#abul

“You are a matter of the heart. This is a matter of state.”

I rolled my eyes. “Fine, whatever,” I muttered, going back to arranging the pillows. Once I was done, I turned sharply on my heel and stomped toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Abul demanded.

“Leaving you to your thoughts, apparently. I’m done. I’ve done everything I’m supposed to do in here.” I slammed the door behind me before he could say anything else, storming off toward the servant’s quarters. I was happy for Bren and the reveal that he and Abul were half-brothers, but I missed having someone sharing the quarters. Having a friend to talk to.

Abul caught up to me, grabbing my wrist. “What is your problem?” he demanded.

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. “My problem? What’s your problem, Abul? Why are you being short with me, of all people? If you need some space, fine. But I’m not going to just stand there and let you use me as your emotional punching bag because you don’t know how to process your emotions properly.”

“I am not being short with you.”

“Then what do you call this?” I yanked my arm out of his wrist. Normally I probably wouldn’t have been able to break a dragon’s hold if I tried—but Abul’s grip wasn’t tight. Almost like I had shocked him. “Look, if you don’t want me around when you get back from meetings, all you have to do is say so.”

“It’s not that, treasure.”

“Then what is it?”

“I can’t tell you.”

I ground my teeth and threw up my hands before letting them fall back to my sides, smacking into my legs. “If you can’t trust me, Abul, then this isn’t going to work. I love you, but love without trust is too flimsy to last.”

“I can’t tell you because you’re human!” Abul burst.

I took a step back. “Then we definitely can’t work. If you can’t trust me because I’m human, then there’s no point in you loving me. There’s nothing I can do about being human.” I whirled around and ran the rest of the way to the servant’s chambers. Once there, I stripped off the skimpy servants’ clothing and pulled out the old outfit I’d worn up to the keep on the hill where he and I first met. Trousers and a loose linen shirt. The strappy sandals were left behind in favor of my boots.

Something I’d learned about being a servant was how many small backstage passageways there were specifically to keep servants out of sight or out of the way. I could probably move through the Sky Palace faster than Abul just by taking the servants’ corridors.

I gathered up the rest of my belongings in my rucksack—and paused. The necklace he made me... I reached up and touched it. Before reaching back and undoing the clasp. I left the necklace on my bed next to my sandals and skimpy clothes.

I slipped into one of the servants’ corridors whose entrance was in my chambers. Abul would probably get lost in those corridors. He’d never had reason to use them.

They were dark but I knew them well. I kept one hand on the stone wall and ran down it.

Within minutes, I was under the Sky Palace keep’s wall, leaving the dragon capital city behind me. The corridor spilled out into the lower town, where I vanished into the crowds of dragons. I got several confused looks, but I walked with so much purpose that no one stopped me.

Once I hit the edge of town, I broke into a run again. I didn’t know where I was going. Just... away. Dragon territory was huge and it would take days or weeks of travel to get out of on foot, but what was the point of staying?

I ignored the way my heart ached, trying to push me back in the direction I’d come from. No, I thought sharply. He can love me all he wants, but if he can’t trust me, then everything will crumble before it can even be built. I shook my head and kept running.

Once the fields were behind me and I hit the trees, I slowed down.

The beating of powerful wings echoed through the air. Distant, but getting closer. I ducked off the path and pressed myself up against a tree with a thick trunk.

Leaves rustled fast as something shot past just overhead. I closed my eyes.

Thud! Something heavy landed not too far away. “Treasure?” Abul called.

I tried to creep farther down the path, away from the town and the Sky Palace, but Abul emerged from the trees directly in front of me.

“I’m not in the mood to fight, Abul. I meant what I said. There’s no point in arguing about it any more.” I ducked around him and started to hike back to the dirt road.

“That’s not—” Abul started.

“Don’t bother,” I said. “Look, I get it, okay? I’m human. You’re half-dragon, and you’re the king. It was foolish of us to think we could ever work out.”

“Treasure, please, just listen? I came to apologize. You’re right. I need to trust you. I love you. More than I ever thought I could love... anyone. And I don’t want to lose you. Please? Just come back with me?”

I turned. He had his hand extended toward me.

“Promise to trust me?”

“I swear to you.”

I reached out and took his hand. “Okay. Let’s go home.”