Page 83 of Kingdoms of Shadow and Ash

He seemed conflicted, so she continued. 'I'm going to find out either way. We have plenty of water, and we can go for days without food, so unless you're planning to force me to turn around, you might as well just tell me.'

Cal exhaled loudly. 'You are exasperating,' he said.

'Thank you.'

'It wasn't a compliment.'

She turned back and shot him a sly look. 'I know.' She meant to look away, but her eyes lingered on his face. His frown lines had become fixed, and tension gripped his shoulders.

Fyia stopped walking, and pulled him to a stop too. He looked down at her hand on his arm, and she hastily dropped it. Why did he hate her touching him? Did he really dislike her so much?

'What is it?' she said, concern lacing her tone.

'This tunnel almost certainly leads to the Temple of the Dragon.'

'What?' she said excitedly. 'The home of your dragon egg?'

'The sacred home of our most ancient beliefs, and a placeyoumay not visit.'

'Because only Black Hoods are allowed?' said Fyia, the Queen Mother's words coming back to her.

'You make it sound trivial, but you don't understand what the temple means to my people … what they will think when they discover I have taken you there.'

Guilt punched a hole through Fyia's gut. 'What will they think?' she said gently. Infuriating as the King was, she didn’t want to get between him and his people … not when they obviously loved him.

'That I have betrayed them … allowed an outsider into our sacred space … desecrated it. When the dragons disappeared, the Black Hoods closed their borders, because the rulers of the other kingdoms fought petty, meaningless battles, while my people suffered the consequences.'

'You mean the freezing of the north?' she said.

'None of it was our fault, and yet southerners cannot understand what life has become for us …' He trailed off. He looked as though he wished he could take back his words, then surprised her by ploughing on. 'And now I am accompanying one of those selfish southern rulers to our most hallowed ground. Placing the needs of a foreign Queen above harmony in my own lands. For when my people discover what I have done, there will be those who call for my abdication … maybe even my head.'

His eyes bored into hers, his expression resigned. He knew she would not turn back unless forced, and she knew he would not force her. She'd been clear since her arrival she sought the egg.

Fyia nodded her understanding. They would continue, but there would be consequences when they returned. They walked on in silence, Fyia wishing she had an answer to his problem. She didn't want to hurt him, but she didn't owe him anything either, and finding the dragons was for the good of everyone, even if it cost him his throne.

Cal was silent for most of the walk, and Fyia wondered what plagued him. Only his concerns about her being here? Or was something else on his mind? The Black Hoods had done a good job of presenting a mysterious, united front to the world, but behind their well-constructed appearance, maybe they had the same problems everyone else did.

After many turns of the seemingly endless trek, when Fyia and Cal were both tired and grumpy, they found their way blocked by a man-made wall, and Fyia's heart gave an excited squeeze. The aqueduct ran through a hole in the construction, and the water wasn't quite to the top, so Fyia stuck the torch as far through as she could, craning her neck, hoping for a clue as to what lay beyond. It was futile, for the wall was thick, and she could see little.

They searched the wall from top to bottom, looking for any sign of an indent, or the telltale crevice of a door's outline. They found nothing.

'What about over there?' said Cal. He jumped the aqueduct to examine the wall on the far side, and Fyia followed. She immediately wished she hadn't, as the area was small, her arm rubbing against Cal's as they searched. She crouched to the floor, trying to give him space, but given the proximity of her face to his groin, and the way his body went suddenly rigid, that was a bad idea too.

Just as she was about to stand and jump back over the aqueduct, giving him space to search alone, her fingers found a round groove in the stone. 'Here!' she said, the word coming out as an excitable squeal.

Cal looked down as she pulled the circular key from her pocket, then tried it in the lock. Nothing happened.

'Goddess,' she cursed. She twisted it to try another angle, but to no avail.

'Let me try,' said Cal, crouching to take the key from her hand. The action put their faces close, their breath mingling. Fyia didn't miss the dip of his gaze to her lips, her breath hitching as he slid his hand over hers.

The touch took her by surprise, as did the trickle of sensation low in her belly, but then he snagged the key from her fingers and dropped her hand, and she felt foolish. He just wanted the key … and an opportunity to toy with her, and she'd walked straight into it.

She stood, then jumped back to the other side of the water, sucking in the cool air as he fumbled with the key, uttering his own curses under his breath.

'It doesn't work,' he said.

'No, really?'

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