Page 179 of Upon Buried Embers
“Because her dragon lost her mate last year.” He stills, eyes focused on me. “He was murdered in The Games. Sigrid wants revenge on the king for that.”
“I didn’t know that,” he mumbles, looking away.
“If you didn’t know, I have to wonder what else has happened that no one is discussing because no one trusts each other.”
“Of course we don’t.”
“But what if you did?” I counter.
“Did you forget the theory of a Dragonbond helping steal the eggs? The whole reason why I brought you here is to try and find out if one of the Dragonbonds’ dragons knows about this.”
“I know.” I scrub more soap on his shoulder. “But what if I can make sure there is no betrayal and if you all got together, maybe you can find out?”
He sighs, sinking lower in the tub. “We havenevertrusted each other, Little Whisperer. We’re attacked throughout the year, it could be from the king, could be other clans. Fuck, it could be from my own people after Rhett’s betrayal and what Darcia did,” he growls. “Trading with each other is tense, not knowing the reason why they short us sometimes, or change the deal at the last moment. We’re all out for ourselves to survive. If we don’t, we’ll die.”
I shake my head, it’s so confusing and silly to me.
“You all have dragons, all have your own clans to protect. But the dragons are in need, now more than ever, and no one will put their own issues aside to help? Not even try?”
“We’re here early to try and protect them,” he growls, sitting up straight. “You have not been with the Dragorie long. You don’t know this way of life!”
I sigh and go to get up, but his hand on my wrist stops me.
“Why are you wanting this so badly?”
I dare to remove his hand from my wrist, ignoring how his eyes flash and walk away. He gets out the tub and follows, naked as the day he was born and I try not to look at the droplets running down his chest as I face him.
“You set me a task, I am trying to fulfill it.”
“No,” he says, shaking his head. “It’s more than that. What is it?”
“I want to help.”
“You are.”
“Because of a deal, but now I want to help for the sake of helping. Not just to get Effy, not to make sure I’m safe here. I want to do it for me, for the Dragorie, for the dragons, for…”
He takes a step toward me, eyes full of fire.
“They’re just trying to live their life.”
Another step.
“And what of Frelia and her baby? It hasn’t hatched yet. She deserves to see her baby with no danger.”
Another step closer, and I’m aware of the look in his eyes, I feel it in my bones.
“And… and Sigrid’s dragon, her mate didn’t deserve to die either.”
I take a step back, and he walks, no,crowdsme until I hit a table, his face inches from mine.
“They all deserve to live peacefully. Drogonah, Escor…”
“You want to help the dragons?” he murmurs, voice low.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“You want to helpmydragons?”
