Page 9 of The Keeper of the Kingdoms

I placed the cheese on my bread and took a big bite, groaning at the first taste of food I’d had since breakfast. It was a simple meal, but I was so hungry it could have been the finest dinner from the King’s table, and I would not have enjoyed it more.

“Thank you,” I murmured around a mouthful.

Jaxus smiled, biting into his cheese. He reached for the top book on the pile and studied the cover. “So, what are we researching?”

I almost choked. “We?”

“Sure, I’m here to help.” He flashed me a big meathead grin, and the worst part was it looked good on him. He was the best-looking flyer I’d ever seen and I could kick myself for even thinking those thoughts. “Two heads are better than one.”

I chewed my bread, grateful to have a reason not to reply in case I offended him again. He simply watched me. Once my mouthful was gone, I cleared my throat. “You don’t need to help me. I’m sure you’d find it dreadfully dull.”

“What would lead you to believe as much?” He leaned forward, placing the book back on the pile and fixed me with his honey-colored eyes. “Because I’m a flyer?”

“Well, yes. I mean, it’s not typical for flyers to um—” To what Kiera? Have a brain? I couldn’t exactly say that. Nyx had a brilliant mind, and so had Kol, but they were educated with the princes. It wasn’t common, so I left it unsaid. I studied him.

“What? Read?” He didn’t look offended, but as his silence stretched, I began to realize I was a terrible, terrible person.

“I realize you don’t know me yet, so I’ll try not to take it to heart that you assume I’m nothing more than muscles and wings. But where I’m from, we don’t assign such roles. Dragons can fly and read books. It’s baffling to me that you are limited to the role you were born into in this place. We don’t have any such notions about dragons…” he trailed off and it sounded like he stopped himself.

My eyes flashed to his as I tried to figure out what he was about to say. But I cut off that line of thinking. I would not ask. Asking would only lead to an opening for more conversation, and I didn’t want to show too much interest or empathy. I didn’t have time for any of that, so it was best to keep him at arm’s length, even if he insisted on attempting to make us, I don’t know what? Friends?

Instead, I reached for a comeback. “I assumed you know how to read, but enjoying it is a whole other business.”

“At least you believe I can read. After meeting some flyers around here, I can see where that assessment wouldn’t be too far off.”

I blinked. Once. Twice. Then I laughed in spite of myself.

A smile curled over his mouth.

I pointed my bread at him. “Don’t take that as any more than it is.”

“No, I would never dream of it.” His smugness made him more attractive and more irritating.

“Good.” I reached for a book and sat back in the comfortable chair. It sure beat the hard chair I usually took, I wasn’t sure why I’d never sat by the fire before. Perhaps because I was here for the serious business of study, not a cozy read by the fire.

I wasn’t really expecting him to stay after his little show of bringing me food, but much to my surprise, he opened a book too.

I tried not to focus on him, but I couldn’t stop myself. He scanned the title page and then turned to look at me. I held up a finger and shook my head. I’d never get anything done if I let him start with questions.

He waited, staring at me until I looked up. “Only one question, I promise.”

“You get one.” I couldn’t focus with his attention on me anyway.

“How best can I help you? Give me a direction. Something I’m looking for. It doesn’t have to be deep, but if there is a concept or a keyword you think might be in these, tell me. If I do the digging and narrow it down for you, it should make your work go faster.” I was stunned by the merit of his suggestion. I had clearly underestimated him. It would indeed help, but I wasn’t sure I knew what I was even looking for.

I knew I would never find the real answers I needed here. I needed to study older texts, but I could not reveal my knowledge of those to him. I was here to find something I could take to the King to justify my theories without revealing the archive of old knowledge I guarded.

I sighed and put my book down, rubbing my forehead. “I’mnot sure I can explain it. I will know it when I find it, but—” I cut myself off. Did I want to tell him? Was the help worth letting someone else in on what I suspected?

What did I risk by saying it out loud? I didn’t want it to spread and cause a panic or trouble for Nyx, nor did I want to put it out there and be questioned about it before I was more sure. How could I convince anyone to believe me before I had evidence of what was going on?

Would it be so bad to have an ally?

If I was really his ryder and he my flyer, didn’t we have some bond of secrecy? I thought I’d read that some place. Honor bonding made it nearly impossible to betray your bonded.

I closed my book and set it aside. He waited, not pressing. “Magic is disappearing, and I have a theory about why.”

FIVE