Page 82 of A Thieving Curse

Meredith’s hand stilled. Lucas sucked in a breath.

Alex shook his head. “No, there has to be another way—”

“Alex,please.” Another sob wrenched out of her throat. “They have my brother. You have to take me to the palace. Please. Please.”

Alex stood and strode away.He’s not going to let me go.Fear and tears worked together, attempting to suffocate her. She didn’t want to go any more than he wanted to let her go. But what choice did she have?

Alex paced, his eyes glowing and smoke rolling from his nostrils. His wings twitched.

“Alex,” Raelyn pleaded. “I’m sorry. I can’t risk Gareth. I can’t let Elena marry Tristan. I can’t be that selfish. I have to go. Please, you have to let me go!” Meredith’s hand slipped from her back.

Alex’s chest heaved. “They might hurt you! Henry—”

“They might kill Gareth!” She tried not to start weeping again. “I know it’s dangerous, but I don’t know how else to save Gareth. You have to let me marry Tristan.”

“I—” Alex roared flames into the sky. “No! I can’t, I won’t!” He looked at Raelyn, and she gulped. His pupils had turned to slits, and scales shoved through the skin on his neck.

“Alex?” Lucas fidgeted. “Fight it.”

Alex closed his eyes and gripped the side of his head as he breathed in and out. The scales on his neck retracted and faded. His eyelids fluttered open. The irises still glowed, but his pupils had returned to normal. He dropped to his knees and hung his head. “Don’t ask me to do this. Don’t… Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Henry won’t try to use her against your father or harm her.”

“And what if he does? Even if he’s kind to her… I can’t live with myself knowing that Elena must bear my responsibility. It wouldn’t be fair—”

“It’s not fair to you!” Alex thundered. His fingers dug into the ground. “You’d marry someone who threatened your brother’s life?”

Raelyn wiped away her tears. “To save his life? Yes. A thousand times, yes.” She motioned toward Lucas. “What if they had Lucas?”

Alex grimaced, and his eyes ceased glowing. “Please… I love you.”

Raelyn looked up at the sky and inhaled, willing her emotions to calm. “It’s not about me or you, Alex. It’s about the people who will die if there is a war. It’s about my brother, who could be killed. I have to save my brother.”

Tears glimmered in Alex’s eyes. “And what happens when you show up?” he asked softly. “What if Henry thinks it was all a ruse?”

“I’ll…” She looked away. “I’ll tell them I escaped from a monster.”

A sob wracked his frame, and the sound tore through her heart. “What if they don’t believe you? Raelyn—”

“What if I don’t go and they kill Gareth!” She forced herself to meet Alex’s tear-filled, blazing eyes, even though she wanted to look away. Or hug him. Maybe walk away. Or kiss him. She didn’t know what she wanted. Other than to save Gareth. “Alex…please.”

Alex tugged at his hair. “What if there’s another way? We could spread a rumor. A dragon is holding a princess captive in the mountains. Then I don’t have to send you to him, but they’ll know it’s not your parents’ fault.”

Meredith and Peter gasped, and Jasper exclaimed, “Alex!”

“No,” Raelyn said, shaking her head. “You’d only put yourself and your family in danger. And a rumor won’t appease them if they want a wife for Tristan so badly.”

“What if I take you close enough to the palace, you can find out what’s going on? Find out if Tristan seems kind to Elena and if Gareth is free? Maybe everything is fine.” Alex stood, his wings rustling.

“I can’t let Elena take my place while I hide. And I can’t abandon Gareth.” Raelyn looked down at her fingers, feeling miserable. “I’m sorry. I need to do this.”

She lifted her gaze to the heart-wrenching sorrow on his sharp, perfect face as his thick black hair fell over his forehead. His magnificent wings convulsed, and her stomach twisted. She suddenly wished she’d realized sooner she cared for him. And she wished she’d never realized it at all.

“I know it’s hard, but I am begging you. Please.”

Alex closed his eyes. After a long moment, he opened them again. “I’ll take you,” he said bitterly. “We’ll need a plan; some way to get you to the palace without me being seen. And a convincing story as to where you’ve been and how you escaped.”

“Thank you.” Feeling drained, Raelyn stared down at the grass, unsure what to do now.

“I still have your dress,” Meredith said, her voice strained. “I cleaned it as best I could and kept it in case you ever wanted it, to remember. I thought maybe I’d repair it one day.”

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