“You can’t just go getting revenge on whoever you—”
“Actually, he can,” the King said mildly.
I turned to gape at him.
The King shrugged. “Magical Creatures Act. They are protected from harm, but there’s also a subclause that allows them to seek revenge if their feelings are hurt, as long as it doesn’t end in the taking of a life. I thought about changing it, but then Gary reminded me that most magical creatures are emotionally mature and don’t seek revenge.”
I sputtered at that. “B-but… Gary. And Kevin!”
“Hey!” Kevin said. “I’m so emotionally mature.
”
“This is the dumbest day,” I groused. “Randall made me talk about feelings and shit and then almost got me killed by throwing a horn at me, and then I jerked it off accidentally until it jizzed rainbows all over me, and now that guy is blue, and I am bothered by all of this.”
“What do you mean you jerked it off?” Ryan growled. “Why would you—”
But he was interrupted when cries went up from the guards standing along the walls of Camp HaveHeart.
My heart pounded as I turned toward them, the lights of the dragons pulsing in my head.
“Riders!” Todd cried, his ears sticking out adorably under a helmet too large for his head. “Approaching quickly.”
“Kevin,” I snapped.
“On it, boss.” The crowd scattered as he spread his wings, the membranes stretching as he pumped them up and down, lifting quickly toward the sky.
Ryan was barking orders at his knights, something I would never get sick of seeing. Justin was pulling his father toward the rear of the camp, though the King was protesting immensely, saying that he was the King, godsdammit, and he could fight if he wanted to.
I wiped my face off as best I could as I stalked toward the gate. Randall and Ryan fell in step beside me, Tiggy and Gary bringing up the rear.
“It’s not Myrin,” Randall said, his gaze slightly unfocused. “I would know if he approached.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s not something else.”
“Tiggy smash?”
“Maybe, dude. I’ll let you know.”
The green and gold were swirling around me, and I was tense, shoulders stiff. By now, Myrin had to know the King was gone, and while I didn’t think he’d come himself, he most certainly could have sent other Darks. He’d be foolish to do so, and if they tried anything, I’d wipe them from Verania. It didn’t hurt that I had a freshly minted unicorn snarling under his breath behind me, still spurting rainbows as if he had no control over it. It was endearingly disgusting.
“Open the gates!” I shouted as we approached.
Todd looked like he was going to object, but then he nodded toward the men on the ground below him. They reached up and began to spin the wooden wheels on either side of the gates, which groaned as they opened before us.
I could see Kevin circling above us, and I told the other dragons to hold, to calm, to wait until I could be sure what we were looking at.
In the distance, three figures approached on horseback at a high rate of speed, dust kicking up behind them. A storm cloud seemed to be chasing them.
“Do Darks ride horses?” I asked.
“Yes,” Gary said. “Because they’re racists.”
“Dude, I’ve told you. That’s not racism—you know what? I’m not even going to get into that with you right now.”
“What’s the plan, Sam?” Ryan asked.
I glanced at him. “We wait until they get close enough to identify. If they’re good, then we help them.”