Page 8 of Song of the Heart Scale (The Dragon’s Ballad #3)

“I went to see Lysandra today at The Gilded Serpent and asked her to have her people suppress the Song of the Dragon Rider . If it doesn’t spread, then maybe he won’t be in such a rush to marry.” I paced, my boots scuffing along the stone floor.

Uncle Bai raised a brow. “Can you trust that woman after she betrayed you all these years?”

I shrugged. “I think she’s trying to make amends. The only way to know for sure is by giving her a chance.”

“I hope you don’t live to regret it.”

The wind screamed past my wings as I cut through the night sky as nothing but a silent silhouette cloaked in darkness.

Thick clouds rolled along the horizon and swallowed the moonlight, but it didn’t matter—I was the Shadow Prince and the dark was mine to command.

My scales, as black as volcanic glass, faintly gleamed with the fire burning just beneath them, but even that light was devoured by the obsidian air.

I flew low and fast, the urgency in my chest matching the furious rhythm of my wingbeats.

The Ryder residence came into view like a pale blemish in the trees—too quiet, too still. The scent of iron and ash from the smithy at the back still lingered, but it was fading. The place felt vulnerable tonight, like the brittle silence before a storm.

I swiftly descended, banking hard and circling once above the northern tower before landing on the rooftop balcony with barely a sound.

Shadows clung to me like old friends as I shifted in a blink of smoke and heat, bones rearranging and wings folding inward until I stood upright—fully clothed in black from neck to boot, a long coat wrapped around me like a second skin.

My boots whispered against the stone. I pricked my ears and listened.

I moved soundlessly through the outdoor walkways and courtyards until I reached the familiar door to Cat’s chamber. My hand was halfway to the handle when I heard voices inside.

“I can’t believe she knows!” Cat said, her voice low and fraught with tension.

“Lady Gianna?” Maeve asked.

“Yeah,” Cat muttered. “I should have fuckin’ punched her in that fuckin’ perfect little face of hers.”

Maeve’s voice was barely above a whisper. “If you did that, Lord Zacharia would have had another reason to punish you, especially since she already told him the truth.”

“Yeah, well snitches get stitches.” Cat let out a bitter breath. “You could see it in his eyes during breakfast. I should have realized then that he knew I wasn’t Arya. It all makes sense now.” A pause. Then: “Gianna loves Damien too much to have kept this little secret to herself.”

I stood completely still outside her door as the pieces clicked into place, one by one. Gianna’s veiled threats, the sudden shift in Zacharia’s demeanor, his blatant willingness to use Cat as a pawn… Now I knew why.

Zacharia knew . Gianna must have told him that Cat wasn’t who she claimed to be, and instead of revealing her as a fraud, he was going to let her take the fall.

I took a step back and cleared my throat once, sharply.

Their voices cut off mid-sentence.

A second later, the door opened and Cat’s face appeared in the dim candlelight. Her eyes widened and a flash of surprise crossed her expression. “Damien?”

I didn’t answer at first. I stepped forward into the room, shadows coiling around my boots before dispersing. I glanced once at Maeve, who looked like she might faint.

“Maeve,” I said quietly, “would you mind giving us the room?”

“Of course, Your Highness.” She nodded, dipped into a hasty curtsey, and slipped past me like a ghost, her eyes full of unspoken worry.

I waited until the door clicked shut behind her.

Cat crossed her arms over her chest, defensive now. “You like sneaking into my room and taking over, huh?”

I took a few slow steps closer. “Only when I’ve got urgent news.”

Her gaze searched mine. “What is it?”

I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I studied her—the tension in her shoulders, the flicker of something guarded behind her honey-gold eyes. She wasn’t just surprised to see me. She was trying to keep something from me.

I already knew what it was. I’d just heard it. But she didn’t know that I knew.

I tucked that revelation away to let it rest.

“The emperor is dead.”

Her eyes widened and she stepped back like the words had pushed her. “What?”

“Uncle Bai just returned from Dragon Valley with the news, though it hasn’t been made public yet. I came the moment I found out.”

She blinked rapidly, clearly trying to keep up. “How?”

“They found him in his chambers late this afternoon. No marks, no blood. The court is full of whispers. Some say poison, others say he was just… old. No one knows for sure.”

Cat moved to the edge of her bed and sat, as if her legs could no longer support her. “No way… Your uncle Bai is older than him!” she scoffed. “What about Thorne?”

“He returned to Dragon Valley not long after the body was found. He’s already claimed the throne.”

She scoffed faintly. “Of course he did.”

“I’m not saying he had anything to do with it,” I said quickly, even though I could see where her thoughts were going. “Not yet. There’s no proof. And I’m not looking to start throwing accusations. But the timing is… painfully convenient.”

Her brow furrowed and I could practically see the gears turning in that beautiful, dangerous mind of hers. “Does this change anything?”

“Everything,” I said.

She looked up. “For you?”

“No,” I said without hesitation. “I don’t want the throne. I never have. But his death sends ripples. Power vacuums always do. People will be looking for threats to the new regime.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “And you’re a threat.”

“I’m a mystery,” I said gently. “To them. And now they know it. And… so are you.” I peered over at the door and back to her.

Her eyes flicked to the door where Maeve had exited. “So much for laying low.”

I sat beside her, not touching her. “Cat, listen to me. Gianna might’ve exposed you, but Zacharia hasn’t made a move yet. That means he’s waiting. Watching. And I need to know what you’re going to do.”

She turned her head, her golden eyes locking with mine without an ounce of surprise that I’d guessed what she hadn’t shared with me. “I don’t know. Not yet. But I’m not going to run, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to,” I said.

For a moment, the tension between us eased.

But in the back of my mind, one thought lingered, quiet and unshakable:

Why hadn’t she told me herself?

“I was going to tell you,” she said quickly. “I swear.”

I chuckled. “Okay…”

“I just wanted to figure things out first. But now that the emperor is dead and Thorne is going to be emperor, is he going to want to marry—”

“Actually,” I interrupted, “the emperor’s death has put a pin in your marriage.”

She raised a brow. “How?”

“According to Uncle Bai, by the Immortals’ will, the royal family is supposed to mourn any family deaths for a full year. No celebrations are allowed during that time… including marriages.”

“Hell fuckin’ yeah!” she whooped. “I swear, when I get back to my world, I will start going to church!” She clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and started to mumble something that didn’t make sense. “Thank you, baby Jesus.”

“Who is this baby Jesus?” I asked curiously.

She sighed and opened her eyes, then patted my shoulder with one hand. “You’ll meet him when you come to my world. He tends to walk the streets of Hollywood.”

“Oh… okay.” I furrowed my brows, still confused. “Well, I’ll thank him when I arrive.”

She giggled. “Good.” She brushed my hair back and caressed my face, then her eyes widened. “Wait… did I hear that right? Are you coming to my world?”

I smirked. “I guess. I was talking to my uncle, and well… there’s nothing holding me back here.”

Cat jumped up from the bed and squealed as she wrapped herself around me. “As you all say, by the Immortals !”

I laughed. “Is it that surprising?”

“Very!” She smacked a kiss on my cheek. “Oh my god, what are we going to do when we get there? I have to take you to Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles… Wait… no, we’ll go to In-n-Out first. Wait! El Cholo… or Pink’s Hot Dog… Oh my gosh, I have no idea where to start!”

“What are these places? They have such strange names!” I scrunched up my nose as I held her, moving back towards the bed and sitting down with her on my lap.

“They are only some of the best places to eat on the entire planet!” she stated as if it should be obvious, even though I didn’t recognize half of the words she spoke.

“Going to the Hollywood Walk of Fame is pointless because you don’t know who any of the celebrities are, and the last thing I need is those whack jobs trying to convert you to Scientology, but we can go to Hermosa Beach Pier and rent bicycles and ride to Venice Beach.

We’ll try surfing, volleyball, and you’re in desperate need of a tan,” she added dryly.

“This all sounds fascinating,” I said, although I had no idea what she was talking about. Even so, her enthusiasm made me equally as excited. “I can’t wait to do it all with you.”

“We just need to wait for a thunderstorm,” she said. “So the portal in the River Elara can open.”

I nodded. “Once it does, we’ll leave,” I promised, even though I knew I had to settle things here first before I left. But I didn’t want to diminish the excitement she felt at finally being able to go home.

Cat leaned forward and hugged me fiercely, her smile stretching from ear to ear. “Thank you,” she whispered.

I wrapped my arms around her, feeling the warmth of her body through her thin nightgown, but stayed quiet. For now, I’d let her have this bit of happiness.