Page 32 of The Last Dragon (The Great Burn Chronicles #1)

“Typical Zel.” He scoffs. “Bitter about everything, blindly following the Rule. I got to say, I’m surprised you’re here. And even dared to look in my direction.” He tucks a chunk of hair behind his ear, revealing the tip of the ear that is missing—the mark of a traitor to humanity.

Nida’s breath hitches. “Traitor,” she whispers, and Valous’s snake-like eyes turn to her. They’re even sharper looking with all the black shadows around his eyes. My body tenses. None of us should be seen speaking to him.

“That’s what they call me.” A sinister smile crosses his face. Nida quickly looks away. The longer we talk to him, the higher the chance our ears will get clipped too.

He brings the chair closer, scraping the floorboards loud enough to make my ears ache.

“I’m sure you wouldn’t mind,” he says cheerfully as he flicks his eyes back to Nida. “I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure,” he says, stretching out his hand to shake with Nida.

“Didn’t offer it,” she barks back, her eyes still very much alert.

Valous gives me an airy grin, forming a fist with his greeting hand in retreat. “I see you got yourself a dog to match your attitude.”

Don’t interact. Don’t say anything. Don’t even think of him. You’re not allowed. His eyes stray back to Nida. Watching her. Scanning her. Like he wants to know all her secrets.

“Have we met before?” he says, furrowing his black brows with a smile still tugging the corners of his mouth.

My jaw flexes, and I’m fighting the urge not to kick him off the chair.

I know what he’s going for. I know what type he is.

He has a fondness for starting a fight only to get himself out of it without lifting a finger.

He may agitate someone, but he has a good way with words.

I don’t play into it. The best part is watching him twist himself into desperation and annoyance, realizing I’m completely unfazed.

“What do you want, Valous?” I ask him out of curiosity.

He takes out a beaded coin from his sleeve. It’s scratched so much you can’t tell if it’s silver or just a piece of metal in the shape of a coin. He dances it across his knuckles.

“It’s been so long. I just thought I’d bless you with my presence—and a touch of concern,” he says cockily.

“But then I saw your face, and I figured I just had to approach to give you some sympathy, but wait, don’t you always look like that?

” His eyes dart to mine. Usually, he wouldn’t be spending so much time talking to somebody if he wasn’t looking for a trade, but clearly, he wants something from me.

And I know exactly what it is. He wants to know what happened two years ago at the Gate.

The bloody battle I led that he was too cowardly to join.

He wants to know how I killed four dragons on my own. Before Aris died in my hands.

He leans in, the sour tang of liquor heavy on his breath as he opens his mouth to speak, but before a single word escapes, heavy footsteps cut through the quiet.

The planks groan beneath Eryca’s boots as she strides forward, her presence impossible to ignore.

She towers over me, and as I lift my eyes to meet her burning gaze, her jaw flexes.

“What are you doing talking to him?” Her voice is low, sharp—like a blade sliding across stone. Her nostrils flare. “You want to give me more reasons not to trust you?”

I set my tankard down. Slowly. “Eryca…” I exhale, voice low. I close my eyes briefly, letting calmness fill me. “It’s been two years.”

She scoffs, shaking her head. “Two years isn’t enough to erase what you did.”

Her words sting, but I tuck the wound deep where it won’t show. She’ll forgive me—eventually.

“And you—,” Eryca looks at Valous with a glare that could burn through steel. “Morton’s dead because of you. He’s gone… because of you. And yet, somehow, you get to walk away alive.”

Valous lifts a finger, pointing at his clipped ears, and lets out a bitter laugh. “You call this living ?” he sneers, raising his glass with a casual flick. “I’m the walking dead,” he says, his voice dripping with hollow resignation.

Eryca’s eyes sharpen to slits, her fingers tightening into a fist as if holding back the storm within. “More than you deserve,” she spits, every word like an arrowhead.

“Listen, Eryca…” Valous sighs, rising to meet her glare without flinching. I feel my muscles coil, ready to spring. You never know with these two. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… I had nothing to do with your boyfriend’s death.” His voice is tired, heavy with indifference.

“Shut it!” Eryca snaps, lunging forward like she’s about to throw him against the table. My body moves before I think.

“Enough!” I bark, leaping from the bench. Tankards wobble, spilling ale in slow, careless arcs across the scarred wood as Nida attempts to steady them so as to not spill more.

My eyes flick between Valous and Eryca, locked in a deadly stare. “Both of you,” I say, voice sharp as steel.

They don’t break eye contact. Valous’ cold stare meets Eryca’s fierce, burning brown eyes—two storms about to crash in front of everyone.

Eryca sizes him up, lips curling into a sneer, before she steps back and sinks into her seat. I turn to Valous, catching that smug curve tugging at his lips. Like he’s already claimed victory. His eyes find mine—completely unbothered.

“Get out of my sight,” I hiss through clenched teeth.

“I don’t need this right now.” His brows lift, a low chuckle caught in his throat.

“You forget,” he says, flicking the coin between his knuckles.

“I own this place.”I stare at him, fury simmering just beneath the surface.

“On second thought, we’ll get out of yours. ”

Ilian and Raumen are already leaning over the table, Ilian pushing himself closer to Valous. Valous’s eyes grow wide as he stares at Ilian’s face.

“Need something?” he asks, annoyance in his voice.

Ilian slowly backs away. “This guy bothering you?” he slurs, a lazy grin on his face. He’s… drunk .

“We were just leaving,” Nida says.

“Ya know” —Ilian turns to Valous, dropping his head down like it’s about to fall off— “You have a very shitty personality.” He grins, one eye droopy.

Nida lets out a chuckle, but I remain still, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm my nerves. Raumen stands next behind Ilian and Valous with his fingers tracing his chin.

“I beg your pardon?” Valous says, dropping his coin before grabbing it back again, grasping it tighter as if someone might take it from him.

“He’s not all that bad,” Raumen says, slower than his usual cadence.

“Well, his fashion sense isn’t bad,” responds Ilian, leaning closer.

Valous jumps back, creating distance between him and the two. He’s annoyed with the attention he’s getting. Attention he doesn’t always enjoy.

“Come on,” I say, jerking my head toward the door. “Let’s get out of here.”

“With everything that’s going on,” Valous says calmly, adjusting his clothing. “I won’t be surprised if you come crawling back to the tavern looking for me. You will need my help again , Zel.” His eyes narrow, piercing me like one of Alex’s blades.

I shake my head. Of course, he thinks he knows everything . “Over my dead body,” I say, taking a step toward the exit. Nida delays hers, staring Valous down before he lets out a sigh.

“Or hers,” he says.

I face him, closing the distance. I grab his white shirt and throw him against a wall.

“Watch the shirt,” he exclaims, hands up, eyes wide at the sight of my fist around his collar, wrinkling the fabric over my knuckles.

But quickly his eyes flick to my right knee between his legs—just in case he needs extra convincing to keep his mouth shut.

I feel my blood pulsating in my ears, my jaw locking itself tightly.

“Is that a threat?” I hiss, slamming his head against the wooden wall, causing a painting to shift askew. My arm slightly twitches and he grabs my wrist, sinking his dark nails into my flesh, adjusting my first to relieve the pressure.

He gasps for air. “No,” he says, pushing me off of him. I shift my stance and let him go.

With a sneer, he straightens his clothing. “Just a warning.” His eyes land on Nida, as if assessing her, then he stalks away.

I bare my teeth. It’s not worth having this conversation with him.

But Raumen and Ilian decide to have a shouting competition with Valous from across the room.

Alex, like always, isn’t bothered by the feud and continues to twirl his daggers, watching everything unfold.

I sigh, then I grab both Ilian and Raumen by their collars and drag them out the door.

Don’t need to make a worse scene than we already have.

As I drag them out, they continue to laugh and shout vile words at Valous while Ilian raises a middle finger.

Their eagerness to continue acting like children gets on my nerves.

Sam tiptoes to the side of me, barely visible.

He hates loud noises and people screaming, and always vanishes when things get too much.

Eryca throws a comment or two, but she doesn’t let herself waste more breath on the likes of Valous.

“What was that all about?” Nida asks.

I shake my head, letting out a sigh. “He’s a local snake you don’t want to get involved with.

” I watch the rest of the unit sing and hang off each other’s necks.

I’m about ready to give this day a break and keep Valous out of my mind.

Though I can’t shake the feeling this won’t be the last time I see him.