The only good news was that while we walked back, Landers woke up. He wasn’t happy. In fact, he was furious and felt guilty but mostly just pissed off.

  This time there was no fanfare as the guards opened the doors and ushered us in. The king was talking with someone, but he stopped to watch as we entered, tied up, and escorted with all the guards.

  “What is going on?” he asked.

  I grimaced, hating the feel of his voice, especially as it was filled with so much anger. My bones practically quaked from his power.

  Captain Corniz kneeled down. “I apologize, Your Majesty. We caught them outside. After watching the situation, we realized they meant to run away from their duties.”

  All the blood left my face when I realized the captain said he’d been watching us. For how long? What exactly did they see us do?

  “They did what?” King Laskis’s voice boomed around the massive throne room. “Deserters? Are you telling me the very same day that you arrived, that you dared to leave as deserters?”

  I grimaced with so much of his focus on me. I tried to respond, but my mouth refused to open. I could only make a small mewling sound in the back of my throat.

  “And where exactly did you plan to go? Where did you think you’d be able to run off to after abandoning your duties? Nowhere in Fraitte would be safe for you, not after abandoning the duties graced onto you by the Ancient Dragons. You would throw it away and for what? So you can go off and fornicate as you wish with whom you wish? You’d rather see these lands perish because you’re too horny too care?”

  ‘Holy shit, he really is a pervert,’ Landers said.

  ‘If he tries to touch Rayna, I’m tearing his limbs off,’ Philit added in.

  ‘I’ll be more than happy to join you, Zilon said. He has to be targeting her. Look at the way he’s always staring at her.’

  While it was obvious the king couldn’t hear us, it certainly felt like it as he released a snarl and stomped toward us.

  He went to the guys first, his eyes a deadly black. “I should kill you three now and save us the trouble.”

  “No!” The very thought of them dead sent me into a small frenzy as I yanked against the dragons holding onto me.

  They removed the ropes from me before we had entered the chambers, clearly not seeing me as a threat. The others were still tied up though, making them more vulnerable.

  “What would your friends and family think when they hear of your antics?” The king dropped his voice as he turned his question to me. “Your mother and sister?”

  I grimaced. “They have nothing to do with this, and you know it.”

  “I know your parents raised a disobedient girl who thinks becoming a rider means she can do whatever she wishes. I’ll need to put you back in line, reteach you so to speak.” His gaze cut to my guys. “And they will only hinder that training. It’d be easier to just get rid of them.”

  “They’re my dragons. You don’t get to hurt them.”

  Something about what I’d said only set King Laskis off as he howled with laughter, even his holey wings rustled from how hard he laughed. The man was enjoying himself far too much. I stilled at his reaction, not sure what to make of it. Was he a delirious dragon? Maybe being mateless for so long destroyed his mind.

  “You have too much spunk in you for a rider.” He came closer to me, completely ignoring the low rumbling of growls from my guys as I drew his attention.

  ‘Stop,’ I warned them. ‘He won’t hurt me.’

  ‘You don’t know what he’s capable of,’ Philit said.

  He was right, I didn’t know, but something told me he wasn’t going to hurt me. At least not yet.

  ‘What I do know is that he will hurt you guys,’ I sent back.

  When no one said anything, I refocused on the king. He was closer than I liked now, only inches away from me, looking down his nose. His wrinkled, gray eyes didn’t waver, only hardening as he watched me. His mustache moved briefly, as if he were about to say something, but he never talked.

  At least not right way. He was deliberating over a decision. I held my breath, not sure what to say, or if I should say anything at all. If I opened my mouth, then there was a high chance I’d tip the scales against us.

  “Killing them will only hurt us in the fight against the Fae,” Captain Corniz finally spoke from just behind me.

  I jumped a little at his sudden voice, forgetting he had been there. I turned just enough to see him and Tanja standing together again. She scowled hard when our eyes met, and I looked away, feeling bad. She’d warned me. Told me to keep my head down, to behave and do as I was told. Then, not even a couple hours later, I had tried to run away.

  I’d be pissed at me too.

  Captain Corniz continued to talk. “The fight against Neyil and his Fae has only been intensifying these last few months. We need everyone we can if we are to win against them and push them back into Xeria and keep them there.”

  “You make a good point, Corniz.” The king seemed to think something over. “Either way, I cannot let this go, nor can I let them think their duties are something they can ignore. They need to be made an example of. Maybe tossing them on the front lines will do them some good. And if they die, then that’ll be one less problem. At least they’d take down some Fae before dying. Killing one or two Fae is better than none.”

  My heart nearly constricted with that idea. My guys would be destroyed in a real battle against the Fae. Especially if I wasn’t with them, and by the way he was talking, the king had no intention of ever letting me ride my dragons again. That opened a chasm inside of me that was almost overwhelming.

  ‘Calm down. We might still be able to get out of this,’ Zilon said. ‘Don’t get overwhelmed by your emotions. Take a deep breath.’

  Landers chimed in with his own advice. ‘Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. We won’t let them split us, and we won’t die. So remain calm. Pay attention to them. Find their weaknesses.’

  “We did nothing wrong,” I said, feeling like I wasn’t going to like King Laskis’s solution. I talked slowly, trying to remain grounded in the conversation and not in my emotions like the guys suggested. “We told you that we were mates. You’re the one who decided to ignore that. Why should we be punished because you’re too old and obstinate to think of the possibility that I can have more than one mate?”

  Okay, maybe some of my emotions broke through. Gasps broke out in the room, but I refused to look away from the king.

  ‘Rayna! Stop!’ Philit’s voice snapped through my head.

  I bit back a grimace at the harshness of his command. I wanted to listen to him—I really did—but sometimes my mouth had a mind of its own. Unfortunately, it decided that now it was going to take over and ignore my thoughts.

  Instead of becoming even angrier and hopefully having a heart attack, the king laughed. He laughed. And continued to do so as he closed the distance between us and rested his hand on my cheek. I grimaced, trying to pull away from him, but the guards at my back kept me from moving away.

  “Old and obstinate is it?” the king asked in a lower voice, his creepy smile finally stretching across his face. “Will you think that once I have you in my bed?”

  “What?” I gaped at him like an idiot, trying to figure out if my brain was playing a nasty trick on me.

  But he still kept talking. “My captain says I shouldn’t kill you guys, and he does prove a point. This war takes precedence, and we need all the bodies we can get. But I cannot let your defiance go unpunished. I can’t let people think I’m a kind, forgiving, and understanding king. That I’m weak. So what shall I do?” He stroked my cheek. “There are things worse than death, and since you guys are so keen to fly away, maybe it’s time to clip some wings.”

  “Wha—?”

  “For defying their duties as descendants of the Ancient Dragons, I, King Laskis the Third, announce that they shall be land bound till further notice!”

  His demand echoed through the throne room and took a moment to settle into my thoughts. I had to pick it apart over and over again to make sure I understood it.

  Clip some wings.

  Land bound.

  Whispers broke out around me as guards began moving. They surrounded the guys. My dragons fought back as they were forced on their knees. But they didn’t have much room, as the bindings prevented their movements.

  “No. Let them go,” I said in a desperate voice.

  “Watch, Rayna,” the king said in a low voice, his hot breath sour against my skin. “Watch as they suffer for your choices.”

  Pain shot through the bond between me and them. I grunted, my legs unable to hold my weight. I crumpled to the ground as my back burned.

  Screams broke out, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if they were mine or theirs. It felt like all of ours, mixing together as we shared the pain.

  My hair was firmly grasped and pulled back, forcing me to look up at the king. “This can stop, Rayna,” he said in a low voice. “All you have to do is promise me one thing. I can stop this if you bond yourself to me. That’s all you have to do. Easy solution. Or would you rather have your guys walk the path into hell?”

  “You want what?” I gasped. His grip on my hair caused my skull to burn.

  “Bond yourself to me. That’s what I want.”

  His words registered, but I couldn’t respond. His so-called request was so out of left field that I could only stare at him. King Laskis smiled cruelly and let my hair go.

  “Take them back to their dorms and lock them up. They are not allowed to see each other.”

  “No!” I said and tried to get to my feet, but my legs still didn’t want to hold my weight. My back burned as it absorbed the pain the guys felt. Desperation swirled through me as someone grabbed me and began dragging me away. “No! Don’t do this!” I tried to kick free.

  “Stop it,” Tanja snapped into my ear. She yanked me out the door and down the hall, never stopping. Still I could hear the echoes of their screams in my head and I screamed for them back.

  ‘Philit! Zilon! Landers!’

  Something hot pulsed through me as desperation clawed at my insides. It pulsed over and over again as I yelled out their names. But they never responded, lost in their own pain.

  “Enough, Rayna. I warned you. You had your chance. Why didn’t you leave when we worked so hard to give you guys the chance?”

  My mouth snapped shut and through blurry tears could barely see Tanja’s firm expression.

  What?

  Chapter

  Ten

  Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my guys, withering on the floor in pain, their wings pulled off their backs and piled together off to the side. Blood-soaked marble floors with the air filled with that coppery scent that had stalked me ever since my dad died.

  I’d wake up gasping, trying to wipe away the nightmares, but as soon as I lay back down and closed my eyes, they were there again, screaming for me. And I could never get comfortable, my spine aching in three different spots. The top, middle, and bottom. It added to the nightmare, making me feel like our connection was severed.

  It had to be the guys. I was feeling what they felt. I tried to send them soothing thoughts, tried to reach out to them to let them know I was okay, and I was here. That they weren’t alone. But it felt like I was up against a wall too every time I did it. I spent too much energy trying to do that.

  All night was a combination of the nightmares, the pain, and trying to reach out to them.

  “Rayna, you really need to get up; you can’t be in bed all day.” Aylia’s concern roused me from the half asleep state I was stuck in.

  “Bed is safer,” I whispered, my throat burning.

  “Rayna.” My bed dipped as Aylia sat at the edge. “Are you okay? Do you need something? I’d say stay in bed today, but it’s the first day of classes, and I don’t want you to get in more trouble.”

  “How much more trouble can I get into?” I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head, trying to bury myself from the world.

  “I’m so sorry you got caught. I promise I didn’t say anything. I really didn’t.”

  I sighed, noticing how upset she was growing. Aylia was too sweet, and I didn’t want her feeling guilty over something that wasn’t her fault.

  “I’m fine. I promise. And this wasn’t your fault. I believe you.”

  Aylia relaxed with my response. “I can’t believe that happened to you. I was so scared when you were brought back last night. And you said they hurt your guys? All because of the king? What kind of king are we working for?”

  She popped out more questions until I sat up and covered her mouth, forcing her to stop. Her wide hazel eyes blinked as her warm breath washed over the palm of my hand. I pulled away.

  “Sorry. I don’t want you saying that kind of stuff, especially not in public. Please don’t get yourself in trouble,” I said, shuddering as I thought about what the king would do to her if he heard her say such things.

  Would he also try to get her in his bed too? Was he doing this with all the female dragons? Or just me because he knew I could bond with more than one dragon?

  “I’ll be careful,” Aylia said, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. Warmth filled me as she smiled at me softly. A real friend? I didn’t really have a close friend back in the village. Everyone was too busy making sure we had food on the table and were able to get by. “You need to be careful too. Okay, Rayna?”

  “Okay.”

  “And that means going to class.” She slipped off the bed and pulled me with her. I groaned but let her.

  Somehow, she managed to get me into my uniform. It was a simple white uniform with a button up top and a long skirt that fell around my thighs. Needing to feel safe, I grabbed one of the robes that was left in the bathroom for us. It was really similar to what they had us wearing yesterday. I tied it tightly around myself, finding comfort in the feel of silky soft fabric against my skin.

  “Are you really going to wear that?” Aylia seemed confused.

  I shrugged, not really caring what people thought. I had no one here I wanted to impress. The only people I wanted were my mates, and they wouldn’t care what I wore. I kept saying that to myself as Aylia talked away and led the way to our classes. Others in the hallways stared at me with confused expressions, the others judging really hard.

  Even Coral spotted me. She looked perfect, her hair pulled up in a ponytail and curls framing her heart-shaped face. Her lips were red and plump, and it was obvious she had some makeup on. It was done artfully to make her look cute. Her skirt had been adjusted so it went to mid-thigh. The girls around her were dressed similarly.

  I sighed, feeling like I was back to attending classes again in elementary school, before I had to drop out to help my parents with the farm. There were always kids there who thought they were better than the others and liked to dress the part too.

  Apparently, that was holding true here too, even though everyone here had to be close to being eighteen years old if not that age already.

  I held back a sigh as Aylia ushered me into a classroom filled with about a dozen other riders, all with white hair and all staring at me. I ducked down into a seat in the back, as Aylia sat in front of me. She turned in her seat.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Aylia frowned, but she didn’t have a chance to say anything when a teacher came in, getting everyone’s attention.

  As the class began, I thought it would have been better if the Fae had taken me. At least while their words were bullshit, it felt like they would have treated me much better than my own people currently were. And if the Fae had captured us, we would have been far, far away from here. Being here felt too much like we’d jumped into the fire pit to avoid the boiling water, and now we were going to burn to death for it.

  Chapter

  Eleven

  The teacher stood at the front of the class, looking stern as he regarded us slowly. He was a middle-aged, soft-looking guy with glasses that were a bit small for his face. He also had a shaved head. He just stood there for a long time, staring back at us and seeming extremely unimpressed with us. I felt like I was being judged right then and there. My back still ached, so I sat stiffly. The older man sighed, running a hand over his bare scalp.

  “Right. Well welcome. This will be your history class as riders. I’m sure you’ve taken classes before about the state of the world and our country back at home, but this class isn’t that. Here, we will talk in depth about who you are as riders, what has happened in the past in regards to the riders, dragons, and even the Fae. I’m here to prepare you for the kind of world that is out there, and so you’ll understand why it’s in the state that it is.”

  Very quickly, I realized our teacher liked to hear himself talk. He had no interest in us. In fact, he seemed bored by us, more interested in the content he had to share instead.

  I zoned out, trying to send messages to the guys but still getting nothing from them. I was tempted to rest my head and go back to sleep, but the ache in my spine and knowing I was in class kept me sitting up.

  “…important lore wrapped in questions. It happened so long ago, that it is hard to understand the real story. The fact of the matter is there was a first dragon and a first rider. Another fact is that the Crotlyn Mountains were where they met and how the bonding began. What really happened there—between them—has been told in different ways depending on the regions. One of the most common stories is that the rider went into the mountains to slay the dragon, only to fall in love with it instead, creating their bond.”

  His story finally caught my attention, and it seemed the attention of everyone else in the classroom. The only version I had was what Zilon had told me when we were hiking through those mountains. It made me wonder what other versions there were and how differently they varied from place to place.

 

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