Burn (Dragon Souls) (9 page)

Marina watched his face carefully. She puffed with satisfaction when it creased in wonder.

“From memory I can think of no specific diktat that says it is.” Struggling to hide his excitement, Daniil released her ankle to rub both his knees. “The truth as a weapon. I have spent so many years in the quest for truth amidst lies that using it as a means of offense escaped me.” He rose and headed to the screen, stride brisk with purpose. He paused then faced them. “The magistrate resides in the bowels of the Citadel. I will return before Myron visits you in the morning.”

Relieved she didn’t need to ask for him to verify her deductions, Marina gave him thumbs up. She would have gone herself, but she was exhausted. “I’ll be waiting.”

Grinning broadly, he shook his head. His expression was radiant despite his disbelief. “Truth as a weapon. So clever.”

As the screen slid quietly behind him, Cathryn clucked. “You have these men wrapped around your finger.”

“Daniil and I understand each other.”

“You’re very in tune with each other. Thoughts. Needs. Movements.”

Yawning, Marina met the baldly accusing gaze burning into the side of her head. “Friends,” she enunciated.

“Koen Raad is the one you want?”

“Madly.”

“Explain why? Make me understand, because from where I’m standing all of this is unbelievably stupid. How could you come here and let these people treat you this way? Like you’re a
thing
.”

Rather than chafe at the interrogation, Marina let her arms collapse and fell back into the soft sheets.

This was Cathryn’s way. Always had been, and always would be. She had a mothering streak Marina indulged because who didn’t like to feel protected and loved?

“Where to begin? Koen’s strong, and brave, and so damnably hot he burns me up. I put up with the crap they dump on me because
he
is waiting on the other side.”

Sighing, Cathryn rose from her seat and crawled onto the bed. She cupped Marina’s face. “Lust fades, sweetie. Is this worth your life?”

“So can love.” Marina rubbed Cathryn’s arm soothingly. “That doesn’t stop people getting married and trying to make it stick.”

“I’m not convinced.”

“It’s different here. You haven’t seen the Dragon Council standing on their plinths.”

“What do they have to do with anything?”

“The Dragon Council are Phoenixes who once were Emperors. They had Chosen.... What?”

“You’ve lost me already.” Her hands fell to her lap. “Chosen?”

“I’m one. Chosen are the female offspring of Dragon Lords.”

Expression guarded, Cathryn was slow to respond. “Are you trying to tell me in a roundabout way you can turn into a giant lizard?”

Marina hesitated. That was another conversation entirely. One she hadn’t even had with herself. Because at this point all she had were two occurrences of strange behaviour explainable by stress, and her overactive imagination. “It’s known that only males have the ability to shift form. Chosen are just
dragonlike
. Aggressive. Territorial. Stubborn.”

“That explains
so
much. Okay, so Phoenix’s have Treasures – these Chosen.”

“All Dragon Lords have Chosen, well, a better way to say it is they mate with Chosen to have children. Some do marry full human women if they fall in love.” Marina tried to make herself as clear as possible so Cathryn didn’t freak out over what she revealed next. “The women who feel compelled to mate with the Dragon King are named as First Chosen. They compete in Aver to win the Crown or Wreath. As Queen they defeat their Dragon Mate in a vicious rite of single combat. Either the Phoenix is defeated and made Emperor, or the Phoenix rejects its weak mate and, um, kills her. They call it the Hunt.”

“I beg your bloody pardon? Koen might
kill
you?”

“It sounds bad said like that.”

“There’s no way to dress it up, Rina.”

“You’ve got to understand the Empress is oath sworn to protect her Dragon Mate. Koen must submit to me. I can’t protect him if he feels dominant.”

Cathryn blinked. Her face slackened. “It’s a matriarchal society.”

Pleased she began to understand, Marina nodded.

“You would never think it. The men are so overtly aggressive and the women almost subservient. It pissed me right off when I arrived. You just assume the men are the ultimate authority, but the Hunt means the ultimate authority goes to a
female
.”

“That’s why the brutality of the Hunt is so significant. It establishes to Koen’s Dragon that it can be defensive of me, but ultimately that it’s my job to shield him. We’re equals until he is threatened. Then the balance shifts in my favour.”

“So it’s a fake fight?”

“No. It’s very real. Koen will come at me with everything he has. I have to best him with my superior
warskill
. I must prove I’m strong enough to protect him, even from himself. He’s Tzion’s greatest hope, a defence against the horror of war. As his mate my love will be absolute. I will keep him safe.”

Pale and shaky, Cathryn clasped her hands into fists. “Marina. This is.... If Koen’s Dragon is even close to the size of Mikhail’s-”

Marina cut her off before she started ranting. Telling her Koen’s Dragon made Mikhail’s look puny in comparison wasn’t worth the stress it would cause.

“I’ve been trained to kill Dragon Lords. You didn’t see me during the first quest. It was brutal, but I survived. Mother trained me from birth, and I didn’t even realise. Why do you think she was always so strict?”

“Because Almeria was a stone cold bitch who forced her daughter into dangerous situations creating a needy overachiever?”

“Um, ouch? My Mother was Empress. If anyone knew when I needed it was her. I’ve told you a million times she was different with me when we were alone. Softer.” Marina sighed. “I can do this. Koen will surrender to me. You’ll see.”

Cathryn twined a lock of hair around her finger, expression intense. “So you believe he will always love you. Once Aver is finished, you win the Hunt, and everything is normal, you trust Koen Raad never to stray or get bored?”

“Yes. Chosen are treasured.”

“What makes them special? The Phoenixes. What makes them different from the other Dragon Lords? Are they born or is it like a title?”

“They can breathe
dragonfire
and
dragonfrost
. They possess stronger magicks than normal Dragon Lords. Supposedly they can be reborn from ashes, see straight into the heart of truth and control wild ones. I’m not sure if those last ones are legends as I’ve never seen Koen do them.” Marina thought back to her first lessons when she’d been voracious in her knowledge about Koen Raad. Her heart fluttered. “They give their heart and soul to their Treasure. Forever. Dragon’s
choose
to die, Cat. They have no natural lifespan. Most Phoenixes serve on the Council to impart their knowledge for as long as they can bear then let go of life to join their Treasures in the afterlife.”

“That sounds sweet. And intense.”

“The people here love in a way I can’t fully explain. Knowing Koen and I share the beginnings of what may be such a great love is terrifying. I wouldn’t give up this chance for the world. Is it dangerous? Yes. I’ll survive.”

Cathryn relaxed her face then balled up her hands and tucked them between her thighs. It seemed there was nothing more to say. Nothing would get through to Marina now. “Mikhail is a Council Mon, isn’t he? That means Almeria was his Treasure.”

“Suppose so.”

“Yet she left him.”

Marina shrugged. “She wasn’t happy.”

Cathryn tried to hold her peace but ended up giving a final push. “So it isn’t always happily ever after. Even if you do find true love.”

Marina nodded stiffly.

She didn’t want to talk about Mikhail, or his failed relationship with her mother.

“I wish you knew Koen as I do. He sees people not their station. He respects tradition, but hates the blind faith placed in ceremony. He’s kind, as beautiful inside as out. The rough edges are all anybody bothers themselves with. I
feel
him, Cat. All the way to my core.”

Cathryn’s gaze unfocused, her voice tinged with worry. “I’m beginning to see how things are here. It’s not like dating. Or even marriage. We’re talking until death. You will be Queen until death. Empress until death, Koen Raad’s mate until death.”

“I want this.”

“You want to be Empress? It took me over a year to get you to sign a rental agreement instead of living out of hotels.”

“I didn’t want to be tied down.”

Cathryn gawked. Punched her arm. “And what do you think ruling an entire Kingdom will do?”

“As Empress I won’t be expected to rule all of Tzion.” Marina rubbed her throbbing bicep. “Just protect Koen as he oversees the peace between the territories.” She cast her memory back for one of the few history lessons she’d had. “The Ice Realm will remain mine, which is good, I want to be the Wyvrae Queen. The city survives for prolonged periods without a monarch so they must have a council of some kind. Probably the upper Houses form a ruling body. Or maybe they have a Regent too. I must ask Daniil–”

“Good gosh.” Cathryn stiffened. “Have you thought about this beyond jumping into bed with Koen officially as his mate?”

Indignant, Marina tossed the pillow at her. “Do you think I’m stupid? Course I have.” She paused. “Koen and I have only been intimate twice, you know, and not once since I’ve been here.” She looked down at her lap hopelessly. She rubbed her thighs in a frantic, restless manner that boarded close to an addict craving a fix. “And let me tell you needing him inside me and being unable to touch him is torture.” She met her friend’s stunned gaze. “Any man can fuck. Koen
owns
me, Cat. He branded me in this dark, primordial place I can’t touch or explain in any tangible way. This is so much more than sex.”

“Doesn’t sound like it. For a split second I’d thought you’d matured coming here. The deeper I dig the more I reveal the changes are skin deep. You’re still as irresponsible as ever.”

“That’s unfair and untrue. Just because I haven’t gotten each minute detail worked out like an obsessive compulsive doesn’t mean I’m not taking this seriously. I’m conducting research. This is an entirely foreign society. It’ll take time for me to adjust.”

“I don’t see any books.” Cathryn bounced across and off the huge bed. Striding across the room she snatched a shiny trinket from the dresser. “I do see a hell of a lot of jewellery. Silks. Extravagant gifts. Since when do you wear sapphires and rubies as day wear? Since when do you wear jewellery at all, for crying out loud?”

“Stop shouting. Stop judging me when you don’t have half the facts.”

“Go ahead.” Still clutching the dazzling necklace, Cathryn’s fist swept out to encompass the room’s lavish decorations and furnishings. “Explain all of this to me.”

“The jewels come from Mikhail. He hasn’t stopped flinging expensive stuff at me since I’ve arrived. I’m guessing it’s either something to do with not embarrassing him in front of the Dragon Council, or plain old paternal guilt. It’s obviously escaped your insightful self that things habitually become hectic around here. In-between assassination attempts, training for Aver, and political stunts like the purity check, I just about have enough time to get a decent nights sleep let alone review a bunch of dusty tombs I’d have to read in the creepy bowels of this Citadel.” Marina pushed onto her forearms. “And my bedroom before this was a nightmare. I didn’t even have four walls. Cut me some slack.”

“Not until you take your head out your arse and take a look around.”

“
What is your problem
?”

“You
.”
Cathryn’s face turned a scary shade of crimson. “As always
you
are my problem.”

Shocked, Marina’s head snapped back. “What have I done to piss you off?”

“You have no idea, do you?”

“Hence the question, what did I do?”

Her face went impossibly redder and she screamed though clenched teeth. “You left me a babbled voicemail that disconnected mid sentence then you
disappeared
, you bloody crack pot. You were just
gone
. I was terrified something happened to you. That we’d find your raped, beaten corpse rotting on the bloody moors.” She panted for more air to yell louder. “Didn’t you even take a moment to think of the people you left behind?”

“But I came back and told you–”

“That you were going camping with a Dragon. A Dragon. A mythical flying lizard.” Cathryn’s voice was flat and tight as she reeled her anger in. “That was supposed to be some kind of approbation of good mental heath? That was supposed to reassure me that you were safe?”

Understanding she actually
was
blameworthy from Cat’s perspective, Marina’s pitch climbed perilously high. “I am not the villain of this piece.”

“No, you’re just the inconsiderate friend you doesn’t care how many people she tramples to get what she wants.”

Hunching, Marina dropped her chin to her chest. She pressed her lips together to hold back the cuss words that would make the argument worse.

Sometimes, silence was the only way.

And Cathryn wasn’t wrong in her accusations.

“Sorry.” Edging toward the bed, Cathryn tugged Marina’s toes. “That was unfair and bitchy. Blaming you was wrong, but–” She exhaled shakily. “I mourned you, Rina. I thought you dead.”

Marina’s heart sank. She’d put this woman through hell. “There wasn’t time for me return to you. Time here moves differently than back in our dimension. And I suppose being ripped from one dimension into another against your will is sort of lame.” Marina patted her side. “It would make me cranky too.”

“I am not cranky.”

“Alright.”

“Mikhail explained the whole dimensional time slip thing to me. Honestly, I stopped listening after your name came up and I realised I was being taken to you. It helped me get over the shock of talking to actual, well, you know,
Dragons
.” Cathryn clutched her hand. “Then I just wanted to see you to make sure you were safe. I missed you so much.”