Page 17 of Court of Dragons and Ashes

“I came through the portal a few hours ago, from the Water Court, to see how things were going. Lysander is there, and Ithought it was weird you weren’t with him,” she prods. “He also looked ready to drown his kingdom. What happened today?”

“You probably should stay in the Water Court. Drowning is easier than burning, so I’ve heard,” I mutter.

She raises an eyebrow. “Come on, spill. I’m trying to be a supportive friend for you. Something I’ve never even attempted before.”

“Is it because I’m rich and have a magic castle?” I joke. “Because, I’m sorry, but I’m not going to be your sugar mommy.”

She shoves my shoulder with hers. “Piss off, you bitch,” she huffs. “But you are more likeable as a rich princess, I’ll admit that. Now tell me, what the fuck happened?”

I tug at the band of blood red fabric around my chest, which is too tight, and hope I don’t trip on the matching long skirt that falls from my hips to my feet. The Fire Court fashion is very revealing, so I’ve learnt, but it’s nice to be able to breathe in my clothes. Hope looks boiling hot in her short-sleeved black top and tight leggings. I tell her everything as we walk throughout the castle, a castle she clearly knows better than I do.

Eventually she leads me out to a balcony that overlooks the many lava pits, the looming massive volcano in the distance. I’m not sure where the people of the court exactly live—everything is just full of lava. Hope has been silent for at least ten minutes, a personal record for her, and I clear my throat as I breathe in the smoke scent. “Where is the city?”

“The city is behind here on the other side of the castle. There are a few villages, but most live in the city. It is spread out within the mountains,” she explains. “They live next to the lava, and they make food on the fires. They respect the volcano, which fuels their power.”

“I hope Arden wants to show me it in the future,” I whisper, a bitter sting in my chest.

“Lysander fucked up, and you fucked up by not telling Arden everything before you were forced to,” she states, stepping to my side. “But I’ve annoyingly learnt you love them, really love them, and you should fight for that. You have been through so much together.”

“It’s my fault.” I pick at my nails. “And how could Arden want me after this?”

“Insecurity is overthinking gone wrong. Ask him. I’m certain he will want you.” She wipes a hand across her forehead. “I really prefer the Water Court.”

I know I shouldn’t speak about Lysander with her, but it slips out. “And Lysander’s cut himself off from me, from our bond. I can barely feel him, but I know he’s in pain. I should go to him too.”

Her shoulders tense for a second. “Let him stew about what he has done. It’s strange without Grayson and Emrys to make a wall between them, like they always have. They always had rivalry growing up, and I always thought they were less friends and more just acquaintances, but they had each other’s back. I never thought Lysander would want to kill him. Arden called Ly a brother. It surprises me that he did this. Even for him, this is bad.”

I nod. “It surprised me too when I got to know them. I don’t think he actually wanted me to kill him. Deep down, I think he would have stopped me if I had gone through with it. He would have stopped himself, too. As bitter as he makes himself out to be, he’s not. I mean, I can literally feel his emotions, feel his soul. I know it’s not all made with cruelty.”

She sadly smiles at me. “I know that too, but he doesn’t, and that’s the problem. He wants himself to be the villain so badly that he won’t possibly let anyone see the light, see the goodness that he got from his mum, not just the wickedness from his father.”

“I’m sorry. You’re the last person I should be talking about Lysander with,” I mutter.

Hope touches my arm. “It’s fine, really. I’m growing as a person, or trying to. I’m going to sleep and then train in the morning if you want to join me. We can get even over training as I kick your ass.”

I laugh. “I was trained by the god of nightmares about how to fight. You might not want to train with me now. It won’t be just muscle memory kicking in.”

“Sounds like I want lessons from you then,” she says with a wink, walking to the door. “As for Arden, his father’s laboratories are down those stairs. Whenever he’s angry, he usually goes there to think. No one else goes down there. It’s pretty terrifying.”

I look at the stairs. She is right; he is down there. “Thank you, Hope.”

“It’s annoying that I like you,” she replies, walking away.

I laugh again. “I find it annoying too!” Her laugh echoes to me as she heads down the pathways, and I’m left alone with the bright orange lava, spitting fire, and endless night skies. I’m starting to realise that Hope is becoming my friend and I care about her. It’s really strange considering I hated her when we met. If Hope and I can become friends, then anything is possible, and I have to face Arden.

I walk down the steps. I feel Arden closer with every step, knowing he must sense that I’m here too. At the bottom of the steps are two glass doors, thick glass that’s heavy to open, but I pull on one and step inside. It’s a laboratory, full of desks and smothered with strange potions on lined shelves, twisted tubes, and bubbling fires. There’s a strange smell of chemicals in the air, and he is here. Arden. He has his back to me, every single one of his muscles tense under a dark red shirt as he works at thedesk. His sleeves are rolled up, his black hair tied at the base of his neck, and he goes still. “Can I come in?”

“Considering you’ve already stepped through the door, my answer is kind of a moot point.” I smile at his joke, but he doesn’t look back at me. “I know you’ve been through a lot of shit recently, so it’s really best you just don’t come any closer while I’m mad. I don’t want to say anything to upset you, and I need to calm my thoughts down. My dragon…it’s not happy. You’re our mate, princess, and you lied to me.”

His words cut deep. “I don’t want that.” I walk closer. “I want us, a genuine relationship, the reality of it all. We can’t hide from each other when it gets messy.” He pauses what he was doing, placing his hands on the desk and bowing his head.

Running my hand over his back, I slide in between the desk and him, my ass touching the cold metal desk. My heart is racing as I look up at my mate, my fire dragon king. He looks down at me with his fire red eyes, just so utterly beautiful and so hurt. “Talk to me. Please.”

He watches me as I place my hands on his chest, messing with his buttons, breathing in his firewood scent. “You chose him over me. You chose to protect his secret, his mistake, over telling me the truth.”

I blink. “I didn’t choose him over you, Arden. At first, when he blackmailed me, I said yes because I didn’t know you as anything but the kidnapping dragon who burnt a man in front of me. Can you remember that I didn’t know you, not at all, and for me, it was easy to pick my grandmother over a stranger? I didn’t do what he asked. I chose you over my family. I picked you, my love for you, over what my destined mate wanted me to do. The thought of hurting you is sickening to me. I hate that I hurt you by trying to protect you. I should have told you with the riders, when I had many chances, and it was wrong of me not to havedone. I thought I was protecting you, because I knew the truth would hurt.”

“Like I did to you, sending you to Earth?” he whispers.

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