Page 74 of Wrath of the Dragons
“Is that so preposterous to request?” Hale asks.
“Predictable,” I correct. “I don’t act without motive. Don’t give me a reason to make you my enemy and you won’t share the same fate as mine.” I gesture with my hand for them to proceed.
“We won’t be attending the upcoming ball in Galakin, so I won’t be able to introduce you myself, but Prince Zarius Liluria of Thirwen is believed to frequent the gambling dens in the kingdom. It’s rumored that Fallon murdered his first wife, Zarius’s mother, and then tried to kill him. He hasn’t been home since he was ten. Though he was disinherited by his father, the people of Thirwen haven’t forgotten the late queen and how she loved her son.”
I’ve never even heard of Prince Zarius. I thought all Thirwen’s heirs were under the age of three.That’sThirwen’s motivation in this war. I knew there had to be an ulterior motive. No matter how close Garrick and Fallon are, comradery doesn’t come before a kingdom. Both Garrick and Fallon have children they’re trying to erase from their lineage. It unites them in the same way shared hatred for Garrick unites Cayden and me.
This could potentially sway Galakin in our favor as well. Galakin has poor relationships with Thirwen and Imirath. They stopped trading with Imirath after Garrick refused to send them a native plant that was vital for medicinal production during a plague. Those with healing magic couldn’t save everyone due to the highly contagious nature of the disease.
Their rivalry with Thirwen was sparked by the events leading to the Crimson Tide War.
If I claim the Imirath throne, and Zarius claims the Thirwen throne, Galakin can have an ally in both kingdoms instead of enemies.
“Thank you,” I say. “I won’t forget this kindness.”
Lethia smiles and I run my hands down my skirts, standing from the chair and gesturing for her to walk with me. Our heels click on the stone as we stride back into the party with Cayden and Hale just a few steps behind.
“I love your dress,” I say. “It complements your hair beautifully.”
“Yours is incredible,” she replies before wrinkling her nose, looking down at herself. “I don’t miss Thirwen, but I do miss wearing red to parties.”
“Purple is my favorite color, so I suppose we’re both unlucky with where we ended up in the world.” She laughs, and I join her, thankful for the tension slowly uncoiling within me. “I am sorry…that you mourned me.”
She shakes her head. “I’m merely glad that it was fruitless. It’s hard for women to find happiness in a world designed by men, and security in a world where it feels like they take every step to make it treacherous. And I know you don’t remember me, but I’m glad to see you happy.”
“It’s also hard to find good people in this world, as I’m sure you know, but Urasos isn’t far from here.” I bite my lip. “Perhaps Cayden and I can visit once the war is over, or we could exchange letters?”
She smiles down at me. “I’d love that.”
Chapter
Thirty-eight
Elowen
My voice is hoarse fromlaughing and my feet ache from all the dancing Finnian and Ryder led me through. I even shared a dance with Braxton, who blushed through the entire song, and I spun around a few children from the orphanage who tugged on my skirts.
As I stumble off the dance floor, I tilt my head to the far side of the room where Cayden is watching me from the shadows. The hair on my arms rises when I note the heat laced within his eyes. I take a step to my left to duck behind a pillar, peeking around it to watch him kick off the wall and take a step to his right. He’s always carried an aura of danger and mystery, warding all others away, but it pulls me toward him. Maybe it’s because I’ve experienced pain where love was supposed to be, and love where it never should’ve existed.
I slip behind another pillar, but when I peek around the side, he’s nowhere to be seen. Exhilaration shoots through me, knowing he’s watching even if I can’t see him. I keep moving until I stride out of the throne room and find the nearest exit from the castle. I can’t see or hear him, but I can feel his presence. My lips still burn from our brief kiss during the ceremony, and the promise of more weakens my knees.
Hurrying down the path I walked several hours ago, I follow the trail of dying candles into the forest that leads to the base of the castle. The sleeves of my gown flow through the trees like woodland spiritsdancing for the moon as I hop over a stream and quicken my pace. My curls whip around me as I swing my head in all directions, seeing nothing other than snow-coated pines and icy rocks. My heart pounds in my chest when I make it to the base of the mountain where the ceremony was held. I fist my dress while running down the abandoned aisle, trampling the flower petals as snow crunches close by.
He wouldn’t let me hear him unless he intended it. Like a predator homing in on their prey and wanting them to know a collision is imminent.
A small ledge curves around the edge of the pool, and I squint into the darkness as the wind blows, taking some of the falls with it. There’s a dark cave behind the base of the waterfall. I’ve always obeyed my curiosity, unable to ignore the nagging voice that tells me to explore an unknown place. It’s strange because I’m almost never curious about people. They’re usually disappointing when you peel back their layers, but nature has a way of surprising you even with its smallest details.
The stone is slippery underfoot, and I grasp more of my skirts to save them from tumbling over the ledge and dragging through the surface. Ice crackles beneath me, creating weblike cracks as I step. Sharp peaks press into my palm as I lean on the wall beside me and climb up the incline, keeping my footing while ducking behind the gushing falls and rounding the corner. I’m submerged in darkness and listen to my surroundings to paint a picture in my mind. It’s obvious there’s a river splitting through the center of the path based on the echoing sound of rushing water. The ledge I’m standing on grows thicker as I continue around the curve and spot a faint blue glow at the end of the narrow cavern.
My hair becomes heavier as the air grows thick and moist. I drop my dress and reach one hand behind me to sweep the tresses off my neck, but it does little to offer me any reprieve, considering my discomfort grows with every footfall.
But my grip slackens on my curls when I step through the archway in a daze, my gaze tracing the enchanting sight. Pools upon pools of crystal water spill into each other, staggering in size and height, withsteam wafting off their surfaces. They’re built into the rock, and I’m forced to crane my neck to see the top. The misshapen ceiling is speckled in blue glowing splotches more vibrant than any night sky I’ve ever seen, with shards of rocks piercing between the clusters.
“Hello, wife.” Cayden’s hands snake around me. “Following you always leads me to the strangest places.”
“Well, at least you’ll never grow bored,” I answer. “Did you know this was here?”
“No. I don’t think it’s common knowledge.”
