CHAPTER 9 - BLAKE
The common room of Drakharrow Tower was already filled with noise when I descended the staircase the next morning.
The clamor of voices and laughter was like music to my ears.
My territory. My house. My rules.
I strolled into the center of the room, turning heads, making sure my presence was noticed.
A few of the newer highblood students glanced up and straightened, their eyes glancing over me nervously.
Good. That was how it should be. Respect through fear.
It was a lesson I had been taught growing up. It was a lesson Pendragon had to learn, sooner or later, no matter how stubborn she was.
I’d announced some changes this year. Now I saw the highbloods in my house had taken my recent orders to heart.
Thralls knelt at the feet of highblood students, their heads bowed, veins bared for feeding. Across the room, one of the more eager new first years, a highblood named Laurent, sharp-featured and wiry, was feeding openly.
As I walked past, he looked up at me, his mouth smeared with blood. Part of me was disgusted. But I hid my reaction. I chose not to use thralls, but I knew they were an accepted part of highblood life for almost everyone else.
I clapped him on the shoulder. “Enjoying breakfast?”
He smirked. “Always, House Leader.”
“Excellent.” I turned around slowly, scanning for my quarry. I’d told one of the Second Years to notify me as soon as Pendragon stepped out of her room. They hadn’t, so I assumed she had yet to emerge. If she’d already left, I’d be very upset with that Second Year.
But then footsteps rang out from the top of the staircase. I lifted my head and there she was.
She looked as if she hadn’t slept much. Her fiery hair was more touselled than usual. But she was still carrying herself with that damned rebelliousness I knew all too well.
The room went quiet for a moment as everyone noticed her. The few blightborn students who’d been in the common room had quickly fled as they’d taken in the atmosphere and I didn’t really blame them. I wasn’t about to allow anyone in my house to mess with them, but still, it was probably for the best that they didn’t witness this next part.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the dragon tamer herself,” I called loudly, ensuring everyone could hear me.
Pendragon glanced down the stairs. For a second, her eyes widened in surprise. Then I watched as she took in the scene around me—with thralls scattered throughout the room and highbloods in mid-feed. Her lips tightened.
“Good of you to join us,” I continued. “We wouldn’t want you to be late for your first day of class.” I saw her flush slightly. The dig had hit home. Not that I’d be stooping to any of Regan’s petty tricks. No. My methods were going to be more...direct. “I was just explaining to everyone how impressive your dragon truly is.”
She met my gaze. “Really? How surprising. Must have been a short conversation since you know nothing about him.”
Nervous laughter rippled through the room and I scowled.
“Don’t sell yourself short,” I said smoothly. “After all, it takes a very talented rider to drive a dragon away so quickly. What was it? One ride and he decided he’d had enough of you? Not that I can really blame him.”
Laughter erupted. Laurent snickered obnoxiously. I made a mental note to keep an eye on him. He was trying too hard. Probably a spy for my uncle.
Pendragon didn’t stop walking down the stairs but her jaw tightened and I saw a flame spring to life in her eyes.
“I see you’ve trained them well, Blake. They laugh even when you’re not funny,” she said, as she took another step.
“Careful, Pendragon. That attitude won’t serve you well here this year. Not in House Drakharrow. Not with me.” I gestured around the room at all the highblood students. “You see, I’ve been generous so far. Feeding from you nicely. Asking politely. But that can change. Perhaps we should have our breakfast with the rest of the group from now on.” I lowered my voice a little as she reached the bottom step and shot her a nasty grin. “Tell me the truth now. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Got a little taste of voyeurism and liked it, didn’t you?”
Pendragon paled. She knew exactly what I was referring to. Only a bastard would mention it. But so be it. I’d be that bastard.
She didn’t stop walking, heading for the door that led to the hall and to the rest of the academy.
“Oh, don’t rush off.” I moved swiftly to block her path. “We haven’t even gone over the new rules yet. For instance, if you want to stay in my house, you need to start showing the proper respect. Kiss the ring, Pendragon.” I held out my hand and showed her the Drakharrow ring I was wearing—a gold dragon eating its own tail. “Come on now, it’s tradition.”
She stepped up to me, her chin lifting. “Respect? What a strange word coming from someone who thinks humiliation is an effective leadership tactic.”
I leaned in slightly. “You have no idea what being under my command really means. But I’d be happy to teach you.”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass,” she said coolly.
The tension between us was as hot as a flame. I could feel the others’ eyes on us. They were eating this up.
But this next part wasn’t for their ears.
“Out,” I barked abruptly, my voice echoing through the large room.
Around us students stopped feeding and leaped to their feet, grabbing books and bags. Laurent hesitated, but I glared at him and he hastily headed for the door.
The thralls were last to go, but they soon scurried out, heading back to their quarters in the tower. When the door shut behind the last of them, I turned back to Pendragon.
“You know, I’ve been patient,” I said. “More patient than you deserve.”
She crossed her arms. “And here I thought you were just biding your time and trying to find a new way to ruin my life.”
I ignored the jab and stepped closer. “Here’s how this is going to work. You’ll stay away from Kage Tanaka. In fact, you’ll stay away from anyone belonging to House Avari entirely.”
She laughed—a short, bitter sound. “You’re serious? What are you going to do if I don’t?”
I growled. “Don’t push me. We have a balance going on right now. But that can all change.”
“Balance? You mean when you take my blood? Right. That’s really balanced. Completely normal. Just your average relationship.” She shook her head angrily. “How about this? I’ll talk to whoever I want to and I’ll go wherever I want to and you’ll stay the fuck away from me except when its little doggy’s feeding time.”
I bristled with rage. “You think this is a fucking joke?”
She sobered. “I don’t think any of this is actually funny, no, if that’s what you’re asking.” She tilted her head. “Have you ever stopped to think about it, Blake? About what this so-called bond is doing to us? Look at you. Trying to control me when you don’t even like me.”
I opened my mouth then closed it again.
“And being forced to feed from me. Why does it have to be like this? Why do we both have to be miserable?”
I snarled. “We don’t have to be. This was your decision.”
“You mean I could have just complied with your demands like a good little consort? Begged to come into your bed, just like Regan used to? No. That was never going to happen. Not when you acted like drinking me was your damned right.” She shook her head almost sadly. “By the gods, look at you. You still don’t even think you’ve done anything wrong, do you?”
I flushed. This wasn’t going quite the way I’d planned.
“What if this bond isn’t even real? Have you considered it? What if it’s just another way for your uncle to pull your strings? If there’s a chance we could end this, wouldn’t you want to? Think of it. We’d be free.” She was staring at me so beseechingly, so eagerly.
Her words hit me like a blow and for a moment I couldn’t even respond. To hear her say the words out loud and to my face—it was almost unbearable.
And then, all I could see was Kage Tanaka–wrapping his arms around her waist as he pulled her from danger. His hands all over her as he danced with her at the ball. His necklace dangling from her slender throat as she walked through the school wearing House Avari colors.
“No,” I said coldly. “I wouldn’t.”
“Then you really are even more of a monster than I gave you credit for, Blake,” she said, her expression turning to disgust. “I don’t know what’s worse. Thinking you’re doing this because you’re too scared of your uncle to do anything else. Or thinking you’re doing this because you actually like torturing me.”
“Oh, it’s the latter. Definitely the latter,” I said coolly.
The door behind us creaked open and Theo’s voice broke the moment. “Medra!”
Theo stepped into the common room, his gaze flickering back and forth between us uncertainly.
“Come on, Medra,” he said, finally, jerking his head towards the door. “Breakfast is waiting. Visha and Florence are already in the refectory.”
I clenched my jaw. Florence Shen. Pendragon’s friend who was now in House Avari.
And Visha Vaidya? She was a Drakharrow through and through. The girl knew better. Hell, I was considering making her my second. Now she’d just jeopardized that.
As for my cousin? Theo was blatantly ignoring what I’d told him to do. We’d have to speak again later.
Pendragon hesitated, her eyes lingering on me for a split second. Then she brushed past, leaving me standing alone in the middle of the room.
No matter what I did, she slipped further and further from my grasp.
And the truth was, it hurt so much I didn’t know whether to hold on tighter–or just let her go.