Chapter Four
Again, my answer was cut short by Vasren.
This time, he didn't use words. Even as I took a breath to agree to become the King's concubine, a roar shook the building.
I jerked back from King Raventar while he looked only mildly surprised by the interruption.
Just beyond the balcony rose a magnificent creature, shimmering pale blue in the light from the ballroom while moonlight cast a silvery glow to line it.
The dragon was massive, his talon nearly the size of the balcony, but he managed to wrap those lethal claws around me and pluck me from the King's embrace.
As I was jerked off my feet and into the air, I caught one last look at the King of Tabaa. He was smirking.
What the fuck?
Another roar rent the peaceful night. The last had been full of rage, but this one had a distinctly triumphant tone to it. I had no idea how I knew the difference.
Frigid air lashed at my face, whistling past Vasren's glossy claws.
I peered up at him, but his head was lifted, showing me only the paler scales of his throat.
Was this the dragon equivalent of a cold shoulder?
Fear ran through me as the city of Hidzi vanished, replaced by dark water.
Moonlight glinted off the water, turning it into a mirror.
The image reflected there was something out of a story—a fierce dragon carrying its prey away to be devoured.
I tore my gaze away from the water. Directly ahead of us, the lights of Rushao beckoned.
Vas was obeying His Majesty's order and leaving the kingdom.
In a heartbeat, my future had shifted. I had hoped to get over Vasren.
To love another. At the very least, I would have been cherished by a man I instinctively knew was amazing.
Raventar would have accepted me as Vas never could have .
He would have been kind to me. But I had torn Vasren's heart apart, and he was intent on doing the same to my life.
It didn't take long to cross the channel on those giant wings, but I didn't expect us to stop at any of the coastal cities. I assumed we had a long flight ahead of us, to the crown city of Kochan.
I was wrong.
Vasren started our ascent on the outskirts of the coastal city of Sunsho.
Even at a distance, the advances of the Kingdom of Rushao were evident.
The architecture featured domed roofs, gilded moldings, and spade-shaped doorways accented with pierced teak.
Everything was as beautiful as it was in the crown city.
Maybe more so since this was a popular vacationing location for rich Rushaoians.
Luxury estates spread down to the sea, their facades aglow with pale blue light spheres to mimic the lights set into the water.
The submerged lines of magical incandescence ran along the rocky coast, clinging to cliffs and underwater crevices to make the sea almost as bright as the city.
Open-air gazebos of white marble with gilded domes perched atop the water, reached by narrow bridges that extended from the shoreline of those private estates.
Finely dressed people dined and danced in the gazebos, the sound of their gaiety drifting up to us.
I'd always wanted to visit Sunsho, but before I had become Hallaxgral, I wasn't wealthy enough, and after, well, there was the issue of my crimes.
I could hardly believe this was where Vas was taking me.
His arrival caught the attention of the grand residents in their floating gazebos.
They pointed up at us and followed our trajectory to an enormous estate perched on the highest cliff in the city, overlooking the water.
A traditional Rushaoian manor loomed before us, large enough to be considered a palace.
Iridescent blue ceramic tiles coated the sharply angled roof, set in panels framed in gold.
Golden claws tipped the ends of the framework, curved up toward the sky.
Three domes capped the roof—two on the central building and one on the tower.
Crowning the domes were golden lotus bud finials, and the top of the tower was open to the air, its white marble arches adorned with gold dragons.
The walls were white marble veined with gold, and the windows were framed in carved teak, inset with colored glass motifs of flame, water, and wings.
It was the most beautiful construction I'd ever seen.
Vasren landed on the promontory in the middle of a garden. Running along the cliff edge was a marble balustrade, and one of those dome-topped gazebos stood at the end of the garden, right at the point of the promontory. Vas set me down on a patch of grass and shifted into his man form.
I got to my feet and stretched while I surreptitiously watched Vas.
The garden featured many blue light spheres—some illuminating a path to the manor while others brought the sleepy plants to life.
All the light seemed drawn to Vasren and his gloriously nude body.
I tried to look away, but my gaze was drawn to a little pond with waterlilies, and I was confronted by his reflection.
I cleared my throat. “What happened to your clothes?”
He glared at me.
“Master Vasren!” a Shanba man in a traditional Rushaoian staff uniform came running up to us, the golden bands on his antlers gleaming. “I didn't know you were returning tonight. And you have a guest! Shall I prepare a room for him?”
“No, he will be staying with me.” Vas grabbed me by the wrist and headed for the manor.
“Oh, very good, sir.” The Shanba rushed along beside us. “Would you care for an evening repast?”
“Yes, send a meal for two up to my suite.”
“Very good, sir.” The man ran ahead.
Vas said nothing as we passed a pavilion, larger than the gazebo in the garden. And then we were striding into the magnificent manor, moving down a marble hallway and past a kitchen where the Shanba man was already asking a cook to prepare our meal.
Up a spiral staircase we went to the second floor. We entered a small room that was sort of an antechamber. Carved teak panels covered the walls and curved around two archways, not including the main entrance.
Vas dropped my wrist and headed through the archway on our left.
Through the traditional point that mimicked the domes on the manor roof, I saw clothing hanging from golden rods on the wall.
Vas yanked a tunic off a hanger and went further in, beyond my view.
I remained where I was, too numb to wander.
Too confused to even speak. Vas returned a few minutes later, dressed casually in cotton pants and a loose tunic.
Without a word to me, Vasren went through the second archway on the right.
I followed him into a rectangular room. On our right, a six-person dining set made of carved teak was already set for two.
To the left, a sitting area faced a glass wall with a door set in one end, leading to a balcony that ran the length of the room.
Vas motioned at the door to the left of the archway we had come through. “Bathroom.”
Then he crossed the room and slammed open a teak door directly across from the archway.
I followed slowly, going through the doorway to stand just inside the spacious circular room.
I had often felt out of place, so that wasn't new, but the situation with Vasren had left me out of sorts as well.
I didn't know what to do. So, I waited, taking in the domed ceiling painted with clouds and dragons.
Despite its being night, the room felt airy and bright, thanks to the minimal furnishings and the lights set into the dome.
A massive bed dominated the center of the space, its four posters and frame formed of carved slabs of jade.
On either side of the headboard were round, jade-topped, teak tables.
Windows on opposite sides of the room let in the moonlight, their sheer, pale green curtains pulled back.
The only other piece of furniture was a couch, facing one of the windows, although I was starting to feel like part of the decor.
Then Vas crossed his arms and glared at me.
“Aren't you going to say anything to me?” I made a sound of disbelief. “You just snatched me off a balcony. Out of the arms of a Dragon King, Vasren!”
Suddenly, he launched himself at me, snarling, and grabbed the front of my tunic. “You were not merely in his arms!”
I cringed, eyes gone wide. “Vas, I needed protection from you.”
He bared his teeth.
I grimaced. “I think you just proved my point.”
Shoving me away, he shouted, “How could you leave me?!”
I stumbled and then caught myself. “I didn't want to. Please believe that. If I could have stayed, I would have. But—”
“But you didn't want to be imprisoned,” he practically spat the words at me.
“No, I didn't! And don't act as if that isn't a huge motivation. I'm sorry I didn't love you enough to go to prison just to be near you, Vas.” I crossed my arms and glared back at him.
Vas stomped over to me. “You didn't just leave me. You left and started over. You kissed him!” He grabbed me around the throat and yanked me forward.
I fell against his chest. Vasren's left arm went around me, holding me up as his right hand—that would be the one on my throat—angled my face into his kiss.
It was brutal but oddly beautiful—the way he slashed his lips over mine and held me in place, but then sank into me, groaning.
I wrapped my arms around him and clung. To think I had almost given this up.
The image of King Raventar popped into my mind—him smirking up at me as I was carried away. He had pushed Vas into this. Pushed me as well, with all his talk about my needing protection, and then that kiss. If I ever saw that man again, I'd have to thank him.
Vasren shoved me back, suddenly breaking our kiss. He was panting, but also glaring again. “Take off your clothes.”
“No, Vas.” I lifted my chin. “I'm not doing this with you right now. You're too angry.”
“Then you don't love me anymore?”