Page 38 of The Soul of the Dragon

I squeezed my eyes closed and huffed out a breath. I hated the lack of closure as much, if not more than she did. “You think I don’t want to know what happened to my own twin?”

Her eyes softened as she stepped towards me. “You’re an honorable man, and a great King. But there is more to this world than what you can see. And if your father died by the hand of his son, I guarantee you there was a reason.”

“What on this earth could possibly justify such a thing?”

She brushed her fingers against my cheek with sadness soaked in her eyes. “A parent will do anything for their children. Sacrifices are made all of the time. Some just happen to be more severe than others.”

I grabbed her wrist and still her hand. “You think he sacrificed his life for his children? That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Doesn’t it?” She narrowed her eyes. “If your children were in pain and suffering, what wouldn’t you do to make them happy again?” Or if your mate was separated from her babies, how far would you go to see them reunited?”

“What you’re suggesting is insane.”

She shrugged. “You said yourself that your father and Isaac were obsessed with finding a way back to me. Even you, my most level-headed child, was on the brink of insanity from the loss of your omega.”

“If he sacrificed his life to break that curse, then he failed. We are still blocked. Nothing even remotely dragon-related gets through.”

“Perhaps the sacrifice was only the beginning, and we are simply waiting for your brother to finish what your father started and return to us.”

“Impossible.”

She shook her head. “Nothing is impossible. You of all people should know that.” With that, she turned and walked away, leaving me unsettled and unsure of what I was supposed to do next.

Had father found some way to break the curse? And what about the visions and dreams that seemed to plague me and mother? There was only one way to find out for sure…

I needed more magic.

ChapterFifteen

Isaac

Watching the emotions morph across her face made the tic in my jaw increase. The arrival of that damned little sprite and her subsequent convenient disappearance pissed me off, and now there was no time to explain to the spoiled Princess why we weren’t leaving.

But I could see by her stance she would dig in her heels and refuse to budge unless I gave her something. “The seer should be just ahead after we circle back.”

“We’re going back? You are insane. And you don’t realize how much danger we’re in.”

My eyebrow lifted and I shot her a dark look. “Hysterics aren’t necessary. I’m well aware of our surroundings and whether we are safe or not.”

She shook her head. “You aren’t factoring in Magnus and his skills. Unless you are so arrogant that you still don’t think another dragon can best you.”

“I’m getting tired of hearing about Magnus. He’s a dragon, not a god. Why do you revere someone who cares so little for life that he blindly carries out vicious orders from his king?”

She blinked at me a moment before she exploded. “What aboutyourking? Do you not follow him and his rules? And as for Magnus, you should not underestimate him. Since he is treated as the heir to the King, he has received the finest training and education. He’s not a fool nor is he stupid.”

“So he’s just a sadistic asshole? Or have you forgotten already what he did to your back?” She winced and I turned away from it. It was past time to put some space between us. When it came to the physical and emotional turmoil we were embroiled in, it would be too easy to spiral out of control again.

“Trust me, at any other hand, the damage would have been far worse. Magnus held back.”

My eyes narrowed as I struggled to believe that to be true. I was sick of hearing about another dragon. I had to remember why I was here and what I had to get done.

“Look, when it comes to Magnus, we will deal with it when the time comes. But for now, this seer is all we have to find out anything. This whole mission is going to be dangerous, so you might as well embrace it.”

“What if we get captured by the King again? What then?”

I stepped back to her and placed both of my hands on the sides of her face and tilted her head until our gazes met. “Come on, Princess. You know you can do this. And IF we get captured, then we’ll find our way free. You did it once before, you can do it again, right?”

She nodded, but I could see and feel the hesitation. But this was going to have to be good enough for now. Instead of more talk, I simply grabbed her hand and led her deeper into the forest, well off the beaten path. She was right in that we were going to have to be clever about this.

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