Page 64 of A Queen’s Betrayal (Legends of Worldbinders #1)

Gigantic marble statues separated the never-ending columns of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves of Worden’s library.

Each statue was carved with extreme precision; their details were immaculate, depicting the male and female they resembled beautifully.

Even their hair looked luscious and soft, their skin blemish-free and sparkling.

Arenna walked down the long walkway, noting each statue she passed. Libraries had always been silent, but Worden’s was quieter than any she had ever ventured into. Though it stood at least four stories high, the only sound was her pale blue skirt brushing against the floor.

The statues lessened the nearer she got to the end of the long corridor. It wasn’t until she reached the last statue that she realized what they were all carved after. She stood before Kayson’s marble likeness, his face neutral and calm. Even in stone, he was breathtaking.

Glancing to her left, Arenna saw what she was sure were his parents, standing entwined in each other’s arms. Their features made it undeniable who their child was. Kayson looked exactly like his father, with few features from his mother.

She took a breath, stepping away from the statues’ gaze, feeling as if they might actually see her. It could have been the tightness of her iron corset or the length of her sleeves making her hot, but her head was still throbbing, and the pain tonic Selphia brought back had not quite kicked in.

Rodsan waited at the far end of the library, lounging on a velvet sectional under the rays of morning light.

The white walls glittered, and Worden banners billowed in a welcomed breeze.

The ceiling of the library hadn’t been a ceiling at all; it opened up to the clouds beyond.

Gazing upward, Arenna blinked against the sun, marveling at the vaulted pillars and intricate designs of the fourth-story walls that simply— ended .

If she looked closely, she could see a familiar purple hue shimmering in the sunlight. Warmth filled her chest as she realized Kayson’s ward covered it entirely.

“Ah, Arenna.” Rodsan stood from his relaxed position, smoothing his blue jacket. “I can assume you’re feeling better?”

“Much, thank you.” She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the bite of the iron lacing on the sleeves of her gown. “Itta mentioned there might be something beneficial for me to read, and that you would provide it.”

Rodsan curtly nodded, retrieving a book from the oak table in front of the sectional. “ Nation of Fire ,” he said, handing her the text.

“Thank you.” Lifting her gaze, Arenna noticed a stack of large books behind the councilman and the open one on the table. “Do you like to read?”

He followed her gaze, peering over his shoulder. “Oh, that?” The dangling diamond from his pierced, pointed ear glittered in the sunlight. “The exact opposite, actually. I despise reading,” he replied with a smile.

“That’s quite a tall stack of books for someone who doesn’t enjoy reading.” Arenna raised a brow at the Lord Admiral.

“Ah, well, I suppose you caught me there.” Rodsan grinned, his eyes trailing down the length of her two-toned gown.

Her body stiffened out of instinct, the gleam in his eyes making her feel anything but complimented.

“I enjoy studying the history of your continent. I’m always looking for ways to help our king, especially with the prophecy. ”

Arenna ran a hand down the floral bodice of her gown, ensuring everything was perfectly tucked into the thin brown sash around her waist. Something in his violet eyes chilled her skin, compelling her to hide any vulnerability.

“I love reading about history too,” she said, her excitement pushing back the unease in her stomach.

“Could you show me where I might find some?”

He nodded, gesturing toward a small door on the right-hand side. “There are texts available to the public, and then there are texts reserved for Worden royals or those close enough to the king.”

Arenna stopped walking. “I am neither of those.”

“You are the Firewielder,” Rodsan pressed. “King Kayson would not restrict your access to his personal library.”

She shook her head. “Really, it’s fine. I’ll speak with him about it if I need anything in there.

” Arenna agreed with Rodsan; Kayson would have no issue with her being there.

They had vowed to be open and honest, and if she wanted more information about her task—or anything else—he wouldn’t bat an eye.

Probably .

“I’ll focus on this for now,” Arenna said, gripping the spine of Nation of Fire and waving it through the air.

She noticed the tension in his jaw, even as it vanished while he nodded. “Not a problem, Firewielder. If you ever find yourself back in here,” he pointed to the massive bookcases behind her, “that’s where you’ll find the public access texts.”

“Understood,” she replied. “Thank you, Lord Admiral.” Arenna turned away, releasing a heavy breath.

“Arenna?”

She looked over her iron-detailed shoulder. “Yes?”

“Just Rodsan.”

She smiled faintly. “Okay, just Rodsan.”

Again, he looked at her with a certain hunger that set her skin ablaze. Not with excitement or lust, but with dread. Arenna walked away quicker than she would have liked, making her way toward one of the hidden alcoves she had spotted when she first arrived, not daring to look back.

* * *

Nation of Fire was not an average book at all.

It contained endless tales of past wars and battles, detailing the once-mighty Kenia and her fearless, fire-breathing dragon, Oviuss.

It would be a lie to say Arenna hadn’t lost herself in the text, intrigued beyond words at a life with a dragon and the magic of Pheanixios.

But it didn’t make sense why Itta had wanted Arenna to read such a thing. Nowhere did it mention anything useful regarding her training—how to summon, control, or cease her powers. It was merely a memoir of the dragon rider’s life, her magical abilities, and her long bloodline.

Arenna flipped to the final chapter, hesitating when she found the page stained with dried blood. Her breath caught, her chest suddenly tight. She ran her fingers across the stain, then to the title of the page:

They came at dawn .

Fire flared beneath her skin, but she pressed on.

Humans, they call themselves. I prefer the term morons. Or weaklings. They say they travel far and wide, never staying in one place—always moving from continent to continent. I can’t help but wonder why. What are they looking for? What will finally make them stop and build a home?

Oviuss senses something too. Something isn’t right about them .

Arenna set the book on the table with shaking hands.

She hadn’t noticed it before, but the text was sprawled in scratchy, poorly drawn cursive, especially near the back, where the writing turned sloppy and messy, as if it had been rushed.

This was not a memoir at all, but instead, Kenia’s personal journal.

“Did you plan on staying here all night?”

Arenna looked up at the sudden male voice and quickly slammed the journal closed.

Kayson stood at the far end of the table, his hands in his pockets.

She blanched at the sight of him, his appearance catching her off guard.

He wore a black, tight suit that left little to the imagination.

A short, dark cape rested on his left side, held together by a single golden brooch shaped like flames.

Her stomach dipped.

“I-I was just finishing up,” she lied. Arenna had been so lost in the journal that she hadn’t realized the library was shutting down for the day. The sunlight beyond the windows had shifted to a dark shade of blue.

Kayson smiled—a real, genuine smile for the first time since she’d known him. “Please, do not leave on my account.” He pulled out the chair across from her and sat. “Happy to see you out of bed.”

Her brow rose. “Worried about me, were you, Reaper?”

A hint of a smile lingered but did not rise fully. “I was. A burnout of your power would be devastating for this continent.”

She nodded, slightly disappointed he hadn’t answered differently. “Thank you,” Arenna whispered. “For all you did to stop me.”

He shrugged. “Couldn’t have you burning my forest, could we?”

Arenna ran a hand along the edge of the table. “What did you place around me that contained my power?”

“A ward,” Kayson answered. “Being king grants me extra abilities. I can ward our home, this palace, and Emerlon if I need to. Both are extensions of the castle, so they fall under my abilities. I wish I could say the same for the rest of Vlazias.”

She blinked at the word our, her throat seizing up a bit. “And the ward is just a . . .” She didn’t know, but there had been a hue of purple and blue, iridescent and shimmering.

“I can create a dome of protection, warding a certain area at a certain time. It’s impenetrable to a certain extent.”

“I see,” she said, nodding.

Kayson placed a hand on the table. “How are you? Truly?”

“I’m fine, truly. This book might help me understand a bit more about my power reserve.” Arenna pushed the journal in his direction, tearing her eyes away from the intensity of his gaze.

Kayson pulled the book the rest of the way, carefully holding her place while inspecting the cover. “ Nation of Fire? ” he asked. “Where did you find this?”

“Itta suggested I read it.”

“Did she, now?” The king flipped through more yellowed pieces of parchment, quickly running his eyes along a few pages. “I’m not surprised at all to hear that.”

“Should I have not read it?” she spluttered. “I’m sorry. I should have made sure it was okay with you first.” Arenna slunk back in her chair.

Kayson looked up but kept his chin angled at the text. “Seven be damned.”

“Really, I am sorry—”

“There you go, apologizing again.” He closed the journal, and leaned across the table to whisper, “Is there a beating heart in there after all, Arenna Firewielder?” His eyes fell to the right side of her chest.

She snatched the journal away. “ Bastard ,” she hissed. “Here I was thinking I genuinely did something wrong, and you mock it.”

Kayson laughed again. Harder. The sight warmed her from the inside out until Arenna forced herself to look away.

“You are welcome to anything here,” he admitted.

“This library is not mine, nor will it ever be. These texts belong to the Fae of Worden and Vlazias,” he smiled again, “or any human who wanders in and wishes to indulge.”

“Even in there?” Arenna nodded toward the wooden door with the restricted texts.

Kayson swiveled in his seat, then was quiet for many moments.

“That is slightly more precious,” he said, turning back, “and more protected. Everything outside that door is expendable, replaceable. But everything within it . . .” His voice trailed off, as though he was wrestling with the notion of telling her.

They were comrades now—an alliance, two beings forced to work together for the greater good. But Arenna was still human, and Kayson was still Fae. Two species with endless ancestors of corruption and a thirst for bloodshed.

But maybe—just maybe—they could change that.

Could change the world.

“Everything within that door is highly protected,” Kayson finally said. “We’ll leave it at that.”

She needed a good punch to the gut, just to stop her traitorous stomach from constricting every time Kayson was near or said something she didn’t want to hear. Arenna offered a closed-lip smile. “Of course.”

Kayson’s lips parted, words starting and dying on his tongue. “Arenna, I mean no offense—”

She waved him off as she stood, then pushed in her chair. “I know. I should get back to my chamber.”

“I only meant it is highly protected, but I did not suggest you may not look inside.” He stood.

Arenna had to tilt her chin upward to meet his gaze.

“Really, it’s okay. I’m human; you’re Fae.

” She shrugged. “There’s no reason for me to enter Worden’s protected library.

” Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment. Things had been different between them since their training session, and she struggled to make sense of how to act in front of him.

“I came here to suggest you enter it.”

That piqued her interest. “What for?”

“Itta and I thought it might be good for you to learn about Drakian culture. Learn how they lived, about their dragons, and specifically—”

“Kenia,” Arenna finished for him.

He smiled. “And Kenia.” Kayson tapped the journal in her hands. “You could learn a great deal from her and her words. All you must do is ask, and you will enter the library.”

“Tomorrow, then.” Arenna began to walk away.

She took only two steps before Kayson said, “Are you sure you’re okay?” His statement was blurted, rushed.

“Trying to find a way to keep me from leaving, are you?” she snickered. His jaw clenched. “It’s simply too easy to make you squirm, Reaper.”

Arenna left him with that, stalking down the library hallway toward the large double doors. “By the way, I’m fine,” she called over her shoulder. And though she spoke with such confidence, she was reminding herself how to walk, knowing the king’s eyes had not yet left her.

It wasn’t until she slipped behind the oak doors that she breathed out. Rain did not fall, yet the scent lingered in a bubble around her body as if it was lifting from her skin. She breathed again, inhaling the intoxicating aroma, wondering when her traitorous heart had started to let him in.