Page 19 of The Death King

The soldiers who were stationed there began to work on the dragon’s saddle, removing it from his flank so he could be free of the binding.

The king said nothing to them and walked forward toward the double doors of the keep.

I got a better look at Khazmuda in the torchlight and coming dawn, unable to believe I’d ridden atop that beast the whole way here. He was the only dragon in existence, and I’d been lucky enough to ride him…even though it made me sick.

When I felt the king’s stare, I turned to meet it.

“Magnificent, isn’t he? I remember the first time I saw him.”

As do I.

The king’s stare continued, dissecting my face in silence, his thoughts a mystery. His eyes shifted back and forth slightly, his mind working hard behind that gaze. That sun had just peeked over the horizon, so the formerly dark sky was now splashed with purple, pink, and orange, the dawn of a new day. “I know your face.”

Like my life depended on it, I kept my features as stoic as possible. I gave no reaction, no indication that we’d met before, because if he figured out who I was, he might kill me. He’d spared me once because I was a child, probably assuming I would die by someone else’s hand. But now that I was a grown woman, he would show no mercy.

The stare continued, but no interrogation followed.

I held his gaze as long as I could before I finally broke it, his stare like a knife between my ribs. I’d been the recipient of the hungry stares of men since I became an adult, but none matched the intensity the king produced. It showed a spectrum of his emotions, his rage, his focus, his confidence, his intelligence.

In the short time I’d been in his presence, I’d quickly come to understand why he was able to conquer an entire continent single-handedly—even without a dragon.

He moved through the double doors of the keep, and I followed, unsure what else I was supposed to do.

He took the lead, moving down the circular staircase until he entered a main hallway in the castle. The floor was hardwood but covered with a deep mahogany rug. The air was instantly warm compared to the cold outside, the fireplaces throughout the castle all lit to fight the winter.

A man dressed in armor was there to greet the king with a quick bow. “You’ve returned quicker than we expected, King Talon.”

So he had a name. A real one.

The Death King completely ignored that. “Provide her accommodations and security. She’s not permitted to leave the castle. And if she tries, kill her.” He didn’t even look at me before he walked away, moving down the hallway, his immense presence making the hallway feel small. When he turned the corner and disappeared from sight, the light faded just a little, along with the warmth.

I nearly gasped when I walked into my bedchambers.

An enormous four-poster bed was against the wall on a thick rug, a grand fireplace was against the other wall, a small sitting area in front of it. The chamber had a separate bathroom and a balcony that overlooked the castle and the city as it stretched out into the distance.

I had been used to this sort of luxury once upon a time, but it’d been so long that I’d forgotten. The sheets were satin, the pillows stuffed with duck feathers, not a speck of dust found on any surface.

The first thing I did was drop my ugly clothes and step into the shower. I let the warm water rinse over me and carry away all the dirt and grime…and the general’s touch. Invisible scars were on my body from all the places where he’d touched me. No one could see them, but I could.

When I was done with the shower, I filled the tub with warm water and soap. The sun continued to rise and flood the room with sunlight and heat, and with my head propped on a towel, I dozed off.

It was the first time I’d let my guard down—because I was truly alone. General Titan was stationed across the desert in a permanent position, so I would never see him again. King Talon had vowed I wouldn’t do manual labor, so I didn’t have to worry about working my body until it was too tired to go on. I knew I would be given another purpose, but at least for now, I had no purpose at all. And I treasured that.

I must have slept for hours because when I came to, I realized the water had cooled to room temperature. The bubbles had popped and fizzled out, so there was a clear view of my naked body below. I wasn’t sure what had woken me up, but then I heard a quiet knock through the cracked door.

Footsteps sounded a moment later. Then I heard a tray being gently tapped against the dining table before retreating footsteps sounded. The chamber door shut, and the unmistakable smell of food entered my nostrils—and I knew dinner had been delivered.

I left the tub, dried off, and put on the robe hanging on the back of the door before I returned to my bedchambers. A silver tray had been placed on the dining table. It contained a bottle of wine with a glass and a plate of meat, potatoes, and steamed vegetables. There was an entire loaf of bread just for me.

I lit the logs in the fireplace then sat down at the table alone, eating in silence, truly enjoying my food for the first time in seven years. My meals had been either accompanied by a man I despised or by the relentless heat from the sun in the center of the sky. The food tasted so much better. I felt better.

I’d only been there for a few hours, but I felt like a new person.

When I finished dinner, I left the tray outside the door then sat on the couch in front of the fire. The flames licked the dry logs and made the wood pop when hot air became trapped in the cracks. Mesmerized, I just watched, enjoying the beautiful silence of my solitude.

But that joy was snatched away when the door opened without a knock.

I turned to look at who entered my bedchambers without permission, but I already knew exactly who it was, who would have the arrogance to enter a room where they didn’t belong.

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