Page 17 of A Kingdom of Fire and Fury
“You can go on ahead,” Nimue said to Ben. “I’ll escort Selena back to the castle.”
“For what it’s worth, any rider worth their salt won’t let you, uh, fall to your death.” With those comforting words, Ben took off on his dragon.
Nimue patted her dragon, and the brown dragon took off toward the others. Gareth’s blue dragon followed suit. I watched with a numbness settling in my chest. Luther wanted me to ride one of these monsters, a creature that wasn’t even bonded to me, and therefore wouldn’t feel obligated to protect me.
Nimue patted my shoulder, and I realized at some point she had gotten the horses ready for us, but I’d been too dazed to process it. “Thanks,” I muttered and mounted my horse.
“I’ll talk to Kieran later,” Gareth said. “Maybe wecould work something out.”
“Maybe you could ride with Thaleia,” Nimue suggested. “She’d be the best one for you to pair with.”
My heartbeat pounded in my eardrums. “Luther wants me to die.” Of course he did. I was a loose cannon. Forcing me to ride another dragon was probably a way for him to claim there’d been a ‘training accident.’
Nimue grimaced. “We have three days to train you. It’ll be alright, Selena.”
I snorted. “I’m not convinced. Kieran clearly wants me dead. So does Aurelia.”
“Kieran’s… complicated.” Gareth scratched his cheek. “But he doesn’t want you dead. You two just… got off to a rough start.”
“What was Kieran’s deal when I called him a bastard?” I asked. It was easier to talk about that than to think about three days from now when I’d surely fall to my death.
“Because he is one.” Gareth’s lips tightened into a thin line. “He’s the second son of Lord Caddel. Since he became a dragonsguard, the… less savory aspects of his past were erased from public record.” Gareth glanced down at his horse and patted its mane. “I told you earlier, Selena, but being a dragonsguard has more benefits than you think. Given some time, your failed execution will merely be a rumor.”
“I wouldn’t bring it up to his face again if I was you,” Nimue said. “He’ll make your life hell during training if you do, that prick.”
I loosed a breath. “I’m not going to put up with his shit just because he’s the captain.” If he wanted to sink down in the mud, I’d join him.
Gareth sighed. “Please try to have some patience.”
“You’re really telling me to play nice?” I raised my brows. “He’s the one who beat me black and blue. You’re telling me he can’t handle a little name calling?” Once I hopped off my horse, Nimue elbowed me in the gut. I dug my nails into her arms, partially out of vengeance and partially because my thighs ached terribly from the session and I would’ve stumbled if not for my grip on her arm.
Once I was in the safety of my bedroom, I let my mind drift as I lay on my bed for the next two hours, trying to massage the pain away in my legs. It was even more enraging when I heard chatter coming from the living room. I huffed and rolled on my side, wincing at the pain that wracked my body. I barely had any energy to move, and these people acted like it was nothing. I closed my eyes. How could I survive this? Because I sure as fuck wasn’t going to let myself fail.
Someone knocked. “I brought you dinner,” Nimue said, her voice only slightly muffled. “You skipped lunch.”
My stomach grumbled, but I didn’t want to get up. “You can leave it by the door. I’ll get it later.” I’d have to hobble to get it. ‘Pathetic.’Kieran’s words echoed in my mind, and I flexed my jaw. I loathed that he wasn’t wrong.
I closed my eyes and tried to convince myself Iwasn’t miserable when Nimue walked away and left me to my thoughts. Not even five minutes later, the door flung open. I hauled my protesting body up and stared. Kieran stood in the entrance. “You’re not a princess. We don’t coddle our people here.” He smirked. “You’re coming to dinner. Consider that an order from your captain.”
Asshole. But he knew he had me. I couldn’t disobey. Not without invoking his or Luther’s wrath. Under his watchful eye, I kept up a blank mask so he wouldn’t see the pain that lingered in my body. I looked like death, and I knew it. My braids were loose from the workout, but I didn’t have the energy to undo them. I didn’t even have the strength to change out of my training leathers.
Everyone was already at dinner by the time Kieran and I made it back. I almost laughed at the image of them all gathered together around a table.The fearsome dragonsguard, the saviors of Lusadia.A whole bunch of bullshit. I plopped down next to Nimue, who gave me a once over and then glared at Kieran.
“So glad to be here,” I quipped.
“I’d rather you stay in your chambers, street rat,” Aurelia sneered and took a dainty bite of her steak.
“She’s not allowed to be lazy. Not when she has so much to prove.” Kieran leveled me with a look.
I clenched my jaw. “Just because I’m not a rich fucker like you all—”
“None of us have been tried for treason,” Kieran countered coolly. “Or did you forget you were supposed to burn, Selena? Because the countryhasn’t.”
My cheeks flooded with heat.
“This is a fresh start.” Gareth frowned at Kieran before his warm gaze settled on me. “People will try to tear you down. Prove them wrong with a smile.”
“I’m not one for smiling.”
