Page 184 of The Forbidden Dragon King
“Aye.”
Freya’s eyes are dancing like she sees straight through my bullshit. She doesn’t say anything though, only gently takes my hand. I’m relieved that it means I don’t have to figure out a way to avoid tumbling myself into the water by accidentally not seeing the edge, as we work our way back to the top of the bank.
I hope that Maximinus sets me up on another mission soon and I can earn another dose of the antidote.
“You shouldn’t have come back for me.” Freya’s hand tightens around mine. “You’ve broken the rules, when you could have just passed the trial. Your survival instincts aren’t very good.”
“They never were. The thing about an Alpha fae is that they will doanythingto make sure that their fated mate survives. They’d give up their souls if it meant that their Omega wasn’t hurt.”
Freya’s voice becomes small with fear. “Ignatius received ten lashes simply for losing a button. What do you think your punishment will be for breaking the rules of the trial?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Parade Ground, Shadow Military Academy
Daire
“One hundred and fifty lashes,”Caligo announces with smug satisfaction. “Fifty for willfully breaking the rules of the first trial by using shadow portal magic, fifty for moving from the assigned area outside the city, and fifty for working together with a fellow cadet to complete the trial.”
I ignore both Freya’s gaze and her gasp.
One hundred and fifty.
I can survive that.
Maybe.
My remaining magic has been drained by the call for help by my Omega through my pinion feather, followed by the creation of the shadow portal.
Yet I must survive this. For Freya, my brothers and sisters in the featherglass, and my people.
For my Unseelie Kingdom.
I’m the only hope that the Unseelie may one day rise again. I won’t die here at the brutal hand of someone like Caligo.
Under the dying sun, bronze in the battered sky, I’m dragged by Caligo to the whipping post in the center of the parade ground.
The courtyard is silent, apart from the sound of our clattered footsteps and the shrill, angry calls of my ravens, which are circling overhead.
The instructors stand in a rank behind the cadets, who have been ranged close to watch this display as a lesson.
I’m actually relieved about that because I can see them. I’ll take any extra moment that I can with Freya, especially if I die under the whip.
I am surprised how somber the cadets look, even Ignatius. Maybe after receiving a taste of the whip, he can sympathize with how badly this is going to hurt.
Despite everything, there is some solidarity between cadets against Caligo.
I wink at Freya, attempting for charming defiance. I don’t know if I pull it off.
Freya’s face is ashen. Her expression is pinched.
I smile, trying to relax her, as my jacket is yanked off my shoulders. She doesn’t return it.
“Watch and learn from this discipline, you fuckers,” Caligo commands the cadets. “You all performed dismally in the trial. I should whip every last one of you. Weak, lazy cowards who wouldn’t last two minutes in a real battle.”
“I have,” I can’t resist pointing out, “for over a decade.”
Caligo slaps the back of my head. “You lose battles. Isn’t that what fae are best at? Being defeated? Conquered?Dying?”
