Page 15 of Court of Secrets and Flames (Dragons of Tirene #2)

Chapter Fifteen

My heart sinks with dread.

Zale moves like he’s on a mission, and I can only assume that means one thing. King Jasper saw me flying solo on Chirean, and I’m in deep shit.

Leesa furrows her brow. “I hope you’re not going to get in trouble.”

She must have read my mind. “So do I. But I’m sort of…the resident dragoncaller. Can the king really punish me for, you know, heeding the call of the dragons?”

Even before the semi-joking words leave my mouth, I know the answer. No matter my heritage, the choice resides with him. Kings get to do whatever they want, and there’s not much beyond overthrowing the monarchy that anyone can do to stop them.

My sister bites her lip. She doesn’t appear convinced either. “I don’t know, Lark. Just tread lightly, okay? Don’t do or say anything to provoke him.”

“I won’t.” I flash her the most reassuring smile I can muster, then I face the guard. “Hello.”

“Good morning, Lady Lark.” Zale greets me with a polite nod. Although he might be the bearer of bad news, I can’t help but like the fatherly guard. “You seem to be adjusting well.”

“I am, thank you. Is everything all right?” I search his face for signs of unease, but he doesn’t give anything away.

“Yes, as far as I know, all is well. King Jasper would like you to join him in the gardens for a stroll, but he’s finishing a meeting with his advisors and asked me to escort you.”

A small measure of relief sweeps through me. The king’s not upset. He just wants to walk with me.

After bidding my sister goodbye, I make my way to the gardens with Zale.

We take our time, and I start to relax as he shares details about his family. With a fifteen-year-old and twelve-year-old son, he and his wife thought their child-rearing days were over until she found herself expecting again a few years ago. Now they have three-year-old twins, a boy and a girl.

“We were shocked, to say the least. Thought our years of having babies and young children were long gone.”

I picture the twins running around, causing mischief, and smile. “It sounds like you have your hands full.”

“I certainly do. When I’m working, I can relax a bit. Jacinda is busy with the twins day in and day out. I’ve never seen her happier, though. She’s a wonderful mother.” He strokes his graying beard, then gives me a sidelong glance. “Listen to me. I didn’t intend to bore you with talk of my family.”

“I enjoyed hearing about your family. They sound lovely.” We enter the gardens, and the sweetly perfumed air overwhelms my senses. “It’s nice to chat about something normal…everyday life.” No politics. Or kings. Or princes, for that matter. I turn to the nearest cherry blossom tree to admire the pale pink blooms.

The flowers themselves are soft and delicate, much like the light floral scent they emit.

“I can imagine.” Zale heaves a sympathetic sigh. “It may be a bit longer before the king arrives. If you’d like, I can wait with you while—” A strangled gurgle interrupts his offer.

As I spin around, a horrified cry lodges in my chest.

Zale’s throat is slit, his eyes wide with shock as crimson blood spurts from the wound. His face pales, and his eyes grow glassy.

He staggers back, crumpling into a heap. “Run…”

“Zale!” I slump to the ground beside him, desperate for something—anything—to staunch the flow.

I rip off a piece of my sleeve and hold it to the wound.

The material soaks through in a matter of seconds. There’s so much blood. He’s losing too much, too fast.

His eyes close. “I’m…s-sorry.”

“Stay with me, please! You’re going to be all right.”

But he’s already gone.

Footsteps pound on the cobblestone behind me.

I twist around and gasp. A cloaked figure steps out from behind the trees, his hood shielding his face.

“You killed him!”

“Unless you want the same fate, you’re going to come with me.” The cold, cruel threat vaults my stomach into my throat.

Think. Stay calm.

“Come with me without making a scene. Understood?”

I nod, rising to my feet on shaking legs.

“Good.” When he grabs my arm, I try to get a look at his face, but it’s concealed by the hood. “You’re wanted alive, but if you cause any trouble, I won’t hesitate to hurt you.”

Panic and fear morph into to fury. He killed Zale. Snuck up behind him and murdered him.

And he expects me to trot after him like a dog on a leash.

He leads me deeper into the gardens, away from the entrance. If there’s another gate or opening of some sort, I’m unaware of it. I walk beside him, complying with his demands.

“Keep behaving, and we can do this the easy way.”

Trying to be discreet, I reach for my short sword, only to remember I didn’t wear it this morning.

But I’m not defenseless.

I call on my magic, until it’s a living entity humming just under the surface. Flame rises from my hands. He reaches for me but jerks to a halt.

“What the hell?”

I use the distraction to spring into action.

Releasing a scream so piercing I hope someone nearby will hear, I unleash my magic. White-hot fire shoots from my fingers, headed straight for my attacker.

But he’s quick.

With a low growl, he darts to the side, evading the blaze I aimed at his face. “Fuck!”

Relentless and fueled by rage, I shoot another stream of fire at him. And then another. And another. On the fifth attempt, I hit my mark. Flames engulf the cloaked man. He drops to the ground, rolling around until he’s no longer burning.

He grunts, launching to his feet with surprising speed and agility for his size. Scorch marks decorate his cloak, and judging from the way he grips his arm, I’ve burned him.

Good.

“I warned you to behave. Pull a stunt like that again, and to hell with my orders not to harm you. You’ll be begging me to?—”

He staggers forward with a curse. Twisting around, he claws at the arrow protruding from the side of his back.

Footsteps echo in the distance.

“You bitch,” he snarls. “I’ll be back, and then you’ll regret the day you were born.”

Despite the arrow still jutting out from his body, he takes off and disappears into the trees.

As the adrenaline fades, I start to tremble and lower myself in a crouch beside the fallen guard. The first person who showed me any kindness in Tirene lies dead, and I was powerless to prevent it. He has a family, a wife and children whose lives will change forever.

They’ll be devastated.

Footfalls grow louder, and four guards race down the cobblestone path. Agnar is the only one I recognize.

He kneels beside me, assessing me for injuries. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Zale is…he’s…dead. Someone tried to kidnap me.” I point to the trees that border the eastern edge of the gardens, beyond the mossy stone walls. “He ran off that way.”

As the other guards search for my attacker, I catch a glimpse of a man along the tree line. He’s not close enough for me to discern his features, but the object in his hand is unmistakable.

A bow.

“Agnar, look. That man…I think he saved me.”

The guard follows my gaze, but the mysterious man has disappeared.