Page 174 of I Dream of Dragons

“Ah, Jai, don’t you see? We’re one. We had our disagreements?—”

I bark out an incredulous laugh.

“—but she is important to you. So I saved her from the final death.”

By turning her into a mermaid?

“Mermaid?”He chuckles.“No. Scales. That’s the closest to my power. Scales and dragons.”

I shake my head, not following.You make it sound as if you cared about what I wanted.

I needed you sane. Saving her sounded like a good plan at the time.

And said nothing to me about it?

“My mind—our mind—was affected by everything that happened. I lost the memory for a long time. I lost… track of time. You kept me suppressed a lot with the king’s help. Until he realized who I was and what I could do.”

It wasn’t the prophecy? The king keeps talking about it. Did you think the prophecy had to do with her?

“I am Astar, and Phaethon. I don’t answer to prophecy. Prophecy answers to me.”

This time I chuckle. That sounds just like Phaethon.Fine, you saved her. Fine, you like her now. I have good taste in girls, don’t I?

“Like I said, she isn’t bad.”

Right. Keep up appearances. You said that, too. So will you stop aiding the king? Forget this plan of opening gates and?—

“We take her with us.”

What?

“Across the sky. We’re going home, Jai. That’s what I wanted to ask you. Don’t you want that? We could go home and take her with us. We don’t have to fight anymore, we could agree to follow one course to both our benefits.”

Dear fucking Gods below.“You really think that is a question that even needs answering?” I growl out loud.

“You said she is your fated mate. She wouldn’t object to coming along, would she?”

Fierce. Strong. Stubborn. Remember? She is here to avenge her family and save her people and you think she will just give up on that to follow you and doom another world to ruin?

“Us, Jai. Not just me. Us.”

And that’s your second mistake. You think I’d fucking give up and ignore my beliefs to do as you say because you finally deign talk to me? You’re an idiot.I sigh.This is what I came here for, Phaethon. Why I crossed the gate, why I died and was reborn as this shadow creature. I came to stop King Rouen from returning to our world and razing it to the ground.

“He wouldn’t do that. It’s his world, too, he said?—”

The prophecy he keeps quoting wasn’t meant for this world, but for the other one, and it’s not a promise: it’s a warning. A warning for that world. When the old dragon falls through the sky, right? That’s you. That’s us. And a soul thought lost returns to life, that’s the king. Watch for the signs in the shifting stars: a new order will come. King Rouen’s order.

He’s silent. A thread of unease wraps around my thoughts.

Good.Uneasy is how he should feel. Damn uneasy and unsettled. He’s lucky it’s just unease.

It beats the fucking panic I’ve been living with for so long.

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

RAE

As expected, I find Jai on his favorite terrace. I slow my steps to take him in as I cross the paved space, past trees in low pots and trimmed hedges.