Page 39 of The Lost Nation

It was a full sentence—more than I’d said to him since he took me away from Lyoness. He set his knife down on the edge of his plate, and those dark eyes met mine.

“The draken queen kidnapped them first. I returned them to their rightful home.” He said calmly.

He picked his knife up, his grip tight. If I pushed on this topic, I felt like I'd been asking for a fight. Nevertheless, I had to know more.

“But you—”

“I do notsacrificethem, if that is your worry.”He grit out, his teeth clenched.

I blushed. “No, of course I didn’t think you would do that.”

Well, I’d been mildly concerned that could be a remote possibility. Good to know I could check it off of my list.

Thad sighed, and set down his knife. “Demon magick isn’t very compatible with witch magick. My people are better equipped to care for them.”

That boiled my blood—that a league of raping demons would be better suited to raising children than drakens or witches.

My wings twitched against my shoulders, and I saw red.“Yourpeopleraped and beat—”

Thad stood, his hands slamming down on the table. “Every demon that raped a witch was executed. That leaves only avery smallhandful of full-blooded demons, and the rest of ushalf-breeds. Your witches were not coping well with the stress, and refused to ask your king for help.”

I wondered how he could possibly know that. “But their mothers—”

“Are unable to care for them at this time. Should they heal and wish to visit, I have no objections. But I find that highly unlikely.” Thad sat back down, and tried to resume eating his dinner.

I reluctantly admitted he was right. If I’d been raped and impregnated, I’d likely never want to see that child again. I took a deep breath, but Thad interrupted me.

“What kind of future do you think half-breeds like us have in Dorea? Individuals who harness the magick of two species, whose uncontrollable power was specifically bred so we would be unbeatable weapons? Those of us that weren’t fed to the massive white hole underneath us, of course.”

I swallowed. Thad kept going. “The witches may have tried to care for the children, but they were afraid of their charges the entire time. That isn’t a good situation for anyone.”

He frowned, as if remembering something troubling.

"Except for one child, who I couldn't find."

I recalled the tight lines of stress on Astrid and Vela’s faces, and the rings of exhaustion under their eyes.

“So...you just hole them all up in here forever?” I challenged. "That doesn't seem much better."

Thad leaned over the table, and I didn’t budge. It was the first time since being captured that a male had tried to threaten me, and I realized I didn't care. Adrenaline coursed through my veins at the realization.

“We will not hide in this mountain. We’re notdrakens.”He snarled at me.

I growled, my claws digging tracks in the table at the slight to my people. “You are a draken,” I hissed back. “Even if you don’t have the instincts.”

I leaned forward to match him, our noses practically touching as we faced over the middle of the table.

“Oh, I haveinstincts.” Thad chuckled darkly, and his power wafted over me like a heady perfume. “I’ve been trying to respect you, and your wish to heal.”

He pulled away, and the spell was broken. I noted with irritation my fluttering pulse and quick heartbeat, cursing my body for betraying me, but also intrigued by its response.

“King Benedict won’t take this lying down. He’ll be furious you took the children.”

Furious enough to lead an attack, I bet.

Thad toyed with the rim of his goblet. “Benedict won’t give a shit about the children. He probably would have preferred it if Wren had left them here to rot, to be honest.”

Thad gave up the rest of his dinner with a sigh, making his way to the doorway. My feet followed him of their own volition, and I realized I wasn't quite ready to be left alone again. I'd had plenty of time alone lately.

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