Page 40 of Destiny of the Dragons

Jace just frowned, and left.

Mother kept smiling. “Nice to see you putting him back into his place.”

“I don’t even know where he got that from,” Mia replied miserably. She didn’t even have to pretend to be upset and confused.

Lightning fast, Mother grabbed Mia’s wrist and jabbed her thumb into the shadow mark.

Fire raced up Mia’s arm.

Mother bore down on her, forcing Mia to her knees. “Do. Not. Scream.”

Mia bit back her cries. Charlotte looked wild for a moment, and then nearly ran out the door. Good for her. Flee if she could.

“What makes that dragon think you would leave with him?”

“I don’t know,” Mia gasped. Molten lava ate her arm, her bones ached inside her, every nerve screaming.

“You must have told him something. Planning on running away?” Mother sneered, and the shadow mark pulsed harder.

“No.” Mia almost blacked out. She took in small, tiny breaths. “Just…sex.”

Mother snorted. “I’ll say. Need I remind you, the spell you just performed is a death sentence by the council?”

Her arm was a black hole of pain. The warmth in her chest pulsed harder. The magic she shared with Jace and Smoke was helping her, but only just.

“Any time you think you’re close to out, you remember that. I’d rather see you dead than out of this family.”

“I know.”

It was the truth. The truth Mia knew in her bones. Even the family’s spellbook was a Hail Mary pass.

“I don’t know why he did that, I’m so sorry. I would never leave.” She was groveling but she had to make the pain stop. Had to keep Jace and Smoke from running in here to save her.

It would all come out. The forbidden blood magic. They wouldn’t want her then, they would be disgusted. Mother would be furious.

She would lose everything.

So Mia took the pain inside her, and swallowed it. She took what was left of her pride, and crushed that, too.

“Mother I don’t know why he acted like that. He’s a dragon, arrogant and self-centered.”

“I don’t care who you spread your legs for.” Mother shook her arm. “The moment they start acting like you’re a princess in need of saving, that’s a problem.”

“I would never talk about my family with outsiders,” Mia said. It was also the truth.

“You must have said something.”

Mia shook her head. “He’s a dragon, it’s what they do. They think their way is the best.”

Mother relented at that.

“He didn’t know who you are enough to show the proper respect.” Mia’s face was wet. She realized she was crying, wet tears leaking out of her eyes. “He’s just a stupid man, thinking his way is the best without asking me.”

That was also true, Mia realized. Jace should have talked to her before pulling a stunt like this. But no, he just had to come in guns blazing, like he had the solution to everything.

Mother must have seen enough of that on Mia’s face, because she stepped back.

“You’re going to catch up on your spellwork today.”

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