Page 46 of Creatures of War

I shook my head. “No. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“You’re lying. You know exactly what is happening.” He moved toward me only to freeze when another roar broke through, the air becoming hot from the fire shooting from Zilon.

“Bind them,” the king snapped to the guards, making them renew their determination to contain my dragons. “And someone bring her to my chambers. I need to have a few words with her once we contain these dragons. Maybe the distance will prevent them from breathing fire.” He looked down at me and smiled, sending fear through me. “And it looks like we need to strengthen the binding on their wings. Bring me another set.”

“No.” I jumped to my feet and tried to go after the king, but the guards all grabbed me and yanked me away. .

My fear became their fear, and they began fighting more, all three now free from the chains that had them on the ground. But there were too many dragons around for them to win. Tanja was there too, frowning hard. As Captain Corniz worked to contain my mates, she jogged over to the king, saying something to him. I tried to strain my hearing, but I couldn’t get past the sound of my heartbeat and blood rushing through my veins. It all felt so loud as I tried to get to my dragons.

But Tanja said something else and the king only pushed her away.

It caught the captain’s attention, and I swore he was about to do something, but then he turned to my mates and continued working to keep them restrained.

As I was pulled up the stairs and through the doors of the academy, Philit, Zilon, and Landers were held to the ground again. The king was before them, looking way too proud in his red and golden robes. His wings were stretched out behind him, longer than I’d seen from other dragons. He seemed to capture the sunlight, looking exactly as a king should: powerful and dangerous.

Once again, I couldn’t help thinking that Tanja and her mate were our ticket out of here; we just needed to get to them. But after what just happened, would we even be able to see the light of day again? As soon as my dragons were able to breathe fire, it was like the king got the answer he wanted.

That scared me more than anything.

The guards carried me through all the hallways and into the king’s castle. Then more stairs and hallways before they tossed me into a massive room and slammed the door shut. I jumped to my feet and tried to open the door, but it was locked.

“Let me out!” I slammed against the door again, but it didn’t budge. All I managed to do was hurt my shoulder.

I breathed heavily as I glared at the door, wishing I had the ability to breathe fire too. Knowing it wasn’t going to work, I blew out a breath and worked to calm myself down. Once I could think clearly again, I pressed my ear against the door and listened. Three guards. There were three guards out there, and by that rustling sound, all three were dragons.

I wasn’t going to escape that way.

I glanced around the room, trying to figure out where I was. It was massive. Like so massive, I wondered if a whole town could fit in the room. Tall ceilings, enormous windows, and everything adorned with red and gold. There was a bed big enough to sleep an entire family. A behemoth of a wardrobe packed with clothes and a bathroom almost as big as the bedroom were laid out before me.

Where was I?

There was even a portrait on the wall of a younger version of the king. No holes in his wings, his facial hair a dark brown, and his eyes a softer gray. The scales on his shoulders were shiny and clean looking.

Again, I looked at the bed and remembered he had ordered the guards to bring me to his chambers. This wasn’t his office, so this had to be his bedroom.

“No way,” I whispered.

I needed to get out of here. Staying here was too dangerous.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

There had to be a way out of here. There had to be. I used all my strength to push a table away from one of the walls, and then, I tossed the stupid painting of his face, making sure to smash it hard against the floor and break it. Nothing on the wall. I tapped on it, listening to how solid it was.

Again nothing.

I blew out a breath, wildly looking around the room. It felt like time was ticking. I didn’t have much longer until the king came here, then what was going to happen? Was he finally going to try to force me?

I gritted my teeth. I needed out, desperately.

I practically ran across the room and pushed the bookcase away. It was heavy, but once I got it tipped over enough, it smashed against the floor. The books scattered everywhere. Nothing behind the wall. A room like this, especially since it was for the king, had to have a secret passageway. The guys said there were ones all over the academy, and it was built practically as an extension to the king’s palace.

He'd have another way out if danger ever came for him. He’d make sure he’d have escape routes. So that meant there was a way to escape. I just needed to find it.

I wasn’t going to go down like this. He wasn’t going to touch me. I’d rather die than let him do as he wished. I yanked at the massive rug covering a good portion of the floor, hoping for maybe a trapdoor.

None.

I pulled at curtains on the walls, and then started hard at the bare walls before me.. Still nothing. I even knocked on all the parts of the walls that I could, hoping to find a spot that was hollow, but that only left me with a sore fist and nothing else.