Page 39 of The Dragon Queen

Chapter

Twelve

EMBER

Whenweresumetrainingthatafternoon,IplacetheringonmyfingerandsayatinyprayertotheGods.

Butthey'renotlistening.

Mygrandfather'sringremainsinert,andIremainterribleatmagic.Thedisappointmentwantstocrushme,butit'snotasifIreallyexpectedmuch.Idomanagetokeepabetterlidonmyemotions.GodforbidIhaveanother 'tempertantrum'.

Forhispart,Rookdoesn'ttreatmeanydifferently.Hestillridesmyassandtellsmetoworkharder,focusmore.

Ikeepmygrowloffrustrationinside.HowmuchhardercanIwork?I'mfocusingwithallofmysoul.ButI'vegotnothing.

Bythetimewecallitquitsfortheday,I'mexhausted.Ichugwhat'sleftofmywaterbottleandmopthesweatoffmybrow.

Amynudgesme,andItrynottobeannoyedthatshesomehowmanagedtocomeoutofourtrainingsessionlookingdewyandglowing,whileIfeellikeahot,uselessmess.

Asshedelicatelysipsherownwater,shetipsherheadtowardRook'sretreatingform. "Sowhatwasallthatabout?"

"What?"

"Don'tpretendyouhaven'tnoticedhimgivingyouasuperhardtimetoday."

Yeah.Inoticed. "We'rerunningoutoftime."

"It'sbeen,like,threedays."

"Andwe'vegot,like,lessthantwentymore,"Iremindher,mimickinghertone.Instantly,Iregretbeingflippant.Ishakemyheadandscrubahanddownmyface. "Sorry,thatwasreallybitchy."

"Kinda,butit'sokay."SheglancesinRook'sdirectionagain. "Youguysseemedtobehavinganintenseconversationearlier,too,though.Everythingokay?"

Itwisttheringaroundmyfinger. "Yeah,just--somefamilydrama."Ipointatthenewjewelry. "Hegavemethis."

Shepullsaface. "Notreallyyourstyle."

"It'sgotsomesortofShadowDragonmagicinit."Frowning,Idropmyhandstomysides. "Oratleastitdoesforhim.Forme?Bupkis."

"Weird.Thoughfromeverythingyousaidaboutthebracer,Iguessmagicalartifactssometimeshavemindsoftheirown."Sheshrugsandsmiles. "Maybeit'llwarmuptoyou?"

"Maybe."I'mnotconcedingherpoint,I'mjusttiredoftalkingaboutit.

Honestly,I'mjustplaintired.

It'sonlybeenthreedays,butthedayshavebeengruelinganddemoralizing.

Andthenights...

Isuppressashudder.Thestrainofbeingsofarawayfrommymatesistakingatollonmypsycheandmybody,both.Myskinitches,tootight,flashinghotandcold.There'sahungerdeepwithinmethatclawswithagnawingache.MyownhandsonmyfleshbeneaththecoverswhenIcan'tsleepbringmomentaryrelief,buttheravenouspitwithinmereceivesnosatisfaction.

Iclenchdowninside,tryingnottothinkabouthowitwouldfeeltofallintomymates'arms.Tohavemyclothespeelawayandtobesurroundedbyallthatstrong,hot,muscularflesh.

Ilongfortheirscents,theirkiss,theircocks...

Exhalinghard,Idigmynailsintothemeatofmypalms.

Ican'tletmyselfgetdistracted,missingthemlikethis.

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