House of Dragons (Royal Houses 1)

She nodded, but otherwise, she didn’t move. He stepped forward until they were mere inches apart. His hands came to rest on her shoulders. The heat from his body melted the hold that had been on her from the… spirits. She sank into his touch, pressing herself into his chest and clutching her still-frigid hands to his shirt.

She felt him tense all over at her abrupt embrace. Then his hand came down around her and held her against him.

“It’s all right. We’ve both had a long couple of days.”

“Thank you for coming with me,” she whispered. “I know I… accused you of having ulterior motives last night, but…”

“It’s fine,” he said.

“It’s not. If I don’t want people to judge me for being a half-Fae, I shouldn’t judge people for things they can’t control.”

She tilted her head up to look into those big gray eyes. His flicked between her eyes and then her mouth and back. Her heart stuttered in her chest for a whole new reason. She watched the calculation in his mind. The pull that she could no longer deny. It wasn’t just fate and visions that brought them together. She wanted to be near him.

But just when she thought he might be starting to feel the same, he cleared his throat and released her.

“Come on,” he said, turning away from her. “We should get out of here.”

Kerrigan shivered, remembering where she was, and tried to hide her disappointment at the loss of his hands on her. Gods, she was in deep deep trouble.

She tucked her arms around her stomach and followed him out of Black House. The place was empty and a dead end. The torture had all been for no reason. She was no closer to finding out the truth.

Clover impatiently tapped her foot as they finally came back out to the street. “Well?”

Kerrigan shook her head. “No weapons. It was empty.”

“Yeah, but was it haunted?”

“No,” Fordham said at the same time Kerrigan said, “Yes.”

“It was not.”

Kerrigan shrugged. “The ghosts only cared about me.”

“You saw it?” Clover gasped.

“Felt it,” she corrected. “Why don’t I tell you all about it on the way to the Wastes?”

“We’re going to the Wastes?” Fordham asked. “What for?”

“We are,” she said, pointing between herself and Clover. “You should go back to the mountain. After the last two days, we need to sleep and recoup to figure out our next move.”

“And you’re going to sleep and recoup in the Wastes?” Fordham asked disbelievingly.

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Clover said.

“Yeah, and I need to have a conversation with Dozan Rook,” Kerrigan ground out.

Fordham’s eyes narrowed. “I should go with you.”

She waved him off. “I can handle Dozan.”

Clover snorted, and Kerrigan glared at her.

Clover held her hands up. “Sorry.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow. Training?”

Fordham looked like the last thing he wanted to do was walk away while she headed toward the Wastes… toward Dozan. But he eventually nodded. “Dawn run.”

She groaned. “I’m so looking forward to it.”

He set his jaw and then nodded at the two of them before disappearing back toward the mountain.

“So… why isn’t he coming with us?” Clover asked.

Kerrigan didn’t answer as she watched his retreating back. “Should I trust him, Clove?”

Clover produced one of her loch cigarettes. “Nope.”

“Yeah… you’re probably right.”

“But he’s so damn good to look at.”

Kerrigan shook her head. “Another problem.”

“One at a time, baby,” Clover said, slinging an arm over her shoulders. “Dozan first?”

“Yeah,” she said, turning away from Fordham. “Dozan.”

33

The Crime Lord

Kerrigan definitely should have gone back to the mountain and slept off this healing headache—or tried to, considering sleep still hated her. But she and Dozan had unfinished business, and Kerrigan couldn’t go back until they had it out.

“You sure about this?” Clover asked, stubbing out her smoke.

“Yep,” she spat.

“You do know it’s Dozan Rook, right?”

“Well aware.”

“He’s not just any guy.”

“No, he’s not,” she snarled.

“Like, I know he wants to bang you… again, but—”

“Please don’t finish that sentence,” Kerrigan warned. “I try not to think about that night.”

“That bad?”

Kerrigan glared at her. She did not want to have that conversation.

Clover chuckled. “All right. I’ll leave you be, but be careful. He’s dangerous, Ker.”

“I know.”

She was still learning just how dangerous he was after all these years. But it didn’t stop her from storming into the Wastes and demanding to see him.

Two guards were stationed in front of his private quarters. She glared at them with such ferocity that they balked at her anger.

“Let me pass. I have to see Dozan.”

“No one is to disturb him tonight,” the first guard said.

“I’m not just anyone.”

“I’d let her through, boys,” Clover said, pulling out another smoke with shaking hands. “You don’t want to see her get angry.”

“We can’t. We’d lose our jobs,” the second said anxiously.

“You’ll lose your jobs if you don’t let me through,” Kerrigan snarled.

The first narrowed his eyes. “Dozan has company, and he said he wasn’t to be interrupted.”