Page 78 of The Flame King's Queen

“I’m sorry, girl,” Biddy says, and there is genuine sorrow in her watery blue eyes. “I fear you have a different path to tread. It will be far from here, and not an easy one.”

I sit up in alarm. “Far from here? What do you mean, far from here?”

Ravenna is opening her mouth when Kane interrupts her. “You looked cozy with the captain who rides that ratty bird lizard. Pining for you, is he? A dangerous game he’s playing right under my nose, and don’t fool yourself into believing that he can make you feel anything close to how I—”

“It’s a wyvern, not a ratty bird lizard,” Anise tells him angrily. “If you’re going to stay, then stuff a cake in your mouth and shut up, or I’ll do it for you.”

Through clenched teeth, he replies, “But I am waiting for someone to thank me for saving the king’s life. He wouldn’t honor me himself.”

“You must not always be seeking gratitude,” Ravenna tells him.

“But I long for gratitude,” he says with hungry eyes that devour his Omega. “Have I earned a kiss, Ravenna? I’ve been so good to your disgusting little witch queen and her big, stupid mate.”

“Don’t kiss him unless it will turn him into a frog,” Anise tells her.

With soft, doe eyes, Ravenna reaches up to him. Kane leans down farther from his great height, seeking her mouth, and she cups his jaw.

He freezes. Ravenna’s nails have suddenly grown by an inch into pinprick points, and they are tipped with green.

Kane glances at her nails out of the corner of his eye. “Poisoned?”

She smiles. “Do you like my new hex? I learned it just for you.”

“Impressive. I don’t mind the nails, but I’d rather do without the poison.”

“Sorry. I’m in a poisonous mood.”

“As much fun as that was last time,” he grumbles and steps away from her. “I’ll wait outside, but I’ll just say this.” He turns to me. “Tell that dragonmaster of yours to stop coveting my dragons.”

I gaze at him, perplexed. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“That white-scaled bitch of his has been flying over my dragons at night, and Stesha is always drooling over Aurissa and Auriana.”

Interesting. Perhaps Stesha wants Auryn’s sisters for our flare. They don’t seem happy with their riders, and I can imagine that Stesha knows ways to coax unhappy dragons away to a new home. I shrug lightly. “I have little to do with the dragonmaster. Tell him yourself.”

“If anyone tries to take my dragons, I’ll spill their blood.” Kane slams out of the cottage.

Ravenna turns to Biddy with an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry, mistress. I’ll try not to let that happen again.”

Biddy chuckles to herself. “That witchfinder would have murdered us all not long ago, and now you’ve got him coming to coven meetings like a little lamb and too scared to accept a cup of tea from you. No need to be sorry, my girl. I enjoyed myself immensely.”

The final event,which was delayed due to Emmeric’s attack, is held the following day.

Zabriel is motivated to win, but from the hard gleam in Stesha’s eyes, you’d think his life depended on being the victor. The two Alphas are both at the top of the leaderboard with equal points. If one of them places higher than the other in this event, there will be a clear winner.

“I’m thinking of competing in this event myself,” I say, rubbing my belly as I approach Zabriel at the dragongrounds. The baby feels excited this morning, as restless as their father.

Zabriel turns to me in horror. “Sha’lenla, you can’t. It’s far too violent. What if you fall? What if you…” He trails off as he notices me smiling. “Ah. You are teasing me.”

“Please do your best not to fall or break anything today. Even the event’s name is making me worried for you.”

“It sounds worse than it is,” he tells me, patting Scourge’s flank.

“The Blooding. That’s the event’s name. How could it sound worse than it is when the entire purpose is for dragons to draw each other’s blood?”

“That was the event in the past, but we’ve changed things now. All the dragons will eat a special mixture created by theHratha’lento make their dragonfire harmless for a short time, but leave a glowing scorch mark. During the first half of the event at least. During the second half, there will still be a fight to first blood between the victor and another dragonrider of their choosing.”

That’s somewhat of a relief.

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