Page 95 of A Kingdom of Wild and Power
‘You are utterly ridiculous, commander.’
He laughed softly. ‘I know. But it’s working, isn’t it? The distraction.’
She was just realising that he was right when the passage suddenly opened into a cavern so vast it stole the breath from her lungs. Warm light glowed across tiered levels carved into the rock, bridges spanning open air and leading to rooms and hidden spaces. At the centre, a group of women sat with woven baskets, sorting spices and herbs while children darted between them, laughter echoing gently against the stone.
The king turned back towards the small gathering. Alina glanced over her shoulder, her gaze briefly sweeping across them before settling on Dawn’s hand, still entwined with Kai’s. Dawn released him at once, fumbling awkwardly and scratching at her hip as though an itch had suddenly claimed her attention. Kai merely smiled, entirely unbothered.
It took only moments for the space to close in on them. Dunayans emerged from every direction, swift and silent, until the group stood encircled. Dawn could still hear the dragons roaring somewhere beyond the mountain walls, their cries echoing faintly through stone. Terrifying as they were, she found herself wishing she were back outside with them. Here, the air felt heavier. Too still.
White eyes stared at her from behind veils and wrappings, unblinking, assessing.
‘Traitara!’ one of the Dunayans hissed.
Dawn had no idea what the word meant, but she felt its weight settle uncomfortably in her chest. Isla and Arena moved forward at once, shoulders squared, but before either could speak, the king raised his hand. The cavern fell into silence.
‘I will have a private meeting with Alina Acheron,’ he declared, his voice carrying effortlessly through the space. ‘As well as the two Dunayans who followed her across the desert.’
Alina did not hesitate. ‘Mareena Noor must accompany me.’
The king’s pale eyes lingered on the phoenixian princess for a long moment, measuring and weighing. Then he gave a single nod.
Kai stepped forward and Dawn moved with him, instinctive and simultaneous, as though some invisible thread bound their limbs together. It was ridiculous, she knew that. They were not attached. And yet, she would not be left behind. Not now. Not here. She felt the Dunayans’ glares sharpen, white eyes narrowing as they weighed the two of them, measuring threat and worth in the same breath.
‘Only with the two princesses,’ the king said, casting Kai a look sharp enough to cut before turning away. There was no room for argument in his tone. He murmured something to one of the Dunayans, who nodded and moved swiftly towards theking’s advisor.
The advisor waited until the king had gone, Alina and Mareena escorted after him, with Isla and Arena following close behind. Then he turned his attention to Kai and Dawn, two Dunayans stepping neatly into place at his sides.
‘Do you drink tea?’ he asked, as though this were an ordinary meeting and not a quiet interrogation wrapped in courtesy. He gestured towards an open arch veiled with curtains, the space beyond offering the illusion of privacy.
Dawn opened her mouth to answer, but the decision was made for her. Gentle but firm hands guided her forward, and she found herself moving whether she wished to or not.
Kai and Dawn were seated on brown cushions across a low stone table, the coolness of the cavern seeping into their bones. The king’s advisor settled opposite them with practised ease. One of the Dunayans followed inside and began preparing the tea, movements precise and reverent, as though the ritual itself carried weight.
Dawn folded her hands in her lap and breathed slowly.
Whatever this was, it was not just tea.
‘My name is Ramil Al-Qarar,’ the advisor said at last, his voice calm and measured, as though he had been waiting for the silence to settle properly before breaking it.
‘Kai Blackburn,’ Kai replied easily, then hesitated and turned to Dawn. She opened her mouth, uncertainty flickering through her for a heartbeat before he finished for her. ‘And this is… Dawn.’
Ramil inclined his head in acknowledgment. Once the tea was poured, he thanked the Dunayan with a quiet murmur and took a long, unhurried sip. The silence that followed stretched thin and taut, like a wire pulled too tight. Dawn leaned back against the cushions, her attention drifting towards the curtainas though she might peer through it and glimpse something, anything, beyond stone and shadow.
Restlessness prickled beneath her skin. Being buried beneath a mountain made her chest feel tight, her breath shallow. The last time she had been trapped like this, she had been alone, broken, and helpless.
‘I need air,’ Dawn said suddenly, pushing to her feet and turning towards the curtain.
A Dunayan stepped smoothly into her path. Dawn halted, every instinct flaring. For a fleeting moment she wondered how much damage it would cause if she turned the woman into stone. Slowly, deliberately, she turned back instead, cocking her head at the king’s advisor, who had not moved from his seat.
‘You cannot wander,’ Ramil said evenly.
‘Not planning to,’ she replied, her tone sharp. ‘I want to step outside.’
‘I’m afraid—’
‘I’d allow her some fresh air if I were you,’ Kai cut in, slapping his hands against his knees before standing. ‘Trust me. I’ve travelled all over with her, and she can be incredibly annoying.’
Dawn shot him a glare sharp enough to draw blood.
