Page 62 of A Dragon's Miracle (Fires of Fate)
“I know I can't just go and beat him up. I wish it was that simple, but yeah, I know it's not. I've been thinking, though, and there is a way to make him do what I want.”
I frowned. “What are you planning?”
Finn gave a dry laugh. “Ironically, I'm going to be needing one of the things he's asked for. I gave it to him today. One of my mother's rings. If you swear an oath on it, you have to fulfill it or go insane. My dad used it to swear his loyalty to my mom.” His expression softened. “I guess we're all a bit crazy in my family.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I agreed. “But cute family stories aside, how are you going to make Jin swear anything on that ring?”
“He likes to make deals, doesn't he? I'm going to challenge him to a fight. Winner takes all. He underestimates me, so he might accept. The ring's just to make sure he upholds his end of the deal when he loses.”
“Winner takes all?” I asked, one eyebrow raised. “What exactly do you mean by that?” He wasn'tactuallyputting our baby on the table, was he? Because there was no way I'd agree to anything like that.
“Well, if I win, he'll keep making the medicine for us free of cost.”
“And if you lose?”
“I'm not going to lose.”
“Finn.”
He sighed. “If I lose, I'm going to do whatever he asks of me. I'm not going to give him the baby, but anything else is up for grabs. He'll go for it. I get the feeling he likes to make people suffer.”
“You can't possibly offer him that.” My stomach turned inside out at just the thought of Finn being under Jin's control. “I won't allow it.”
“Ryan, please, I'm not going to lose.”
“You can't know that. You've never even been in a fight, have you?”
“No... but I'm going to ask him to come here to fight. There's some ancient laws that would permit a challenger to come here when invited to a fight. He'll want to come. We'll fight as dragons. I bet he hasn't shifted in forever. He'll be off balance.”
“I can see you've thought this through, but... you're not a fighter, Finn. It's one of the things I love about you.”
Finn's expression darkened, and for a second, I wondered if I'd offended him. “I know I'm not,” he said. “Or at least, I'mnormallynot a fighter, but I am still a dragon, you know? It's in my blood, and I feel it every time I'm around Jin. I can do it. I'm ready to do it.”
“I still don’t like it. You shouldn’t have to do this.”
“But I do.” Finn’s eyes narrowed. “He’s trying to take something that’s mine.”
“I’ve never known you to be the kind of dragon who sits on his hordes of gold to protect his treasures.”
He leaned in and kissed me. It was the briefest of touches, but the words he chose to accompany it made me feel warm all over. “That’s because I never had real treasure before I met you.”
That… God dammit, why did he have to be so sweet when I wanted to be firm with him? “You’re not going to change my mind.”
“I don’t have to change your mind. I don’t want you to be mad at me, but you can’t stop me from doing what I need to do. Ryan, please, I can do this.” He touched my cheek. “Will you believe in me?”
How could I say no to that? “You’re not playing fair.”
He gave me a small smile, and another kiss that made my lips tingle. “All’s fair in love and war.”
“What a very human thing to say.”
“It was in a movie you showed me.”
I sighed. “I need to be more careful with what I teach you.”
“Yeah, you do.” His expression grew more serious again. “Please don’t be mad at me.”
I exhaled and rested my head on his shoulder. “I’m not going to be mad at you. Just promise me that you’re going to win.”
“I promise.”
I closed my eyes, breathed in his familiar, comforting scent and prayed to every God I knew that he wasn’t going to break that promise.
