Page 233 of The Forbidden Dragon King
Maximinus is lying. Aurelius doesn’t have a choice. If he doesn’t do this, then he’ll be killed or imprisonedalongside Daire and me. Decima will still execute Daire and me, either way.
“Hadrian,” I murmur like a prayer to a dark god. “Hadrian.”
Aurelius stiffens, then his piercing gaze meets mine.
Suddenly, I’m desperate to at least feel his arms around me, brush the soft hair at the nape of his neck, and breathe in his scent one final time.
Can he do it? Kill us?
Asking any Alpha to kill their Omega is brutal. Sacrilege. Against nature.
The ultimate punishment.
Yet if I have to die, then I’m happy that it’ll be by his hand. He’ll make it quick.
“You would truly make me kill my own mates, Uncle?” Aurelius’ voice is quiet. “My dragon riders? I will be alone for the rest of my life. That is what you would have me do?”
Maximinus’ expression hardens. “Once, you were obedient. You followed orders without questioning. Such a sweet boy, trainable and successfully conditioned. Who corrupted you with such rebellious dissidence?”
Aurelius’ gaze sweeps to Daire; they exchange a long look. “A rebel who I respect and love. A rebel who has opened my eyes to truths that I long wanted to pretend weren’t real: monsters in this court and in my past. A rebel who has shown me that it takes strength to stand up for what is right and the people you love, even if you know that you’ll lose, perhaps especially then.”
Daire stops struggling.
Slowly, a smile spreads across his face. “I’ve always been a bad influence.”
“Execute!” Decima screeches, losing her temper.
She sweeps to the throne. Then she draws out a two-handed sword with a long blade and pear-shaped pommel, which to my shock had been woven into the throne’s design.
These councilors are efficient when it comes to their executions.
I try to control the tremors in my arms but I can’t. I growl just to make the point that they’re not frightening me.
Except, they are.They fucking are.
My gaze meets Daire’s.
“We’ll be all right, love.” Daire’s smile is crooked. “And if we’re not, then I swear that I’ll find a way to cross the shadow bridge from hell to heaven. The Shadow Gods will be so charmed by me that they’ll have to let me in so that we can be together.”
Finally, a tear chases down my cheek. “You’ll fly to the moon with me. We’ll be in the sky together from the start, I know.”
Execute, execute, execute!
All twelve councilors join in the frantic chant now.
Execute, execute, execute!
Their voices rise in volume.
Execute, execute, execute!
Maximinus watches with dark eyes from the Draca throne.
Aurelius shakes his head. “Fuck you.”
Maximinus merely lifts his finger and Aurelius is dragged toward Decima and the sword. “Take it. This is the executioner’s sword from Hadrian’s time. Your hand should fit around it like it was made for it. You should welcome it in your palm again. It has been drenched in blood. Hadrian executed any he found to be traitors or spies. He feared secrets and shadowed treachery everywhere and repaid it with the kiss of this sword to their neck. I said,take it.”
Please, don’t reach for it.
