Page 78 of A City of Flames

Fury singes the arches of my ears as I go to protest and insult Darius too, but Rydan hums, narrowing his eyes. “You seem familiar—” His gasp cuts his words off as if he’s solved something. “Wait, you are the flame spewer champion, aren’t you!”

I glance at Darius as he chuckles with obvious pride. It’s terrible how he is out here fooling everyone, and I’m the one providing that support for him to carry on. I deserve to be exiled and thrown into the Screaming Forests.

“I’ve tried to beat you a few times but always fail,” Rydan shakes his head in amazement. “You have impressive willpower; those drinks burn tremendously.”

He is part Ardenti, I want to say but bite the inside of my cheek.

“Because of who you are,” Rydan continues, raising a palm. “I’ll accept you dancing with Nara—”

For Solaris’s sake! “Rydan!” I practically gape, but he’s already sauntering past us.

“What?” He shrugs, walking backward as he whispers, “He’s a champion.”

“Well, he’s not wrong.” Darius’s laughter swirls from behind me before I watch Rydan stop by Lorcan and begin pestering him away from his partner. A quizzical frown warps my forehead as I whirl to Darius and bring my palm up to his. “Did you use powers on him or something?”

“Of course not.” His confusion matches mine. “That’s all him.”

“Right, how can I be so sure you’re not just tricking me? We shouldn’t even be dancing still,” I hiss with my eyes darting around the hall.

“Look, Goldie, as much fun as it is tricking mortals, I’ve not once used any Merati powers on you apart from when we saw each other at the Draggards. Besides, shifters weaken the more they use their magic, and even with some resistance to it, the steel powders trapped in these walls—” His smile turns tense. “Well, let’s just say I’m running on a limited timeframe here.”

Learning things about Darius always surprises me. Not because of our constant disagreements—more me than him—but because he’s perceived as untouchable, invincible, and too dangerous to catch. Yet he has the same weaknesses as any dragon. The difference is he’s just learned the smartest way to avoid capture. “Is that why the attacks in the city have gotten worse, because you’ve helped shifters build resistance too?”

He tilts his head, something glistening in his eyes. “Perhaps, but I’d only decided to join my kind a few years ago. I don’t like following what some choose to do.”

Such as the attack on the city. He was stealing, not involved. This is why the queen is wrong when it comes to her assumptions on him leading them all and what everyone thinks, even with the rumors of him behind the new creatures.

We stay quiet for a few minutes, the music hitting crescendo on the violins, a melody soothing to the ear as we circle, though it’s like we go at a slower pace than the rest. His eyes dust over in golden hues from my dress as he observes me, every second, every moment.

So, I say, “The day we met, you said how boring it is if you are not hunting me down instead.” Our hands fall to the sides and he grabs my waist. “Why did you never kill me when you had many opportunities to do so?”

He has hunted everyone except those who deserve it the most.

He angles his head, the tips of his fingers light like a feather on my hips. He spins me around so my back is to his front, my hand curled in his to the side and my head falling back onto his chest. “If I had killed you, I wouldn’t have anyone to annoy anymore.”

An involuntary laugh escapes me. “Is that truly the reason?”

I can feel his lips curving into a smile near my neck, the warmth of his breath caressing my skin. “There are plenty of reasons, some that have me wishing I thought the opposite. But the truth is—” He spins me back around, his eyes tracing my lips. “You drive me mad, Nara.”

My breath comes out jagged and slow as we turn. “I feel the same way when it comes to you.”

His amused hum rumbles deep within his chest.

The music starts to slow, we repeat each step, our eyes fixated on one another as we dance in silence.

“The queen isn’t wearing the pendant tonight.” At last, I sigh, catching the sight of her on the throne. Crystalized gold encases it as the general stands to her side. “It’s too dangerous.”

“All the better then.” A tug at his lips before he’s grabbing my hand and waist.

Pushing him slightly away, I huff up at him. “Do you not understand that me stealing from the queen is punishable by death?”

He chuckles, tightening his grip on my hand as we grace the dancefloor. “You had no problem accepting this offer, Goldie.”

I have no response. He’s right, I accepted just like how I’d done at Havenwood tavern.

When I still don’t say a word, he whispers in a deep voice ever so torturous, “I never took you as someone who’d back down.”

A glare shoots out of me, barreling towards him, I know what he is doing, and I loathe that it’s working.

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