Page 46 of The Rowan's Stone
The crowd fills the chamber. Someone starts up a chant, yelling, “Kill the witch! Kill the witch!” I almost smile, but fear is making my heart race. It’s one thing to see this in a dream and another to be here in person, knowing you are going to be stabbed. Actually, knowing you are going toletsomeone stab you might be worse. Taking a few deep breaths, I remind myself I’m immortal and kick off the sequence of events.
“Astor,” I say, calling him over to me. Slipping the Killian blade out of my thigh holster, I hand it to him. When his hand closes around it, I look him in the eye. “Remember my vision where you stabbed me?”
He glances down at the blade, blanches, and tries to shove it back into my hands. “Arden, I’m not stabbing you. Take the damn blade.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a blond head moving.
“Astor, if you don’t stab me, I’ll stab myself,” I warn him. I use our sharing spell to send a vision of his hand raised with the knife. “Fine, I’ll stab myself.” I reach for the knife.
With a twitch, I see my enemy in place. The protection rune at my throat flares in warning. Astor raises his hand to get the knife out of my reach, and I turn slightly to the left. Just in time to catch the blade directly in my chest.Bullseye.
Staggering back, I feel my knees start to buckle. Numbness begins to spread over my body. Fear clogs my throat. I know I’m immortal, but I haven’t put the theory to the ultimate test until now. I reach up to pull out the dagger, but it’s too slippery for me to grasp.
A massive roar shakes the rafters, and Valerian drops to his knees beside me. “My fierce dragon, it’s okay.” I grasp his hand and place it on the dagger. “I’m immortal, remember? Now, pull this damn blade out of me, and don’t let Daire heal me. They need to see I’m immortal.” My voice fades, and the light starts to dim. My breathing becomes labored, but he still doesn’t move. He’s roaring, locked in some past only he can see. Theron grabs him by the shoulders and jerks him to the side. My eyes close.
I hear someone call my name and peel my eyes open. Astor’s smiling face comes into view. I feel a tug and glance down to see him removing the dagger from my chest. I frown in return. “Gorgeous, you scared the literal hell out of me. I’m not even sure I’m a demon anymore. And when we’re home again, we’re going to have a long talk. About us. You see, I refuse to let you go.” He smooths my hair back from my face and sighs. “I’m betting you have a plan here. Your actions certainly shut the crowd up. Of course right now, they think they’ve killed you, but once you pop up, I’m going to grab some popcorn and enjoy the show.”
I lie there listening to his babbling while the wound slowly knits back together. Anyone listening would think he was completely calm, cool, and collected, but if they were close, they would see his hands shaking. I’m glad. Feels good to know he cares.
I shift to the left a bit.Damn, it hurts.I’m partially paralyzed by the pain. I’d forgotten what it felt like to heal without potions or Daire.
Speaking of Daire, I smell his luxurious cologne right before I see his icy blue eyes. “I’m not happy with you, Arden. In fact, you could say I’m pretty pissed off.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m kind of new to the whole seer thing. I wasn’t sure if telling someone would change the path, and therefore, the outcome. Honestly, if this doesn’t work, I’m going to be pretty pissed off myself. This hurts.”
His mouth tightens. “I can’t fucking stand to see you in pain.”
I grab his hand. “I know you think I’m being blasé, but I hear you. It’s not okay for me to put myself in danger and expect you to stand by.” I pause. “And it’s not okay for you to put yourself in danger and expect me to stand by.” I let my comment sink in for a moment. “I’ll make sure to keep you in the loop in the future, if you do the same.”
Anger wars with understanding. Sighing, he kisses me and stands, joining the men yelling above me. Valerian’s roaring at the two men in his face. I hear the word “kill” and “mate.”I guess the cat is out of the bag now. Mission number one accomplished.
I probe my chest and find the hole closed. In another ten minutes, I should be good as new. Turning over, I get to my knees and elbows. The crowd gasps. Gritting my teeth, I make it to my feet and flip off the crowd. Instead of “kill the witch,” all I hear now are murmurs and whispers—except for the person cackling in the back of the crowd. I bet that’s Glynnis. I’d smile, but it would probably appear pretty gruesome right now.
The man who threw the dagger into my chest is standing with his arms crossed, smiling smugly at the man beside him. Brothers, maybe, since they have similar sandy blond hair, thick necks, and stocky bodies. Swiping his dagger off the floor, I ignore the stab of pain, and using the most exaggerated swagger I can manage, I saunter over to him. The smug smile slips from his face when he realizes I’m alive.
Remembering the battle, I murmur my amplify spell. We should be more transparent with each other and the people. You know, so there’s absolutely zero chance of backstabbing. “I’m not exactly sure why you’re so smug. Killing me from twenty feet away with a throwing dagger has got to be the most cowardly thing I’ve ever seen someone do, and you want to brag about it? I’d want to hide in shame.” Almost the entire chamber is silent, except for the cussing coming from the cadre. Well, actually, I think Astor’s laughing.
“Are all dragons so afraid of a witch they can’t face her in battle, or just you? Wait, don’t answer. I have a few more questions, not only for you, but for every damn dragon here.” I hear a few grumblings from the crowd and step to the side to see them. “Do they not teach you to value things like integrity and character? What about honor?”
Picking out a few familiar faces, I continue with my point. “During the last battle in the Underworld, I saw a fearless leader” —I smile at Valerian— “and his fierce dragons. Warriors who faced danger without flinching, giving their absolute best in a head-to-head battle with demons and other creatures of the Underworld, bravely representing the dragon race and making their king proud.”
The warriors in the crowd puff up with every word.
“Not only did you fight well together, but you fought hand-in-hand with Elves, Fae, warlocks, vampires, and demons without an ounce of prejudice.” I flash them my saddest face and shake my head. “Then, I, a witch andmateto yourking, come to visit you in your house, and you donothingwhen someone throws a dagger in my chest? I have to tell you, I’m disappointed. If it weren’t for the battle, I would think you hadno honor.” I watch those same warriors’ faces drop in shame.
“If I weren’t immortal…” I stop to let them whisper for a minute. “Yes, I said immortal. If I weren’t immortal, I’d be dead, and your king would be heartbroken. Again. Is that what you want?” I took some liberty with the heartbroken part, but it worked. The crowd is silent, and I turn back to the asshole beside me. I hold the dagger out and drop it on the floor. “Think you have enough balls to take me on directly? I challenge you to a fight of mercy.”
The two men in front of Valerian start shouting, “She can’t challenge him. It’s against the law. We will not permit it.”
I ignore them for a minute, solely focusing on Valerian. His face is impassive. I walk up and stand before him. “You are one of the most honorable men I know. The thousands of supernaturals you helped over the last twelve hundred years, not for reward or glory but because they needed it, tells me you have honor. Yes, there were mistakes made in the past, but you have more than paid your dues and your kingdom should reflect you and the ideals you uphold. Stop being benevolent and demand they step up. You deserve to have dragons with honor guarding your kingdom. Honor is non-negotiable.”
I glance at the rest of the cadre and see them nodding their heads in agreement. When I look up at Valerian, his amber eyes are smoldering. He yanks me up into his arms and proceeds to kiss the hell out of me, in front of everyone. Ending the kiss, he holds me tightly. “You’re right—honor is non-negotiable. It’s time I stopped feeling guilty. Although, I wish you had avoided the dagger instead of using it to prove your point. I almost lost my mind.”
I pat his cheek. “I understand. I did try to get you to listen a few weeks ago, but you were being stubborn,” I remind him, my tone teasing. “I hope I don’t have to resort to such drastic measures in the future.” I cast a thumb behind me. “Who are the two assholes yelling in my ear?”
He laughs. “The council leaders. Do you want me to handle them?”
I shrug. “Let’s see what they have to say.”
