Page 88 of Courting the Dragon Prince

“What?” Luther turned towards him. “Why not?”

Errol shrugged. “I don’t know. I overheard someone talking about it.” He paused. “But maybe I misheard.”

Luther paused, trying to think. Had he been told something about this? Should he go and find out what was going on with the tunnels?

But they were already behind. The others in the battalion could already be in battle, could already be fighting, could already be dying.

Luther gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He shouldn’t have gone to get his dick wet. He should have been here, ready to go with the others.

His division stared at Luther, awaiting his orders.

They needed to get to the battle as soon as possible. Luther didn’t want any deaths on his hands.

“We’ve flown through the tunnels plenty of times without any issues,” Luther said. “And if we fly over the mountains, we’ll need to dodge the lightning and wind sorcerers. It will take us longer, and we’re already behind.” Luther nodded. “The tunnels will be quicker. We’ll go through the tunnels.”

Luther stared at the ceiling above him.

We’ll go through the tunnels.

Five words.

We’ll go through the tunnels.

Five simple words that had haunted him since the day he’d said them. Five words that would haunt Luther until the day he died.

In the darkness, he wished to hear a crack of stone and for the ceiling above to fall and crush him where he lay.

Luther closed his eyes, trying to force the visions away, trying to stop the pain.

But he deserved this pain. These nightmares. This was his punishment for what he’d done.

Luther’s breathing quickened. His throat dried. He tossed back and forth, unable to lie still. If he stayed here, he’d just keep replaying the worst decision of his life over and over again in his mind.

With shaking limbs, he slid out from beneath the sheets. Maybe he could just fly for an hour or two or three. Just enough to get the edge off, to exhaust himself enough.

Then maybe he could come back before Onyx woke. He could crawl back into bed beside him and curl up with Onyx without him noticing that Luther had left.

It had been silly to think that sleeping with Onyx would cure his sleeplessness and night terrors. It was silly to be disappointed.

But it had helped. He’d slept better this afternoon than he had in a long time. And again tonight. He’d slept peacefully in Onyx’s arms for hours. Until the nightmares had come.

Moonlight peeked in from behind the curtains. Using that light, he crossed to where the robes had been hanging. He reached for the robe and tugged it on. He walked towards the door.

The bed shuffled and creaked. A second later, the lantern flared to life.

“Luther, where are you going?” Onyx asked sleepily.

ChapterForty

Onyx squinted in the lantern-light at Luther standing before the door in a robe. His sleep-addled mind tried to work out what Luther was doing. Then Onyx realised Luther was probably just going to relieve himself.

“I … ah …” Luther’s gaze darted away … almost guiltily. “I … just?—”

But why would Luther feel guilty about going to the garderobe?

Onyx sat up in the bed, suspicion replacing sleepiness. “Why are you sneaking out of my room in the middle of the night?”

Before Luther had a chance to speak, the answer slammed into Onyx’s chest.