The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire, #1)(93)

Jyn.

Sasha shrieked in fury and dove for the dragon.

No! She doesn’t mean me any harm. Follow, Sasha. Follow only. The bird pulled out of the dive and circled instead, but her thoughts were full of shredding dragon underbellies and poking out their eyes.

Jyn rose into the air, Lorelai clutched in her talons, and six other dragons were waiting for her—Trugg and five others in various combinations of purple, gold, green, and white.

A white and gold dragon gave Lorelai a look she couldn’t decipher and then turned to lead them away from the pretty gabled cottages on the east side of Ravenspire. Once they’d cleared the cottages and left the bespelled crowd far behind, the dragons descended into a broken-down barn that was surrounded by trees and overgrown grass.

Jyn dumped Lorelai unceremoniously on the rough barn floor and shuddered. In seconds, the dragon’s wings and ridges receded, and her scales softened into skin. Lorelai found herself toe-to-toe with the girl, whose dark eyes were brimming with anger.

“Where is Kol?” the girl asked. “What have you done to him?”

“Let’s give her the benefit of the doubt, Jyn, before we jump to conclusions.” The boy who’d been the white and gold dragon finished shifting and grabbed some pants from the pack he’d carried.

“I haven’t done anything to Kol,” Lorelai said.

Jyn slammed her foot against the floor “We don’t believe you, mardushka. Where is our king?”

“Don’t make me sorry I rescued you.” Trugg finished shifting. “I can put you right back where you came from.”

Sasha flew into the barn and perched on Lorelai’s shoulder, her beady eyes daring one of the Draconi to cross her.

The girl who’d been a purple and gold dragon grabbed the bag, pulled on some pants, and tossed various items of clothing at her friends. Then she faced Lorelai and said quietly, “I’m Freya. You’ve already met Jyn and Trugg. The other boys are Raum and Gerik, and the girl is Mik. Kol is our friend and our king. We haven’t seen him in weeks. The queen took his human heart and put a collar around his neck that was bespelled against those with dual hearts. Jyn and Trugg returned to Eldr to get help and now we’re here to rescue him.”

Trugg stepped forward, his hands fisted. “We know Kol found you again. We caught his scent when he came back into the capital and went to that cottage. But now his scent is gone, and you were the last person with him, mardushka.”

Sasha clicked her beak in warning, but Trugg didn’t spare her a glance as he hulked over Lorelai.

If the boy stepped any closer, Lorelai would have to give ground, and she didn’t have time to play games to see which one of them was more intimidating. Straightening her spine, she put her palm against Trugg’s arm. A bolt of power shot from her and sent him crashing into the sagging barn wall. Dust swirled in the air, and Jyn began shifting back into her dragon.

“I’m not going to hurt you. Any of you.” Lorelai lowered her palms to make her point, and Jyn stopped shifting. “I’m not a threat to you or to Kol.”

“Tell that to Trugg,” Jyn said. “You just sent him into a wall.”

Lorelai snapped, “Because he was trying to intimidate me. And also because once again he has yet to put on a pair of pants. I am already having a spectacularly difficult day. I don’t need to add avoiding a pantsless Eldrian to the list of things I still have to do. Now, listen to me. Kol is in trouble.”

Quickly she filled them in on what happened to Kol over the past few weeks. How he had fought to keep from losing himself to his dragon heart. How Irina had tortured him, Lorelai had healed him, and her magic had given them a bond that allowed them to hear each other’s thoughts.

“That’s kind of disturbing.” One of the boys stepped forward. “But also useful. If you can talk to him—”

“Irina corrupted the bond. She’s gained more power somehow—”

“Fantastic.” Trugg turned and punched his fist into the closest wall. “We’re going to lose Kol.”

“We never should’ve come to Ravenspire. Trusting a mardushka is worse than facing the ogres.” Jyn started pacing.

“It’s not Kol’s fault that mardushkas always find a way to make their blood oaths work to their favor,” another boy said.

“It doesn’t matter whose fault it is. We’re going to lose Kol.” The girl who’d been a green dragon looked like she was about to cry.

“No, you aren’t.” Lorelai’s voice was fierce. “Irina isn’t the only one with power. I’m going to the castle where she has both Kol and my family.” Her throat closed over the thought of Gabril, sacrificing so much for her only to watch his family die at Irina’s hands. Of Kol, lost to his dragon because he was desperate to be the king his people needed. “I’m going to destroy Irina and put Kol’s human heart back in his chest.”

Jyn’s dark eyes narrowed. “Why would you care what happens to Kol? Last time you saw him, you wanted to punish him for making the blood oath.”

Lorelai met her gaze. Her voice trembled as she said, “Kol and I have moved past that.”

“Oh, skies, you’re in love with him.” Trugg shook dust off his shoulders. “Unbelievable. The boy is trapped with his dragon heart, unable to speak, and is determined to kill you, and still he manages to turn on the charm. Well he’s Eldr’s, so don’t go getting any mardushka ideas about him.”