Page 93 of Blood of Two Crowns

A pink tongue the size of a baby whale snuck out and licked up the entire front of my body. The force of it even lifted me to my toes.

The drakonatipurred,nudging me as if demanding to be petted. My eyes met Lathrimos’ from over the top of the beast’s head to find his brows sat just as high as mine. I tentatively raised a hand, stroking his scales, and the drakonati hummed with satisfaction.

“I’ve never seen a bond transfer like that before.”

Suspecting this had been one thing, but hearing it confirmed from theprotus archestratim’s mouth was another thing entirely.

“You’re sure?” I asked, even though I already, intuitively, knew the answer.

“Somehow, when you fulfilled your bond withHer Majesty,the bond they share, though very different from your own, extended to you.”

About a thousand questions rose to the front of my mind.

“So… He’s also mysoulbound?”

Lathrimos shrugged, shaking his head a little helplessly. “Something like that.”

My hand stilled upon Malekai’s scales, making him nudge me like a needy pup demanding more pets.

“Does that mean…”

My throat worked on an awkward smile… I mean… It’s not like I could fuck a dragon.

“… That I’lldesirehim like I do Mareina?”

I’d already been wondering the same about Ataraxus.

Lathrimos gave a chuckle. “I don’t know. As I said, I’ve never witnessed this before. Have you ever desired a male before? That would be a good indicator, I imagine.”

“No... I’ve only ever craved a female’s touch.”

The male shrugged. “Well, there you have it… However, I imagine there might come a day when love leads you to make exceptions. I have rarely ever found anything to be absolute.”

The drakonati gave a pained whine, drawing our gazes back to him. I watched as a glistening tear the size of my head swelled like a watery balloon in the corner of his eye. Malekai’s drakonati rose, ambling toward the cavemouth in pounding steps.

Lathrimos and I followed him outside to see him take to the air on gargantuan wings.

Lathrimos sighed in relief beside me. “Well, that’s progress.”

“Progress?”

“Yes. Some people will spend an eon in the caves of Avernus mourning their past lives, buried beneath hundreds if not thousands of years worth of guilt from a lifetime of misdeedsbefore they’re able to transform that pain into compassion.Love.Which is usually when they feel called to reincarnate.”

His words managed to pry my gaze from the shrinking drakonati in the distance that my soul was now tied to.

Lathrimos’ frown was pitying at best, as if he could see every sin I’d committed against another.

“No one is without their faults, and it is never too late to change and embrace the version of ourselves that we long to be.”

I’d barely managed to thank the male before I flew back to Mareina with a speed and determination I’d only ever experienced when it came to her.

Only ever her.

Chapter

Fifty-Six

MAREINA

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