Page 55 of Draekora

“And rightnowI’m thinking those might be the only true words I’ve heard you say all night.”

It seemed they were at an impasse. Zain’s stance was unwavering, but Alex couldn’t give him what he wanted to hear. She let out a deep sigh, her shoulders slumping.

“Zain, please,” she said in a quiet voice. “I know you have absolutely no reason to trust me, but I’m asking you—I’mbeggingyou—please let this go.”

He held her gaze, his own eyes roaming over her face, reading her. She forced herself to maintain eye contact, only blinking again when he gave one short, terse nod.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll let it go, but only if you swear by the stars that you’ll answer one day.”

Alex bobbed her head emphatically. “That I can do.” One day in the far,farfuture she would do exactly that.

“Swear it.”

Unsure exactly what to say, Alex made it up on the fly. “Uh, I swear by the stars that one day I’ll tell you how I know your name.”

Jaw clenched, it was Zain’s turn to sigh, and Alex wasn’t sure if it was in frustration, acceptance or both.

“It sounds like the storm’s fading,” he said, holding to his promise to let it go. “You should be fine to head back out there now.”

Alex mustered up her best cutesy-cute expression and socked it to him. Apparently even immortal, badass Meyarins weren’t immune to her doe-eyed, ‘please-help-poor-little-old-me’ expression, since he sighed again, much deeper this time.

“TheValispathshould be safe again,” he said, stalking past her and towards the door. “Hurry up and I’ll get you back to your prince.”

“He’s notmyprince,” Alex stated, rushing after him through the lingering drizzle of rain, the lightning now flashing far off in the distance.

“I don’t care who he is as long as you’re his problem, not mine.”

Alex didn’t deign to respond, but shedidpull a face at Zain’s back.

“Move, Aeylia,” Zain barked. “I don’t have all night.”

She jumped, thinking he’d caught her immature gesture, but realised he was just eager to be rid of her. Rolling her eyes at this younger but decidedly crabbier version of Zain, she hurried over to his side and braced herself in preparation for the ground moving out from underneath them. But it didn’t help, as she still went slamming into the barrier.

Ignoring Zain’s disdainful look, she glanced around as they zoomed through the weather-beaten city. The damage was nowhere near as bad as she would have imagined in the storm’s wake. There was hardly any indication that there had been any kind of severe meteorological event at all. Clearly the city was not only architecturally beautiful, but also structurally sound. No wonder it lasted so well throughout the millennia—as Alex could attest to first hand.

When theValispathcame to a stop outside the grand archway entrance to the palace, Alex turned to thank Zain when another voice jumped in before she could speak.

“Aeylia! Thank the light!”

Alex glanced over to see Roka jogging in her direction, soaked from head to toe. The relief on his face was stark as his eyes took her in, assessing her physical state. He then turned to Zain and his features tightened.

“If you hurt her, I swear—”

Zain’s face darkened. “Calm yourself, princeling. Your precious Aeylia is safe. You should be grateful I happened upon her at The Scarlet Thief when I did, otherwise I likely wouldn’t be able to offer the same assurance.”

Alex shuddered, knowing his words were true.

All eyes flicked to her, noting her reaction to words she shouldn’t have comprehended, so she covered by unclasping Zain’s cloak and handing it back to him.

“Thanks for this,” she said.

He didn’t respond other than reaching for the material, and she wondered if perhaps he didn’t want Roka to know he’d understood her use of the common tongue.

Casting one last piercing glare at the prince, Zain took off on theValispathagain.

Roka watched until he was out of sight before turning to Alex. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Aven said—He told me—” Roka broke off, swiping his drenched dark hair off his face. “Stars, I’m sorry, Aeylia. I don’t know what he was thinking leaving you out here on your own. Ineverwould have asked him to look after you today if I thought he’d abandon you.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Alex said, placing her freezing fingers on Roka’s arm. Feeling his wet but warm skin, she quickly retracted her hand in renewed realisation that a Meyarin wouldn’t be as cold as she was. “I’m good, see? No harm done.”

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