Page 133 of I Dream of Dragons

I’m sorry, I start,Remi, I’m?—

“I’m a darakin,”he says.“What do you expect me to say? That I lead a secret and exciting life in the sky? Or on land? That I am a spy or a shapeshifter, shedding off my skin and diving into the sea or growing legs and wandering the cities? You are finnfolk. I am not.”

Fine. Don’t be angry with me. I only…

I slow my steps. I onlywhat?Disappointment swamps me. I’d hoped… What had I really hoped for?

“What’s on your mind?”he asks.

You said that you don’t feel like you belong with your kind.

“Who does?”he thinks back and is gone.

The guards carry Jai, who is in fact currently Phaethon, through the palace, the guards and the king forming a procession after him.

I follow behind, part of a small, curious crowd, simmering in fury. I’m aware it disguises a great deal of fear, and it feels better than cowering in terror, so… fury it is.

I’m going to kill this king who toys with us like puppets, who moves us around on his game board like pawns. I’ll kill him even if it kills me.

I’ve wasted too long hesitating, ignoring my instincts and my mission, thinking I was following my heart.

My heart belongs to Jai. To Mars. But we can never be fully bonded, since I let the king put his cursed mark on me.

If I kill him, I die.

Shit, that’s how it is, isn’t it? A superficial bond, unlike the one between myself and Jai, forced by the mark on my arm. A bond nevertheless.

How will I kill him now?

I stagger. That was probably the plan all along, when Amphitrite sent me here. To die doing what I agreed to do.

The reasons I accepted the mission are all still valid. Take revenge for my family. Save humankind from the hands of a power-hungry king. Ensure that he never opens that gate and destroys another world, whether he originated from it or not.

The moment we enter the infirmary, Phaethon shoves the guards off him and sinks down on the edge of the bed. He shakes his head as the king enters. “Leave. I need to speak to Lady Rae.”

The king scowls. “You would speak with her but not with your liege and ally?”

“You’re not my liege,” Phaethon dismisses him. “Go.”

I cast him a sharp look. Can’t he see that the king could go too far and kill him in his wrath? That he’s not indestructible? And not to mention, getting on the king’s bad side won’t help anyone’s cause.

Phaethon seems to realize that and grudgingly says, “You are my ally. And I look forward to speaking with you. But…” He grunts. “You injured this body badly and it requires a healer.”

“Will you remain present while I do that?” the king insists. “Keep Jai locked inside?”

“You want to test me some more?” Phaethon’s patience seems to be reaching its end. “You made a mistake. Breaking this body isn’t an option. Entering another may not be possible, not to mention, there may not be any vessel strong enough to host me. Now I need to rest, and having her here is restful for me.”

“Why?” The king turns his glare on me. “Why her?”

“Because Jai loves her, has a bond with her, and doesn’t fight me as much when she is around.”

The king glowers. “Fine. I will send the healers. Stay here.” Turning on his heel, he marches out of the infirmary, his guards trailing behind him.

I blink. “What you said makes… little sense.”

Phaethon lifts a brow.

“Why wouldn’t Jai fight to come back to me when I’m around?” I stand in front of him. “I’d expected the opposite.”