Page 119 of The Keeper of the Kingdoms

Homes were built up into the side of the mountain and the cliff face opposite. The city was fully bustling with the morning markets and trading. There were fae and dragons everywhere, some flying while others were just in that form for whatever reason. The ones in their fae form were in all states of undress, but very few wore more than scraps of clothes because of the heat. Thus, most leaned more towards wraps and dresses. Even most of the males preferred wraps and skirts of some kind, which I had noticed was not a thing in the First Kingdom.

Kiera gasped. “How many dragons live here?

“Many.”

“And the King doesn’t know?”

“No.”

“I understand why they don’t want us to leave.”

I landed on the roof of my building.

“Everything is made for—flyers here?”

“Everyone flies, I don’t think we know another way.”

“I can’t imagine. It’s like home, I guess. Everything is made with healers in mind.” She walked to the edge of the roof to peer out at the street. “No wonder you’re not a meathead like the rest of the dragons. If the rest of them lived like this, we might have some normalcy.”

“It’s much different here than in the First Kingdom.”

“You willingly left all of this?” she asked, turning on me.

“I had to. And had I not, I would never have met you.”

“And you were willing to never come back here just to be with me?”

I nodded. “Of course, Firefly.”

“I’m sorry I doubted you.”

I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. “You had every right to.”

“This many dragons could turn the tide of the war.”

“I know.”

“And they won’t help.” It wasn’t a question.

“No. They don’t want anything to do with the Twelve Kingdoms and only let me go because I convinced them we had to know what could be on our borders before long.”

“They know what’s coming and still won’t help?”

“They don’t think it will affect them, so it’s not their problem. They’ve always been this way. I can’t live my life like that.” I exhaled a breath I felt like I’d been holding since I left Kerani before.

“And now we are trapped here all because I couldn’t trust you.” She sunk to her knees, defeated. “I can’t help Nyx and—” She put her face in her hands.

“We didn’t only come because I needed to show you,”I said into her mind. I was not comfortable saying it out loud.“I think the other half of the folie de grandeur is here.”

Her head snapped up. “What?”

“I don’t think they’ll give it to us.” I held out my hand for herto stand, and she took it. “But even if they let us near it, they won’t let us leave. So if we can get our hands on it, we will have to run.”

“Can we do it?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know how they will be with us or how they will treat you. I don’t know if we’ll be watched. I can’t decide what the best course of action is.” I was torn between two paths.

“What are you thinking?”

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