The Last Dragon King (Kings of Avalier #1)(33)

Regina stepped forward with a frown. “Thank you, Kendal. Follow me.”

Wait… why did the doctor shake her head? Did that mean Kendal was going home? I wanted to ask, but I’d pushed my luck tonight when I’d told the king he was marrying too soon after his beloved wife’s death.

Regina reappeared, and I wondered where she’d taken Kendal.

“Joslyn.” She motioned her forward, and I pushed all worries about Kendal behind me.

They were saving me for last! That was just mean. I wanted to get this stupid thing over with. Joslyn walked forward with a confident smile and without hesitation grasped the blue stone before her.

An inferno of six-foot-tall orange flames shot up towards the ceiling and everyone stepped back a pace as they oohed and ahhed.

My gaze flicked to the king, who was appraising Joslyn, his eyes roaming over her body more closely than ever before.

He glanced at Dr. Elsie, who nodded enthusiastically.

Regina looked relieved as she stepped forward and ushered Joslyn out of the room. When she returned, all eyes went to me.

Hades. I don’t want to do this.

Dr. Elsie leaned into the king’s ear and whispered something. He stared at her with surprise before clearing his throat.

“Would everyone take five big steps back please,” he commanded, and they looked at him with disbelief, including me.

Did Dr. Elsie think I was going to explode again? Like in the washroom? Because that was just a one-time thing as the spell to hide my power fell away… right?

They were already towards the back of the room. Now they pushed farther away from me, until their heels hit the far wall. It was laughable that my magic might travel that far.

“We’re all very tired, Miss Novakson. Please get on with it.” The king’s voice was clipped, and shame burned my cheeks. I wanted to apologize for what I said on the dance floor but now wasn’t the time. Taking small, tentative steps towards the stone, I tried to delay the inevitable. All the while, my mother’s advice rang in my mind.

If it looks like he is going to find out about your powers, make him fall in love with you.

My gaze flicked to the king, who was glaring at me like he couldn’t wait to send me home, and I sighed.

Love might no longer be in the cards; I’d screwed that up already. Maybe he’d still let me in his Royal Guard?

No chance.

As I neared the stone, the hairs on my arms stood up and my breathing slowed. It was almost like I was walking through water or sand. The air was thick with power; it got harder and harder to breathe the closer I got. Did the other girls feel this too? If so, they didn’t show it.

I reached my fingers out. Inches from the stone, a foreboding feeling came over me. Every cell in my body was telling me to run. The only other time I’d gotten this feeling was right before I’d been chased three miles downriver by a giant black bearin.

I hesitated, looking up at the king to see him watching me with suspicion. My gaze then danced to Regina, whose eyes narrowed. If I refused, would they attack me? Would they force me? For the first time since I agreed to this whole thing, I became scared.

I have to do this. Now I wished I’d done what my mother told me and made the king want my body, because nothing would save me now if this thing showed where my true lineage came from.

Maker protect me, I prayed, and grabbed the stone.

I knew the second it touched my skin that I’d made a horrible mistake.

Pure unearthly power ripped through my entire body and I was consumed with blue flames. Heat engulfed my skin as the blue fire burst outward and the room filled with screams. Pain tore across my shoulders as something had yanked me from behind.

I staggered backwards, the flames receding, and I peered over my shoulder to see who was dragging me backwards. When I saw two blue dragon wings, I gasped. Looking around the room, I sought King Valdren’s gaze.

The king stared at me with absolute shock. The old man holding the leather-bound tome ran over to him and whispered frantically into his ear. I started to weep, scared of what was happening, what this all meant, and Dr. Elsie rushed towards me.

“No!” The king reached out, blocking Dr. Elsie, and then looked at his guards. “Seize her,” he said.

What?

“My lord?” Regina sounded confused, and her guards hesitated.

“SEIZE HER!” King Valdren bellowed, and smoke curled from his nostrils.

The betrayal and shock of what he said sliced through my heart.

Two guards rushed forward, hooking arms under my armpits as I continued to sob and shake in fear.

What was happening? How were there wings on my back? Why was my fire blue and not orange like all of the other dragon-folk?

“My lord, she’s scared. She doesn’t know what this means,” Dr. Elsie pleaded with him.

I peered up at him, begging for mercy with my gaze, but he just glared at me. “The first thing she ever told me was a lie. I can’t trust her now.”

I’d been kidding myself until now that my lunch date with him might have made him go easy on me. He looked like he wanted to burn me alive.

The guards dragged me away and I didn’t bother correcting him. He was right.





TWELVE





I lay on the small bedroll inside the cell beneath the castle. Gone were the pretty jade palace walls with gold inlay. Now I was surrounded by gray, flat, damp, rock. No more chocolate cake and fancy balls, I’d spent that last twenty-four hours relieving myself into a bedpan while wearing this ridiculous dress, which was now ruined. The blue dragon wings that had sprung from my back had sucked back in by the time the guards brought me downstairs. Regina had visited me briefly to tell me that the king was investigating me for treason.