Page 26 of Fallen for the Two-Headed Dragon

His frown felt like it was becoming permanent by the time he reached the edge of the arena. The outdoor coliseum was packed with bodies. Dragons in both shifts sat shoulder to shoulder and other creatures dappled the stands. Bodies bumped against him, people turning to glare at him before recognition hit.

Where the hell were Ryuu and Anabraxus?

“Excuse me, excuse me, sorry, pardon me.” At the sound of Ryuu’s voice, a flood of relief rushed out of Rathym in the form of a strangled sigh. “Kin! How good it is to see you. When Ana told me of your visit, I was thrilled! Well, not for the circumstances, but you know.”

Rathym grumbled a greeting, his uneasy gaze darting around them. Luckily, his brother-in-arms recognized his stiffness for what it was. Ryuu guided him through the packed bodies until they had room to release their wings. They flew up the three flights of stands to the balcony and touched down in the box reserved for those who were close to the victim. The box consisted of Rathym, Anabraxus, Ryuu, and three elves. The sight of such a small group of people was like a stab to Rathym’s gut. Elvendale had been full of people who loved Luvon, and yet there were so few left alive.

“Regent Odrydimere,” one of the elves, Caundur, greeted him. The sound of his former title from an elf only twisted the knife lodged in his gut. “King Ludove would be grateful to see you here.”

Rathym could do nothing but nod, his breath caught in lungs like amber. Somewhere between parting ways with his mate and this moment, he’d lost control of most of his functions. Caundur retreated, and Rathym returned his troubled gaze to the wide-open expanse of sand.

Ryuu gently nudged his shoulder. “How are you coping?”

“Quite all right, thank you.” The words came out too harsh. He blew out a breath that sent smoke from his nostrils and shook his head, finally meeting his old friend’s compassionate stare. “It—it’s all a bit much.”

“Aye.”

“There he is, the big lump!” called a cheery female’s voice from behind. “I knew you wouldn’t miss this.”

“Greetings, Anabraxus.”

“Greetings, Anabraxus. That’s what you sound like.” She laughed and pressed a mug into his chest, which he gratefully accepted. “Figured you’d need this after, oh, forty centuries away from any living thing.”

“Ana,” warned Ryuu.

“I’m just saying. So, should I assume we won’t see you at the ball?”

“You could, but you would be wrong. In fact, I have a plus-one.” Pride welled in his hearts at the sight of his friends’ surprised faces, a welcome feeling amongst the grief-clouded air. He paused to sip his ale before adding, “My human companion. My mate.”

Anabraxus slammed her hand over her mouth. “Not you, you’re a Traditional Trelly! A human?”

“You’d better make a pit stop at Xerald’s for some oil, old friend,” Ryuu said with a chuckle. “I didn’t think a human could handle a dragon without Xerald’s mixture. It’s magic, it is.”

Anabraxus snorted and nodded emphatically. “A human. She doesn’t mind all your junk? How big is your hoard these days, anyway?”

“I’ll have you know—” Rathym began, but his sentence dropped like a boulder in the ocean as the commencement horn was blown.

The prisoner would soon be escorted into the arena. The box fell silent. All eyes turned to the sandy ground. Rathym took a few steps back and shifted, not trusting that he could maintain his downshift. From the spectacular view, Rathym could make out every knot and whorl of the burning table. The slabs of old wood would be engulfed in the flames of the reckoning.

The burnished door of the tunnel connecting the coliseum to the Iron Prison trembled. Rathym’s hearts mimicked the thundering steps, his breath stuck inside his lungs, his fury hot smoke inside his mouth.

He wanted to be down there, to greet the murderer who was responsible for so much suffering with his own fire. He wanted to dole out the reckoning. But the rules were clear, and although he’d washed his hands of this society for many years, he wasn’t prepared to stand upon the burning table for murder the same way this vile creature was about to.

The doors swung open.

The executioner stepped out first, a fierce, blood-red dragon with enormous curved horns and fire leaking from his eyes.

Rathym’s throat grew exponentially hotter. He released the smoke building up inside him through his nostrils, attempting to quell the flame that wanted to erupt from his core.

Rage.

A heavy silver chain trailed behind the executioner. It clinked and chimed until he halted at the edge of the burning table, but the prisoner attached to it remained sheltered just inside the tunnel.

A Fireborn with the complexion of a carnation took the stand. Her downshifted form stood at the podium situated a few yards in front of the burning table, her voice ringing out clearly in the utter silence.

“Let today be remembered as a triumph,” she started. “For today, we avenge our neighbor and ally, King Ludove. It is with heavy hearts and brightly burning sparks that we bestow the king’s assailant his reckoning. Rejoice the Great Flame.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd, but Rathym could not speak through the burning smoke that steadily poured through his clenched teeth. He’d allowed his full shift to complete, but his control over the flame within remained tenuous at best. The speaker was downplaying the centuries-long lack of information, lack of investigation, lack of care whatsoever for Ludove’s case. How dare they call this kingdom an ally? The whole council had dropped the case the moment they thought no one was looking. That was no ally.

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