Forbidden Honor (Dragon Royals #1)(40)
“What else could you possibly have done?” Talisyn demanded. “You’re already persona non grata with the other dragon royals.”
“I know. Right now, though, why don’t you teach me how to build those walls.”
“Right now, I’m going to teach you how to land,” he said.
My landing hurt almost as much as the good time I’d had with Lynx earlier that day. I skidded across the roof, and Talisyn bounded after me, his wings flaring out as he caught my neck with his mouth. His teeth barely clamped down as he pulled me back, keeping both of us from sliding over the edge of the roof.
In human form, I scrambled to my feet, only to be greeted by Talisyn, who had already changed.
Talisyn scrubbed his tongue with the back of his hand. “You are not delicious, Lucien.”
Funny, because he seemed to find Honor a tasty snack.
“I really appreciate you being so decent to me,” I said.
I could’ve sworn a flicker of indecision crossed his handsome face. “Everyone deserves a second chance. We’ve all done stupid things. But you crossed the line with Alina.”
“Right,” I said, as if I had any idea about Alina.
“That’s the only thing that really matters,” he went on. “I mean, you don’t steal from Dragons, that’s a terrible idea. They will hunt you down and they will burn your ass. But since it wasn’t my hoard you stole from, I could get over that. What you did to Alina is different.”
“Are the twins so angry just because I stole from their father?” I asked, trying to follow the logic. “Because their father’s property is their inheritance, so it feels like I stole from their… hoard?”
“I mean, you messed with their sister,” he said.
Alina was Branok and Lynx’s sister. Shit.
Well, that certainly changed things. I’d break apart anyone who hurt my little sister. “Okay. So how do I begin to put that right?”
He frowned at me, the look more confused than angry now, and I realized I had to abandon this line of questioning. I knew too little.
“All right, help me understand the shield.”
“Why would I want to do that? It seems to me like it’s better for me if you can’t keep your secrets.”
“Do you really want to hear everything that goes through my head?” As it was, some people complained about how often the things that went through my head came out my mouth.
“After finding out how sexy you think I am, yes, absolutely. Everyone can use an ego boost.”
“Really, you can use an ego boost? You seem like you’re doing okay for ego on your own.”
To his credit, he grinned at that. “Maybe. You know, all of us have trained since we were kids with the idea that we’d be dragon shifters. We’ve trained hard, given up huge chunks of our childhood, surrendered our own dreams and desires. You have to convince yourself it’s worth it—that you’re special.”
“You know, lots of people have miserable childhoods and don’t get to tell themselves they’re special. They just keep on going.” Being a dragon shifter still felt like something I couldn’t quite wrap my claws around.
He shrugged. “I don’t know what that’s like. I just know the wake-you-up-at-night fear you’ll find out that you aren’t a dragon after all—after growing up expecting it, having everyone else expect it.”
“Does that happen to people?”
“Yeah, it happens to people.” He sounded sad. “But not often.”
“I’m surprised there are never dragon shifters born to the royal family that are girls,” I said.
“It is strange, isn’t it? All the other shifter types are born male and female. Even the bears and wolves. It’s only the dragons who are always male.”
“Do you have any thoughts on why that is?”
“No,” he said, “and I don’t waste time thinking about anything that doesn’t amuse me.”
I had a feeling that was a lie. But I let it pass.
“All right, let’s practice. Let’s take off from the flat.” He nodded across the roof. “You won’t always have a good fall to help your powers wake up.”
We spent the rest of the night practicing our flying, and he tried to coach me through how to raise a shield to protect my thoughts. But he winced. “You’re still leaking thoughts about how cute I am.”
“I am not!”
He shrugged, a small smile tilting up the corners of his mouth. Whenever he smiled for real, there were dimples in his cheeks. Both smiles were adorable and I swallowed, trying to push those thoughts out of my mind.
“Time for bed, Lucien.” He headed for the door that led back down the stairs into the dragon’s wing. “You have to go to your own.”
“Wait. How often do the Scourge attack the city?” I asked. “None of you seemed to be that shocked. But I never thought they came that close.”
“We’d like to wall up the tunnels,” he said. “But we have to follow what the elders decide, and they think we need those escape routes to be able to pass through the city.”
“Even if they put the city in danger?” I demanded.
“That’s what they have us for.”