“You named a dragon like it’s some pet?!” He dragged his hand through his hair, his voice wavering.
“Baron, please, now is not the time.” I tried to get to the point. “Today, while I was riding, I saw something far worse than the dragons; a fleet of warships are heading this way. It’s Ember. It looks like they’ve started the war.”
“Riding…?” He ran a hand down his face, taking in everything I’d said.
“I have been dragon-riding since the night they sent me to kill Emeris.”
He moved over to the small wooden bench, pulling it from under the table before taking a seat in disbelief. His brow pulled in as his mind reflected over what had been happening without him knowing.
“You’ve been lying to me this whole time…” He looked up at me, his head shaking. “Why?”
“Because you’re Baron the Dragon Slayer. I didn’t think you’d take the truth very well.”
“Shay, I am your mate—your husband—before any other titles. Just because I have killed more than one dragon in my life doesn’t change that.” I could feel the black clouds growing bigger in my chest, taking up my space to breathe. The guilt of lying to him for so long slowly piled up. My head drooped from my shoulders. Baron was the only fae I knew that had faced over one dragon in his lifetime and won while trying to protect one of the meat traders who traveled to our island. No traders, meat or any other, had come since Ember attacked Heavensreach, and I doubted they would. Ember had taken control of as much as they could after that dark day. Trade to smaller consumers being one, it seemed. They staked a claim with their destructive ways, letting the world know they were waging a war. Soon all the trade markets would be run by their soldiers. The Emperor would slowly infect the land with his rules, his men. Eventually, he’d be monitoring everything and everyone, gaining control over what he could, inch by inch, and destroying anyone who denied him.
I felt Baron’s rough fingers grip my chin, pulling my face back up to look at him as he stood in front of me.
“Hey, all we can do is focus on what’s coming. Ember has chosen war. We should count your riding as a blessing for warning us before they’ve reached our shores.” He walked away, grabbed his shirt, and pulled it over his head, slowly strapping his leathered armor back on as he spoke. “Besides, if this dragon is our ally, as you say, then we should be grateful. Going against Fire Fae soldiers being fae with no bending is no simple task; maybe this Emeris will help us evacuate if things go amiss.” Theunderstanding and maturity of the man I had been blessed to be mated to would never cease to amaze me.
I placed my hand over his chest plate, pulling his attention back to me. His face leaned into mine as one of his hands slid up my back, grasping the hair at the nape of my neck. He pulled me into a passionate kiss. A tear escaped from the emotions clawing at my chest, and he used his other hand to wipe it away before pulling me back again.
“Later.” He released a heavy breath, giving me a wink, and I smiled.
“Thank you,” I said before he grabbed his sword, sheathing it at his side and walking toward the door of our small cottage-like home. I followed his lead as he stepped back outside, bracing himself as he prepared to warn our people of the war. He walked toward the forest, and I caught up with him.
“Where are you going? Shouldn’t we talk to our people first?”
“I think we should go talk to your dragon pet. Our people trust us to protect them. I need to be sure that your friend isn’t a threat.”
“If people approached you with blades drawn, you wouldn’t be friendly either. Don’t blame their destructive nature on them. They are creatures trying to protect themselves, just as we are.” I paused for a moment, letting him take everything in. “We are more like Emeris than you think.” He said nothing, but the expression he gave me was all I needed to see. He understood, even if he didn’t believe it for himself yet.
“Lead the way to Emeris, my dear.” He held his hand out in front of him, gesturing for me to go ahead. We followed my forest trail, and he noted the small path I had carved for myself.
“How did I not notice?” he questioned under his breath.
“Notice what?” I asked, glancing back at him over my shoulder.
“You’d leave for hours at a time in the day to go hunt when I’ve seen you shoot a bird down within seconds of being out in the forest. You’re excellent at setting snares, and you’ve always been one to do things promptly, and yet I still never questioned you about being gone for too long.”
“Love can be blinding.”
“I should have paid better attention to my wife.”
I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around on the trail to face him. “Don’t.” I placed my hand against his chest, stopping him.
“What?” he responded, looking at his feet.
“Blame yourself for my lies. You couldn’t have known. I did my best to cover them because it scared me. I didn’t want you to see me differently.” Turning away, we walked onward, almost to the craggy cliff where I always met Emeris.
“How did you think I would see you?”
“As a lying, no-good wife.” Saying it aloud sent a pang through my chest.
“You went into the forest to slay a dragon and tamed one instead. You’re the bravest warrior I’ve ever met, and I’m grateful to call you mine. Nothing will ever change that, love.” My heart rate quickened as flutters floated from my gut to my chest, easing any pain that had rooted there before his kind words. The cliff came into view, and I paused. Turning around, I ran into his hard chest, and he wrapped an arm around my waist.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” I questioned as my eyes danced over his face.
“I’ve been training to slay dragons my entire life. You think I fear your pet?” He furrowed his brow with a grin, and I rolled my eyes at his cocky smile before I whistled my signal to her. A moment passed before Emeris flew straight up over the edge of the cliff. Her wingspan blocked the sun’s rays, casting shadowsdown upon us. I watched a slow smile of amazement creep onto Baron’s face, and it made me smile up at Emeris with him. She circled in front of us before she came back down and landed on the cliff. She paused, stiffening her posture, making herself appear more threatening. As she looked at Baron, she showed her razor-sharp teeth.
