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“He showed his true self to you?” I gasped, stunned by the revelation.
“He did. He kept talking to me as though he had something to offer me. It’s clear he is intrigued by me, by my connection to Tharion. He doesn’t believe I was once his slave, and he seems anxious to find out who I really am… more than I would like.”
An unspoken question reflected in his green eyes when Braxton focused on Kingston. My guardian appeared to understand what he was referring to, because he tensed next to me, his corded muscles tightening fiercely, like he was ready to fight any incoming threats.
“Also, he mentioned some kind of proposition for me.”
“What proposition?” my guardian asked, seeming outraged by the mere fact that Braxton had listened to it.
“I didn’t let him tell me,” Brax assured, sensing the same emotion I had from Kingston. “I attacked him before he could. He attacked me too, which is why my shirt is gone, but don’t worry, Tharion helped me heal.”
Sometimes I swore this man was going to stop my heart, and not in a good way.
“So, you weren’t paralyzed in his mindscape?” I asked, remembering how his power had robbed me of all movement when I, too, fell prisoner to Raithian’s supreme magic.
“No. I could move freely within it. Perhaps he wanted me to feel at ease. He said himself that he hadn’t brought me there to fight. He seemed more interested in questioning me and learning what he could about me.”
“Except, he attacked you.”
He cringed at my words. “I kind of baited him to do so.”
Gods! I was going to kill Braxton myself.
“Are you insane?!” I stood, clenching both fists at my sides. “I take it back. You are not insane; you just have no idea who Raithian truly is. If you had any notion of the travesties that monster is capable of and how dangerous he truly is, you would have never provoked him. You should have been—”
“Paralyzed by fear?” my mate finished, knowingly. “He said the same thing. And told me my bravery bordered on stupidity.”
“Well, he is right about that,” I grumbled, crossing both arms over my chest, and Braxton’s lips quivered with humor.
“It’s one of the things that told him I wasn’t who I said I was. But I assure you, I didn’t incite him in vain. I realized his hold on the mindscape slipped the angrier he got, so when I saw Tharion was breaking through it, I knew provoking the Warlock King was the only chance we both had of escaping. I slammed the mead chalice he’d given me against his skull, slicing his face open. That is when Tharion used his fire breath against him, breaking us both free.”
“He shot fire at Raithian knowing you were next to him?!” I bellowed, instantly seeing red. I was so angry with the Dragon that I couldn’t even think. My boot crashed against his tail, kicking as hard as I possibly could. I was fuming. “You could have burned Braxton to death, you stupid beast!”
“Evie… He would never hurt me. You know that,” Braxton gently chided, but Fire Fury only rolled his eyes at me, grumbling like I was some over dramatic person making a big deal out of nothing. “Hey! Be respectful. She isyourqueen.” Braxton scolded him as though he’d actually retorted something to me, and I narrowed my eyes at the beast.
“I’m not going to lie,” Brax began, bringing his attention back to me. “In that moment, the thought that Tharion’s fire lava could reach me and burn me too didn’t even cross my mind. I just wanted him to scorch Raithian and leave nothing but ashes… There is something you should see.”
Stepping away from me, he walked closer to where his Dragon’s mouth rested. His left arm lifted, and he nodded to Fire Fury as though it was okay to proceed. The next second, a short burst of fire shot out of the Dragon’s mouth, instantly engulfing Brax’s arm.
“Aaahh!” The scream tore through me, and I lunged towards him, but Kingston’s strong hold stopped me. My desperate gaze flew back to my guardian, to demand he let me go, but the pure shock I found on his face robbed me of voice.
When my eyes snapped to Braxton, I noticed the fire evaporating right off his skin, as though it hadn’t met anything it could burn…
His skin was no longer skin.
Dark grey scales—just like his Dragon’s—covered my mate’s arm, resembling a gauntlet.
The breath struggled to pass through my lungs while I stared at Brax, seeing him clench and relax his hand while he turned his arm over and over again, amazement capturing his own face as fiercely as it had ours.
“See? Tharion knew his fire wouldn’t hurt me, because part of him is in me. I have his scales.”
“The blood treatment,” I finally whispered, remembering what Brax had discovered about how he was conceived. “It was Fire Fury’s blood which healed the Harbinger, allowing him to get his mother pregnant,” I explained to Kingston, filling in the holes in the story for him.
“The same thing that saved you from Lachlan’s attack during the duel,” Kingston acknowledged, everything finally making sense for him too.
“Yes,” Braxton answered simply, and returned to my side, lifting his arm for me to check.
My fingers reached for him, noticing the metallic looking scales shimmer red with the ambers left on them. Heat radiated into my skin the instant I touched them, and I yanked my hand back from the feeling.
