Page 81 of The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating

DETECT HALF-TRUTHS (WHILE TRAINING YOUR DRAGON)

ARABELLA

I wiped soot from my face and let out a ragged breath.

“Nyx!” I shouted, voice cracking. “Control the flame. Don’t just?—”

Too late. The dummy erupted into a bright column that singed my eyebrows and filled the courtyard with thick smoke. My skin prickled from the heat, sweat trickling between my shoulder blades. I coughed, waving my arms to clear the air.

“Dammit,” I muttered, dropping what remained of the charred pole. “That’s the third one today.”

Nyx perched on her haunches, swishing her tail in smug satisfaction. If dragons could smirk, she was definitely smirking at me.

“Don’t give me that look,” I warned, wiping my hands on my grimy leathers. “We agreed on controlled bursts, remember? Small. Precise.” I held my thumb and forefinger barely an inch apart. “Not ‘incinerate-everything-within-reach.’”

An amused snort escaped Nyx’s nostrils, accompanied by a puff of smoke. In the short time since Kazimir gave her to me, she’d nearly doubled in size and now stood as tallas my shoulder, wings sturdy and broad enough to force the beastmaster to reinforce the stable doors. Her attitude had grown right along with her wingspan.

“At least you hit the target this time,” I added drily, “sort of.”

Nyx let out a low rumble, her version of a laugh. Through our connection, I felt bubbles of glee. Chaos was her playground, and she clearly believed I should stop complaining and join her.

“You know Griffin will have my head if we torch all his training dummies before sunset,” I grumbled. “And then where would we be?” She instantly sent me a flashing mental image of us flying far away, leaving the citadel behind—all freedom and scorching carnage. “Yes, very funny,” I said, rolling my eyes. “But we still need to learn control, especially after you ate Griffin’s familiar. He’s not forgiven you for that... or me, by extension.”

She rumbled in lazy contentment, as if my scolding was funny. I grabbed another dummy from the nearly depleted stack, half-dreading the next misfire. “Okay,” I coached her gently, “small and precise like we practiced yesterday. One more shot, and?—”

The dragon inhaled, chest expanding. For a moment, hope flickered in my chest—maybe she’d actually do it right. Then mischief lit her eyes.

“Nyx,” I warned, “if you incinerate this one too, I’m telling Griffin it was your idea to practice flame control near his experimental menagerie.”

That gave her pause. With a grudging huff, she exhaled a stream of violet fire that scorched only the dummy’s midsection. I grinned and clapped.

“So you could do it after all!” A burst of pride warmed me. She was a relentless trickster, but she was mine, and I loved her for it.

“Impressive discipline,” a deep voice drawled from the courtyard entrance. “Though I suspect your threat was more effective than your instructions.”

My heart skipped a beat as I turned. Kazimir leaned casually against the archway, arms folded over his chest. Even in the twilight, his presence managed to dominate the space. My traitorous pulse kicked up several notches.

“Sometimes fear works better than reason,” I tossed back, meeting his gaze. “I believe that’s the first rule of being a villain?”

His mouth curved into one of those dark half-smiles that made me want to either punch him or pounce on him. “Would you like to find out what else I know about motivation, Arabella?”

Heat flared across my cheeks. Nyx snorted, tail thumping the cobblestones like she found us both ridiculous. I busied myself brushing ash off my leathers to hide any traitorous flush.

“Not tonight,” I said with a breezy tone. “Unless you came to donate your wardrobe for target practice. Nyx would enjoy torching your shirts.”

“Tempting,” he said, pushing away from the wall and walking toward me with that predator’s grace he wore so well. My gaze settled on the breadth of his shoulders, how the tailored coat hugged his frame. “But I’m here on business.”

My collar suddenly felt too tight. “What business?”

Nyx stepped over, pressing her head into his hip. He scratched her eye ridges, and the dragon nearly melted from delight. She wasn’t the only one purring on the inside.

Kazimir’s expression turned serious. “We’ve had more attacks on our border villages, as well as those that trade with my territories. All within days of each other.”

“More bandits?” I found myself stepping closer, even though my better instincts told me to keep my distance.

He nodded. “They aren’t successful, but the pass offers ideal cover. Morana’s been sending messages for extra men and supplies.”

“You think she’s involved?”

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