Chapter 34

34

J ace is quiet as we take cover beneath the brush, waiting for a deer or wolf to appear in the forest. I hold the bow and arrow, trying to still my hands. I've missed three shots so far this morning because they were shaking so badly. I didn't sleep at all last night, my heart and my conscience weighing heavy.

A twig snaps thirty yards away.

A large deer with great antlers slips around a tree, grazing in the grass. Jace nods sharply to me. I try to steady myself as much as possible, but when I release the arrow, its trajectory is subpar. A strange wind, however, lashes out and corrects its line. It lands in the deer's heart, and he goes down instantly without so much as a yelp.

I turn to Jace, frowning.

"Hey!"

"If I let you keep that up all day, your poor dragon will starve." He slides on a pair of leather gloves. He's barely looked at or spoken to me all morning, clearly still pissed about last night .

"Jace?" I call as he heads toward the fallen deer. He dips down to rip the arrow free from its unmoving chest.

"Please don't be mad at me."

His golden eyes dart up to mine. "Why would I be mad at you? You only led me to believe you cared for me, all the while envisioning someone else."

"That could not be further from the truth!" I protest.

"Look, this conversation is pointless. It was never going to work. What we did, what we've been doing—Marideth was right. It needs to be over."

"Is that really what you want, or are you just trying to punish me?" I stalk toward him. "Look, if I had told you, would it have changed anything? I know who you are, and you know who I am."

"Who you are never fails to surprise me, little witch." He sighs, assessing me for the first time all day. "I understand why you kept it from me, although you might want to have a conversation with your guard dog about that. As for what we did…I'm the one who's practically engaged. I should have been stronger. I shouldn't have?—"

"What? Kissed me?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad that you kissed me. Because even though this situation is totally fucked, I want you. I know how wrong it is, and still, I want you so badly it's driving me insane."

He stares at me unblinking as I drop to my knees, bringing us to eye level.

"We're fooling ourselves if we think Sorscha won't find out somehow and that she'll be forgiving." His fingers reach out to graze my cheek, but the touch is over far too soon. He tosses the limp deer over his shoulder, and we make our way back toward the cave where Prophyria is waking.

I feel her grow more alert as we enter the lightless tunnel. I recall how Jace took my hand as he led us through the darkness last night. My heart sinks a bit when he doesn't offer the same comfort this time around.

I feel awful. I feel lousy for what we did and what we were about to do, knowing that Sorscha is involved. I try to push the racing thoughts and warring emotions from my head. Try to focus on the reason I'm here. The reason I will be coveted among kingdoms. The reason why the king values me enough for a seat on his council.

The reason I have a purpose and a mission for the first time in my life: the majestic purple dragon before me.

She is curled up like a harmless kitten in the center of the sparkling cave. Her large tail begins to curl and thump when she sees me, the lethal spikes kicking up loose dust and diamond.

Blackblood.

Her voice is bright and clear as a bell in my mind. She is happy to see me.

Seeing her again makes it even more real. Last night, as I tossed and turned, I had to keep reminding myself it wasn't all a dream. That I actually did it. That I, Serena Avery, from Beacon, New York, am now a full-blown Blackblood Dragon Rider.

I'm filled with a sense of pride. I earned this. I worked hard. I worked through literal blood, sweat, and tears. And as my dragon scrambles to her feet and barrels toward me, bowing her head for me to stroke, I think to myself, yes , I deserve this .

"We brought breakfast, Furi." I present her with the deer Jace is sliding from his shoulder. The pupils of her wide green eyes become slits as she scans Jace wearily. A hiss works its way up her throat, and I rush to throw myself in front of him.

"No, no, no—Jace is nice . We like Jace." Taking in my words, her arched back eases into a neutral position, and she sits, her flared wings settling against her. She sniffs at the dead deer .

I take a step back, pulling Jace with me as Prophyria nudges the carcass with her massive snout. In one swift movement, she opens her jaw to reveal long dagger-like fangs and chomps down hard on the deer. Blood splatters everywhere, dotting our faces and chests and turning the diamonds beneath us into rubies. She tosses the mangled deer high into the air as she opens her throat and catches it in her mouth. She swallows him in one gulp before her forked pink tongue pokes out to lick her lips. I groan in disgust.

"Someone's a messy eater," Jace mutters.

Porphyria lowers her eyes to me.

More, she purrs softly.

I turn to Jace. "She's still hungry."

He rolls his eyes. "Well, she could have had three more helpings if you hadn't missed every shot you took this morning."

"I have a lot on my mind!" I say defensively.

"Don't we all." He sighs, hands on his hips. "Come on."

He starts toward the tunnel and waves for me to follow. I turn to my dragon, who waits patiently for another treat.

"Good girl." I reach up to pat her thick leg. "I'll be right back. Mommy's going to get you some more."

" Mommy ?" Jace says, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Shut the fuck up," I grumble and follow him.

We hunt down two more deer and a few rabbits, tossing them into a game bag and heading back toward my hungry pet. I try not to vomit at the sight of the dead animals, never having really hunted a day in my life.

When we arrive back at the cave, Happy Meal in tow, we find it empty.

My heart plummets.

"Where is she?" I panic.

"She's probably in the lower caves, exploring. "

I listen for her. Nothing.

"She's not here. I can't feel her. Jace," I breathe horrified. He moves in front of me, grasping me by the shoulders.

"Hey, it's alright. Listen down the bond. She's a dragon, she can't have gone far."

I nod and dip into the channel, listening intently.

"She's in the forest, circling overhead."

"Let's go," he says, a sense of urgency looming in his tone. We race outside into the morning sun, and I squint up through the trees.

Nothing.

But I can feel her there on the other side of the tether.

Porphyria , I call silently. An ear perks up.

Come.

Her wingbeats become instantly audible as wind rocks the forest, shaking leaves from their branches and kicking up the ones dusting the floor. Her lean, serpentine form becomes visible as she nosedives for the forest. Her impromptu landing knocks out a handful of trees to accommodate her enormous size. Jace tackles me out of the way of a falling tree, and we hit the ground hard, breathless, and tangled around each other.

The forest begins to calm as Furi settles on the ground and takes to chomping the leaves off of a nearby fallen tree. Jace and I stare up at her, mouths hanging open.

"Furi, what the fuck!" I hiss.

Her head snaps up to me for an instant before she resumes loudly chomping her salad. Jace helps me sit up, and I stomp toward my disinterested dragon.

"Where were you! You had me worried sick," I demand.

Jace dusts his jacket off and mutters, "You're mommy alright."

I shoot him a glare, then redirect my attention to Furi.

"What were you doing?! Anyone could have seen you! It isn't safe yet," I press, hands on hips, fuming beside her lowered head. Her eerie green eyes blink as her reply echoes in my head.

There was danger. I went to investigate.

"What did she say?" Jace asks, coming up beside me.

"She said there was danger. In the cave?"

She shakes her head no.

Outside.

What kind of danger?

Don't know, that's why I went to investigate.

"Okay, sass."

"Did she say what kind of danger?"

"No, she just felt something off. She didn't see anything."

"Come on," he says in the captain's voice, launching forward. "I want her back in that cave, safe. And I want you back at the castle. Now."

My protest stops his determined stride. "No, we need to see what she meant! I'm not leaving her here unprotected if there's danger nearby."

Jace turns to me, a stern expression on his face. "She's a dragon, Serena. She'll torch anyone who's a threat to her. Besides, no one can get inside the cave without you."

I run my hand down her smooth, scaled side.

"Go inside, Furi. Your food is getting cold." She flaps her wings obediently, and I add sternly, "And stay there this time. I'll be back as soon as I can."

She gives an affectionate nudge against my mind and darts into the air, disappearing into the clouds before rocketing back down into the mountain's narrow skylight.

"Do you think anyone saw her?" I ask as we start back. Jace's face is tight—his jaw clenched and brow furrowed.

"Let's hope not. She's kind of hard to miss."

We reach the main hall and luckily find it empty except for a few guards, none of whom seem to notice or care enough to ask about our blood-splattered leathers. I struggle to keep up with Jace's swift pace.

We round the corner to find Zadyn on the other side. He breaks into a jog, closing the short distance between us and crushing me against his chest.

"Hey," I mumble, breathing in his crisp, cool scent.

"Thank gods you're alive." His relief is palpable as pulls back to study me. "Did you actually do it?"

"I actually did it. I am officially a Dragon Rider." I can't help but beam up at him. His answering grin is blinding as he wraps me in a hug and spins me around. My laugh echoes down the spacious hall.

"I am so proud of you." He shakes his head in disbelief as he lowers me to the ground. "Wait, why are you bloody? What happened?" Concern mars his features as he searches for the source.

"It's not mine. We were hunting for Prophyria," I assure him, gripping his arms. "Zadyn, she's amazing. Wait until you meet her."

"She's here?" Zadyn's brown eyes widen in surprise.

"I hate to interrupt this little reunion, but we have pressing matters that require our immediate attention." Jace's sharp comment is directed at Zadyn, and I detect a touch of bitterness in his tone. Jealousy, perhaps, seeing as he can barely keep the snarl off his face while addressing him.

"What happened?" Zadyn asks, either oblivious to Jace's hostile looks or not giving a shit.

"Furi sensed something out in the forest—some kind of danger. We need to find out what it is. She's somewhere safe, but no one can know she's here. Not yet."

"We're on our way to gather a search party," Jace says, somewhat impatiently .

Zadyn's eyes shift to him, finally sensing his indignation. He glances between us, piecing together the source of Jace's frustration. A new wave of shame washes over me. I want to crawl into a hole and die right then and there.

Without another word, Jace shoves past us, fists balled at his sides. I know he blames Zadyn for me keeping secrets, but it wasn't his fault. He was only looking out for me. I rush to catch up with him.

"I'll come with you," Zadyn says from beside me.

"No. Stay here with Serena," Jace barks, not bothering to turn. It's an order.

"I'm coming with you." Outraged at the mere thought, I wrench his arm, forcing him to face me.

"You are not," he bites, his golden eyes flashing.

"Why the hell not? Haven't I proved myself? I just bonded an ancient dragon and lived to tell the tale—I think I can handle a search party."

He shakes his head, ripping his arm away.

"I don't have time to argue with you," he says, stalking away without another glance.

"You can't stop me from going, Jace. She is my dragon, and I will destroy any threat to her." The fervor in my voice slows him. My sudden outrage surprises even me as my fingers begin to prickle with magic. I flex the extremities, and Jace's eyes settle cautiously over them.

"Fine." He leans in close, index finger pointed in my face. "But you do as I say. When you're out there with me, you are part of my troupe. You follow orders just like the rest of my men. Both of you. Clear?" He glances between me and Zadyn.

"Crystal," I hiss, brushing past him and knocking his shoulder in the process. I saunter on as Jace and Zadyn fall into step beside me, their long limbs dwarfing mine.

Jace leads us across an outdoor bridge to the other side of the castle, where the Kingsguard are lodged. The wing is more run down than the glittering quarters held by the members of court, smelling of sweat and ale. Jace stops outside a plain wooden door and pounds loudly with his fist.

"It's me. Open up."

"A little busy at the moment," calls a breathless voice from the other side. Jace doesn't hesitate before kicking in the door. I try not to swoon as it flies open and rebounds loudly off the wall behind it. I peer over his shoulder at Max—his brilliant red hair flowing down his naked back as he pounds into a female whose face I can't see.

"Woah!" I quickly shield my eyes.

"Put your cock away and get dressed." Jace snatches a pair of leather pants off the ground and chucks them roughly at Max's face. He catches them and, with a frustrated groan, disentangles himself from the female.

"Bring your brother and five more men," Jace orders. "Be ready at the stables in five minutes." He yanks the door shut behind him, his face grave as he starts down the hall again.

I turn to Zadyn.

"Did you just get back?" I ask, looking up at him. He nods. "How was the King of Vod?"

"Just as much of a dick as you'd expect." He slides his light brown eyes to me, offering a tiny smile. "Tonight's the big kick-off party."

"What do you mean?"

"In Solterre, when a king visits a foreign court, it's tradition to welcome them with five full nights of feasts and festivities. We call it King's Fair. Five nights of drinking and debauchery to rival the gatherings of Dionese himself."

"Perfect timing. I'm harboring a rebellious dragon, and this place is about to be overrun by drunken members of a foreign court for the next week." I sigh, shaking my head. "I wonder what made the king decide to come here all the way from Vod."

"He's playing the part of loyal son—guilt-stricken over missing the queen's four hundred and fiftieth birthday. Personally, I think he's here to push Kai down Derek's throat for Sorscha."

The mention of the princess sends a new wave of remorse through me. I swallow thickly. I told Zadyn I was done with Jace. That we cut our flirtation off at the knees. He has no idea that a line was crossed last night.

"It's very likely," I say absently.

We dress the horses, and Jace surprises me when he slides his arms around my waist. I blush, wondering what he's doing in front of Zadyn like this, and then I realize he's strapping a belt with a sheathed dagger around me.

Idiot , I mutter to myself.

We mount as the rest of our party joins us and ride out. Hours pass as we search religiously for any possible threat. We find nothing.

"Either Prophyria was mistaken, or whatever was out here left before we arrived." Jace sidles up to me on his horse.

"I don't think she was wrong. Something tells me we should trust her instincts," I say, puzzled. "What do you think it could have been?"

"A mistake, I hope," he says darkly.

"Your business at the border—" I eye him curiously. "What's that about?"

He stares straight ahead as he lowers his voice.

"There have been a handful of disturbances, starting around the time of your arrival. A number of fae have been found dead at the border between Aegar and Hyrax. Mostly from the city and some neighboring villages."

"How many?" I ask .

"Forty so far."

"Forty?" I balk, then drop my voice. "That's kind of a lot."

"You think I don't know that? I've had my best men looking into it. There were claw marks on the bodies—as if a massive beast had struck them down. Their blood was completely drained, their eyes turned white."

I contemplate this.

"Sounds like a vampire to me."

"Vampires aren't real," he says, as if it's the most outlandish idea in the world.

"Well, what kind of animal do you know of that does that ?" I purse my lips incredulously.

He shakes his head as if lost in a memory. "This was no animal."

"Do you think it's connected to the issue at the portal with those dead Guardians?"

"I have a sneaking suspicion it is."

Mal, Max, and Zadyn catch up to us, and my attention snags on a flash of familiar maroon.

Déjà vu creeps over me as I stare at the underside of Mal's cloak, visible beneath his arm. Gold stitching over shiny maroon silk. I wrack my brain, trying to figure out where I've seen that before. Noticing my distraction, Mal speaks, his voice dark as night and cold as ice.

"My lady, are you alright?"

I snap my eyes back up to him and force a smile. "Yes. I'm just distracted."

He gives me a tight nod and snaps his reins. His horse picks up the pace, and I stare at his back the whole way back to the castle.