House of Dragons (Royal Houses 1)

“Oh, thank the gods,” Clover muttered. She stamped out her smoke and rush-hugged Kerrigan. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

Kerrigan chuckled. “I’m sorry.”

“Where are Darbs and Hadrian? Are they okay?” Clover asked, concerned.

“They’re back at the party. They’re fine,” Kerrigan told her. “We got them out.” Not that she cared to explain exactly how Fordham had gotten them out. “What the hell happened with you guys? How did Basem even get Darby and Hadrian?”

“The assassin chick,” Clover said with a sigh. “She didn’t seem to want me. She grabbed Darby and Hadrian and knocked me out. I came to with a killer headache and ran to get Dozan.”

“Ugh, Isa,” Kerrigan said, tasting the name that Basem had given her for the assassin. “She told you where they were being taken?”

Clover nodded.

“Either she thought you were insignificant or she’s not working directly with Basem.”

“She kidnapped Darby and Hadrian!”

“I know. She can do his bidding but not agree with what he’s doing.” Kerrigan shook her head. “Isa could have killed Fordham and me at the party, but she just delivered a message and vanished.”

“She appears to be on her own side,” Fordham agreed.

“Well, whatever side she’s on, at least I had enough information to tell Dozan where to find you.”

“And you came,” Kerrigan said, facing Dozan.

“You’re surprised?” he asked cockily.

“It’s unlike you.”

“In fact, it seems I am constantly saving your life.” His eyes were warm as he teased her. “You should not be surprised to know that I don’t want you dead.”

Kerrigan squirmed at the intensity of that look. Clover coughed behind her, and Kerrigan carefully didn’t look at Fordham. The two had already gotten into it, and she had no desire to repeat that.

“And you get your fight,” she said.

Dozan’s diabolical grin said it all. “That is a bonus.”

She scoffed, “As if that wasn’t the entire purpose.”

“No one backs out on a deal with me, princess.”

Fordham stiffened at the pet name.

“I am not a princess,” she furiously repeated to Dozan. “Stop calling me that.”

“But you are so easy to rile.”

Kerrigan huffed and turned from him. “Whatever, Dozan. I guess we’ll see the outcome to all of this in six days. But you’d better give me the fifty thousand marks when I win.”

“I intend to make much more than fifty thousand marks, Red,” he said, brushing a lock of her brown-dyed hair out of her face and winking.

She shrugged him off. “Of course you do, you leech.”

He just laughed. “Clover, are you coming?”

“Yeah,” she said with a nod. “Give Darbs and Hadrian my best?”

Kerrigan nodded and pulled her into another hug. “Be safe.”

“You too.”

By the time they checked in on Darby and Hadrian, made sure they got home safe, and returned to the mountain, Kerrigan was beyond exhausted. Fordham didn’t look much better. In fact, his face was ashy, and he kept almost tripping over his own feet.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly as they climbed back into the side entrance they’d escaped through earlier that evening.

“The black smoke uses up a lot of my magic when I jump by myself. It took more to retrieve Darby and Hadrian.”

“I’m sorry I asked you to do that.”

“I offered,” he reminded her.

She laughed. “Then, I’m sorry that you had to offer. Life would have been easier for you without getting to know me, I think.”

“But a hell of a lot more boring.”

Her cheeks flushed. “Thanks. You look like you could use some sleep. Maybe we should skip practice tomorrow.”

“No,” he said automatically. “We need to train harder than ever if you’re going to go up against Nix in the Dragon Ring. We’ll need a plan of attack. I’ll be able to train tomorrow.”

“Okay,” she said as they came to the crossroads where he would return to the competitors’ area.

She bit her lip, desperately wanting to bridge, but knowing she couldn’t. He truly believed he was cursed. And she didn’t want to push him.

So, she swallowed and stepped back. Stepped away from him instead of toward him. Even though her chest ached and her heart was in her throat and she wanted to do anything but walk away from him.

He stood as if on a precipice. That same haunted look in his eyes from the gazebo. The pain of seeing her step back from him. Then, with a resolute expression, he broke eye contact and muttered, “Good night.”

“Night,” she said, swallowing back her heartbreak.

All she wanted to do was rush back and throw her arms around him. But that couldn’t happen. Not now. Maybe not ever..

Kerrigan closed her eyes to fend off the pain and then headed down the hallway. She could traverse the mountain in her sleep. Despite wanting to sleepwalk through her life at the moment, she had to remain alert in case anyone saw her wandering. She had changed out of her party dress before sneaking back in, but it still might raise an alarm that she was out of bed at this hour.