Page 38 of Kingdom of Rot & Ruin
Perhaps ‘Zion’ was the part of his personality that was under his mother’s thumb, and how he had to act in order to play his part with her. ‘Zariah’ could be the personality that he felt was his true self, but not safe to show to the queen.
I couldn’t imagine what she’d do if her own son dared to speak against her, even one so young.
“I see.”
But I didn’t. Hurriedly, I racked my brain for something else to say.
The little dragon prince beat me to it.
“I’m not supposed to be a person unless Mother says. I have to go be the dragon again. I like you though. I won’t eat you.”
How generous.
Keep your sarcastic asshole-ness to yourself.
I kept my face blank.
“That is … appreciated.”
He frowned at my injuries, as if only seeing them for the first time. “Do you want help with that?”
What could a child do for me? The hatch was still locked shut, and I was probably still actively dying.
“Come visit me after?” he pleaded even as gold scalesburst all over his skin and he grew in front of me, muscles and sinew expanding and growing until the dragon leaned over me, smoke unfurling from its nostrils.
Did it remember the conversation it just had? Was the human boy still inside of this great, hulking beast?
Act normal. Don’t lose your shit.
“Of course I will visit you,” I pushed out shakily. “Though I’m not sure how. The latch is locked. Is there?—”
The rest of my words got cut off as the dragon grabbed me with its claws and pinned me down with one massive arm. With the other, he slit an angry line down the side of his neck scales, just underneath the hard scales. Dark blue blood welled up through the skin and dripped down on my mouth.
Which he forced down and held open.
Hot, tangy blood dripped into my mouth against my will. Zariah shifted his weight, one claw holding my head down and mouth open, and the other daintily pinched my nose shut.
The message was clear.
Drink it.
Well, I was already mostly dead. What could it hurt? I pushed down my gag reflex and pretended it was warm wine.
It was heavy, but quickly a pleasant, dull numbness spread through my body. My lips twisted in a dopey grin.
The dragon huffed, grabbed me in its claws, and jumped off the edge of the dome.
Someone was screaming.
Oh, right, it was me.
The dome was only a reddish bronze blur beneath me as we skimmed over it; the castle looming ahead. He tucked me up high into his belly with his claws, wings flapping hard and hiding me from view. We breezed past thearchives and I caught a glance at workers installing a new pane of glass—this one made from dragonsbane.
Well, at least my little adventure had yieldedsomethingpositive.
Whumpf.
The southern yard opened up below us, Nobles and primas diving out of the way as Zariah’s shadow fell over them. Zariah dropped me with no preamble into a wagon crammed with silks. At the same moment, he breathed fire onto a small flowering tree in the middle of the yard.
