Page 140 of Wings of Destruction

“Seriously, princess. You… y-you are turning your nose up at a full ride to DragonSpear? You’d rather be whipped to death by Evie Fortescue? And you think it’s about a bed?” My voice pitches higher.

“If you have to ask, then you can’t understand.” Morgan storms off and leaves me with my dignity dying on the floor.

Harbi’s hand goes limp, and she sets the wine down, the base close enough to the edge for it to teeter.

“Well.” She sounds flustered. “She is certainly entitled to her opinion.”

The wrong one. The door slams shut behind Morgan from the force of her exit, and the latch clicks into place like a sign.

Do not try to follow her.

“What did she say?” I must have heard her wrong.

The overwhelming shock ripples through me and I turn to Harbi as Morgan gains ground on her retreat. I can’t make my body move for some reason.

The stunned silence isn’t just mine to endure. Harbi draws in a careful breath before reaching out to take back the stamp with the DragonSpear crest.

“She can’t possibly think she’s made the right choice. Seriously?” My arm cuts the open air and I point at the door. “What just happened? She wants to be whipped?”

Harbi raises the stamp to me. “It appears she’s quite serious.”

“She would rather die than fight?”

Cursed scales! I never in a million years thought she’d be willing to kill herself on principle alone. I’d played a perfect hand and Morgan just rejected it, like it was nothing.

And I’d irrevocably tied myself to her.

All the long months, the years, I’d spent in service of the empire and my father, leading his campaigns, and it crumbles with one simple word.

One syllable of defiance.

Maybe being gone from home for so long erased any idea of how to live a normal life, or have a conversation where I’m not tripping over myself or misplacing my loyalty.

The corners of Harbi’s lips twitch in a smirk. “You have two hours to convince her to stay, Kieran. Or you are out too. You remember the terms of the deal? You’ve already cast your lot in with hers.”

My head snaps up.

This isn’t good.

This is a trap, Harbi’s trap, and I’ve walked right into it. I look up to the ceiling. There’s no excuse for Morgan’s behavior and no explanation for her thoughtlessness that makes sense to me. My lips press into a thin line.

When I glance back to Harbi, her face shows little emotion. “Two hours.”

“I’ll be back.” I’m already halfway toward the door. “I’ll get her to change her mind.”

“You better,” Harbi calls after me.

Otherwise, I’m on the line, too.

My father will never forgive me if I get myself kicked out of DragonSpear for a stupid gamble. This will be the domino leading straight to my demise and I’m not finished yet, damn it all.

I used to love my life, so long ago I’ve forgotten the comfort of what it feels like when things make sense. This place is as ornamental as the palace with metals and gold and glittering tile. It’s a cage.

So what? At least this way, I’m giving the girl a chance to pick her prison.

Chasing after Morgan was not on my list of things to do today, and she’s left me with no other choice. If she’d just agreed⁠—

I stomp down the hall following the path of least resistance and the one she most likely took. The office is down the corridor from the main entrance to DragonSpear. Morgan will want to cut a hasty exit and a straight shot out. There’s no way for her to make it far without being caught. But she’s too stubborn to hide.