Page 82 of A Kingdom of Fire and Fury (House of Embers #1)

Two weeks had transformed Elidad. Nearly all the booths had a color combination of green, gold, and black—and so did the clothing the locals wore as they flooded the streets to visit the various stalls.

We went to some of the stalls, ate some street food, and played some games.

I couldn’t enjoy any of it. Not when I knew how this night would end.

After a couple hours of wandering, we stopped at an amphitheater in the center of the capital to watch a play.

We sat in the second row. The seats were specifically reserved for us, though I would’ve preferred to sit in the back if I could.

I knew Kieran felt the same since there was an ever present chance his stepmother might make an appearance and join us—being that the first row was reserved for the Caddel family.

“This feels like a waste of time,” I muttered under my breath as people filed into the amphitheater.

His lips brushed the shell of my ear. “It’s important we play our role. They’re watching us.”

A chill shot down my spine, and I forced a smile. “You really know how to make a woman feel secure. ”

His laughter warmed my neck. “It’s a talent.”

I willed my body to relax. Kieran was right.

No doubt Andovan spies were here, watching us for any hint of a lie.

We needed to sell the idea that we really were here just to see the festival and scout out gryphons.

The sooner we got to Treave, the better.

It might turn into a foot race or an all-out dragon battle.

I studied the curve to Kieran’s jaw, and the way his eyes darkened.

We couldn’t let it come to that. I refused to let Lusadia fall into another war.

A hush fell over the crowd when a group of actors stepped onto the stage. Joining them was a huge ‘monster’ that looked to be some kind of dragon knockoff. I hoped this play wouldn’t take too long. We had way more important stuff to be doing.

The group of actors screamed when they saw the beast and ran off stage. The knockoff dragon ‘attacked’ some of the slower actors and ‘killed’ about half. I had to admire their dedication to the bit. The bloodcurdling screams—while hurting my ears—left a chill down my spine.

A group of dragon riders came out—obvious from the leathers they wore as well as the taped on pointed ears.

They surrounded the beast. In the battle, about half died and only eight remained alive.

One of the women landed the killing blow.

When the beast succumbed to its wound, the woman raised her blade and cheered. “No more will our people suffer.”

“Dragonsguard Yesenia has slain the monster!” one of the male dragonsguard said. “It can harm us no longer. But we must prepare a wall, to cut off the evil where it resided.”

“We cannot allow it to taint our people,” a woman said. “We have to get started immediately.”

“The king!” another dragonsguard said. “The king is coming!”

The ‘king’ came onto the stage not a moment later.

He smiled at ‘Yesenia.’ “Dragonsguard Yesenia, thank you for your service. To the eight of you that have survived, I will make you Lords and Ladies of the kingdom as my gift to honor your dedication to the kingdom. Your descendants will be my chosen riders now and forever more.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Bullshit propaganda, that’s what this was.

This bit might’ve been true, but there were enough dragons to spare back before the civil war.

This was just an excuse, then and now, to keep commoners from ever gaining power.

And I seriously doubted it was actual lords who fought.

Probably their vassals instead. Or maybe even their spouses.

“My King, I need to tell you something,” Lady Yesenia said. She lifted her sleeve and exposed a black tattoo. “I was hesitant to say this since I am merely a rider, but my heart cannot bear keeping it a secret. I noticed that you share the same tattoo on your neck.”

The king's expression tightened “What are you trying to say?”

Lady Yesenia visibly steeled herself. “I was going to keep it a secret since I have no title to my name. And since I am fae and you are human. But our tattoos—they have a special meaning for my people. They appear when two souls who are destined to meet each other come face to face. You are such a person to me. You are the one that lights my soul. I know that I am not of noble blood. And I know you have better options, but if you still choose me, I will fight for your kingdom. Our children will be the lifeblood of dragons. On my magic, they will only hatch for our royal line.”

The king inhaled sharply. “Lady Yesenia…”

My ears rang. Don’t tell me. Please don’t tell me…

Lady Yesenia smiled. “Marry me, my king. Let us unify this kingdom and bring our two worlds together.”

“How can I say no to an offer like that? Lady Yesenia, you will be my queen.” They kissed, and the audience went wild.

But I couldn’t focus on that. I could barely hear the crowd. The marks the couple shared. The words they used. Fated for each other. Or like Nimue had said, fated mates. Like what Umara and Thaleia had. The mark on my chest burned.

Matching tattoos. One that appears after meeting each other.

Fated mates.

Distantly, I heard Kieran talking to me, but the words fell in one ear and out the other. He knew. He must have. If all the locals knew about fated mates, then Kieran, bastard son of their lord, must have known.

That night when I commented on his tattoo .

When he avoided me afterward.

When I asked him about my mark.

When he lied to my face.

My breath quickened. It felt like I hovered outside of my own body. I shouldn’t have trusted him. I know better. Wes tried to warn me, told me how two-faced Kieran could be. And I let myself fall anyways.

I blinked and the crowd was in the process of leaving. When did that happen? Trying to control my breathing, I grabbed Kieran’s hand and gripped it tight. “Take me somewhere private. Now.”

“We can’t blow our cover.” He didn’t let me tug him along. When I swirled on him, he smiled. Light and airy, even though it didn’t reach his eyes. A mask for the public. Asshole. “Selena, we can’t blow our cover.”

I wanted to scream, wanted to shove him, wanted to call Umara to torch him. Instead, I forced my numb cheeks into a returning smile and let go of his hand. “I’m not an idiot. That’s why we’re going somewhere private.”

We were all smiles as we left the amphitheater.

My heart felt as if it’d been torn out of my chest. How could I have been so stupid?

This was why I didn’t trust people. This was why I only ever let myself care for Clara.

Because everyone else always lets me down.

Gods, all the signs were there. Wes had warned me so many times.

And I fell for it anyways. Like a dumbass.

The moment we were in our room back at the inn did I let my mask fall. “You’re a liar.”

Kieran stiffened. “I wasn't sure of anything myself. ”

“Bullshit.” I jabbed a finger in his chest. “You suspected. There’s no way you didn’t.

” The back of my eyes burned. Fated mates.

The whole thing sounded so fantastical, so impossible.

And yet I had the tattoo, and so did Kieran.

And now that I thought about it, our tattoos matched.

They weren’t the same exact design, but they complimented each other.

Because we’re fated.

I wanted to throw up.

Kieran shook his head. “When I got the tattoo, I didn’t—I suspected, but there’s no factual record of a rider gaining a tattoo. That play—it’s just a wish. At first, I thought the mark was because of my bond with Hesperos.”

My hands shook. I wanted to believe him, wanted to curl into his arms. But that’d be ignoring what I’d known all along. Kieran was a liar, and he’d do anything to further his agenda. “You told Gareth.” The realization sent ice through my veins. “That’s why he kept pushing for me to trust you.”

Kieran grimaced. “I didn’t tell him to do that. Selena—” He stepped forward.

I flinched and raised my hands. “Don’t take another step closer.” I looked at my hands, at the way they trembled. Kieran did this to me. “Why the hell would you tell him and not me?”

Kieran gestured wildly toward me. “Because of how you’re reacting right now.”

I laughed, but there was no humor to it. “Because of how I’m reacting?” My voice rose. Red flooded my vision. “You’ve been manipulating me this whole fucking time, of course I’m pissed. You know that you’re my fated mate, whatever the fuck that even means, and you kept it from me.”

“Because—” Kieran took a step and then paused, taking a step backward. “I didn’t know if it was real. And when I thought it was—I thought it was one sided. Because after all that time we spent together, you never got the mark.”

It was a slap to the face. “So you’re saying my feelings are nothing? That it was okay for you to lie to me even when it involved me? You don’t get to tell me how I feel!”

“I’ve never lied about my feelings for you!

And of course I thought you didn’t feel the same.

If the marks were as simple as falling in love, every past rider would’ve gained a mark, but they don’t.

Because this is deeper than love, Selena.

What I feel for you consumes my very being.

It’s in the air I breathe, every step I take, every thought, every emotion I feel.

It’s all about you. That is why I was sure it was one-sided. ”

I wanted to punch something. “Even if that is true—even if you were sure I didn’t feel the same—you should have told me the moment I manifested my own mark.”