Page 83 of Song of the Dragon Rider
He nodded. “Precisely, Kitty Cat.”
“There’s already one song about me out there that got someone killed because they sang it.” I shook my head and grimaced. “I don’t want to put anyone else at risk.”
“I understand, but folk songs have power, and that power comes from the people.That’swhat you need,” Klaus said. “Trust me, Kitty Cat.”
“What about Damien? If he’s my twin flame, I need to warn him.”
Klaus nodded. “Have no fear, Kitty Cat. I will deliver your message to him.”
24
DAMIEN
“Going to her is exactly what the emperorwantsyou to do!” Uncle Bai fumed as I paced the room, running clenched hands through my wild hair. “You don’t think both of you are being watched right now?”
Logically, I knew that. But my irrational side wanted to run straight to the Ryder residence and confirm with my own eyes that she was okay, then fly to Dragon Valley and rip Thorne to shreds. But I couldn’t. Acting rashly would just put us all in more danger than we were already in.
I stopped pacing and looked over at my uncle. “You’ve always known, haven’t you?”
His eyes widened and his bottom lip trembled. “Damien…” he whispered.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, my voice cracking just a bit.
He sighed. With leaden steps, he walked to one of the stone seats and slumped down. “Because your mother begged me not to. She wanted you to live as much of a normal life as possible.”
I scoffed and held my arms out wide. “Normal? What about my life has beennormal? I’ve been condemned to live in this forsaken volcano my whole life!”
“Damien… there are things that your mother wished to keep from you for your own sake… for your protection,” Uncle Bai murmured. “Just… let it go.”
My brows shot up. “Excuse me? Let it go? What are you not telling me?”
His lips trembled nervously and he refused to meet my gaze.
“Uncle Bai!” I shouted. “Does it have something to do with who my real father is?”
His gaze flicked to mine and his eyes widened in fear. “Damien! Quiet!”
“It does…” I whispered. “You know who he is…”
Uncle Bai sprang from his seat and came to me, gripping my hands. “Listen to me, boy, if you think having the twin flame mark is bad, learning the truth about your father is infinitely worse. Some things are best left alone. Trust me on this. Please.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Who the hell could my father be to instill so much fear into my normally unflappable uncle? I couldn’t think of a single person who would scare him this much, or a situation that could rival the importance of the twin flame mark. I was at a loss, but the sight of my uncle’s glassy eyes and the bone-weary slump of his shoulders broke me.
He avoided my eyes as he released my hands, and the tension in the thick, volcanic air rose to a dizzying degree. “Damien, now is not the time to start digging up the past. The dangers extend far beyond what you can imagine.”
I resumed my frenetic pacing, trying to pull comfort from the heated ground beneath my feet as frustration seethed within me. “You've always warned me to stay hidden and keep away from the empire’s politics. Why? What are you so afraid of?”
Uncle Bai sighed heavily, and I saw the weight of buried secrets carved into his aged face. “There are things about your heritage, about the empire... things better left unsaid. Your mother made me promise to keep you out of the emperor’s reach as long as possible.”
“So you keep saying,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin. “But why? If there's no threat from the other side of my lineage, then why the need for secrecy?”
My uncle rubbed his temples, an outward indication that his typical calm demeanor was fraying at the edges. “It's not just about who you are, Damien. It’s about what you could become if the wrong truths come to light. The emperor fears what he cannot control, and he would see you as a threat if he knew how powerful you might be.”
I stopped pacing and faced him squarely. “Does this have anything to do with why he thinks I can't be trusted? Because I've been sneaking off this island?”
My uncle’s eyes flickered with something I couldn’t quite decipher—fear, perhaps, or regret. “Yes, and more than that, Damien. The emperor is not just a ruler; he’s a man driven by paranoia and the lust for absolute power. If he even suspects that you're more than an exiled prince...”
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “What then? What does he want with me?”
