Page 16 of Courting the Dragon Prince (A Royal Arrangement #1)

Chapter Sixteen

O nyx’s gaze swept over the fields of wheat. A gust of wind blew, and the golden stalks bowed. The sun had begun its descent. No sign of the storm clouds remained in the clear sky.

His wet, muddy clothes squelched and clung to his body as he walked.

Onyx could see no farmers. No people. Just rows and rows of wheat. In some places, weird paths wound haphazardly through the rows.

A village lay to the west, represented on the map by small red squares, which they used in Draconia, not the Grey Mountains.

But they weren’t heading in the direction of the village. Not yet, anyway. They headed through the wheat fields to the north.

They walked in silence along the dirt path. Except every now and then, they asked the other what some symbol meant. Unsurprisingly, following the map became ridiculously easy now that they understood it and were working together.

Onyx glanced at the map Luther held. Onyx looked away as he remembered how much he’d fucked up during their quest today.

If he’d just spent two minutes talking to Luther when he’d first struggled to understand the map, and pointed out something he didn’t comprehend, he would have realised what was going on immediately, and they would have the key by now.

They’d be free from the shackles that continued to rattle and clank between them. Maybe they’d even have completed the quest and be back at the White Monastery.

But no, Onyx had been too busy snapping and bickering with Luther, certain the dragon prince could contribute nothing to the quest.

Then the quarrelling had led to … other activities.

Another mistake. An image of Luther beneath him, hard and begging, flashed in his mind.

Onyx shook his head. He needed to get a hold of himself. He’d lost control and given in to lust for a man he despised.

For some reason, Luther often made him lose control.

In truth, the dragon prince seemed to bring out the worst in Onyx. He felt off balance and unnerved around Luther.

He didn’t like it. He needed to remain in control of himself. He needed to stop losing his temper and control of his desires.

Obviously, he’d known they’d need to consummate the marriage after the wedding ceremony, to seal the marriage. But that was necessary. Something they had to do. A duty.

There was no reason whatsoever to fuck Luther in the forest in the middle of the couple’s quest. Today, he should have remained focused. He should have kept his eyes on what he needed to be doing. He needed to be thinking of what was best for the Kingdom of the Grey Mountains, not jerking Luther off.

At least they’d stopped quarrelling since they discovered the secret of the map. A tentative ceasefire of sorts.

“The key is up ahead,” Luther said. “That’s where the path on the map stops, anyway. Probably somewhere amongst those rocks.”

“Good.”

A short distance away, a small rocky outcrop stood, jutting out from amidst the flat farmland. A sense of relief settled inside Onyx’s gut as they approached the rocks. Onyx didn’t like open land.

Even if he couldn’t channel, he still preferred to be surrounded by rocks and stone. He’d grown up amongst mountains. All this flat, open space unnerved him.

And soon, he’d be able to channel again. Onyx let out a breath at the thought. He felt exposed without his powers.

He looked out over the rows of wheat. He saw no obvious sign of a snail infestation. But honestly, what did he know? Onyx had had very little to do with snails. He doubted Luther had either. But maybe he shouldn’t assume.

“Have you ever dealt with snails before?” Onyx asked.

Luther glanced at him. “I’ve seen them around. Stepped on some accidentally. But not beyond that. You?”

Onyx shook his head. “Maybe they have a snail nest somewhere, a source where all the snails come from. If that is the case, maybe I can bury them with rocks. That would be easy enough.”

Luther’s shoulders tensed. He didn’t speak for a second. “Or I can burn them with fire. Once I can shift again,” he said, voice tight.

Onyx stared at Luther. Was something bothering him?

Luther shook his head. “Either way, I hope it doesn’t take days to deal with the snails.” Luther made a face. “I’m hoping to be in my bed tonight.”

Onyx turned away from Luther. No doubt he’d imagined … whatever he thought he’d seen in Luther. “Me too.”

Despite the fact that they weren’t currently barking at each other, Onyx hoped to be away from Luther soon. This tentative peace could not last.

They approached the rocky outcrop. He pointed ahead. “There is a cave entrance. Perhaps the key is in there.”

“Probably.” Luther folded the map and tucked it inside his coat. He took a deep breath and walked towards the cave.

An unlit torch hung from a sconce just outside the entrance. Luther tugged the pack from his back. “I think there is some flint and steel in here.” He rummaged around inside. “Got it.”

Luther held the flint near the torch cloth, which smelled like it had been dipped in oil. He scraped the steel along the flint, causing sparks to dance along the metal. The cloth caught alight.

Luther picked up the torch. He glanced into the darkness. He hesitated. His hand tightened on the torch handle.

“Come on,” Onyx urged. “Let’s go.”

Mouth set, Luther entered the cave, lighting the way ahead. Onyx followed.

A long tunnel ran deep into the rock. It was just wide enough that they could have walked side by side if they wished. If Onyx reached his arms up, his hands could touch the ceiling.

Onyx frowned. “There’s something on the walls.”

Around them, the rock glistened in the torchlight. It wasn’t the rock itself. Some strange substance coated it. Onyx leaned towards it. “What is it?”

But Luther tugged him forward, not listening, seemingly determined to barrel forward now that they’d entered the cave.

“Come on! The key is up here. I am sure of it. We just need to get it so we can get out of here!” Luther said breathlessly.

Onyx let himself be tugged. Clearly, Luther was desperate to get out of these shackles.

Still, the strange glistening substance continued to coat the walls of the tunnel.

“There it is!” Luther yelled.

Onyx’s gaze turned to focus ahead of them. The tunnel opened up into a cave. In the middle stood a stone pillar. A brass key on a large ring lay on the stone.

“Thank the mountain spirits.” Onyx let out a breath.

Luther rushed forward, dragging Onyx along with him by the chains. Luther placed the torch on the pillar and snatched up the key. He held it up, dangling it before his face.

“What a pretty key.” Luther tilted it back and forth. He leaned in close. “It has an unusual pattern along the stem.”

“Just hurry up and unlock the shackles!” Onyx lifted his wrist towards Luther. He gripped the metal cuff around his wrist, rotating it so the keyhole faced Luther.

“Right. Of course.” Luther slid the key into the hole. He turned it. With a clink, the cuff opened. Onyx took the metal off.

He let out a groan as a rush of energy washed over him. He could sense the earth, stone, and dirt all around him. He felt like he could breathe again.

Luther undid the cuff around his own wrist. The shackles fell to the dirt with a clunking thud.

Onyx rubbed at his wrist. “That’s so much better.” Onyx lifted his arm. He swung it, moving it freely. He took a step back, revelling in the fact that they were no longer bound together. He didn’t have to base his movements on Luther anymore.

Thank the mountain spirits!

“Excellent.” Luther shoved the key in the pack and smiled.

He looked up at Onyx, still smiling. And Onyx couldn’t help but notice what a handsome smile the dragon prince had.

“Now let’s get out of here,” Luther said. “Quickly!”

Onyx didn’t quite understand Luther’s rush. But he nodded.

Then Luther’s gaze flicked beyond Onyx to the cave wall behind him. His smile dropped. His mouth fell open.

He lifted his hand and pointed. “Snail!”