Page 33 of Shadow Throne King

Tallu started, his eyes round, his russet gaze sharpening. “You can speak.”

“In riddles,” I muttered unhappily.

“I can speak,” Naî said. “The closer we get to the cities, the less we will be able to do this. I cannot freeze an entire town. The camp is easy enough, but anything beyond that would strain my powers.”

An idea occurred to me. “You could travel with us. In your human form. You wouldn’t need to be trapped in my satchel every day.”

“And your Dogs, who see every shadow as a possible assassin, they would not see me as a threat?” Naî’s scorn was clear in her youthful gaze, and she looked for all the world like any of the children back home when told something ridiculous and impossible by an adult they were sure was a fool.

“No more than they already do. We will have to explain it to them.” Tallu looked toward the tent flap, his eyes narrowed as he worked out the logistics of his own plan. “It helps that your human appearance is as small as a child.”

“I do have a habit of picking up strays. Especially ones who might bite me for the trouble.” I was staring at Tallu as I said it, and it took him too long to look back at me, his eyes crinkling as he recognized the teasing in my tone. I leaned closer, whispering in his ear. “As long as you remember which parts of me I like bitten, I feel it has been a good arrangement so far.”

Tallu snorted, then looked back at Naî. “You are not wrong. Exposing yourself will be dangerous. You will have to listen to what we say and do it.”

I wasn’t sure if he realized that he was attempting to give orders to a creature who could easily eat both of us and still have a dessert of whatever herd of cattle was nearby.

“I am not yours to order, Dragon Chosen Emperor Tallu of the Southern Imperium.” Naî’s eyes shifted in the light, and her teeth grew long and sharp, hanging over her lower lip. “Lest you forget exactlyIam the dragon who chose you.”

Tallu’s face went hard, but I held up both hands. “We are all friends here. Do you want out of my satchel or not?”

Naî’s chin lifted. “Let us finish the lesson. Time grows short.”

It was strange, having Tallu watch as I tried and failed and tried again. I couldn’t help glancing at him, to see if he was bored or disappointed, but his eyes were fixed on me, as though he was desperate to touch me but knew he couldn’t.

When I licked my lips, he fixed his gaze on my mouth, and I felt it like a physical touch, his eyes so focused I became aware of the sensation of my heart beating and thrumming in my chest. I barely managed to wrench my attention back to Naî, who seemed more annoyed than anything else at the entire experience.

When Naî grew frustrated at my distraction, she ordered us both to bed, and I whispered all my secrets to Tallu, all the desperate longing I felt and the hope I had that soon my powers would be able to help us against our enemies.

He cupped my face, and I could feel the frozen bits of time beginning to slip. There was so much more to tell him. Now I realized I was not imagining things when I heard electro magic or blood magic being worked. The voice I imagined Asahi taking.

Wasthat only my imagination, or was it something worse? The poison that had nearly killed him, poisoning my mind instead of my body? Or was I hearing him like a foreign animal, his true thoughts so grossly dark?

“Tallu—” I whispered, but his eyes were already closed. We would have time.

The next morning, it was almost as though none of it had happened, except I woke to Tallu’s warm arm pinning me against his chest, his nose in my hair. He inhaled deeply as he woke, his arm pulling me closer. His scent enveloped me, and I let my eyes slip closed for a moment.

Just a moment, because I heard the sound of the toggles on the tent flap being slipped free, the canvas lifting up. I opened my eyes just in time to see Asahi crouch low, his blade already drawn at Naî’s neck. Sagam was a split second behind him, two throwing knives already held tight between his fingers.

“Who is this?” Sagam asked, his eyes fixed on Naî. She opened her eyes but didn’t move, her breath slow and even.

Curled on the pillow reserved for the dragon, Naî looked even smaller, barely older than an infant. She wore one of my shirts, and it covered her entirely, her tiny hands curled around the cuffs.

“Our daughter,” Tallu said, sitting up. He put his legs over the edge of the cot, his feet finding his shoes, and when he stood, he pulled on his robe, the heavy fabric spinning before it settled, cloaking him.

Sagam didn’t even move his gaze. “I hope I would have noticed if you were with child, Your Highness.”

I made a face. “Why amIthe one pregnant with child? You know I do not have the hips for it.”

“Get their blades out of my face,” Naî said, and both men startled at her voice, so high and clear.

Sagam tensed, the muscles in his arm pulled back, ready to throw his blades. “Who is she, Your Imperial Majesty?”

“The dragon,” I answered before this ended in bloodshed. Likely the Dogs’ since Naî could shapeshift back into her larger form and use their blades as toothpicks.

Sagam took a step back, his eyes turning for a split second to Tallu, as though to confirm the truth in the words. Asahi tensed, his blade drawing up, pushing her chin higher. I slid my hand under my pillow, wrapping a fist around the dagger I had stashed there. If I had to attack Asahi to save his life, I would.

“Foul creature. Is my blade faster than her claws?” Asahi’s lips didn’t move, his voice a hiss.