Chapter Thirty-Seven

C HAPTER T HIRTY-SEVEN

As soon as I enter the throne room, Freya jumps on me, eagerly grabbing my arm as she drags me through the hall. She makes sure not to go near the still-broken pillars smashed along the floor or certain walls where the structure might break if one of us even leans against it.

‘We really need to get this place fixed,’ she mutters, her brows screwed up as dust dances through the air where the littlest bit of sun fixates on the centre.

‘We haven’t necessarily had time,’ I quip.

She chuckles as we look at each other.

‘Witchy,’ a deep, teasing voice says.

I whip my head back around as Darius walks over to us from the open balcony. My chest burns, and I have to swallow hard when I look at what he is wearing.

Just how I dressed up to receive the people of Emberwell, he did too. The problem is nothing can ever look bad on him. A simple black jacket with gold thread to match my dress and dragon scales sewn into the epaulettes showcases just how devastatingly beautiful he is.

‘Darius,’ Freya says, eyeing us both in amusement. ‘Take good care of her. You know I still can’t forgive you both for marrying without me there.’

I chuckle, patting her arm before letting go. She strides off in the other direction where my brothers and Tibith are.

‘Always a pleasure seeing you, Freya,’ Darius calls out to her, but his eyes are only on me. His gaze languidly sweeps over my dress as he steps towards me. My breath quickens. ‘You look horrid,’ he murmurs. ‘I should really rip that dress off you. Save me the trouble of having to look at it.’

I smile up at him. ‘I could say the same about you, but I would much rather get rid of those trousers.’ My eyes slip to the bulge suddenly straining against his dark clothes, and a devilish grin sneaks up on my lips. ‘They’re not your colour.’

Darius’s gaze drills into mine like I am about to be his undoing at any moment. I can see behind his ravenous stare that he desperately wants to grab me and take me out of here.

The torment inside him excites me as I grin even wider, my nerves about what will soon happen on the balcony fading into nothingness.

‘Stop right there.’ I hear Rydan’s dramatic flair of a voice from the side, and I curse him internally. ‘Am I witnessing Ambrose turning all soft for someone? Or do I say “Rivernorth” now, since you are married?’

I slowly turn to face him with a glare, but he doesn’t seem to care.

‘Have to say, I’m too used to Ambrose . . . Either way, this is nothing if not a miracle! Albeit I am jealous, but then again, can you just imagine the amount of people who are crying on the inside knowing the Golden Thief is taken?’ He shakes his head with incredulity. ‘I mean, I should know; I am one of them.’

I might just strangle him.

Darius just half smiles, half laughs, enjoying this, and now I might just strangle both of them.

‘Rydan.’ Lorcan comes to my aid, his expression blank and unfriendly. ‘Are you done?’

‘Speaking of jealousy.’ Rydan bunches his lips to the side, whispering towards us before he spins on his feet. ‘Lorcan! You look dashing. Being a phoenix really suits you.’

Lorcan doesn’t react to Rydan’s blatant teasing remarks. ‘Go prepare the dragons.’

‘Why can’t Link do that?’

‘Link is out. Crowd control.’

I can tell Rydan is pouting.

‘Then what about Freya? Many of the whelps love her, or even Tibith. Look at him. He has no care in the world right now—’

‘You are about to make me lose my—’

‘Rydan,’ Darius interjects before Solaris forbids Lorcan murder Rydan in front of us all. ‘Why don’t you go see to it that the dragons are being well kept? I trust the shifters are doing so, but I can’t have them trying to feast on the people of Emberwell. It could ruin my image.’

Rydan’s eyes widen comically. He straightens and places a hand on his chest. ‘It will be my honour, Your Excellency.’

I almost snort as he bows and loses his balance. I turn to find Lorcan hasn’t moved from his position at all. He lets himself smile for a split second before following Rydan out of the hall.

‘Is he always like this?’ Darius asks.

I sigh with a hint of amusement. ‘Afraid so.’

He chuckles. ‘Then I like him.’

When we turn to each other, I forget how much air he knocks out of me with just the way he looks.

Then my eyes slip to where Leira and Aelle are standing by the balcony, scanning the crowd from behind the intact pillars. By the nervous looks they are sharing with each other, the sight of it must not be comforting.

‘Are you ready?’ Darius says softly to me.

I glance back at him. ‘No,’ I answer.

His smile quite doesn’t reach his eyes. ‘Neither am I.’ He reaches for my arm, pulling me close so that I can smell that rosewood scent mixed with something so muscular and primal that I want to bask in it like one would in the sun.

He kisses me, hard and without a thought that everyone including my brothers is in here. It’s a kiss that tells me he needs it to survive all of this. When we pull apart, I’m left panting, aching for more. I grasp the collar of his jacket, my forehead touching his chin.

‘Now I am,’ he says, his voice full of yearning.

Suddenly, so am I.

Darius doesn’t wait for someone to announce us to the public. He grabs my hand and takes me with him towards the balcony.

Leira looks at us in confusion, and before she can say anything, we have already stepped out.

My stomach plunges with unease. I had never realised how wide the castle’s courtyard was before. I suppose after spending most of my time worrying about other things, I didn’t notice it when I stood here at night on Noctura.

The civilians from the city extend far as out into the central area, past the ruins of the Neoma tree and the sectors of the castle. From where Darius and I stand, it looks as though we are staring into a pit of fire with red jackets, orange frocks and bright clothing further back. The clothes are the only bright part of Emberwell as the grass, trees and flowers around wilt.

As some start to spot us, they quieten, and others murmur to each other.

My hands are clammy in Darius’s hold, but he doesn’t let go. Instead, he tightens his grip.

So many are staring at me like I am pointless, disgusted that I should even be wearing something as elegant as this dress.

Or perhaps that is my own thoughts.

Lorcan and my brothers quickly come out, flanking Darius and me. The crowd looks murderous. Our aim is to reach an understanding between mortals and dragons, but the atmosphere here feels more like a public execution – our execution.

The atmosphere crackles with tension as I clear my throat and scan the sea of hostile faces aimed at us.

‘Thank you all for coming today.’ I sneak a glance at Darius to find his jaw clenched and his breathing uneven. I steady myself with a slow exhale. ‘We know that for the past few days, things have quickly deteriorated, not only in Emberwell but all of Zerathion.’

I am met with a few scoffs and murmurs from people who disagree. A priestess wearing the colours of fire stands at the front of the courtyard, shaking her head with her followers.

Darius steps forward, our hands tightly joined as he decides it is his turn. ‘After Aurum’s defeat, we can only promise to protect—’

A shout erupts from the crowd, and then another says, ‘You killed my husband.’ The young woman’s finger is aimed straight towards Darius. ‘Bit him under Aurum’s command! How can you promise us anything?’

Darius tenses, his free hand clenching at his side. He glances over at me as if expecting me to look at him with the same disgust as other people.

Bit him under Aurum’s command.

My heart begins to crumble into ash.

Darius looks away, back out into the crowd. ‘It was not my choice.’ his tone carries an undertone of anger, not at the woman but at himself.

‘He’s a monster,’ someone else says, and my anger floods me.

‘He’s not—’ I try to say, but when I glance at Darius he looks lost, like he accepts it.

Lorcan steps towards me, a warning brewing in his jade eyes.

I don’t care.

‘He is not a monster.’ I raise my chin to the crowd. ‘He has done more to save your lives than you could ever do for someone you know.’ I’m teetering on the edge of rage, staring out at everyone’s faces that I can make out.

A man from the other side pushes past a few people, yelling out, ‘He’s a thief and a killer, related to that psychopathic shifter! And you are nothing but a commoner who ruined Queen Sarilyn’s reign. Why should we listen to anything you both say when our world is in ruins because of you!’

The crowd cheers, and now Idris steps up as if he is willing to say something himself to defend us. I raise my palm to his chest to stop him when a three-toned whistle pierces the air, and the sounds of distant roars become clearer.

Dozens of our saved dragons fly overhead in the courtyard as the civilians scream. I look at Darius and realise he is the one who called upon them.

Fernah soon joins us, her wings flapping as she descends beside the ledge of our balcony. Others perch themselves on pillars, staring down at the fearful humans.

When the people’s cries dwindle upon seeing that the dragons aren’t attacking, Darius steps in.

‘You can call me every name in the book,’ he says. His expression looks calm, but his voice – it’s one I could fear. ‘I encourage it even. I am a thief. I am a killer. And I am also related to Aurum Rivernorth. Nothing will ever change that.’

‘Darius—’ I whisper.

‘But these dragons.’ He gestures to them all around us, Meratis, Umbratis and Ardentis. ‘They are not harmful. As a matter of fact, they are just like all of you. They feel, care, hate and love just the same.’

No one dares to speak up this time.

‘All you have known under Sarilyn’s command is that you should fear our kindness, and maybe you should. But we aren’t so different from you all. So, go on, hate me all you want.’ There’s a cruel smile to him as he spreads his arms to the sides. ‘I implore you to. There is no successful reign without a hater now and then. But just know, I already promised myself one thing, and that was that I will protect you and this world, and I will do it at all costs with her’ – he slides a glance my way, his gaze softening – ‘by my side.’

I can’t help but stare at him, partly bewildered and partly in awe.

He grabs my hand again, his usual shameless smile paving his lips. ‘Ladies, gentlemen,’ he says. ‘ Haters , have a nice evening.’

We don’t get to answer any questions as he turns us around and stalks back inside the castle. I just manage to hear a protest from the crowd as the doors close, and I glimpse Lorcan’s pale and stressed face.