Page 110 of A City of Flames

Even if I agree, Sarilyn knows my true feelings. I can tell in her eyes, in how she speaks to me. And she uses that as another means to mess with me. Cruel and what I imagine Aurum must have acted like with mortals.

As Lorcan waits for my answer, a twig splits through the trees, Sarilyn shoots her head to the sound, and then a blur of fire hearths and fur rolls past, shouting, “murderers, murderers, murderers!”

Tibith.

My grin is that of relief, knowing he must have followed us out. Venators stare at him racing around and swinging past legs. Some unsheathe their swords, and the venators’ hold on me loosens enough for me to take advantage. I throw my head back, and he cries out as a crunch resonates in my ears. I tear free from him, twisting halfway to see him stumbling backward.

I turn to run for Darius but stop short once the queen slams her hand down onto the ground, catching Tibith by the neck. He uncurls, thrashing and kicking as she raises him to eye level. “What a curious little thing,” she muses, and a wave of protection charges through my veins as I urge myself forward. However, the venator whom I’d hit grabs my arm once again. “Who would have thought a thief had a Tibithian care for him.”

“Let him go,” Darius rasps. He sounds so defeated. He’d collapse if it weren’t for the venators holding his arms.

My lungs tighten like someone’s pressing an anvil on me, restricting movement. I’m culpable for this. I’m the reason for them figuring out that blood weakened dragons. I’m what caused Darius to get caught.

The queen makes a sound of fake sympathy, pouting her lips. “But such a creature would do wonders in the Draggards.”

“Darry was right about you!” Tibith swats his arms at her, but she just looks amused. “A ma-maniacal monster!”

I do not dare hide my proud smile at that. Sarilyn doesn’t notice as she rolls her eyes at Tibith and hands him to the general. “Throw him in a cage, will you? I grow tired of him already.”

Glowering, I pull at my arm as an instinct for Tibith, but Sarilyn blocks my view when she saunters over. “So,” she says, twirling a strand of my hair between her fingers. “What will it be, Naralía?”

For several minutes I stare at the twilight in her eyes and the narrowing of her brows. Something in the way she looks at me makes me think of the Liars Dice. A game of deception, lies, luck...

“I’m waiting,” she says in total mockery.

Make her think you are vulnerable, play on your luck, lie to her no matter if she knows the truth.

I dip my chin and exhale roughly out of my nose. “I don’t believe it.” I lift my gaze at her. “Your majesty.” It takes all my effort to say that without a bite to it.

She perks up with a smile, yet the venator still doesn’t release me. Turning her back to me, she walks towards Darius. Lorcan has his gaze on me, but a prick of guilt stabs at my skin.

“I’m going to enjoy getting answers out of you.” Sarilyn drags her nail down the center of Darius’s wound, and he hisses at the contact.

My teeth threaten to shatter at how hard I bite down, hating what she means by that.

Darius cocks his head to the side, huffing a laugh though he’s barely conscious. “What makes you so sure you’ll get any?”

Sarilyn’s shoulders go rigid. I can tell that angered her, maybe threw her off even. She clears her throat, flicking her golden nail off Darius’s skin, and says to the two venators, “Take him away and inform the city of the great news that we finally—” she drags the word with a smile “—have the Golden Thief.”

With a curt nod of their heads, the venators start dragging him away. The other venator finally lets go of me, and Sarilyn gives me one last smug glance before following the others out of the forests. The stone-cold glare I want to provide her with dissolves completely when Darius looks over his shoulder at me. A swell forms in my chest at the tightening of his jaw. He’s not mad; he’s disappointed.

Trust me; I want to say, just please trust me, I can still fix this.

His eyes leave me, and the clearing becomes larger than before once everyone mounts their horses. I hear the creaks of cell doors from a cart opening and shutting, and then I’m standing with Lorcan, the only ones left.

We stare at each other, and the dull ache from when I hit the venator now surfaces. I don’t let it show. I’m more speechless than anything.

Lorcan’s chest heaves with a deep breath as he presses against the horse’s saddle and lifts his legs off the floor to climb onto it. Stopping in front, he reaches his palm out to me, but I don’t grab onto it. I can’t.

He sighs in frustration, looking down at the horse as he dismounts it. He treads with caution towards me, his voice a strain as he says, “Nara, please.”

I ignore that please.

“Brother,” I can hardly say it, shaking my head before emphasizing, “He’s your brother.”

He swallows, anger flooding his eyes like before. “Not by blood.”

I huff a hysterical laugh and shake my head at what I’d just learned. His brother, meaning the man obsessed with dragons, Darius had spoken of must be Lorcan’s father. “Blood or not, he is still your family.”

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