Dragonkin Read Online Free PDF Page B

they were taught at the Athenaeum. She understood why it was sacrilege to steal a dragon and why they thought she was among those who did.
    Gods, Cas. If you could see me now. This is the strangest place I’ve ever been. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but at least I’m going to see the dragon king.
    While she waited for Ralag to return, she paced the room slowly. As time went on, her pain lessened. Although she would carry scars from the encounter, the burns would heal in time. She heard voices outside the door. The large bolt slid back, and the door opened. Andrik walked in with an unreadable expression. He had her spell book in his hand.
    “Where did you get that?” she asked and grabbed for it.
    He dashed out of the way. “It’s very interesting reading. It happened to fall out of your pack when you were thrown from Milan’s attack. Seems you were bonded to a dragon once. Hailed a powerful spellcaster and then got your dragon killed. Then you were deemed an outcast, so no dragon would bond with you. Even your own kind shunned you. So what brings you here after all these years?”
    The smirk on his face brightened. Kestrel wanted to punch him. The rage in her burned so hot it took all her concentration not to lob a ball of fire at him. The girl she’d once been in the wars resurfaced for a brief instant. She stepped toward him again, but he pulled the book back. She reached for the journal, and her fingers brushed against his. Another spark tingled her nerves.
    Kestrel drew in a sharp breath. Her pulse thundered in her ears while she tried to make sense of the jolt. This time Andrik was the one to retreat. He stared at her again. Something about him seemed so familiar. The fight drained from her. She sank back onto the bed and met his gaze. The weight of her decisions fell heavy upon her shoulders.
    “Forgiveness.”
    “For getting your dragon killed?”
    Tears stung her eyes. “I don’t have to justify my actions to you. For your information, I died that day. When Cas took his last breath, so did I.”
    “And yet you live.”
    “Only because he desired me to. He was a good soul. I relied on him. I cared about him. We knew each other on an unfathomable level—”
    “It sounds like you were in love with him.”
    She propelled herself off the bed and slapped him hard. When the sting on her palm registered, she realized what she had done. The fury seared hot in her throat like bile. Her dammed memories rushed back. Kestrel tried to fight the rising tide of grief.
    “You have no right to talk about Castigan that way. He was my friend. A bond between spellcaster and dragon is deeper than anything you can possibly imagine. Say whatever you wish about me, but leave him out of it.” The loss drowned her. Instantly she was pulled back to those last few moments where Castigan had held her close to him and she listened to his dying breaths.
    She placed her hand on the stone wall and tried to control the sobs wracking her body. I can’t do this now. I must not show weakness in front of him. Gathering her composure, she wiped the wetness from her eyes. The dragon inside of her roared and was dying to fight, but she ignored it.
    She was not that girl anymore. The feisty side of her personality had tempered after the wars.
    She felt a light touch on her shoulder. When she turned, Kestrel expected to see something else in Andrik’s eyes rather than the deep sadness she found. Something about his smoky eyes stirred a familiarity. “I’m sorry. That was below the belt. I know what it’s like to lose someone you love. My wife was killed many years ago.”
    “I’m sorry to hear that.”
    He placed his hand on her cheek. Once their flesh touched, a jolt of energy ran through her. His eyes widened. This can’t be. I know him, and yet I don’t know him. She ached to touch him further and explore his strong jaw. Something brushed across her mind. Kestrel stood still and resisted the urge to see if she could