Page 104 of A Kingdom of Shadows

"I've mistakenly believed one thing before only to be wrong."

"Then perhaps you're wrong again," he snaps, staring at me like I am nothing. Like I am just as worthless to him as Golrai apparently was. Ever since I got here, he's looked at me like I am a disturbance to him, a useless mortal wanting to collect the elemental stones.

I narrow my eyes. "You dislike me, don't you?"

He laughs once. "I dislike a lot of things. The choices the king makes is one of them."

I tilt my head, seeing this gets to him. Too much has changed for his comfort. "And you hate that he let us into his castle, accepted us despite the treaty, even if I am a human, and Darius a shifter."

His jaw twitches. "Ever since your arrival, my opinions for this kingdom no longer matter. Dusan focuses more on you than his duties to Terranos. And that... dragon." He shakes his head, sucking in air through his teeth. Glancing at me, he spits out a hateful chuckle. "You want to know what he did after the meeting in the throne room? He choked me because I'd mentioned how he should keep you in line."

My arms drop to the side. Darius... defending me like always, through the good and the bad. I grasp the coin again, run my thumb along it and almost smile when Thallan scoffs.

"Dragons—"

"His name is Darius," I seethe, interrupting him before he can think about an insult. "Darius Halen, a shifter far more powerful than you could ever be."

Thallan's eyes widen with interest. He stares at me for a few uncomfortable seconds and then bursts into laughter. "Oh dear," he says. "You're in love with him."

I'm quiet, so very quiet.

Hearing someone say that. Even if it's Thallan, it... it sounds real.

My heart is in my throat, I'm trying to stay calm, but that word has thrown me off balance.

Thallan laughs once more and claps his hands. "I already knew he was; he's made it far too obvious on many occasions, but you, you were hard to decipher."

I lower my eyes, and I can feel my cheeks heat up.

"I must say I thought you were nothing interesting at all the moment I met you, but now—" he pauses, his footsteps sounding closer and closer until I glance up and see he is standing before me. "I think you might be on par with the beautiful princesses."

I'd be questioning what he means by the princesses, my thoughts landing on Faye, Arlayna, and Meriel, but he closes the gap between us, pressing his face against my hair and inhaling.

"What are you doing?" My voice is firm, leveled, though I flinch at the touch of his filthy fingers stroking the side of my neck.

His arms have me caged in as he ignores me. "You smell like her too."

I'm pushing at his chest. "Get away from me."

I can feel his grin on my face, and I swallow my nausea. "Why should I? That dragon of yours is nowhere near here to save you."

"I don't need him to save me."

"What can a measly mortal like you do?"

He's pushing up against me. I'm trying to shove at him and squirm freely as I move my hand to his wrist. A shiver of revulsion goes down my spine as he kisses my neck. I close my eyes and breathe, then his body jerks, and a grunt slips from his lips as the bones on his finger crunch beneath my hands.

What can a measly mortal like you do?

Much more than you can imagine.

I lean forward and say into his ear, "Your fingers are not the only thing I can break if you don't get away from me right now?" His pained groan grows louder when I let go of his broken hand. He stumbles back, his features hardening into a glare as he stares at his fingers.

I raise my chin. "I wonder if the princesses will be thrilled to hear the king's trusted emissary tried to hurt and molest their guest."

He laughs but stops to wince. "You won't tell them."

"Why won't I?"

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