39

Draunar beat his wings. It whipped up a wind in the study like a tornado, sending the loose papers on his desk swirling toward the flame, and even knocked down books from the shelves along the walls. Elias yelped and barked desperately as Draunar took to the air. I stumbled backward, stunned and dizzied. Before I could even realize what was happening, Draunar’s immense back feet, clawed and flexible, gripped my shoulders and curled around helpless arms.

“No!” I cried, scrabbling uselessly at his ankles as my feet lifted from the floor.

Elias barked again, then leaped through the wall of flame, suddenly indifferent to the sparks dancing over his pelt as he lunged for me again. He jumped up, as high as he could, and closed his jaws gently over my foot—but it was too late.

He couldn’t hang on. I slipped from his grasp, my shoe sliding off of my bare foot. Elias was left with only the silk in his jaws. Draunar rumbled something that sounded like a laugh as we flew up toward the open skylight.

Elias leaped up again, desperately snapping his jaws. The fire in the study faded away. Below us, Elias paced in a circle, then sat back on his haunches and howled a long, low cry. The sound was so powerful it seemed to reverberate through my bones, breaking my heart all over again with how painful it sounded. I clung to Draunar’s ankles as he took us higher and higher, until I couldn’t see Elias at all and I could only hear his mournful wolf’s song. My heart crawled into my throat and finally I stopped holding back the tears that had been threatening to spill over.

I was cold, terrified, and alone, as the wind rolled over my skin, feeling like ice on bare flesh. It roared in my ears as Draunar’s wings beat. His grip was tight, claws pricking into my skin, yet I still clung to his ankles in desperate terror.

I’d thought I’d be brought back into the throne room and announced. I thought this would be political—a show.

I hadn’t expected him to fly off with me like some kind of beast.

I didn’t regret it, though—I couldn’t. I couldn’t let myself begin to feel regret, otherwise it would overwhelm me. I’d done this for my country. For the wolves of Frasia. What happened to me was secondary as long as peace was maintained. As long as these foolish kings didn’t risk innocent lives over me, it would be worth it.

And yet Elias’ mournful song echoed in my mind, and in my heart.

We’d been so close to something real.

I closed my eyes against the wind. Behind my eyelids, all I could see was his face, his smile warm and lazy with sleep, his brown eyes attentive and flecked through with gold.

Everything I’d said to him had been true. Our marriage was a political marriage of convenience. I hadn’t had any agency in deciding what I wanted out of the Choice. I was being used like a pawn in the negotiations between him and Draunar. I didn’t miss the Bloody King of Frasia. I missed Elias. I missed his hands on me, his laugh, his gentle kiss, the sweet roughness of our runs through the woods. In a different life, maybe we could’ve had that. Simplicity, and partnership.

But not this life. Not when so much hung in the balance.

Draunar carried me west, high enough in the air that my fingers and toes went numb from the cold. The pain in my heart was doubled by the terror rolling through my veins as we flew higher and higher. The ocean was visible on the horizon to the north, but Draunar was carrying me toward a mountain range near the coast. I tried not to look down, but I couldn’t help it—his grip was firm on my arms, but how could I trust him? It’d be simple enough for him to decide he’d gotten what he needed by simply taking me away from Elias. He could drop me.

I tried not to think about that—about the rush of wind around me as I’d plummet to my death.

Powerless.

The mountain range loomed as we raced toward it. Draunar only beat his wings faster and harder, picking up speed. The rock face filled my vision as I saw textured gray stone dotted with ice and snow, racing closer and closer—and closer—and there was nowhere for Draunar to land—no caves, no ledges, just sheer rock—and yet his wings beat faster and faster.

I clung hard to his ankles and, closing my eyes, turned my face away, choking out a desperate shriek as we careened toward the mountain.

Then, the cold dropped away, replaced by a stuffy humidity and warmth. I blinked my eyes open, still half-terrified, but there was no longer any mountain visible. The rock face was behind us, shimmering like a mirage, a mask over the entrance to the cavern. It was dark, a darkness so thick it was almost tangible. Draunar beat his wings and slowly lowered me to the ground. My knees quivered as my feet hit the cave floor. I wrapped my arms around myself, dazed from the journey. The dust in the cavern made my nose itch.

Draunar landed next to me, then folded his wings into his body. Then, he shifted back into human form. He stretched his arms overhead. “I trust you enjoyed the flight?” he asked with a wide smile.

I swallowed and said nothing.

He murmured something in an unfamiliar language—draconic, I assumed—and waved a hand toward the cavern.

Along the cavern walls, torches flickered to life. Each one seemed to light the next a few paces away, until warm light filled the cavern.

“Welcome,” he said grandly. He spread his arms wide and stepped backward, inviting me into the cavern.

The cavern was full. Full of gold.