Page 59 of Betrayed By Dragons

It all comes rushing back to me now. Our mad escape from the Stone Kingdom and Rafe's insistence on returning to the Fire Kingdom. The ease I felt in his soul the instant we touched down in his homeland--not to mention the absolute rage that's powered him through since he got word that his father was up to no good.

Throwing back the covers, I force myself to sit up. The clock beside the bed says it's almost noon. I'm ninety-seven percent sure I didn't manage to sleep for twenty-eight hours, so that says I've been out for about four. That more or less checks out. I'm less desperately exhausted but not really refreshed, either.

I despair at the idea of having to put back on my dress from the night before, but it's not as if we had a chance to pack before we ran. Li said he'd try to get some of our personal affects smuggled out of the Stone Kingdom Palace, but that's going to take time. For a second, I consider just padding out into the other room naked. I'm pretty certain Rafe and Jianyu aren't alone, though, so that would probably be a really bad idea.

I glance around. Would Rafe mind me rummaging through his closet?

Then I spot a pair of boxer shorts and a black undershirt set out on a chair by the door. They're definitely Rafe's, and they're also definitely too big, but I don't care.

I pull them on and cross my arms over my chest to try to hide the fact that my nipples have their high beams on.

Well, whatever. I tug open the door separating Rafe's bedroom from the rest of the suite.

Immediately, all conversation stops and all eyes turn to me.

I flush instinctively and cross my arms more tightly, just barely lifting my fingers on one hand to wiggle them in an embarrassed wave. "Good morning?"

Rafe and his friend Cael are standing around a little table, while Jianyu sits on a sofa, sipping on a cup of what I can only assume is his customary morning cup of tea. Jianyu's expression is bored and annoyed, but it brightens slightly when he looks at me.

Clearing his throat, Rafe stands up taller. "Good morning."

"Can I get you anything?" Jianyu offers. "There's coffee, tea, pastries, bacon."

He gestures toward a kitchenette, which is overflowing with a breakfast spread that's positively comical for just four people.

"I got it," I assure them.

Jianyu pipes up again. "Also, that Atina woman just dropped off a bag of clothes for you."

I spot it on the floor by the door. Thank goodness.

As I cross the room toward both the bag of clothing and the sweet, sweet sugar and caffeine, I furrow my brows at Rafe and Cael. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Not at all." Rafe lets out a rough exhalation through his nose and rakes his hand through his hair. "We're going around in circles, mostly, just waiting to hear from--"

He's interrupted by a sharp chirp from his phone. As he checks it, one corner of his mouth lifts.

"Actually," he says, holding up the screen. "We were waiting for this."

Chapter Fifteen

EMBER

Some fifteen minutes later, Rafe leads me and Cael through the castle. I didn't have time to go through all the stuff Atina dug up for me to wear, but right on top, there was a simple black dress and silk packet full of undergarments--all miraculously my size, I have no idea how--and that was good enough for me. I've got my coffee in a travel mug, and I may or may not be getting crumbs on the plush, crimson rugs as I shove a chocolate croissant in my mouth as we go.

Jianyu wanted to come with us, of course, but Rafe reminded him that he's a wanted fugitive of an enemy kingdom, and maybe it would be better if he just sat tight for now. As tempted as I was to stay back with him, it felt important to stick with Rafe right now.

I glance at him in my periphery. I missed it earlier in the mad scramble to get presentable enough to head out the door, but there are dark circles under Rafe's eyes, and that angry, almost manic energy that seemed to be fueling him when we first arrived at the castle is even stronger now.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" I ask him quietly.

He shrugs. "I'm fine."

"Not an answer," I point out, but the moment is lost as he pushes open a set of doors.

We emerge into a giant dining room that makes me half wonder if cups and saucers are going to come to life and start singing to welcome us. Whatever china the Fire Kingdom's royal family owns, it stays quiet.

So do the dozen random people sitting and standing around. They all look even worse for wear than we do. Half of them are in pajamas or dressing gowns, and the other half appear to still be wearing whatever they were the night before, including the smudged remnants of their eye make-up. They're sipping from delicate cups and picking at food from enormous platters of food that put the generous spread we had up in Rafe's suite to shame.

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