Page 35 of Dragon's Honor

He wanted to tell her the truth, but to what end? What good would it do her?

There was so much she could lose. There was even more he could lose.

“I can tell you everything, but you’re not going to like it,” he huffed.

“Why? Because we’re fated to be together?” Her words were like acid. “I’m no one’s fate, Ash. I don’t think you are either. You’re king.”

“Kings are chosen by fate as much as anything else.”

Finley scoffed, “By God, if you’re listening to the kings of old. Is that how your father was chosen?”

Ash shook his head. “No. He conquered the king before him. He wasn’t even of royal descent. The king was driving the clan into something evil. He’d been working with someone, no one knows who for sure, but he promised that all the dr…all of the people would bow down to them. We wouldn’t have to hide from…those trying to kill us.”

“You’re choosing your words carefully,” she snapped.

He spun around and leveled her with a glower. “Would it be better if I said words like dragons and slayers and mates for life?”

She blinked at him. “You’re talking about this like your father did all of this along time ago.”

“My father was nearly a hundred and fifty years old when he took the throne from the former king. He didn’t even have a mate by his side. He was five hundred and seventy-five years old when he died. My mother was only two hundred.”

Finley’s lips twitched like she wanted to laugh, and her big brown eyes widened like she wanted to cry. He watched the emotions play over her face as she processed all his words.

He turned away from her and went back to cook before the sauce was ruined.

He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to offer more information until she was ready to hear more.

“Tell me more,” she murmured.

It took everything Ash had to keep facing the stove. He didn’t want to see the expression on her face.

“What do you want to know?”

“What are you?”

Ash shook his head. “Ask me another one.”

She paused and then her voice filled the kitchen with more confidence. “Is magic real?”

“Yes,” he breathed.

“Is the tourmaline you’re wearing magic?”

Ash stirred everything and then turned back around. “No. The stones act as a conduit for people and the magic between them. They are also useful to hone…” he swallowed around the lump in his throat, “my own abilities.”

“What abilities do you have?”

“You into any of the New Age stuff out there?”

Finley shrugged. “A little, I suppose. My mom really liked homeopathic and New Age stuff. It’s why I’ve collected so many types of stones. That’s why Olivia gave me the cuff. Like rose quartz are for healing. Stuff like that?”

He nodded. “Tourmaline effects mood. Or so they say. My entire clan has the ability to change moods within people.”

“Okay…” She drew out the last vowel.

Ash knew the best way to illustrate his ability was just to show her. He was nervous. She wasn’t running for the hills yet, but there were so many points between where they were to observing him shapeshift into a dragon.

“You have no reason to trust me, but I’m going to ask you to.”

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