Page 75 of The Soul of the Dragon

Kitra’s scent had changed overnight. She still smelled like peaches and pine, but it no longer carried the undertone of urgency. Her mating heat had broken.

“Kitra.” I nudged her with my shoulder, but when I turned to look at her she was already sitting and wide awake.

“It’s time,” she whispered.

“Aye. Why don’t you get dressed and I’ll make tea and gather what we have left for a quick breakfast.”

“You don’t have to make food for me anymore. Besides, I’m not hungry.”

The bitter tone in her voice soured my stomach as well. And that never happened. Not a moment went by that my dragon didn’t want food and more food. His appetite was ravenous.

We dressed in silence until the dreaded knock sounded at the door. I was kind of surprised she didn’t just appear in the room with us like usual.

“That’s Ensley,” I informed her.

She looked at me sharply, her eyes narrowed.

“What?”

“I think that’s the first time you ever used her true name.”

I shrugged. “Don’t get excited. It doesn’t mean anything. She’s still a thorn in my side.” I poured water into a teapot and set it on the wood stove for heating and with a hard breath of dragon fire set it all to blaze.

The door opened and Sprite stood there watching over us, observing, but saying nothing. I could feel the caution and condemnation in her gaze as she looked over at me. Apparently, our truce had come to an end.

“It’s time to go.”

I watched Kitra flinch from the corner of my eye. As anxious as we’d both been a week ago to find that amulet, the fever for it had cooled. Now it would be stoked back to flame and if I wasn’t careful we’d both get burned.

That amulet was still my only chance at breaking my people’s curse, and if that worked, only then would my father’s sacrifice begin to be worth his loss. I had no choice but to keep that in my sights. Kitra would have to accept that. There was no other choice.

“We’ll be ready to go in a few minutes.” I spoke the words more harshly than I’d intended, but I could feel my nerves beginning to fray the more I watched Kitra go through the motions of packing her meager belongings in her pack and then mine.

It took all of my control to keep from demanding she stop. Her body had recognized and welcomed me to her bed. I’d marked her as mine in every way that I could. Even ways I had vowed not to. And yet… I would still have to break her heart.

The amulet could not be sacrificed.

I fixed the tea the way she liked it with a touch of honey and handed it over to her.

“Thank you,” she offered quietly, her continued compliance setting me more on edge.

We drank in silence until the Sprite shook her head, turned, and walked back out the door. I guessed she didn’t want to watch whatever this was shatter to pieces.

“About the whole mating thing,” she began.

I could feel the denial coming a mile away and I had to stop her before she did something crazy. Like incite the dragon and send him or me back into the pits of madness that always seemed to be waiting with open arms when we couldn’t face whatever hardship had come to bear.

“Don’t, Princess. We don’t have time to get into this now. We’ve got to keep our minds clear and focused on what we must do. The consequences of our actions will come later.”

She nodded, but I could read the doubt on her face and feel my own burning in my chest. I turned away then, and gathered my pack and shoved my feet into my boots. Unable to resist her touch despite everything, I grabbed her hand and led us both into the garden where Sprite waited for us.

“I hope you won’t be this slow when you get to the palace. Otherwise, you might as well give up now.”

Her caustic words scraped down my spine as I was sure she’d intended.

“We’re more than ready to deal with whatever comes our way. Aren’t we, Princess?”

“Of course.” She patted the sheath holding her bow and smiled.

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