Page 93 of Consumed By Fire
I headbutt him, hearing cartilage crack beneath my forehead. He staggers back, both hands going to his nose. I see a glint of green scales beneath his skin.
I don’t give him a chance to regroup; I punch him square in the face with a hard right. His head snaps back. I grab his arm and twist it behind his back, getting behind him so that I can put my claws to his throat. One move, and I will sever his windpipe.
“Stay very still,” I tell him. “I don’t want to hurt you…but I will if I am forced to.”
My first thought is that it was too easy. Then again, he is a soft royal, and the Mistveil dragons clearly don’t receive the same training we do. The guards return; their panic is almost comical.
“My Lord!” one of the guards screams. He pulls out his cellphone and promptly drops it.
“No!” another one yells.
“Unhand him!” a third one yells.
As if!
Not happening.
The other three guards run around like headless chickens, unsure of what to do.
“It’s okay,” the prince says. He puts both his hands up, palms facing forward. “It’s all okay,” he says in a placating voice. “I’m fine.” His voice sounds nasally. “This blood is from a superficial injury. Stay calm.”
“I want you to bring the Red female here. Bring Trinity. Go now!” I snarl.
The guard who dropped his phone has picked it up. He looks to the prince for answers.
“Do it,” he says. “Bring the female. My brother will refuse but ignore him. Bring her here.” His voice is a little high-pitched, but I am amazed at how relaxed he is.
“Listen to your superior,” I growl. “Bring her. Unless, of course, you want the Prince to earn himself a new smile.”
The guard frowns. “A new smile?”
Holy fuck!
I roll my eyes. Are they for real?
“Really?” the prince asks. “He will slit my throat unless you bring the female,” he says, sounding slightly panicked at this point.
The guard’s eyes go wide, and he scampers off.
“Move back!” the prince instructs the other guards. “For the love of scales, move back!” he yells.
The guards do as he says.
“More! Move further away,” he adds. “Can’t you see that my life is in danger?” he shouts, sounding far more together.
All of the guards dash off a little ways down the hall, where they all start talking together at once in panicked, hushed tones.
“Stay calm,” the prince tells me. “I’m not going to try anything. I don’t want to die.”
“I am perfectly calm.”
“I have to say that I’m impressed,” he says, swallowing thickly.
I don’t say anything. What he thinks of me is of no concern. I couldn’t care less.
“Can we talk? I have a proposal.” His voice has gone back to being like silk.
“No!” I growl.