Page 81 of Knightfall
“NO!” Ryan roared.
I took a step back. His anger was ferocious.
“Absolutely not, Bloss,” Declan dismissed me and opened a book.
If you run, I’m going after you. I’m going with you. I won’t leave you, Quinn threatened.
You will sarding not. I am still your ruler.
“This isn’t up for discussion, this is the plan,” I said aloud.
Declan slammed his book shut. “You think you can order us around?”
“I’m the crown princess.”
“You’re our wife,” Ryan roared.
“No. I’m not. That’s why I ran. Because if a queen dies, her knights do too—” Tears filled my eyes. It didn’t matter that I wanted to be their wife. Needs always came before wants. And a queen has an endless list of needs to attend to. Another of my mother’s heartwarming sayings. Love … wasn’t an option.
I turned to Avia. “When I’m—spread the dragon hunting story. That I’ve gone to the mountains again. And when you’re of age … please consider them—”
Avia covered her ears and started screaming. “I won’t! I won’t!”
“What the hell has everyone so worked up?” Connor asked.
“Bloss is trying to commit suicide,” Declan said dryly.
“What? She’s a beast tamer, a peace maker, just like her father. She’ll be fine—”
“Her power—” Ryan growled
“Is uncontrollable,” Declan got out.
“What?” Connor was incredulous.
Quinn grabbed Connor’s arm and stared at him. A minute later, Connor turned to me as his face paled.
His mouth was a thin line. “That’s not sarding possible. She would have told me.” He stomped toward me and grabbed my arm roughly. He pushed up my sleeve, exposing the cross-hatched scars on my arms. The fresh bandages. The proof that my power had a deadly price.
He looked up at me; the fury in his eyes was as hot as dragon fire.“What the ever-loving hell? You hid this from me, Bloss?”
“She can’t talk about it, churl,” Avia had uncovered her ears. She came up and pried his arm off mine. “Nobody can.”
“What?”
I ignored Connor’s anger. I stared at Quinn.How’d you get around the geas to tell him?
Sometimes, I can string together enough mental images to get a point across.Quinn showed me. Quick images of dragons and knights and blood.
“Why are you sarding ignoring me? When did everyone figure this out?” Connor whirled and raged at the room at large.
“Ten minutes ago. And no one is ignoring you,” Declan sighed. “This is why we need to do things as a group, Quinn.” Declan gestured at Connor who was heaving breaths, as if he wanted to throw things just as Ryan had. “You see this? Who here wants wants to be in his place?”
Connor punched Declan. “I don’t know what the sard you’re talking about.”
Ryan grabbed Connor by the collar. “Watch it. Right now, he’s the only one on your side, you pretentious ass.”
“What side? Why are there sarding sides?” Connor bellowed.
