Page 85 of Cruelly Fated
“But”, I swallowed, “Kyon doesn’t want the crown…” At least I thought he didn’t. But seeing him with that woman, his supposed future wife, had seeded doubt all over again.
Torian tsked and pushed off the wall. As he strolled toward me, his voice dropped into a cruel, measured cadence. “It’s not about what he wants. It’s about what the king, our father, wishes.”
I stared at him, questions bottlenecking behind the why on my tongue. Torian was the one groomed to rule the dragon clans. The obvious heir. Or so everyone believed.
“You’re confused,” he said, dragging a finger along the bars like they were harp strings. “But since you’re going to die tonight, I suppose I can indulge you with a family secret.”
His feral gaze gleamed with hate.
“Months ago, the king discovered our mother’s indiscretion. The affair that led tomybirth. You see…I’m not his son. I’m not his blood. Not even of royal descent,” Torian snarled.
“That stupid whore took my future from me. But things started looking up when Kyon landed in prison. Father and I made amends. After all, he couldn’t crown a traitor. So we played pretend. Kept up the image of unity.”
My head spun. The prison attacks…the assassination attempts…
“But even in prison, Kyon was a threat to you,” I whispered.
Torian grinned like a demon possessed. “I like you. I told him to break things off with you. I tried to spare you. Especially afteryou survived his attack.” He tilted his head, watching me piece it together.
I pointed at him, the realization crashing through me like a blade to the gut. “You planted the idea. You wanted me to remove his bracelet. To speed up his healing, you said.” My voice cracked. “Fae gods… I was desperate to help him. I didn’t see it.”
Torian gave a small, mocking bow. “You played your part beautifully.”
He sighed. “I’m afraid it’s too late for you now. You’re his only weakness.” Torian stepped aside, drawing my attention to a flat stretch of wall sliding open. Darkness obscured what lay beyond. My gut twisted with dread.Please…don’t let that be my dragon.
A burst of steam preceded him.No…
A green-scaled snout emerged into the light, massive and familiar. Kyon stepped forward in his dragon form, his eyes narrowed to deadly slits. He swung his head toward Torian and tried to unleash a breath of fire, except only choked smoke came out. Then he rushed him, but something wrenched him back. Was he leashed?
I squinted. That damned collar, the one I'd seen after Kyon's first shift since his release from prison, wrapped around his neck. It pulsed with runes, a chain bolting his dragon to the cave floor. My heart cracked.
“Let him go!” I hurled myself at the bars.
A low snarl vibrated through the air, coming from both, Torian and Kyon. They locked murderous gazes. They were nolonger brothers. Not in each other’s minds. And I knew that only one of them would walk away from this night alive.
The cold iron bit into my palms as I clung to the cage, feeling useless. If only I could do something.
“Let me out,” I snapped, voice raw.
Torian turned toward me slowly, a cruel smile curving his lips. He dragged his gaze from Kyon with effort, as if savoring his brother’s pain. “Did you think I brought you here for my own entertainment? I’m a businessman. An entrepreneur. And soon, the leader of an empire. I don’t let an opportunity like this slip through my fingers.”
What is he talking about?I risked a glimpse at Kyon. His scales shivered with rage, but his eyes… Gods, his eyes.
They held an apology.
And that terrified me most of all.
One by one, industrial bulbs flickered on, flooding the cave with harsh light and illuminating the branching tunnels that webbed away from the central chamber. Red lights blinked to life at steady intervals—cameras, tucked into the stone. A shiver scraped over my skin.
I flinched when he suddenly appeared before me, only the iron bars separating us. He popped a piece of gum into his mouth and grinned as he studied my face. “Those eyes…so intriguing.”
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“A one-of-a-kind livestream,” he said, spinning away to address the cameras. “For a very exclusive audience. Welcome,gentlemen. Watch the dragon prince tear his mate to pieces. Only the top one hundred bidders will see this. No replays. The five-minute countdown is live.”
Kyon roared, yanking against his chains, his tail lashing and smashing against the stone wall. Dust and rock rained around him as I watched in helpless horror.
“I’m not his mate. I’m not a dragon,” I whispered. Kyon would never hunt me. Not after he’d fought so hard to reclaim his control.
