Crown of Beauty and Vengeance

Chapter 39

Chapter 39

"I see you got past the wards," Kalla continued.

"Not by magic," Jai answered grumpily. "I tried fading here, but that wasn't happening. I knew you'd have some sort of defense up, which was one of the reasons I brought the dragon. Plus, a ship would take too long."

Behind him, Roshan opened his mouth just slightly...enough for Lyv to see the inside glowing red and orange.

"Please tell me he didn't start breathing fire when Mik took me," Lyv begged.

"I can't do that, princess."

"Seriously?" she groaned, walking over to the two of them at the balcony. Her eyes were on Roshan, but she could feel Jai's on her. "You just had to do it the first time when I wasn't there? I feel betrayed."

Roshan hummed, leaning his head forward over the railing to press his hot nose into her stomach. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his brow.

"He's your dragon?" Kalla asked, peering over at her. "Well, there's something a couple someones failed to mention to me."

The dragon growled low in his throat, narrowing his eyes at the pirate queen.

"She's a friend, Roshan, so be nice."

"Be nice?" Jai huffed. "Be nice when she had the male who tried to kill me take you?"

Kalla waved him off with one hand. "You didn't die. And as I already told you, those males went against my orders. And besides, the princess saved your life...have you even thanked her for that? Your ass wouldn't be here had she not. Now, you're back being annoying as hell when Alyvia and I were having a perfectly normal conversation and getting to know one another."

"Getting to know one another," he repeated, snorting out a laugh.

Lyv smacked him in the stomach with the back of her hand. "Shut up. And, you know, she's right. You really haven't thanked me for saving your life. Everyone else in your family and in the whole of Ayveri has, but not you."

"In that case," Kalla grinned. "I know a way you can. Both of you are more than welcome to stay for the night. Come to the party with me as my guests. I'll be leaving in an hour, so you can send your dragon off to hunt and sleep somewhere for the night and even Jai has enough time to go wash up. Please do, too. You stink."

***

Lyv and Jai walked side by side down the hallway after ascending the stars. There was no denying Kalla her request for them to stay, so Lyv sent Roshan away to hunt on the mainland of Dalcaine and find somewhere to sleep, asking him to be back by noon the following day so they could be back on their way to Asturia.

Jai seemed to resist the idea of a Blackloch party but wasn't going to say no to being able to wash up. He was sweaty and dirty with his hair falling in his eyes from how he had it tied back, a far cry from the well-groomed yet ruggedly handsome prince she's come to know.

As they left the office, Kalla was eyeing them both with a knowing smile, telling Lyv she was going to be staying in the room she'd woken up in and Jai could have the room he usually stayed in when he was in Blackloch.

They didn't speak until they were at the top of the stairs.

Jai brushed his fingers against hers as if to make sure she was really there beside him. "Are you all right? They didn't hurt you, did they?"