Rowan stopped pedaling. “What the hell? Why?” Obviously Kingston had no idea what he was talking about. This was stupid.
Kingston chuckled. “It’s not what you think. I’ll tell her things that obviously aren’t true. I’m not going to point out any real flaws. It will give her reason to defend you and force her to think about your strengths.”
“What are you going to tell her?”
“Hm. Well, I’ll probably start with your selfishness. Then maybe your arrogance. Probably talk about how cowardly you are too.”
Rowan hung his head. “But I am a coward.” That was one thing he knew for sure. He was scared of everything. Including, apparently, mating dragons. His face went red when he remembered how Skye had laughed at him.
Kingston guffawed. Rowan moved to the free weights and frowned at himself in the mirror while Kingston got his laugh out. He was so sick of dragons laughing at him. He didn’t belong in this world. Maybe he should let Everett remove that stupid sealing when they find him.
Kingston came and sat down next to him, clapping him on the shoulder, jarring his teeth.
“You are a scrawny human, and yet you killed an eight-hundred-year-old dragon who had taken on unnatural magical powers. I’m sure you have a lot of faults, but cowardice isn’t one of them. In fact, the longer I get to know you the harder I have to look to find any faults. I’m surprised Skye isn’t head over heels yet.”
Rowan wished he knew if Kingston was joking. Because he had a hard time seeing himself as brave. Especially when his stomach was tied all up in knots most of the time.
SKYE WOKE EARLY the next morning. She showered and tried to think of their next step, which would start with finding that prophecy. That was the key to staying alive and understanding her role in the upcoming war. Plus, she didn’t want to go back to Obsidian until she figured out how she had become a king. He’d likely make a bigger deal out of it than she had, and she wanted to provide him with answers.
She’d heard the legend of the dragon kings a thousand times, told it to kids even more often. But she’d never heard of a sea dragon being part of it. Or a girl. She wanted to know what her role meant so she could make a plan.
She was good at that. Planning things out. She thought she had it all figured out with Obsidian, but then he went and became king and ruined all that. She liked knowing where her life was going. Then when she had to become human, she had another plan. But now. She had no plan. No way to even think about one, because she didn’t know what the future held. Her head was a mess. She wondered if this was how Rowan felt when he had anxiety. If so, that sucked.
She threw on a pair of jeans and a hoodie they’d brought her last night. The fabric was soft and rich. Kingston had good connections.
She went in search of Rowan. She wanted to talk to him before Kingston got up so they could discuss all the lies. She wanted to make sure Rowan understood what it meant to be sealed so he acted normal. She thought for a second of what it would be like if she had actually sealed herself to Rowan. It was impossible though. Everett had seen to that. But if she were capable of loving, she would love Rowan. She smiled. Of course she would. He was everything she could ever want. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second. Focus.
They needed to find the prophecy and then hightail it back to Obsidian so they could start planning for the war. Having Kingston around was tricky because she still didn’t know where his loyalties lay, but he was useful. With him around she didn’t have to turn into a dragon and risk being seen. He also had connections that could lead her to Everett, if he was telling the truth.
Then again, maybe she shouldn’t trust him. He said Victor locked him up for being a spy for Obsidian, but he could’ve been lying. Except. If he’d been lying, she’d be dead by now. He had no reason to keep her alive. He wasn’t pushing her to lead him to Obsidian at all.
She stepped into the kitchen and saw Kingston already firing up the coffee. She watched him for a second. He grabbed three mugs out of one of the cupboards and set out cream and sugar. He had given her no reason not to trust him.
“You’re an early riser,” she said to him.
He smiled. “I always have been. I like watching the sky turn light. Do you feel better after a good night’s sleep?”
“I do. Did you enjoy your movie last night?”
“We worked out instead.”
Skye shook her head. She didn’t understand the whole working out thing. Though Rowan was always in a good mood after he did. He looked better too. She blushed. She should not be thinking about what he looked like.
Kingston handed her a mug. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Why do you want to get rid of the sealing?”
“That’s none of your business.” He had some nerve. She didn’t owe him any explanation. She probably owed Rowan an explanation, but not Kingston. She nearly laughed out loud, because for a second she had thought maybe she was sealed to Rowan.
“I’m not trying to be nosy, but human relationships fascinate me, and I’m just curious. He’s in love with you. Why aren’t you with him?”
Skye sat up straighter. “I told you I was sealed to him.” She needed him to believe this lie.
Kingston rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but it’s obvious your love is of the friendship variety.”
Skye’s heart tightened. She didn’t know how to explain this. “Obsidian broke my heart. I’m not ready to repeat the experience.”
“Rowan’s not Obsidian. Plus, that wasn’t exactly his fault.”
She sighed. “I know. But I don’t love him like that. He’s my best friend. I can’t force myself to see him in any other way. We’re going to remove the sealing so he’ll be free to love another.”
Rowan was always her friend. She’d never even allowed herself to explore the other possibilities. She had an excellent hold of her own emotions. Even after Everett took away her ability to love, she was able to shut off feelings of want and desire. When she went to Sid’s house, she focused on building real relationships. Not ones built on romance.
She loved Rowan. A lot. But not in a romantic way. She hoped when all of this was over, she could explain to him why she’d never love him the way he wanted her to. She wanted to be a part of his life for as long as he was alive. But she figured she’d be a cool aunt to his kids and a good friend of his wife. Part of healing her heart meant she’d never love again.
Kingston leaned back against the counter, and Skye pounced before he asked her any more questions about Rowan.
“Why are the canyon dragons working with the arctic dragons?”
Kingston blinked for a second, giving no indication how he felt about it one way or another.
“I have no idea. That’s what I was trying to figure out. They caught me before I had a chance to discover what it was. There’s a war coming.”
“You could say that again.” She looked down at her coffee cup.
“Yep. That’s why I’d like to talk to Everett. He has the prophecy.”
Skye stilled. She had to play this cool. She couldn’t let on that she wanted the prophecy as well.
“Why do you want to read the prophecy?” She didn’t look at him when she asked. She wanted to appear slightly disinterested.
“You mean you haven’t heard? The prophecy of the three kings is being fulfilled. Obsidian wants it.”
“Really?” Skye asked, acting surprised. She opened her eyes wide. She hoped against hope he was buying it.
“Yeah, really.”
“So where is the prophecy?”
“With Everett, wherever he is.”
“Why does Obsidian think the prophecy is being fulfilled?” It was possible he already knew about her. If so, it was stupid that she was running away.
Kingston shrugged “I don’t know. He didn’t tell me. He asked me to keep my ears open about any information. I kinda blew my first mission. If I find the prophecy, maybe I can redeem myself.”
“Have you ever met Everett be
fore?” She wondered if Kingston could really find him if she couldn’t.
“Nope. Not many people have. You have though, haven’t you?”
Skye nodded.
Kingston leaned forward. Eagerness poured off him. “How’d you find him?”
Rowan came into the kitchen, looking sleepy. “Morning.”
Kingston pointed at the coffee pot. “Coffee’s there. Skye was about to tell me about how she found Everett the first time. Have you heard this story yet?”
Rowan shook his head and grabbed a mug. He wouldn’t meet Skye’s eye. That was weird.
“I was upset about Obsidian. At the time I didn’t even know how far I’d flown or where. But when I came to my senses, I realized I was in the middle of Oregon. I collapsed on the side of a lake near where Everett was supposed to be. Other dragons had told me that I wouldn’t find him unless he wanted to be found. Though, he found me next to that lake. I think he stopped to help me because he thought I was hurt.”
Rowan sat down across from her. Usually he sat next to her. “You were hurt. It just wasn’t a physical hurt.” Rowan held her gaze for a few seconds before breaking the eye contact and staring at his coffee.
“Yes. I was. I didn’t actually know it was Everett when he stopped, but I poured out my soul to him. He just listened. Then he told me who he was and that he could remove the pain, and he did. He taught me a lot about how the sealings work. It’s how I know he’ll be able to help us.”
Everyone was quiet when Skye finished her story.
After a few minutes, Kingston stood. “Well, I’m ready to go whenever you are,” He gathered up his things and headed for the door. Quite frankly, Skye wanted to stay holed up in the hotel where they were safe, but they had to get going. The sooner she found Everett, the sooner she found out about the prophecy and learned what her future held.
“But where are we going?” Rowan asked.
“To the woodland dragons in Yosemite. We need to warn them about the canyon dragons, and Murdoc might have insights as to where Everett is.”
“It’s the best we’ve got. Let’s go. I think I should ride with Rowan. His hand is still weak, and I don’t want him falling off.” Skye stood and moved next to Rowan, but then he put distance between them.
“It’s okay. I can ride by myself. It’s not a big deal.”
She glared at him. You know I can’t fly. No one can see my black scales. Skye couldn’t believe he’d forgotten.
Oops. Sorry.
“But I’d prefer if you were with me.” Rowan spoke quickly and turned away. Skye creased her eyebrows. She couldn’t figure out what was going on with Rowan.
Kingston gave him a funny look, but shrugged. “Okay. Let’s go then. We’ll get a driver to take us out to the mountain so there aren’t other people around. Then we’ll head north.”
Skye packed up the clothes she bought the night before into her new backpack. There was no telling when they would next find a store. The room was classy and comfortable with soft beiges and blues. The bed had been heaven, and she knew it would be the nicest bed she slept on for the near future. The wilderness was fine when she was a dragon, but as a human, civilization was necessary. Hopefully her clothes would last, because so far clothes had been a problem.
The boys still had to shower, so she took her time. When she came out of her room, Rowan was waiting by the door. She grabbed his good hand. “Thanks again for being a part of this. It means the world to me.”
He gently pulled his hand out of hers. Maybe he was having second thoughts about helping her find the prophecy.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” He gave her a tight smile.
He sounded sincere, but he still held her at a distance. This was so bizarre of him. Skye tried to think of anything that she could’ve done to make him upset, but nothing came.
THEY FLEW NORTH. Rowan had his arms around her, but they were loose, like he didn’t want to be touching her. Maybe he was angry she wanted to make up the story about the sealing. That shouldn’t make him mad.
The flight didn’t take more than an hour. But it was an hour she was alone with her own thoughts. It happened quite often, but she didn’t like it anymore. Between the ache in her chest and her black scales, she tried to get out of her own head as much as possible.
But now she was concerned about Rowan. He had withdrawn from her, and she didn’t know why. Nothing had changed. Though, a lot had happened in twenty-four hours, so it could be any number of things. Perhaps killing the dragon was taking its toll. Or maybe Kingston said something to him. Or maybe it was more innocent than that. Maybe he was giving her space. But she wasn’t comfortable with him pulling away.
Trying to keep him close wasn’t fair. He was her rock, and he steadied her when she felt her own emotions taking control again. Even though he was clingy and a little needy, she liked that about him, as strange as that sounded. No one had ever needed her before. Not Obsidian, not her parents, not even Aspen. Rowan relied on her, and she’d come to crave that.
Maybe that reliance was the problem. He was coming into his own. He’d shown his bravery over and over again the past few days. When she met him, he was terrified of his own shadow. Perhaps he needed to be alone with himself while he figured out who he was. She certainly understood that. She wished he would let her in.
She leaned against him, hoping he’d take the hint. His chest was warm on her back. He shifted a little but didn’t tighten his grip. Skye sighed. Kingston began his descent, and she leaned forward again, disappointed. She shouldn’t expect anything from him, but she did anyway.
They landed at the edge of a cave and climbed down.
Can you wait here? I don’t want to startle Murdoc, and bringing humans to him would put him on edge. He’s kind of a recluse. Has been since his mate was slaughtered several years ago.
“Sure,” Skye said. Rowan stepped away from her and sat down on the ledge. They were quite high up in the mountains. No human would reach this on their own. Even with all their fancy rock climbing stuff. Skye liked places like this. They felt safe.
She waited until Kingston disappeared into the cave and then settled down next to Rowan. Probably closer than she normally would’ve, but his distance was bothering her. She half expected him to move away from her, but he didn’t.
“You okay?” she asked.
He let out a fake laugh. “In the last week my life has turned upside down. I’m most certainly not okay. Who the hell am I now? Rowan the dragonslayer? And how does that look to the rest of the dragons? I’m not going to be met as a hero. Chances are I’m going to have to hide for the rest of my life because of what I did. Oh, and by the way, my sister is now queen of the dragons. My hand has a hole in it. And my head hurts. A lot. These glasses help me see, but they aren’t the right prescription.”
Skye let out a breath of relief. He wasn’t mad at her. Thank the gods. Now she needed to figure out how to make him feel better so he could get back to being her Rowan.
“I’m sorry. The woodlands dragon will probably be able to help with the pain. As far as the other stuff, you know you can talk to me, right?”
Rowan sighed and looked away from her. “I know. But I don’t even know what to talk about. You know? I’m trying to find my place in all this.”
Skye reached over and grabbed his good hand. She gripped it hard because she didn’t want him to let go. She pulled his hand into her lap.
“Your place is here. With me.”
Pain flashed across his face as he looked at her, and she wondered why he was hurt. She felt it. The hurt stung right in her chest.
“You don’t mean that. You’ve kept me at a distance since we met. You call me your best friend, but you hold me at arm’s length. Not only that, you want us to pretend like we’re sealed, but you don’t want to be. What the hell is that all about?”
She dropped her eyes and focused on their intertwined fingers. “I had to. I couldn’t tell him why we needed to find Everett. I’l
l not apologize for that. But as for keeping you at arm’s length, I’m trying to figure out my own emotions. I have a difficult time trusting people. But I’ve opened up more to you than anyone else. I wish that were enough.”
Her voice had dropped to a whisper. She couldn’t tell him her secret. Not yet. She didn’t know what would happen if she ever told him, but he wouldn’t hang around. She’d be asking him to love her without any expectation of love in return. She wasn’t ready for him to know that. Because she needed him. So for now, she let him have false hope.
He lifted her chin so she was looking him in the eyes. “Of course that’s enough. I’m sorry. I’m confused.”
He leaned closer to her, and she scrambled back, afraid of what he was about to do. That was the second time he’d come close to kissing her. She was so confused because she wanted it too. Her heart was racing, but she couldn’t let him kiss her. That would ruin everything because kissing without love behind it would be torturous.
“Come on, Rowan. You know…”
His expression fell, and he leaned away. “Yeah, you don’t like me like that. You’ve made that very clear.” He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. She hated it when she hurt him but didn’t see how to avoid it.
He paced for a few seconds on the edge of the cliff. She wondered if he even realized how high he was. Probably not, or he wouldn’t have been so close to the edge. Maybe he didn’t even see it.
Skye stood up and saw Kingston coming for them. He’d turned into a human. She wasn’t ready for him to come back. She needed to explain things to Rowan. But it would have to wait. She wasn’t about to tell him in front of Kingston.
“Murdoc’s ready to meet you. I figured it would be better if we were all human.”
“Thanks, Kingston. I don’t know what we’d do without you here. You’ve been a big help.”
“No problem. Come on. He’s a pretty unique dragon. His father was a woodlands dragon, and his mother was a canyon dragon.”
“That is different.” Mixed race dragons were always unusual, but even more so if the dragons weren’t natural allies. And the canyon and woodland dragons hated each other.
Skye: The Dragon Kings Book 4 Page 10
