Page 26 of Dragon King's Cursed Mate

Seraphina looked at him admiringly. “You are so good with the kids. They love you.”

“I am rather lovable,” he said, grinning. “I try to let every person here, young and old, know that they’re important and valued. Of course, being king is important to me because it’s part of my heritage. But what’s more important is that a good king cares about the people.”

“It shows.” She giggled. “And I really want to see that rooster dance.”

“Um, not tonight,” he said.

Little by little, everyone went to bed, leaving him alone to think by the fire. The waning moon still glowed above the forest, and the constellations twinkled above him. Many people put a lot of faith in the stars and their natal astrology or birth chart, as it supposedly guided their personalities and destinies.

He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands curling into fists. His body still hummed from Seraphina’s touch and their mating.

Dain let out a slow, rough breath, rubbing his face with his hand. He knew that making love to her would be an intoxicating release of incredible emotions that bound them together for all time.

Yet now, he was terrified of losing control. His chest tightened with the fear of slowly going mad and losing himself. He would rather die than become like his Uncle Malakar—hollow and evil.

He was also afraid of losing Seraphina. Although the curse would destroy him, so would losing her. She was a part of who he was—a part of his soul.

There hadn’t been any voices tonight—no whispers that told him to look deeper inside himself. He should have felt relieved that they hadn’t come to him, but it actually unsettled him because he knew they’d return.

Dain raked his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily. The frustration of not knowing ate at him worse than the fear.

He growled, sending a small lightning bolt flying into the dirt.

I can’t afford weakness. Not now. Not with the war starting.

Seraphina was in her tent, sleeping inside the ruins. He wanted to wake her up and tell her about the voices he’d heardand ask her if it was part of the curse. She might know more about the whispers and be able to help him. Or, she might tell him that the prophecy was starting to take hold.

He stood and watched the last of the fire die out before heading to his tent.

Seraphina’s prophecy echoed in his mind and his reminder that he couldn’t win the war and claim his throne if he’d gone insane. For now, he’d hold onto that hope.

11

Seraphina

Seraphina sat in the forest clearing, staring deep into the sacred fire. The green flames swirled around her, consuming her.

“Where lies in Malakar’s weakness? How does Dain use this weakness?”

The answer came in a faint whisper. “Malakar’s weakness is his arrogant pride. Dain can challenge Malakar’s assumptions that Malakar is all-powerful.”

Seraphina already knew that and had hoped she would get a different or more precise answer.

“What forces, seen and unseen, must align for Dain to succeed?”

She saw a vision of the Ruins of Arkhadia. The whisper caressed her face, sending goosebumps up and down her arms. “They are gradually aligning. The final force is an ancient king whose power is greater than all others. Dain Stormrider will regain his throne and Arkhadia will become great again.”

The answer fit with what she’d felt at the ruins. There was a great, powerful force that dwelled within Arkhadia. Even now, itseemed that evil and good forces existed, waiting for something—she hated not knowing.

“You must always beware and be strong. If you show weakness, the darkness will find its way in and try to interfere with your visions, sending you and the king down the wrong path. The medallion will protect you, but it’s not enough. You have to face it and defeat it.”

The whisper faded away, but the flames remained. There was more.

“Dain must also be wary of visions and voices. Some will come from ancient spirits who will guide him. Others are human-created, designed to break him. He must trust himself to know the difference and to follow the right path.”

With the final words, the flames died down and Seraphina stood in the middle of the clearing, holding the warm crystal in her hands.

“How can something be so helpful and unhelpful at the same time,” she muttered. “They tell me everything but nothing at the same time.”

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