The Death King (Death #1)

16. Calista

16

CALISTA

When we stepped onto the ramparts to see Khazmuda, his saddle was already packed with our essentials. The weight appeared to be insignificant to him, but it would over-encumber a horse.

I donned the armor gifted to me. A heavy coat was also handed to me, black like Talon’s armor, with a crest of a dragon on the back. Leather gloves were provided, and they protected my hands from the sting of the cold. It was the first time I was leaving the castle, and while I should be excited to finally have a change of scenery, I feared what we were about to do.

Pursuing a wild dragon sounded dangerous. Especially one who had already made his disinterest clear.

Talon looked like a king in his armor and uniform, his cape billowing behind him in the gust of wind that came over the castle walls. His heavy sword was hooked across his broad back, and he looked as dark as the shadows that had just retreated from the sunrise. He approached Khazmuda then looked at me. He beckoned me with a slight nod.

I came to his side beside Khazmuda.

He extended his hand to help me climb the dragon’s flank.

I ignored the offer and climbed up myself, grabbing on to the rope that bound the saddle in place and scaling the mountain until I reached the top. The wind was harsher here, so cold it burned my skin.

Talon climbed up effortlessly then unhooked his blade from his back and slid it into a special compartment on the saddle where he could store his weapon and retrieve it easily. “Ready?”

“Yes.” My arms circled his waist, and I rested my cheek against his back. He was too tall for me to see over his shoulder, so I looked to the right, seeing the guards watching from the battlements.

I’ll be gentle, Pretty.

It’s okay. I can handle it.

I know. But Talon requests it, nonetheless.

Khazmuda opened his wings then launched into the sky. His powerful wings carried his heavy body toward the clouds, covering a vast distance in just a couple seconds.

I instinctively closed my eyes because my stomach dropped. My arms tightened on Talon’s core, and it felt as if I gripped a tree trunk rather than a person.

His arm instinctively moved over mine, and he squeezed my hand…as if to comfort me.

We leveled out a moment later, just below the puffy white clouds. The sunrise was distant and dim, the colors barely splashing the horizon. It was practically dark, most people still warm in their beds.

Once my center of gravity was level with the ground, I loosened my hold on Talon.

He removed his hand from mine.

“How long will it take to get there?”

“A couple hours.”

“Where are we going?”

“The Lonely Forest.”

I’d heard the name before, but I was not acquainted with it. “I think that’s the place with the dangerous marshes.”

“You’re right. You’ll need to be careful.”

“ You ? You mean we .”

“No, I mean you.”

He’d just made me feel warm with his touch, and now I felt slapped. “I can handle myself. Been doing it a long time.”

“And we both know I can handle you better.”

My anger seeped out of my pores. “Want me to shove you out of this saddle?”

“Want to see Khazmuda’s wrath?”

There will be no wrath from me—not when you deserve it.

I smirked. “Guess Khazmuda isn’t that fond of you.”

Talon’s back was to me, so there was no way to distinguish his expression, whether he was angry or amused. “Very few people are.”

It was midday when Khazmuda made his descent into the forest. We were far to the east, infinitely farther in that direction than I’d ever been in my life. To get there by horse would have taken weeks. Despite the beauty of the forest and the fertile soil, it was marred by the unusual marshes that proliferated there. According to legend, they looked shallow on the surface, reflecting the light in a deceptive way. But in truth, they were deep and vicious, and once you made the wrong step, you were sucked into their depths forever.

Khazmuda descended into a clearing and landed lightly on the ground, jerking us forward only slightly. I’ll leave you here and scout the area.

“Alright.” Talon returned his blade to his back then slid down the dragon’s side until he landed on the earth. Then he turned back to me, ready to catch me after I slid down the hard scales.

He hadn’t shown his chivalry when we’d ridden Khazmuda the first time, yet he showed it now. Guess he felt obligated because we were fucking. I should accept it gratefully, but to accept it meant I liked it, and I didn’t want to like it. I slid down just the way he did and refused his hand at the bottom.

He turned away to the saddle like my rejection was inconsequential. He loosened a couple things and let them slide to the ground. “We have what we need. Report what you find.”

Khazmuda took off again, barreling into the sky much quicker than he had when I’d been on his back. He was gone in just a second, disappeared from the tree line that fast. Now, it was just Talon and me.

He grabbed the heavy sacks and hoisted them over his shoulder before he moved into the center of the clearing, as far away from the trees as possible. He dropped everything before he got to work. “Do you know how to build a tent?”

“No.”

“Then let me show you.”

I approached him in the center, seeing him unroll everything like he did this every day. “I’m surprised you know how.”

“Why?” He didn’t look up from his work, pulling out the stakes and canopy.

“Because a king has people do it for him.”

He flattened the material then placed the stakes. “I’m not that kind of king.”

“Just the kind that sends innocent people to the desert to work their hands bloody.”

He hesitated in his work and looked at me. A long stare. A heated one.

I swallowed, knowing I should have kept my mouth shut.

“I never said I was a good king.” He turned away and got back to work.

I watched him put the tent together and hoist it up, making a low ceiling high enough for someone to sit upright. Then he grabbed his axe and moved to the tree line.

I grabbed the bedrolls and unrolled them, setting them up inside the tent side by side. When I heard chopping noises a moment later, I looked over to see him cut into a trunk so deeply that the tree toppled over. Then he started to chop it into pieces, moving and cutting like he knew exactly what he was doing. He left one of the logs intact and dragged it across the dirt toward the campsite, dropping it before he moved back and started gathering the smaller pieces of wood to use for a fire.

I got up and helped him, grabbing another bundle and adding it to his pile.

“Make a fire.” He headed back to the tree to retrieve more.

I looked through our supplies until I found a book of matches. I lit one and tried to catch the wood on fire, but they were soggy from the mist. The woods possessed a dense fog that permeated the area and the sky under a blanket of cold. I’d thought I would never miss that desert sun after spending seven years in it, but now I hated the cold more. That flimsy little tent wouldn’t be enough.

I tried to light the fire again and again, but nothing worked.

Talon returned and dropped the wood into a separate fire. “Let me show you.”

“I’ll get it.” I continued to strike it, going as fast as I could to make the spark.

He stood and watched as I failed hopelessly over and over. “Want to keep trying what doesn’t work or actually learn?”

I threw the matches at him. “Fuck off.”

“You have no wilderness skills—and there’s nothing wrong with that. Take this opportunity to learn. Why is that so hard for you?”

“It’s not.” It was just hard to accept my teacher. I’d never learned these skills because I’d lost my father at fifteen and my mother even younger. My father would have taught me how to take his place once he was gone—but I never got that chance. I was at the mercy of the men I encountered—including the one who took everything away.

He picked up the matches from the ground. “Then can I teach you?”

It was so hard to accept his help. To accept that I needed him. To accept the fact that I was outfitted in beautiful armor and a powerful weapon because he gave them to me. That sex was the most enjoyable thing I’d ever known…and no longer the most heinous thing I’d ever suffered. “Yes.”

“First of all, we need to build a bed for the campfire. If you leave the logs directly on the ground, they’ll absorb the moisture from the soil. Grab a couple rocks.” We broke apart and gathered all the stones we could find before we piled them on the ground. Talon placed the logs on top and then prepared to light the match. “It’s not about the speed of the strike—but the pressure.” He swiped the match across the edge in a smooth glide, and the tip caught a spark. “It’s about the friction.” He tucked the match inside the logs and watched the fire slowly rise until it was ablaze.

I didn’t say thank you. Couldn’t bring myself to do it.

He didn’t seem to expect a display of gratitude because he turned away. He looked up into the trees, the sky gray from the blanket of clouds. Despite the cloud coverage, it was still bright enough to make my eyes wince. “No sign of him.”

“You think he’s still here?”

“Not sure. He may have been passing through…or he calls this place home.”

“It’d be a good place for a dragon to hide, with the overcast skies and the fog.”

“I had the same thought.” He turned back to me. “Are you hungry? I can hunt.”

“No, I’m fine.”

He moved to the log and took a seat, arms on his knees, his cape falling elegantly behind him. His spine was as straight as if he sat on a high-backed throne. His hands came together, and he stared at the fire, immediately lost in thought. For a man used to the luxuries of a king, he fit into the wilderness perfectly.

I moved to the other log he’d brought and sat down. “Where did you learn all this?”

He lifted his chin and looked at me.

“Make a fire, hunt, fell a tree…stuff like that.”

He watched me for a while as his eyes glazed over. Then he looked at the fire once more. “My father. He said a king should be able to stand on his own two feet with nothing, that it’s not the crown that grants him power, but who he is as a man. I didn’t want to learn his teachings, would resist him every time he tried, but he dragged me from the castle into the wilderness for days at a time. I resented him for it. But then one day, my world changed…and I’d be dead right now without everything he taught me.”

It was the first time he’d told me something so personal, and I squeezed those words like a sponge, desperate to savor every drop. “You’re a descendant of kings.”

He stared at the fire. “Yes.”

I wanted to know more. To know everything. But I was afraid to push him too far. “Where is home to you?”

“South—across the Northern Sea.”

“How far away?”

“Very, very far away. The journey by boat lasts months.”

“And how did you end up here?”

He stared at the fire, the silence falling.

I could tell by his energy that the conversation was over, that he’d shared as much as he was willing.

I looked at the fire too, feeling the cold air against my neck, smelling the drops of moisture with every breath. It was a different kind of cold than I’d felt at the castle. It was dry there, but here, it was humid, like the humidity after a warm shower…except it was cold.

“Do you eat bear?”

My head slowly turned back to him at the question. “Sorry?”

“Is bear okay for dinner? That’s what Khazmuda prefers to hunt.”

“I—I guess that’s fine.”

He turned back to the fire, his handsome features hard in consternation.

I watched him, knowing he had no knowledge of my stare, too lost in his own thoughts.

Khazmuda swooped down from the black sky and landed with a heavy thud. Inside his massive jaws was a bear, and he dropped its carcass on the ground. Hurry. I’m hungry.

Talon left the log and got to work dressing the bear so the meat could be cooked over the fire.

“Can you hear him when I hear him?” I asked, watching Talon work with the blade.

“Yes,” he said without taking his eyes off the carcass.

“So, that’s normal?”

“We both have the gift, so it makes sense.” He addressed Khazmuda next. “No luck?”

I didn’t spot his fiery scales, but I felt his mind.

“Felt his mind?” I asked.

Dragons speak with their minds, so we can feel each other’s minds. He’s here, but he doesn’t want to be found. For a dragon so mighty, his presence should feel like a behemoth, which means he’s trying to close it off to me.

“That means he knows who you are,” Talon said. “I doubt he would shut his mind to another free dragon.”

Perhaps. Or perhaps he prefers solitude.

Talon finished his work and placed the slices of meat on the skewer before he set it over the fire. There was far too much meat for the two of us, so the rest must be for Khazmuda. Talon walked to the bucket and washed his hands clean before he sat on the log and stared at the meat as it started to bubble in the heat.

The fire was bright and warm, but it wasn’t enough to stave off the cold. I could feel it pierce my clothes like tiny daggers, pricking me everywhere and releasing my heat. I hadn’t wanted to be at the castle when I’d arrived there, but now, I would give anything to go back. A luxurious life had made me soft.

Talon turned the spit to evenly cook the meat. The juices started to splash onto the rocks.

Have you had bear?

“Uh, no,” I said.

You’re in for a treat.

I didn’t want to eat bear, but I was in no place to expect more. I didn’t know how to hunt, and with the deadly marshes around, I couldn’t go off and gather berries. This was my only option.

“It’s better than it sounds,” Talon said to me.

“I’d rather eat bear out here than a gourmet dinner with General Titan, so…” It was the first time I truly felt grateful to be with Talon rather than disappointed. His treatment had slowly made me come back to life.

Talon stared at me across the fire, his eyes rising in intensity.

I looked away and immediately regretted what I’d said.

The world was so quiet. Just the hoot of a distant owl and the crackle of the dying fire. The fog had thickened around us so the firelight reflected back to us, made our surroundings even more obscure.

If I were alone, I’d be scared shitless.

But Talon seemed unfazed by the circumstances. Completely unbothered by the inconvenience of outdoor living. If anything, he seemed more in his element, like what he craved above all was to be alone. Just him and his dragon in the middle of nowhere.

My ass was frozen solid on the log, so I went into the tent and crawled into my bedroll. It zipped on the sides, so I closed it up to my neck, keeping everything but my head tucked inside the fleece. A day of traveling and shaking had left me exhausted, but I didn’t drift off, not when I was still so cold.

Talon entered the tent a moment later. He grabbed his bedroll and started to drag it out.

“What are you doing?” Light from the campfire came into the tent and brightened the corners.

“I prefer to sleep outside.”

“It’s freezing.”

“It’s fine.” He dragged it the rest of the way.

“You prefer to sleep outside, or you just won’t sleep with me?”

He stilled before he exited the tent completely.

I unzipped my bedroll and crawled through the flap.

He had his bedroll on the ground beside the fire, out in the open, right in the fog.

“This is about survival, Talon. It’ll be warmer if we’re both in the tent with the flap closed.”

“I already told you my stance on this.”

“Well, it’s a stupid stance.”

He moved to his knees on the bedroll and prepared to get inside it.

“Why?”

He got into it and lay on his back, looking up at the black sky.

“At least let me sleep out here, then. Doesn’t seem fair for me to have the tent when you’re the one who put it together.”

“I’m fine.”

“Talon—”

“You need it more than I do.”

“Look, I’m fucking freezing, and it would be nice to have another body in there?—”

“I’m not going to repeat myself.” He sat up, arms on his knees, and he gave me an angry stare. “I sleep alone. End of story. Now, get your ass back in the tent and go to sleep.”

“We wouldn’t be sleeping together?—”

His stare was enough to shut me right up. It was the most terrifying look he’d ever given me.

I turned back to the tent and crawled inside. I closed the flap behind me and got back into the bedroll, but it was freezing cold. Even when I ducked my head inside it to trap my breath, it was like ice. I closed my eyes and waited for it to warm up, waited for the feeling to move to my extremities, but it never came.

I just lay there, cold and tired and alone.

“Get up.”

I heard his voice, sounding distant, like a dream.

“Calista.”

I couldn’t open my eyes. It felt impossible.

“I said, get up.”

My body shook as he jerked me. “I…” I felt my body shiver again, the same shaking I’d experienced all night long.

His voice was less forceful now. “Calista.” His hand went to my neck—and his touch felt like fire. A piece of firewood that had been pulled from the flames and branded into my skin. But it didn’t hurt. It felt incredible.

Pretty?

Yes?

Then I heard Talon’s voice, but it wasn’t spoken out loud, but spoken into my mind. I need you to get up, Calista.

I—I can’t.

Her pulse is weak.

She must be hypothermic.

His hands started to touch me in whatever places he could access. She’s ice. He unzipped the bedroll and started to pull off the pieces of armor and the clothes underneath.

Seemed counterintuitive to my needs but I was too weak to protest.

I’ll warm her up. You search for Inferno.

I won’t leave Pretty when she’s like this.

There’s nothing you can do. It’ll take hours. Now go.

There was no further argument.

I lay there, feeling the cold from being in nothing but my underwear. Moments later, his body joined mine in the bedroll. His skin was white-hot to the touch, and I could feel it everywhere…because he was naked.

He sealed the bedroll closed, our bodies enveloped in the fleece and the warmth generated from his body.

I was out of it, aware enough to know my surroundings but too weak to shake it. But I could feel the warmth, the first touch of it since we’d left the castle. It was like sitting right in front of the fire in a cozy room. I could even see the light through my eyelids, see something golden.

His arms circled my body and guided me close, letting me absorb his heat through touch.

It felt so good I could cry.

I could actually feel again.

“Calista?”

I lay there.

“Say something, please.”

It took all my energy to break through the fog, to find the ability to speak. “I…” It was the most I could muster.

He breathed a sigh of relief. “You’ll feel better soon.”

“I—I’m sorry I—I’m so weak…”

There was a long pause, a stretch of silence. “You aren’t weak, Calista. Far from it.”

When I woke up, I was sweaty.

My eyes opened, and I was aware of how hot I was, the sweat that clung to my skin. I could see Talon’s hard chest right against my face, his hard stomach below. His head was above the covers, so I pulled back the bedroll so I could breathe air that wasn’t so heavy and humid.

His eyes immediately went to me, alert and focused, like he hadn’t napped while he’d lain with me for who knew how long.

“What time is it?”

“Almost dark.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

He studied me. “You feel better?”

I nodded. “I’m not shivering anymore.”

“I didn’t realize you were so cold.”

“Well, I’ve lived the last seven years in the desert. My body isn’t used to it.”

He moved out of the bedroll and started to dress. “Hungry? Khazmuda caught you something.”

“It’s not bear, is it?”

He grinned. “No.”

“Then I’ll take it.”

“I’ll be back.” He left and closed the tent flap to keep it warm. Then I heard his voice as he spoke to Khazmuda out loud. “It’s too cold. She won’t be able to survive out here…” There was a pause, and then he spoke again. “I can’t do that. You know I can’t.”

I’d give anything to be a part of that conversation.

Talon returned minutes later with a plate of food. “Here.”

I sat up and took it, eating with the fork he’d packed.

He sat on the other side of the tent, his arms on his knees.

“So, what happened with Khazmuda?”

“He thinks he’s narrowed down the location of Inferno’s mind. First thing in the morning, we’ll travel to his location and make camp there. We’ll approach on foot and home in on his exact spot. He’s probably in a cave, somewhere warm.”

“You think he’d let me stay in that cave?”

He smirked. “Maybe—if he likes you.”

“Well, you don’t like me…”

“But Khazmuda does,” he said. “And you know I like you.” His smile faded, and his stare hardened.

I held his stare, feeling the same warmth he gave when he pressed up against me. When the look became too much, I stared at my food instead. “I’m sorry I’m not cut out for this adventure.”

“Most people aren’t.”

“So, what are we going to do about tonight?” If I slept in that tent alone, the same thing would happen.

“You’re going to sleep with Khazmuda. He’ll wrap his body around you and heat his scales with the fire in his belly. That’ll definitely keep you warm.”

I stilled at the statement, no longer thinking about the food he’d prepared for me. “You really don’t want to sleep with me that badly?”

Whatever affection he had in his eyes died away. “I already told you it’s not personal.”

“What do you think’s going to happen?” I asked. “That I’ll cut your throat in your sleep? Tie me up if you want.”

He looked at his hands as his eyes hardened. “That doesn’t worry me.”

“Then what does?”

“You’re offended.”

“Damn right, I’m offended,” I said. “You’ll fuck me, ask me to fight with you, but sleeping with me is just out of the question.”

His eyes remained down.

“Why?” I pressed.

“The reason you’re offended is the very reason I don’t want to do it.” His eyes lifted to mine.

I stared back blankly. “I—I don’t understand.”

“You’re asking for intimacy, and that’s something I won’t give to anyone.”

“I’m not asking for a marriage proposal or something serious?—”

“Let me put it into terms that you’ll understand.” Anger simmered within his gaze, a quiet rage that he restrained. “Since the moment we met, I’ve given you a choice. Nothing happens unless you want it. If you ever tell me to stop, I stop. I listen. You don’t need to tell me what happened to you to earn that respect from me. So now I’m telling you—stop.” His eyes showed the depths of his emotion, of his pain mixed with fury. “I don’t want to do it, so stop asking me.”

He’d turned the tables on me, and now I felt like shit. “Could you tell me why?—”

“I don’t owe you an explanation. I don’t have to justify my feelings.”

“I’m not asking you to explain yourself. I just want to hear your story…because I care for you.”

He severed eye contact, and this time, it was permanent. He moved to leave the tent.

“Talon, I’m sorry.”

He didn’t flinch in his departure. The flap closed—and he was gone.

We didn’t speak for the rest of the day, and when night came, he carried my bedroll to Khazmuda and placed it on the ground. He walked off without saying a word, taking his bedroll and dragging it inside the tent where he would sleep alone. The flap closed and it went quiet. The fire in the center of camp continued to burn, growing dimmer as the wood turned to ash.

I got into the bedroll on the cold ground, the air painful on my legs.

Then Khazmuda circled me, his snout toward his tail the way a dog slept, and his large wing covered the dark sky and sealed me in darkness.

A couple moments later, I felt it. The heat.

I slept close to his belly, so I reached my hand out to feel the smooth scales, to feel the warmth that immediately prickled my palm. It was like sleeping in front of a fire, but without the flames and the smoke. It was just as warm as it’d been in Talon’s arms.

Is this okay?

Yes…I feel like I’m inside the castle in front of the fire.

Good. We fixed one problem, but now we have the other.

What do you mean?

I made you warm. But now you’re sad.

Why do you think I’m sad?

Because I can feel it.

I turned on my side and stared into the darkness, unable to differentiate anything in this abyss.

May I ask what happened?

I knew Talon would tell him in the morning. I wanted Talon to sleep with me, but he got upset. Said he’s always respected my boundaries, and I’m doing a shitty job respecting his. I—I didn’t mean to make him feel that way.

Khazmuda didn’t speak for a while. Talon has his ways.

I just wish he would tell me why. He knows everything about me.

Not everything. Not how your paths have crossed. The question hung in the air, Khazmuda leaving it up to me to acknowledge it.

I decided not to. He knows everything about me…physically and romantically. I know we aren’t friends. We aren’t lovers. I’m not even sure what we are. But I thought we were close enough for him to share.

Talon can’t express his emotions the way you and I can.

Why?

Because he’s repressed them all. They’re locked up in a cage, and he’s thrown away the key. Even when he’s sitting still in a chair, his mind is chasing itself in an endless loop. He can’t outrun it, but he continues to try.

My heart suddenly gave a dull ache.

You feel for him.

I don’t know why I care for him, but I do. He only gives me threads of himself, and I’m desperate for the seam.

I told him to confide in you many times.

Why won’t he?

You relive any story that you tell—and it’s too hard to relive this one. It’s the reason he pushes on relentlessly, his entire purpose of being, but it’s also the very thing that makes him pray for death.

My heart gave another tug.

I told him he needs to share this with you. If he refuses, then I’ll take up this burden.

Why do you want me to know?

Khazmuda was quiet again . You’ll understand who he is—and care for him even more .

I woke up the next morning to a cold draft against my face.

Khazmuda removed his wing as my ceiling, and then sunlight and a chill swept into my warm den. I cringed as I woke up, never wanting the heat to disappear. Now, I would have to return to the land of cold and Talon’s even colder demeanor.

How’d you sleep, Pretty?

Great. I don’t want it to end.

Talon says we need to get moving.

Well, thanks for letting me stay with you. You kept me alive.

My pleasure, Pretty.

You can call me Calista.

I prefer Pretty. It suits you better.

A dragon made my cheeks blush. Well…thanks.

He bent his neck down and gave me a gentle rub of his cheek before he straightened and stepped away.

Who knew a bloodthirsty, fire-breathing dragon could be so affectionate. A lot more affectionate than the man he’d chosen to fuse with. I got up and rolled up my bed before I returned to the campsite.

Talon already had everything packed and ready to go. He seemed to have let me sleep as long as he could. He carried everything to the saddle and secured it in place, not looking at me or acknowledging me.

Guess he was still mad. “Morning.”

He continued to ignore me.

Yep. Still mad . “I said I was sorry, and I meant it.”

He stilled then turned to me, his eyes finally looking at mine for the first time.

“I’d love it if we could be friends again.”

“You think we’re friends?”

“I don’t know how else to describe us.”

He turned to me and came closer. “I’m not sure either, but we definitely aren’t friends.”

“Well…can we try to be that?”

His dark eyes flicked back and forth between mine. “Yes. Let’s go.” He climbed up the saddle first instead of staying behind to help me.

I climbed up next, and when I reached the top, his arm was extended to me. This time, I took it and let him pull me the rest of the way into the saddle. I sat behind him, circled my arms around his waist, and got my cheek in place. His smell swept over me, and I was instantly reminded of sleeping in his arms, feeling hot like the sun, his gentle breaths as a lullaby.

That peaceful memory was shattered when Khazmuda took flight and jumped to the sky. My hair was whipped behind me, and my eyes clenched shut as the cold made them sting. We were above the tree line in just a second, and then Khazmuda began to glide.

My hold loosened on Talon’s torso.

“You’ll get used to it,” Talon said as he looked ahead.

“I’m not sure if I’ll ever get used to this.”

We glided over the trees of the gloomy forest, flying through the fog that never seemed to dissipate. The rest of the world vanished in the cold density. It really was the perfect place for a powerful dragon to hide from prying eyes.

We flew for half an hour before Khazmuda started to dip farther, getting ready to make his landing.

“Keep an eye out for the marshes,” Talon said.

Khazmuda came down and made a hard landing on solid ground.

We were in another clearing, this one smaller than the last, and we climbed down and began to unload our things.

I looked around, peering through the trees as if I might spot the dragon with my own eyes.

Talon barked an order to me like I was one of his servants. “Make a fire.”

I gathered the rocks like he told me and made a pile just outside of where he constructed the tent. Then I stepped into the woods and picked up fallen tree branches because I wasn’t going to cut one like a lumberjack. I carried everything back and dropped it on top of the rocks before I reached for the matches. The first strike was unsuccessful, but I applied more pressure during the second strike and the match lit. A low flame burned at the end, and I tucked it inside the logs, watching the small fire turn into a big one. “I did it.”

Good job . Khazmuda placed a large trunk on the ground against the fire, a place for us to sit.

Talon finished constructing the tent before he hooked his sword across his back. “I’m going to scout the area.” He stepped away into the tree line, and within a couple seconds, he disappeared from view.

Khazmuda placed the other log on the other side.

“Scout the area for what?”

Threats .

“But couldn’t you see from above?”

The fog is very dense, and one can never be too careful. When you’re this close to the mountain, who knows what you might run into.

“Can you still feel the dragon’s mind?”

Yes. It’s a distant haze. He’s trying very hard to deflect me.

“Can you say something to him?”

Not when his mind is closed off like this. The closer I get, the easier it’ll become to break through his defenses. But I’m wary of doing that because it’s very rude.

“Rude?”

It would be like someone walking through your front door after you chose not to answer. Very rude.

“Then you think this is the best way to go about this.”

I don’t see another option.

“It just seems like a bad idea to force someone to talk who doesn’t want to talk. And then to ask them for a huge favor…”

Perhaps he’ll feel differently once he realizes we mean him no harm. We’ve spoken to him before, so he understands we aren’t a threat to him. If he refuses to help us, we wouldn’t share his location with anyone. We wouldn’t force him to serve.

“Can you even force a dragon?”

Yes—with dark magic.

I remembered Talon mentioning that before. It was different from the source of his power as a necromancer. “How does dark magic work?”

Shamans use it to break in to a dragon’s mind and force them to yield.

“Shamans?”

Vile creatures.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

Because they don’t occupy these lands—thankfully.

Even though I wasn’t a target of the shamans, I felt a shiver anyway. To have your mind stolen from you for nefarious purposes was disturbing.

Inferno knows we’re the good guys.

“The good guys?” I couldn’t restrain the scoff.

We mean no harm to dragons and wish to free those in captivity, is what I mean.

“And the way to do that is by putting innocent people in captivity… Got it.”

Khazmuda stared at me, his dark eyes devoid of expression.

I’d said what I said and wouldn’t take it back. I stood my ground—for better or worse.

Talon returned to the clearing, his cape lifting in the breeze that blew through. “The mountain is surrounded by marshes, which makes a mountain cave a good choice for a home. That must be where he resides. We just have to find the cave.”

“Should be hard to miss, right?” I asked. “If it’s big enough for a dragon.”

“Khazmuda, the fog should start to burn off in an hour. Glide around the mountain and search for the cave. Whatever you do, don’t land.”

I understand. Khazmuda stepped away then opened his wings to take off. He launched into the sky and disappeared.

Talon watched him, and his eyes remained on the sky long after he was gone—like he was listening. And then he looked right at me.

I knew Khazmuda had just told him about our conversation.

I felt guilty for angering Talon last night, but that anger had evaporated in light of that conversation. Now, I was angry again, hearing someone justify doing bad things for the right reasons when it suited them.

I turned away and sat on one of the logs, my stomach hungry for breakfast but my pride too strong to admit it. I didn’t know how to hunt, so the only food I received was whatever Talon and Khazmuda provided.

Talon sat on the other log a moment later, directly across from me, with the fire between us. He stared at me through the flames before his gaze shifted away. He seemed lost in thought, his consternation heavy. Then he broke the silence with his deep voice. “You’re right.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, the chill seeping through my clothes and penetrating my skin.

“Arid Sands diggers will now be paid volunteers. No more prisoners.”

I stared at the fire.

“Rape will be illegal throughout these lands. Any soldier who breaks this law will be put to death. Any soldier who reports the crimes of another will be handsomely rewarded.”

I kept my eyes on the flames.

“I thought this would please you.”

I raised my gaze and looked at him. “You should do it because it’s the right thing to do—not to please me.”

“It is the right thing to do, but you’ve helped me see that.”

“It wasn’t hard to see in the first place.”

His eyes gave a hint of anger. “I don’t expect gratitude, but I don’t expect anger either?—”

“It doesn’t take back the time I lost. It doesn’t take back my innocence. There’s nothing you could ever do to right those wrongs. So yes, I’ll always be angry.”

He stared at me, his eyes hard and unblinking.

“I respect you more as an unapologetic villain who takes what he wants with no regard for anyone else than someone who believes they’re a hero.”

“I don’t think that…trust me.”

I stared at the fire again.

“I’ve justified the terrible things I’ve done because they were done to me first.”

My eyes lifted once again. The world was suddenly mute. The fire didn’t make a sound.

“The body can only tolerate so much before it shuts down. I shut down a long time ago—and haven’t felt a damn thing since. I lack empathy. I lack understanding. I will use everyone and anyone for my own gains—just as I was used.”

“Tell me what happened to you.” I knew it was coming. Could feel the dawn chase dusk. Could feel summer cool to fall.

His eyes stayed on the fire for a long time. “It’s a long and harrowing tale…”

“I’ll hang on to every word, no matter how long it is.”

Silence passed as he stared at the fire. Seconds turned to minutes. His expression was devoid of emotion as he gathered his thoughts. “I come from a long line of honorable kings—and my father was the most honorable of all. He ruled the Southern Isles with both power and empathy. The people loved him because his rulings were always fair and just. If he sentenced a man to death, he did the beheading himself. I admired him so much that it was an honor to stand in his shadow.” He turned quiet, his eyes not blinking, his gaze locked on the fire. “My home is different from how it is here. Vibrant and warm, never hot like the Arid Sands and never cold like the castle I now call home. I’ve made love to women in the sand as the sun set over the waves. I’ve walked through the vineyards and ate grapes straight off the vine. I’ve seen flowers bloom all year. It’s a place so beautiful, I wish I didn’t remember it…because I’m afraid it’ll never be mine again…”

He trailed off once again, unable to make eye contact with me. “This is where the story gets complicated. According to legend, my great-grandfather had two sons. The oldest is my grandfather, and the younger brother is a great-uncle. My grandfather had fallen deadly ill one summer night and collapsed at a feast. He was taken to his chambers, and his skin was so pale that the doctor said he wouldn’t survive. It was declared that my great-uncle would become king once my great-grandfather had passed since he had no other sons to inherit the throne. But my great-grandfather journeyed to the free dragons and begged for their magic to save his son. After much deliberation, the dragons agreed—and that was the first fuse.”

I had questions, but I knew better than to ask them.

“My grandfather fused with the dragon, and his life was spared. He fully recovered, and once my great-grandfather passed, he ascended to the throne. But my great-uncle was vehemently displeased by this. Believed the throne should belong to him and his heirs because my grandfather didn’t survive by his own means. The resentment and entitlement have passed through the generations, creating a quiet hostility that’s lingered into permanence. My father, an inherent optimist, extended more olive branches than I can count, always tried to deepen those relationships rather than let them fall apart completely. He chose to see the good in people, which made him a great king, but that also made him blind to truth…which made him a bad one.”

I was mesmerized by this story, slowly seeing Talon change right before my eyes.

“I overheard Uncle Barron speak a few insults about my father. My intuition felt more than resentment, but danger. Deep in my gut, I knew there was more than anger between us. It was hate, and I could feel it. I warned my father, told him I’d spotted Uncle Barron and his sons in places they shouldn’t be, but he never heeded my warnings.” Now he closed his eyes, like continuing forward was too much to bear.

I waited, hoping for more but would never ask for it.

“Uncle Barron and his family staged a coup. They laid down their plans like roots in a forest. They forged an alliance with the shamans, took control of the dragons we lived alongside peacefully, and took the throne directly for my uncle. My father was burned to death. So was my mother. So was my entire family…” He bowed his head and looked at the soil beneath his boots, his breaths elevated like he would collapse under the weight of the grief. “It would have been me too, but I had the gift.”

I felt my eyes smart from his tale, the sight of despair making my chest tight in sorrow.

“Khazmuda was strong enough to resist the shamans. He felt my mind—and he saved me. He took me before they could burn me too. But after watching every person I love succumb to a horrible death…there wasn’t much to save.” His eyes remained down. “We fled. Khazmuda flew hard, eventually shaking the dragons from our trail. We ended up in a land far, far away. When he dropped me to the ground, I didn’t get up again.” His voice trailed off, and the silence entered the clearing. He lifted his eyes to the fire but not an inch farther. A sheen was in his gaze, but it wasn’t thick enough to form tears.

I was stunned into silence. Couldn’t even say I was sorry. I was too horrified to say anything at all.

When I thought he wouldn’t say anything else, he spoke again. “Khazmuda asked me to help his brethren, to avenge my family and take back the throne. I said no. He pleaded with me…and I said no. Nothing he said would change my mind. I’d decided I wanted to die, and he couldn’t talk me out of it.”

My eyes watered further, knowing exactly how that felt.

“A lot happened in those twenty years. Khazmuda and I went our separate ways. I was taken prisoner by pirates. I visited lands I’d never heard of. Met people I hadn’t believed existed. The pain subsided and the numbness came…and then Khazmuda and I conquered your lands to control your armies. We intend to take back the Southern Isles and free the dragons who have been enslaved—once I believe we have a chance to win.” Silence returned, and he stared at the fire. Then he lifted his chin to look at me, his emotion replaced by a resurgence of anger. “Our chances got better when I met you.”

My breathing was labored, but I wasn’t sure when that started. The pain he felt suddenly became my own. I could feel it as if it had happened to me, could feel the flames burn my skin as if I were the one tied to the stake. “I’m—I’m sorry.” The words felt hollow because they were meaningless in light of his suffering.

His eyes dropped again, and he turned quiet.

I expected nothing more from him.

But then he looked at me again and stared, his eyes intense the way they were when we were alone together. “I’m sorry too.”

Khazmuda landed in the clearing, an elk in his jaws. Couldn’t find the cave. Fog was too thick . He dropped his kill to the ground for Talon to dress. I’ll try again tomorrow.

Talon unsheathed his knife and got to work, expertly dressing the animal and preparing it for the fire.

I helped, skewering chunks of meat and placing them on a stick.

We worked together in silence, and then I placed the spit over the fire so the meat could cook on the inside and char on the outside.

Khazmuda lay on the ground with his chin resting on his talons, like a dog waiting for his dinner.

We sat in silence and waited for the meat to cook.

I was tired of a carnivorous diet and missed bread, pasta, fruit, and vegetables but I knew those weren’t an option, so I stopped myself from thinking about it. It would only make my stomach gnaw harder.

He told you.

My eyes lifted to Khazmuda. Talon was leaning against the log as he cleaned his blade, unaware of the conversation. Yes.

I’m sure it was hard to hear.

It was.

I hope one day I have the pleasure of burning Barron alive.

I hope so too.

The dragons had lived peacefully with Talon’s people for generations. Even as their population grew, they never felt like a threat. We stuck to our lands, and they stuck to theirs. At any time, we could have burned their kingdom to the ground, but we foolishly thought men were good. Learned that only some men are good…and the rest are easily corrupted.

I’m sorry for what happened to your kin.

As am I. It haunts me every day. The guilt consumes me…that I escaped and they did not.

Why is your mind different?

I don’t have that answer. The shamans tried to break through my mind, but as hard as they fought, I fought harder. I escaped—and burned a few on the way. I felt Talon’s mind like a beacon because his distress was so profound. There was no time to think, only act, and I took him before I fled. I’m grateful I did because enduring this alone would have simply been too much. No one understands my sorrow the way he does. He’s my other half—even if he’s not a dragon. I would give my life for his. And I know he would do the same for me.

That’s beautiful.

I hope Inferno will agree to the fuse—and you’ll both fight for us.

I didn’t realize I had a choice.

Like Talon has already said, you always have a choice.

I turned my gaze to the fire but still felt his stare on my face.

I let the request hang in the air.

Talon finished cleaning his blade before he sheathed it. Then he wordlessly went into the tent and disappeared behind the flap.

I sat there with Khazmuda, feeling the fatigue from the day even though I hadn’t moved much. The cold was right up against my skin despite my armor and clothes. The only thing that stopped the shiver was knowing I had a warm bed tonight.

Join me.

I didn’t react to his words, but they were jarring. I was used to hearing Khazmuda’s voice in my head, not Talon’s.

Khazmuda stepped away at that moment, like Talon had asked for privacy. He moved twenty feet away and curled up to go to sleep.

I left the campfire and stepped behind the flap of the tent.

Talon was already undressed, his chest bare above the top of the bedroll. His head was propped slightly up by resting on his arm, and he looked at me with the stare I hadn’t seen since we were in the castle. He didn’t say a word but somehow issued a command.

I removed every piece of armor and let it drop to the floor before I started on the clothing underneath.

He watched the entire time, watched me without breathing.

All that was left was my panties, and I pulled those off my hips.

He looked me over shamelessly, focusing on my sex like he liked the way I shaved. He pulled back the cover of his bedroll and silently beckoned me to join him.

I dropped to my knees then got into the bedroll beside him, immediately enveloped in his body heat. Before I had a chance to get comfortable, he was on me, guiding my head to where his had been a moment ago. His heavy body was like a thick blanket, searing me with warmth that made my tight muscles relax. His knees worked to separate my thighs as he dipped his head and kissed me.

This kiss was…different. Slow and purposeful, passionate rather than desperate, his mouth feeling my lips like he wanted to memorize the way they felt. He tilted his head and kissed me again, stealing my breath away. His nose brushed against mine as he turned, and I felt the heat seep into my bones and make me boil. A single kiss had ignited me, had made me desperate for him, when I’d been too cold, hungry, and miserable to feel anything at all.

My fingers dived into the back of his hair as my thighs widened to accommodate him, and I anchored him against me with my ankles. When my palm pressed against his shoulder, I felt the burn from his skin. As I touched him, it felt like the first time I was really feeling him. My heart had softened from his tale, pitying him rather than hating him, feeling a connection between us that hadn’t been there before. I knew how it felt to want to end my life—and he knew how that felt too.

He made me feel alive, and I wondered if I made him feel the same way.

He guided himself inside me and sank smoothly, my body ready to take his because he’d made me weak from the first kiss. He moaned against my mouth but didn’t break our kiss. He pulled my bottom lip into his mouth and issued a gentle bite before he gave me his tongue. He rocked slowly like there was no rush to finish since the journey to the top felt just as good as the moment we reached the summit of the mountain.

My ankles squeezed against his back and pulled him hard into me, wanting to feel every inch even when it hurt to feel it all at once. My hand left his hair and moved down his back, following the grooves of muscle that hugged his spine. My nails dug deep before I grabbed his ass and tugged, wanting more of him even though there was nothing left to give.

His kiss turned hungry, giving me his tongue and breathing hard into my mouth as his hips rocked a little harder. Except for the sound of our brushing lips and our gentle moans, it was quiet, the world silent around us.

I’d never felt safer than I did buried underneath him, his body a mountain that shielded me from the wind and the storms. It was all muscle and strength and heat. He continued to kiss me while he rocked into me, our bodies more in sync than they’d ever been.

He said he didn’t want to be intimate with me, but if this wasn’t intimate, then I didn’t know what was.

I knew I was about to hit my threshold. It’d been building since the moment he kissed me. Every muscle in my body had slowly been tightening, preparing my body for the shake that would ripple through every inch of me. With every thrust, it built higher and higher, and then it hit a tumultuous level that made me break.

I came around him with an unrestrained moan, crying against his mouth because it felt so good, it made my heels dig into his back. My nails sank into his hard flesh, and I panted against his mouth. “Talon…” I’d never dreamed of sex before, never fantasized about it or craved it. Never imagined I would whisper a lover’s name as he took me to a state of pure bliss. But now I had, and it was the best thing.

“Fuck, baby. When you say my name…”

My fingers dug into his ass, and I pulled him deeper. “Talon…”

He growled against my mouth and rested his face just above mine, his thrusts becoming deeper and harder.

I was fully absorbed in the throes of passion with this man, so connected to him I felt like a single entity. “Talon…”

He thrust harder, giving me all of his dick despite my winces. “Here it comes…”

“Give it to me, Talon.”

“Fuck…” His face tinted red, the vein in his forehead popped, and then he made his final pumps quickly before his hips flexed for release. He gave a ferocious moan as he filled me, all the muscles in his body rigid and tight. A shiver ran up his spine, and he moaned again, his seed so heavy I could feel it.

My hand cupped the back of his head, and I directed his face into my neck, my ankles still locked together at his ass, feeling his dick remain hard inside me.

He breathed against me before he raised his head above mine. Then he kissed me again, kissed me like we were starting from the beginning. His hips started to rock, and his hard dick slid through the slickness we’d both released. “Want another, baby?”

“Yes.” My fingers dug into the back of his hair again. “Please.”

His thrusts immediately increased. “Fuck, baby…”