Page 12 of Shards of Desire (Dragons of Sin)

Chapter Eleven

SIYANA

“What do you mean the tour is cancelled?”

My voice was filled with shock, considering he’d just told me that was the plan as of an hour ago. What really threw me off, though, was the way I watched his eyes scan up and down every hall before we walked down it, and the way he scanned the sky outside of every window for the briefest moment as we passed.

Despite his earlier diatribe about how my being around other unmated drackya could prove disastrous, this felt different. Somehow bigger than I could possibly understand. And it was deeply discomforting.

“Theo!” I snapped, not appreciating being kept in the dark, though I still managed to keep my voice low. My body was suddenly tense and ready to parry an attack at any moment with his behavior.

It was obvious he was on high alert, and seeing as we were in his castle and he still felt the need to be on the defense, an uneasy feeling had quickly settled in the pit of my stomach.

His hand on my lower back as he guided me back to our wing would have normally been the first thing I corrected before moving an inch, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit it made me feel a modicum safer. Something about the warmth of his hand and the possessive touch had me under some delusion that he would actually protect me if something were to happen.

He ushered me up the steps that finally led to our wing at the corner of the castle. “Hush, wench.”

From the little I’d seen, there was no one around the castle to hear us, but it wasn’t worth arguing with him about. Our footsteps were light and quick as we walked down the hall of portraits, but as my eyes snagged on his mother once more, curiosity got the better of me, causing me to break the silence again.

“You look like her. Are the two of you close?”

His steps faltered briefly before his hand pushed on my back, guiding me forward again. “She’s dead, so I’d hope we’re not close.”

Despite the brisk nature of his tone, I didn’t sense any actual animosity in his response. Just deflection.

I, too, was a big fan of using dark humor to cope.

“I didn’t mean physically,” I murmured as I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. The tiniest curve tilted the corner of his lips before it was gone.

So it seemed we couldn’t have productive, mature conversations, but morbid jokes were on the table. Got it.

I wanted to ask what happened to her, but it was clear he wasn’t ready to dive into it, if the non-answer to my first question was any indication.

Focusing on the warmth that flowed over me as he opened the door and pushed me through, my toes curled in delight. It seemed he’d come back to his room after his flight, considering the large bed was made and the fireplace had been renewed with fresh wood thrown in, crackling merrily in greeting. Thankfully, the dresses in my chambers fit well, despite being a few inches too long. They would keep me from freezing to death in this icy tundra, where fireplaces seemed to be a rare commodity.

His hand fell from my back as he closed the door behind us, and I made my way closer to the blazing warmth. I rubbed my cold hands together, using friction to my advantage before settling into one of the armchairs.

“The last time I saw her in that dress was my seventh birthday.”

The sudden admission was personal, and also unnerving as I glanced down at the navy material pooling on the floor around my feet. Yeah, because wearing your deceased mother-in-law’s gowns was entirely normal. I suppose it made sense, considering Theo didn’t know my sizing and couldn’t have prepared a wardrobe for me prior to my arrival.

I knew I couldn’t demand much, given my situation, but perhaps if I inquired nicely about where I could retrieve my own clothes, he’d take pity on me. Being without money or anything of value had a sense of vulnerability, something I wasn’t used to, settling in.

Glass clinked together behind me where he stood at his collection of alcohol. As the sound of his drink splashed into his chosen cup, I asked, “Could you pour me one as well?”

A hum was all I received in response before his heavy steps drew closer. A glass full of amber liquid was presented as he stepped around my chair. Our fingers brushed against one another as I closed my hand around the glass, and I stilled at the contact. It wasn’t as if it was the first time we’d ever touched—but as our eyes met and neither of us moved, I could say with the utmost certainty that it was the first time the semblance of even a single butterfly took flight in my belly.

I cleared my throat and averted my gaze to the beautiful crystal as I brought it to my lips, shattering the moment. The alcohol burned a path down my throat as I tipped the entirety of the contents into my mouth, suddenly feeling the need for liquid courage.

I couldn’t stop the coughing fit that overcame me. Whatever this was, it was far stronger than anything I’d consumed before. There were hints of cinnamon and honey on my tongue in the aftertaste, but it was hard to focus on that as my throat constricted and my eyes burned.

“First time you’ve had bourbon?” he asked, amusement clear in his tone as he settled into the chair across from me with his hand on one of the curved arms and his glass atop the other.

I shifted uncomfortably beneath the weight of his stare that was suddenly fixated on my lips as my tongue swept over them. Coughing a few more times, I held my hand to my chest as if I could somehow will them to stop with the motion.

“No,” I croaked out, shaking my head, “I actually drink this to hydrate myself during sparring sessions. Very smooth. I just had a tickle in my throat.”

Either the world was coming to an end or he actually cracked the smallest smile for the second time in the span of ten minutes. Of course, it was gone and replaced with an icy mask of indifference in the time it took me to blink, but I’d not imagined it.

Suddenly, my eyes slammed shut as a piercing pain slashed into my brain. “Fuck!” I muttered, holding my free hand to my temple. “Son of a bitch, that hurts.”

A rumbling laughter floated through the air as I forced my eyes open once more. “Well, perhaps the alcohol loosens your lips, wench, but I’m glad you’re able to keep your mental wall in place still. I had to be sure before we dive into the logistics of the remainder of your stay here.”

Either I was an extreme light-weight, with this bourbon hitting quickly, or my brain hadn’t heard him properly. “The remainder of my stay?” I parroted. “Wouldn’t that entail, I don’t know, the rest of my life, considering we’re married?”

His eyebrows slanted and the skin between them pinched as he seemed to ponder either my words or his own before responding. He seemed rather uncomfortable as he took a long drink from his own glass instead of responding. He lowered it from his lips for a second but then shrugged and downed the rest as I had, albeit with no coughing fit.

Show off.

“So, I think it goes without saying that I don’t understand the needs of a human and I haven’t taken into consideration the fragility of your species,” he began as he lowered the glass to the side table between us.

My brows rose in a ‘well you don’t say,’ look.

“Could you refrain from giving me that very attitude that makes me want to throttle you for a few minutes?” he quipped. The corners of his lips turned down as his reptilian pupil constricted to the skinniest slit. “My dragon finds your attitude appealing, but I don’t.”

My head tilted as I forced a smile. “Could you refrain from saying things that spark my attitude? You could fix the problem right at the source.”

He rubbed a hand over his scaled eye before dropping both hands to clasp together between his long legs. “Despite my carelessness with the lives of the women that were stolen by my people, I don’t actually want to see any humans perish. That includes you.”

My face and tone went flat. “But I’ll believe it when I see it.”

His lips thinned and his nostrils flared as he took a deep breath. With narrowed eyes trained on me, he muttered, “That’s what I’m getting to if you’d stop interrupting me.”

I offered a shrug. “Sorry, it seems to be a favorite hobby of mine since I have nothing else to focus on now that I’m trapped with you.”

He leaned forward, putting his weight on his forearms that rested on his knees as he glowered at me, the intensity making my throat constrict. “If you would shut your insufferable mouth, you’d hear that I’m going to end our marriage once we’ve ended this curse. You’ll return home and be free of me.”

My throat was suddenly dry, and not a single word floated through my mind as I stared at him, mouth agape.

“I’m…” I faltered as the wheels in my brain processed his words. “You want a divorce when this is done?”

He nodded before grabbing his glass and standing. “Do you want another?”

I lifted my glass to him in answer.

As he poured us another round, I found myself shaking my head, trying to make sense of his announcement. “Our marriage is a way to mend the terse relationship between our people and unite Andrathya once more. How will we be united, if we aren’t you know…” I stammered.

“United?” he offered cheekily, making me scowl.

I huffed. “Yes.”

The idea of going back to my life wasn’t an offer I thought I’d ever have on the table. When Theo had thrown me over his shoulder and forbid me from saying goodbye to my loved ones, I’d had to quickly come to terms with the fact that I wouldn’t ever return to my home. Now here he was, offering my freedom, so quickly after whisking me away.

There had to be a catch. It was too good to be true.

As he offered my now-full glass back to me, I couldn't help but throw his words from yesterday back at him. “Don’t tell me you’ve already lost your bite, Theo? Did I already wear you down? That was far too easy. I like my prey to put up a bit longer of a fight. “

He glared at me from above the rim of his glass as he took a sip. Lowering the glass to rest between his hands, he muttered, “I’d be a liar if I said this was entirely for your benefit, wench. We both want to return to our lives before. All we have to do is find a way to break the curse and we can be done with one another.”

While his words weren’t cruel, and they did ring true, my chest constricted nonetheless. Perhaps it was just the alcohol.

We can be done with one another.

Yes, that’s what I wanted. I took a sip and nodded in agreement before giving him my attention once more. “Alright, but how are we to ensure the unity remains, assuming we can lift the curse?”

If anything would come of this short-lived marriage, it would be me ensuring my people were safe and out of harm's way when it came to the beasts he couldn’t keep in line. I wouldn’t settle until we accomplished that, even if it meant rotting away in a wing of this castle for the rest of my life.

“We haven’t required a marriage between our people in all of the generations before us,” he offered with a shrug. “My kind want to mate for life. I need to find mine, and I can’t do that if I’m married already. Eventually, my dragon will force me to try to bond with you, as he already thinks that is where this is heading. As you know, it doesn’t end well when the bond doesn’t work, due to the human not being the correct person. I think we’d both like to avoid that particular scenario.”

Once again, he was purely stating the facts, but a spark of rejection and the stark reminder of women from my kingdom being slaughtered by the dragons soured my stomach. Perhaps this wasn’t what I pictured for my life, and I hadn’t asked for any of this, but in the short time since meeting Theo, I’d not had to fit into the role of crown princess, heir to the throne of Andrathya.

I’d simply been Sia—the witty, stubborn, and opinionated woman who had always resided within me, nestled away for the simple facade of politics. While I might not love the position I’d been forced into, the thought of going back and fitting into the same old mold as before wasn’t as appealing as it should have been.

I mean, it was my life, after all. I’d have my family and friends. I’d be able to take over the throne and rule justly for my people. I’d be able to bring positive and much-needed change to our world. My eyes fell to the ever dancing flames stroking against the burning wood as I sat back in the chair and pulled my feet up.

I’d have to be above reproach once more. The head of the kingdom couldn’t afford missteps. I?—

“Do you agree to my terms?”

His question startled me out of my thoughts.

He was offering me exactly what I wanted yesterday, so why was I hesitating now?

I took another sip of the bourbon and nodded before slamming the glass down a little too hard onto the side table. It was just the alcohol making my thoughts fuzzy. This was for the best.

“Sounds like we have a curse to break. Tell me everything about it, so we can be done with this.”