Page 24 of The Keeper of the Kingdoms

When I turned to face her, she was shaking her head. “I’m not sitting there.”

“I won’t make you,” I reassured her, making a knot my grandfather taught me in the rope as I approached her. She was skittish, like the palace horses around dragons, and I realized it looked as though I was going to lasso her or something. I held up my hands, showing her I had no nefarious intentions.

“This is just a bit of security for you, that’s all. I thought you might feel safer up here if you were tethered to the pillar over there and, therefore, couldn’t fall.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not a child. I know as long as I stay right here, I can’t fall. That’s good enough for me.”

“Is it?” I challenged. “I think you’re smarter than that.”

She scowled.

“You’re the smartest fae I’ve ever met, Kiera. Your fear is rational given your experience, but you deserve more than living under its oppression. You are intelligent enough to know your life would be infinitely better if you were free of fear.”

“I’ve led a happy life until now. On the ground, where I’m safe.”

“And you’re missing out,” I insisted. “Flying is the best feeling. There is no greater rush.”

“I’m quite content to live without it, thank you.”

“But that is no longer an option,” I said carefully. “Our bond will drive you mad eventually if you don’t allow yourself to satisfy it.”

“So what do you suggest?” she demanded. “Other than you forcing me to fly, which you said you wouldn’t do. I see no way past this.”

“I simply wanted to introduce you to my dragon, that’s all.” I shrugged. Feeling stupid for even thinking it would help.

Kiera pressed her lips together but didn’t look away.

“What is it?”I asked mind to mind, wondering why she seemed to be stopping herself from voicing her thoughts.

“I’m afraid if I see your dragon, I’ll feel compelled to—I don’t know, comply, I suppose. I know the fear won’t leave me, but if I spend time around a dragon I’m supposed to be Goddess blessed to be bound to, will it awaken some need in me I can’t fight?”she admitted in the sanctuary of our minds. Perhaps it was easier through this connection to admit the things she couldn’t say aloud.

“Would that be so bad? If it made you overcome the fear.”

“Yes! I’ll be miserable. I’m a healer, Jaxus. That’s who I am. I don’t want some fated instinct to kick in and take it all away. And I’ll vomit! I swear it. Just the idea turns my stomach.”

I laughed.

She fought a responding grin and lost. “Don’t laugh at me,” she said aloud, shoving me. Then she grabbed hold of me in a panic when I stumbled back a step as if she thought I might go over the edge that was twenty feet away.

“I’m not laughing at you. You’re adorable, that’s all,” I said before I could catch myself, then immediately regretted it.

However, when I looked at her, she was not horrified, only mildly embarrassed.

I had to take that as a good sign. She was warming to me.

“Listen,” I reasoned. “You can’t hide from it forever. A dragon is who I am. Let me do this. Let’s just get it done.”

She heaved in a huge breath and let it out in a sigh. “Fine, get it over with.”

I did not smile. I couldn’t afford to piss her off. But I wanted to.

This was so positive.

I began to make a loop in the rope to hitch her to the pillar as I’d planned.

“Put your damned rope away,” she said. “We’ll do it here. I’m not sitting on that bench.”

“Fair enough,” I conceded, tossing the rope to the side.

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