Page 32 of Burned

“Give that a try.”

I shed the rest of my clothes and step over to dip a toe in the water. I’m bracing for it to be ice cold, but instead, it’s as warm as a pleasant bath.

“That’s amazing.” I laugh breathlessly.

Lord puffs up his chest and preens a little, then waves me towards the water. “Enjoy a swim. I’m going to sun myself for a little while and then we’ll eat something before we get moving again.”

I watch as he heads for the sunny rock, transfixed by the clench and release of his ass cheeks with each step and the faint ripple of orange scales that flicker across his back before fading back into human skin again. He stretches himself out with a loud, contented sigh, his eyes falling closed and a puff of smoke billowing through his nose. It’s hard to say how long I stand at the edge of the water, unable to tear my gaze off of the dragon as his breathing slows and his body relaxes. Once it’s clear he’s napping, I finally wade into the warm pond for a swim.

It’s unbelievably peaceful, floating on my back and watching the clouds drift by, with nothing but the steady sound of Lord’s breathing and chirping birds to interrupt my thoughts.

Is my family mourning my death as we speak? They must be after more than a week without word from me. Or maybe they’ve already grieved and moved on. Maybe they didn’t bother to mourn at all. Regardless, sooner rather than later, their unspent tears will be a faint memory as they refocus themselves on whatever dragon is next on their list.

What if it’s Lord’s family?

The thought makes my heart seize.

Choosing targets, planning attacks, knowing the location and danger rating of each dragon clan, these things arewayabove my pay grade, and until now, I was happy to simply go along for the ride. But what if the Drakes are ranked as one of the top threats? What if Digby and Viggo are strategizing right nowabout which of Lord’s brothers would be the easiest to pick off first?

I stop floating and dip under the water, letting the momentary deafening effect wash away my panicked thoughts, focusing on the burn in my lungs until I can’t hold my breath any longer and I’m forced to return to the surface. I crash back through and wipe the water away from my eyes. My hair hangs in sopping wet curtains around my face, so I use both hands to push it back. Lord is no longer napping. His eyes are open and trained on me, and I can feel a ripple of worry through our strange connection.

I swim towards him and when I reach the rocks, I fold my arms and rest my chin on them.

“I didn’t mean to wake you. I was just… worrying about my brothers.” It’s a half-truth, obviously, but it’s the best I can do. I can’t imagine that whatever truce the two of us have stumbled into would survive the possibility that my brothers might be trying to kill his.

He nods in understanding, then rolls over onto his belly. His face is only a few inches from mine, his arms folded under his chin in a similar position to the one I’m in, except I’m still half-submerged in the water. With the sun shining on us, I can see flecks of gold twinkling in his eyes and a few tiny freckles peppered across the bridge of his nose.

“If your life wasn’t dedicated to being a dragon hunter, if you could be anything in the world, what would your dream be?”

I frown at the question, something tightening in my chest.

“I’ve never thought about it. I was born a dragon hunter. I’m positive I was holding a sword before I was even taught to hold my own bottle.” I laugh, but there’s no humor in the sound. “Havarors don’t choose our own destiny, it chooses us.”

I’ve heard my dad say those exact words thousands of times. Maybe that’s why they sound so hollow on my lips.

Lord hums, casting his gaze down, away from mine. “Destiny is funny that way.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” His lips twitch with a sad smile. “We should eat,” he says after a quiet moment. “Daylight is wasting while I fritter time away sunbathing like an overgrown lizard.” He sits up and I greedily devour his bare body with my eyes again. “The sooner we get to Xanthis, the sooner you can be home to your brothers.”

“Right,” I murmur, the sadness in his smile spreading through our connection like an inky black poison.

I should be looking forward to getting things sorted out so I can go home where I belong. So why ishomesuddenly the last place in the world I want to be?

Chapter

Twelve

LORD

Reluctantly, I put my clothes back on and pack up to travel again. Alrick seems to be stalling as much as I am, but maybe that’s just my wishful thinking. As we continue our journey, my thoughts swirl with conflicted emotions.

Severing the bond is absolutely the right thing to do, so why does it feel like the worst thing ever? My dragon would rather chew off his own tail than break the bond, but he’s clearly confused. Regardless of the obvious chemistry between us, there’s no possible way it could work.

But maybe… I turn to glance at Alrick as he twists his long hair into a loose bun at the base of his neck, revealing the soft curve of his neck and tempting me to drag my tongue across his flesh.

Maybe while we’re on this journey we could justpretendthis is real and viable. Surely, I’ve earned a few fleeting moments of joy. As this thought lingers in my mind, my dragon perks up, surging forward to draw closer to Alrick, who is just a few steps ahead of me. At least one of us is clear on what we want.

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