Page 48 of Monsters In Her Head

Chapter 26

Ira

Ryu wanted to go barreling into the Plumus prince’s camp laid out on the outskirts of the Gebe forest. How did the prince get permission to bring so many of his own men into the country? There was no way that Ryu would ever approve such a move. It was just asking the other kingdoms to attack.

“Brother, please” Desmond appealed to Ryu for the fifth time since they’d gathered on the edges of the forest. “She isn’t worth it. Let’s just go back and gather our people and leave. Let them fight it out amongst themselves.”

Ira could see his brother, Desmond’s, side of things. A strange female coming into their lives only to thrust their entire race into danger. If Ira hadn’t seen the scars on Georgia’s pale luscious skin himself, he would have thought she was playing a game as well. If the very thought of running didn’t turn Ira’s stomach, he would have almost agreed with Desmond.

But the scars didn’t lie and neither did Georgia. This prince wouldn’t stop until he took the kingdom and destroyed all of them.

Ryu snarled and grabbed Desmond by the throat, shoving him against the trunk of a nearby tree. “Either you are going to help us or you can go back to the mountain. I won’t have you causing the rest of our people to be put in danger because you are hesitant to get involved.”

“But brother —”

Smoke and a bit of flame puffed out of Ryu’s nose. “Am I clear?”

Desmond’s chest grew bright with his anger, smoke curling out of his nose and mouth as he snarled, “Crystal.”

Ryu released him with a shove. “Then let’s move.”

Ira moved from his place against the tree he’d been leaning on, his tail flicking from side to side. “If we are done discussing this, I still think one of us should scout out the area before just attacking in mass.”

“We don’t have time,” Ryu scowled, his head turning toward Ira. “We don’t know what that bastard of a prince is doing to her right now. I won’t have a single mark on her body.”

“You have to have more confidence in Georgia,” Ira uncrossed his arms and stepped closer to his brother, lowering his voice so the other drake soldiers didn’t overhear their conversation. No need to worry about them when it wasn’t needed. “Beautine has taught her well and she will have the element of surprise on her side.” Ira’s lips ticked up at the thought of the look on her betroths’ face when the helpless broken princess finally bit back.

Ryu assessed Ira for a moment before nodding his agreement.

Desmond arched a brow at Ira, his voice trickling into his head.Thank you.

Ira flashed a nasty grin at his brother.I didn’t do it for you.

Desmond sighed and rubbed a hand between his horns.This female is going to be the death of us. I just know it.

Then you better get on board because she’s not going anywhere.Ryu snapped into both of their minds with a definitive slap of his tail against the ground.

Ira snorted and patted Ryu on the shoulder. “Let’s get her back first before we make life altering statements. Besides, who’s to say she’s going to stick around after all this. Maybe we’re just an adventure, something she grins and bares until she can get what she wants.”

“Exactly what I’ve been trying to say all along,” Desmond threw his hands up with a release of breath. “We help her, she turns on us, and then we are back where we started, hiding out from the humans, and we’re an unknown number of drakes shorter because we helped her fight the Plumus.” Ryu opened his mouth to argue but Desmond continued as if he hadn’t noticed. “Who, as you know, hate us and anyone different.”

“All the more reason to defeat them,” Ira commented with a pointed look at them both. This was getting out of control and knowing their brother Desmond had a hundred and one reasons why he shouldn’t get out of bed in the morning let alone help a princess save her kingdom.

“Ira has a point.” Ryu inclined his head in Ira’s direction, his hand going to the hilt of his sword. “We’re wasting time. We’re going.”

“Another point I was about to make,” Desmond jumped in front of Ryu, pulling his machete from his back. He spun it in his hands and pointed the sharp edge at Ryu’s throat. “Where will we go?”

Ryu grabbed the metal point in his palm, and jerked it away from his neck. “What do you mean?”

“Since you don’t seem to want to run now, where are we going to run when the inevitable happens and we actually do have to run?” Desmond clicked his tongue and shook his head. “We can’t go to Plumus, like you said they hate us.”

Ryu snorted.

“Can’t go to Caffew, they don’t have anything for us to hide in. Nothing but endless plains, no mountains unless we want to dig a tunnel?” Desmond cocked a brow. “I didn’t think so.”

“You’re being dramatic brother.” Ryu growled, shoving Desmond’s weapon back at him. “Perhaps you should move into the female’s quarters.”

“Haha, very amusing.” Desmond hooked his machete on his back and stared out in between the trees. “What I’m saying is that we aren’t thinking this through. This is a big risk for very little reward, if any. I just don’t see the point.”

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