Page 13 of Ink Sworn (Greatdrakes #3 | The Fae Universe #24)

V alentine adjusted the lapels of his new jacket for the seventh time before adjusting the ties of his shirt.

After a few days of trying to deal with the fae in the mountain city, Valentine had bought clothes from one of the markets.

The less human he appeared, the more the fae seemed to relax around him.

He didn't mind the shirts that wrapped one panel over the other and tied at the side.

Kian still preferred to wear that style of shirt too, so he knew how to wear them in a style that the fae did.

The coats and pants were also leanly tailored in a way Valentine liked.

He could blend in and disappear when he walked through Mag Argatnél now, and he liked that most of all.

Valentine leaned closer to the mirror and checked his eyes. His dragon had been calm and quiet since they had gotten Yelena and Avallach back to safety, but his eyes had remained the color of blood. It was like the beast wanted to permanently remind him he wasn't going to be locked up again .

Something for him to worry about later. He brushed his hair back and went to find where everyone else had gathered.

In the end, all he had to do was follow the noise. Taranis and Quinn sat at the end of a large wooden dining table with the knights, Reeve, Charlotte, and Yelena on either side of it.

"Ah, there he is at last," Owain called.

Valentine took the seat opposite Yelena. "I had forge grime to get rid of," he said and dared to look across at Yelena and Avallach. "Should you two be out of bed?"

Avallach shrugged and then winced. "Can't keep a dragon down for long. Charlotte and the healers have done their work well."

"And Apollo kindly sent some healing elixirs that are speeding things up," Yelena added.

Valentine finally dared to look at her properly.

Her wounded arm was in a sling that was bound to her chest. She still looked tired, but there was a glow about her cheeks that hadn't been there when she had first woken.

It was hard for him to look at anything else when she was in the room.

It had always been a problem he had struggled with.

He tried to focus and not get lost in the blue sea of her eyes.

"Yes, about those elixirs. I'd like to know what my brother put in them," he said, poorly hiding his annoyance.

"Whatever it was, it has helped," Yelena said with a slight shrug and sipped her wine.

"You still shouldn't be out of bed yet," Valentine grumbled, his hand clenching under the table at her nonchalant attitude for her own well-being.

"I'm able to judge what my body is capable of, thank you, Valentine," Yelena replied, a flash of heat in her eyes.

Valentine's dragon twitched, sensing the alpha in her—a challenge .

"Have some wine, Val. You look like you need it," Taranis suggested, sliding a glass toward him.

Valentine forced a tight smile and drained his entire goblet. Reeve elbowed him in warning. He took some deep breaths.

Calm down. She's not challenging you, Valentine tried to tell the dragon rolling to the surface.

Pin her down , the beast insisted.

The rest of the table went on talking as Valentine shut his eyes and did his breathing exercises again.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that Yelena was watching him, her head tilted a little, studying him.

No one else seemed to notice the war he was fighting except for her.

She held his gaze, and the dragon finally relented.

Then he felt like he could breathe again.

"Valentine?" Quinn said, making him snap his attention to her.

"Yes, Auntie?"

"I asked if something was wrong with the food," she said, her brow rising.

"No?" Valentine replied, trying to hide his confusion.

Quinn's red smile widened. "Then I suggest you start eating. You are becoming gaunt, and I don't want Cosimo getting snippy that I don't take care of his boys when you visit."

Valentine couldn't remember when he had last eaten. He knew he had put things in his mouth at some point. He didn't know when.

To make them happy, he grabbed some bread, vegetables, and roasted meat. He cut them up into small pieces while he tried to focus on what everyone was talking about.

"Midir knew where to set a trap for you, Avallach. Did they happen to taunt you and tell you how they knew where you were?" Vidar asked.

He hadn't spent a huge amount of time in England with the others, but Valentine liked him.

He had a braid almost as long as Avallach's, but it was as black as a raven's wing except for a few silver streaks, and he was usually the strong, silent type.

Valentine tended to like people who didn't babble all the time.

Avallach finished chewing and said, "Cathal was quiet about that when he was using his fists to tenderize my insides.

We think there has to be a spy somewhere here at the court.

It couldn't have been anyone who came with us because they all died in the ambush.

Yelena, did you see anyone else in your vision? "

The piece of meat Valentine was eating lodged in his throat. He forced himself to swallow before asking, "What vision would that be?"

Yelena looked to Taranis. The king leaned back in his chair.

"Might as well tell them,” he said. “That way, we are all on the same page. We need to figure out how to move forward from this, and if we should retaliate more than what Valentine already did to the fort. As it stands, we are one fight apiece, and I don't want this to escalate to a full war."

"What damn vision?" Valentine repeated.

Yelena didn't look at him once as she spoke. She recounted everything she had seen before they had been ambushed, not even flinching when she got to the part about Valentine being their target all along.

"Are you fucking kidding me with this shit?" Valentine exploded once she was done.

"Val..." Reeve began.

"No. Don't fucking 'Val' me like I am overreacting right now.

" Valentine tossed out some power across the table, making Yelena jump and then glare at him at last. "What were you thinking?

I was in the human world, where Midir could never have reached me.

Why would you risk your life for this? You still think I'm going to go evil and change sides? "

Taranis held up a hand. "No, Val, it wasn't like that. Yelena saw that this path was the only way to keep Mag Argatnél safe and you as well."

"I don't need anyone keeping me safe! What the fuck, Yelena?

They cut off your fucking hand! I would never ask anyone to suffer through that, not for some vague chance that a fae king might try to turn me to his side.

Did you really believe that I could be turned so easily, that you were willing to go through that? "

Valentine knew he had to stop. He was so angry, he could barely breathe. Under that, he was hurt to the very core. He was a lot of things, but he would never betray his family.

Yelena stood up and glared across the table at him. "It was my damn hand, Valentine. My family. My king. If I were faced with the same choice, I would do it again. And again. I was trying to protect you, you ungrateful, fucking asshole."

She turned on her heel and marched out of the room. Valentine was shaking, and his vision was blurring.

Stop her , his dragon demanded, and his teeth gritted against the pain of its claws on his mind.

"She didn't think you were going to turn into some kind of evil spy," Avallach said softly.

"You have no idea what Midir is capable of doing to someone like you.

He would have taken your mind and used you like a weapon to point at the family.

You would have had no choice. She knew that hurting us and destroying the city would have torn you apart. "

"She could have sent me a letter about it. She shouldn't have made the decision without telling anyone," Valentine said, his jaw aching. "I don't know why she would care how it would hurt me."

Valentine jumped as he was hit on the head with a bread roll. Emyr had thrown it. "Maybe instead of pouting, you should go and ask her instead of being a prick to all of us," she snapped.

Valentine ignored her and turned to look at Taranis. "Did you know? "

His uncle shook his head. "She only told me today. Go after her, Valentine. I can't have you two fighting. I need you both too much right now."

Valentine nodded and got to his feet. He looked at Avallach. "I'm sorry for everything you have suffered because of this. I will find a way to make it up to you."

"It's not the first time I've had a beating, lad, and it won't be the last. Go and make peace with my little sister, and that will be a debt repaid," Avallach said, waving him on.

Valentine was through the door when he heard Vidar ask, "Has he always been like that?"

"Since Mom died, he's been closed off," Reeve replied. "And he?—"

Valentine shut out whatever else his brother had to say and hurried down the hall. He didn't want to think about his mother now. He had failed her when she had needed him the most. He thought learning his lesson by following his visions and saving Yelena would somehow make up for that past mistake.

He was wrong again, because if it weren’t for him, she never would have been there in the first place.

Yelena might hate him for it, but he wasn't going to carry another innocent death on his soul if she decided to martyr herself. It had to end now.

Hunt, his dragon growled.

"Hunt," Valentine agreed, his smile all fangs as he began to stalk his prey.