Page 36 of Realm of Wind and Vines
“Sounds like an awful plan,” Orion says.
“Based on your extensive knowledge of dragon shifter culture?” Draven challenges. “Or perhaps your astounding contributions to our other missions so far?”
The Unseelie King cuts him a dark look.
Draven flashes him a lethal smirk but then simply forges on. “When they ambush us, because theywillambush us, you three keep your mouths shut and let me do the talking.” He turns to me and Orion. “And you two, no matter what happens, do not summon magic.”
I blink at him in surprise. “Why?”
“Diana is incredibly distrustful of outsiders. And your magic isn’t visible. So if she sees your eyes glowing, she will immediately assume that you’re messing with her mind, and then she will try to kill us.”
“She will probably try to kill us anyway,” I point out. “Well, you, at least.”
“And she’s right.” Orion lifts his toned shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. “Our magic would be messing with her head.”
“My order still stands,” Draven grinds out, annoyance flitting across his face. “You two do not use your magic.”
Orion narrows his eyes. “A king does not take orders.”
“This one does. Or he will find himself with my sword through his spine.”
“One of these days, I’m going to take you up on that challenge, beast.”
Draven just lets out a condescending huff of laughter and then turns to Isera. “You can use magic since yours is clearly visible in the air but try to use it for defense only. Unless you want to get torn apart.”
Isera raises one eyebrow in question. “Torn apart?”
“You’ll see.”
The chirping birds and trilling insects seem to grow louder the longer we stand outside the border. I cast another glance atthe thick forest while fighting a very untimely smile. I really am glad that Alistair went with Lyra’s group instead.
“Everyone clear on the plan? Good,” Draven says without actually waiting for a reply. “Then let’s go.”
The moment we step across the tree line and into the forest, all the birds and insects go abruptly silent all at the same time.
I cast an alarm glance at Draven, but he just continues forward.
Once we’ve taken a few steps in, the birds and insects start singing again. I draw in a deep breath. The air in here tastes like thick fog and smells strongly of flowers. Flicking my gaze from side to side, I watch for any members of the Purple Dragon Clan. But all I can see is dark green leaves, trees covered in vines, and colorful flowers that almost seem to glow from within.
We continue forward in silence.
The farther we walk, the louder the birds and insects seem to get. Or it might just be because of our own prolonged silence. I’m not sure. But it’s starting to give me a headache. It feels like my entire head is buzzing.
“Is the sound getting louder?” I ask at last, while rubbing my temples to relieve the headache building behind my eyes.
“Yes,” Draven replies from where he walks next to me. “It’s so that we won’t hear them move closer when they ambush us.”
“Oh.”
I don’t know what it says about me that I somehow now consider statements like that entirely normal. It hasn’t even been an entire year since I left the Seelie Court, but I think I’ve changed more as a person during that time than all other one hundred and sixty-seven years combined.
“Let’s try to keep this ambush brief then,” Orion says. “So that we can head back to my court before the day after tomorrow.”
I arch an eyebrow at him. “That’s an oddly specific deadline.”
“If we wait any longer than that, Haldia won’t be able to healthe scar on my thigh. And I won’t have a scar tarnishing my perfect?—”
Abangsplits the air.
