Hidden Dragon (The Treasure of Paragon Book 7) by Genevieve Jack (best book club books .txt) 📕

“Yes, I recognize that your hypothesis could have been true this morning. I wanted someone to blame for what happened in Everfield, and blaming myself seemed easier than blaming anyone else. But now that I think about it, why would you jump to the conclusion that Aborella caused any of this? You are a fugitive from the crown. The guard was clearly talking about you, yet he did not know which cottage was ours. If Aborella was the source of the raid, they would have known.”

A growl rumbled from his chest. “No one else knew I was there. I’ve spent half the time either here or on the road for the rebellion since I escaped the dungeons of Paragon.”

“If it was Aborella, why didn’t they know our address? Why would you assume she only cursed me? You were with her too, briefly. In fact, you were with her last. Maybe you are the reason Everfield burned. Maybe it wasn’t Aborella at all. Maybe someone followed you to Everfield and reported back to the empress.” As arguments went, it was a low blow, and Dianthe wasn’t surprised when he flinched.

“I guess we know one thing for sure then,” he said in a lethally low voice.

She lifted her chin despite a deep exhaustion that tempted her to crumple. “What’s that?”

His throat bobbed on a swallow, and his eyes glinted with unshed tears. “We know that one of us brought about the end of the Empyrean Wood. Whether it was you or me or us together, when we chose to keep our home there and still be involved with the rebellion, we invited this, and Everfield paid the price.”

Dianthe’s spirit shattered. He was right. She couldn’t deny it. The truth sliced through her and left her in pieces. There was no getting out from under this guilt. There was no amount of twisting that would make his words untrue. She’d been part of something that led to the probable death of her community.

All at once, her memory filled with the smell of burning trees. Guilt crashed down, heavy on her shoulders. She had to change the subject or she’d be sick. “What did Colin say? What did he show everyone tonight while I was relegated to my quarters?”

Her mate rubbed the back of his neck and glanced toward the door. “Why can’t you just let it go?”

“Let it go? Why would I let it go? I don’t even know what there is to let go thanks to you. Tell me what he shared. Maybe I can help.”

“You don’t need to help.” Sylas grabbed the sides of his head. “Can’t you see this is your chance to get out? My entire family is here. Even Colin is back. You’re safe. Stay safe, Dianthe. You don’t need to be involved in this.”

Jaw clenched to the point of pain, Dianthe gave a frustrated cry and stormed past him. “The only thing I don’t want to be involved with right now is you.”

She marched toward the end of the row and a tent at she’d noticed was empty earlier in the day.

“Dianthe? Dianthe!” Sylas called from behind her.

“Go to bed, Sylas. Leave me alone.” She was relieved to find that the tent remained vacant. She slipped inside and zippered the door closed, then climbed under the covers on the camp bed near the back. For several minutes she waited, wondering if he’d come after her. And then the horrors of the day caught up to her and she cried herself into sweet oblivion.

Sylas hated sleeping alone. As a mated dragon, his inner beast had longed to go after Dianthe, to throw her down on the nearest bed and show her exactly how he felt about her. His beast, if it had full control, would never allow her to walk away from him. But the long-term consequences of acting like an animal were being treated like one. Dianthe had asked to be left alone. She needed time to process everything that had happened. His beast was part of him. It wasn’t all of him. And his logical mind wrestled those base desires until they were under his control.

Still, he hoped she’d come around quickly. He didn’t sleep well without her. He kept waking up to feel her side of the bed, his protective instincts driving him to prove she was safe.

Protective instincts. Fuck. Why couldn’t she just enjoy the island and stay away from the war? Part of him wished Raven had found something. A curse would give him an excuse to keep her separate from all this. Things were heating up, becoming dangerous. Soon someone would have to go in search of the other orbs. Leaving this island carried risks he didn’t want to think about. With Aborella working with Eleanor again, she’d likely see them coming.

He still believed Aborella was the cause of the Everfield raid. She had to be the reason Eleanor had known they would come here and had tried to intercept them. Only Aborella could have seen that and shared it with her.

Aeaea was the only place Dianthe would be safe now that her identity was known. If Sylas had his way, his mate would stay here, under the goddess’s protection, until the war was over.

He tossed and turned until the wee hours of the night, thinking about her, longing for her, until finally exhaustion overcame him, and he slept.

Late morning, he awoke to the sound of voices. Quickly he dressed and hurried to the central tent. Colin would want to strategize about the orbs over breakfast. Afterward, he hoped Dianthe would be over her anger and he could talk some sense into her.

“Look who finally decided to join us.” His twin snarked at him from over a bowl of eggs at the center table.

Leena was by his side, the dark circles under her eyes a telling sign of how she’d slept. Across from her, Dianthe sat with her back to him. His mate slowly turned to face him as he