Page 30 of The Death King

Our bond is unequivocal.

“I thought maybe you were his slave or something.”

What did you say? I’d clearly misspoken because the anger in his tone was unmistakable.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that offensively.”

I am no slave. Talon and I are bonded by friendship, loyalty, and respect.

“I’m sorry. He just seems like a ruthless authoritarian.”

He is a ruthless authoritarian.

“If that’s true, why would you want anything to do with him?”

Khazmuda stared at me for a long time, his body and neck lowered to the ground as far as possible so our eyes could meet. Because he’s more than that.

“He is?” I found that hard to believe.

Much more.

When I’d first seen Khazmuda, I’d assumed he was no different from a horse, a creature meant to be ridden by its master. But now, I realized how wrong that was…and how rude it was. He was an intelligent and beautiful creature, having as much depth as I did. “He’s keeping me as a prisoner, so I find that hard to believe.”

I never said he was moral, kind, or generous.

“If he’s none of those things, then why do you respect him?”

A long silence passed, a great bout of it, hanging in eternity. That’s between him and me.

All I wanted to do was escape King Talon’s imprisonment because of what he’d done to me, but that same man had somehow earned the undying devotion of a powerful dragon who willingly served him. “He would be nothing without you.”

And I’d be nothing without him. He raised his neck and lifted his head to the sky, gazing out across the kingdom before he dipped his chin and looked at me again.

I got myself to my feet and felt the chill now that the threat of death had passed. “Please let me go. He said he would kill me if I tried to escape.”

He won’t.

“How do you know?”

Because I do.

“What if you’re wrong?—”

I’m not. He lowered his head to regard me once again. Remember, you have the gift. You’re valuable to him, just as valuable as I am.

“So you’re saying he was bluffing when he threatened me?”

No.

“You realize that doesn’t make sense, right?”

He meant every word he spoke. But I’m not worried about your fate.

“Wish I could say the same.”

He lifted his head and looked elsewhere, as if the conversation had been completed.

“Tell me about the gift.” King Talon was holding that high over my head until I gave in to his demands. He assumed I would break eventually, but he underestimated my stubbornness.