Page 18 of Galadon
The design would puzzle any intruder, and the magic made it hard to focus. Her head was pounding. Galadon had intentionally forced her to walk through a spell meant to terrify and repel her. Her body shook with the need to race back toward the fading sunlight outside.
The bastard no doubt enjoyed doing this to her.
Why did he have to make everything difficult? Not only that, but he kept sending mixed signals. One minute, he practically cursed her existence, and the next, he worried for her safety as if she meant something to him. Rayna was done with the games. Today, they would lay all their cards on the table and figure out where they stood.
After what seemed like forever, she made a final turn and spotted a large open room ahead. It was at least thirty feet by forty feet, with the dirt walls and ceiling sealed with alight sheen by dragon flames so they wouldn’t collapse. At the back, she spotted a wide bed on the floor. It lacked a frame, and a large black camrium blanket lay haphazardly across the mattress. Galadon’s considerable dragon form could easily fit on it, almost like a nest rather than a traditional human-style sleeping arrangement. He didn’t even have pillows.
A table and two chairs sat off to the left beside a bookshelf with old-style tomes and various trinkets she wished she had time to examine. To the right, he had a rug on the floor and a large chair upholstered with a deep red camrium cloth to prevent it from burning.
Galadon sat on it in a lazy sprawl like an indolent king, watching her intently as she took in his private quarters. How many people had even seen this place? If he could count them on one hand, she wouldn’t be surprised in the least, especially with all the protection spells to get inside. They would scare almost anyone without the fortitude and determination she had to see this through, and she’d had to use some of her sorceress powers to shield herself. It was all Rayna could do not to run away.
“What did you wish to speak to me about?” Galadon asked in his deep, raspy voice.
She swallowed. “The thing you made me promise we’d never discuss again.”
“And you are asking to break this vow?”
The look he gave her wasn’t pleasant, and it took all her strength to hold her ground. This was an apex predator on his home turf. It had been over five months since she last saw him in his human form, and it nearly took her breath away. He was intimidating while also being viciously sexy. His black sleeveless tunic and pants did nothing to hide his large, muscular formthat Rayna wished she could touch all over again. He had such a strong, arrogant face, yet perfectly formed bone structure, and beige skin, maybe a shade darker than hers. A hint of stubble added to his dark looks. If he didn’t have such a tendency to terrify everyone, he’d have the masses panting after him.
“Yes,” she said in an even tone. “With your consent. I won’t break it otherwise, but keeping my thoughts to myself is…not working.”
She never broke a promise, which was the only reason she was asking.
“What if I say no?”
Rayna gave him a pleading look. “Please don’t.”
He was silent for so long that she began to wonder if he’d leave her standing there for eternity, fighting the agony of his warding magic. Then the building pressure on her mind and body that made her want to flee his home suddenly lifted. Galadon had released the terrifying spell that likely kept everyone out. It was as if a boulder had been lifted from her chest, and she could finally breathe.
“No one has ever made it this far down here before without my approval,” he said, lifting a brow. “Was it difficult for you?”
“Extremely.” Did he even let his mother down here to visit?
He sighed. “Then you must be desperate to discuss this if you’ve managed to pass my test.”
“I am,” she agreed, resisting the urge to bristle at his “test” comment since he had his mother send her down here in the first place.
Galadon stretched his feet out in front of him as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Rayna was so used to him being stiff and stoic that it was odd to see him appear relaxed. Was he intentionally giving her some breathing space, or was he always this way in his home? There was still so much she didn’t know about him.
“Very well.” He scratched at the stubble on his cheek. “I’ll allow you to break your vow this one time, but after you leave, I’ll hold you to it once more. Agreed?”
She nodded, relieved. “Yes.”
“Then, by all means, go ahead.”
Rayna drew up every ounce of courage she possessed as she faced one of the most dangerous dragons in existence to tell him how she really felt about him. It would be worth it if he’d listen and consider her argument. On the other hand, she was putting herself in a precarious position where he could really hurt her. She’d never done anything like this before, and it was more terrifying than facing a hundred dragons intent on killing her.
She drew a deep breath and pulled from that inner strength that had kept her going through the worst of times since the apocalypse. He needed to hear the full, unvarnished truth. “From the day we met, I was attracted to you. I mean…I felt an immediate connection to you despite your pissy attitude toward me. I’m not sure if you know that.”
He gave her a curt nod that didn’t tell her anything.
“I was hardly a virgin, and I’ve certainly been with a few men.” She paused when he stiffened, but he said nothing. “But you were the first one to make me really feel and want more. Notonly that, but I haven’t desired anyone else since then, even if they might have interested me before.”
The glint of flames in his eyes appeared to grow hotter.
She couldn’t stand still anymore and began circling around his small dining table, tracing her fingers along it. “I know I drove you crazy with my taunting and teasing, but I couldn’t help it. Getting a reaction—any reaction—out of you made me feel like you saw me. I only knew I wanted your attention however I could get it.”
“I have never doubted that,” he said in a low voice. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear there was a hint of lust in his tone.
