Page 69 of Burning Heir

I slammed my palm into his chest and hissed, “I do not disagree with you. Perhaps I’ve been rather distracted, and no, I don’t know how those bonds are formed.” Damien was the worstsparring partner I could have chosen. I needed someone who would not go easy on me and could not predict my every move. Preferably someone I hadn’t kissed.

I dove right, but he was already there, his hands around my waist, pulling me closer. Our hips pressed together, and the dagger slid from his grasp, sticking into the grass. He shifted closer, and those hazel eyes softened under the moonlight.

“Stop,” he whispered, his grip tightening, drawing me closer. “I wish I could shield around you, but it’s difficult, and I’m afraid if I let you in, you won’t understand my mind.”

I swallowed the burning down.

“I understand,” I said.

But I wasn’t sure if I did, because it was happening again. Those tight grips of his fingers around my body made me believe he wanted me in another way. I knew I was clueless in every sense of romance, but this was not me being naïve. His heart strummed against my chest as his cool breath hit my forehead. This was coldblooded, something derived from time spent. A mimic of lust. This was breathless whispers, rambled words, and everything I’d read in the fables.

But Damien had told me he didn’t believe in fairytales.

“Damien, I am in the run for only your father’s title,” I whispered in one defeated breath. “My mother was a Ravensla native. I didn’t know.”

His forehead leaned into mine. “I know.”

“This complicates things.”

He shook his head. “My entire life has been muddled thoughts and fragmented conversations. Every moment, I live in constant noise. I find peace within you, Severyn. So, forgive me for saying I don’t care if we are rivals. I never cared about earning a damn title.”

“You may not want it now.”

“You’ll know when I change my mind because I could kill you without you ever seeing it coming. I hear every thought, every nerve that dares to move inside your body! And I’m afraid I’ll hurt you someday.” He hovered over my heart, dragging the dull end against the button loops on my shirt.

I reached my arm up, and he grabbed my wrist, pinning it against his chest.

He got close. One hand on either side of me, a breath separating us. I didn’t push him away, but perhaps I should’ve been terrorized. Reckless, dangerous madness. Or, as Cain described, chaos.

“Damien,” I breathed. “You don’t scare me.”

It was a lie, and he knew it.

“It doesn’t hurt yet. Let’s enjoy it while it lasts,” he said.

He meant us. Someday, we would hurt the other.

Malachi’s shadow flickered under the doorway of our room after Damien and I parted ways in the grand hall. I lingered outside, waiting for a moment of peace before facing her inevitable chatter about her latest date with Monty.

But when the door creaked open, it wasn’t Malachi. It wasn't even human.

A black-scaled creature lunged at me, its gaping maw lined with needle-sharp teeth. I screamed, stumbling backward over the shattered remnants of a golden eggshell. The creature slithered across the stone floor, its hiss slicing through the air as it coiled and struck again.

Panic coursed through me. I reached for my flame, but fear clogged my veins, and all I could muster was a wave of sweat. It lunged again, sinking its jagged teeth into my ankle. Pain searedthrough my leg as I kicked desperately, my breath hitching in terror.

I screamed again, kicking harder, but the creature’s grip tightened. The pain was unbearable as I clawed at its eye, jabbing my fingers into the soft, wet iris. It reared back with a shrill hiss, but it didn’t let go.

My vision blurred. The skin around my ankle turned pale, the bone nearly exposed. It lunged again, and in my scramble, I slammed my head against the tile floor. Stars exploded behind my eyes, the world tipping sideways.

Death had courted me many times. Born in the chrysalis of darkness, the womb of a woman who killed with her eyes and touch, perhaps I was destined to die this way—poisoned, broken.

Maybe I saved those keys for myself.

In and out of consciousness, shadows engulfed me. I awoke on a velvet bed, a cold draft brushing against my cheekbone.

I groaned, stretching my arms as the memory of last night surfaced. The tight bandage around my ankle was a cruel reminder. Where the hell was I? The windows were shattered, letting in the icy wind. I limped toward the jagged frames and realized I was at the top of the castle, overlooking the griffin fields.

My clothes hung loosely, draping off my elbows. I gripped the wooden bedpost, steadying myself as my gaze landed on twelve silver-tipped arrows mounted on the wall.

---