Page 86 of Three Dark Kings and the Gilded Serpent

If I thought I could control my fire with pinpoint accuracy, Lord Boaz and the man dragging the Mother would already be dead.

My serpent is upon them.

Silently, I leap from my beast’s back, launching myself directly at Boaz, leaving my serpent to continue on through the air, his golden form storming at the airborne beasts and forcing them to scatter.

The men on the ground shout and disperse, rushing back from the women. Whichever of the women was on the move has now stopped and I can’t tell which one she was.

“The king!” the men shout.

The one dragging the Mother drops her abruptly to the sand before throwing himself to the ground, kneeling all the way down over his knees.

Staying clear of the other men, but only because I can’t risk burning my Mothers, I continue charging at Boaz without slowing down.

For the smallest second, he stands his ground. As if he’d dare challenge me.

If he does, I swear to the Goddess, I will end him.

A heartbeat later, he backpedals sharply before throwing himself out of my path and onto his knees, head down, bowing low.

“My king!” he shouts.

My roar is like a whip, my fire spiraling around my chest. “Do you not recognize my Mothers?”

I loom over him. Inches from setting him on fire.

Again, I will him to make a move. Give me a fucking excuse.

Boaz keeps his head down. “Your Mothers have no escort. I only sought to protect them.”

With a firelash? I want to tear him apart. Discard his body parts across the dunes.

I opt for the smarter response. “So you did recognize them.”

He stays silent. Slowly tucks his hands under his knees, attempting to pull strands of hair out of sight. No doubt hair he ripped from the head of one of my Mothers.

“Boaz.” Fury suddenly makes me calm, the worst kind of anger, as far as I’m concerned, because it will make me act rationally. “Do you think for a fucking second that I would allow my Mothers to be endangered?”

His head remains down, but I can practically hear his whirling thoughts. He’ll be trying to figure out how to respond without losing his life.

I let him have his silence as I scan the men and serpents, including those now scurrying to land, their riders sliding to the ground so they can kneel low and press their foreheads to the sand.

I have the perfect punishment for these fucking cowards.

“I thought you didn’t have any men to spare for the fight at the border,” I say to Boaz. “Clearly, you lied to my sister.”

Without waiting for him to bluff his way past my accusation, I raise my voice. “All of you! Report to General Kaiba at the border. Consider yourselves conscripted.”

Boaz lurches upward. “No⁠—”

“No?” Flames leap around my hands and I draw my right fist back, ready to let my fire loose. Or so it will appear. I can’t risk it around my Mothers, but Boaz won’t know that for sure.

He freezes. Clears his throat. “Of course, my king.”

I lean in, my fire flickering close to his face. “Defy me again, and I’ll burn your entire fucking family to ash.”

My right hand is burning. Sizzling with dark thoughts. A burn I can’t define. Growing worse with every heartbeat.

“Now get out of my sight.”