Page 4 of A Kingdom of Fire and Fury
Think of the money. Think of Clara.
The distant sound of a carriage made my heart thump. I coiled my body, ready to jump down at a moment’s notice. “Don’t fuck this up,” I hissed down at Conrad and Drustan.
The royal white and red carriage came into view, pulled by the finest horses I’d ever seen. The coachman had a lamp perched beside him, the light highlighting the obvious tension on his face. My stomach coiled as the men jumped out from behind the shadows and surrounded the carriage.
By the time I made my way down, Alton held a knife to the trembling coachman’s throat. “If you don’t want to die, you’re going to sit back and let us take what we want.”
I made sure to pull my hood over my head and let the tips of my blond wig hang down. Might as well start my cover story.
The coachman’s eyes went to me. “P-please. We surrender.”
“Pathetic.” Drustan chortled. “Get the goods, girl. We don’t have all day.”
I bit my tongue and jerked a nod, walking over to the carriage. Taking a deep breath, I kicked open the door and stepped inside with my blade raised. Whatever I’d been expecting, it wasn’t this. Inside the cushy carriage was a lone man who sat back against the cushioned seats with his arms folded. An aura of complete ease surrounded him.
My first thought was that he was one of the hottest men I’d ever seen. His lips twisted in a slight smirk, and his legs were lazily crossed, the picture of total control. With his windswept black hair, warm tawny skin, and stormy gray eyes—the man was the picture of otherworldly and ethereal. His form-fitting leather outfit hugged his lean muscles. But my attention went to his bare arms. Specifically, the swirling black tattoo that went from the tips of his hands all the way up to just under his jaw.
A Rider’s Mark.
The Mother help me.It all came crashing down at once. This dangerous man who commanded the world’s attention was a dragon rider. And not just any dragon rider. He was Kieran Caddel, the king’s righthand man and executioner. His Gift, the magic given to him because of the bond with his dragon, put him in a league of his own. Kieran Caddel could manipulate shadows at will. It was said he could end a battle in seconds. Not only that, he’d actually killed a dragon when he was merely a teen.
Our eyes locked, and I could see the exact moment he knew I made the connection. His smile was practically feral and full of cruel delight. Heat filled my body, jolting it to attention.The Father spare my sister from suffering.Only a god could help her now. I certainly wouldn’t be around to. At this point, I could only hope for a swift death.
The moment between us was cut off by an animalistic screech. A wall of heat rose, making me feel as if my skin was boiling. But I couldn’t take my eyes away from Kieran. It was like I was completelyunder his spell. My blood ran cold, and I trembled as I listened to the horrifying screams of my team.
The gorgeous man broke the heavy silence. “You might want to give up now.” Deadly. That was one word to describe his looks. I could see his pointed ears now, peeking out from his wild hair. Like all other dragon riders, he’d been transformed into something more dangerous than human.
My chest twinged painfully. I was aware of every pump of my heart. This could only end with my death, but looking at that infuriating smirk… I wasn’t going to take it lying down. “Fuck that.” I lunged at him.
Kieran didn’t use his shadows right away. He let me swing at his face, let me throw my legs in a wild attempt to cut him down, all the while he easily dodged and blocked my blows. I yelled, wild and animalistic, and in a desperate move, threw my knife straight at his face.
Darkness exploded, blinding me. A choking coolness wrapped around my waist and tossed me out of the carriage. I barely had time to process what had happened. The icy sensation faded—his shadows, I realized. A moment later, something heavy pressed on my chest.
When I realized what it was, I nearly shit myself. It wasn’t Kieran’s shadows. No. It was a massive fuckingdragon’stalon. And one glance upward confirmed that the rest of the dragon was still attached. The dragon was beautiful and terrifying. Its dark black scales glittered under the moonlight. I knew his name. Everyone did. Hesperos. Dark eyes met mine. Itopened its mouth, its teeth freshly coated in blood.
Fire swirled deep in its throat, ready to turn me to ash at any moment. Its nostrils flared, and heat singed my face. My pulse skyrocketed.
This is how I die.
“Most people would have wet themselves by now,” Kieran said, his footsteps coming closer to me. I didn’t dare look away from the dragon snarling in my face. “Would you look at that.” I felt something nudge the tips of my hair, and it took me a second to process why beyond him just being a sadistic asshole. “The blonde didn’t suit you. You look much better as a brunette.”
The wig, along with the cheap bald cap, had fallen off in the scuffle. My voice, which had died upon being pinned to the ground by a dragon, came alive. “Just get it over with,” I hissed. But I couldn’t truly find my anger, not when my death was quite literally staring me in the face.
“Brave too. Stupid, but brave.” He knelt. I flinched when he grabbed my chin and tilted it to meet his stormy gaze. “Why would I let you die when you have such valuable answers? You’re not going anywhere.”
His shadows flooded my vision. I tried to scream, to flail, but my body was held immobile, and I couldn’t do anything to stop the blow to my head.
The darkness overtook me.
CHAPTER TWO
I awoke with a groan. The first thing I processed was the throbbing tempo in my head—like someone had decided to chisel their way out of my skull from the inside out. The second thing was the realization that I had fucked up. With each passing second my grim reality only got all too real. It took me a moment to gather my bearings. I was in a cramped cell with a bucket in the corner and nothing else. The ground underneath me was harsh and the air damp. King Luther Aesvara’s dungeon. That was the only explanation of where I could be. The man who attacked me… Kieran Caddel… his words echoed in my mind.‘Why would I let you die when you have such valuable answers?’
Fuck. I was in deep shit. Whatever I’d been hired to steal, it must be serious.What will Clara think?She’d be lucky not to be punished along with me, a frequent occurrence for the family members of traitors. At best she’d get a Traitor’s Brand, and her family line would carry it for five generations.
The Mother help me.I wasn’t one to pray, but maybe… maybe The Mother could give my sister a little kindness. The best case for my sister was the brand. The worst… I didn’t even want to think about it. I closed my eyes and balled my hands into fists. No god would help me or my sister. They never had.
“Look who’s finally awake,” a familiar and infuriating voice drawled. A quick glance confirmed it. Kieran Caddel stood in the shadows that clung to the dungeon’s hallway. There was that same smug smirk that made my heartbeat skyrocket and my anger flare.
