Chapter Fourteen
Kallias
He dared to twist my faith against me, pit my gods against her dragons. Now the thing meant to protect my kingdom stood as a monument to my perceived doubt.
“Kallias.”
And then he announced his intent to wed Nienna, as if it were his duty! Which it had been—but that somehow made it cut deeper. Guilt gnawed at me. He used seeds of truth to sow discord across my nation, and my own actions watered them.
“Kallias.”
My eye twitched, and I hauled my queen down the hall and out onto a balcony, scrubbing at the involuntary spasm. A hand dragged down my face as I leaned over the balustrade. The world tilted. I straightened, fixing my attention on the horizon until it steadied.
“You knew he would lie.” Nienna’s voice was hushed, a balm to my inner torment as she guided my gaze to hers. Small hands slid up my chest, the chains of my mantle catching the light against her skin.
“It isn’t the deceit that bothers me.” I jerked my chin toward Greaves, and he shut the door, granting us a fragile semblance of privacy. “It’s the truth buried beneath it.”
Her gaze dropped to my collar, teeth worrying her bottom lip. “For any lie to hold, it needs a grain of truth.”
I couldn’t shake it. In Draconia, I fought for her hand—proved my honor. We were accepted, or at least those who disapproved learned to hold their tongues.
Perhaps that was the wound. My own people couldn’t seem to trust me. Draconis insults slid off easily—but harsh words from those I loved and cherished cut far deeper.
And it hurt more than I wanted to admit.
“What are you afraid of?”
My brows slammed into a hard frown, and my body locked beneath her hands. “Afraid of?”
“They cannot hurt me.” She stepped closer, her chest pressing to mine as her arms circled me. “I can fend for myself.”
No, fear for her was not the issue. She deserved respect, yes, but she would earn it as any queen must.
“You’re the Dragon’s Heart. I’m hardly concerned for your safety among nobles whose sharpest weapons are whispers.”
“Then what is it?” She studied my face, head tilting. “You never lose decorum when you mean to be gentle. I know you. When kindness and strength are required, no one can provoke you. Yet something shook you. Tallon’s lies were expected.”
A breath pulled deep into my lungs. An ache bloomed behind my eyes, smoke or strain or both.
“That’s exactly what I fear.” I peered upward, gaze tracing the cold shine of the moon.
“I know how to act in every situation. My actions are thought out and planned. When I sailed for Draconia, I accepted the cost.” A slow shake of my head followed.
“It isn’t the uncertainty of what Reem holds.
I dread the man I must become to take it back. ”
Wind caught her hair, drawing it from her startled face. She understood. I loved my people. I gave everything for them. Ruled with fairness and compassion, as a king should. But Lon was only a taste of what waited in Reem; a trial of what I would need to become to endure it.
The Warrior King—a title earned against Radaan’s enemies, now sharpened to wield against my own nation.
“You are still the same man I knew.” Her mouth curved with familiar resolve. “You are Radaan’s king, exactly who she needs. Whatever you must do to lead her does not change who you are.”
My hand rose to cup her cheek, thumb tracing warm skin. “You’ve watched me kill my own people. I took a nobleman’s life without trial. Aren’t you afraid? Even a little?”
“Of you?” Her laughter chipped away at the armor bracketing my heart. “The man who faced dragonfire for me? No, Kallias. I don’t. I fear for you.”
“If dragon’s breath cannot end me,” I scoffed, knowing the worry beneath her words, “what can?”
Her head shook as her arms slid around my neck, her weight leaning into me. “Not your body. Your heart.” She turned from my scowl to the stars scattered overhead. “You’ve suffered so much, spent your life fighting for others. You gave your entire soul to your kingdom.”
A low hum left me as my fingers traced the back of her neck.
“Now you’re mine.” She squinted up at me with a smirk. “I will share you with Radaan, but I am a jealous lover. Protecting your heart is my charge. I fear before this ends, it may be torn beyond repair.”
The corner of my mouth lifted. She always had a way of pulling me back—away from responsibilities and consequences. She reminded me that beneath the endless burdens and duties, I was still just a man.
“This heart has weathered its share of wounds,” I said. “It can manage a fair bit more.”
Her lips pressed into an unimpressed line.
“Even so,” I added, “if you’re concerned for my soul, and the damage that may befall it, you can help fortify it. Prepare for the siege, if you will.”
“Oh? And how would I do that?” Her head tipped, eyes tracing my face.
“Love.” My hand curled at the nape of her neck as I bent close, words brushing her mouth. “Your love tempers their hate. Stand guard over my heart. Watch for my soul. Let me ravage you with the same fury I would unleash on my enemies.”
Her lips curved, grazing mine without closing the distance. My body rebelled, heat surging against restraint. She stood so close I could take her. Gods, I could have her here against stone and sky, and she would welcome it.
“Ravage,” she whispered, breath skimming my mouth. “I think I would enjoy that.”
“I would leave you undone. No thought in that beautiful mind except my name. You would feel the strength of a king. The rage of a warrior. You would be consumed.”
Blood thundered in my ears. My grip tightened at her neck.
Not yet. Not until we reclaimed Reem. I would not take her until I could promise her a peaceful reign.
“I am the Dragon’s Heart.” Her tongue traced her lips, a teasing brush against mine. “I can handle my man as I handle my dragons–”
I stole the rest of her words with a brutal kiss. She melted into me, fingers tangling in my hair as I pressed her back against the balustrade. Stone chilled one palm, while the other held her fast.
A moan arched her body closer, and a growl tore free as my hands slid to her hips.
She broke the kiss, teeth catching my lower lip in a sharp, deliberate pull. Her smirk returned as her leg wrapped around mine, boot dragging slow heat along my calf. “Here?”
Blood roared in my ears, desire drowning out all reason. My need clawed for dominance. With teeth bared, I shook my head. A vow had been made—and I would keep it. Elohios would honor my sacrifice.
But by the gods, it wouldn’t be easy.
The scene replayed itself in my mind, leaving me caught between savoring the tension and enduring a very uncomfortable ride.
Nienna shaded her eyes against the unbroken glare of the sun. “She followed.”
Tsunami glittered with gold as she rode the updrafts. Gyrak flew straight and steady, wingbeats compensating for the thin currents, while she zigzagged across the sky with lazy indulgence.
A comment rose to my tongue about the inconvenience of it all, but Tsunami hadn’t yet tested Nienna’s or Gyrak’s control. As long as they contained the beast, I would restrain myself from complaint.
The fleet lingered behind us, resting their dragons. Their presence surely unsettled the people of Lon, but it would only be a day. Elwood could manage it.
I knew the man in passing. As a lesser noble, his blood ties to Lon’s rule were diluted enough to pose no threat to Mai. Right now, his loyalty mattered more than lineage. Fallione trusted him, and he would never leave a city at our backs in careless hands.
“Are black scales a dominant trait?” I asked.
We held a fair amount of distance from the men to allow ourselves this sliver of private conversation. I knew what we marched toward, even if the outcome remained uncertain. But her presence steadied me. She offered calm amid the storm battering Radaan, and I tried to accept it without guilt.
Confusion softened her features, easing the tension in my shoulders. Her mask had slipped, allowing her to be a woman rather than a figure of endless answers.
“There are more black dragons than any other color,” I said, adjusting my grip on my spear. “From what I saw in Draconia.”
She nodded, hair streaming behind her like a banner. “They are more common. Gold eyes as well. There are variations, but obsidian scales and golden irises tend to dominate.”
“Does it trace back to Argos?” I asked. “How old is your father’s dragon?”
Her expression dimmed, mouth tightening with worry. “Argos has ruled beside kings for three generations. He is two hundred sixty-three. After the flight from the Wild Shores, this may be his last reign.”
“Grounded or not, he’s a fierce beast.” I was nothing more than an insect beneath his claws. He could protect their island—even flightless.
“A dragon who cannot fly is a dying creature,” she said, fingers fiddling with the reins.
“It’s not that he can’t survive—he won’t want to.
Father is the only steady voice left to him, and he already bears too much.
This shall be Argos’ final rule. Kalepsi won’t take him as a mate. Nor will any other female.”
Ronan was little more than a speck against the endless blue. “Then Gyrak will reign beside your brother.”
“Yes.”
“I should be grateful, then.”
“For what?”
“That the size of your brother’s dragon matches his ego. Otherwise, the Draconis throne might tremble.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “None would challenge him. Our line has ruled long enough that the people trust us. Besides, no one would risk a war that could destroy the island.”
The silence that followed broke only beneath the steady plod of hooves. Words spoken in jest struck too close to truth.
Sweat traced my temples; the gilded armor stifling. Elohios’ blessing hadn’t returned since the charge, and I had not asked for it. When we met Tallon’s forces in Reem, I would call upon it again, praying it might still sway my people.
The ideal outcome would see Tallon handed over by the citizens themselves, though I held no illusions that such mercy awaited us.
I would try to draw him from the city. Contain him. See him judged. But he wouldn’t be so foolish, not with Egath at his side. He would send a truce first, attempting to secure my word that I wouldn’t harm him.
“We will take the Golden Palace,” Nienna said, breaking into my thoughts. “If Tallon moves against us, Gyrak will end him.”
“Nienna, you cannot burn him without cause.”
She cast me a look that challenged me to define cause.
“If we enter without talks of peace, Sarai’s words in Lon will only be reinforced.
The people must remember who I am. I’m not a reckless youth chasing desire across the sea.
I am the same king who led them through decades of war.
If you strike Tallon too soon, whatever respect I reclaim won’t extend to you. ”
Her gaze lifted to the dragons overhead. “As if I need it.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to restrain a smile. She understood the stakes.
“If he threatens you, or meets us in open battle, then unleash them.”
“I almost wish he would,” she said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Let it be finished. He’s a snake. There’s no reasoning with him.”
“Too much of his mother runs in him.” My throat tightened, my stomach souring at the reminder.
“He won’t make this easy. There are Velli in Reem, and I haven’t the slightest clue how many, nor where they hide.
And the heirs in the Golden Palace? Think of them—surely he plans to use them against us. ”
“That’s what frightens me most,” she said. “The innocents. I’ve seen how Tallon wields people as weapons.”
Fyrn’sol.
Grief struck like an arrow to the chest. How had she slipped my thoughts? I’d been so consumed by that bastard prince that I hadn’t stopped to consider her, more so what her father, Clay, endured.
Was she kept as a toy? Or truly a victim? After Nienna was swept away, I never thought to seek her out. Chaos had swallowed everything. What role did Fyrn play now?
Claydon’sol and Gayle’sol were among the finest people I knew. Loyal. Honest. Tireless. They cherished their daughter. The Manor in the Mountains stifled her, yes, but that alone could not justify treachery.
Nienna kept her gaze forward, jaw set. Fyrn’s betrayal wounded her deeply. They’d been friends. I sent Fyrn to her, trusting her presence might soften Nienna’s view of Tallon. I never imagined the woman would instead draw close to him.
The prince had never shown much interest in women. Reports mentioned little more than fleeting kisses. Nothing that hinted at heirs. He guarded his affections.
If he possessed them at all.
“I have a plan.” The approach of another horse ended our candor. “Trust me, Nienna. I will do everything I can.”
Her expression eased into a restrained smile. “I know you will.”