The Dragon Queen Selection Chapter 83

LIRA

I barely remember the walk back to my chambers.

My legs moved on their own, carrying me through corridors I’d walked a thousand times, past guards who barely glanced at me, past doors and tapestries and torchlight that felt unreal, like I’d stepped out of my body and left it trailing somewhere beneath the palace.

My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

I closed my door behind me with a soft click and leaned my forehead against the wood, breathing in shallow, uneven bursts.

You almost died, my mind whispered.

I slid down until I was sitting on the floor, my knees drawn to my chest.

Cassian’s voice echoed in my head.

What in the seven hells was that?

The dragon’s roar still rang in my ears.

Evander’s shocked expression burned behind my eyes.

And the egg.

I scrambled to my feet and crossed the room in a few quick steps, opening my wardrobe and dropping to my knees in front of the trunk where I’d hidden it. My fingers fumbled with the latch, panic clawing at my throat until the lid finally opened.

I pushed aside layers of fabric.

The egg lay where I’d left it, dark, smooth, faintly warm, as though it breathed on its own.

Relief hit me so hard my eyes stung.

“You’re still here,” I whispered.

The dragon’s voice stirred faintly at the back of my mind, low and restless.

'You should have brought it to me.'

“I didn’t,” I whispered back, shaking. “And you nearly killed me for it. Don't ever think I'll bend to your whims ever again."

No answer came. Just a simmering presence, like embers beneath ash.

I wrapped the egg carefully again, tucking it deeper into the folds of cloth, then closed the trunk and pressed my palm against it for a long moment.

“I’m trying,” I murmured. “I just don’t know what to do.”

My gaze drifted to the bed.

Sleep felt impossible, but exhaustion dragged at me like a weight. My limbs were heavy, my thoughts sluggish, fear pressing in from every side

Cassian doesn’t know, I told myself.

He truly doesn’t.

The realization unsettled me more than it should have.

How could he not know?

If he didn’t know about the dragon beneath the palace, if the heir to the throne was in the dark then the crown’s secrets ran deeper than I’d imagined.

And I was standing right in the middle of them.

I checked the door once more. Then the window. Then the trunk again.

Only then did I crawl into bed, curling on my side, one hand pressed to my chest like I could hold my racing heart still by force.

Sleep came at last, heavy and dreamless.

Morning arrived as if nothing had happened.

Sunlight spilled through the tall windows. Bells rang softly through the palace. Servants moved through the corridors with quiet efficiency. The world continued.

I dressed slowly, choosing a simple green gown, my hands steadier than they’d been the night before but my mind still buzzing.

When I stepped into the hall, the normalcy almost hurt.

The girls of the selection were discussing their next lessons. They look relaxed. Happy.

Assessment day had passed, but lessons had resumed as though the palace hadn’t nearly swallowed me whole.

“Elora,” I breathed in relief when I spotted her near the balustrade.

She turned, her expression guarded but not cold.

We walked side by side to the hall, the silence between us thick.

“I’m sorry,” I blurted suddenly.

She stopped walking.

“For lying,” I added quickly. “For pushing you away. For… everything.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “You don’t make it easy to be your friend.”

“I know,” I said softly. “I just... Elora, I’ve been trying to protect you.”

“From what?” she asked.

I hesitated. Too long.

Her shoulders sagged slightly. “That’s the problem, Lira. You never say.”

“I can’t tell you now,” I admitted. “But I swear to you, I’m not trying to hurt you. I just… I’ve had a difficult life. A dangerous one. And sometimes keeping quiet feels like the only way to survive.”

She studied me, searching my face.

Finally, she sighed. “I don’t think we can ever be true friends if you keep walls like this.”

My throat tightened. “I know. But I promise, I’ll try to be more honest. Even if I can’t say everything.”

After a moment, she nodded. “That’s all I wanted.”

Impulsively, I stepped forward and hugged her.

She stiffened, then relaxed, hugging me back.

“Oh, finally,” Vivienne’s amused voice rang out behind us. "I was beginning to think I’d need to schedule a reconciliation meeting.”

Elora laughed despite herself. “You would enjoy that.”

“Immensely.”

The tension eased, just a little.

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

As we took our places in the hall, the chatter shifted.

“Have you noticed?” Juliet murmured. “Prince Cassian hasn’t come here in days.”

“He barely appears at all anymore,” Amara added. “It's like he's avoiding us.”

Calista, seated nearby, smoothed her sleeve. “It’s obvious why. The selection is nearly over. He doesn’t want to give anything away.”

“Or perhaps,” Vivienne said lightly, “he’s tired of being ogled like a freak."

Calista smiled thinly. “Unlikely.”

I kept my gaze on my book.

Don’t think of him, I told myself

But my thoughts betrayed me, his voice, his grip on my wrist, the way he’d shielded me without hesitation.

He’d saved me.

And he’d demanded answers I couldn't give.

The day dragged on.

History. Etiquette. Strategy.

By the time lessons finally ended, my head ached.

I retreated to the library, hoping the familiar smell of parchment and ink would steady me.

It didn’t.

“Lira.”

I froze.

Evander stood at the end of the aisle, his expression hard, his eyes sharp with something that made my stomach drop.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“Evander, now isn’t...”

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he cut in. “And I won’t be brushed aside again.”

I glanced around. The library was mostly empty, save for a few scholars bent over desks.

“Fine,” I said quietly. “But not here.”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “You were in my brother’s chambers last night.”

My pulse spiked. “You don’t know that.”

“I saw you,” he snapped. “You walked out with him.”

“Something happened to me and he helped me with it,” I said carefully. “That's all.”

“Help with what?” he demanded. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks very much like something had happened between you too."

“nothing happened,” I lied bravely.

He flinched. “Is there something between you and Cassian?”

“No,” I said quickly.

The word came too fast.

Evander’s eyes narrowed. “You hesitated.”

“I didn’t.”

“You did.”

I exhaled sharply. “Evander, please. I care about you. I do. But I’m overwhelmed, and being interrogated in the library isn’t helping. I was about to fall and your brother helped me up, that was all!"

His voice softened, just a fraction. “I offered you a way out. Safety. Protection. And instead, I find you tangled in my brother’s arms.”

“I never asked you for a way out,” I said.

He searched my face, conflict flickering across his features.

“So you don't deny it. You were tangled in his arms?” he asked quietly.

The question nearly undid me.

“Nothing untoward happened.” I said.

That answer seemed to disturb him more than any lie.

He straightened. “But something did happen didn't it?! Tell me the truth Lady Lira."