into a wet alley at midnight. “How fast can you heal, dragon?” a voice hissed.
Grey shoved at the memory. Get a grip. It wasn’t real. Hunter and his fireplace were real. That was real. Focus.
“Earth to Grey?”
“Sorry.” He clenched his jaw, struggling to see past the memories to Hunter. “Just don’t want to be Regis’s next target. With the Handmaiden missing, it seems Regis now has permission to be… medieval in his punishments.”
“He always was medieval,” Hunter growled.
“He brought Odyne back into service.”
“But the Handmaiden forbade it.”
“She’s not around, now, is she? You have to proclaim your coterie and take the throne.” It was the only way to stabilize dragon politics.
“I’m not of royal blood, and I don’t have the Handmaiden’s backing.”
“No one has the Handmaiden’s backing. The other doyens will support you. Hell, I’m sure even Zenobia will support you.”
Hunter sagged into a leather armchair by the hearth and rubbed his face. “I’m not a king.”
“Then at least offer shelter to those drakes without a coterie.”
“And I’m not a doyen.”
“You can take dragon form. You’re the only one who can.” Couldn’t he see how important that was to the other drakes?
“And I’m certainly not the savior of dragon-kind.”
“I’m not saying that you are, just—”
“Yes, you are. Everyone is. But I’m just the Prince’s Assassin.” He snorted. “I’m not even that anymore.”
“Even if you ignore Regis, he won’t ignore you. Your inamorata is a human sorcerer. You know he’s planning to come after you.”
Hunter growled and flashed teeth. “Don’t think I don’t know that.”
“Then do something before he does.” It was never good to be put on the defensive. They’d had enough experiences during the Crusades to know that—not to mention all the other wars they’d been a part of. “It’s a dangerous time to be a drake. And the humans have nothing to do with it this time.” If Hunter would just step up. More than half of the doyens were sure to support him. Drakes would leave their coteries to flock to his banner. Handmaiden’s support or not, Hunter had to take the throne before Regis destroyed them.
Hunter jerked toward Grey. He braced himself, ready for the attack, but Hunter stormed past him to the dark window overlooking the path to the clearing and pressed his hands to the glass instead.
“It’s always a dangerous time to be a drake. Regis won’t just step down. Drakes will die if I make a move.”
“Drakes will die if you don’t. His first step is Odyne, the next is to start eliminating those he thinks are a threat. And he won’t wait for the Handmaiden to return to rebirth them. He’ll kill them for good.”
“I need to protect Anaea.”
“With Regis in charge, she’ll never be safe. None of us will.”
“Not without the Handmaiden.”
It always came back to that. Without the Handmaiden, dragon-kind was helpless. If their human vessels were so damaged that they died, they died for real. And their species took one more step closer to becoming extinct. They needed her magic to rebirth them. There were so few of them to begin with and even fewer now, but that wouldn’t stop Regis.
Mother of All, why hadn’t she just told him where she was going? Why had she even left in the first place?
Light shimmered on water again at the edge of his vision. His pulse jumped and sweat slicked his palms.
And why had she left him? Every day his memories grew stronger, more consuming. If she didn’t return and use her magic to help him regain control, he’d fall into them and never be able to find his way out.
She had to come back. She always did. “The Handmaiden will return. She has to.”
“But will it be soon enough?” Hunter asked.
Grey pushed the memories back. Trembles shook his hands, and he shoved them into his pockets. “You can’t wait. You have to take the throne.”
“I’m not willing to
Grey shoved at the memory. Get a grip. It wasn’t real. Hunter and his fireplace were real. That was real. Focus.
“Earth to Grey?”
“Sorry.” He clenched his jaw, struggling to see past the memories to Hunter. “Just don’t want to be Regis’s next target. With the Handmaiden missing, it seems Regis now has permission to be… medieval in his punishments.”
“He always was medieval,” Hunter growled.
“He brought Odyne back into service.”
“But the Handmaiden forbade it.”
“She’s not around, now, is she? You have to proclaim your coterie and take the throne.” It was the only way to stabilize dragon politics.
“I’m not of royal blood, and I don’t have the Handmaiden’s backing.”
“No one has the Handmaiden’s backing. The other doyens will support you. Hell, I’m sure even Zenobia will support you.”
Hunter sagged into a leather armchair by the hearth and rubbed his face. “I’m not a king.”
“Then at least offer shelter to those drakes without a coterie.”
“And I’m not a doyen.”
“You can take dragon form. You’re the only one who can.” Couldn’t he see how important that was to the other drakes?
“And I’m certainly not the savior of dragon-kind.”
“I’m not saying that you are, just—”
“Yes, you are. Everyone is. But I’m just the Prince’s Assassin.” He snorted. “I’m not even that anymore.”
“Even if you ignore Regis, he won’t ignore you. Your inamorata is a human sorcerer. You know he’s planning to come after you.”
Hunter growled and flashed teeth. “Don’t think I don’t know that.”
“Then do something before he does.” It was never good to be put on the defensive. They’d had enough experiences during the Crusades to know that—not to mention all the other wars they’d been a part of. “It’s a dangerous time to be a drake. And the humans have nothing to do with it this time.” If Hunter would just step up. More than half of the doyens were sure to support him. Drakes would leave their coteries to flock to his banner. Handmaiden’s support or not, Hunter had to take the throne before Regis destroyed them.
Hunter jerked toward Grey. He braced himself, ready for the attack, but Hunter stormed past him to the dark window overlooking the path to the clearing and pressed his hands to the glass instead.
“It’s always a dangerous time to be a drake. Regis won’t just step down. Drakes will die if I make a move.”
“Drakes will die if you don’t. His first step is Odyne, the next is to start eliminating those he thinks are a threat. And he won’t wait for the Handmaiden to return to rebirth them. He’ll kill them for good.”
“I need to protect Anaea.”
“With Regis in charge, she’ll never be safe. None of us will.”
“Not without the Handmaiden.”
It always came back to that. Without the Handmaiden, dragon-kind was helpless. If their human vessels were so damaged that they died, they died for real. And their species took one more step closer to becoming extinct. They needed her magic to rebirth them. There were so few of them to begin with and even fewer now, but that wouldn’t stop Regis.
Mother of All, why hadn’t she just told him where she was going? Why had she even left in the first place?
Light shimmered on water again at the edge of his vision. His pulse jumped and sweat slicked his palms.
And why had she left him? Every day his memories grew stronger, more consuming. If she didn’t return and use her magic to help him regain control, he’d fall into them and never be able to find his way out.
She had to come back. She always did. “The Handmaiden will return. She has to.”
“But will it be soon enough?” Hunter asked.
Grey pushed the memories back. Trembles shook his hands, and he shoved them into his pockets. “You can’t wait. You have to take the throne.”
“I’m not willing to
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