Page 22 of The Dragon King's Curse
Why did this cursed dragon have to be so goddamn handsome? Something about him dug claws into me, holding tight. My body reacted to him, despite my efforts to resist. I hoped he had no way of knowing the battle going on inside me.
“Sleep,” he commanded, pulling my long braid out from between us and laying it over my shoulder. “I’ll keep you safe.”
Safe from everyone but him. How was I supposed to let my guard down and become so vulnerable in his presence? At least in the prison I had Miranda next to me. Gods I hoped she was all right out there.
The cold cave floor beneath us cooled the heat Noxx ignited within me. The only way to escape him, and myself, was to close my eyes and let the fatigue take me under. He may not be the most trustworthy of men but he could do no worse than anyone else out here.
Once my eyes fluttered closed, I quickly fell asleep.
CHAPTER TWELVE
NOXX
I waited out the remaining hours until sunrise with Feryn wrapped in my arms. When the night started, I’d never have imagined that it would end this way. Listening to her soft snores and her steady breathing, I watched the front of the cave. If anyone appeared, I’d be on my feet, swinging the sword in a heartbeat.
Nobody came. As the night faded and the first rays of the sun graced the land, the entrance to the cave grew lighter. Able to see Feryn a little better, I watched her sleep. She seemed like such a delicate beauty when she wasn’t mouthing off and giving attitude. How wonderfully deceptive.
I couldn’t help but feel conflicted. This woman was the elven heiress. The princess. The one person with the ability to free me from my curse.
She claimed that it wasn’t easy. That there was more to it than I assumed. Soon she would tell me about the curse. I needed to know. If there was no hope of it ever being broken, I needed to know sooner than later.
Gazing down at the sleeping princess, I despised her. Yet it came with confusion. She did something to me. She made me feel something no woman had made me feel for an incredibly long time. Protective. Longing.
For what I didn’t know, and I didn’t want to find out. Despite how fucking amazing she felt tucked in against me, I couldn’t let it be any more than this. She was not for me. Hell, she’d told me that I deserved to suffer. She may have had a gorgeous body and a face that would send men to war but I would not be one of them.
That’s what I tried to convince myself of even though I’d killed for her already. What was I supposed to do? Watch as that fucking fae raped and killed her? Walk away and let it happen? I may have been many things but I wasn’t that kind of monster.
When the sun rose high enough in the sky that no shred of night remained, I forced myself to rouse her. The temptation to hold on for just another minute left me scowling. Gods I needed to get away from this woman and this land.
“Time to wake up, princess.” Placing a hand on her shoulder, I gave her a gentle shake. “The sun is up. We better get moving. It’ll be a long trek back to the prison.”
The last place I wanted to be was back in that shitty little hellhole of a cell. However, the Shadow Realm was magickally inclined to obey the fae. The land would not let us leave. Making a run for it now without any supplies while being completely unprepared would be risky. It would no doubt result in our untimely deaths.
Feryn groaned as her eyes opened. “Don’t call me princess. I’m going to start thumping you in the head every time you do.”
“Damn, you’re not much of a morning person, huh?” Prying myself away from her, I rose from the cave floor and stretched out my weary body.
“Oh, do forgive me for being a little grumpy after sleeping on a cold, hard cave floor,” she snarled sarcastically. “Wait here a minute, would you? I need a few minutes to myself outside.”
She snatched up the sword, taking it with her as she exited the cave. Assuming she needed to relieve herself, I waited for her to do so. I would do the same once we got moving.
When she called my name, I exited the cave to find her standing a few feet away, glancing in every direction. “How do we get back to the prison? Do you know the way?”
I pointed to the north. “That way. It will probably take us several hours. We made it pretty far away.”
“Fine. Let’s go.”
Feryn began stalking through the trees, using the sword to cut down any that tried to stop her progress. I trailed along behind, giving her the space she seemed to need. Was it just me or was the princess also feeling some confusion after our night in the cave together?
At one point, she stopped and turned back to face me. “Would it really be so bad if we tried to run for it? This might be our only chance to escape.”
“What about the land? You heard what the king said. The land won’t allow us to escape. We’ll probably die out here if we try.” I nodded to the iron shackles around her wrists and my own. “We don’t stand a chance unless we can get these off. Without the key, I don’t see that happening.”
The iron shackles were locked with a magickal key. Without that key, they would not come off. People like us were strong and determined, but without access to our magick, we were greatly incapacitated.
Her shoulders slumped as she turned around to keep pushing toward the prison. I understood her defeat. This wasn’t what I wanted either.
We walked most of the way in silence. Neither of us seem to have much to say now.
