Unfortunately, I couldn’t stop dreaming about the two yellow eyes glaring at me from within the hood.
Somewhere in the middle of the night, there was a loud banging at the door. My eyelids flew open as my heart hammered against the wall of my chest.
“Regina!” a deep male voice barked.
My vision was blurry with sleep, and with only the moonlight to light up the room, I could barely see as Regina bolted across the space and tore open the door.
“What is it?” Regina sounded as dazed as I felt.
“Get to the stables.” It was Nox. He peered into the room as I scrambled to sit up. “Nightfall’s army was spotted crossing the Great River. The king awaits your command.” The guard spoke quickly but confidently, and it was like frigid snow had been poured in my veins.
The Nightfall army crossed into Embergate?
That was… that was an act of war.
I stood, fully alert as all vestiges of sleep left me, and ran over to Kendal, who was still fast asleep. “Kendal, wake up.” I shook her and she moaned, peering up at me with bleary eyes.
“What’s going on?” Kendal’s sleepy voice pierced the room.
“The Nightfall queen’s army is… attacking?” I wasn’t actually sure, but why else would they breach our lands? “We need to leave with the king, now.”
“The king?” she shrieked.
Oh, right, she didn’t know. Oops.
“Get dressed. Now,” Regina ordered.
I slipped into my leather hunting suit and Kendal put on one of her casual day dresses. Within two minutes, we were downstairs and crossing the street, headed for the stables.
The king was there, hood pulled back, pacing the large open barn. When we reached him, Kendal fell into a deep curtsy. “Your Highness.”
He nodded at her and gave me a pinched expression before turning to Regina. “Advise me,” he commanded her.
Whoa, so Regina really was in charge of his army? That was so incredibly badass, and yet I had no time to dwell on it because my heart was ratcheting up higher each moment.
Regina nodded. “I suspect the Nightfall queen has heard of your search for a new wife. She knows you don’t have an heir. She will try to take you out.”
Assassination attempt?
Kendal swayed on her feet as if she were about to faint. I positioned myself closer to her just in case.
“I should breathe fire on all of them and burn them to a crisp,” he growled.
I smelled smoke. It was probably leaking from his mouth and nose but it was too dark to see.
“My king, you cannot. What the Nightfall army lacks in magic, they make up for in innovation. They will shoot you out of the sky with their metal projectiles. You know this.”
Chills rose up on my arms. I’d heard of the Nightfall queen’s inventions but had never seen one. Metal projectiles like arrows? Or something more sinister? A simple arrow couldn’t shoot the dragon king out of the sky, so I knew it had to be more.
King Valdren growled, low and haunting, and Regina stepped closer to him. “You know what you have to do.”
The flickering torch barely lit up his face and I saw determination in his gaze. “I will not leave you and the Drayken to fight my battles.”
Regina burst into laughter and the king stiffened. “That is precisely our job,” she told him, and then she pointed a finger at his chest. “My lord,” Regina growled, losing her temper with him, “you tasked me with protecting you and the women on this trip, and in turn I made you swear to my plan. Are you a man of your word or not?”
I loved seeing this side of her. She was so strong and fearless. I could only watch in envy.
A grunt of frustration left the king’s lips, then his eyes glowed yellow and sought me, piercing into my very soul.
Then he started to disrobe.
What the…？
First his metal shoulder spaulders came off and he handed them to Regina, then his breastplate. I stood in shock and fascination as he took off his black dragon leather top, exposing his abdomen.
I finally found my voice. “What… what are you doing?”
Regina took his offered clothes and looked back at me. “He’s flying you and Kendal back to Jade City, where they will raise the alarm of the invasion.”
Fly? She said fly. He was going to…
When I realized what was happening, my stomach tightened. The dragon king was going to shift into his animal form and fly!
Excitement and terror rushed through me in equal measure.
I followed her gaze just as the king dropped his trousers and Kendal went completely limp beside me, fainting. Rushing forward, I caught her in my arms before she hit the ground.