Page 64 of Deadly Alliances

“What’s wrong with your office?” I couldn’t help but pry.

“It’s just a little too cluttered at the moment for a private conversation with my daughter,” he dismissed. “The conferenceroom is much better.”

I let go of the issue and let him lead the way, reminding myself that I didn’t come to interrogate him about a silly room. I came to try to save Tobias and Char.

Hadrian held open the door to the conference room for me and closed it behind me, leaving the guards standing outside. The room was large with a very long, rectangular table taking up the majority of the space. He took the seat at the closest end and offered me the seat catty-corner to it.

“What’s on your mind?” he invited.

For a moment, I considered using my siren voice on him to force his cooperation. He trusted me. All I had to do was say the words and he would never know the decision wasn’t his own.

But we were in his conference room—I wouldn’t put it past him to have cameras set up in here. In fact, I expected it. And if he found out I had broken his one rule... I wanted to believe this whole father bit was sincere, but I wasn’t prepared to face the consequences if it wasn’t.

I took a deep breath, mustering all my courage and hoping my heart rate was steady enough to prove me a worthy advocate.

“The Dracul boy. I’d like for you to let him go,” I declared. “As well as his female companion.”

Hadrian gave me a blank look for a moment, then burst out laughing, the sound so sharp it rang in my ears. I suddenly felt very small and insignificant.

“Do you have any notion of wartime politics?” he asked, still chuckling. “They attacked us, and they lost. It’s then our right to execute them or keep them prisoners as we see fit. I feel I’ve been rather lenient on the boy. Why do you care what happensto him? I know you two were acquaintances at your little school, but it’s time to let go of such trivial connections.”

“I’m not as comfortable with violence as everyone here seems to be.” I swallowed. “I’d appeal to you for mercy regardless of who it was, but this particular dragon happens to matter to me.”

Hadrian cocked his head, studying me. “Ah, perhaps he wasn’t merely an acquaintance. Perhaps he was something more? Has my daughter fallen in love?”

The question felt like an accusation, triggering the anger and heartache that still lingered from Tobias’s betrayal. “We might have been close to that at one time.”

His eyes narrowed, a knowing smirk spreading across his lips. “Ah, so that’s it. The royal pretender has broken your heart.”

I kept my expression blank and my breathing still, but sorrow spilled out through the cracks in my heart, spreading through my chest like a poison.

“Tell me, what happened between the two of you?” he asked, the softness in his expression disarming me. I wanted to open up to him, wanted to believe he could really be the father I’d missed my whole life.

I leaned forward, tucking my hands between my thighs. “Well, basically…”

I paused. I knew that Hadrian knew I was a siren, but I didn’t want to bring that to his attention again. The less he knew about that ability, the safer for everyone.

I shifted in my chair. “He just lied to me about so many things. He used me, manipulated me, pulled me in only to push me away over and over.”

He nodded, wearing a sympathetic frown that made him lookeven more beautiful. “If that’s the case, then why do you want him to go free? Why do you care what happens to him?”

“Love isn’t something you can just wash away when you’re done with it,” I said, looking at the table. “No matter what he did or didn’t do to me, I still don’t want to see him suffer. I know he’s a good person behind all of that. And he doesn’t deserve to be punished for trying to rescue me.”

“And do you believe you need rescuing?” he asked, a sly note to his voice.

I shook my head. “No. I feel I’m where I’m supposed to be. But Tobias couldn’t have known that.”

He rubbed his chin, looking at me intensely for a long moment. I could see affection and concern in his eyes, could feel it emanating from him. I was getting through to him. Maybe he wasn’t a monster after all. Maybe there was some goodness in him yet.

He suddenly stood, his posture stiff and all softness gone from his features. “I’m sorry to deny your request, but I cannot and will not set him free. It’s become quite clear that he deserves muchlessmercy from me.”

Panic slammed inside me like a heavy door closing on the hope I’d started to have.

“Wh–what? No, p–please—” I stuttered, reaching for his hand unintentionally. How had this conversation gone so horribly wrong?

He accepted my hand and squeezed it. “No filthy dragon is going to break my daughter’s heart and get away with it. You deserve so much better than the likes of him, and maybe when he’s removed, you’ll understand that.”

“No! Please, don’t kill him!” I begged.

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