Page 26 of A Kingdom of Fire and Fury
Pain. That was the first thing I was aware of when I opened my eyes. It radiated through every inch of my body, deep in my bones, my blood, and in every breath I took. But it centered around my heart, pulsing with every beat of my chest. Umara’s whimpers echoed through the bond, rattling around my skull.
I groaned, too drained to move from my fetal position on my bed. I couldn’t even lift my head when someone pounded at the door. A fog had entered my mind, muddying my thoughts.
“… Selena… without you,” Nimue’s voice called from the other side of the door. “… knock one…before… in.”
I must’ve dozed off, because the next thing I knew, Nimue stood in the entryway of my room. Even through my haze, I knew the exact moment she saw me because she went deathly pale. “Fuck. We were wondering when this would happen. Can you get up at all?”
“No,” I croaked, my voice barely above a whisper. Even that effort sent another shockwave of pain through my nerves. Had I been poisoned? Had more assassins come to finish me off?
Time passed by in another blink. Suddenly, Gareth hovered over me, his hands emitting golden light. Nimue chewed her bottom lip behind him. “Do you feel any better?” he asked.
“Nope.” I fought back a cry when pain blossomed at my temples. It was like someone had taken a battering ram to it. My eyes burned with unshed tears.
“It’s been too long,” Nimue hissed. “She needs to see Umara and complete the bond.”
“The king won’t allow it. He hasn’t seen her since the accident.”
Nimue swore. “At the rate she’s going, she won’t last another day. Umara’s been patient, but if this continues, she’s going to ram herself into the castle. Can you cover for me? I can easily fix this.”
Gareth exhaled. “Promise you won’t let her bond with Umara.”
“You know I can’t control a dragon.”
“Nimue.”
Nimue huffed. “I’ll do my best, but I can’t promise anything on Umara’s end. She’s gonna be pissed when she sees the state Selena’s in.”
“Just don’t let it happen or we’re both in trouble. Get her back here before lunch. I’ll say you two went for a walk.”
It took everything I had to focus, but the fog in my mind was too damn thick to fully process what they said. I jumped when hands jostled me upright. “What?”
Nimue shushed me and hauled me to my feet. When I dipped forward, she swore under her breath and pressed my weight against her while throwing an arm around my shoulders. “I know it’s hard, but I need you to walk,” she hissed in my ear. “At least until we’re out of sight, then I’ll pick you up.”
Umara purred through the bond, the sound giving me a burst of strength. I stumbled my way through hallways with my eyes set on the ground. Dizziness consumed my every step, and it took everything I had to stumble my way through it.
“Okay,” Nimue murmured. “I’ll handle the rest.”
I groaned when she picked me up, and I went weightless. “That’s hot,” I mumbled, nearly delirious. Every nerve in my body burned. I could barely keep my eyes open as Nimue led us through what must have been a secret passageway. At first I couldn’t focus on anything, but the longer we walked, the clearer my mind became. The burning ache in my chest throbbed less and less. I took a moment to study the hallways lit up by the various torches on the wall.
Definitely a secret passage.
Finally, we left the winding passage and arrived to a familiar sight—the dragon caves underneath the castle. Umara stood right at the entrance. Her golden eyes locked onto me.
“Umara,” I breathed. She looked so beautiful. Even underground with no sunlight, her golden scales seemed to glisten and shine.
Her tail snapped back and forth, and she dipped her head toward me. This time, I felt no fear. Not whenI could sense the sheerjoyshe sent down the bond. Umara gently pressed her head against mine, chuffing hot air that blew my hair backward.
My entire body buzzed with warmth. My head felt clearer for the first time since… since I got here. I trembled as I reached up to pat her head. Umara leaned into the touch, and I smiled. “Thank you.” I’d never understand why she chose me, but it was humbling, nonetheless. A dragon had looked at me, a thief and a street rat, and decided I was worthy.
“We can’t stay long,” Nimue said. Thaleia jumped down from her cave and circled around Nimue. Nimue laughed and patted her side. “Missed you too, girl.”
Before the bond, I would’ve called her ridiculous since we just saw the dragons yesterday, but now… now I understood. Being around Umara had automatically lifted my mood, and our bond wasn’t even completed.
Thaleia glanced at me. I’d never get used to a dragon’s stare—the way they looked at you as if they knew everything about you. She leaned forward and chuffed smoke in my face. My pulse skyrocketed. “Uh, Nimue—”
“She likes you! You’re her mate’s rider.”
Umara growled, and Thaleia nipped at her mouth. I let out a surprised sound when Nimue grabbed my arm and pulled me back. Which was just in time because Thaleia pounced on Umara, ignoring all of Umara’s growls.
