Page 99 of Dreams and Dragon Wings
A spark of indignation ignites within me. “I beg your pardon?”
“Yesterday, you suggested I give you a blade—I can only assume because you wanted to stab me with it—and today you are…” He gestures vaguely with a wave of his hand. “… acting like a wilting flower.” A deep frown etches itself onto his lips. “Have I extinguished your fire already?”
The realization that Malice seems to prefer when I hiss at him like a wet cat leaves me swiftly turning away before he canregister my surprise. I bite back my disbelieving laughter as I gaze out the window, watching the sun finish setting.
Malice’s presence thrums just behind me. He stands close now—as close as the wall around me will allow. “I think it is time for me to be perfectly honest with you, Aurelia,” he rasps, his voice soft. As if he intends to share a great secret.
My heart seizes at the idea. “I would rather you didn’t.”
“You are a rather handsome woman, and I am—against my better judgment—attracted to you.” He speaks the words as if they pain him to admit.
Though I do my best to continue to hold my tongue, I cannot stop the twinge of pride that urges me to whisper back, “In stark contrast, I am not the least bit attracted to you.”
“Regardless,” he snarls, undeterred, “it is my desire to make you mydrakiraand, when the time comes, myTherya’kai.” His voice lowers further, his words now unfurling on a dark whisper when he promises, “Let me amend: Iintendto make you mydrakira. By either your will or mine.”
Drawing in a deep breath, I let my eyes flutter closed. He is trying to lure a rise out of me. I know that. It is my indignation he wants. My anger he craves. He wants me to lash out at him. To shout that I will never marry him.
But I refuse to give him that pleasure.
So it is that I turn back to face him with my eyes lowered and my hands clasped before me. Softly, sweetly, I observe, “But surely this will be a difficult feat to accomplish, Lord Malice, will it not? When you cannot even touch your future bride?”
He scoffs, palpable disgust radiating off of him. But my meekness has the desired effect.
He steps away from me, as if no longer able to stomach standing near. “Walk with me,” he commands before starting off down the corridor, clearly content with leaving me behind.
Hiding my smile, I shuffle after him, dragging my chains behind me.
“You have sought to bind yourself to the wrong king,” Malice coolly informs me as we walk toward a set of double doors that lead out onto a balcony overlooking the Shadow Lands. “Though your loyalty to my nephew is admirable, I fear it is misplaced.”
The moment he steps out into the night, a deafening roar fills the air. The sound sees a pit yawning open in my stomach as I continue forward, dragging my chains, until I can join him there.
What I see steals my breath and stops my heart.
Goblins, what appear to be giants, and more dark creatures still fill what appears to be an army’s encampment. Hundreds. Thousands. They swarm like ants in the darkness. More monsters than I could ever count.
With me now standing at Malice’s side, illuminating their master with my golden glow, the cheers grow louder—more feverish—as if they think I stand with them. As if I approve of their presence.
I shrink back, returning to the shadows of the doorway. “What is this?” I whisper.
A smile returns to Malice’s countenance when he turns to face me yet again. Despite my best efforts to do otherwise, I have clearly delighted him with the question.
“Why, it is our army, of course,” he breathes, stalking back in close. “And tomorrow morning, it marches for the Aerie.”
Suddenly breathless, my pulse fluttering wildly, I do my best to appear as if the very idea pains me when I ask, “And… do you intend to march with them?”
Malice’s smile disappears. Like a candle being snuffed. “No. I fear you will not be rid of me so easily. I intend to remain here until my nephew finally dies of natural causes. Then and only then willwe”—he makes a point to emphasize that word—“make for the Aerie and claim my throne.”
When I have no retort to that, a frown claims his visage. “You bore me tonight,” he whispers, stepping past me and walking back down the corridor. “Come. I will return you to your chamber. Ghoul and Grime will fetch you in the morning. You will join me for watching the troops depart.”
Dryly, he commands, “Doremember your personality next time.”
Chapter 30
Aurelia
Idare not sleep. I so desperatelywantto sleep—to return to the strange garden, to be with Bene even if only in my dreams—but I cannot bring myself to do so.
Not with time so feverishly working against us.
