Page 21 of Song of the Dragon Rider
“A dragon rider?”
Klaus nodded. “Many centuries ago, the army boasted countless humans who rode on the backs of dragons. The pairs were invincible on the battlefield. But once the twin flames started to disappear and fewer and fewer were mated, the practice became extinct.”
“So you’re saying there’s no such thing as a twin flame?”
Klaus shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of. If there were, it would bring chaos.”
I frowned. “How so?”
“The dragon that bears the twin flame mark who finds his mate will have a claim to the throne, assuming it’s not the current emperor or crown prince. And I doubt they’ll give up the throne so easily.” Klaus smirked and raised a questioning brow. “Why do you ask, Kitty Cat?”
“Oh, no reason. I came across it in an old book, but there weren’t a lot of details and I was curious,” I lied.
“Is that so?” he murmured, his tone telling me he didn’t believe my flimsy excuse. “Be careful, little human. Sometimes good things can have disastrous consequences. If you have seen the twin flame mark, run as far away from it as possible. It will only bring trouble to your doorstep.”
Klaus’s warning hung in the air, his lavender eyes gleaming with a mixture of amusement and something darker—concern, maybe? It was hard to tell with him.
“Run as far away as possible, huh?” I crossed my arms. “What are you, my fairy godmother? Next, you’ll be telling me to leave a shoe behind at the ball.”
He laughed, a deep, velvety sound that somehow made the night feel warmer. “Ah, Kitty Cat, you always know how to ruin a moment with your strange little jokes.”
“Strange toyou, maybe,” I shot back. “I come from a land of memes and sarcasm. You should be grateful I’m not quotingShrekright now.”
Klaus tilted his head, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. “I don’t know thisShrek, but if he’s as delightful as you, I’m sure I’d find him amusing.”
“Delightful, huh?” I speared him with a look. “Pretty sure you just said I ruin moments.”
“You do,” he admitted, stepping closer, his gaze dropping to meet mine. “But in the most charming way.”
I rolled my eyes, though I couldn’t help the small smile tugging at my lips. “I’m not falling for your tricks, Klaus.”
“And yet,” he murmured, leaning close enough that his breath brushed my cheek, “you seem to enjoy it.”
“In your dreams!” I pushed him back, putting several much-needed inches between us. “Now, are you done being cryptic andmysterious, or do I need to go find another fae with a flair for dramatics?”
Klaus placed a hand over his heart, feigning a hurt expression. “You wound me, Kitty Cat. I’ll have you know I’m one of a kind.”
“Yeah, well, your kind is exhausting,” I shot back, though my tone was light. “Now tell me the truth … is the twin flame really that bad?”
His playful smirk faded, replaced by a rare seriousness that sent a shiver down my spine. “It’s more than bad, Kitty Cat… it’s catastrophic.”
7
DAMIEN
Iwaited for her for hours. When I knocked on the front door of the Ryder residence and they told me she wasn’t taking visitors, I assumed she was avoiding me. So I snuck inside, only to find her bedroom empty. She wasn’t home, and it was way past midnight. As the hours crept by, I started to worry. Even so, I couldn’t alert the household of her disappearance in case they didn’t know she had gone out.
She couldn’t try to return through the portal in the river because there was no thunderstorm tonight and that was the only way the portal would open. So where could she possibly be? Hiding out at the lake house, perhaps?
I was about to leave and track her down when I heard footsteps outside her bedroom door. Quiet murmurs sounded from the other side of the door and then someone tiptoed inside. The newcomer lit a candle. When the wick flared to life, I saw it was Cat.
“Where the hell have you been?” I demanded.
She shrieked and covered her mouth, nearly dropping the candle she held. “Holy shit! Wear a bell or something! I nearly had a heart attack!”
“It’s almost dawn and you’re just now returning. Do you know how worried I’ve been?” I sat at the foot of her bed and fixed her with a steely glare.
“My fake father wasn’t even worried where I was. Why should you be?” She set the candle holder on top of the bureau and started to undress.
