Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series

Two guards shoved me and Kira into a small prison room, before the heavy door closed and locked behind us with a loud slam. I did a quick survey of the room: dark stone walls, a small window with bars, a meager cot with no blankets, one chamber pot in the corner, and rat droppings on the ground. Not the worst prison I’d been thrown into, but not the best either.

After I cut our wrist bindings with a sharp shard of ice, Kira sat on the edge of the cot and buried her face in her hands. “That did not go as planned.”

“These things never do, although I wasn’t expecting a search of the ship. The Royal Guard has definitely stepped it up since I was last in Stormhaven.”

“I hope the others are okay.” She ran her fingers through her hair to calm the tangles, her face lined with worry. “Where are Jasin and Slade?”

I inspected the bars on the window, but they were secure. “Being kept in another prison, I assume. Or being questioned.”

She sighed heavily. “At least Auric should be safe. They wouldn’t hurt him.”

“No, but I can’t say the same for us.”

She glanced at the door, her brow furrowed. “What do we do?”

“We wait and plan our escape.”

“Escape? Is that possible?”

I leaned against the heavy door and shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve broken out of a prison like this.”

“How?”

“When they come to feed us, we’ll fight our way out. They took our weapons, but we still have our magic. Then we’ll find Jasin and Slade and get out of here.” Along with my swords. I wasn’t leaving without them.

She shook her head. “Auric will get us out. We shouldn’t use our powers unless we have no other choice.”

“We’ll see.”

We lapsed into silence as I studied the room for any potential weaknesses. I stared out the tiny window, trying to get a sense of where we were, but all I saw were overgrown weeds.

‘You did a good job handling the ship today,” she said. “Where did you learn to sail?’

There she went again, trying to pry into my past. Why did she care so much? ‘Most people in the Water Realm know how to sail a boat. I’m surprised you don’t.’

‘I learned how to paddle small boats, but not a ship of that size, though I did leave the Water Realm at thirteen.” She tilted her head with that inquisitive look in her eyes I was starting to know all too well. ‘Did your parents teach you? Did they have a ship?’

I turned away from her to study the door, looking for any cracks, nails, or broken hinges. ‘Something like that.’

She paused so long I thought perhaps she’d given up, but then she asked, “Was that true, what you said the other night about your parents? And your first time?”

I looked her in the eye. “Everything I’ve told you is true. I may keep secrets, but I’ve never lied.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through all that.” She looked at me with the pity I’d been trying to avoid. That was why I didn’t tell people this stuff. I didn’t need anyone’s pity, and certainly not hers.

I lifted one shoulder casually. “It was a long time ago.”

“Can I ask what happened to your family?”

My lips pressed into a tight line briefly. “They were killed by the Crimson Dragon, like yours were.”

Her face paled. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I looked away with a scowl. “Because I didn’t want you to think this makes us connected in some way. Sark is the Black Dragon’s enforcer. He’s killed a lot of families. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“But we are connected, and now I understand you a little more. Or better than I did, anyway.” She rose to her feet and moved toward me with sympathy on her face. “The Dragons both took away our families. Did they think your parents were part of the Resistance too?”

“They were in the Resistance,” I snapped. “They got themselves killed, along with everyone they cared about, all for their stupid cause.”

“How is that stupid? They died for their ideals. We’re fighting for the same thing now—to stop the Dragons.”

I crossed my arms. “Trust me, that’s not my idea. If it were up to me, we’d find a nice island to hide out on until this all blew over.”

She stared at me with fire in her eyes. “You think we should run away?”

“If it saves our lives, then yes. If my family was smart, they would never have gotten involved with the Resistance—and they’d still be alive today.”

She gestured wildly. “And what about all the people who will suffer if we don’t stop the Dragons?”

“How is the suffering of the entire world our problem?”

“Because the Gods chose us!”

“And like I said, the Water God chose wrong.”

With those words I would normally have stormed off, but all I could do was walk to the other side of our cell and face away from her. Gods, what was I even doing? And why had I come back to Kira? I had no desire to stop the Dragons or represent a God. I didn’t want to be involved in this impossible fight. We were only going to get ourselves killed—including Kira.

Her small hand rested on my back and I stiffened up. “I don’t think he did,” she said.

I spun to face her. “You’re wrong. I’m no hero. I don’t care about saving the world. I don’t even know why I’m still here.”

Her fingers brushed against my jaw as she looked up at me in a way that made my chest clench. “I know why. Deep down you have a good heart, even if you won’t admit it.”

I took her beautiful face in my hands. “I’ve been many things in this life. A thief. A whore. A killer. But I have never once been a good man.”

“It’s not too late to start.”

My thumb ran across her lower lip and I was seconds away from kissing her hard and showing her that I wasn’t good at all, when the door opened. Kira and I jumped back as Slade was thrown into the prison with us. The door was locked again before I could even summon a shard of ice. Dammit, there went my plan of escape. If I hadn’t been distracted by Kira, I’d have been ready.

“Slade!” Kira threw her arms around him. I tried to ignore that touch of jealousy twisting in my gut, along with the realization that I would have kissed her if he hadn’t interrupted us.

I turned away and crossed my arms. It was better that we’d been interrupted anyway. Everyone I’d ever loved was dead, and I refused to love Kira and have her meet the same fate. But for some reason I wasn’t able to walk away from her either. Gods knew I’d tried, yet here I was. Drawn by this invisible string to her side, no matter how much I wanted to fight it or escape it.

And in the end, it would probably get us both killed.