Page 81 of Beautiful Beast

“I have no need to command you. Not when you yourself are commanded for me. Show us the human.”

“No.” Zovai’s tone was final. “Go back to Doro Eche.”

Endre, just close enough for me to see him without moving, smiled viciously. “And who was it that submitted this report you speak of? Tell me now.” Power laced the words and made them shudder through the world.

“Siolli,” the second dragon said.

The curses that fell from Sirrus’s lips would have made my jaw drop days ago. Now I felt the anger behind them and knew something was wrong. Deeply, deeply wrong.

“And what did Siolli say?” The words were velvet in the quiet.

“That you had betrayed your own kind for a human whore, and were rampaging around Skalisméra maiming dragons who spoke valid complaints. That you were flaunting your sexual exploits in the city, and you refused to listen to reason.” Pelbas, the second dragon, continued. “We have been commanded to see the human, your Highnesses. We must.”

My mind whirled. We hadn’t done anything?—

The library. The dragon we’d heard in the library had been Soza. Either her or someone who told her.

Pressing my forehead into Sirrus’s back, I closed my eyes. Knowing what I did now, I knew there was no way to avoid this. My dragons could not override a command from the Elders. Sirrus growled, but he gripped my arm and moved me, pulling me around and keeping me against his body. “There. You have seen her. Are you pleased with yourselves?”

Pelbas snarled and launched himself at the two of us.

I never even saw Endre move. He simply appeared in front of Sirrus and me, hands snapping Pelbas’s neck with ease. His dragon form exploded, claws tearing the body limb from limb before tossing the pieces so far into the sea we could no longer see them.

He shrank back into his human form and stared at Relkym, chest heaving. “Would you like a turn?”

The golden dragon only smirked. “I look forward to you being dragged before the Elders against your will like the traitors you are.” He took a step toward Endre and lifted his chin. “I look forward to you watching her burn.”

Both dragons moved. Relkym’s golden form flew backward, narrowly avoiding Endre’s jaws closing around his neck. Zovai slammed into him a moment later, casting him into the sea. And for long moments, there was nothing.

Water ruptured toward the sky, casting rainbows in a hundred directions as Relkym took to the air and sped in the direction from which he came. Sirrus’s arms held me hard against his body until the dragon was nothing but a speck of glittering dusk in the sky.

All at once the illusion of clothes vanished and Endre fell to his knees.

“Endre.” I ran for him, falling beside him. “What’s wrong? Did he harm you?”

Zovai lifted me from the ground. “Endre is not injured. But we must return to the city. Now.”

“What just happened?” I asked, dread sinking in my stomach.

He went to shift, and I caught him by the arm, stopping him. “Zovai, please.”

In one movement, my lips were under his, a kiss meant to calm and comfort as much as it was meant to tell me I was his. Theirs. But it didn’t answer the question.

“Please,” I murmured.

Zovai pressed his forehead to mine before he looked at the others. All their eyes were filled with misery. “We are out of time.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

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ZOVAI

Lena climbed onto my back, and we took to the skies. We were back in our chambers in minutes.

Endre drooped from the sheer power he’d extended. I didn’t think Lena fully understood what he’d done, nor did we have time to explain. As soon as we touched the ground I placed my hand on the floor, extending my voice beyond the enchantments that protected our rooms. “Idroal. Our chambers. Now.”

Chewing on her lower lip, Lena wrapped her arms around herself. I wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and comfort her, but it would have to come later.

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