Page 33 of Kingdom of Flames & Flowers
The queen turned to Karthus. “Take her up to meet Zariah.”
Karthus didn’t look pleased at all by this, but with a gesture of his fingers, two fireguards stepped up and grabbed my elbows, hauling me through the ballroom. Confusion overwhelmed me more than anything. Why couldn’t we have the fight here? Where were we going? Was she simply going to have me killed with no one here to witness the fight? It made sense if she didn’t want anyone to see me whip the prince’s ass …
“Hey! Let go! I can walk!” I insisted, but as per usual, they ignored me.
The queen strode ahead of us, the king at her heels and Zion writhing and fighting the guards that held him. Instead of going down the main hallway, once we cleared the doors of the ballroom, we took an abrupt left up a narrow, steep, winding stone staircase. We climbed for ages until I was half-thankful for the guards who dragged me. Was this the queen’s strategy? Keep me bleeding and exhausted so I couldn’t possibly win my fight?
No … that couldn’t be right. She’d want the entire court to witness my humiliation. Why send them away?
Up, up, up …
Sunlight flooded my vision as we emerged at the top, golds and oranges highlighting everything on the floor as the sun filtered through the dome that protected the kingdom from the dragon. My mouth dropped open. I’d never imagined that I’d ever get this close. The dragon above us crawled over it like a giant lizard, trying to reach us and unable to because of the magick and metal separating us. Fire poured from his mouth and he roared in anger. The heat was intense.
“My queen, I do not recommend this,” Karthus grit out.
“Noted.” The queen sniffed. She turned to me. “I thought I was clever in forcing a blood deal on you. You thought you were clever by naming the soldier.” A nasty smile twisted her lips. “You want to fight him, and thanks to the magick you must. Goodbye, you little mud slut.”
Confusion flooded my veins, quickly replaced by panic as Karthus himself grabbed me and hauled me up a set of wooden stairs. I followed them with my eyes, noting how they ended at a small trapdoor in the dome.
Oh fuck. No.
Zion screamed behind me. As if the dragon could feel his mood, it bellowed and raged above us, spitting fire everywhere and clawing at the dome like it could shred it with its claws.
“Hurry now, I think Zariah’s hungry,” the queen offered nonchalantly, picking at her nails.
My eyes widened. What kind of sick joke was this? Zion’s protests fell deaf upon my ears. The dragon’s roars were the only thing I could hear, and the heat from his fire was the only thing I could feel. I didn’t even struggle as Karthus hauled me to the top of the stairs, opened the hatch, and pushed me through, slamming it shut behind him.
Blinding light forced me to shut my eyes even though I knew it was a death sentence. Was the sun supposed to be so bright? I’d never seen it without the dome layered between, and it was hot and bright and it hurt.
Too bad. I’d have to open my eyes or die. I regained my senses enough to whirl around, but the hatch was closed and an ominous click followed. I wrapped my fingers around the lip and tugged at it with all my strength, but it wouldn’t budge.
I whirled around, the dragon only feet from me.
He was enormous. Gargantuan. He size defied description.
My world filled with gold scales and heat. He had eyes of fire and gold and black pupils slit like a cat. He hunched down on all fours to get a better look at me, then he launched himself at me, jaws opening and revealing razor-sharp teeth.
I didn’t bother screaming. It wouldn’t do anything. I closed my eyes.
I expected the pain of sharp teeth to tear my skin from my body and cut me in half. I expected to feel the hot gush of my blood as it left my body in torrents.
I cracked one eye open, flinching and falling backwards on my ass as the dragon’s snout was an inch from my face. Hesniffedme.
A growl rumbled in his throat. Would he roast me to death with its fire?
“I’d prefer if you’d just eat me. That seems a better way to go than burning,” I suggested mildly, my voice shaking horrifically.
The dragon cocked his head at me like a confused dog would. I would have snorted in laughter if I wasn’t pissing myself in terror.
“N-nice dragon,” I soothed shakily, holding my hand out palm up. The cut from the fireguard captain had at least stopped bleeding, but blood still crusted over my hand. The dragon sniffed at it, growling again.
I drew it back, not wanting to taunt it into eating me.
I wished I had a weapon or something. He was just staring at me, his great gold belly just there within reach. Or should I stab it in the eye? Large, vicious looking spikes protected the neck area, so that was a no-go.
I spared a glance away from the massive beast in front of me and noticed the dead, dried-out carcass of an animal beside me. A large, splintered leg bone lay tangled up in bleached fur and scraps of guts. It was tempting to dive for it, but I inched slowly, oh so slowly, the five feet it took to my left. The dragon watched me with interest, but didn’t appear angry or threatened. He folded his wings against his body and settled in to observe.
Right. It wasn’t my fault if the beast was stupid, was it?
