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When the door closed behind her, he wanted to vomit. He did not regret their night, but did she? She couldn’t have run out of here faster. He dressed quicker than he ever had before and tied his hair back without bothering to run a comb through it. But as he raised his fist to knock on the door, he paused. Was he being too overbearing? She probably wasn’t ready yet.

“Thane,” Piper called, stepping out of her room down the hall.

“Hi, Piper.”

“Are we leaving?”

“After I finalize this alliance.”

She pressed her lips together nervously and sighed. “Thane…”

“What?” He really did not want to have to kill the royal family to get this done, but his duty was to his people, and to make sure the council did not kill Valeen again. He wouldn’t let it happen, and it didn’t matter who had to die as long as she and his brother did not. “Did Ronan say something? They’re not going to agree, are they?Shit.”

Piper suddenly broke into a huge grin and lightly punched his shoulder. “Got you! No, they definitely agreed. Ronan told me last night. We have our alliance with the dragons, Thane. Taking them to their homeworld did it! They will come when they’re called. We’re going to win this war. We’re going to save Palenor.”

“Truly?”

“Yes!”

“And what about you and Ronan?”

She lifted her shoulder, and he could tell she was trying to hide disappointment. “I don’t know, Thane. He’s been different than I thought. I thought he would want to move forward, but in a way, I think he’s lost interest. I know you wanted me to help with the alliance, but I don’t know if he will marry me.”

“That’s not it.”

“Did he say something to you?”

“I told him he couldn’t be with you until the war was over.”

She scowled. “Why would you do that?”

“King Drake threatened your life if he married you… dragons don’t typically mate outside their race, and he is a prince. They are particular about their bloodline, especially the Drakonans.”

“Oh,” she breathed, and looked away, a flush staining her cheeks. “I didn’t… I don’t know why I didn’t think about that.”

“But Ronan wants to be with you. In fact, he wants to marry you. It just can’t be now, otherwise, it could jeopardize the alliance. If the king tries to hurt you, I’ll have to kill him.”

“He told you he wants to marry me?” she started to smile. “Even if… I can’t let him give up anything for me. If his parents don’t approve, they could cut him off.”

“Worry about that later. For now, I need to make a binding pact with the king and queen so they can’t back out.” He pointed at Katana’s door. “Will you wait for her and go with her to breakfast? Tell her I’m sorry but I had to leave.”

“Of course.” Piper suddenly began to study him from the top of his head to his boots and leaned in a little closer. “You smell like her.”

Thane glanced down as if he could see her scent. “I do?”

Piper chuckled. “Yeah, Thane, you do.”

He turned on his heel. “I better hurry. The king and queen are probably waiting.”

“Thane.” Piper narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice, “Did you… Maker, you did,” she accused. “You slept with her, didn’t you?”

Thane kept walking and couldn’t help but smile. “Find me downstairs.” Now all he needed was the dragons to sign a magic-binding contract. Things were finally looking up.

Chapter 38

VALEEN

Standing in front of the door in the middle of this eerie dark wood made her skin feel like spiders crawled all over her. There was no mistaking that they were followed. By what? She wasn’t sure. Pairs of red eyes glowed among the blackened foliage all around them. Popping up out of the bog were yellow eyes connected to any manner of creatures below the surface. Serpents slithered in the branches of the trees above their heads. The door was anchored to the ground but nothing else supported it. On the other side was more of this seemingly endless dark realm. The sooner they got out of here, the better.