Page 7 of Betrayed By Dragons

My brows pinch together. "That's... Actually not a bad idea."

"I'm surprised your mates haven't suggested it themselves," he muses.

As he does, he fiddles with the ring on his finger. Something inside me softens toward him.

Jett sacrificed a lot to come here with me and Amy. He's one of the only other dragons I've ever met to have a soul-bonded fated mate. His partner, Freya, is a force to be reckoned with--a Valkyrie-style dragon warrior, the person responsible for bringing the Fire and Stone Kingdoms together at the negotiating table in the first place, and also the mayor of the neutral territory of Unity.

Being away from her for a week has left Jett a little cranky, and for good reason.

I let out an exhalation, and remind myself to give him some leeway while we're here.

That doesn't keep my heart from panging, thinking about my own mates, though.

I don't think they like me being defenseless or anything. There's a perfectly good reason they haven't started training me in combat--or whatever it is Jett's suggesting.

Quietly, looking down at my plate again, I remind him, "My mates have had a lot of other things on their minds."

Chapter Three

EMBER

It doesn't matter how good the soundproofing is in the Stone King's palace. The muffled sounds of growly dragon shifters arguing carries all the way down the hall.

Steeling myself, I turn the handle of the door to Jianyu's suite.

It's a gorgeous space, tastefully decorated in a modern, masculine style. Dark rosewood shelves dotted with books line one wall, while monochromatic, abstract paintings have been hung on the others. There's a big, surprisingly comfortable gray couch scattered with navy pillows and a velvety throw, as well as a glass and stone coffee table and a plush, gray rug. In the corner, a couple of large, white marble sculptures radiate power in a way that's not overwhelming--but still impossible to ignore.

Especially when they start to vibrate with the force of Jianyu's anger.

Wincing, I hover in the doorway. My two mates are standing on opposite sides of the seating area. Jianyu's posture is closed, his arms folded tightly across his chest and his jaw clenched so hard it must hurt.

Rafe, on the other hand, is emoting with force. He flings an arm out to the side, his muscles rippling, his dragon's fire heating the room. "You just have your head so far up your father's ass--" he curses.

"My father," Jianyu intones coldly, his words clipped, "is devoting all available resources to the investigation."

"Then how come he hasn't been able to rustle up one single member of your country's batshit, isolationist cult to interrogate?"

My eyes fly wide. Forgetting myself, I step more fully into the room, letting the door swing shut behind me. "You're trying to interrogate someone from Bedrock?"

My two mates turn as one. Instantly, the temperature in the room drops--both literally and metaphorically.

Considering how strong our bond is, they must have been pretty worked up indeed if they didn't notice my approach. A tingle of pleasure dances through my chest at the way they both relax, just at the sight of me. They're not the only ones who are affected, either. The tension of being away from the other two halves of my soul had me on edge in a way I couldn't have identified, if pressed. I only know that now that we're together again, I feel like I can breathe more fully, see more clearly.

The urge to cross the distance and leap into their arms is strong, but I resist it, lifting my brows in question instead. "Well?"

I first became aware of Bedrock about three seconds after setting foot in the Stone Kingdom. The king's supporters had shown out in droves to welcome Jianyu home. Bedrock's symbol--a circle superimposed on a triangle with three slashes through the base--had been inscribed on signs, and even printed on a couple of shirts. My driver told me they were a "local political organization," but turns out he was understating things, to say the least.

In actuality, there's an entire movement that wants the Stone Kingdom to close its borders completely. No negotiating with the Fire Kingdom, no trips abroad. No trade with other nations, even. They call themselves Bedrock, and by all accounts, they've been growing more and more strident of late. Jianyu's presence at the peace summit in Unity was a flashpoint for the group. While they're loyal to the royal family--everyone is, under penalty of death--they were big fans of the terrorist attack that blew up half of Unity's town hall.

Jianyu pinches the bridge of his nose. A ripple of irritation flows through our bond; he's not annoyed at me, precisely, but the situation has been giving him an ulcer all week. "It's complicated."

"Is it?" Rafe's temper flares again. "Or would you just rather keep blaming the Fire Kingdom for nearly killing our mate and stalling talks between our countries forever, instead of actually looking at the group in your own backyard?"

"I'm not blaming the Fire Kingdom," Jianyu grits out, the vein in his temple throbbing.

"Well, your father sure is."

"It's a delicate situation." Jianyu exhales roughly. "Bedrock has prominent supporters in the royal court."

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