Chapter Forty-Eight

Toby's dark gaze landed on Amara. They shared a silent conversation that I didn't pretend to understand. He'd been dead. My dragon began to mourn his, and his heart wasn't beating.

"What just happened?" Toby asked, reaching out to touch Amara's face.

Amara shook her head silently. "I don't know. You were dead, and now you're not."

Toby glanced up at the gallows, and then back at us. "We need to get out of here before they realize I'm alive."

My chuckle vibrated through the air, while I sat up and braced my palm against my knee. "I want you to take Amara back to the cabin. Her wound is getting worse, and Zerk needs to look at it."

I went to stand but Amara grabbed my wrist. She looked so innocent and helpless on her knees. When in reality she just brought Toby back to life. "What are you going to do?"

I didn't know what I was going to do. My father deserved to die for attempting to kill Amara and hanging Toby. I understood his frustration of not being obeyed, but trying to kill Amara wasn't solving his problems.

"I'm going to speak to my father."

She stood up when I tried to fly and pulled me down. "You can't go alone, Dorran. He'll hurt you."

Toby stood beside her and dusted off his clothes. "Dorran can handle himself, Amara. He won't kill his son."

Amara didn't believe it. She gave me a determined look that sliced through my skin like knives. "He will. He's ruthless. When I looked into his eyes I saw death. Please don't go."

Toby lifted his gaze to mine, and we exchanged a look. He knew I had to go confront him. Swiftly, he wrapped Amara in his arms and shot into the sky.

Amara's voice drifted away as she fought him in the air. She needed medical attention, and I needed to face my father once and for all.

An angry jolt of adrenaline shot down my spine as I flew toward the castle. The guards guarding the gallows spoke amongst themselves and followed me. I flew faster than I'd ever flown in my life. I avoided the bridge and flew straight into the stairwell.

My footsteps hammered down the steps as the voices of the castle hit me square in the chest.

My father stood in the doorjamb of his den with my mother wiping blood from his face. When his gaze met mine his spine stiffened, and he braced himself.

My mother shouted as I shoved her out of the way and punched him square in the face. All my anger began to pour out of me like a broken pipe. Amara's face and Toby's lifeless body replayed in my mind like a record.

Dragon's tugged at me to no avail. I landed on top of my father and hit him in the face relentlessly.

My mother screamed for Damien, but I didn't stop. I didn't care who she screamed for because none of them mattered. My father deserved every lick.

My dragon recognized Damien as he pulled me from Father and pushed me against the wall. "Calm down, Dorran," he hissed. "You're not thinking straight. He'll have you killed."

I didn't care. My dragon wanted to see his blood.

Mother helped Father to his feet and he waved her away. "Go somewhere," he hissed at her.

She passed by me with fear in her eyes. I never knew she could be so scared. "You think your fists are going to change anything?" he asked. "You've already gotten your best friend killed. What's next? Your mate?"

My fingers curled into fists at my sides. "Toby's alive because of my mate. She saved his life. Too bad she won't be here to save yours."

My father's jaw locked. His gaze shifted behind me to where I assumed his guards stood. None of them said a word. "Bring him to me," Father said.

Damien stepped forward and put his palm out in a calming way. "Father, you don't want to hurt Toby—,"

"Don't I?" he asked. "He tried to kill his King after he disobeyed me. I won't tolerate that. Toby will die for what he did. The only reason you're not dead is because of your mother. Take your siren and get out of this kingdom before I burn you both."

Damien must have sensed my dragon's presence. He stepped to the side.

Dad chuckled humorlessly and tilted his head to the side. "You're going to fight The Dragon King? Your father after he's shown you mercy?"

When I didn't deny it, he nodded.

"So be it."

Damien slipped behind me, giving me a look before ushering the workers out of the castle. There was no stopping my dragon once he shifted.

Dad paced toward me, his body shivering as his dragon came to life. He hadn't fought in ages. I knew I could take him. He knew I could take him. There was fear in his eyes. His pride wouldn't allow him to back down.

My dragon wanted to feast on it.

Reluctantly my father faced me, his dragon ripping from his depths, as my dragon did the same.

Lunging forward, my dragon snapped at his neck, and the sound of his snarls raked me from head to toe. My father's dragon was larger than mine, because of his age, but he was slow.

His inky black scales were iridescent and shimmered a purple color from the moonlight through the giant stained-glass window. The depths of his eyes were limitless; his teeth elongated and ready to take on his son.

How had this happened?

I didn't have much time to think about it. My dragon launched forward and gripped his neck tightly.

I could taste his blood. Raising his head, he blew fire into the air, and a dominant roar vibrated the walls.

Being younger, my dragon was two steps ahead, knocking him over with our tail, and using our talons to pierce his stomach.

My father pawed at the ground like a bull readying himself for a fight. He snapped and grappled with me for several seconds before I knocked him over again.

Jumping into the air, I began to circle the room, spraying fire at him until I watched him cower down, and curl into a fetal position. My dragon dropped to the floor and I shifted into my human form.

My father moaned, covering his wound with his palm. He'd given up quicker than I imagined he would. His age had taken a toll on his dragon. His reign was heading to an end.

My dragon pushed me to end him. He was vulnerable. He'd tried to take my mate from me and killed my best friend. Flashes of my childhood flickered across my mind. The good days. Before politics and power dominated him.

I couldn't kill him, but I'd make him pay. I glanced over my shoulder at the guards staring at us with large confused eyes. "Take him to the cells."