The Dragon Queen Selection Chapter 53

CASSIAN

I smelled blood before I even stepped into the Dragon's Keep.

The iron tang of it mixed with smoke and the sharp bite of dragon fire. I quickened my pace, boots crunching over rubble as the thunderous sound of roaring dragons echoed through the cavern. Keepers shouted, trying desperately to control the chaos.

Narekh and Solvar, two of our younger males, were locked in a savage standoff, wings flared, teeth bared. The ground vibrated beneath them as they lunged and snapped at each other.

I didn’t hesitate.

“Taheer,” I murmured.

My dragon responded instantly. Taheer surged forward with a roar so powerful it rattled the stalactites overhead. The other dragons froze mid-snarling breath. Even the wounded one, Narekh, lowered his blood-smeared head. Solvar backed away with a low rumble, folding his wings submissively.

I stepped between them, my voice cold. “Enough.”

Taheer reinforced the command with a guttural growl, and the fight dissolved as quickly as it had erupted.

But the broken bodies on the ground told me everything I needed to know. Two keepers lay still, their bodies twisted and broken. The blood seeping out of them made me sick.

My sister Aveline hurried to my side. Her eyes were red, her gloves stained with soot and sand.

“They killed two of our keepers,” she whispered, voice trembling with fury. “Two, Cassian. Over nothing.”

“Not nothing,” I said quietly. “The mating season.”

Aveline’s jaw tightened. “It’s worse than the last time isn't it? They’re irritable. Territorial. If this gets any worse..."

She didn’t finish. She didn’t need to.

I surveyed the trembling dragons, their scales rattling, their breaths harsh and labored. “We have to keep them separated until it's time. We’ll move the males to the eastern ravine before nightfall. Separate them before someone else dies.”

Relief flickered across her face. “You always have a plan. Do you think it will work?"

"It should. Taheer will enforce control." I murmured absent mindedly.

My thoughts were already slipping away from the Keep… drifting back toward the palace.

Aveline followed my gaze and smirked. “Is there something on your mind? You were distracted during the run today."

“No, nothing.”

“You absolutely are. Is it one of the girls?”

I stayed silent.

She laughed softly. “Fine. Keep your secrets.”

Aveline’s gaze drifted to Taheer. “Do you think he’ll mate this season?”

Taheer, massive and solitary, snorted at the question.

“I doubt it,” I said. “He’s never shown interest before.”

“I hope he does,” Aveline murmured. “We haven't had a successful season in decades."

I placed a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll manage. We always do.”

But even as I said it, something restless tugged at me. And it had nothing to do with dragons.

.....................

Despite my better judgment, I mounted Taheer and launched into the sky. I knew my mother would be pissed that Taheer was coming with me to the Capital, but I could care less, taking Taheer will make my journey shorter.

Wind tore past my face, cold and sharp, and for the first time in days I felt like I could breathe again. Taheer soared effortlessly, a gleaming streak of midnight black against the clouds.

Below, the capital stretched out like a glittering mosaic. But I barely saw it. My thoughts kept circling back to Lira, back to the way she’d looked in that interrogation chamber. Pale. Aloof. Quiet in a way that wasn’t quite natural.

It gnawed at me. I wanted to talk to her after it, but I felt the pull of Taheer and I had to leave the palace immediately.

By the time the palace courtyard came into view, I was already on edge.

Taheer landed with a powerful sweep of his wings, kicking up dust and startled shouts. The girls of the Selection, who were gathered for outdoor lessons, immediately abandoned decorum.

They rushed toward us in a flurry of silk skirts and excited squeals.

“Your Highness!” Lady Vivienne beamed.

“He’s magnificent!” Juliette gasped, staring up at Taheer like a child seeing magic for the first time.

Lady Amara gave me a daring smirk. “May I touch him, Your Highness?”

Before I could answer, their instructor snapped, “Absolutely not! Back, all of you! No contact with the dragons before the trials! You know this!"

The girls groaned but obeyed.

I scanned their faces.

Where was she?

Elora passed me on her way back to the group. I stopped her with a word. “Lady Elora.”

She turned, startled. “Your Highness?”

“Where is Lady Lira? She’s not here."

Elora bit her lip. “They… took her for questioning again.”

Everything inside me went cold. “Again?”

“She didn’t even get dinner,” Elora whispered. “The guards came for her hours after her first questioning."

I muttered a curse.

I turned to Taheer and stroked his snout. “Back to the Keep. I’ll come back soon."

Taheer huffed irritably but obeyed, launching into the sky in a whirl of dust and wind.

I had barely reached the palace grounds before I saw a familiar figure drop afar.

Evander.

My younger brother leaned casually against a marble pillar, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

“Didn't father and mother tell you not to bring Taheer here anymore?" he asked. “Mother will be furious when she hears."

I narrowed my eyes. “I don't care."

Evander pushed off the pillar with a shrug. “I saw you talking to Lady Elora. If you must know, Lira is fine. I stopped the interrogation."

His casual tone only irritated me more.

“She shouldn’t have been questioned in the first place,” I said sharply.

“Well,” he replied, “she was. Don't you worry, I resolved it.”

I stepped closer. “And why were you involved?”

Evander didn’t flinch. “Because I was there. And because someone had to step in. They were going to pin the whole murder on her if I didn't do something."

“Did you lie for her?” I demanded.

He raised a brow. “Would it bother you if I did?”

A muscle in my jaw twitched. “You don't need to defend her."

Evander gave a humorless laugh. “You either. You were the one who first commanded the captain to release her weren't you?"

The courtyard seemed to hold its breath.

I folded my arms. “Evander, are you… interested in her? This fondness you have for Lira, I haven't seen you like this with any other girl."

His expression flickered, amusement, annoyance, something sharper. “Of course I admire her. She’s intelligent. Composed. She's curious.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“And I answered,” he said evenly.

I hated how calm he was.

“She's a lady of the Dragon Queen's selection. Unless you want rumours to start flying around, stay out of her affairs,” I said quietly.

Evander let out a soft laugh. “Cassian… if you weren’t jealous, you wouldn’t sound so defensive.”

Heat flushed through me, anger, denial, something darker.

“This isn’t jealousy,” I said.

Evander’s voice dropped. “Then what is it?”

I didn’t answer.

Instead, I turned on my heel and strode toward the palace doors, letting the thunder of my footsteps speak for me.