A Destiny of Dragons (Tales From Verania #2)(98)

“Easy,” I said, curling my lip. “I would fight the person forcing me to make a choice.”

“Violence.” Ruv shook his head. “It’s not always the answer.”

“No, but it sure feels good to kick a villain’s ass.”

“And Ryan?”

“What about him?” I asked, tone flat.

“If it came down to saving his life—”

“I would fight the person forcing me to make a choice,” I repeated.

Ruv grinned at me. “You care for him.”

As if there was any doubt. Ryan was a pain in my ass, and I in his (literally), but I wouldn’t change a godsdamned thing about it. Except for him being a jerk right now. And the fact that I was probably also being a jerk.

“Ah,” Ruv said. “How fortunate.”

“I don’t get you,” I admitted.

“You don’t know me,” he said, leading us away from the market. The noise of the crowd behind us gave way to the creaking of the walkway under our feet, the lap of the water beneath the city. The buildings that rose around us cast the path in shadow. It was cooler here.

“And I’m not going to. Not like Vadoma wants.”

“What Vadoma wants is to help the world survive.”

I snorted. Because that sounded terrible. “She also wants you and me to get funky.”

He laughed brightly. Even I could admit it was a nice sound. “Yes. There is that. Funky.” The word sounded strange from him, like he was tasting it for the first time. “She spoke of you. Often.”

“She doesn’t know me.”

“Perhaps not. But her blood is in your veins.”

“You all keep saying that. But blood isn’t everything. It doesn’t define us.”

“No?”

“No,” I said. “Because Tiggy and Gary and Kevin aren’t my blood, but they’re mine. The same with Ryan. And the King and the Prince.”

“And Randall and Morgan? Even after their secrets?”

“Yes,” I said. “Because even if I’m angry with them, even if I don’t agree with the choices they made, I could never cast them away. Because they’re my family. And that bond will always mean more than blood.”

His smile seemed more genuine then. Softer, somehow. “You are a strange man, Sam of Wilds. I like that about you.”

“Thanks? I think.”

“It’s refreshing.”

“I can’t tell if you’re hitting on me or not,” I said. “Because most times when that happens, people are usually more blatant about it.”

“Does that happen a lot?”

“Sometimes. Usually by people who want to kill me.”

“Why?”

“Don’t really know. Just a thing that happens. They threaten, I smile, they flirt aggressively, something blows up or someone gets kicked in the face, and then there’s a lot of screaming and running involved.”

“That’s… not surprising, actually. From what I’ve heard about you.”

“And what else have you heard?” I asked, curious.

“You really have no idea what the people say about you?”

“Not really. I don’t… care? Mostly. I mean, if it’s bad, yeah, then maybe I want to know so I can do something about it.”

“Like those people in Lockes. Marching and shouting.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh no. That’s just Lady Tina DeSilva. She’s my archnemesis.”

“The little girl? In the dress?”

“Hey! She might be little, but you’ll never meet a blacker heart. She is festering with a diabolical mind that seeks to do nothing but cause me pain and misery. She lives for nothing more than to destroy me. And one day, I shall strike her down with the force of the gods—why are you laughing at me?”

He wiped his eyes. “I’ve never seen someone get so worked up over a teenage girl before.” He continued to laugh and leaned over to brush his shoulder against mine.

“Yes, well, she is—”

“Isn’t this awkwardly cozy?”

“Fuck me sideways,” I muttered before turning around to see Gary and Tiggy standing behind us, Tiggy with his arms over his chest and Gary cocking a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at me. Which— “When in the hell did you get eyebrows?” I demanded. “Unicorns don’t have eyebrows. How did you—are those painted on?”

“Of course they are,” Gary said, switching between arching the left eyebrow and the right. “I needed them for this exact moment to look suspicious when interrupting your lovers’ tryst. Now tell me, Sam. How sweet does the betrayal taste? I mean, I assume it’s sweet because of the gypsy diet.”

“Oh my gods,” I said, putting my face in my hands.

“Ah ha,” Gary crowed. “Exactly what I would expect a guilty trollop to say! Tiggy, Sam has broken the sanctity of his marriage.”

“Sam,” Tiggy said, and I didn’t know that I’d ever heard my name said with more disappointment in my life. I actually felt guilty for something that hadn’t even happened.

“Okay, one, I’m not married…”

“Oh, so now we have excuses, ladies and gentlemen! Next you’re going to tell me that you didn’t even do anything wrong!”