Forbidden Honor (Dragon Royals #1)(79)
Over their shoulders, I couldn’t see what they’re looking at.
But Branok muttered, “An enchantment.”
The five of them turned toward me, and I caught a glimpse of the threads sewn into the hem of my tunic.
“Someone is trying to kill our Lucien,” Talisyn said.
“Someone who knew about our little games,” Jaik added.
The five of them looked more curious than dismayed that someone was trying to murder me.
Honor
Later that morning, Damyn intercepted us in the hallway, waving the six of us into an empty classroom. His face was taut, and regret crept through my stomach.
I hated to disappoint Damyn, and I wasn’t sure why I even cared.
As soon as he shut the door behind us, he demanded, “What the hell were you doing today? Walking out of school?”
“We have bigger problems,” Jaik assured him. “There’s a body in the basement.”
“There’s always a body in the basement,” Damyn retorted, his tone calmer. He folded his arms across his powerful chest. For some reason, I wondered if he lived in that room above the shop that I’d seen. Where was Damyn, when he wasn’t trying to restrain the dragon royals?
The five of them filled him in, telling my story decently well. Who knew these men could listen when they chose?
Damyn’s piercing blue eyes, electric against his deeply tanned skin, flashed to mine, and I could’ve sworn I saw concern, just for a second. “I’ll take the matter to the Elders.”
Jaik nodded, but Damyn gave him a stern look. “You don’t need to deal with everything on your own. You’re not the king yet.”
“Perish the thought,” I muttered only to have Jaik glare at me.
Damyn’s gaze caught on Jaik’s bruised face. Damyn obviously had questions, and I saw the moment his lips thinned, that he pushed the question away.
They all knew something about what had happened to Jaik. I wanted to know too—perhaps because it mattered to understanding the five of them, perhaps because something in my chest ached at the sight of him hurt.
“I’m keenly aware,” Jaik promised.
“Be a student,” Damyn said firmly. “Do you understand me? You’re not full members of the Order yet. You’re not prepared to track down hybrids or fight monsters.”
“Understood,” Jaik said, his tone mild, compensating for the irritation written across the faces of the others. “I’m sure the Elders will have the hybrid situation well in hand.”
But he was the best liar of all these lying men.
That night, I hurried into my dress and slippers. Calla cast a knowing glance at me as I slipped out of our room.
When I reached the dragons’ floor, I didn’t hesitate at the ornate carved door. I pushed the snarling face out of my way and banged my fist on Jaik’s door. The knock echoed down the hall, making me nervous it would wake the others. I hadn’t meant to let my emotions bleed out.
Jaik opened the door and blinked. “Honor. What are you doing here?”
I swallowed. “I caught a glimpse of you earlier. Looking hurt and…” I faltered because I didn’t want to tell him, even when I was being Honor, just how much it had impacted me to see him injured.
His gaze softened. “It’s nothing.”
“Who did this to you?” The fierceness in my voice surprised me, given that I’d been making murder plans for Jaik earlier.
My fingertips skimmed a bruise at the side of his jaw, and his lashes fluttered close, just for a moment, as if he could lose himself in my touch.
“So fierce,” he said, his voice mocking. “You don’t have to protect me.”
“Well, clearly no one else does.” I ducked under his arm, striding into his room.
He turned to face me with a resigned look across his face. “I don’t need to be fussed over.”
“I’m not fussing over you.” The word offended me, but I couldn’t help being drawn toward him. My fingers rose to his cheek, hovered over his skin, not quite touching the scabbed-over wound across his high cheekbone. “Is this a bite mark?”
“No.”
Who could have done this to him? And why hadn’t the healer fixed it already? “Why won’t you talk to me?”
“Honor,” he said gently, gathering my wrists in his hand. “You can’t keep coming to my room. You and I can’t have any kind of relationship.”
The world tilted under my feet, even as I willed my voice to come out light, careless. “Why?”
“Because being attached to me in any way, shape or form will always put you in danger. You don’t deserve that. You deserve a happy life.”
“I do deserve to be happy,” I agreed. “Maybe dalliances with an inappropriate royal make me happy.”
He huffed a laugh. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to make any woman very happy.” He’d made me happy the other day. He must have thought of that too, because he added, “At least not for more than a few moments.”
Something clawed at my chest at his rejection, slowly hardening into anger. “You could just have said you were bored of me.”
His cool gaze found mine. “Would that make it easier? I wanted you to know that I care about you, that I simply woke to the danger I posed by paying you too much attention. But I can play the villain instead.”