Forbidden Honor (Dragon Royals #1)(84)

“Good work, Honor. This is what you intended to do all along, didn’t you?” Branok bit off. “You finally got your chance to do the Olds’ bidding and drive us apart.”

“What are you talking about?” I demanded. “You think I’m working for the dragon elders?”

“I can’t imagine anyone else could so effectively ruin all of our years of work, but you just waltzed in here with your magic pussy and now the two of them are at each other’s throats.”

Branok’s words struck me hard, but I didn’t want to show it. “Well if you think it’s so magical, no wonder you’re so obsessed.”

“I’m not interested,” he bit back.

“Yeah, I’m sure. That’s why you’re so obsessed with me. You’re somehow so much more perceptive than Jaik or Talisyn.” I let my disdain bleed into my voice.

“All right, that’s enough.” Arren said finally. “You two have it out of your systems yet?” He gripped Jaik and Talisyn, his muscles straining as he finally managed to wrench the two of them apart.

Talisyn quickly slipped his grip and flew at Jaik again. Arren glanced at Branok and Lynx, and they got involved, pushing and shoving until Jaik and Talisyn were pinned against opposite walls, barely.

It took both the twins to hold back Talisyn, and it took Arren to hold on to Jaik. Jaik and Talisyn were glaring at each other as if it were a miracle they hadn’t transformed into dragons right there in the dormitory.

I could hear general chaos from outside the door that led to our wing, as if the other students had heard the fight. I hadn’t realized it’d been that loud. The guys’ heads all snapped in that direction, noticing them too.

Jaik’s chest heaved with effort and there was fresh blood smeared across his lip, which wrenched my heart. I would’ve thrown a dirty look at Tal, but he had a black eye and a bloody nose and he was staring at me with a pained look on his face, and I could’ve melted into a puddle of shame right there.

“Are you proud of yourselves?” Arren snarled at Jaik.

Talisyn had thrown the first punch, but Jaik didn’t argue with Arren, even if he did shoot him a look.

Instead, Jaik said, “I’ll deal with them.”

Branok and Lynx finally released his arms. Jaik pulled himself to his full, impressive height, his posture perfect even if he was mussed and bloodied.

He stalked down the hall and pulled open the door, speaking to the students who had assembled outside. “There’s no show tonight. Get some sleep. Maybe some of you will be more useful in the training or tomorrow, if you get a little rest.”

“Doubtful,” Arren muttered.

Talisyn came over to me, wiping the blood from his face with the back of his hand and said, “All right, don’t worry.”

I stared up at him, my shame flickering into exasperation. “I wasn’t worried. I don’t need you fighting over me. That’s the last thing that I want, despite what Branok thinks.”

Jaik and Talisyn both turned to give Branok a long look.

Branok glared right back at all of us. “I just call it like I see it. Apparently, it’s a crime not to be in love with Honor now.”

“No one is in love with Honor.” Jaik sounded exasperated. “All of you are going to stay far away from her. Do I make myself clear?”

No one is in love with Honor.

Why did those words strike me so deeply, even though I hadn’t expected love?

“Honor,” Talisyn said, his gaze on me, not on Jaik, but I was backing away down the hall.

I had to go be Lucien. They were probably going to wonder where he’d been so I started to move quickly away down the hall. I didn’t want to deal with the crowds, and the door to Lynx’s room stood half-open, so I rushed inside.

I headed for the balcony. I’d balcony hop until I reached an open window on one of the main halls,

“Stop,” Lynx ordered, his voice irritated. “You can’t start jumping from one railing to another now. You’re too upset. You’ll kill yourself.”

I turned on him, furious. The breeze teased my hair, cooling my flushed-hot cheeks. “I’m often upset since I met you dragon royals, and I haven’t splotted myself yet. And I don’t see why you would care anyway.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that I care about you.” Lynx had stopped, his arms crossed as he regarded me steadily. “But while it would make my life easier in many ways if you ended yourself, that’d make my friends even more unhinged. And for that reason, I don’t want any Honor jam.”

I winced. “That’s a really unattractive term, Lynx. I’d prefer if you didn’t use that again.”

“Well, it’d be some pretty unattractive jam too. Just calm down.” He paused, then blurted out, “If you don’t want to face them, and you don’t want to face the crowds, you can stay in my room for a few minutes.”

“I thought you and Branok both hated me.”

“You know, my twin and I are not actually one and the same person.”

Weren’t they, though? I didn’t really enjoy the thought of being stuck in this room with Lynx.

“I’ve got something of yours,” he blurted out. I regarded him curiously as he added, “Talisyn loaned me this.”