A Destiny of Dragons (Tales From Verania #2)(105)

“Gross,” I said. “And thank you.”

“Kevin’s right,” Ryan growled. “He’s the motherfucking dragon from the motherfu—”

“Ahem,” I coughed.

“Oh, come on,” he said, looking pained. “You can’t make me do that in front of everyone.”

“Ryan.”

“Sam.”

“Are you, or are you not, a Knight of Verania.”

He scuffed his foot against the wood. “I am.”

“And are there, or are there not, impressionable young children here who might one day want to grow up to be just like their hero Knight Commander Ryan Foxheart?”

He sighed. “There are.”

“Then watch your motherfucking language, okay?”

“Gods.”

“You may continue your defense of me. It was very sweet. I love you.”

“Whatever.”

“Anytime now.”

“Well maybe I don’t want to do it now.”

I leaned over, cupping my hand over his ear. “I’ll rim you until you cry if you do.”

He shuddered as he bit his bottom lip. “Yeah?”

“Fuck yeah.”

“He’s a mothercracking dragon,” Ryan snapped. “From the mothercracking prophecy. And I’m the Knight Commander to the Castle Guard and here on order of the King, who I speak for. So when I say Sam’s the right person, yes, he’s the right godsdarn person.” He folded his arms across his chest and glared, as if daring anyone to contradict him.

I wanted to mount him in front of everyone.

But that needed to wait.

I had a job to do.

I took a step forward.

The crowd around me took a step back.

Inwardly, I shrieked gleefully that I was intimidating.

Outwardly, I was a stone-cold killer.

“You can question me,” I said. “I don’t blame you for that. You don’t know me. Not like others do. And maybe I’ve made mistakes in the past. I’m not perfect. But if any of you can say differently about yourselves, then by all means, go ahead. If any of you are willing to step forward and go to the desert dragon, then do it now before I’ve had enough of you wasting my time.”

A murmur went through the crowd, but no one spoke against me. I could see the ire on some of their faces, and the fear, but there was awe there too. I was young, and most likely foolish, but I was sure news of our exploits had reached the desert. Couple that with whatever Vadoma had told her people about me—especially as the grandson of the phuro—I thought that maybe I could strike a chord with them. I was still only an apprentice. I was still only twenty-one years old. But I could do things that no one else could do. And even though I was sure all the stories spoken about me weren’t true, it would hopefully add to whatever legend of me they’d built in their heads. Morgan had taught me it was better to have people fear you a little than be indifferent toward you. I had never really understood what he’d meant until that moment.

“He is strong,” Vadoma announced, eyes on me. Her people turned to look back at her. “Rough around the edges, but strong. Listen to Vadoma. We have waited for this moment, for the blood of the gypsies to pulse around the heart of Verania. Be proud, because he is one of us, and he will rise against the Dark.”

There was her angle. And it was smart one. Gypsies weren’t looked down upon, not in the way people from the slums were. But they certainly weren’t revered. It was more out of sight, out of mind. And when they were thought upon, it was with a disdain for mystics and fortune-tellers, something of which I’d been guilty of myself. But by relating me to them and my position in Verania, it would help them align themselves with me. The will of the people was the strongest thing one could have.

And then she opened her mouth and ruined everything.

“It will also help us in the long run that Ruv, the Wolf of Bari Lavuta, is his cornerstone. The one who will help Sam of Wilds build his magic so that he may defeat this man in shadows.” The smile she gave was beatific and grandmotherly, as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

The crowd gasped dramatically.

“Bitch say whaaaa?” Gary exclaimed as his eyes narrowed, glitter beginning to sprinkle from his body. “Is Gary gonna have to cut someone up in here?”

“Ah hells nah,” Tiggy said, cracking his knuckles.

“What the fudge?” Ryan growled. “What the heck did she just say?”

I almost had a mind to compliment him on the restraint of his language, but I was a little too shell-shocked to even formulate a proper response. I glanced at Ruv, but his expression was blank. I didn’t know him well enough to see through it, to figure out if he’d known this was coming. If he did, then he’d certainly played me for a fool. If he didn’t, then he was just as much a pawn in this as I was, and Vadoma was an asshole for doing that to the both of us.

I took a step forward, meaning to give her a piece of my mind, to make sure everyone within hearing distance knew who my true cornerstone was when Kevin spoke behind me and everything else just stopped.

“Sam,” he said in a voice I’d never heard before. It was dreamy and soft and filled with such wonder that it clenched at my heart. I didn’t know why. “Sam,” he said again.