Iron Crowned Page 0,35

eyes widened, and she leaned forward. "This is it! What I've seen. This will bring you to the crown."

"Presuming this ghost isn't part of some elaborate plan to kill me," I said. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"No, no," she said. "This is real. I feel it. I've had a vision of you crowned."

Dorian gave her a sharp look. "Enough. It doesn't matter if this ghost is telling the truth. I'm not sending Eugenie off into a nightmarish landscape."

"Hey, you don't send me anywhere," I retorted.

He rolled his eyes. "Please. Don't start with the mock wounded pride over your capabilities. You're a great warrior; I accept that. You defeat fetches and tables and all other sorts of fiends. But this ... no. The risk is too great, and I couldn't help you."

"But Your Majesty!" exclaimed Masthera. "You see the opportunity. An end to the war. The power. The fear this would inspire among others."

"My own fear is more than enough, thank you," he said dryly.

An end to the war. An astonishing thought struck me. "Gentry would suffer in the iron fields ... but I'm not the only half human. I could take Jasmine with me." Jasmine was almost as unaffected by iron as I was. Touching it caused her no pain, and it was only her cuffs' tight binding that stunted her magic. Otherwise, to my knowledge, simply being near iron wasn't enough to dim her power.

"No," said Dorian swiftly. "Absolutely not. I wouldn't have your unstable sister go anywhere near that crown."

"The queen is right, though," said Masthera. "Storm King's younger daughter might be protected by her human blood."

I expected another refusal from Dorian, but he remained silent. He was actually considering this, I realized. Jasmine would be a safe companion - or not.

"No," he repeated at last. "If she somehow returned in control of the crown ... Well, I wouldn't want to see that. She craves power too much."

"I thought the crown didn't have power in and of itself," I said suspiciously.

"It doesn't - but if she possessed it, others would believe she was the daughter to fear. Right now, you carry that honor. I'd like to keep it that way. You can't go with such a dangerous companion."

"Your Majesty - " attempted Masthera again.

"Enough," said Dorian, standing up. "It's late. The discussion is over, and I want to go to bed. You're dismissed."

Masthera looked upset but didn't contradict her lord. After a brief curtsey to each of us, she scurried away. We left as well, staying silent as we walked through the halls, past stationed guards. As soon as we were alone in Dorian's room, I turned on him.

"You have a lot of fucking nerve! Don't ever talk to me like that in front of someone - like you've got the power around here. We're equals in this, remember?"

He smiled and took off his cloak and shirt. "Of course we are. And equals sometimes trade power. When it comes to you making foolish choices, I wield the power."

"When it comes to making foolish choices, I - never mind. Look, if there's a chance to end this with as little bloodshed as possible, I want it."

"As do I." He stood before me and ran a gentle finger along the side of my neck. "But not at the cost of your life or reputation. Find a better option, and you can go." He moved his hands down and caught the edges of my shirt, carefully lifting it over my head without disturbing the bandages.

"There you go again," I growled. "Acting like you control this."

"I do. Just as I control this." He grabbed hold of my waist and jerked me to him, his lips crushing mine in a fierce kiss, one that left me gasping when I managed to pull back.

"You don't control anything," I said. Yet, that kiss and his closeness made me ache with arousal. Maybe it was my anger or the residual adrenaline from all my fights today. Maybe it was just relief at seeing him, no matter how much he annoyed me now. Whenever I returned from battle, sex was his way of truly confirming I was alive and safe. Today, I shared that. He was alive. I wanted him, and he knew it.

"You see?" His lips moved to my neck, and I felt the edge of his teeth. "I've got the power here ... and you like that ..."

"I ... that is ..." Forming coherent words was difficult for obvious reasons. His mouth was too distracting,