Page 55 of The Rook

There were floors with windows? Not just eternal darkness?

That kitsune miscreant kept you in the dark.

Tempest angrily tried and failed to smooth her wild, tangled hair away from her face.

“Thank you for allowing me to fly with you,” she said, when she had finally caught her breath enough to speak.

The dragon had shifted back into a broad-shouldered man with scale-imprinted skin and had crept silently to her side. He smiled with his strange teeth.

“I thank you for the sapphire,” he replied, stroking the pendant where it hung from a chain around his neck. There were several other heavy, ornate necklaces already there, along with a much plainer, silver chain upon which a lock of lilac hair had been wrapped around.

That’s not creepy at all.

She shrugged. Each to their own.

Tempest returned the dragon’s smile before shaking out the insuppressible shiver that had been torturing her limbs the entire journey. The cold had chilled her to the very bone.

“Shall we head in?” she asked, indicating to the ornate iron door that separated the balcony from the inside of the palace.

The dragon man moved forward, barefoot in the snow. Tempest shivered as he opened the door and held an arm out. She entered, muttering a thank you before turning to face the room.

She froze.

A hundred pairs of eyes were on them. They had walked straight into the masquerade hall, which was full of servants and shifters busily preparing it for the ball.

Tempest stiffened further as she found the Jester in his Mal persona, standing in the middle of the room like the eye of the blizzard itself. He examined her and then stalked toward them.

Be strong.

A huge hand rested at the base of her spine. “Chin up, lovely,” the dragon murmured.

Tempest raised her chin, a little unnerved that the dragon could read her so well.

Mal all but ignored Tempest, barely giving her a second glance before bowing deeply to the dragon.Charming as ever.

“Damien,” Mal announced, clasping hands with the man as they shared a wicked smile. “King of the dragons. It is so good to see you.”

Tempest froze. The king of—what? She’d been bartering with theking of the dragons?

Damien glanced at Tempest out of the corner of his eye, a smirk playing around his mouth. “You ought to be careful about letting your treasures wander around, you know,” he murmured softly to Mal. “Otherwise anybody could steal them.”

“I’m not atreasure.” Tempest scowled, all goodwill toward Damien thoroughly dissipating.

“Hush, lovely. All women are treasures… especially the interesting ones.”

“Tempest, go rest,” Mal ordered, once more without looking at her. “Damien, might I offer you lodgings? We were not expecting you so early, but a room has already been prepared for—”

“Oh, no,” the dragon king replied with a shake of his head, his hand curling around her hip. Tempest knew Mal didn’t miss the gesture, going by his icy gaze. “I shall return on the morrow. I still have previous business to attend to. This one simply distracted me enough to delay said business.” Damien smiled warmly and dragged his hand along her waist until he caught hold of Tempest’s wrist, bending low to place a kiss on the delicate skin there. As with the first time only weeks ago, a searing burn flared up Tempest’s arm from his lips, threatening to engulf her very being. Damien locked his venomously green eyes on hers. “You’re welcome for the ride.”

“I—I already thanked you!” she bit out, pulling her wrist from his grasp. “And paidhandsomelyfor the service.” Damien merely laughed, a sound so infectious that even Tempest’s lips began to curl into a smile. The devilish dragon. “I’ll see you soon, my lord.”

“You shall, lovely.”

An embarrassing blush heated her cheeks as she turned on her heel and strode from the huge chamber. She barely made it out of the hall before Mal caught up with her, firmly wiping any semblance of a smile from her face.

Both his eyes and voice were tight as he asked, “How do you always manage to get caught up in such trouble?”

Tempest ignored him.

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