Page 71 of Exquisite Monster

Taking my hand beneath the blanket, Sirrus wove our fingers together. “Just tell us, Princess. There’s nothing that’s going to make it easier.”

I leaned my head back against the wall. “They knocked me out too. When I woke up, I was at Evrítha with Andaros. He threw me over the edge and… I fell. For a long time.Varíwas still under my skirt, and he wouldn’t leave and fly even though I begged. But in the end, he saved me.

“There was magic at the bottom. It slowed our fall. But it wasn’t merely magic. It was a dragon.”

I felt their shock.

“Who?” Endre asked.

“Her name is Gleym.”

Sirrus swore and Zovai blew out a breath. “Fuck. She’s alive.” Then he glanced at the others. “I guess we know how the command was lifted.”

“She threatened to either drown or eat me. ButVarísaid something that made her listen. She didn’t agree to help me right away, but she listened, and clearly didn’t drown me.”

I outlined the rest of my stay, and though I didn’t want to cause them any pain, I tried to remember everything and not leave anything out, though I was sure I would miss something. I even told them about my grief and using thesheytento try to make our bond stronger. Their own sadness poured through the bond, and I didn’t make it far before the tears came.

Gleym’s training and her reluctance to let me leave. The attack, and finally being brought back to the surface by Idroal.

“I think they told you the rest.”

Endre nodded slowly. “Idroal told us what happened from their perspective. I’m sure there are things they missed.”

I slid down the wall a bit, curling into the blanket. Whatever subtle differences there were between Idroal’s story and mine, they didn’t seem large enough for me to care at the moment. “Your turn.”

Barely disturbing the bed, Endre moved up beside me and pulled me into his arms like he couldn’t bear to speak without touching me. “Andaros’s first goal was to harvest us for our fire, as you heard. Scalefire can be made without it?—”

“But it’s easier with it,” I said. “Gleym said as much. But she still wouldn’t teach me. She was the one who gave it to humans in the first place.” That small detail had escaped my memory during my story.

“I’m glad you don’t know,” Zovai said. “One less target on your back.”

I laughed in spite of myself. “There are still plenty of targets all over me.”

Sirrus bent and lifted the blanket so he could brush his lips against the end of the pale blue mark on my leg. “Yes. There are.”

The pulse of rage and grief in his chest matched the others. That anyone might dare to touch me…

“But,” Endre said, “scalefire wasn’t the only reason he wanted us. He wants to command us so he can command the rest of the dragons.”

A frown grew as I thought that through. “How will that help if the Elders still live?”

Endre hummed a soft laugh into my neck. “We aren’t sure either. But what we know for sure is that their knowledge of dragons is skewed and inaccurate. They brought us out of our cells and up to the sky because they thought not seeing the sky would eventually drive us mad.”

“And how did he mean to control you?”

All three bonds in my chest tightened. Like they were holdingsomething back. Dread pooled, low and cold. I swallowed. “What did he do that would make you react like that?”

Suddenly all three of them were touching me in one way or another. Sirrus cleared his throat. “I don’t think any of us want you to listen to those details, mate.”

Fear wrapped icy fingers around my ribs. “You don’t have to tell me what a monster Andaros is. I already know. But like you, I’m going to imagine the worst if I don’t know. Please.”

“The sickness you felt,” Sirrus said. “That was while we were being forced to breathe fire. They used potion. It was foul, and I hope I never taste it again.”

“How many times?”

Zovai smoothed a hand over the blanket at my hip, like he could spare me the knowledge by soothing my body. “I don’t know. I didn’t count.”

I shoved down the knowledge that meant it was a lot more than they wanted to tell me.