Page 37 of The Dragon Queen

Whenmyfatherwentmissing,Ithoughttheworldwasending.Inaway,maybeitwas.

Rook'sthroatbobs,andthecornerofhismouthwavers. "Ithoughtlifemightgetbetter,too."

Oh.

Mystomachsinks,thereactionvisceral.

"Hewasarightbastard,"Rookconfides. "Cruel.Heuseddarkmagicfreely.Once,whenPitchandImisbehavedaschildren,helockedusinaroomhe'dremovedallthelightfrom."Heflexeshisjawagainstashudder. "Ihadnightmaresforweeks."

"That'sawful."

"Thatwaslife."Rookshakeshishead,asifwillingawaythememory. "Itmademe--andyourfather--themenwewouldbecome."

Again,Ifeelrobbedbythefactthatmyfathernevertoldmeanyofthis.Griefandgratitudeswirltogetherwithinme.AsgladasIamtobesoakinginallofthisinformationnow,IwishI'dknownmoreabouthislifeandhispast,backthen.Whenhewasalive,andwecouldhaveactuallytalkedaboutit.

Iblinkhard,swallowingagainstthetightnessinmythroat.

Maybemyfatherwassparingme.MaybehewaswaitinguntilIwasolder.

Eitherway,heovercamethesinsofhisfather.Wherehewastreatedwithcruelty,hechosetoparentwithkindness.Everythingabouthispresencefeltlikesafetytome,andIneveroncedoubtedhislove.

Slowly,Rookremovestheringfromhisfinger. "Myfatherinheritedthisringfromhisfather,whoinheriteditfromhis,andsoonforwhoknowshowmanygenerations.Itisinfusedwithadeepmagic."Hedartsaglancemyway. "Butalso,withcenturiesofcrueltyandathirstforpowerthattranscendedallattachment.Puttingitonhasacost."

Iswallowmechanically.Nowthathe'sremovedtheband,itscracklingvioletglowfades.Itreflectsthegoldenlightofthesun,gleamingsobrightlyit'salmostblinding.

Butthenthatlightdisappears.Asifabsorbedbythemetalitself.

No--notabsorbed.Consumed.

"Thistrinket,asyousay,hasgottenmeoutofatightspotortwo.Ifyouthinkitwillallowyoutobecomethequeenyouaredestinedtobe,then..."Hehesitates,butwithaslightquivertohispalm,heholdsouthishandtowardme. "Itisyours."

Myeyesflywide,disbeliefstrikingme. "But--"

"Donotmakemerepeatmyoffer."Linesofstrainappearbetweenhisbrows.It'scostinghimsomething,togivethisup.

Istarttoreachforit,butIpause.Really,I'mnottryingtotesthim,butIcan'thelpasking. "Whyareyouonlysuggestingthisnow?"

Whynotearlier,whenhefoundoutI'dlostthebracer?Hewasprettydoomandgloom,then,buthefocusedimmediatelyontryingtoretrievethecrown.

"BecauseIamaselfish,oldmanwho'salreadygivenupmyhome,myking,andmybrother.Nowtakeit,"hecommands.

Ipluckthebandfromhispalm,andIfeel...

Nothing.

Myforeheadcrinkles.Thering'spowerwasobviouswhileRookwaswieldingit.Butthere'snoneofthemagneticpullIfeltwhenIfirstencounteredthebracer.Itdoesn'tevenwhisperthewayRhiannon'slocketdid.

IlookatRooktofindhimhunchedoverslightly,butherecoversquickly,risingtohisfullheightagain.There'ssomethingjustatinybitlessregaltohisbearing,though.Lessimposing.

Ikeeptheringinmypalm. "It's...silent."

"Putiton."

Mythroatconstricts,nervesflutteringinmymidsection.Healreadywarnedmethattheringexactsacost.IfI'mstuckwithachunkofmetalonmyfinger,Iguessthat'sbetterthanhavingmyentireforearmtrappedinamysteriousmagicalartifact'sgrasp,butIcan'tshakemywariness.

Still.Ibreatheindeeplybeforeexhaling.Theringseemsfartoolarge,butIslideitonmyrightindexfinger,exactlywhereRookworeitjustafewmomentsago.

Myheartskipsabeatasthemetalshiftsandmorphs,moldingtomydimensions.Itglideseasilyovermyknucklebeforesettlingatthebaseofmyfingerwithasecurebutcomfortablefit.

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