Page 36 of Bound By Roses

Merrick’s body stops trembling as Inferna’s eyes flash to Abby’s. “Apologies. It seems I grew distracted. I am here as a favour to this vessel.” She gesture’s to Jade’s body her consciousness wears. “Because it seems none of you can be trusted not to kill him.”

“Why do you care?”

‘Abby,’I warn. This is a Goddess she’s speaking to, and not one known for being friendly.

“Because he ismyChosen.”

All bowed heads snap up at that and Merrick stumbles to his feet. “Chosen? Impossible! I was outside the room when he was born. There was no Choosing.”

“Because she didn’t choose him then,” I say. It all makes sense now. The marks on Jade’s body, the marks on Abby’s. They’re different, yet the same. “You’re the reason he survived.”

“His sacrifice opened the door to my prison. In his death, I chose him. He will be the one to return me to power. To return me to life.”

Merrick looks conflicted. This might even mean that Jade outranks him now. I know very little about their beliefs, but the Regent has to come second to a Goddess and her Chosen.

“Are you to live through him, then?” Abby asks, and there’s a tremble in her voice, but it isn’t fear. That’s all been replaced now by something else entirely. The gold flowers and vines running up and down her body glow softly and her golden light melds with that of the blue and green algae.

Disgust crosses Jade’s face as Inferna scoffs. “Hardly. I am just tired of waiting and do not wish for my Chosen to be tortured by you fools any longer.”

“Tortured? Everything we’ve done was to save him.” The conviction in Abby’s words falters only slightly.

Red eyes flare brighter, filling with fire. “Isaved him.Youkeep him submerged. Douse his flames.”

Does she mean literally?

Abby’s face pales and I know she’s thinking the same thing I am. “The water. That’s why he woke up screaming.” It’s a good thing he’s been unconscious this entire time. Dragons shouldn’t have a problem with water, but he’s not just a dragon anymore. He’s Inferna’s Chosen, and her power is that of destruction. What destroys better than flame?

“Do not make me take this form again,” she warns. Jade’s body goes limp and submerges in the pool. There’s chaos the moment his head sinks beneath the water. Multiple people move for him—including Abby—but Merrick gets to him first. With Rhett’s help, the two of them drag him from the water and up onto the glass floor.

“Do we wake him?” Abby asks, and I don’t miss the hesitation. Even if he’s out of the water, there’s no guarantee he’ll react better. The water may have caused him pain, but the anger burning in his eyes when he stared down Abby was entirely unrelated. I could feel the threat deep in my bones, and until we understand why, I have no problem with keeping him unconscious.

“Not here,” Merrick says, apparently already set on his decision. He grabs the small bag of Morati Eternus off the small table at the back of the room and then slings Jade over his shoulder in one swift movement.

I guess we’re doing this.

Nuri follows close behind as Merrick rushes out of the room, ignoring the cries of protest from the older healer who would sooner see Jade dead. Rhett clings to my sister, his stance protective, but the longing to follow his kin is unmistakable.

“You’re needed with them. Go,” Kaylee says. I have to look away when their lips touch because that’s the last thing I need right now. Seconds later, Rhett disappears from the room.

I take Abby’s hand in mine and together we move to follow. “Are you coming?” I ask over my shoulder to Kaylee. I only just see her nod before Abby tugs me forward.

When we make it to the beach and spot Jade laid out on the sand. He’s moving, as if just starting to awaken, but he isn’t screaming. That’s already a good sign. Maybe I was wrong about his reaction to Abby. She didn’t change who she was when she gained Terranous’ powers, so why should he be any different?

Merrick tenses and holds out a hand in front of him. My stomach drops because he can’t be about to…

Flames shoot out from his hand and engulf Jade as he writhes.

“No!” Abby screams beside me. She lets go of my hand and runs for the gathering of dragons who simply watch Jade burn. She pulls a blade from the belt I gave her and runs straight for Merrick.

I move to stop her, but it seems Rhett has the same idea. “Whoa, whoa, stop,” he says, holding his hands out to catch her by the shoulders. His arms wrap around her and my insides turn hot. “It’s not what it looks like.” He says the words to her, but I doubt she hears them.

“Let me go!” She raises her blade, seemingly unafraid to cut him, but he catches her wrist in one of his much larger dragon hands and halts her strike.

“Drop the knife first.”

I reach them then and grab hold of Rhett’s shoulder. He probably doesn’t even feel my hand through his scales, so I squeeze tighter. “You may be my sister’s mate, but if you don’t take your fucking hands off mine…”

He lets go immediately, and Abby moves for Merrick again, just as his flames extinguish. Before Abby can decide to stab him anyway, her attention snaps to Jade.

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