Page 133 of The Keeper of the Kingdoms

“Desperation does things to fae you’d never believed it would. How would you expect a male to act when he believes death is at hand and he’s been made a prisoner in hishomeland? When a fae has nothing left to lose, you simply cannot predict their actions.” Faolan locked me in his silver gaze.

I shook my head. “There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t. You need them to believe it, and I need the distraction.” Faolan’s patience grew thin.

“I can cause a distraction without it being character burning.” I scrubbed a hand over my face.

“Why do you care what they think of you? They already think you’ve been brainwashed by the outside world.” Faolan turned on me, eyes blazing as he shoved a hand into his hair. “Stop playing by the rules. Why show them civility when they show you none?”

I laced my hands behind my head and looked to the sky, reminding myself of what we faced on the other side of those mountains. “Tell me what to do.”

“You have to make them believe you are what you want them to see—” he cut himself, turning towards the mouth of the alley, bringing a finger to his lips.

I strained my ears listening. Footsteps echoed on the cobblestones. A late night stroll or a guard? My gaze snapped to Faolan. “What do we do?” I hissed.

He exhaled calmly. “On your knees.”

“What? Why?”

He stepped in front of me, hand on his belt. “It’s this or meet our end prematurely, and I’m a much better actor than you are.”

I glared but slowly lowered to one knee and then the other, muttering obscenities.

“Shhh.” Faolan slipped a hand into my hair. “That’s it. Just how I like it. What a good boy.” His lips split into a smile as he rolled his hips.

The footsteps stalled and my cheeks heated. Not because I had any shame about being on my knees in an alley, more so because of the delight written on Faolan’s face.

Faolan groaned, letting his head tip back, moaning throughhis performance. I rolled my eyes, but he only got louder. He arched his back, putting on an entire show, his hands stroking through my hair and grabbing the back of my neck all while I glared at him. The listener resumed his walk, getting further away. Faolan’s moans came to a crescendo, and he gasped, smiling while jerking his hips sharply before stilling.

“So good.” He slapped my cheek lightly before making like he was fixing his belt.

“Hilarious. Can I get up now?” I pushed to my feet before he agreed, dusting off my leathers. “We need to do this before anyone else comes by.”

“You don’t want me to return the favor?” Faolan asked playfully.

I made a rude gesture.

“You’re welcome for saving your arse.”

“Tell me what to do,” I repeated.

“You need to make a scene grand enough to get all the elders out of bed. You need to light the entire city sky with your fire so they couldn’t possibly look anywhere but at you.” Faolan smoothed a hand down his shirt, tilting his face down, lowering his voice. “Make them fear you. Make them have no other choice than to put you in their hold, so everyone speaks of you, and no one thinks of anyone else this night.”

I let out a breath and took to the sky.

This was so not me.

I took a few passes over the main streets of the city, thinking about the elders and how frustrated I’d been for days of discussions about the threats in the realm and the politics of the kingdoms. I had all the current knowledge of a realm none of them had ever set foot in, and yet they would not hear reason. They knew best. Before I knew it, I was boiling with all the rage I’d kept inside, acting like the cowed loyal subject who accepted their decisions, and I let rip.

Fire spilled from my mouth with a deafening roar. I circled,letting my anger flow freely from my body and guide me. It wasn’t me, but I wasn’t meant to be myself, so I just went where the mood took me. I roared over the lake, swooping low over the water, and then let my fire rain down as I climbed the mountainside.

I turned back for the shore, bellowing for all to hear, and breathed fire into the sky to light up the city as Faolan wanted.

Lights came on all over the city, and I cringed at waking so many from their beds. I flew towards my home and spied Kiera on the balcony, wrapped in our sheets. I hated this, and she knew it, but she had persuaded me to go, and we needed the distraction.

“Show them your fire,”she said softly into my mind as I passed over. And for her, I did it.

Two dragons of the guard launched into the sky to meet me when I banked and came back around. They barked warnings but held back, clearly unwilling to attack a dragon they’d respected and worked under for so many years. I blasted fire their way and they parted, allowing me through. I hoped they wouldn’t be reprimanded for it.