Page 21 of Heavy is the Crown
There is a rumor that a place of power exists in Hell. It is what the royal family uses to replenish their magic.
– Mori Family Grimoire
Drago
My breath puffs out in front of my face, the heat forming small clouds in the cool morning air. My hands are tucked into the long black jacket I have on over the suit I pulled on this morning, not to stay warm—no, my dragon does that for me—but to appear relaxed. And it is in appearance only. Every part of me is on edge as I wait for the portal in front of me to open. It’s been two months of Ava living with me while we both have the knowledge that we are mates. The longer she goes unmated, the longerwego unmated, the more I see her losing herself.
Shadow not visiting has taken its toll on her. Physically, she’s fully healed, though the scar across her stomach remains. But emotionally, she is someplace darker. She seems alive at the club, but as soon as we are home, the light winks out of thosesilver eyes. Having watched Shadow lose himself to his own mind, I know the signs, and I’ll be damned if both my mates succumb to their depression.
Mates.Plural. It still baffles me how I managed to gain two mates. Of course, there’s lore around dragons with multiple mates, but nothing documented that I could find. Part of me wonders if it has more to do with Ava’s ancestry than our dragons. The suffering we have all experienced feels entirely unnecessary.
The wind picks up slightly, blowing a few hairs into my face. I take another breath, drawing the chilled air deep into my lungs, before something shimmers in front of me.
The old brick archway leading into Gothic Grove’s cemetery suddenly opens, a cobblestone road and a brilliant amber sky coming into view. The scent of sulfur washes over me as I see two people step through.
“Where is my sister?” It’s not hard to identify this man as Ava’s brother. Even if they didn’t have the exact same silver eyes, their overall looks are nearly identical. His chiseled jaw and disheveled dirty-blond hair are striking against those silver eyes. His leather jacket fits snugly against his muscular body, and I don’t have to touch it to know it’s used for racing.
The portal behind the two men shuts in whirl, and we are left standing back in the cool morning.
“You must be Jackson,” I say, keeping my voice level and unhurried.
The other man steps forward. “He asked you a question.” His face is pulled into a sneer, making the jagged scar that runs from his hairline to his jaw more pronounced. It passes directly through his left eye, which is fully white. The other is dark red. His black hair hangs down past his eyes, almost shielding the scar from view. My dragon immediately dislikes him, finding the scent coming off him rancid.
Untrustworthy, he growls.
I narrow my eyes before disregarding him entirely to face Ava’s brother. “This was a courtesy call—remember that,prince.” I spit his title at him like a curse. “Call off your dog; we are here to have a conversation.”
“Excuse me?” The dark-haired man steps forward aggressively, his power starting to gather around us, insidious and oily in the air. “Do you know who I am?”
My patience snaps, and I pull my right hand out of my pocket, the dark veins appearing. “Do you know who I am?” My skeletal wings flare out behind me, and my eyes glow gold. His own eyes flare with a hint of fear. “Now, let the grownups talk.”
He moves to step forward, but Jackson grabs his arm. “Oisin.” His voice holds a clear command in it.
Oisin jerks his arm free of the prince, his eyes never leaving me.
Jackson crosses his arms, seemingly unbothered by Oisin. “Alright, dragon, you have me. Now, will you tell me where my sister is?” he asks.
I glance toward Oisin again. The man reeks of dishonesty. His eyes shift between us, an anxious energy that is beyond protecting his prince emanating from him. He’s on edge, like someone waiting for their next fix of Eufori.
He is keeping a secret. He is hiding something. Do not tell him anything.
I can’t argue with my dragon. Even I can see he is off.
“I’ll answer your questions when you send your puppy away.” The statement has the desired effect, and rage coats the man's face, redness bursting into his skin at the audacity I must have to demand he leave. It says enough, that he assumes he deserves to know what the prince knows.
Spit sputters from his mouth. “How dare you! I’m not leaving the prince here with you!” he growls. But I keep my eyes onJackson, who I hope is smart enough to understand his sister's safety is more important.
“Oisin, go back to the palace,” Jackson says. His eyes never leave mine.
A smile creeps over my face. Oisin’s rage turns feral, and for a moment, I worry he’ll lash out, but it’s not at me that he’s glaring. It's at Jackson’s back.This will be very inconvenient if I have to kill this person to save Ava’s brother.The portal opens again, and Jackson turns to look at Oisin, whose face suddenly becomes passive. “I’ll be along soon.”
Without any other option, Oisin walks backward and disappears back into Hell.
Once the portal closes, Jackson addresses me again. “Well, you have me alone. Now, will you answer my questions?”
I nod. “Apologies. I’m fairly good at reading people, and I would not trust that man if I were you.”
Jackson frowns. “Oisin wouldn’t betray me.”
