Page 67 of The Dragon King

Yes.

Glad he’s okay.

We had breakfast, and then he fell asleep. He was up all night.

Doesn’t surprise me.

His anger burns like lava.

Yeah…

I’m disappointed as well. Dragons are known for their bravery and ferocity. Macabre showed none of those traits. He despises Talon for being human, but he seems more human than dragon to me.

Maybe we could talk to him again.

That’ll be a waste of time.

Maybe you could talk to him. Dragon-to-dragon.

He has a poor opinion of me since I’m fused with Talon.

Well, I have a poor opinion of him for being so judgmental.

As do I. I’ve lost my kin just as he has. My pain isn’t deeper than his, and his pain isn’t deeper than mine. But I’ve managed to see the good in people. Not all humans are like Talon’s uncle. A lot of them are good, like the two of you. I’ve seen it with my eyes, felt it with my heart.

Whether we convince Macabre or not, I know we’ll find a way.

Perhaps.

You don’t think so?

I think the only foe that can challenge a dragon is a dragon.

I built a new bonfire on the sand and lit it with the matches Talon had in his pack. I ate dinner alone and watched the sun disappear over the horizon. When it grew dark, it was just me and the flames, and I pulled the blanket I’d brought from the cabin closer around my body to fight off the cold.

I watched the fire crackle and pop as it smoldered in the heat. Listened to the wildlife on the island, the crickets and the frogs chirping and croaking into the night. It’d only been a day of separation from Talon, but it was long enough to make me ache.To make me miss him more than I ever had. To make me feel as if I’d lost a piece of myself.

The sound of shifting sand caught my attention, and then he was visible in the flames, in just his trousers, like he’d gone to the cabin first to shower and change his clothing. He’d shaved too because his jawline was smooth.

He took the seat beside me, his arms moving to his knees, his eyes on the fire.

I didn’t say anything right away, just treasuring our reunion. The disappointing events from the night before left a lingering sadness, but I still felt joy at his presence. There was no misery strong enough to overcome the happiness I felt at the sight of him. I wanted to kiss him but knew that affection wouldn’t be reciprocated when his mood was still so foul, so I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his arm, to one of the big muscles that bulged under his skin. He was warm to the touch, and I hoped I would feel more of that heat when we went to bed that night.

He turned to look at me, eyes still angry but not as potent as they were yesterday.

“How are you?” I asked quietly.

“The same.” He looked at the fire again.

“Queen Eldinar is right. We’ll figure it out another way.”

He released a sarcastic scoff. “Unless there are other dragons out there who aren’t cowards, then I don’t think so.”

“We have the armies of the kingdoms and your command of the dead.”

“That won’t be enough.”

“We’ll need to figure out a way to make it enough. Perhaps we could infiltrate the castle and assassinate your uncle?—”