Page 31 of Dark Prince's Mate

“He had no business speaking to you like that.”

“Like how?”

“Whispering in your ear.If he weren’t my mother’s favorite nephew, I would’ve snapped his neck for that.”

“He didn’t whisper in my ear.He just wanted to know if I came back from the Phaelix any wiser.He’s worried about your mother’s reaction if he doesn’t have information for her.”

“As he should be,” Aruan says as he steers me back to his room.

Once we’re inside, he seals the archway.“Do you need anything before I go?”

Not looking forward to being locked in here again, I hurry to say, “I was hoping I could visit the site with the scrolls again.”

There’s still so much about that strange technology I have to figure out.

His sharp “no” jolts me.

I blink.“Excuse me?”

He widens his stance and crosses his arms.“You’re not going anywhere for a while.”

I gape at him.“Why not?”

His tone is uncompromising.“You’re going to oversee the Earthlings and allocate tasks to them to keep them busy.From now on, they’re your responsibility.If any one of them steps out of line, I’ll hold you accountable.When you’ve rested and recovered your strength, you’ll spend every waking moment with them unless I require your presence.”

“You can’t be serious.”

His smile is dry.“Do I ever joke?”

“But what about finding the perpetrator who’s bringing humans here as slaves?I’ll be of much more value to you if you let me help with the investigation.I can find the other Phaelix settlements much quicker from the sky.”

“You mean on your dragon’s back.”

“Yes.”I swallow.“I’m not going to fly off and leave the humans here alone.”

“I don’t think you will—leave them on their own, that is—but we don’t need you to find the settlements.We know where they are.”

“What about questioning the Phaelix?”I ask quickly.“If Kian gives me the ability to speak their language, I can help with that.”

“We have that under control.”

“You already have people going out there to question them?”

He doesn’t reply.

“Aruan,” I say with frustration.“I know you don’t trust me, but this concerns me too.I’m just as invested in finding the person behind the slave trading as you are.The Phaelix brought me here, remember?”

“How can I forget?”He drops his arms to his sides and steps right up to me.“The thought of those lizards with their claws on you still makes me want to torture them slowly while savoring their screams.”

“Then what’s the problem?”I ask, hoping to appeal to his reason.

“I’m not risking you in that way.”

“I can take care of myself.I’ll be vigilant.I promise.I learned from my mistake.I won’t repeat that oversight.”

“No,” he says, not giving an inch.“You’ll stay here and keep your friends on a tight leash.It’ll be best to avoid contact with the royals and the inhabitants of the palace.”

“But—”

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