Page 232 of The Forbidden Dragon King
Aurelius leaps to his feet. “What Alpha could watch their Omega killed?”
“One who obeys the rule of law.”
“This isn’t about law or justice. My dragon riders are being scapegoated to make someone pay for the attack yesterday, as well as to punish me for not claiming the correct Omega. But I won’t be controlled. Or am I still not your King?”
The silence is answer enough.
Aurelius glances around the Council.
Most avoid his gaze, some look at Maximinus as if for support, others check to see if they can run for the exit in time.
This has been planned. Aurelius has been played.
Immediately, his expression shutters. “You fuckers.”
“Language, my boy.” Maximinus tuts. “I didn’t raise you to talk to your elders in that way.”
“You didn’t raise me at all.”
Maximinus strolls across the apse, casually throwing himself down in Aurelius’ throne, as if he’s sat there a thousand times before. It suddenly occurs to me that maybe, when Aurelius was away and Maximinus was Regent in his place, he did.
My eyes widen.
“Bastard,” Daire mutters.
Maximinus settles back in the throne. “The kingdom is destabilized by the vampire raids, weak under your rule, and your people hardly know you since you’ve been away fighting. You ran away the one time that they needed you to protect them for the sake of a wolf and a fae. So, how can you expect anyone to be loyal to you? Now do you see why emotions are dangerous? Why love is a disadvantage? Why bonds were forbidden? Bael is barely still standing. If it wasn’t for War rallying the army, we wouldn’t have survived the Night of Shadows.”
My throat tightens. Is War still alive?
Aurelius’ jaw clenches.
It takes him several attempts, before he manages to ask, carefully controlled, “Did War survive the night?”
“Why act like you care now?” Maximinus demands, gesturing at Daire and me contemptuously. “Thesepetswere all you were thinking about, when you abandoned your friends, fellow soldiers, and people. Why act as if it matters to you?”
“Uncle,” Aurelius clenches his hands in front of him, which are wrapped tightly enough to bruise in chains, “tell me?—”
“I’ll tell you,” Maximinus roars, “that your lack of control over your Golden Dragon has proved that you’re not fit to rule.”
A headache is splitting my skull. I can barely feel my hands now, and my shoulders scream with pain. Yet the danger of this moment cuts through everything.
My mind is clear.
I’m a wolf. Even as an Omega, I’m a hunter.
And Maximinus has just hunted his own King.
How long has he been stalking him? Waiting for just such a moment, when Aurelius would be standing on the edge of a cliff with his wings clipped and nowhere left to go.
“Unless,” Decima slinks up to Aurelius with a smile that’s sadism masked as mercy, “youprove to us that you do follow the laws. You repent. Sacrifice or execute by your own hands these pets who have brought such bad luck to the city. Break your bonds.”
“Don’t you bloody dare. I will haunt you forever if you do.” Daire struggles hard enough to make crimson blood trickle down his forearms from his wrists.
Aurelius is standing as frozen as the statues behind him.
Maximinus looks smug, as if he’s already won.
I’m trembling, unable to stop.
