Page 26 of The Dragon Queen
“You think anyone will spot the fire?”
“Maybe from the sea.”
“That doesn’t worry you.”
He shook his head. “Since there’s no love for the king, I doubt anyone cares enough to investigate it.”
“When we launch our attack, perhaps we should distribute weapons to the citizens.”
His eyes had been on the water a moment ago, but then they flicked back to me.
“Since that’s exactly what King Barron fears, that’s what we should do.”
Talon considered it before he gave a slight nod. “Good idea, baby.”
I lived for that nickname. It didn’t happen often, but when it did it deepened the connection between us. I already felt like his and he felt like mine, but his invisible grip on my wrist tightened. “How many children would you like to have?”
The softness in his eyes disappeared like a snuffed-out fire. His stare hardened, and he suddenly looked devoid of all emotion. He was very much alive, but now he looked on the verge of death. “I’d rather not speak of such things.”
“You said you want to marry me and have children with me?—”
“And I meant those words,” he said quietly. “But there’s no guarantee that we’ll be able to enjoy such luxuries.”
He continued to look at the battle as a death sentence, a final act that would claim his life, and nothing I said could change that. “Then hypothetically, if we were to enjoy such luxuries…how many?”
His eyes flicked away and remained hollow like a rotted-out tree. He stared at the waterfall with an expression tightly wound with stress. His chest hardly rose with the breaths he took, as if a rush of depression so great stopped his need for breath. Silence continued to pass, and once seconds had become minutes, it was clear there would be no answer.
I let it go. “I don’t know what will happen. I don’t know what the future brings.”
He slowly turned to look at me again.
“But I prefer to believe it’s everything I want it to be.”
At dawn, we continued our journey up the secret path to the top of the cliff. There were no stairs, so sometimes we had to climb up the rocks to get to the next level of the cave. Sunlight was limited, only coming in through occasional cracks in the wall.
When we made it to the top, Talon stopped and set down his pack. There was a narrow crack that stretched for a long distance. He examined it before he turned back to me. “This is it.”
“It looks like it doesn’t go anywhere.”
“There’s a shelf against it. Just have to shift it a couple inches, and we’ll be inside.”
“What if someone’s in there?”
“I’ll listen before I move it. Are you ready?”
My heart was racing fast, as fast as it did when I ran at a full sprint.
He continued to study me. “You don’t have to do this. Your decision is not a testament of your love for me.”
“I’m ready.”
His eyes remained locked in place as if he wanted the answer to come from my expression, not my words. “I’ll behead everyone in that castle if you need me.”
“I know.”
He kneeled at his pack then withdrew a piece of parchment. He unfolded it then turned it around to display it to me. “This is a map of the castle. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here and it’s a big place, so there are a lot of details missing. But I’ve detailed the main parts of the castle you need to know about, such as the kitchen, the maids’ quarters, and the weapons room…if you need it. My uncle is a pompous man, so I’m sure he’s claimed my father’s chambers for himself. Most of his time will be spent in my father’s study, which is at the top of the castle with a view of the sea and the city. I suspect he spends little time actually running the kingdom and chooses to pursue extracurricular activities, like hunting, smoking, concubines…things of that nature. I’m not sure if my cousins will live in the castle. They may live in the nearby homes on the royal grounds as I did.”
“Why didn’t you live in the castle?”