Page 97 of I Dream of Dragons

His mouth twists. “He’s a thief.”

“But he has the memories,” I whisper, still resisting. “He told me things only he could have known, but…” I press a hand against the pain in my chest. “If he?—”

“Makhair. Listen. You have to come clean, tell me the truth. You told me you love the king, but… you care for me, don’t you?”

“Jai…”

“You saved my life in the arena yesterday.”

I shiver, remembering those tentacles dragging him down. “I did.”

“I felt you. The first time I saw you on that barge, I felt it. Did you feel me, too?”

I swallow hard. “How do you mean?”

He turns his gaze away. Frowns. “If you don’t feel it, then it doesn’t fucking matter.”

“Jai, I… I don’t love him. That was a mistake.” It’s hard to speak the words but it’s the truth. “If he’s the boy I once loved, then… one can fall out of love, it seems.”

His brows arch and color touches his cheeks. “Rae…”

“But you don’t believe that, do you? You said one can only ever love once.”

A smile breaks over his face, and I want to slap it away when he says, “I stand by that. It’s my only truth.”

“Then why are you doing this? Pushing your friends away over me? Asking me if I care for you?”Tell me, tell me…“Why, if you don’t care?”

He reaches for me, his smile widening. “Makhair, you know me, don’t you? That isn’t?—”

“Lady Rae,” a male voice says, a familiar voice. The page boy blinks at me, then as if catching himself, he gives a deep bow. “The king requests your presence.”

“Godsdammit!” Jai’s shadows explode, rushing over the floor and walls. His eyes blaze with dark fire. “Can’t we have a moment’s peace to talk?”

“Jai!” His shadows curl around the page boy, but dissipate when I catch his hand. “You’re scaring him.”

“Rae, listen to me.” He grabs my face. “Look at me. Don’t you know me? My mate. I tried to keep away from you, tried to keep this to myself, but I fucking can’t. Even if my shadows hurt you. Even if my touch destroys.”

“Your shadows don’t hurt me,” I say.

He makes a wounded sound. “Rae…”

I’m staring at him, the whispers of suspicions in my mind rising in volume. He’s watching me with those deep, dark eyes and the colors are all wrong, but… but he looks like…

“My lady.” The page boy bows. “We really should get going.”

“Can’t you just go away?” Jai snarls.

The boy bows again, unperturbed. “I’m afraid not.”

“You know what? Fuck it. I’m coming with you,” Jai says.

The page boy frowns. “The king has requested that I take her alone?—”

“Fuck that.” Jai grabs my shoulders. “Makhair, he will try to separate us, to convince you to love him. Beware.”

“Jai—”

“Take this.” He slips a hilt into my hand, handle-first. “It’s a dagger. Pass it through your belt. Use it to defend yourself if needed, if I’m not there.”