Remington seemed to press down his fury somewhere deep within him, and the smile perched back on his lips. He got out of the chair – limber and elegant compared to Devon’s strong and fast movements – and crossed the distance between them. He stood in front of her, looming over her at least a foot taller, his wide shoulders strung with strength and his scent filling her nostrils with a certain twang of mahogany and bitter chocolate.
Had she seen him at any other time, she may have thought him handsome, but knowing the poison that flowed in his veins, she couldn’t feel anything but disgust. Remington raised his hand and tracked a line down her cheek, grabbing her by the neck with his other hand when she tried to back away from him.
“Oh, no-no-no, don’t go anywhere, my feisty little princess. You think you’re so smart, don’t you? Read a few books, huh? Your little human brain couldn’t comprehend the history between our two houses, no matter how many accounts you read of it. It is in our blood, in our ancestry… We cannot stop before justice has been done, and I swear, I will make things right again. And if that means I have to kill you right along with your dragon, I’ll be more than glad to do so.”
Her breath hitched at his words, but she kept from trembling through sheer force of will. His fingers, surprisingly cold for a man who surrounded himself with such a warm color, squeezed around her throat, seemingly enjoying the way she struggled against him.
“I think you will make a beautiful sacrifice,” he said, grinning, his dragon just under his skin. He released her, leaving Gemma hunched over and coughing. Remington turned and strolled back to his chair, sitting down with a heavy sigh. “I will wait, though, of course. Until the gold moon is over and your dragon has no other choice but to give up his place as Head of Council. I want to keep him wondering, searching for his missing princess.
And when Devon Bluewing has lost his mind with grief and anger, I will of course graciously accept the position as that is how it was always meant to be – with a Redblade at the head of Treasure Lane.”
Remington paused for a moment, looking at Gemma thoughtfully. “Or, of course, he could find another princess… Perhaps you don’t mean much at all to him, hmm? I see you do not wear his hoard. I cannot blame you, if you were waiting for a real dragon, a Bluewing would never do.”
Remington gave her a long look, his white teeth gleaming almost brighter than the gold that lines his chair. She bristled at his comments, fury raging through her veins in hot juts.
“But that would just mean he would soon die of a broken heart. We dragons are not meant to be with someone who is not our mate for too long… Either way, I will enjoy his suffering. Whether or not that requires your death is yet to be seen.”
“You’re scum,” Gemma hissed between clenched teeth. Her throat and neck hurt badly, but it was nothing compared to the flame of anger taking root within her. Oh no, she wasn’t going to let him get away with it. A bastard like that couldn’t take over Treasure Lane. And what’s more, he couldn’t be allowed to destroy Devon. With a breaking heart, she realized that he meant far too much to her to allow anyone to harm him.
“I am, but you’re just a girl hidden in the mountains, without any way to be found or any means of doing anything about it. Shame, isn’t it?” Remington mused, leaning back. Gemma straightened up. But there was a way. Carefully, she slid her hands down along her bottom, praying to all the dragons above that what she hoped was there would still be there. She could barely hide the smile that wanted to spread on her lips when she felt the bump in her back pocket.
The dragon stone…
“Yes, it is,” she agreed drily.
“Jolly!” Remington called, the little man opening the door behind Gemma just when she entwined her fingers behind her back. If she could only grab the stone, she could call for Devon. “Please take Miss Teeley back to her room.”
“Certainly,” Jolly replied, and his clammy grip locked around Gemma’s arm, pulling her off balance and making her stumble towards the door. She seethed with irritation, but hope overcame her. She just needed one moment alone, and Jolly would give her that when he took her back to her room.
Devon…
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Devon
The clouds as if parted their cover before him, giving way to the giant beast as he swept through them, making the white tendrils break and form again as new puffs. His teeth were bared in a deathly grimace and his eyes slanted, the gold burning so bright in them that they almost seemed white. Every muscle in his body was on edge, straining under the scales with a hunger to have someone to take his anger out on.