Page 9 of A Kingdom of Fire and Fury
“We cannot question a dragon, let alone one as ancient as she.” Luther’s hands tightened on his throne. “Umara has chosen her rider and after centuries of mourning, she saw fit to complete the dragonsguard. However, this leaves us in apredicament.” He leaned forward and propped his hand on his chin. “You were fated to die, Selena. Do you wish for death? You may speak now.”
That smug fucking bastard. “Obviously, I don’t.” My blood boiled even more when I caught Kieran smirking.
Luther looked like the cat who caught the canary. “I’m sure you witnessed your sister in attendance that day.”
“You—” I snarled and stepped forward, but before I could launch myself at him, chains and all, something pressed against my shoulders, pinning me where I stood. I clenched my jaw at the wispy black shadows.Kieran.I glared at him, but the only response he gave me was a twitch of his lips.
Luther laughed. “Such a simple creature you are. I absolutely hate it. Kieran, let her seek her death if she wishes. And her sister’s.”
I stilled. “Don’t you touch her!”
Luther straightened. “If you wish for her not to receive a Traitor’s Brand and to be safe, then you will do as I say. You will be a loyal member of the dragonsguard. And in turn, your sister will receive a Lady’s education. She’ll want for nothing, and she’ll be treated with the prestige that a dragonsguard’s family is entitled to. But that is only as long as you behave. Does this sound agreeable to you?”
“Fine,” I spat. My stomach coiled into a knot. The whole reason I took the stupid heist was so Clara and I could have better lives, so she could get proper medicine and live somewhere where she wasn’tconstantly at risk of catching another illness due to her delicate constitution. Even if she was a hostage… maybe this was better for her.
Luther nodded. “Good. She will be moved to a secure location. You may see her once you’ve proven your loyalty.”
And just like that, the floor crumbled underneath me. “N-no. You have to let me see her. Please.” My fire extinguished in an instant. Pride didn’t matter. Not right now. Not when my sister would be torn away from me for who knew how long.
Luther reveled in my begging. I could see it from the way his eyes glinted. “I don’thaveto let you do anything. I’m the king. And I’ll remind you not to assume you can override my authority.” He narrowed his eyes. “You won’t like what happens if you try again. My answer is no.”
Gareth tugged at my arm. Inexplicitly, my gaze went to Kieran’s hard gaze. ‘Please,’ I found myself mouthing. But the man only smiled and shook his head.
My breath hitched. Gareth used that distraction to pull me along. We didn’t go back to the dungeon. Instead, we went to the right wing of the castle. “The dragonsguard quarters,” Gareth murmured as we passed a tapestry of King Luther’s famed brown dragon, Saanvi.
There was a row of doors on the right and to the left, a huge living space. Gareth took me to the last room and opened the door. “Let me.” He gently took my hands and removed the chains. “If you could stepin. I—uh—I’m sorry. Tomorrow, things will be a bit easier.”
“Please let me see her. She’s all I have.”
Gareth’s expression crumpled. “I’m sorry. I can’t go against the king. You have to prove yourself to him, and only then will you be rewarded.”
He shut the door in my face, and the latch clicked shut.
CHAPTER FOUR
I wanted to scream and pound at the door. My fist rose and paused inches from it.Prove myself.Even if it was a load of bullshit, I needed to work with them and get them to trust me. Once they thought I was a perfectly controlled pet, I could see my sister.
And after? I didn’t know. Was my sister better off without me? Was she safe where she was? Would she be taken care of? My fist fell limply to my side.Where is she?She had to be in the castle based on what Luther said, or at least, close by.
I expelled a breath. Even if I played his game, it was all on his terms. He could change the rules at any time. ‘Gaining his trust’ could take months, if not years.But I’m not completely helpless.The bond flared to life again, sending warmth my way. Umara was by my side. I had a fucking dragon willing to assist me.
I surveyed the room. ‘Bare’ was the first thought that came to mind. But even so, it was nicer than anything I’d ever owned. There was a queen size bed in the center with plush pillows and blankets. A dresser was across from it and a full length mirror right beside it, tucked against the wall. In the center wall was a small window just big enough to stick my head out.
I didn’t sit on the bed. Just the thought left a bitter taste in my mouth. Instead, I went over to the far end of the wall and sat down, facing the door. Could I trust that Luther would give Clara a good home? Even if he did, she would always be his tool to force my hand. I stared at the wooden floors. She was probably terrified right now.
I balled my hands into fists. Tomorrow there’d be training. I didn’t know how to utilize Umara right now, had no clue what she’d seen in me, but maybe… maybe the training would show mewhy.And then I could force King Luther’s hand. Umara might only be one dragon, but a single dragon could destroy a village. That was why the western kingdom of Raghnall bowed down to us, because they had no dragons of their own. And why the eastern kingdom of Ethava had been destroyed, leaving only a dividing wall between us and an empty wasteland.
It's not over yet. I’ll find where my sister’s been taken.And then I’d go from there.
Hours crawled by, and I didn’t get up from my spot on the floor. No one came by to bring food. The bastard king probably saw it as another lesson. It only added to the list to why I hated him.
Someone knocked.
I jumped to my feet, my heart stuttering. “Who’s there?”
“You made a hell of an impression,” a feminine voice said from the other side, amusement lacing her tone.
I clenched my jaw. “I wasn’t trying to. Are you going to help me?”
