Page 50 of Court of Rivals
“I’m just wondering… this connection with our dragons makes me kind of want to jump every guys’ bones. Do you guys have ways of… disconnecting with your dragons, so you don’t feel it as strongly? Or are you all miserable the way I am?”
He seems to take a painfully long time to answer. The band starts another song, and still he doesn’t answer. Finally, he says, “No, there’s no way to disconnect from your dragon, although they can be more cautious how much they direct their feelings, ifthey want to. But up until recently, it was bearable for all of us. Basically, it wasn’t as bad before your dragon came, but now it’s definitely hard to manage. The men usually only went to town once a week to get laid, but now many of them are sneaking out on a daily basis to… meet their needs.”
“Okay,” I say, a rush of breath. “I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t just a me thing, because Ebron was just seducing the female dragons, and I was feeling all kinds of things that made my knees weak.”
“Really?” His voice goes a few decimals lower.
“Maybe I’ll have to find a guy or two to take care of my needs. No assholes though.”
We continue dancing, and his hand on my waste pulls me a little closer. “You know…” he begins.
I glance up at him, wondering what he’s thinking.
“If the position is available…”
“Position?” I ask, confused.
He twirls me around, and I laugh, feeling beautiful and free for the first time in a long time. If you forget about all the people in the room, it’s not actually that intimidating to be here. My gaze slides around the room, and stops short on the three princes standing by the doors leading into the ball room. All three of them staring at me in shock. Probably not used to seeing their Peasant Queen all done-up the way I am, or maybe just not expecting me to be included in the party tonight. I’m not sure which one.
I try to keep an eye on them as Roland swings me around the dance floor, talking about something in a low voice, something I’m not following. The look of shock melts away from the princes’ expressions… and turns into expressions of pure anger. My back stiffens. I have no idea why they’re upset, but I know it has to do with me.
My gaze slides to the king. He’s smiling back at me, seeming to enjoy the show. I wonder if he really is just happy to have the dragon riders here, or if he’s particularly enjoying watching the drama unfold.
Pulling my gaze away from him, I see that a crowd has gathered around the dance floor. The dragon riders, a sea of men in fine suits, are all staring at me, and I get the strangest sense that trouble is coming. I don’t know why though. It’s like they had this ugly little thing to torture at the academy, and they don’t like seeing her suddenly put on display.
“Fuck,” Roland mutters.
“What?” I ask softly.
“Nothing. Just trouble,” he says, and it’s like he’s saying my thoughts aloud.
“Why?”
He hesitates, then says, “You. It’s about you.”
“Why?” I ask again.
My gaze slides to him, and he looks at me like I’m crazy. “Harper, come on…”
But I don’t know what he’s trying to say, I just know that the last thing I want is for this group of jerks to embarrass me in front of the king and the fancy people here.Can’t they leave me alone? At least just for one day?
As I catch the princes’ thunderous expression, my gut twists.Maybe not.
20
Harper
The king smiles at Roland and I as we dance past him, a stark contrast to the tension in the rest of the room. I pretend not to notice his glaring sons from the doorway. Then, the song ends, and Roland and I pull away from each other. It’s weird. I don’t find Roland attractive, not outside of when my dragon is making me insanely horny over every tiny thing, but I really wish I did. So much would be simpler then.
“May I have this next dance?” someone asks from behind me.
I turn to see a dark-haired man. A dragon rider I’d seen many times before bowing in front of me.
“Actually, I was going to ask her to dance,” a different dragon rider says with an edge to his voice.
“And why should you get to dance with her?” A third man asks, puffing out his chest.
“Because I was here first,” the dark-haired man argues.
