better fighter than me, and that was only natural because he was bigger than me and he had more experience. These days, I’m getting better and better.

“Me. I’m the best swordfighter in Maledin.” A few of the soldiers around me raise their eyebrows or elbow each other. Stesha snorts in disgust.

Kane eyes me narrowly. “I can taste lies. It’s not very kingly to make empty boasts.”

I grin at the dragonmaster. It’s not, but I enjoy annoying Stesha. And it’s not too black of a lie when we’re equally matched.

“I’ll enjoy knocking you both on your arrogant asses in the games.”

“Now who’s boasting?” I turn and walk away because I don’t enjoy sparring with Kane, with swords or words.

“I want to spar,” Kane shouts.

“My men will be happy to give you all the bruises you desire.”

Four of my soldiers step forward, holding their swords, hungry for the chance to give this hateful man a beating.

Kane gives them a baleful look, and then follows me. “Wait. I want to talk to you about your mate.”

I round on Kane with a snarl. “You test my patience too far. Speak of her, and I will cut out your tongue.”

Kane doesn’t cower, but he does take half a step back. “I don’t want to talk about her specifically. I want advice. How did you make your mate submit to you? I have heard that your mate made things difficult for you and refused you again and again. Now she seems well trained and looks to you in all matters, though she’s as mouthy as ever.”

Well trained. Well trained? I want to tell him to fuck off and mind his own business, but Kane and Ravenna show all the signs of repeating my parents’ miserable, abusive relationship. “Isavelle is not well trained . I showed her she didn’t need to be afraid of me and she came to me.”

“What kind of Alpha are you?” Kane asks with a curl of his lip.

I grab fistfuls of his jacket and yank him toward me. “What do you think being an Alpha means? Is it treating your mate like this?” I shove him away from me, and he stumbles.

“I can do whatever I like,” Kane says, pushing his lanky hair out of his face. “Why else would I have been given this size, this strength, and a dragon?”

Kane was kept prisoner by drugs and violence and forced to commit unspeakable acts. I would feel sorry for him if he hadn’t made it so plain that hunting witches was pleasurable to him. “Isavelle has told me how you suffered under the Brethren. When you were at your lowest, she showed you mercy, and you still hate her.”

Kane glowers at me. He hates being reminded of a time he was so weak and injured and a small, scared, downtrodden little witch was the one to reach out and save him. But I don’t care that he hates it. He needs to understand that Omegas don’t owe him anything just because he’s suffered. We’ve all suffered.

“You’ve been given something that every Alpha in Maledin craves. A true, fated mate. An Omega who can make your life sweeter than you ever imagined, but only if you forgive and forget all the shit that was done to you in the past. Those people who ground you into the dirt? They’re nothing. They’re dead. You’ve been given wings, so rise above it.”