Page 43 of Dragon Awakened

But as I fall into his gaze, I force myself to try to open my heart and my mind and my very soul, and I feel it--I feel...

Nothing.

Overwhelming relief crashes into me.

Shaking my head, my vision blurring, I back away. "It's not him."

I'm not tied to this jerk for the rest of my life. He won't seep poison into the carefully balanced group of males I've assembled. I don't have to listen to his stupid voice or look at his stupid face ever again. I don't have to be reminded of every mean, spiteful thing he's said and done.

"What?" Fury snarls, still ripping at the ropes. "I'm not who? What are you doing here? You were banished, you worthless piece of--"

"Can I brain this guy again already?" Rafe asks, his mouth twisted in disgust. He picks up a wrench from Storm's tool bench.

"Please," Malik says.

"My father will find me." Fury laughs. "And when he does, he'll--"

I roll my eyes. "Kill me, or sell me off into servitude, I know, I know."

"You wish," Fury sneers. "You're wanted by the Shadow King himself. Once we capture you and turn you over to him, you'll wish we'd executed you the first time."

My skin prickles with gooseflesh, shivers racing up and down my spine.

"Seriously," Rafe says, louder this time, mimicking smacking our prisoner upside the head.

Fury's eyes glow with malice, and there's a chill breeze to the air.

That's when I smell the scent of ash and ruin. Fury's dragon rises to the surface, his eyes narrowing to reptilian slits, shadows of wings spreading out across the wall.

"Rafe," I whisper, taking a halting step back.

Rafe doesn't need any further invitation. He swings the wrench into Fury's skull, and Fury goes crashing to the ground, his chair toppling over with him. Jianyu nudges his face with his foot and nods.

"Out cold," Jianyu pronounces.

Malik lets out a deep breath. "Thank the Gods."

"To think we might have been stuck with that guy forever," Rafe mutters.

And I am. How can I think about anything else?

Except...

A sudden, nervous shaking takes up in my bones. The hole in my heart that I thought I had given time to heal opens itself up, and I feel like I'm choking on blood.

"No," I breathe. No, no, no, no, no.

"Ember?" Jianyu says carefully.

Malik lifts his gaze. "Beloved?"

"It's not him," I whisper again.

And maybe there's another answer. Maybe it's a coincidence that my mates from the other three kingdoms have all been princes. Maybe there's some commoner, somewhere here in the Air Kingdom, who's destined for me--or maybe, like Rafe suggested earlier, Zephyr has some unknown, hidden bastard of his blood.

Anything is possible right?

But deep in my heart of hearts, I know it. Grief tears me open as efficiently as dragon talons rending flesh.

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