He could go fly around on his dragon, play his games, make his hot-headed impulsive decisions and pretend nobody ever bled for it. I wanted no part of that world.
“Too bad.”
He bent at the waist, slamming into my stomach, wrenching my battered body over his shoulder like a bag of sand.
A strangled squeal slipped out as I choked off a scream, driving my fists into him. He grunted, legs stretching into long strides up the path.
I clawed at his jacket, yanked the hem loose, and dug my nails into his back. Pale flesh split from the sting of my grip, drawing blood. My fingers still ached from gripping Gyrak’s scales, but they didn’t falter now.
“Sea beneath!”
Ronan pinched my thigh—hard—and I drove my nails deeper.
“Put me down!”
“Will you listen to me?!”
“No!”
He swatted back at my hands, but couldn’t dislodge me. His pace broke into a run, charging toward our floor. I tore red welts up his skin, fighting with the only teeth and claws I had.
He kicked through my door, barreled for the chaise, and threw me down. I landed in a heap beside Freya, who scrambled upright, eyes flicking between us.
“Out!” Ronan barked.
“No! He’s just leaving.” My lip curled with a snarl. “He knows his sister needs time to recover after being dragged across the sea on a spontaneousfour-dayflight. And she’s not arider!”
“I walked in on a manFather’s agegroping–”
“Leave!” I lunged at him, shrieking.
He caught my wrists and shoved me back toward the chaise with ease. Ridiculously strong. Freya took that as her cue and bolted out the door, leaving me and my brother locked in a silent war, both breathing like cornered beasts.
His chest heaved. Red blurred my vision.
He opened his mouth. I hurled an embroidered pillow at his face.
“Don’t you dare say a word, Ronan! You have no idea what you stole from me!”
His grimace showed more pain than defiance. “I didn’t know youlovedthe old man. Not that it would’ve made it better!”
“He’s not old!”
“He could be yourfather!”
I shut the door to my thoughts, retreating behind walls he had no right to breach. I didn’t need to fight him, and I owed him no explanation. He had his chance to understand and spat on it. Let him believe whatever he wanted. It changed nothing.
I rose and crossed the room, flinging open the balcony doors. Warm wind shoved past me, lifting the curtains in soft waves. I wrapped my arms around myself and leaned on the rail.
Above, the stars burned. The same stars that hung over Radaan.
Was Kallias staring at them now?
My soul reached for the starlight, searching for him. That quiet, intangible connection. Whatever we had, Ronan shattered it. My heart ached with the loss, as if something vital had been ripped out.
My brother stood just out of arm’s reach, gazing skyward. A dragon’s shadow blotted out the stars for a breath.
Gyrak. Probably circling to come to his rider’s aid.
