Page 101 of Three Dark Kings and the Gilded Serpent

Awkwardly, I swipe at it.

The back of my hand comes away red.

Blood? But from where?

Another droplet trails toward me and this time, I follow it clearly to its source: Thyra.

The curtain of her hair parts, revealing blood trickling from her nose, two more droplets floating across the air and all the way past me.

With a grunt, I make it another three steps, now only five paces away from Thyra, the same distance between her and Aeliana, although the gap between them is closing faster now.

I pick up my pace, groaning with effort. One, two, three⁠—

Starlight flares around Aeliana, a harsh blast that threatens to undo my progress.

I catch my breath as her eyes fly open. Bright green, the same emerald as Antony’s eyes.

Blinking, she fixates on Thyra floating opposite her. And then on Thyra’s outstretched arm. Then on her own arm.

Aeliana’s chest compresses before she screams.

“No!” Then, more fiercely, her brow furrowed, she whispers, “No.”

Her wild gaze snaps to me, but she doesn’t seem to care that I’m buck naked. Well, at least the dragon’s hide is draped in front of me, but the satchel containing my spare pants fell off to my right. For now, clothing has to wait.

Aeliana gives a cry. “If you’re Maxim, you will obey me without question or your future will be destroyed.”

If I’m Maxim.

I shouldn’t be surprised she isn’t certain about my identity. As far as I know, she’s been asleep for seventeen years. She may have glimpsed me briefly when I was an eight-year-old boy, but she’d be forgiven for not recognizing me now.

“I’m Maxim.”

“Then take my hand.” Her biceps strain as she attempts to reach for me with her left hand. The hand toward which her dark rune is moving. “Quickly!”

“I can’t.” The words tear from my mouth as I try to keep Thyra in my sights. “I could burn you.”

Aeliana pins me with her gaze. “Burn you must.”

She can’t be fucking serious.

I back away from her, letting the amber thread slide through my fingers, keeping the dragon’s hide close to my torso, only to be stopped short when there’s no slack left in the thread.

“Maxim!” Aeliana snaps, her fingers splaying as she thrashes toward me. “Take. My. Hand.”

Then she glares at me. “Or I will burn you.”

Her starlight glows brighter. Sharp. Prickling. A cutting edge that strikes across my face and neck with a mere flick of her fingers.

Fuck, is this how a vampyr feels?

If Aeliana burns me into unconsciousness, I won’t be able to act at all. Against my wishes, I jolt toward her, trying to avoid brushing Thyra, whose progress has slowed but not stopped.

“You were warned.” I snarl at Aeliana as I wrap my right hand around her palm.

To my shock, my fire doesn’t flare. But then, if I think about it, my flames haven’t burned across my right hand for some time.

As soon as I touch Aeliana, the rune on her wrist stops moving.