Page 51 of Burning Heir

He didn’t respond, and perhaps he would drag me to the Malvoria boat if we did survive the woods. “I don’t owe you an explanation,” he hissed. “This was reckless,Severyn.”

“Then don’t owe me. Tell me why you saved me.”

Archer closed his eyes. “Curiosity will get you killed. Stop asking questions and be thankful.” Another barked order to shut up, but I wouldn’t, not when my voice carried seven faded screams.

We were nearly halfway out of the woods before one death dweller lunged and pinned Archer to the ground.

Its claws sliced into his chest. Blood dripped from his stomach, sweeping over that serpent tattoo that covered most of his ungodly body, over the veins of precision that carved his muscles.

Archer grunted, forcing an arrow over his shoulder, missing the snapping, snarling creature—

My hands became hot. Sweltering heat boiled in my gut, rising toward my inflamed cheeks. I reached for the last dagger and stepped toward the creature, and before I could breathe, a flame struck from the center of my trembling palms.

Flame.

I fell as the flame smothered the beast in a grasp of fire, crawling back and circling my fingers like withered ropes. Black smoke curdled from its hissing muzzle, collapsing into a pile of ash.

I killed it with flame.

I stared at my palms, then at Archer, who I swore was more shocked than me. “My quell…”

“Antecedent quell,” Archer breathed, cursing as the trails neared our sight. “You stole Klaus’s power.”

“I didn’t steal it!” I snapped, my voice breaking with desperation.

“A quell passed through a dragon is only strong through the bond of a living enigma. That dragon down there is a rotted corpse.”

He knew all along where Klaus was—knew it was only bones that held him together. But I had felt scales on that dragon. I had felt… warmth. I had felt something.

“It called to me and has been since I got here. It led me here, Archer. I swear!”

We dove over the warded trail, finally breaking free from the suffocating forest. Archer stumbled toward a cabin, his steps uneven. “A dead dragon cannot call to you,” he muttered. He opened a cabin door, and I followed him inside. “Do you know how to bandage? I won’t be strong enough to make it back tonight. Not with the amount I’m bleeding. There’s bandages and cloth in the closet.” He pointed a trembling finger toward the furthest wall.

I wriggled off my outer layer, slopping the wet garment on the ground. My throat was dry as I nodded, watching Archer slump onto the cot. The once-pristine white sheets were already soaked in blood. I grabbed the first-aid bag from the linen closet and hesitated before sitting on the edge of the bed. Carefully, I began pulling the remnants of his shredded top away, revealing the extent of the damage.

I wiped down his chest with an alcohol pad, my hands steady despite the chaos brewing inside me. Three inflamed claw marks were carved below his breastbone, the torn skin weeping crimson. Toned muscles rippled with every graze of my hand.

I had never seen a more beautiful man writhing in pain.

My breath hitched as I trailed along the black serpent tattoo etched into his skin. The towelette slipped from my fingers when my eyes landed on something unexpected—something impossible. Five familiar letters scrawled across his ribs, their penmanship unmistakable.

Klaus.

My heart pounded in my chest, each beat louder than the last. My voice trembled as I spoke, questioning my own sanity. “Why do you have Klaus’s name marked on your ribs?” My hand shook, hovering over the name. I knew that cursive letter K was the way he signed his name on cards during Winter Solstice gifting.

Archer’s gaze hardened, his jaw tightening. “Klaus and I were bonded riders. Our enigmas were Gemini twins. Ciaran and Naraic.”

‘Find my name beside a thumping heart and flesh.’Klaus’s words echoed in my mind, but I pushed the thought aside. It had to be a coincidence—some cruel twist of fate.

“Damien said you were… weak,” I said, my breath stifling in my lungs as I wrapped the bandage around his chest, tightening it with care. My eyes didn’t leave his. “Is it… because of Klaus?”

“Ciaran is weak, but hopefully, she will live another decade,” Archer replied, his voice quieter now, almost mournful. “She enjoys being here and knowing Naraic rests.” He paused, his gaze darkening with the weight of memory. “I’m still recovering.”

“How did Klaus die? I imagine it takes something quite large to take down a dragon of his size?” I pinned my arms to my side, leaning back on my ankles as far away from him. Yet, my eyes stroked the dark hair trailing the deep curve near his abdominal muscle.

Fuck, I was alone in a cabin with a bleeding ruler who, thankfully, didn’t notice my stare. “There’s more danger to this academy than those beasts in the forests.” He rolled onto his side, his chest moving up and down, and suddenly, I was fixated on his every move.

“Why is everything restricted? Students should be aware of any attack at the academy.” I returned the first-aid kit to the linen closet but stayed across the cabin. I was wrong about Archer. It took everything in me to take one more step back to him.

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