Page 123 of The Forbidden Dragon King
Maximinus slams the bottle back onto the table with a clink. “Quintus is attempting to secretly form a faction in the Council against me. He intends to throw their support behind Aurelius. They don’t truly believe in my nephew as a ruler but they’re calculating that they can gain more power under him because he’s weak. They’ll learn what happens when they scheme against me. So will my nephew, if he was involved in this foolish attempt to sway the Council to back him. Assassinate Quintus, and I’ll deal with the cover up. Only, I intend that there to be whispers that I’m behind this. They’re what will scare the faction into being loyal to me again. Don’t worry, I won’t sacrifice you. Yet. Except, you’re already a dead fae; you were the moment that I poisoned you. Sweet pet, don’t you realize that I’ve already executed you?”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Shadow Court
Freya
I smile,tipping back my head and allowing the bright, afternoon sunshine to kiss my upturned face.
I wander through the deliciously scented courtyard, delighting in finally exploring the rose garden, which I’ve only been able to glimpse out of Aurelius’ study window before.
A wolf doesn’t like to be caged inside.
“Why does no one come here? It’s beautiful.” I glance around at the cypress trees that flank thegarden like daggers.
The rosebushes are manicured. The blooms of the red roses are larger and more resplendent than any I’ve seen elsewhere.
I trace my finger over the closest flower’s petal in amazement.
So fucking soft.
I scrunch up my nose. The heady smell of the red roses is intoxicating.
My smile widens, when I realize that these are the same ones that Aurelius has been picking and placing in the vase in my bedroom during the night, as if they were delivered by a flower fae.
Fool romantic dragon.
I still can’t help touching the Golden Dragon brooch on my uniform, feeling a burst of joy at the same time that I stroke over my snowflake bond mark.
My two Alphas.
War leans against an ancient, twisted olive tree that sprouts in the center of the garden, looking bored.
She’s dressed in her usual armor but has taken off a shoulder pad and is polishing it with a rag.
“The garden is private,” War replies without looking up. “Planted by the King’s mother. Only Relius is allowed into the garden. I can’t figure out why he’s allowing you in here.”
Warmth spreads through my chest. “He’s probably worried that if he doesn’t let me go outside, I’ll start ripping up his papers to make a nest or pissing on his statues, you know, like bored wolves do, now that he’s gone on this vampire killing spree.”
Finally, War looks up at me, as if she can’t decide whether I’m joking or not.
I look back at her straight-faced.
“No ripping up official papers.” She points a warning finger at me like a blade. “But go to town pissing on the statues. Fucking pointless things.”
I blink. “Okay.”
I study the rose again. The petals are unusually soft, but the thorns are strikingly large and razor sharp, tipped with crimson like blood.
I wince at the memory Lucius told me of being knocked into these rosebushes, scratched and crying, when he was still only a kid.
“Lucius said that he played in here once,” I say, quietly. “He made a crown of these roses for the Alpha he met. They’re unusual. I’ve never seen anything like them.”
“My Omega told you about that, did he?” War’s expression softens in the way that it always does when Lucius is mentioned. Does she realize? “Luc crowned our Relius first. He always was the smartest of us all, or at least, fancies himself a kingmaker.”
I can’t resist touching the thorn just to see if it is as sharp as it looks.
It is.
