We cut through the trees with the wolves on our tail, not as fast as us but much more agile. My dragon caught a demon running. Watched him duck behind a tree. Smelled another, hiding in the brambles. He was used to tracking down their kind in these woods. We knew all of the fastest ways to kill them and their creatures.
We passed the first, attacking it with our tail as we ducked behind the tree and snatched the head off the other. My non-dragon people jogged through the wood in various places, on hunts of their own, in groups. They weren’t strong, and they knew it—they were playing the odds. Good.
Near the other end of the kingdom, close enough to where the portals were, my dragon scented Dolion’s passing. A great many demons had fled through here recently, I could tell. They hadn’t planned on a battle, and the surprise of it made them run like cowards.
The portals had been removed, locking us in. Locking all these other demons in here with us.
My dragon turned and huffed, letting them know this was a dead end. Our heart started thumping; we knew what—or rather who—awaited us when we got back to the castle.
But I still had to check on my people. I still had a loose end to tie up.
Release them to the hunt, I told my dragon. He’d know how to relay that through sounds, body posturing, and positioning. That alpha wolf would have no trouble picking up on my signs. We need to secure Sable and check on the wounded.
My dragon lost no time. The dragons above kept pace, flying so slowly that they probably wondered if they’d drop out of the sky.
Hollowness filled my chest. I might be a prince in title, but what would happen if I assumed the crown? Would my own council still recognize me as a dragon, or would I be some sort of abomination?
Would they snicker or shake their heads behind my back and stare right past me?
And Finley. Poor Finley. How would she, so majestic, so beautiful, cope with having a monster by her side? A once-dragon, now just a beast.
At the everlass field, we saw the disturbance among the plants, many of them wilting and starting to die. Someone had done battle within them. On the edges, I caught Sable’s scent, and then Hannon, Hadriel, and Leala, mingled with demon blood. Hannon had found his sister and retrieved her, that much was clear.
Thankful for something else to focus on other than our deformity within the eyes of our peers, we made our way to a newer path. They’d probably gone and checked their home before heading toward the castle. Once they discovered it was empty, they’d be on the way to Finley.
My mind churned as we followed the scent, getting close enough to the castle to gauge that they’d made it. Instead of following them in, I went to the villages to check in and get reports.
A moment ago, I’d been ready to claim my princess and start our future. But those were just blind emotions. She drew me in a way that I struggled to understand. She stayed in my mind always and played on my heart without remorse. In her presence, I was confused, bewildered, and delighted. In rapture.
But cold logic always crept in. Since the beginning, the reality of my situation had never been far from my thoughts.
Now, I couldn’t bear to see her. I couldn’t bear the reminder of what I’d become—and how she’d be forced to endure it beside me. I’d sent her away to spare her. Maybe to spare myself. But there could be no hiding now. She’d see contempt on the faces of the members of my old court. She’d hear it in their voices. They might show respect for the crown, but how could they possibly show respect for what I’d become? For what I’d allowed this kingdom to become?
She might not realize it now, but she would eventually.
All I would do was continually bring her ruin.
THIRTY-FIVE
FINLEY
Something is wrong with the man again, my dragon said as I hurried into the shed by the everlass field on the castle grounds.
Ami and Claudile were working inside, creating healing brews for the wounded. Obviously they’d been delighted to see the everlass field as I had left it, complete with a working shed nearby, ready to be used. They’d asked not to be disturbed, knowing no one in their collection of villages could work the everlass well enough to be of use in a time of great haste, and correctly assuming the people of Wyvern were better at fighting than healing. I got the feeling the women didn’t make friends all that easily. Not that I could blame them. They were basically me, only there were two of them. Well, three, if you counted Gunduin guarding the door.
I’d relented but made it very clear that they were the visitors here, not me. They would make way for me or they’d find somewhere else to be.