Page 33 of A Kingdom of Fire and Fury (House of Embers #1)

Kieran gripped my chin and forced me to look up at him.

“How rude. But that’s on me for expecting good behavior.

You like being difficult, even if it’s to your own detriment.

If you want me to be the bad guy, I will.

But remember, darling, you had the opportunity to be good, but you chose to be a brat. ”

I scowled, my cheeks flushing with heat. Dread coiled in my belly when the shadows returned. This time, they coiled around my body until I sagged forward. I had no control over myself and being bound like this caused me to fully lean into Kieran’s hand.

“You look so pretty on your knees. Maybe I should keep you like this. ”

“Sh—” A shadow gagged me, stretching my lips wide—almost painfully so. I shouted my anger, but Kieran was only amused by it. He smirked and lifted me into his arms.

“Anger is a good look on you.” Kieran squeezed under my thighs.

“Gareth’s posted in the hallway. We all saw right through you.

Naturally, we weren’t going to let you screw everything up.

Nimue’s outside the castle since Umara isn’t in the dragon caves.

The others—they thought you’d merely try to run.

” He raised me closer, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.

“But I know how destructive and miserable you are. You hurt, so you want others to hurt. All that rage and fury, it has to go somewhere. No thoughts in that head of yours, little thief, only emotion.”

I wanted to bite him. It was worse, being cradled in his arms and unable to do anything about it, knowing he enjoyed watching me struggle. I turned away from him the best I could.

Kieran laughed again, the sound echoing across the corridor as he walked.

Gods, the hall felt seemingly endless, and Kieran was clearly in no rush.

The man was all too eager to let me stew in my own misery.

Only once we approached the staircase did he end this little charade of his.

His shadows enveloped us, and we stood before Hesperos.

Hesperos took one look at me and growled.

“Come on, now, Hes. She has to learn. I know you love proving a point.” He grinned up at his dragon. Hesperos bared his teeth at me but didn’t torch me.

The only warning I had was Kieran squeezing my thighs before the shadows covered us again, and we reappeared on Hesperos. Or rather, Kieran sat on Hesperos, while I was cradled in his lap. Shadows ensured my total submission and kept me pressed against him.

My cheeks flooded with heat. I shouted in protest, but the gag muffled it.

Pressed against him like this, I could feel every hard line in his body.

One hand wrapped around my waist, pressing me even closer.

He didn’t have to do that—his shadows could’ve kept me confined.

A fire raged through me, and I squirmed the best I could. Asshole.

My stomach rolled when Hesperos rose in the air.

Fuck me. Fuck me. Fuck me. This can’t be how I die.

But Kieran’s grip never once let up. He kept a firm grip around my waist, cradling me against him like I was precious, a sharp contrast to his biting words and the almost painful grip of my shadowy binds.

“Just remember this was your choice,” he said, in an annoying sing-song voice. “I wanted to be civil, but you just had to be a brat.”

Asshole. As soon as he unbound me, I was going to kick him in the balls. I closed my eyes when we left the caves and Hesperos flew upward into the sky. Umara, where are you?

I grinned when I heard her roar, not just in my mind but off in the distance.

Kieran’s grip tightened, and he stroked under my thighs.

“She’s powerful, no doubt, but she’s not the fastest flyer.

If I wanted to, I could drop you before she could catch you.

And even if she comes before that, do you really want to cause a dragon fight?

Riders are usually the ones who die when that happens. ”

I stiffened and ignored him for the rest of the flight. Where was he taking me? He talked about my leash being too long, but what the fuck would happen if he shortened it? And the thought of him punishing me… My heart pounded against my ribcage.

Fuck. This escape attempt was doomed from the start. And now Clara was fucked. Kieran made it clear he was only keeping me alive because I was useful to him. But clearly he didn’t think that anymore. So where did that leave me?

Umara? Please come. I pushed my fear down the bond, and Umara roared in my mind. I didn’t need words to know she was coming, and the realization lifted a weight off my chest.

We landed on the castle rooftop in Petralis. The space was huge and sturdy looking, clearly meant for the purpose of a dragon dismount. Kieran didn’t give me a moment to think, he used his shadows to keep me pressed against him as he slid down Hesperos.

I seethed at the smirk he shot me. Despite his haughty aura, his touch was gentle as he carried me toward the edge of the rooftop. Behind us, Hesperos took off, eager to hunt.

“I’ll set you down now. Don’t try to push me off the castle. That’ll be embarrassing for you.”

I ground my teeth when he released me, hating how cold I felt when I no longer had his warmth to support me. The shadows slipped away leaving me feeling strangely vulnerable. At least Umara’s comforting mental growl brought warmth back to me, steadying my feet.

I could hear her call, not just in my mind, but in the distance. I could see her in the distance. Her golden scales lit up the night.

“I wouldn’t run if I were you.”

I glared, whipping my head back toward him. “Why? I could end this right here.” Kieran was right. If it came down to it, Umara could end this by torching him. But so could Hesperos.

He laughed. “Do you know why she hasn’t attacked me yet?”

I flushed and followed his gaze reluctantly where Umara nipped at Hesperos’s tail, but it lacked the proper venom I wanted it to have. Our eyes met from across several yards. Pride shot through the bond. I frowned. ‘ Why aren’t you eating him?’ I thought at her, but she merely grumbled in my mind.

He grinned when I looked back at him. “I haven’t harmed you, and Umara knows that. But if I try to, she’ll definitely torch me.”

Didn’t harm me, my ass. “You choked me!”

His lips curved into a smile. “You deserved it.”

I shot a glare at Umara’s direction, but she merely breathed fire my way. I exhaled. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Can you be civil?”

“Can you for once not be a condescending ass? It’s like you don’t even ca— ”

“You’re mistaken.” He stepped toward me, his eyes blazing. “I’m furious.”

His gaze pinned me in place. All my fire, all my rage, vanished. “Why did you bring me here?”

“Because we need to talk in private, and you need to let out your frustration in a relatively safe space.”

I scoffed. “Safe place? That’s bullshit.”

“You’re right. Nowhere is safe. Not while we’re on the brink of war. And truthfully, this isn’t the place I wanted to bring you. But you’re too hot headed and childish to be trusted.”

“Again with the fucking secrets. Just talk plainly for once.”

“Funny to be criticized by someone who tried to murder her king.”

“Funny to be criticized by someone who murdered an innocent old man.”

He tilted his head in acknowledgement, the smile falling off his face. “I’ve let your insubordination fly because of how important you are. You’ve let that go to your head.” His eyes narrowed. “Today, you weren’t thinking about your sister. You were thinking about yourself.”

The words hurt more than they had any right to. “You’re wrong.” Who was he to act like he knew me?

“You were selfish. Trying to claim otherwise is merely lying to yourself. Or are you not allowed to be honest with yourself?”

The mocking tilt to his lips had me clenching my teeth. Pressure built behind my eyes, making it hard to think. “You haven’t been in my shoes. It’s so fucking easy for you to judge me when you’re the king’s righthand man. He’s never looked at you like a traitor. You don’t know what it’s like.”

Kieran exhaled. “You’re right about some things. I’ve never been in your shoes. I was never considered a traitor. But I’ve darkened my soul to achieve my goals. Meanwhile you almost threw everything away, and for what? If you succeeded, you would have lost everything.”

“You—”

“I’m not here to mock you.” He stepped closer, and I barely stopped myself from stepping back. “What happened today can’t happen again. It’s time we reach an understanding. I want to show you something. If you’d let me.”

I searched his eyes. I could refuse, get on Umara’s back and flee, but everyone would know. There’d be no element of surprise. I’d be hunted down by Lusadians and Andovans alike, and I’d stand no chance of getting my sister before Luther. I exhaled. “Fine. But I’m riding my own dragon.”