by Haley Ryan
I looked at Draven and cocked my head. “Looks like I have a date with the council tomorrow, but for future reference, my room is on the second floor in the north wing. Callum says you’re welcome to visit me anytime you want. He hopes for continued peace between dragons and fae, and that our friendship will encourage the development of diplomatic relations in the future.”
Draven’s mouth twitched. “Kira, I know he didn’t say that.”
“It’s what he would have said if he weren’t being pigheaded.”
Draven moved closer until we were almost touching. I wanted to believe it was for my sake, but more than likely, he only wanted to annoy my brother. “Thank you for standing up for me,” he said.
“Same to you.” I nudged him with my wing. “That meant a lot. I know you can fight your own battles, but this one was mine.”
“You’ll let me know how it goes with the council?”
I offered him a ghastly dragon grin. “One way or another. I won’t be bullied, Draven.”
He smiled at me, and my hollow heart suddenly felt a little less empty. “I know,” he said.
After guiding me to a designated changing area and providing me with shorts and a sweatshirt that were much too large, Callum instructed me to return to my room via the emergency exit stairs, just as I’d left.
I was pretty sure he just didn’t want anyone to catch me sneaking in and ask awkward questions about where I’d been. But could it be more sinister than that? Did he consider me some kind of shameful secret? Or was he trying to hide the fact that I’d managed to slip away from his bodyguards?
Either way, I wasn’t sure I was ready for anyone to see me either, so for once, I decided to do as I was told and slipped quietly up the stairs. I was more than ready to find some pajamas and get some sleep. Now that I’d cleared the air with Draven, I felt like maybe I could actually relax and prepare myself for whatever was coming next.
But relaxation didn’t appear to be the next thing on my schedule. When I popped my head out of the door at the top of the stairs, ready to sneak into my room, I encountered a one-woman reception committee—my brand new not-favorite person, Skye.
She was standing in the hall, obviously waiting to catch me in the act of returning after what she’d probably assumed was my illicit assignation with the fae emissary.
Whatever. I wasn’t ashamed of anything, and I wasn’t about to slink home as if I were. So the minute she saw me, I stepped into the hall and closed the door behind me.
“Is this a normal dragon thing?” I asked, in my best clueless-Kira voice. “Standing around in hallways like a creeper? Or were you hoping to pick up some juicy gossip so you could tell your friends all the details about my scandalous liaisons?”
“I admit, I’m impressed,” Skye said, though she sounded anything but. “I really didn’t think you’d get the fae to let you in.”
There were a lot of ways to play this, but only one thing I was sure of—if I let her intimidate me, there would be no fixing it later.
“Honestly, I wasn’t sure either,” I said, grinning and winking at her. “We hadn’t seen each other in a while.”
“Then you’re… lovers?” She said it in a thoroughly scandalized tone.
I burst out laughing. “Me? And Lord Elduvar? Is that why you’re acting like there’s a stick up your…. Wait, were you hoping he would be interested in you?”
Her face turned a funny color, and I couldn’t tell whether it was embarrassment or nausea at the thought.
“We’re friends,” I informed her, not bothering to wait for a response that would probably be insulting to me, or Draven, or both of us. “And honestly, I don’t care whether you believe me or not. I’ve lived my whole life out in the big scary world, and I’ve met a lot of people who aren’t dragons. Frankly, I like most of them better than I like you right now. So why don’t you go make trouble somewhere else, because I haven’t slept properly since someone tried to blow up my house last night and I’m tired.”
She just kept surprising me. After staring at me for a moment, she actually smiled and seemed reluctantly impressed. “Fair enough. Then let’s get you to bed.”
Wait, did she intend to help? Hopefully, she would clue in to my distinct lack of enthusiasm without the need for lengthy explanations. My energy was fading rapidly, and it was going to be a miracle if I got changed into my pajamas before unconsciousness set in.
But no, she actually took my arm and marched me to my door. “I’ll just stay until I’m sure you can get yourself into bed without falling over.”
“Why, so you can rifle through my stuff and find out if I talk in my sleep?”
“No,” was all she would say as she escorted me into my suite and dug into the clothes someone had provided. When she found pajamas, she threw them at my chest and raised an eyebrow. “Do I need to dress you, or are you still awake enough for that?”
I scowled at her and headed for the bathroom.
After washing up and brushing my teeth, I headed back out, not sure what I would find, but sure enough, Skye was still sitting on my bed. A quick glance indicated that none of my stuff appeared to have been messed with, but I doubted she was sloppy enough to leave evidence.
“You’re in my spot,” I said.
She shifted to one side and patted the bed. I just stared at her.
After a tense moment, she sighed and set her hands on her knees.
“Look, I needed to know what you’re made of. You’re new. And you’re basically like a giant rock being tossed into our quiet little pond. Right now, everyone knows who’s who and where they belong. But you fell into a place with significant influence, and no one knows yet whether you can hold it.” Her forehead creased with what I chose to interpret as frustration. “Everyone is anxious to find out whether you’re going to be the pretty little princess who hides in Mommy’s shadow, or whether you’re a power in your own right.”
I so did not have the energy for this right now, but apparently it was happening anyway.
“What will you do if you don’t like the answer?” I asked wearily. “And do you even know which answer you really want? Look, I’m trying to appreciate your angst, but until yesterday, I didn’t know about my dragon family. I had no idea who my mother was, and I was happy.”
Well, you know—mostly happy. Skye didn’t need to know about all of my other problems.
“I honestly don’t care about whatever power you think I have, and I’m not here to take anything away from anyone, considering that twenty-four hours ago, I had no idea any of you existed.”
She shrugged. “Strangely enough, I believe you. But you can’t claim to be ignorant of the fact that your presence does change all the questions we’ve been asking about the line of succession.”
“And your point is?”
“I think that’s going to create more problems than you realize.”
My eyes narrowed as my brain recognized the danger and tried to wake back up. “Is that some kind of threat?”
“No!” Her hands clenched into fists, then uncurled, one finger at a time. “Look, believe me or don’t, I’m not actually in line for the throne, for a lot of reasons. That’s not how dragons work, and I don’t care whether I’m ever considered for the job.”
Yeah, I’d take a hard pass on believing her about that.
“But I do care about the future of our people, and you have no clue what kind of forces you’ve stirred up. There are factions, even among dragons here at the enclave—different groups who want radically different things and have wildly divergent hopes for our future.”
That made sense, but why tell me now?
“You’ll be a threat to some of them,” she told me earnestly. “And to others, you’ll present an opportunity. Your arrival is the equivalent of a political earthquake to a people who don’t particularly like change. I suppose I’m urging you not to make any hasty decisions or take what you hear at face value. Not until you know us better.”
I stared
her down. “Sounds like great advice. And it applies to everyone.”
Skye actually grinned at me. “I know. But there’s more than one way to take a person’s measure, and not all of them involve fighting.”
“How many of them involve being a total jerk just for fun?” I muttered as she stood up.
“I’m sorry if you hate me, but I meant what I said. I care about the future of our people, and you’ve just become a big part of it. There is very little I wouldn’t do to determine whether your presence here is a threat to us, whether intentional or not.”
“Noted,” I said. “And I’m sure later I will either appreciate your candor or be pissed at you for testing me, but right now, I’m too tired, so please go away.”
To my surprise, she actually shut up and left.
The door closed, I collapsed onto the pillow, and… I really don’t remember anything after that.
I woke up the next morning to pounding on my door. Why did that seem to keep happening to me?
“Kira, are you okay?”
“Don’t make us break the door down.”
I peered at the clock next to the bed and realized that I’d actually skipped “morning” altogether.
“Keep your panties on, boys,” I called out, after clearing my throat a few times. “I’m fine.”
Staggering out of bed, I located a sweater and pulled it on over my pajamas before opening the door to scowl at Ryker and Declan.
“Is there a reason for this incredibly annoying wake-up call?”
“You mean besides the fact that it’s afternoon, and we thought you were dead in here?” Ryker wasn’t pulling his punches this morning.
“Yes, besides that. Pretty sure after the last two days, I’m entitled to re-enact Sleeping Beauty if I want to.”
My middle brother’s eyebrows shot up. “And who did you have in mind for the kissing part?”
“That’s for me to know, and you not to know.”
Declan, bless him, produced a tray with a covered plate. “I would call it breakfast, but…” He grinned as I snatched it away from him.
“I don’t care what you call it. I’m starving.”
They followed me back into my room. Declan took the window seat while I sat at the table and began devouring what proved to be an excellent omelet. Ryker paced until I threw him a glare.
“Seriously, would you sit down already? You’re making me nervous.”
He stopped. “Did you really attack Callum last night?”
My fork fell to my plate. “Is that what he told you?”
“Not exactly.” Declan propped one ankle on the opposite knee. “He’s been pretty close-mouthed about the whole thing, actually, but he asked us to bring you down to the council chambers after you’ve eaten. There are a few things they want to discuss with you.”
Suddenly I wasn’t very hungry anymore.
“Do you want to tell us what happened?”
“Not really.” I leaned one elbow on the table and set my chin in my hand. “But I guess you might as well know before the council does. I met with Draven last night, away from the enclave, so we could talk. Callum hunted us down and attacked Draven, so I defended him. Pretty much all there is to the story. I wasn’t going to let Callum eat one of my friends, so I tried to distract him and found out that my fire actually burns through dragon scales.”
Ryker let out a whistle of surprise. “That’s new. Wonder if it’s a bronze thing or just a you thing?”
I shrugged, a little surprised that Ryker didn’t seem to be angry. “Guess there’s no way to know, is there?”
Declan’s brows were still lowered. “And was your friend unharmed?”
I decided he was definitely my favorite brother. “Yes, he’s fine. I imagine Draven could have defended himself, but I really needed Callum to know that he doesn’t get to decide who my friends are.”
“Mom isn’t going to like it either,” Ryker pointed out.
“Why not? What’s so wrong about me being friends with the fae emissary?”
“It’s partly that he’s the fae emissary, and partly that he’s…”
“An assassin?” I interrupted. “Or a half-blood? Or is it that his father supposedly uses him for all the dirty jobs he doesn’t want on his own conscience?”
Ryker looked a little taken aback. “You mean, you knew?”
“I’m know I’m technically still nineteen, but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid, Ryker. Yes, I knew. Draven doesn’t pretend to be someone he’s not.”
“But how long has he known who you are?”
“About as long as I have,” I said, striving not to sound as belligerent as I felt.
“And how sure are you that his interest in you hasn’t changed due to the change in your status?”
“Because he isn’t interested in me like that, you idiot!”
Sadly, I followed that outburst with tears that I couldn’t quite hide.
Even Ryker noticed and came over to crouch down beside my chair.
“Kira.”
I didn’t answer. I was too busy gritting my teeth and fighting with this flood of unwanted emotions.
“Forgive me?”
“I won’t forgive you if you’re just trying to get me to stop crying.”
“How about if I really am sorry?”
I swiped my sleeve across my eyes. “Prove it.”
“What are your demands?”
“Dictated apologies don’t count.”
He sat down in the other chair. “I’m sorry. Truly, I am. I know this all kind of sucks for you. And I can only imagine that we’re a lot to deal with all at once. But I’m really hoping you won’t give up on us because…” He paused. “From your perspective, I know we’ve just met. But I remember you. We all do.”
This apology was turning out to be a little counterproductive on the “stop crying” front.
Ryker wasn’t finished. “I remember the first time I held you, thinking how tiny and fragile you were. I would happily have torn the throat out of anyone who tried to hurt you.”
“He’s always been more impulsive than the rest of us,” Declan added. “As I recall, I just kept trying to feed you until Mom caught me giving you a worm and made me stop.”
I was choking on laughter and tears, but they still weren’t done.
“My point,” Ryker said, shooting his brother a dirty look, “is that we already feel like you’re our sister. It’s hard to hold back and not treat you like someone we’ve always known, and honestly, I don’t know how well I’ll manage in the future. I have so much brothering to catch up on.” He shot me a rueful grin. “But I’ll try. Because I want you to feel safe here. I want you to feel like you have a family who would do anything for you, but I also don’t want you to get scared and run away.”
“You’re right,” I said, when I could speak again. “You’re definitely a lot to deal with. And if I’m honest…”
I jumped to my feet and started pacing, because this was going to be hard to say. But I owed them the truth after they’d been so honest with me.
“I keep wondering whether you were even a little bit relieved when I disappeared.”
My brothers exchanged glances.
“After what you just told me, I don’t think I really believe that anymore,” I said. “But you need to remember that I’ve spent my whole life convinced that my family wanted to kill me, without ever knowing why. And right after I found out you didn’t want to kill me, I found out about the whole succession thing—that I’m the heir, and somehow super important. So important that my behavior is up for judgement by all of dragonkind…”
“Or at least by Callum,” Declan murmured, and I probably would have laughed if I hadn’t been so nervous about what I was about to say.
“So even if I believe that you never wanted me dead, I’ve also realized that you did have to go through feeling like you weren’t good enough because you weren’t girls. That you had to watch everyone mourn my loss as if I were somehow more impo
rtant because of my gender. And honestly, I don’t think I would blame you if that made you hate me, at least a little.”
I stood there for a moment, head bowed, trying not to feel everything at once, and when I turned around, they were right behind me.
I didn’t need Declan’s talent to read their feelings.
Both of my big, tough, dragon brothers had suspiciously red eyes.
“Kira.” Ryker—the sharp-witted, sarcastic, annoying one—reached out to grab my shoulders. “You already know that we take family very seriously.” He glanced over at Declan, who nodded as if giving permission.
“Declan was five when you were born,” Ryker said. “The worm thing aside, for the short time we had you here, he loved nothing more than to sit and hold you. He used to cry when they would take you out of his arms. He cried for a month when you disappeared, and there was nothing we could do.”
Oh fine, now I was crying again.
“Ryker was ten when you were attacked,” Declan said. “He somehow learned that the raid was carried out by fae assassins, and he was so angry he ran away from home four times trying to avenge you until Mom finally told him—told all of us—the truth. That you’d been taken into hiding to keep you safe.”
“Callum was twenty-one when we realized we’d lost contact with Morghaine,” my youngest brother continued. “He’d been taking on more responsibility for several years, but I think that’s when he completely devoted himself to work. He made it his job to find out what had happened to you, and he didn’t sleep for five days.”
The two of them exchanged glances.
“Sometimes I think he hasn’t slept properly since,” Ryker added. “I guess all of this is meant to convince you that, no matter what happens from here on out, we are your brothers. And we will probably brother you to death, because all of us feel, in one way or another, like we failed you.”
“You didn’t fail me,” I muttered, looking at the floor because I couldn’t keep looking at them without full-on sobbing. “I’m sorry if I was a jerk. I promise I’ll try to understand how you all feel, if you’ll do the same for me.”
I peeked tentatively up at Ryker and was irrationally relieved by the roguish twinkle I saw in his eyes.
