Page 52 of A Lick of Flame

“It’s true.”

As shocking of a revelation as this is, and despite my words, I know it’s true. I can feel it. All these men are after us. They want him. No wonder they do. A king. One of the Lost Kings returned. Hidden in plain sight.

Kakara help me!

“Say something…please,” he says in a deep rasp. I hate how his voice affects me.

“It’s a lot to take in. You should have told me sooner. We were in danger from the moment we set out on this quest. Our lives are interwoven…you said it yourself, and yet you didn’t think I needed to know this integral part of the equation?”

“I knew when I escaped the fighting pit that word would have gotten out about me. They saw my markings. They saw a man turn into a fae before their eyes, but it’s like whoever put this bounty on my head knows exactly where I am and where I go. They’ve been able to track me all the way out here. I didn’t expect that. I thought if I stayed in the shadows, kept my head down and my ears covered, that we would go undetected. That no one would be the wiser about who I really am. Not telling you helped with concealing my identity. This should never have happened. If I had known, I…I would have told you sooner.”

“You should have! You should have told me before we set out.”

“I didn’t have to tell you anything back then. I didn’t think it was necessary. You said it yourself: we’re not friends.” His eyes cloud for a moment as he throws my words back at me, and rightly so. Then he squares his shoulders. “We weren’t friends then, and nothing has changed.”

Hearing him say it hurts me, but only because I’m an idiot. “No, we’re not!” I respond a little too sharply, but I don’t care. “And we never will be,” I add unnecessarily. I mean it, though. I mean every word.

“I’m glad you agree. We’ve struck up a reluctant truce so that we can find a solution to your problem…so that you don’t get sick and die with a catastrophic knock-on effect.”

“Namely your death.”

“Raila, too. That’s all this is.” He looks between us. “And then I need to search for the other Lost Kings. Together, we need to find a way to best Snow, to take back our birthrights, and to help our people. Your people, too. We need to fix the whole realm…to heal the very soil. All of my decisions have been with that end in mind. It isn’t about me. It isn’t about your feelings, either. I’m sorry I betrayed you, but I would do it again in a heartbeat if I knew it would help me achieve my goals.”

“I’m sure you would.” I know I sound like a petulant child, but after all we’ve been through together, I can’t help it. Just like I can’t help the hurt, anger, and betrayal bubbling inside me. The worst part of all of it is that I’m not sure if it’s because he didn’t tell me about who he is or if it’s because of his stinging words.

We are not friends. We never will be. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

“For the record, I don’t care that you’re a king. I won’t be bowing down to you or doing your bidding. You can get any of that right out of your head.”

His mouth twitches. “I would never expect it. You’re not one of my subjects. Then again, while you’re tethered to one of my dragons, you’re technically one of my people, but I won’t enforce it.”

“You’d better not because you will be sorely disappointed.” I huff out a breath. “What are we going to do about our current situation?” I ask, trying hard to push my feelings aside. The fact of the matter remains that I need Orion. I need him to escape and to help me break this tether. Just thinking about Raila has me connecting with her through my mind. I let her in. I feel her energy and allow her to feel mine. She misses me. I need to do this for her, too. I don’t want anything to happen to her. If we stay tethered, she will die. We all will.

Orion bumps me softly with his shoulder. “Are you listening?”

I suck in a breath. “No, I was… It doesn’t matter,” I mutter.

“Was it Raila?”

I nod.

“She probably senses your…emotions…the fact that you’re upset.”

“More like spitting mad.” I narrow my eyes.

He smiles, and something lights up in me, which makes me even more angry. “Don’t do that. There is absolutely nothing to smile about. Not one thing.”

“Okay…you’re right. You asked what we’re going to do.” He keeps his voice low.

“Yes. Shouldn’t we be coming up with a plan of escape?” I ask, talking as softly as I can.

“We have zero chance so long as these iron shackles are on my wrists and ankles,” he says; his eyes seem to darken a little. “I’ll take an opportunity if it presents itself. I will keep trying to convince Bard to let us go.”

“I don’t think there is much hope of that happening. From the sounds of it, there is a huge bounty on your head. One they won’t want to give up easily for someone they once knew.”

His throat works as he swallows. “I have to try to change Bard’s mind about me. I knew him for years before I was captured. They know me almost better than I know myself.”

“They don’t know anything about you.” I can’t help the retort. “They thought you were a man. A son of a mercenary. Beyond that—”

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