Page 41 of The Forbidden Dragon King (Shadow Kings #1)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Palace Dungeons, Shadow Court

F reya

Golden fated mates, an Omega and her Alpha Kings, destined to bleed.

Ever since War took me into the forbidden North Tower to show me Hadrian’s disturbing rooms and the prophecy engraved onto his statue, the words have been looping through my mind like a poisonous snake.

Golden fated mates, an Omega and her Alpha Kings, destined to bleed.

I clutch onto Daire’s wooden breakfast tray, hurrying along the dungeon corridor. The walls are stone and drip with moisture and mold. Bronze oil lamps cast the only meager light.

I shiver.

These dungeons beneath the palace couldn’t be more different to the luxury inside the tower. Yet this is where Hadrian spent the last days of his life, before he was executed.

Why do these dragons like desecrating kings, even gods like Daire?

Is this prophecy the reason why Aurelius was reluctant to acknowledge that he was my Alpha? Why he has been trying to hold back from being a pack with Daire and me?

Why he is forbidden to bond?

Is War right that we’re destined to kill each other?

Bile rushes up my throat. I struggle not to retch even at the thought of either of my Alphas’ blood coating my hands.

The prophecy can’t be right. I don’t believe in that shit.

Yet it was harder to dismiss standing in front of an ancient statue that looked like Aurelius’ twin, while magic sizzled in the air.

War remained at the end of the corridor, chatting with the guards and playing dice.

“I’ll stop anyone following you down there,” she declared, settling on a stool to join in the game with the guards. “I’ll lose my own breakfast, if I have to watch you and the little fae pulling those lovelorn fucking faces at each other. ”

“You trust me alone with Daire.”

“I trust you alone with Kit . No Shadow Fae Alpha has ever killed their own soulmate. They may be pretty cocks with wings in many ways but fae are also the most devoted cocks to their Omegas in the entire realms.”

I walk faster.

A deep yearning fills me, the closer that I reach the cell at the bottom of the corridor, which is swathed in the deepest shadows.

I was spellbound by Daire from the moment that I first glimpsed him in front of his troops, while I hid on the ledge. His own soldiers were magnetized by his charm and ease. He was adored by the featherglass. He still is.

A villain is a hero to their own people.

Yet I’m beginning to understand that Daire has sacrificed himself a thousand times over for his fellow fae. He’s been fighting for their freedom.

Can that ever make him a villain?

I stare through the bars into the tiny cell. I smile, when I see that for the first time, Daire is covered in a golden, velvet blanket.

My eyes widen in shock.

It’s the same type that Aurelius has in his nest, which are also piled on my bed.

Has Aurelius given Daire one of his own blankets to keep him warm?

Daire is curled on the straw, which is piled in the far corner. My heart aches to see that his skin is still painted in bruises: purple, green, and yellow.

Daire is also pale, and his lips are cracked .

Every time that I see him, he’s grown thinner.

Those knotless sons of raven starvers .

As soon as Aurelius is back, I’m going to insist that Daire is released.

Whatever the guards are doing to Daire (the same guards who are laughing and gambling with War, while talking about their kids like they’re such decent guys), I can’t bear it any longer, despite Daire insisting that it’s part of his larger scheme.

Daire has curled his iridescent wings around a cat, as if to make sure that she receives as much warmth as possible.

My smile widens. “Who’s your new friend?”

Both Daire’s glowing eyes and the cat’s snap open.

The cat is as striking looking as Daire is, in her own way. She is large and tabby with a powerful tail. One of her eyes appears to have been blinded in a fight, however, and her left ear is ragged. Her fur is a tangled mess.

Holding her close, highlights how Daire’s beauty is battered too. Even his wings are ruffled, looking like they desperately need to be brushed.

Brushing Daire’s wings is one of my favorite tasks, when I’m able to creep early enough into the servant dorms.

He insists on brushing my hair first to serve me.

Watching Daire unraveling beneath my hands, however, as I run the softest of brushes through his feathered wings to serve him is like nothing I’ve experienced before. He throws his long neck back, as close to purring as is possible for an Alpha.

An Alpha fae will only allow their soulmate Omega to be this intimate with their wings. Knowing how special caring for his wings is to him, makes my heart twist.

They’re soft, deadly, mine .

I run my fingers through them, as I brush each feather in turn into place. And every time, Daire moans in ecstasy and comes without being touched.

Anyone who thinks that Omegas don’t hold power over their Alphas, has never held an Alpha’s wings in their hands, whether fae or dragon.

I itch to do the same for Daire now.

Daire strokes over the cat’s head with his pale fingers. “Isn’t she brilliant? Beautiful? She’s called Five.”

“Strange name.”

Daire wrinkles his nose, offended. “I named her. Originally, it was Nine because she was meant to be my cat with the lucky nine lives, aye? But look at her. She gets into more risky battles that she loses than I do.” He laughs. “She’s lost four of her lives.”

“So, now she’s down to being called Five, huh?”

Five stands up, stretching and arching her back. She prowls across the cell, before slipping through the bars.

Five sniffs my ankle, winding around me, as if deciding whether to scratch me in defense of Daire.

I stiffen.

Daire throws off his blanket and leaps up with a wince.

How badly is he in pain?

I can tell that he’s hiding it, as he swaggers toward me to the front of the cell .

“She’s protective of me,” Daire declares. “Aurelius didn’t pass the scratch test. Oh, look at that. You do.”

Five noses at my calf, before licking me with a purr.

“Good pussy.” I smile down at her.

“Hmm, I agree.” Daire’s low, seductive voice makes me shiver.

I try not to laugh. “No making me wet. We have important things to talk about.”

Daire looks serious, before his gaze becomes half-hooded again. “I’ve been alone down here, pining for you. Can’t I make you wet, while we talk about them, love?”

My mouth is dry.

Five turns away with a dismissive flick of her tail. Then she prowls into the shadows of the corridor.

When I set the tray down by the door and stand again, Daire has moved at that astounding speed of his to the bars, extending his wings. He’s showing off like a peacock.

I don’t mind. He’s impossibly beautiful like this.

When Daire shoves his arm through the bars, however, burning himself on the iron, I hiss in frustration. He’s hurting himself as he always insists on doing in order to be able to clasp my hand.

He grabs hold of my hand, entwining our fingers. Since we first did this, when he was caged in the dragon army camp, it’s become his favorite thing.

It’s also my favorite. From never having someone hold my hand, I’m now used to knowing that Daire will suffer anything to hold mine.

To know that he is always with me.

I allow it but only for a moment .

“Are you ever going to stop burning yourself like this?” I sigh.

“Not if it means that I get to hold your hand.”

I squirm out of his grasp. “I have several surprises today.”

Daire wrenches his arm back through the bars, licking over the ring of burns around his wrist casually. “I love surprises. I have some too.”

He poses, as if I’m meant to notice something.

I blink, before my eyes widen. “By the moon, where did you get that lavender cloak? It looks amazing with your eyes and silver curls, as if it was tailored just for you. It’s not something that servants would be given. It looks fine enough for a?—”

“King?” Daire runs his hand over the woolen lavender cloak, which is draped over his tunic between his wings “It was delivered today, along with the blanket. Maybe I’m not only a joke to Aurelius. It seems that he may actually see me as worthy.”

“Things are changing.” I hope that’s true. “We’re working him out.” Then I move to the door, giving a mischievous grin. “Surprise number one!”

I slip the cell door key from my sleeve with a flourish. I stole it from the guard’s belt, while he was distracted swapping dirty jokes with War.

Daire’s eyes flash with admiration. “My brilliant thief.”

My cheeks flush with pride.

Hurriedly, I open the door. The moment that it swings open, Daire drags me inside, caging me against the wall.

My breath hitches .

I hang in his hold, caught in his scent: frost, oak, and sunshine.

I’m Daire’s captive because I want to be.

He leans down and kisses me with his plush lips. I moan, running my hands over Daire’s wings, smoothing down his feathers.

He moans.

“Love…” He kisses me again, tenderly. “Soulmate.”

“Daire.” I bury my fingers more deeply into his feathers.

“I can’t come,” Daire whispers, urgently. “They’ll know you were in here.”

“Then don’t.” I meanly don’t stop stroking over his long, primary feathers.

He groans, resting his forehead against mine. “Do you know how hard you’re making me in these tight breeches?”

“I can feel how hard against my hip.”

He bucks against me in retaliation.

I capture his lips again, teasing my tongue in and out of his mouth.

“Merciless,” he murmurs against my lips.

His wings are trembling.

I keep kissing him, eager little kisses because I can’t stop touching the cool softness of his lips, now that I’m in the cell with him.

“Vicious.” Daire bites my lower lip.

“Just how you like me.”

“Aye.”

He takes over the kiss, dominating it. “It’s a worse torture than any that’s been inflicted on me down here not to be able to feel your hot fingers or mouth on my poor cock. But I’d suffer that for an eternity of your hand in mine and these sweet kisses.”