Page 28 of Enchanter of Dragons
The unicorn shifter looked around the large sitting room in amazement. “That’s going to take some getting used to. This room is bigger than my entire tree house.”
Jaega guided Fersen to sit on his lap. “How was your visit with Kisano?”
“Great, but it confused me more. I don’t understand how Kisano, Kitaro, and Kizoshi are all so kind but Mitsuki is so vile.” Fersen frowned as he mulled over the issue. “I still can’t believe Kizoshi sent him sailing out the wall. We were on the tenth floor!”
“It is not a problem when Mitsuki has wings and can fly,” Jaega said with a chuckle. “I say this with love in my heart, but Mitsuki is all the worst traits of my oldest brother and father rolled into one miserable person. He was not spoiled or coddled, nor was he treated overly harshly. But he resents the world with an anger that makes me fear for this country if anything ever happens to my brother.”
Fersen paled at the suggestion. “Honestly, the thought of Mitsuki being king terrifies me. All of Valzerna would suffer.”
“Undoubtedly. He would be a cruel king, if not the cruelest in Talwynian history. Powers willing, that day will never come.” Jaega said a silent prayer to the deities for the ongoing health and safety of his oldest brother. “But there is no sense in worrying about a day that may never happen.”
“Kisano’s library is so amazing, though. I’m glad he has a sanctuary where Mitsuki can’t mess with him.”
“Mitsuki is stupid, but he is not so foolish as to go after Kisano again.”
Fersen tilted his head with curiosity. “Again?”
“Kizoshi caught him in the library once, bullying Kisano by destroying one of his books. She punished him so severely that he was in danger of bleeding out before his body could heal itself. Healers had to be called before it was too late, which further wounded Mitsuki’s battered pride. The only reason she spared his life was because Kisano begged her to stop.”
Fersen covered his mouth in shock. “Did she get in trouble for it?”
“While Tatsuki views Kisano as a wasted effort?—”
“That’s awful!”
Jaega rubbed his mate’s back to soothe him. “I did not say I agreed with him. But because Kisano has no dragon and no interest in fighting, he is worthless as an heir, in Tatsuki’s opinion.”
Confusion tempered Fersen’s outrage. “What do you mean Kisano doesn’t have a dragon? I saw he had shifter markings, so his mother had to be a shifter and not a human.” Half-shifters with a human parent lacked a beast and shifter markings.
“She was also a dragon shifter. But his dragon does not exist despite Kizoshi implying otherwise.”
A furrow appeared on Fersen’s brow. “I haven’t known her for very long, but isn’t it unwise not to believe her? She seems to know everything because she’s friends with Sophina. If she says Kisano has a dragon, then I believe he has one, even if it’s not that active.”
“It is for the best that it doesn’t appear,” Jaega said. “I fear if it ever appeared, Tatsuki would insist we try to make a warrior out of Kisano, even though it is against his very nature. The greater kindness is to leave Kisano content in his library, away from the machinations of my brother and Mitsuki.”
“I can’t argue against that.” Fersen frowned. “My heart breaks for Kisano that Mitsuki destroyed one of his books.”
“Once Mitsuki healed enough, Kizoshi made him buy Kisano one hundred books to atone for what he had done. It cost him a small fortune, but he has never stepped foot in the library or spoken to Kisano since that day, so her methods clearly worked. It is no exaggeration to say that Mitsuki almost lost his life that day. Sending him through a wall today is actually Kizoshi showing restraint.”
A shudder ran through Fersen. “Remind me to never piss her off, wow.”
“Between Tatsuki’s temper and Arenthia’s anger, Kizoshi is the perfect blend of lethal rage. She is the fiercest ally you could ever hope to have, but cross her, and she will be the worst nightmare of your life.” It was true, but Jaega didn’t want Fersen to fear his niece when there was no need. “But you will never betray her, so you need not worry about such consequences. The only two who should live in fear of her are Mitsuki and Nasume.”
“Nasume?” Fersen scratched his head. The name was familiar, but it took a moment for him to place it. “You mean Prince Nasume of Kunushi?”
“Indeed. Kizoshi has been very vocal about the only reason he lives and breathes is because Sophina says there is something very important he still must do first. But once that thing is done, I do not believe there is a single person who can stop Kizoshi from sending him to the Beyond Realm.”
“What could he have possibly done to make her want to kill him so badly?”
“He has an uncomfortable obsession with Kitaro. As you can see with Kisano, there is nothing she would not do to protect him and Kitaro. The bond between those three runs deep. Nasume is living on borrowed time, yet he insists on provoking her every time they meet.”
Fersen shook his head in amazement. “He must have a death wish to tempt her like that.”
“I count my lucky stars Kizoshi is on our side. But enough of such heavy talk. Would you like to rest or perhaps take a bath?”
“The bath sounds amazing.” Fersen let out awhoopfollowed by a laugh when Jaega picked him up in one fell swoop. “Something tells me we’ll be distracted from getting clean, though.”
Jaega chuckled. “You already know me so well, dear mate.”
