Page 31 of Court of Secrets and Flames

The anxious knot in my stomach expands. The king’s attempts to charm me set off alarm bells in my head. I’m not stupid. He’s a monarch, and I’m a glorified prisoner. The only reason to crank up the charm is because he wants something from me.

“I must apologize for the little test with the dragons. But that was the only way I could prove to the citizens that you are a true dragoncaller. I had complete faith in you, and rest assured that I wouldn’t have let any harm come to you or your sister if things had gone too far.”

Hidden beneath my long sleeves, my nails dig into my palms. I know good and well that’s a lie because things almosthadgone too far. And no one—the king included—would have been able to prevent an angry dragon from incinerating my sister and me if that’s what it wanted to do.

With a deep breath, I relax my hands, ignoring the stinging sensation from my self-inflicted wounds.

We survived the test, and I need to do everything in my power to ensure we continue to stay alive. That’s what matters.

Even if our survival depends on me playing nice with a king I’d just as soon drop-kick into the middle of a killer-eel infested ocean.

I summon a polite smile. “I appreciate you letting me know and am grateful for your confidence in me.”

He rests a hand on my arm, and I fight the urge to cringe. “What a comfort to hear. Let’s put that incident behind us and move forward, shall we?”

Relief gushes through me when he removes his hand. “I’d like that.”

“Excellent.” His mouth tips up in a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes, and I brace for what he’s about to say next. “You were rather quiet when I shared your story last night. I hope you know that my intent was to celebrate your return with our guests, not make you uncomfortable.”

He sounds sincere enough, though I’m not really buying it. If he was truly concerned about my comfort, he would have asked first before launching into his tale of the poor little orphan dragoncaller. “I think I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed in general. So much has happened in the past few days. I’m away from home, in an entirely new land…one I was always taught to fear. I hope it’s not disrespectful for me to say that I need a little time to acclimate.”

When the king pins me with a thoughtful expression, my pulse hitches. In this particular lighting, with his head tilted just so, he reminds me a lot of his brother. And when his smile widens, I’m struck by his handsome features. The old, more trusting Lark might even have believed the story he peddled and fallen prey to his charisma.

I utter a silent curse and train my gaze on the path ahead. Absolutely not. Letting one Barda suck me in was bad enough. Under no circumstances will I allow a second Barda to do so. I’d rather return to the arena for round two with the dragons.

“Not disrespectful at all. I commend your honesty and can appreciate how difficult it must feel to be whisked off without warning to a foreign kingdom. This is your homeland, though, and it’s important to me that you’re happy here. I want to earn your trust and plan to get started on that right away. Is there anything you’d like, or anything I can do to make life here for you more pleasant?”

Leesa’s suggestion pops into my head. I don’t want him to know my answer is premeditated though, so I pretend to mull the question over. “Hmm, let me think.” I tap my chin and allow a few seconds to pass. “Oh, I know! Since you’re asking, there may be something that would make me happy. Except,” I duck my head and peer at him from beneath my lashes, “I don’t know if it’s allowed.”

Hetsks. “Anything, my lady. You need only to ask.”

I repress a skeptical snort.Anything, my ass.If I ask him to free my sister and me, I’m sure he’ll jump right on it.

I inhale slowly. “If you don’t mind, I’d love access to the Royal Archives. I want to learn everything I can about Tirene and my heritage.”

For several long, uncomfortable moments, he scrutinizes me. A faint smile hovers on his lips, and I’m once again hit with the uneasy sensation that he knows something I don’t. “An excellent idea. You may use the archives whenever you’d like.”

Schooling my features, I do my best to hide my surprise. I didn’t expect him to be so agreeable.

Somewhere in the distance, a dragon roars, inspiring another idea. “Also, I was wondering…would it be possible for someone to teach me how to ride a dragon? That seems like a skill I should possess.”

He doesn’t answer as quickly this time, instead hums a little while studying my face. Like his brother, his eyes are entirelytoo shrewd for comfort. It’s all I can do not to fidget as I await his decision.

Finally, he sighs. “I don’t disagree. As a dragoncaller, you should be comfortable catching the wind on a dragon’s back. I will consider your request, provided you don’t do anything that causes me to question your trustworthiness. Although, I don’t suppose I need to worry too much about that, now that I’ve seen how close you and your sister are. I doubt you’d attempt to escape and leave her to my tender mercy.”

His friendly tone never changes. The pleasant expression on his face remains the same.

Even so, a shiver courses over my body, because I can’t unhear the subtle threat in his words. And I just know the other shoe is going to drop. It’s not a matter of if, but when.

Chapter Eight

The next morning, I dress in a pair of slightly too big cream-colored trousers and another tunic, this one a flowing silky purple. Last, I pull on my thick leather boots, the only things that feel like “mine” in my bizarre imprisonment.

I spot a tray on the table closest to the door. Someone must have brought breakfast while I slept. Though a bit worrying considering I’m essentially in enemy territory, I’m relieved to not need to beg for food.

My jailers are such considerate bastards.

Today, I find fresh bread, bacon, eggs, and berries. I snag a piece of bacon and close my eyes, savoring the salty flavor.

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