Page 58 of The Dragon Maiden

He nodded silently, seemingly unsurprised.

My blood ran cold. “Wait. Did… did you know about this?”

“I did,” he confirmed.

A gasp escaped me, and I stepped away from him, my mouth open in horror.

“But there was nothing to be done. By the time I had heard what happened, it was too late.”

“And you didn’t think to come looking for me?” I whispered, betrayal creeping into my voice.

In my peripheral vision, I could see Dracul shifting. It seemed the visitors were quickly beginning to wear out their short stay.

“I looked everywhere for you. I was following you.”

“It was too dangerous,” Ronan explained. “I couldn’t come back.”

His eyes showed the pain he felt, but he looked very different from the brother I used to know. With a chill, I realized I did not know him at all. The past years had changed both of us drastically. Anger filled me. His actions had had consequences.

“You don’t understand—”

I slapped him, the sound ringing through the cavern, interrupting his excuses.

He held his reddening cheek in shock.

“I know very well what you did,” I hissed. “Borthen told meeverything.”

His mouth dropped open in shock, and I could sense Dracul moving.

“But the consequences of your actions were a price you didn’t even consider. You stayed with him. Youknewhow he was! How he would punish you for your crimes! Our parents were killed because ofyou,” I spat out.

He took a step back from me, away from my anger.

“I was forced to watch, and then they turned on me, Ronan! Do you understand that? They cut me and cut me and cut me until they grew tired and left me for dead. I was left in the house with our dead parents, slowly bleeding to death while they set the house on fire.” I pulled up my sleeves to reveal the scars, my voice rising in both volume and pitch. “And you weren’t there! You promised you would always be there to protect me, Ronan, and you weren’t.” A tear slipped down my cheek.

“I’m sorry, I truly am,” he said, taking a step towards me.

I backed away, shaking my head. “Your apology means nothing,” I said. “I thought I wanted to see you to get answers and have you rescue me. But everything you’ve done has turned you into a complete stranger, a monster. The Ronan I knew would never have betrayed his family like this.”

Ronan let out a hollow laugh. “You don’t thinktheyare the monsters?” he asked, pointing at Dracul, whose eyes had grown wide. “He’sthe one who commissioned me to steal the ring in the first place! And when I found out that you would be attacked, I rushed to him asking for help, but he refused, he sent me away! So I ask you, dear sister, who is the monster now?”

Dracul stepped forward. “I think we should take this discussion somewhere private,” he said, glancing around the room.

At this point, I realized that the entire banquet hall had heard everything, their eyes glued to Ronan and I. My face flushed as I brushed past my brother, leaving the hall. Footsteps sounded after me and I knew Dracul and Ronan had followed. The banquet room remained quiet for several moments before the chatter of whispers began to rise.

I led the way to Dracul’s cavern and sat on the couch, crossing my arms as the men came to stand in front of me. They both stared at me, refusing to look at each other, trying to judge my current emotions.

“Well?” I asked after several moments when neither said anything. “What do you have to say for yourselves?”

Both flinched at my venom.

“You don’t seem shocked to know that Lord Dracul hired me,” Ronan said, tilting his head at the unspoken question.

“Borthen told me that,” I said in a clipped tone.

Dracul’s face paled and his eyes widened. “Is that why you’ve been so distant?” he asked, his gaze clearing as if everything made sense now.

“I’mthe one asking questions here,” I said, giving him a scathing look. He at least had the decency to look ashamed. “Now, I know the ring gives you the power of a Lord who has a Maiden without actually having one. Was staying alone this whole time really worth everything that has come after?”

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