Page 41 of A Crown of Tears and Treason
His eyes tracked me until the guards stopped at the gate.
“You summoned?” I said.
His gaze slashed toward the guards. “Iasked.”
“Did it sound like a summon?” Because he had that imperious air that made everything resemble a command.
He remained quiet and irritated.
I sighed. This was a mood, even for the tall, dark, and dangerous Dragon everyone feared. It was like trying to talk to a stone. “Why did you come here?”
What happened to avoiding each other and going on with our lives?
“I want to show you something,” he said and turned toward the barren courtyard peeking from behind the fence.
I licked the inside of my cheek. Infuriating man. "Why, yes, I would like to come with you. Thank you for asking."
"I asked you once. Learned my lesson," he muttered, not bothering to explain what in the underworld he was talking about.
Just like in the throne room, I stood my ground. I would not cower. Not anymore. Even though a thin sheen of sweat pooled at the base of my spine. Was this what courage felt like? Like my veins boiled and some wiggling creature crawled in my belly skin, ready to burst?
Zandyr turned, facing me.
We stared at each other for the longest time, standing right there in the searing sun. Vegheara blood wasn’t the only stubborn one, it seemed. One of the guards coughed awkwardly.
“There are easier ways to tan, you know,” Zandyr said.
“I can stay here until we both turn into charred leather.” I shrugged, as my insides spun from the building tension. “I perched on branches from the moment the sun rose until it set. I’m used to standing still.”
“I’ve been in wars. You either stood still or you died.” He crossed his hands in front of his chest. “If you wanted to spend more time together–”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said quickly. The sun heated up my cheeks, the bastard.
“Then what’s happening?”
“Just because you’ve been in wars, that doesn’t give you the right to order me around like you did with your troops.” Grandpa Constantine’s words echoed in my mind.Queen. I would be queen one day. “You came here, so you must wantsomething. Ask me–nicely–or we’ll stay here all day. Or you can leave.”
And he could take that piercing gaze along with him, because it was sliding underneath my skin in a way it had no right to. I wanted to fidget so badly.
“You’re right,” he said.
I blinked one too many times. I’d never heard those words said to me in my life.
“We will lead together. As equals.” He squared his shoulders and sent me one of those grins of his; this one was slightly warmer at least. Or it might’ve been the sun’s glare blinding me. “Will you do me the honor of accompanying me for a private conversation?”
I nodded, not trusting words right now. Such a small thing, to have someone simply give me what I asked for. No questions, no criticism about me being greedy because I wanted something.
Nothing, just…agreeing.
Zandyr waited for me to reach the gates and we walked into the arid courtyard together.
“What–” I licked my parched lips. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
“A formality that will officially tie our futures together,” he said. “But first, I have a very important question.”
Chapter
Twelve
