Chapter Four
King Raventar's head jerked toward the door, and his stare shot to the Hulfrin man who had just entered the room.
I turned toward him as well. Bara had been a Hulfrin, and now the race, with their striped fur and feline features, made me uncomfortable.
The claws, the fangs, the muzzle. It all read as cruel in my eyes now.
But this Hulfrin was from Katai, and I recognized him.
He had been one of Bara's men. This was the man who had offered to protect me to make up for what he'd done.
I rejected his offer, but I also forgave him.
It wasn't his fault. He had been bound to Bara with a slave ribbon just like me.
I knew how impossible it was to disobey Bara when he had you bound.
The crimes he committed were Bara's, not his.
Dracal reached the foot of the dais, and then, as if he could sense me watching him, he met my gaze. Then he went still. I inclined my head to him. Even though he stood before the King and should have bowed to him, he turned to face me fully and bowed to me instead.
Everyone in the room looked my way, including the King.
Dracal quickly bowed to the King next. “Greetings, King Raventar of Tabaa. I come with a letter from Lord Katai Gral. He bid me hand it to you personally.” He stepped closer and extended a letter to the King.
“Katai sent you?” The King took the letter.
I went still, a horrible ache in my stomach.
There was a look on the King's face that I knew well.
He had looked upon me with a version of it often enough.
Though his desire had always been restrained where I was concerned.
Not with Katai. One mention of his name, and the King's lust broke free.
And that was when I knew I had to leave much sooner than I had hoped, even if the King didn't ask me to go.
It hurt too much to see the King's interest in another man, especially a man I deeply respected and trusted.
The King couldn't have Katai. He was already mated to a Dragon.
But that doesn't stop desire, does it? Or the pain of seeing that desire on the face of a man I could have loved.
Katai's voice slid through my memories. “Eliel, King Raventar will protect you. There is no safer place for you to be than in the Royal Palace. Please trust me.”
I had trusted Katai then, and I trusted him now. But he was wrong. The Royal Palace wasn't safe for me anymore.
Shivering so badly that I had to clench my jaw to keep my teeth from clicking, I watched His Majesty open the letter and read it.
King Raventar nodded, folded the letter, and handed it to the Deldin. “Give Katai my thanks for the message. I'm relieved that he has found Bara's accomplice and administered justice.”
Katai found the Spider? Of course, he had. He was a hero. A real hero—cunning, powerful, and bold. He had probably stormed the weaver's home, killed them, and freed everyone the Spider had in their web. That's what he does. Katai saves people. While I just looked pretty.
An ache shot through me. I wanted to be like him.
Useful. Heroic. A savior. But I didn't know how.
I had no fighting skills. That became very apparent when I returned to kill Bara.
It took Bara under thirty seconds to restrain me and bind me again.
Then he had taken his time beating me for trying to escape him.
That's when he had broken my wing. A grounded Lelurra was a sad thing indeed.
I glanced at the silver brace on my wing.
Yup, I was useless. A pretty thing to put on display and fuck when you feel like it.
I wasn't witty enough to offer interesting conversation or strong enough to defend myself, much less save anyone.
All I had was my looks and maybe my voice.
But what did that make me? A pretty bird to put in a cage and listen to it sing.
“My lord Katai wishes to know if you have found any other victims of Bara's evil,” Dracal said. He glanced at me. “And he inquires about Eliel's wellbeing.”
I flushed when all the attention went to me again. Katai was concerned about me? He truly was a wonderful man.
“Tell your lord that we are still searching for Bara's customers. I have a lead I'm following today, in fact. And as for Eliel, as you can see, he is doing well.” The King waved a hand toward me.
“Yes, he looks well.” Dracal glanced at me. “If Your Majesty wouldn't mind, I'd like to speak with him and inquire after his health personally.”
The Dragon King's face twitched. “You may. But you shall do so in my presence.” He motioned toward the herald at the door. “Is that everyone?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” The herald bowed. “There are no more petitioners for today.”
“Very good. Thank you for your attendance.” The King strode down from his dais and prowled over to me, not even glancing at the Hulfrin to see if he followed.
He did.
As the men approached me, three of the King's knights stepped into place behind him. I lowered my gaze when the King stopped before me.
“Eliel?” King Raventar's voice was as gentle as always, but his kindness felt mocking now. “Will you accompany us, please?”
“Yes, of course, Your Majesty.” I followed him up the steps of the dais to a door in the left corner that only the King was allowed to use.
My lowered gaze landed on the King's thick, rounded buttocks, clenching with every step he climbed, and I felt my cheeks heat.
My upper cheeks. Mortified, I lifted my gaze to his back.
But that only gave me a view of his broad shoulders and the thick muscles running down to his trim waist, all on display thanks to the leather tunic he wore.
What was wrong with me? I hadn't lusted after him like this since our introduction.
My first sight of the Dragon King had taken me off guard, leaving me in adoring awe of him despite the trauma I'd been through.
By the next morning, my shame dampened my attraction to him.
I still saw how handsome he was, but I didn't ogle him like a common street urchin.
Was it because I knew he didn't want me? Dear Gods, what a contrary man I was.
With his knights forming a rear guard, the King led Dracal and me down a corridor and into a comfortable sitting room.
By comfortable, I mean it wasn't enormous or adorned with precious things.
It was a simple room of woven rugs, fur-covered furniture, and tribal art on the walls.
An open window brought in a fresh breeze and a lot of sunlight, brightening the pale beige stone of the ceiling, floor, and walls.
The King stopped at an arrangement of chairs and loveseats, their cushions covered in low-pile pelts. “Please have a seat.”
Dracal sat down in a chair while the knights took positions around the room.
I hesitated, not wanting to sit too close to either man.
Sensing my unease, the King took a chair near Dracal, leaving me the loveseat across from them.
It wasn't made for winged people, so I folded my wings forward, around myself while I perched on the edge of the seat.
It was the only way to keep my wings from bending uncomfortably.
“Damn,” the King muttered. “I'm sorry, Eliel. I thought you were waiting for me to sit, but you were looking for an appropriate chair.” He motioned to his guards. “Vanoak, fetch Eliel a low-backed chair, please.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” He headed for the door.
“I'm fine, really.” I motioned at Vanoak. “Please don't bother, Sir Vanoak.”
The knight paused and looked at the King. The King jerked his chin up. Vanoak left.
I sighed and looked down at my lap. I knew I was being overly sensitive, but it felt as if my wishes didn't matter.
I suppose it was the lingering sting of my humiliation that colored my emotions.
And that glare. Why had the King glared at me?
He had never directed anger toward me. Was it part of his true self coming forth?
The Dragon King cleared his throat. “I wish I had better news to send back to Katai. Let him know that I will keep hunting those people until they are found.”
I looked up at the sound of frustration and fury in the King's voice. He truly cared about his people. Bara's friends running loose in his kingdom, enslaving innocents, upset him.
“We all know how cunning Bara was, Your Majesty,” Dracal said. “Lord Katai will not think less of you. On the contrary, he admires you greatly.”
The King nodded. “It is mutual. I'm very impressed by him and his team, and grateful that he has caught the Spider.” He paused to glance at me. “Now, you may speak with Eliel.”
As Dracal turned toward me, Vanoak returned with a large, cushioned chair with a low back in line with the armrests. He set it down beside the King's chair, and I flushed.
“Thank you, Vanoak.” The King grabbed the armrest and pulled the chair even closer.
“You're welcome, Your Majesty.” Vanoak went to stand by the door.
After taking a deep breath to calm my embarrassment, I stood up and went to sit in the chair, sliding my wings over the low back. It was comfortable, but sitting so close to the King made me so nervous that I couldn't relax.
“Eliel?” Dracal leaned forward, glancing at the Dragon King. “Are you well?”
I looked up and forced myself to hold his earnest gaze. I held no anger toward this man. He was a victim as much as I was. Still, just looking upon the striped fur of his face, his whiskered muzzle, and his fur-covered, muscular arms sent fear zinging through me.
“I'm very well, thank you,” I said. “How are you and the other Hulfrin Katai freed? Did all of you go with him?”