Page 96 of The Dragon King

“Fleur Nia.”

She hesitated before she looked at her husband.

“Please take it.” The plea in his eyes came from the deepest part of his soul. His fear was on display, terrified of losing the woman he loved most. Emotion burned in his gaze as he silently begged her to put aside her beliefs to ensure her safety.

“Khazmuda’s scales will regrow before the battle,” Talon said. “You have not compromised him in any way. I would never allow him to be compromised.” He continued to hold up the armor. “I know black isn’t your color, but I think anyone who gazes upon Queen Eldinar of Riviana Star in midnight-black dragon scales will fear for their lives at the sight of you.”

She stared at the chest plate a moment longer before she looked at him again. “I am honored to accept your gift, Death King.”

My uncle stepped forward and gathered the pieces that Talon offered, holding it all in his big arms. “Thank you for protectingmy wife.” He looked at Talon as he said it, sincerity in his hard gaze.

Talon held the look before he gave a nod.

My uncle carried it into the royal palace, where Queen Eldinar would change.

She remained where she stood and looked at Talon.

“There’s something else you need to know about the armor.”

She didn’t pursue the topic with questions. She let him answer her freely.

“Black diamonds are secured in some of the pieces. They’re rare gems that can only be found buried in the sand in the desert to the west.”

Her eyes shifted to me before she looked at him again. “Calista mentioned her time as a slave to your general. She spent ten years digging for those diamonds, and that makes it even harder to accept your gift.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “Knowing that you’re the recipient makes it worthwhile.”

She stared at me for a long time and then looked at Talon again. “What is their purpose?”

“Energy,” he said. “Even the smallest sliver houses a powerhouse of energy.”

“I don’t need it,” she said. “My endurance is much stronger than any human.”

“That’s not what it’s for,” he said. “It’s for your dragon.”

She became confused, her head tilting slightly like she’d misheard him. “State your meaning, Talon.”

He hesitated, like this conversation would be unwelcome. “Macabre only agreed to this because of his love for you. He would rather protect you in battle than let you fight without his scales, fire, and claws. And if he’s willing to do that…I suspect he’s willing to fuse with you.”

Her eyes slowly narrowed in provocation. “The very reason we march to battle is because the dark elves forced the dragons into a fuse and control their minds?—”

“Yes,forced,” he said. “I have not forced Khazmuda into a fuse. He does it willingly, and that’s why we have such a profound relationship. He’s free to leave whenever he chooses. Calista was fused with Inferno for a short while, and then they unfused and went their separate ways. Just because dark elves decided to abuse their power doesn’t mean it’s wrong to fuse with a dragon—not if the dragon wants it.”

Her eyes were still hard in anger, clearly offended by this conversation.

“Ask Macabre to fuse—and he will.”

“I do not wish to fuse with him.”

“But I promise you, he’ll want to fuse with you,” he said. “Because you’ll have his strength and his focus, and you’ll be an unstoppable force in battle. He’s joining this battle to protect you—and this is the best way to accomplish that.”

Fire continued to dance behind her eyes. “We don’t use dragons?—”

“With all due respect, Your Majesty. You’re putting your life and the lives of your people on the line for the dragons. It’s only smart to use their powers to increase our chances of victory. I understand you have an oath—but now is the time to put that aside. It’s for the good of all of us.”

She turned quiet.

“While you use their strength, you drain their energy. Because of their size, they have infinitely more energy than we do, but it’s not unlimited. You’ll drain the storage in the diamonds first before you tap into Macabre. Depending on the length of the battle, you may not even need the diamonds, but if this battle lasts days, then you might. You said you didn’t want to use Macabre, and I’m giving you that ability. You can benefit from his powers without siphoning off his energy.”

---