Page 119 of Courting the Dragon King

Konrad turned to Wraith. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for everything. I should have believed you. I’m sorry, Wraith.”

Wraith opened his mouth.

But then King Alaric cried, “I am the dragon king! I will not submit to you! I submit to no one!”

“Your father has returned,” Wraith whispered. “He can feel them trying to bind him. He is resisting.” He shook his head. “But I do not think they have enough power to control him, even with your blood.”

“I hope you’re right,” Konrad said.

“Wraith.” The shadow king walked towards him whilst the chanting over King Alaric’s bones continued.

Wraith tensed.

“I give you one more chance. Do our bidding and you can take your place amongst us. Use your marriage to Konrad to control him in death. Then all your past transgressions will be forgiven.” The shadow king paused. “I will even accept you and treat you as if you were my own blood, a true son.”

Wraith’s lungs constricted. For so many years, he’d wanted nothing more. He’d believed it to be impossible. But now the shadow king was saying that he’d look past the truth of his birth.

“Isn’t this what you always wanted, Wraith?” his mother asked, coming up beside her husband.

Wraith licked his lips. “It is.”

His mother smiled thinly.

Wraith stared at the shadow king and queen before him. His entire life, he’d wanted to be loved by them. Instead, they had ignored, neglected, and mistreated him. And even now, they still did not love him for who he was. They just wanted to use him to control Konrad.

“It is what I wanted. For years.” Wraith shook his head. “But not anymore.”

He didn’t want Necros to rule all the kingdoms. He didn’t want an undead army to spread, causing untold suffering to all.

He looked at Konrad, beaten and bleeding beside him. And he didn’t want Konrad to become a bone dragon. He wanted nothing to do with any of that. Or with the people who were behind it, even if they were his family.

“I am disappointed, Wraith,” the shadow king said. “But not surprised.”

His mother sneered. “I’d hoped creating conflict between the two of you would make you more amenable to turning against King Konrad.”

Wraith blinked.

What? Has she been involved in getting Konrad to think I betrayed him? Did she somehow plant the lies?

“I thought you might finally be of some use to me.” His mother sighed. “But I would have been better off casting you from my window at birth. It would have saved me so much trouble.”

Wraith lowered his head.

“But it is no matter. There are other ways,” she said. “I always knew you might fail me.”

“I will never answer to you!” King Alaric screamed at the high priestess.

Unable to see the dead king, she dipped her fingers into Konrad’s blood and then drew more symbols on the skull.

“It’s not working,” Wraith said. “You can’t control him. He is too strong.”

A rattling sounded towards the back of the crypt. Wraith turned. The gate blocking the corridor rolled away. The undead army shuffled and parted. Konrad sucked in a breath.

Grand Monk Ferdinand walked towards them. Grand Shield Dahlia came up on his left. Monks, at least thirty, followed them. Most were warrior monks, but some were not.

“Clara!” Konrad called out.

But Konrad’s cousin didn’t even look at him. She kept her head high and strode forward with the Monks of the Way of the Dove. The grand monk and grand shield didn’t even blink at the sight of the undead army.