Page 11 of Song of the Dragon Rider
“Fine, we’ll give it to your brother.” I reached for another pastry and angrily stuffed it in my mouth.
“Want to meet him?”
“The crown prince?”
Damien nodded. “Since we’ll be working together, you might as well.”
Well, shit. It sure felt like I was burrowing deeper into this Elarian hole.
I scoffed and dropped the pastry I’d been aggressively munching. “I don’t know why you even ask. It’s not like I have much of a choice in matters.”
Damien’s lips twitched into a faint smirk. “I see you’re catching on.”
His smug confidence grated on my nerves. I leaned forward and rested my arms on the table, letting the sharp glint in my eyes meet his. “You’re awfully high and mighty now, but newsflash,David— I knew he hated when I called him David—“I’ve fought wars. You’re not invincible, and I will kill you the first chance I get.”
Damien offered a menacing growl. “Is that a challenge?”
“No, that’s a promise,” I shot back, my voice low and razor-sharp.
He straightened in his chair, his obsidian eyes glinting with intrigue. “Careful, Cat. You might regret testing me.”
“Oh, I’ve been regretting this entire arrangement since day one.” I pushed back my chair and stood, pacing to the balcony doors. My gaze wandered to the street below where life moved on, blissfully unaware of the brewing storm in the room above.
“You know I can’t allow you to leave.” Damien’s voice was softer now, but I didn’t miss the underlying tension.
“Allow?” I spun on my heel to face him, my fists clenched. “Damien, you’re delusional if you honestly think you can keep me here forever. Eventually I will escape, whether you like it or not.”
His chair scraped against the floor as he stood, towering over me even from across the room. “You can try, but as I’ve already told you, Cat, no matter where you go, I will find you.”
Something snapped inside me. Before I could think, my military training kicked in and I lunged for the table. My hand closed around a polished silver fork and I whipped it toward him with deadly precision.
Damien easily sidestepped and the fork embedded into the wooden doorframe behind him. His eyes narrowed, no longer amused. “So that’s how it’s going to be?”
I didn’t give him time to recover before I grabbed a knife from the table. Closing the distance between us in three swift strides, I slashed at him, the blade glinting in the sunlight. Damien caught my wrist mid-swing in an iron-like grip, but I twisted and used my body weight to break free and pivot for another attack.
He moved with supernatural speed, dodging my strikes with infuriating ease. I knew my efforts were pointless, but I still wanted to try. Ihadto try. “Impressive,” he murmured, his tone maddeningly calm. “For a human. But I’m not human, Cat.”
“I don’t care!” I growled, using the distraction to kick the chair toward him. It struck his shin and he stumbled—barely, but it was enough. I darted past him, snatched the teapot from the table, and heaved its scalding contents in his direction.
Damien roared when the hot liquid splashed his arm. His dragon reflexes kicked in and a flicker of scales appeared on his skin as he shook off the pain. “You’ll pay for that!” he snarled, his voice a deep rumble that sent a shiver down my spine.
I didn’t wait for his retaliation. Grabbing a porcelain plate, I hurled it at his head, forcing him to duck. The moment he moved, I was on him again, plunging the blunt edge of the knife toward his ribs. He caught my arm and twisted it painfully, but I used the momentum to drive my knee into his stomach.
He released me with a pained grunt and I spun away, my chest heaving. My heart pounded as adrenaline coursed through my veins. “I told you I’d kill you, Damien, and I wasn’t lying. Even if I don’t have a chance in hell of succeeding, I’ll never stop trying!” I spat, circling him like a predator as I waited for an opening.
Damien straightened, his breathing steady despite the flurry of blows we’d exchanged. “You’re resourceful, I’ll give you that.” He flexed his hands and seemed to debate whether he should fully shift. “But this is pointless.”
I lunged again, aiming for his throat, but he anticipated the move. Lightning fast, he caught me mid-air and locked his arms around me like a vice. I struggled and clawed at him, but I was no match for his overwhelming strength.
“Enough!” he growled in my ear, his thunderous voice reverberating through my entire body. “You’re not leaving, Cat. Not yet. And you obviously can’t kill me… at least not today.”
Breathing heavily, I glared up at him, my muscles burning from the effort. “I’ll kill you, Damien. I swear I will.”
His gaze softened fractionally and his lips curved into a faint, bitter smile. “You’ve got spirit. But if you want to survive here, you’re going to need more than that.”
Damien suddenly released me and I stumbled, catching myself against the table before I could fall. My fingers tightened around the edge, my mind already racing with plans for the next attack.
“Don’t,” he warned, his voice low and dangerous. “This isn’t a game, Cat. You’re inmyworld now.”
