Page 38 of Enchanted Crown
Dex and I watched him leave until he was long gone.
“What the hell just happened?” Dex finally asked.
“I have no idea.”
CHAPTER 15
“Please. Just kick this ass already. Anything but seeing how tormented our women are,” Malachi stated with dismay.
I snorted a laugh. Malachi and these horse puns were just too much.
I had to heal Zaire that afternoon with Malachi. The others were getting back to work in a few days with the adjusted lottery. Then in a few weeks, we had the Yule celebration. I needed this as much as Malachi did, but I was stuck with Dex, because I wouldn’t hurt Malachi while he was still recovering from the attack. He could shift back and forth again, but I didn’t want him to go too hard, too fast.
Esta needed her warriors now more than ever.
Dex grinned at me and moved. I had to stop chatting with Malachi to spar with him.
Minutes later, we stopped in a draw, both of us grabbing for our knees. It was clear to see we had both trained with Owen. But where Owen would gladly take a hit to win, Dex and I both avoided pain when we could.
“You sure you don’t want me to heal Zaire?” Dex asked between pants. “Very few people give me the visceral reaction of wanting to pummel them, but he is one of the rare few.”
I shook my head, though I agreed with that last bit. “I’ll do it. Still not sure it’s not a waste of magic though.”
“But you’ll still do it,” Malachi noted.
I sent him a look. Hadn’t I just said as much?
“For Esta.”
I stood up and tossed the training sword I had been using to the ground. “Let’s go get this over with, shall we?”
“Says a lot about your character that the guy has been nothing but rude to you, and you’ll still personally heal him and do what he asked.”
“It’s not about me,” I snapped. “None of this has ever been aboutme.”
“Yetyouare the reason we are healing,” Malachi reminded me gently.
“I’m sorry,” I said stopping beside him. “It is not you I am frustrated with, brother.”
“Me too,” Malachi said with a shrug. “I didn’t mean to remind you of all the horrible things he’s said to you.”
We looked at one another and burst out laughing at the same time. After a good laugh, I finally blurted out what had been bothering me since dawn. “Do you really think he is loyal to Dra Skor? Or am I about to heal yet another suspect?”
He thought for a moment. “I think he values himself as the biggest drake more than he values anything else. He clings to that too hard to be our culprit. Not that it excuses all the shady things he has done, but still.”
I inhaled deeply. “Okay.”
“How about you heal Zaire and then I’ll fly you to the shore for some wave riding?”
I swallowed hard. “Without Savanna?”
“It might cheer Kian up?” Malachi countered.
“Fine,” I acquiesced.
Later, in the purple water of The Drak, I stood a moment and inhaled deep. Esta had flown me here before heading directly for her lair. I was giving her space to deal with the loss of her cousin, but I was also worried about her. She was struggling. We all were.
My eyes went to Serkan’s empty cave.
