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It burned to admit it, but this was more on them than him.
Sure, he could have — should have — told me the truth. But who was he more loyal to? His best friend from childhood, or the woman he occasionally had to interact with at work.
It made me angry, but I couldn't blame him as much as I'd like. It wasn't as though we'd been lovers or even friends. And I'd been trying to get him off the mission just a couple days ago, for gods sake …
Besides, he'd never claimed to be anything other than a charismatic, untrustworthy rake — and what had he done but live up to that title?
I'd been the one to break my rule and get close to someone again — to forget his world was one of lies and secrets, and maybe almost start to trust him.
But the Harlsteds and Eli …
"How can I face them? All I have right now is anger, and they're so …"
Jaiel pushed me back, then lifted my chin, so I looked in his eyes — so unguarded and real for once.
"You'll face them just like you have every other challenge. Because you are made of sterner stuff than you know. Facing Liam and his family is nothing compared to what you've been through. And if you feel anger, just let it out. You don't have to hide all those feelings, Princess."
My throat tightened, and heat spread from his fingertips, making something soften in my chest.
No. This wasn't right.
What was he doing to me? And what was I thinking, just standing there?
This was not the time or place to be vulnerable, let alone the right person to be vulnerable with.
I stepped back and my gaze fell to a dark patch stretching across the front of his bright blue shirt, and heat flooded my cheeks.
Even worse. I'd cried all over him.
Jaiel, the gods-be-damned Fae Prince of Shadows, had my tears staining his shirt.
I bit my lip. Fuck. He'd never let me live this down.
"Hey," he said, drawing my attention back to him. "No regrets. Everyone has moments like this. These emotions are normal and healthy, and they will stay between us. Okay?"
My jaw tightened, and I opened my mouth to speak, but something moved in the corner of my vision, and my heart skipped as I turned to face it.
A dozen paces away, an irregular mound of silver scales shifted in the sunlight and let out a large, sleepy huff. My jaw dropped.
"D — dragon. Is that a —"
Jaiel cocked his head to the side, then turned to face where I pointed. "Are you just seeing that now? Saints, Kaiya. What if it was a wraith instead of a harmless little dragon?"
I rolled my eyes. If it was a wraith, I wouldn't have been standing there crying in his arms.
No … that was a dragon … a real, live dragon sunbathing just a few feet away.
Holy hells.
Chapter 23
Kaiya
"What — h — how are there dragons here?!" I stammered. "There are none in the Empire — I've checked. Everyone assumes they went extinct after The Fall."
Jaiel chuckled as the silver dragon let out a loud snore. "No. They're still around, but from what Liam says, there are only a few dragon nests in the entire world. This just so happens to be one of them. His family is descended from the great dragon riders of the Mage Era."
"Forsaken hells!" I spun to face him. "These people are the dragon riders? And you were trying to keep me from this place?!"
