Page 51 of Exquisite Monster
As soon as the dragons had settled and were eating, I stood near the fire and cleared my throat. “Have you thought about using me as a distraction?”
“If the Heirs find out we used you as a distraction, the seven of us might be in more danger than we already are,” Idroal said.
“We do what we can,” I murmured.
“What?”
I shook my head. “We can only use what we have. And—” breaking off, I looked at them. “Feeling our bonds again, I’m restless,and I still have the feeling that speed is necessary. Please tell me if you need rest before we talk about it.”
Erryn straightened, everything in her posture speaking of eager anticipation. “Continue, Lena.”
“You know what’s stacked against us. A full army.”
“Though,” Ravi pointed out, “where your mates are being held is on the opposite side of the city from the barracks. Many soldiers, yes, but if we move fast enough, we won’t be dealing with an entire army.”
That was good. “They have scalefire. They have knowledge of the layout and the city. We have your powers, what potions I have, the ability to fly and move swiftly, and Andaros’s feelings about me.”
“How does he feel about you?”
A shock ran through me. I realized that none of these dragons knew who Andaros was to me. I hadn’t described my life before I’d appeared at Skalisméra with my mates, and there’s no one else who would have been able to tell them. Idroal might know more, but they stayed silent.
I sat down. “I was betrothed to Andaros. A political arrangement for the purposes of an alliance.”
“Fucking stars,” Belleo muttered under her breath.
I nodded. “But I already knew he was a monster. My grandmother knew the truth about dragons, as much as any human did. Not everything, but enough to raise me without hatred. I did not want to marry him. I—” Swallowing, I lowered my voice, unsure how they would feel about the news that their Heirs would never bear a child with me. “I snuck into the city to study the craft of potions from potion adepts. Using those skills, I made sure he would be unable to continue his bloodline through me.”
All seven pairs of eyes turned to me, but I saw no judgment. More curiosity.
“My mates interrupted the wedding. They had been sent there to kill me as an attempt to destroy the alliance our kingdoms were making.” They might know that. I’d announced that at the circlet. “But I touched Zovai. His flames were rising, and I placed my hand on his nose and asked him… I said ‘please.’ He didn’t kill me and took me instead. It wasn’t until later we knew why they found themselves unable to kill me.”
“Amazing,” Karadi whispered. “That you are mated. I have hope it means more mated pairs might exist once again.”
“I hope so too.” I shifted, aware of how they all stared at me, waiting for me to finish. Now we were nearly at the story that was familiar to them. “Andaros and his father were injured in the fight. His father died from his wounds, and Andaros bargained with the Elders for the dragons who’d killed his father. But not for one seconddo I believe Andaros cares about revenge. Not in that sense. The rest you know.”
Ravi blew a spark of fire into his hand and rolled it over his knuckles. “Thank you. Being thrown down Evrítha was enough for us to know he didn’t like you, but that makes sense.”
“Andaros hates me,” I said. “I will be a distraction, and a good one.”
“The Heirs won’t hesitate to kill me if I put you in danger, Princess,” Idroal said again.
I leveled a stare at them. “You recruited dragons who not only feel sympathetic toward humans but also have unique skills that can be useful in a rescue. If you hadn’t thought I was alive, you might not have bothered to bring dragons who did not hate humans.”
“Or I wanted dragons who would be willing to leave innocent humans alive,” they said gently.
Sotai rose and placed something in their bags before returning. “Please understand our hesitation. Going into enemy territory such as this is different for me than for you. I am not a dragon’s mate, Your Highness. Using me as a distraction is a risk I am willing to take.”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take too.”
“Katalena.” Idroal sighed.
“No.” I stood and paced away from the fire before turning back to them. “I understand why your only goal is to protect me, and I know you’re all far older with knowledge I could only dream of. But you don’t have knowledge ofthis.You didn’t spend your life in a human court with all the politics and intricacies of protocol. I did. If you have a plan that doesn’t involve a distraction, and that you believe can actually succeed, please tell me.”
No one said anything. Because there wasn’t an option. We needed room to move and maneuver, and the only way to do that was to draw the soldiers and citizens away from where we needed to be.
My father might not have wanted to train me to rule, but I’d eavesdropped on my fair share of meetings, including those which discussed strategy. The odds weren’t with us, so, no matter the danger to any of us, we needed a plan with the greatest chance of success.
Turning to Sotai, I put my hands on my hips. “You can look like me, but you don’t have what’s in my head. That will kill you just as fast as walking into the court as you are now.”
