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

“There was a rumor,” he whispered finally, “that Eleanor was collecting the blood of the dragons who died in the pits and using it in her dark magic.”

A chill spider-walked up her spine and curled at the base of her neck despite the heat radiating from his body. She couldn’t suppress the tightening of her muscles as her stomach churned at the thought, but thank the goddess, Sylas kept talking.

“Initially, I thought the rumors were inventions born of hate and a passion for freedom. Then one day, Aborella walked in the front door of the Silver Sunset. I was disguised, but she looked right at me and ordered a drink. I should have known something was amiss. I should have aborted my mission that very minute. But when she left without any indication of recognizing me, I pushed my luck. The Obsidian Guard arrested me that night. They raided the Silver Sunset and dragged me from my bed.”

This time she couldn’t resist running her hand up the arm he still had wrapped around her and threading her fingers into his. She kissed his knuckles.

“I wondered if you were awake.”

Turning in his arms, she snuggled into his chest. “Please don’t stop talking. I need to hear it all.”

His heart beat fast against her ear. This was hard for him. How painful must a memory be to cause a dragon’s pulse to race at the mere thought of it?

“They tortured me, Dianthe. Eleanor and her fucking new sidekick, that bastard Ransom who took over for Scoria. They starved me. Shocked me over and over with their batons. Cut off chunks of my flesh. I wouldn’t tell her a thing about the rebellion.”

She swallowed down a need to vomit. If he knew how much this upset her, he might stop. She needed him to keep going.

“After—I don’t know how long it went on, it felt like forever—she took me into her ritual room.” He’d started to tremble, and she held him tighter. “Eleanor performed a spell using blood magic, the blood of dragon children I would come to find out, to remove my ring. I lost all my power, even my ability to spread my wings. She stole my inner dragon.”

Dianthe’s thoughts stuttered, the idea a crushing pain in her chest. “H-how is that possible? It would kill you! It would be like stopping your heart.”

“Dark magic. Painful magic. Goddess, Dianthe, it hurt, hurt like you wouldn’t believe. It felt like my soul was torn in two. And then she threw me in the dungeon and forgot about me. I’d still be there if Nathaniel hadn’t come along and used his magic to free me and restore my ring.”

“Oh my goddess.” Dianthe circled his neck with her arms. “I should have done more to try to rescue you. I should have formed a task force from the DOGs.”

“Did you even know?”

She frowned and pressed her forehead into his chest. “Not initially. Not until word reached me through the underground, and that was only days before you called me to you. But I should have known. I should have seen it. It had been so long since you’d been home. I had a feeling something was wrong. What good is being a seer when you can’t always see the futures of the ones you love?” It had always been thus after her first visions of her mother’s death. Her talent seemed to avoid her closest personal connections. The unfairness of it burned behind her breastbone.

“You didn’t know.” He kissed her forehead. “And there was nothing you could have done. She’s too strong. But Dianthe, that’s why when we learned it was Aborella in that grave, Aborella you were healing, I couldn’t be part of it. Not after what she helped do to me.”

“I thought you just didn’t believe in my vision. I mean, I understood you hated her. We all hated her. But I didn’t know it was personal.” Her heart grew heavy and her stomach twisted under the weight of emotion that flowed into her. She thought at first it was guilt, but she didn’t feel guilty for trusting her vision and healing Aborella. She felt guilty for not paying closer attention to the mental health of her mate. She hadn’t stopped to think how what she was doing was affecting him. What she thought was guilt carried the heaviness of grief, of lost opportunities, missed conversations. In retrospect, she should have handled it differently, should have listened to him and guarded against the possibility that Aborella would turn on her.

“She is as evil as they come. And now she’s back in Paragon, healed, working for the empress, and with a hell of a lot more information on the rebellion.” The tone of frustration and what she now recognized as fear that lined his voice made her heart ache.

Dianthe swallowed her pride. “I see it now. I shouldn’t have trusted her, vision or no vision. I’m not sorry I trusted myself or my vision, but we could have done it in a different way. I could have disguised myself or healed her in another location. I shared too much. I trusted her too fully. I should have listened to you, Sylas, if for no other reason than you are my mate. You have a say in what goes on in our home. Please forgive me for that. My visions have never been wrong before. I still can’t believe it. I was so sure.”

“I forgave you a long time ago.”

“But you still don’t trust me. You still question my abilities and my visions.”

“No.” He released a heavy sigh. “Dianthe, I just framed it that way because I wanted you to stay in Aeaea. I didn’t care about the mission. I didn’t care that you were the right person to retrieve the Everfield orb. All I cared about—all I still care about—is keeping you out of my mother’s clutches. For the first time since we