Page 53 of The Dragon's Captured Heart
I frowned. “I thought the two of you found her?”
Felix shrugged. “I mean, technically, it was Dyson who came along first. We don’t walk side by side. He found her, shouted, and I was there in seconds.”
“I see.”
This was new information. Could Dyson have had time to kill Noa before he called over to Felix? The guards did carry scale-blades, swords made from the scales of dragons, a weapon capable of piercing a dragon's skin.
Glancing at Cleye, it was obvious he was thinking the same thing.
We asked a few more questions, but there was nothing more for Felix to add that we didn’t already know.
“We need to talk to Dyson,” I growled as we exited, leaving Felix behind after telling him he was free to go but he should stick around the palace. No unplanned vacations. “Not to mention, we have to get his report. See if he put something different in it that would contradict what Felix said.”
“I agree,” Cleye said. “I’ll see what I can do to get the people moving.”
“Thanks,” I said, grateful for the assistance.
Cleye promised to be in touch before heading off and leaving me alone with Maddie, who was leaning against the wall, looking incredible.
“That seemed to go well,” she said, gesturing with her chin at Cleye’s retreating form.
“Yeah,” I said thoughtfully. “I guess it did, didn’t it?”
“See, aren’t you glad you listened to me?” she teased, pushing off from the wall and walking toward me.
I couldn’t help but watch her walk. She had the prowl of a hunter. The spirit of a warrior and a dragon even if she didn’t have the blood of one. But it was time I treated her like one.
“Come with me,” I said, reaching for her hand. “I have something for you. It’s time you had it.”
“Oh? What is it?” she asked, eyes lit with intrigue, followed by the flicker of tension that always accompanied us touching as our hands came together and fingers naturally interlocked.
“You’ll see,” I promised, smiling broadly.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Madison
We were about a dozen steps down the hallway before my brain started screeching at me, alerting me to what had just happened.
Damn, he’s smooth.
I hadn’t even realized what was going on. Cal had simply reached for my hand as if it were the most normal thing in the world, and I’d taken it, letting his fingers slide between my own, locking them together as we walked.
Forbidding myself from looking down just yet, I tried frantically to figure out what to do. Did I go with it? What level of harm would come from simple hand-holding? We’d already accidentally had sex. Was this much different?
It’s very different! Hooking up is one thing, it’s hormonal. This is acknowledging things that we’re not yet ready to acknowledge.
Not yet ready? Why not? It felt good. It hadn’t been awkward. There was certainly chemistry between us. I even thought Cal kinda-sorta liked me.
It was confusing. All of it. No small part of me wanted to lean into this moment, to enjoy it and move forward. I couldn’t deny the attraction I felt to him—and not just physically. There was a lot to like about Callum, and the more I got to know him, the more I found I enjoyed him.
His past certainly made for an awkward barrier, but at the same time, the dedication and loyalty he showed to her meant he was capable of great emotion. Love, even.
There you go again. Using the L-word. All because Laura put it in your head. That doesn’t mean it’s a real thing. You’re just manifesting it.
Maybe I was. But then again, Cal had reached for my hand. Not the other way around. He was the one who had a surprise for me and was walking with a bounce in his step.
Of course, I was assuming Cal knew what he’d been doing when he reached out. What if it wasn’t? I replayed the memory in my mind. His eyes had been on me the entire time.
