Page 83 of Fae Exile

He lowered his head closer to mine, his lips close enough that we might kiss. “She ordered me to execute four innocents.”

My chest clenched even as I knew I shouldn’t be surprised. If anything, I might have been astonished her kill order didn’t apply to thousands instead of a mere four.

He looked to where I’d studied the queen’s eerie spies before drawing closer still. “So much rode on my compliance. But I still couldn’t do it. So I asked for help. I don’t know whom or what Iasked, but I begged for it.” Another flick of his eyes upward then back to mine. “And that’s when the shaking and roaring started.”

“You think the dragons helped you?” Tenderly, I rubbed Saffron’s spindly arms as they wrapped around my shoulders and chest.

“I would’ve never believed it before. But then I saw what you did with them, and, El, that was incredible.” He shook his head as if he were unable to process his awe. “How did you even do that?”

“I’m not sure, but I did it in the Wilds too,” I breathed when the ear still hovered too far away to pick up on our whispers—I hoped.

His eyes widened so that white showed on all sides of those mesmerizing irises of his. “Seriously?”

I nodded. “There’s at least one out there.”

“And it”—he drew nearer still, his exhale caressing my ear—“did the bowing thing with you too?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow.” He blinked several times as he seemed to process before a fingertip trailed the pointy crest of my ear. A shiver ran the length of my spine, my entire body shuddering in response. He noticed, his stare heating even as he said, “This is new.”

“Yep. There’s a lot of new stuff.”

I met his pulsing eyes for several beats while I wondered if I was the biggest idiot in the mirror world for not launching myself into his arms—or if I’d be the worst of morons for doing so.

I took half a step back. “What’s up with the ‘scaled’ thing? What did you all mean by that?”

His gaze dragged across my face, landed on my lips, and stayed there. “It’s from legend only, of course. Up until today, we believed the only dragons that still lived were from your home.”

“Nightguard’s not my home,” I corrected before wondering where the dragonfire my home was, then.

He nodded in acceptance. “My parents lived during the rule of King Erasmus. They say it was told some dragons would choose a special fae to connect with, only ever a single person at a time. That fae would have a bit of dragon inside them, and when the bond was first made, the fae’s skin would flash with scales, as if the dragon became a part of them.”

My breath caught in my throat before I managed to get anything out. “And that’s what happened with me?”

“Yes. It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.” He closed the half step I’d carved out between us, taking my umbrac-coated hands in his. “You’rethe most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.”

When I didn’t respond, he craned his neck in the direction of our surveillance. “Should I keep going?”

“Yes.” I needed to know.

“The scales flashed with light. Much like my handprint across your heart. The scales were blue like the dragon in the throne room, and gold like Saffron”—he glanced to where Saffy napped across my back—“and there was black too.”

“The dragon in the Wilds,” I uttered.

“Ah. Then those you’ve bonded with.”

“I guess so.”

What was even happening?If not for the murderous, spiteful cunt of a queen, I’d say my life was turning out to be unexpectedly freaking magical.

But alas, there was apparently no escaping her. So it wasn’t.

“The scales disappeared before you woke up,” Rush added. “I don’t know much more about the process than that. When King Erasmus started his extermination of the dragons, thescaledfae were the first he hunted down. There haven’t been any since.”

Rush’s fingertips trailed down my arms so gently, they caused another shudder. “Until you.”

“I don’t want to be any more of a target than I already am. I just want everyone to leave me alone.”

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