Page 132 of A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty

Lorian slowly turned his head to look at me, and the expression on his face made it clear he would be doing no such thing. I sighed, glancing past him at the Drakoryx.

It was paying no attention to the sharp metallic scent that had filled the air or the sparks now rising from Lorian’s skin. If anything, it was ignoring him.

“It’s immune to my power,” I said. “I’m pretty sure it’s not supposed to be here.”

The Drakoryx pinned its ears to its head and showed me its teeth, obviously taking offense to the idea that it wassupposedto be anywhere.

Lorian took a step toward it, letting out a growl of his own.

“Protection.”

I froze. So did Lorian.

“Did you hear that?’

“Yes,” he said. “The creature wants protection.”

The Drakoryx let out a yowling sound that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

I choked out a laugh. “I don’t think that’s it. I think it’s offering us protection.”

“Not us,” Lorian said. “You.” The lightning in his eyes disappeared, and he nodded at the Drakoryx. “Welcome to the group.”

I stared at him.

He just shrugged. “Anything that wants to protect you can stick around. Especially when you’re going to disappear at any moment.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” I grumbled.

Voices sounded from farther down the coast, and I peered around Lorian’s body. Asinia was running toward me, her face pale.

“Thereyou are. You scared all of us.”

“Is everyone…”

“Alive?” Her eyes filled. “Everyone except Fendrel. Rythos is still sitting with the body. It’s been hours.”

“Hours?”

Asinia waved a hand at the sun currently about to set in the sky. It had been midmorning when we’d arrived. While it had felt like I’d only been gone for an hour or two, it had clearly been a lot longer than that. No wonder Lorian was hovering.

“Uh, Pris…what is that?”

“That’s a Drakoryx. He followed me from the hybrid kingdom. From…Lyrinore.” Grief clutched my throat, and Asinia nudged me.

“Are you—”

“I’m not ready to talk about it. The Drakoryx will have to return. We can’t take him with us.”

“No.”

We both fell silent, staring at the beast. “Did it just…”

“Talk in our heads? Yes. From the voice—and the arrogance—I think it’s a male.”

The Drakoryx met my eyes, but I was all out of fear. Now that I was back, I was attempting to process everything I’d seen and heard so far.

Asinia crouched and angled her head. “Yup. He’s a boy monster. Do you have a name?” she asked him.

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