Page 7 of Court of Secrets and Flames (Dragons of Tirene #2)

Chapter Seven

Once the pleasure-induced haze wears off, a landslide of emotions comes crashing through. Anger, regret, hope, fear. Too many feelings for me to deal with right now.

Being the mature, well-adjusted person that I am, I decide the best strategy is to ignore them and hope they go away. Instead, I rummage through the armoire to find something suitable to wear. I’m going to be late, and the king won’t be pleased. Maybe I should just go in what I already have on.

One glance at my wrinkled tunic and pants tells me that’s a bad idea. The last thing I need is for the king to speculate on the reason for my disheveled clothes.

I choose a soft periwinkle blue with a faint lavender scent, pulling the garment on and re-braiding my wild hair in record time. After a quick glance in the mirror, I exit the bedroom.

A sharp rap at the door jolts me from my reverie. “Come in.”

The door swings open, revealing Agnar. “Are you ready?”

Not at all. “I suppose.”

He doesn’t offer a greeting or say another word as he leads me down one corridor after another. Not that I mind. I’m too nervous about my walk with the king to hold much of a conversation.

When we get to the same hidden tunnel Hyde and Zale ushered me through yesterday, my stomach knots with fear. Where is Agnar taking me? To another test?

I hold back. “I thought I was meeting the king in the gardens.”

“You are.” He glances around, as if ensuring we’re not seen, then shoves me inside the tunnel before closing the panel. “I wanted to escort you this way so I could talk to you without the chance of anyone listening to our conversation.”

“I’m all ears. Though I have to warn you, if this is a trick and you’re taking me back to that arena for round two of ‘let’s find out if the woman we kidnapped is a dragoncaller,’ I’ll make you regret it.”

He gives a dry laugh, the hint of a smile playing at his lips. “The prince wasn’t kidding. You are feisty. Though I kind of gathered that myself when we first met.”

“What do you mean?” I don’t remember giving Agnar—or anyone else, for that matter—a reason to think I was feisty upon my arrival in Tirene. I was too traumatized by my abduction and Olive’s death. Too worried over the long flight here about getting dragged to the kingdom of my sworn enemies.

“You don’t recognize me, do you?”

My brow scrunches in confusion. “I remember meeting you a couple days ago, if that’s what you’re asking.”

He shakes his head. “Think back to the village, over a month ago.”

I’m still drawing a blank. “I’m sorry…I don’t follow.”

With a roll of his broad shoulders, Agnar releases his wings. The beautiful, burnished copper color complements his reddish-brown hair. “Does this jog your memory?”

For a moment, I just gape at him.

And then it hits me. “In the forest outside the Happy Dragon Tavern…that was you. You tried to abduct me!”

He stands there with his wings out and arms crossed, neither confirming nor denying my accusation.

Outrage floods me. Magic pulses in my veins, and my hands fist with the urge to punch him. “You were going to kill Luke!”

“Luke?”

“The boy with me outside the tavern.” Though it’s only a matter of weeks since I snuck out of our estate in Aclaris to drive a cart to the local food pantry I’d founded, that night seems like ages ago.

“I wasn’t going to kill him.” His face softens. “Would’ve dumped him in the woods somewhere and left him tied up and gagged so he couldn’t go running inside the pub to shout about a a winged Tirenese stealing you away. But he’d have survived.”

I scoff. “You’re no better than Sterling.”

His blue eyes shine with intrigue, and too late, I realize my slip. “Interesting that you call him that.”

Shit. “I don’t. I…he’s got so many personas…so many names. It gets a little confusing trying to keep everything straight.”

“Nice try, but you can’t fool me. I know about you two.” He retracts his wings and motions for me to start walking. “That’s actually what I want to discuss with you. If we don’t hurry, though, you’ll be late. And believe me when I say the king doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

Fear takes root in my heart.

Does he know something, or is he toying with me? “Then I guess you’d better talk as we walk.”

“Relax. I can practically see the wheels spinning in your head.” He grabs my elbow to steady me when I trip over an uneven part of the tunnel. “I’m not going to tell the king anything.”

I chew the inside of my cheek. “I’m not saying there’s anything going on between us, but if there were, why would I trust you?”

“Because I would never betray the prince like that. He’s one of my closest friends, along with Blair Jameson, whom you met when you arrived at the palace. They’re both like brothers to me.”

I’d gathered as much when I saw them interact. “Be that as it may, you’re still loyal to the king.”

Agnar indicates a tunnel that veers off to the right, away from the main path. “I’m loyal to the prince. And to Tirene. And if that overlaps with being loyal to the king, so be it.”

“Why are you telling me all this, and not the prince?”

“How much time have you spent with him since you got here? I mean time when the two of you were really and truly alone for more than a few minutes?”

He has a point. “Not much.”

“Exactly. That’s why he wanted me to talk to you. He’s arranged for either Blair or me to be your escort as much as possible. You’ll have other guards, but one of us will be posted outside your chambers whenever we’re available. That way, if you need anything or require us to relay a message to Knox, we can help.”

I shake my head in frustration. “Why, though? The prince abducted me against my will, and I’m more or less a prisoner here. Why would he go to all this trouble to look out for me? How can he obey his brother without question yet sneak around behind his back for me?”

Agnar sighs as he scratches his chin. “It’s complicated. Bottom line is, Knox was away from Tirene for a long time and isn’t fully aware of what the king’s gotten up to.”

“What are you saying? That the prince is going to find out his brother doesn’t belong on the pedestal he’s been on since they were kids? That because they don’t see eye to eye on everything, Knox’s going to, do what? Challenge him?”

“I can’t answer any of that because I truly don’t know. What I do know is Knox is suspicious of his brother’s motives regarding you after that speech he gave after the dinner.”

“That would make two of us, then. But I need to keep my head down and play along, at least for now. After seeing those two dead men spiked to the castle wall, I’m not especially eager to learn what happens if I piss off the king.”

“Well, the good thing is I don’t think he’ll kill you since you’re a dragoncaller.” He barks out a dark laugh.

“Very reassuring, thanks.”

Agnar stops chuckling, but bites his lip as if he’s still fighting off a smile. “I agree it would be wise to keep the king appeased at all costs.” He lowers his voice. “Be very careful. You cannot let him suspect what the prince means to you.”

My spine stiffens. “Bold of you to assume the prince means anything to me at all, apart from being the man who betrayed me.”

He allows that comment to slide. “And trust no one.”

I scowl. “Don’t worry. I’ve got that part covered.”

“Good.” He slows his pace. “Almost there.”

As we approach the end of the tunnel, he morphs into a different person before my eyes. All the former levity vanishes from his face, leaving his expression harsh and foreboding. His posture straightens into a soldier’s rigid bearing. Watching the rapid change reminds me of Sterling’s multiple personalities. Does everyone in Tirene wear a different mask depending on the audience, or is this something that’s unique to Sterling and his closest friends?

Then the gardens appear, and my breath catches. I caught a glimpse from the air, but up close, they’re magnificent.

A vine- and moss-covered stone wall borders the edges. At the center, a cobblestone pathway winds through the space, lined with towering trees exploding with exquisite pink blossoms. Lush, vibrant flowers in a variety of colors pervade the air with a sweet, heady fragrance.

We walk in silence until we get to a sparkling fountain with crystal clear water. Behind it stands a tall hedge trimmed in the shape of two dragons facing each other, perhaps readying for a battle for dominance.

King Jasper sits in front of the fountain on a wide stone bench.

“Good afternoon, Your Majesty.” Agnar bows to the king, then addresses me. “I’ll be outside the entrance to escort you back to the palace.”

With a nod, he turns on his heel and strides away.

The king pats the bench beside him. “Would you care to sit?”

I offer the king a demure smile, the kind I’ve observed from noble ladies who know how to wield courtesy like a shield. “Of course, Your Majesty. Thank you.”

Hopefully my tone strikes the right balance between warmth and propriety. Stilted propriety proves easy enough, but warmth? Not possible.

Funny how tossing someone into an arena with dragons can kill a budding relationship.

“Something troubles you?” Jasper’s voice breaks through my worries, his gaze sharpening with curiosity.

I use all my willpower not to hiss. Honestly, though, is this guy for real? Kidnapped from my home kingdom, imprisoned in an enemy’s castle, and almost burned to a crisp in a non-consensual test…but what could possibly be troubling me?

Dickbag king.

Reminding myself to play the game, I choke down a mouthful of insults. “Overwhelmed. There’s a lot to take in.” I toy with the end of my braid, praying the innocent gesture masks my unease.

“I can imagine. Living in Tirene will take some getting used to, but I think you’ll learn to love it here.”

While I don’t plan to be here long enough to learn to love it, I can’t say that out loud. “It’s a beautiful kingdom. And these gardens are magnificent.”

He smiles, hopefully pleased with the compliment. “Would you care for a walk?”

Though I’d rather stay within earshot of Agnar, whom I know is stationed just outside the entrance, denying the king wouldn’t be wise. “I would love to.”

On our stroll, King Jasper regales me with tales of his childhood and amusing incidences that have happened at court. I’m careful to nod, smile, and laugh in all the right places, and so far, he appears satisfied with my performance.

The anxious knot in my stomach expands. The king’s attempts to charm me set off alarm bells in my head. I’m not stupid. He’s a monarch, and I’m a glorified prisoner. The only reason to crank up the charm is because he wants something from me.

“I must apologize for the little test with the dragons. But that was the only way I could prove to the citizens that you are a true dragoncaller. I had complete faith in you, and rest assured that I wouldn’t have let any harm come to you or your sister if things had gone too far.”

Hidden beneath my long sleeves, my nails dig into my palms. I know good and well that’s a lie because things almost had gone too far. And no one—the king included—would have been able to prevent an angry dragon from incinerating my sister and me if that’s what it wanted to do.

With a deep breath, I relax my hands, ignoring the stinging sensation from my self-inflicted wounds.

We survived the test, and I need to do everything in my power to ensure we continue to stay alive. That’s what matters.

Even if our survival depends on me playing nice with a king I’d just as soon drop-kick into the middle of a killer-eel infested ocean.

I summon a polite smile. “I appreciate you letting me know and am grateful for your confidence in me.”

He rests a hand on my arm, and I fight the urge to cringe. “What a comfort to hear. Let’s put that incident behind us and move forward, shall we?”

Relief gushes through me when he removes his hand. “I’d like that.”

“Excellent.” His mouth tips up in a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes, and I brace for what he’s about to say next. “You were rather quiet when I shared your story last night. I hope you know that my intent was to celebrate your return with our guests, not make you uncomfortable.”

He sounds sincere enough, though I’m not really buying it. If he was truly concerned about my comfort, he would have asked first before launching into his tale of the poor little orphan dragoncaller. “I think I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed in general. So much has happened in the past few days. I’m away from home, in an entirely new land…one I was always taught to fear. I hope it’s not disrespectful for me to say that I need a little time to acclimate.”

When the king pins me with a thoughtful expression, my pulse hitches. In this particular lighting, with his head tilted just so, he reminds me a lot of his brother. And when his smile widens, I’m struck by his handsome features. The old, more trusting Lark might even have believed the story he peddled and fallen prey to his charisma.

I utter a silent curse and train my gaze on the path ahead. Absolutely not. Letting one Barda suck me in was bad enough. Under no circumstances will I allow a second Barda to do so. I’d rather return to the arena for round two with the dragons.

“Not disrespectful at all. I commend your honesty and can appreciate how difficult it must feel to be whisked off without warning to a foreign kingdom. This is your homeland, though, and it’s important to me that you’re happy here. I want to earn your trust and plan to get started on that right away. Is there anything you’d like, or anything I can do to make life here for you more pleasant?”

Leesa’s suggestion pops into my head. I don’t want him to know my answer is premeditated though, so I pretend to mull the question over. “Hmm, let me think.” I tap my chin and allow a few seconds to pass. “Oh, I know! Since you’re asking, there may be something that would make me happy. Except,” I duck my head and peer at him from beneath my lashes, “I don’t know if it’s allowed.”

He tsks . “Anything, my lady. You need only to ask.”

I repress a skeptical snort. Anything, my ass. If I ask him to free my sister and me, I’m sure he’ll jump right on it.

I inhale slowly. “If you don’t mind, I’d love access to the Royal Archives. I want to learn everything I can about Tirene and my heritage.”

For several long, uncomfortable moments, he scrutinizes me. A faint smile hovers on his lips, and I’m once again hit with the uneasy sensation that he knows something I don’t. “An excellent idea. You may use the archives whenever you’d like.”

Schooling my features, I do my best to hide my surprise. I didn’t expect him to be so agreeable.

Somewhere in the distance, a dragon roars, inspiring another idea. “Also, I was wondering…would it be possible for someone to teach me how to ride a dragon? That seems like a skill I should possess.”

He doesn’t answer as quickly this time, instead hums a little while studying my face. Like his brother, his eyes are entirely too shrewd for comfort. It’s all I can do not to fidget as I await his decision.

Finally, he sighs. “I don’t disagree. As a dragoncaller, you should be comfortable catching the wind on a dragon’s back. I will consider your request, provided you don’t do anything that causes me to question your trustworthiness. Although, I don’t suppose I need to worry too much about that, now that I’ve seen how close you and your sister are. I doubt you’d attempt to escape and leave her to my tender mercy.”

His friendly tone never changes. The pleasant expression on his face remains the same.

Even so, a shiver courses over my body, because I can’t unhear the subtle threat in his words. And I just know the other shoe is going to drop. It’s not a matter of if, but when.