Page 39 of Lies That Bleed
“Not that I was looking. I was too busy trying tosave your life and you were covered in burns,” he added.
Silence descended over us and I nodded solemnly. “Thanks for that.”
He faced forward, taking in a deep breath as I grasped his waist loosely, and he held on to two horns that protruded from Onyx’s head.
“You’re going to want to hold tighter than that,” he stated.
I sighed, grasping his waist tighter and hating the way my body reacted to him being so close. I felt like I was betraying my father. “Can you get a saddle made or something?” I felt like I was going to fall off.
“Maybe if I were as rich as you.” He chuckled. “I’m lucky to get three meals a day. I didn’t have time to find any ember while I was fighting for my life in The Wilds.”
He lightly clicked his heels and Onyx took off into the sky. My stomach dropped out and I clung to Kohen desperately as we climbed higher, pressing my chest into his back.
Lucky to get three meals a day? Was he joking? Maybe not. Shame washed over me and I wanted to change the subject.
This was crazy. I was flying on a dragon with the ex-prince of Imbria. If my father knew, he’d lose his mind.
We flew in silence northeast acrossthe city towards the farms and rolling hills of Cedar Creek for almost twenty minutes before Onyx began his descent.
There were so many things I wanted to ask Kohen—like did his dragon have special magic? Did Kohen? But I recognized we weren’t friends and I didn’t want to pry.
As we lowered over what looked like farmlands, I zeroed in on a huge red barn. Something knocked inside of my chest, an awareness of sorts.
“She’s in there!” I pointed to the barn.
Kohen nodded.
I could feel her, and now that I could, anger raged within me. They were hurting her somehow.
My nails dug into Kohen’s abdomen and he peered back at me. “Easy, tiger, I’m not the one hurting her.”
I released my grip and focused on my breathing. Other than a small dagger stashed in my boot, I had no weapon. I wasn’t prepared for some rescue mission when I went out clubbing. I should have told my father, let him bring a hundred imperial soldiers to this place and break Liana out… but I didn’t. Which meant a small part of me questioned who could have done this.It might be imperial soldiers… That very thought made me sick.
“What’s the plan? I didn’t bring weapons,” I told Kohen as Onyx landed in the thick forest near the barn.
Kohen looked back at me, grinning ear to ear. “This type of thing is my specialty.” He winked and my stomach bottomed out.
Why was he so dangerous and good looking? That combo was lethal. The one person my father wanted me to avoid was like a magnet to me. I ended up being around him whether I wanted to or not.
“Not to mention we have a dragon.” He smoothed the scales on Onyx’s back and hopped off of him and onto the ground. I went next, slamming onto my boots beside him and realizing I’d just ripped my black tights. Not very dragon rider friendly.
“So… we somehow sneak in and…?” I was hoping for a well-drafted plan, but Kohen just reached into his boot and pulled out a small hollow tube the size of a pencil, then a handful of darts from his pocket, and began uncapping the tips to reveal their razor-sharp points.
“Just follow my lead, princess. We will get your creature out, and then we can go back to not being seen together,” he said, the last part with an extra layer of attitude.
I rolled my eyes. “You realize my father is the emperor, right? I can’t just be… friends… with the son of his mortal enemy!”
His gaze flicked down at me and his eyes were practically burning. “Why not? I’ve done nothing to your family. Andyoutook everything from me. My father, my mother, my home, my title.”
His mother? I hadn’t heard about that. “Itooknothing from you,” I corrected. If he was saying that he personally did nothing to my family, then I was going to make the same distinction.
“Whatever. Let’s just do this. I owe you for helping save my life with your father’s goons, and after I help you get Liana back, we are even.” His face was back to that mask of calm.
So that’s why he was helping. He felt he owed me after what happened in The Wilds— something I couldn’t believe I did and didn’t want to think about ever again.
I shrugged. “Fine.”
He loaded the mini darts into the small pipe and then crouched through the woods to the edge of the clearing that led to the barn.
