Chapter 15 #2
I shrugged. “Anyhow, you’re saying Viktor disappeared. Like, highblood-style ran away, or literally vanished in a puff of smoke?”
“There was no smoke besides the dragon’s. But he vanished, yes.” Kage leaned forward, clasping his hands. “Did you know he could do that?”
I stared at him. “Hell no. But then, I’m also not surprised. Viktor has a lot of secrets up his sleeve. None of them fucking good ones.” I thought of something. “So Nyxaris knew where she was? Florence, I mean.”
Kage nodded. “Apparently. He seems … rather possessive.”
“Something you and I wouldn’t know a thing about,” I deadpanned.
Kage ignored me. “You’ve heard about the new school rules?”
“I know House Leaders weren’t consulted. Are you as pissed about that as I am?” I chuckled. “Not that I expected Regan to be a great headmistress.”
“I assume these rules came straight from your uncle’s lips,” Kage pointed out. “I doubt they were her idea.”
I scowled. “Curfews for blightborn. A blood donation program with perks? That sounds a lot like the Regan I know.”
“The point is they’re being implemented. I’ve already had to shut down altercations in my own common room.” His lips thinned. “Blightborn students are scared.”
“Understandably so.” I leaned forward. “We’ll each protect our own.”
Kage nodded. “That goes without saying.”
“We should speak to Lysander about this. But I have no doubt he’ll be with us.”
Look at the two of us, I thought. Consulting like real leaders.
Then I felt a chill. Not consulting. Conspiring.
Talking about protecting blightborn instead of going along with Regan’s new bigotry?
It went against what most highbloods believed.
But if anything seemed amiss to Kage, he didn’t show it.
Maybe things were different in his house.
Or maybe the Avari just wanted blightborn protected because they were more complacent the safer they felt. Easier to control.
“Lysander will protect Orphos,” he agreed. “He’s always been a forward thinker. But Mortis still has no House Leader. Not since Catherine … disappeared.”
I frowned. “I’ve noticed Mortis is where Regan’s been finding some of her best enforcers.”
“I’ve noticed the same. Catherine wasn’t quite who we thought she was.”
“No, she wasn’t,” I agreed. I’d always thought Drakharrow was the strongest house—and perhaps the cruelest. But Mortis was coming up as a strong contender. “I’ve heard some things.”
“We’ve probably heard the same things. But we’re not here to discuss Mortis today. That house isn’t our responsibility.”
I sighed. So that’s how Kage wanted to play it?
I supposed that was fair. We did have enough to worry about.
“Speaking of protecting those in our own houses,” I said, “you do realize Florence Shen is vulnerable now, more than Pendragon ever was? If Viktor wants a soul-bound rider, she’s his new target. ”
Kage nodded. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Shockingly, I might be. I’ll talk to Pendragon. Explain the danger. Get her to talk to Florence. If that doesn’t work …”
“Then I’ll talk to the girl myself,” Kage finished. He shook his head. “You know, it was strange, Drakharrow, watching Nyxaris with his new rider today. Like watching a courtship unfold between a girl and a volcano.”
“Courtship?” I wrinkled my nose. “I wouldn’t have called it that when Pendragon was involved.”
“Well, Nyxaris never actually bonded to Medra,” Kage pointed out.
I ignored the fact he’d used her first name—as if he were her friend. “Good point,” I forced myself to say.
Kage smiled slightly. “Now, why are you really here? Is it to ask my permission this time?”
My hackles rose. “Permission?”
“Oh, you thought I didn’t notice?” Kage’s eyes narrowed. “How cute. You’re fast for a highblood. But you’re not exactly subtle.”
So he knew I’d been sneaking into Pendragon’s room. I hid a smirk; I guess we had made a fair bit of noise. At least Kage hadn’t made a big deal about it. Not yet. I sighed, sinking back into the chair. “Look, I didn’t come here to fight.”
“A pity,” Kage murmured. “But I suppose I am a bit tired.”
I ignored him. “You once said that if I survived my … transformation, I should come see you. That you could help me.”
Kage rubbed his chin. “Did I? I don’t recall.”
The fucking asshole.
“Yes. You did.” I breathed in deeply, trying to tamp down my annoyance. “Look, you know what I am.”
“A dragon,” Kage said bluntly. “Unless I’m much mistaken. An Infernus.”
Great. As usual, Kage knew more than I did.
“I can become a red dragon, yes. But I don’t have great control. My dragon … he’s bleeding through more often. I feel like I’m losing control, not gaining it.”
“He?”
“What?”
“You said he. As if your dragon was someone else. He’s not. He’s you.”
My lips twisted. “Well, it sure doesn’t fucking feel that way.”
Kage’s brow furrowed. “My wolf is me. There is no distinction.”
“And you have great control. Good for you. Can you teach me?” I asked.
“Just what exactly is happening?”
I ran my hands through my hair. “I can’t control when I shift. I can’t control the dragon even when I haven’t shifted. Like I said, it’s as if there’s someone else inside of me. And he takes control sometimes. He’s … violent. Twisted.”
Kage looked skeptical. “That doesn’t sound too different from the Blake Drakharrow I know.”
“Well, it is,” I snapped. “I killed a boy in the hall today, a blight-born. He was threatening Pendragon. I just … snapped.”
Kage frowned. “If he was threatening your consort, that doesn’t sound completely unreasonable.”
“No,” I agreed. “But I nearly killed another girl, too. She hadn’t laid a hand on Pendragon. And it’s not about that. It’s about the fact that I can hardly remember doing it. And that’s when it’s someone I don’t care about.” I met Kage’s eyes, willing him not to make me say the words.
“You’re afraid you’ll hurt someone who’s more important to you,” he summarized.
I nodded. “Yes.”
Kage was quiet for a moment, brow furrowed, arms crossed over his chest. I watched him in silence.
He was a handsome bastard, I guess I’d give him that.
And he’d been fairly gracious in letting me into his private space.
That didn’t mean I didn’t still plan to get Pendragon out of his house as soon as I could.
“Look, Drakharrow,” he finally said, “you’re not wrong to be scared. I can see you’re cracking.”
“Cracking?” My blood pressure rose. “I wouldn’t put it quite like that. But you admit it, then. I’m dangerous.” I forced a laugh.
“You always have been,” Kage said dryly. “All of you Drakhar-rows are wildfires waiting to happen. That’s nothing new. Just look at your brother.”
I tried not to take offense—especially as he might have had a point. “I think you’re forgetting my father. Besides, you try being practically raised by Viktor Drakharrow and we’ll see how you turn out.”
“Sure. Point taken.” He stood up and stretched. “I told you I might be able to help. But I’d assumed things would go the same way for you as they did for me.”
I blinked. “And you don’t think that now?”
“No. My wolf is myself. You seem to see the dragon inside you as some other entity completely. And you’re talking as if that dragon is trying to, well, harm you. Harm people you care about.”
“Well, he fucking is,” I hissed. “He could.”
Kage nodded. “All right. Look, I’ve trained other Avari before. But what you’re describing … well, it’s not shifting. You’re not just having trouble changing and changing back again. You’re splitting apart at the seams.”
I sat there, silent. Feeling strangely ashamed.
“You don’t need me,” Kage said, not unkindly. “You need someone who knows the history of what you are.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t say Rodriguez. Please don’t say Rodriguez.”
Kage had the decency to actually try to look sympathetic. “He might have answers. We already know he knows a hell of a lot more than he should.”
I thought about how Rodriguez had saved Florence’s life by suggesting something none of the rest of us even knew was possible. “You’re right about that,” I said gruffly. “But can we trust him at this point?”
“He fucked up. I think he knows that. You can’t say you haven’t made mistakes, done things you regret.”
“No, I can’t,” I said coldly. “And you? I suppose you’re perfect, Wolf Boy.”
Kage held up his hands. “By no means. I make mistakes all the time.” He gave me a meaningful look, and I knew he was thinking of the way we’d betrayed Nyxaris. “I’ve done things I regret. Things I’ve had to apologize for.”
Had he apologized to Pendragon? She hadn’t told me that. I thought of how he hadn’t tried to stop me from seeing her. Almost as if he’d, well, conceded her to me. He wasn’t trying to get in the way anymore. I wondered why.
Kage watched me and frowned. “Don’t even go there, Drak-harrow.”
“What?” I said innocently. “I was just thinking.”
“Don’t think,” he said icily. “Not about that. It’s none of your fucking concern. Pendragon remains in my house, lest you forget that so easily. This is where she belongs.”
“But she’s my consort. My … mate,” I said, a little stiffly.
Kage smiled thinly. “Is that what she is?”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I said, leaping to my feet like a dragon about to defend his lair.
“I mean Pendragon will decide exactly what she is or isn’t in relation to you. That doesn’t mean I’ve relinquished all of my claims,” Kage said, smiling in a way I didn’t appreciate.
“What the hell does that mean?” I snarled.
Kage rose to his feet and gave me a gentle shove in the chest, just enough to warn me, not enough to actually piss me all the way off. “Relax, Drakharrow. I don’t want to join your little triad.”
“There is no triad,” I said without thinking. “It’s just the two of us. Me and Pendragon. For good.”
Kage raised a brow. “Really? Interesting.”
I looked away, suddenly feeling a little awkward. “Fine. I’ll go to Rodriguez.”
“Good call, Dragon Boy.” I was moving towards the door when Kage spoke again. “And, Drakharrow?”
I paused. “What?”
“If you do lose control of your dragon completely, don’t let it be her you hurt. I wouldn’t want to have to put you down.” He met my eyes.
I nodded tightly. “Believe me, Tanaka—if that happened, I’d fucking beg you to do it.”