I hesitate, then nod. I don’t know why, but both men look pleased.
After a minute, Prince Alaric wrinkles his nose. “Shouldn’t Lucien be here by now?”
“You know how he is,” Prince Gareth grumbles, while I try to keep my focus on the plate in front of me, knowing full well that Lucien is still in bed, exhausted from our night spent together.
A bell chimes and the dragon riders rise from the benches. My stomach flips, and my spine stiffens.After breakfast. After breakfast I’ll be delivering the message to the Hollowborn.
“You sure you want to do this?” Prince Alaric asks, watching me closely. “We’ve tried to talk our father out of you delivering the message, but we can try again.”
I force a smile. “Nah, I got this. Don’t worry even a little bit about me. I’ll deliver the message and be back before you even notice I’m gone.”
They don’t look sure, but I try to. Being nervous won’t change what I have to do. It’ll only make me more prone to make a mistake.
And I can’t afford to make a mistake right now.
19
Harper
Out in the training yard,Ebron is already ready. His dark scales are shimmering in the early morning light. Like me, he’s not necessarily excited about facing his enemies, but he understands that what we’re about to do could change the face of our world. It could end in him having male dragons to carry on the dragon race, and he sees a value in that.
Prince Alaric and Prince Gareth stand beside me, two big men with big presences. Standing next to them, I feel small and delicate. It doesn’t help that they’re radiating a protective aura. Many dragon riders train around the edges of the training yard, lifting heavy bags of rice or rolling heavy rocks. Any time they look my way, the princes glare back, and the tension in the yard increases. They’re all clearly here to see me take off to deliver the message, and the princes clearly don’t like it.
But I’m sure Prince Lucien will be even more annoyed, when he realizes I left without saying goodbye.The thought troubles me, but not enough to go wake him up and drag him out here. It seems too soon to see him after everything we did together lastnight. I’m sure he’ll be calmer by the time I get back, and things will be less awkward.
As long as I make it back.
“Keep an eye on the sky,” Prince Alaric says. “Remember that they can come from any direction.”
“Okay.”
“And they can communicate silently with their bone wyrm, so watch them too. It’s not just the riders who can attack you.”
“Got it.”
“And their poison can hurt Ebron, but it can kill you a hell of a lot faster. Hide behind Ebron if you think they’re going to smoke you.”
Prince Alaric looks deep in thought, like he’s trying to remember absolutely everything and tell me before I leave, which is really kind of sweet. The big guy cares about me, even if he’s not really good at expressing that.
Moving toward him, I use my finger to steer his chin to look down at me. “Prince, are you worried about me?”
He blushes. “I just don’t want to see you hurt.”
Leaning up on my tiptoes, I brush my lips against his. “I’ll be fine.”
Then I step back. I don’t know why I did it. Maybe some reckless thing inside of me just craves trouble, but the shocked and happy look on his face makes me glad I did.
I glance at Prince Gareth and the envy in his face is so clear that it’s almost painful to see. My heart tugs, urging me toward him, but I know I shouldn’t. I should be smarter than that.
Moving to Prince Gareth, I place my hands on his chest and lean up. “Do you have any advice for me?”
His voice is as dark as the look in his eyes. “Just come back.” His hands move to my hips and pull me closer, so our bodies are pressed together. The heat of his skin makes my nipples harden, and I find it’s difficult to draw in an easy breath.
As I step away from him, I like the flash of longing I see on his face, because I know it’s just for me. Prince Gareth isn’t good at showing his emotions, so when he does, I find myself drinking them in, enjoying just the awareness that I’m starting to get to know him.
My body feels hot and uncomfortable like it did last night with Lucien. My thoughts keep slipping over dangerous things I could do to these men when I should be focusing on my upcoming mission. I turn away from them and start to circle Ebron, checking him for any injuries, even though I know he has none.
Are you ready?I ask
