Drakkon

Drakkon 2 (Black Jade) - seven

I laid in bed replaying the scene at the garden with Yanlin. The way I had been unable to speak my mind, the way Meilin talked so freely with lord Wang, and the way Yanlin had threatened me. I had been unable to do anything. And even now, as I tried to think of what I could've done differently, none of the options fit with what I would've realistically done.

It was easy to imagine myself shouting or saying a string of powerful sentences, but I knew that if those thoughts entered my mind back in that moment, I wouldn't be able to execute them. My voice would wobble, and I wouldn't be able to move forward. I truly was a pathetic, whimpering rabbit.

Tears stung my eyes and I quickly wiped them away. Nuo slept peacefully in the cot beside the bed. I hadn't been able to sleep all night after what happened yesterday. I kept imagining what could've happened if she had been kidnapped. I wouldn't be able to move forward if anything happened to her.

The door to the room swung open and Meilin sauntered inside. He wasn't dressed in his usual emperor's regalia and instead wore a simple tunic and pants. Sweat drenched the tunic and his long hair was free from the constraints.

I sat upright in bed while he walked over to a table on the side of the room with a jug of water. He glanced at me. "Did you just wake up right now?"

"No," I said.

He raised an eyebrow. "You're not dressed and it's afternoon."

"I'm quite aware," I said, an edge in my tone.

"Well, alright," he said, taking a sip straight from the jug. He gulped the water hungrily. "I was training with Atreus and Minos earlier," he said as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "And naturally, Remus wanted to fight too. And man, I'm just not as young as I used to be. Demons are strong, but I used to think dragons were stronger. But Remus ... He really doesn't know how to pull his punches."

"I'm surprised Nikator didn't join."

"Oh, he wanted to, but Bohai dragged him away because he had to fill him in about something related to his previous mission."

"I can imagine he was very upset."

"He was," he laughed, and for a moment I forgot that I was angry with him, but that moment was fleeting.

I raked a hand through my hair slowly, my gaze flitting down to my nightgown, which I hadn't bothered to get out of, since I had been laying around in the room all day. In fact, I had zero plans to leave.

Meilin wrangled out of his sweaty clothes and sifted through his wardrobe, before pulling out a bundle of green silken clothes. He barely paid attention to me as he dressed himself. I chewed on my lower lip. Did he have no idea the turmoil he had put me through?

"Meilin." My tone dripped with acid.

He paused in buttoning up his tunic, his black gaze flicking toward me. "Yes?"

"I don't like how you didn't tell me you were taking Nuo," I said.

"She's my daughter too, you know," he said slowly.

"But I'm her mother," I said.

"And?"

"And I have more rights over her," I said, "I gave birth to her."

"I'm aware," he said dryly, "But what I'm not aware of, is that you have more rights than me when it comes to ourdaughter?"

"She's my daughter and I don't like you taking her around to strange people," I said, "Especially without my permission."

"Your permission?" His eyes narrowed.

I shivered under his dark glower, but I didn't back down; if it was a year ago, I would've likely cowered under his anger. But I had my own anger, and it was stronger than whatever fear I held. And Meilin was no longer scary to me.