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My mouth goes dry. “Attacked? By who?”
“The blood witches. Under the Crocodile’s, and your father’s, command.”
The words hit me like a blow. I jerk back as if struck, blinking at Sebastian in disbelief. “But... the war ended. Years ago. The treaty—”
“The treaty was a farce. Your father has been attacking us for years, using the Crocodile and his witches to do his dirty work. All the while claiming peace.” He shakes his head. “The treaty never truly existed.”
I stare at Sebastian, stunned into silence. My father lied? Why?
Sebastian misreads my reaction, mistaking the shock for fear. He reaches for me, grasping my shoulders. “Don’t worry, darling. I won’t let anything happen to you.” His eyes are intense, burning into mine. “You’re safe with me. I promise.”
I force a weak smile. “I know. It’s just... a lot to take in.”
He searches my face as if trying to discern my thoughts. Finally, he nods. An awkward silence falls over us as I stare down at my plate, appetite fled. After a long moment, Sebastian sighs, grabs my nearly empty plate, and sets it aside. Before I can protest, he pulls me onto his lap. His arms wrap around my middle as his lips press against my pulse, searing and demanding. Heat explodes inside me, and I melt into him, the world falling away.
He deepens the kiss, roughened hands sliding under my shirt to graze my back. Panic spikes as his fingers creep higher to my mark. I jerk back with a gasp.
Sebastian’s eyes narrow. “What’s wrong?”
My pulse races. I scramble for an excuse. He wouldn’t be able to feel it, right? For the most part, it just looks like a tattoo, but it lights up the moment I use magic in a fluorescent orange glow. Would he know if his fingers settled over it?
“Nothing,” I say quickly. Too quickly. I clear my throat, trying for a more casual tone. “I just... we should take things slow.”
I hold my breath, praying he believes me. For an endless moment, he simply watches me, gaze inscrutable. Then he nods.
“As you wish.” He kisses me softly, then helps me to my feet. “Come. There’s something I want to show you, anyway.”
Sebastian leads me above deck under the velvet night sky. A million lights wink overhead, scattered like diamonds across the inky blackness. I know it’s not endless, but it always appears it is. In reality, there’s an end and on that ceiling, there are crystals of every color of the rainbow reflecting the light from down here back at us. The air is crisp and cool, salty to the taste.
Sebastian lays down on the deck, folding his hands behind his head. “Lay with me.” After a moment, I join him, and he points up at the sky. “Look.”
I follow his finger and I gasp. There, hanging low and luminous in the sky, are the three moons: one pale gold, one silvery blue, and one deep amber. Together, they block out most of the hell flame, leaving nothing but a faint, shimmering ring of light around them, as if they’re glowing from an inner fire. And there, just visible against their edges, are dark shapes or winged creatures, swirling in the sky. Dragons.
I rub my eyes in disbelief. “It’s beautiful…” I breathe, mouth parting as I watch them with such fascination I forget to blink.
“I thought you might like it.”
I glance at him, eyes round with curiosity. “How did you know?”
Sebastian chuckles, smiling so hard that his dimples show. “You were drawing them earlier today. When we were in the storage bay, remember?”
Heat floods my cheeks. He saw my sketches…
“You pay close attention,” I say softly.
“To you?” His eyes glint silver in the moonlight. “Always.”
“I wish my father hadn’t killed them here… They’re such magnificent creatures. It’s awful to believe that they’re all gone.”
“But they’re not.”
I nearly snap my neck to glance at him. Did I just hear that right?
“Most of the dragons are gone, but not all. They’re shifters and there’s no way to test everyone in this realm. I’ve met one. He’s a rebel and I’d imagine any others would be too. I doubt they’d stay in Solaria, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t hiding in plain sight elsewhere.”
“You’ve met one?”
His smile widens until I can see the pointed tips of his teeth. “Aye, I have.”
