Page 186 of The Forbidden Dragon King
Behind me, I hear snickers, which I hope is the instructors and not the cadets.
My hands clench and unclench.
I close my eyes.
Caligo is stroking up and down a scar that I received from a long sword slash, when I was fifteen. It’d been a fierce fight. I’d been leading the featherglass in guerrilla warfare against Tarquin’s forces in Rune Forest. I’d been surrounded by four fighters at once, taking hits from all sides.
I never lost my footing or fell to my knees, even when I was slashed to ribbons down my back, while I was still fighting another dragon who was twice my age at the front.
I slaughtered them all.
I fucking won.
Then my brothers and sisters and I danced under the stars in victory, wild and blood streaked andfree.
No one has forced me to my knees, before I was captured by Aurelius.
“Each one of those scars represent a dead dragon,” I say, chillingly calm. “If you still want to keep creepily fondling them, go ahead. The scars that you add to my back today, sir, will representyou.”
“Is that a threat, fucker?” Caligo draws back, punching me hard in the kidneys.
I cough, trying to catch my breath through the pain. Then I grin, viciously pleased at the fear hidden behind Caligo’s violence.
“Give me the whip,” Caligo’s voice shakes with rage.
The sudden shuffling and whispers behind me is my first warning that something is very wrong.
The second warning is the sizzling sound, followed by the choking, sickly magic that crawls against my skin.
It’s Maximinus’ magic.
I’d recognize it anywhere.
I stiffen.
Why isn’t Caligo using a normal whip?
“Open your eyes, fae.” When Maximinus grabs me by the hair and forces my head back, my eyes snap open.
Caligo holds up a long whip that writhes, alive with cursed magic. It’s white with hissing, molten iron.
Fear slithers down my spine.
I will survive this, I chant inside my head, as sweat breaks out on my neck,I will survive this.
Caligo leans closer to whisper, hot and vile as his rusted iron scent, “Not so cocky now, fucker.”
He lets my head go with a shove.
I take a deep breath to attempt to slow my speeding heart.
I flex the strong muscles in my back, before widening my legs to brace myself. “Are we doing this? Or are you trying to bore me to death?”
“Don’t worry, a certain pet-hater forged this whip to help me punish you for what you did to my brother.” Caligo splays his hand on my back, as if working out where to place his first stroke. I knew that Maximinus had created this cursed whip. He can never be trusted, no matter how many secret missions I complete for him. He’d betray anyone. “It will remind you to be obedient. If you act without permission of your patron, this is what happens.”
A hiss like an angry snake, then a line of fire explodes across my back.
Overwhelming. All-encompassing. Searing.
