1 A Dragon in the Ashes (Hidden Kingdoms Book 1) by Jenna Wolfhart

Author:Jenna Wolfhart [Wolfhart, Jenna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-10-07T16:00:00+00:00

“What is it, Yuto?” I pressed my palm against his breastplate, taking comfort in the steady strength

of him.

He glanced down at where my hand touched his chest. “You might not want to touch me when you

know what it is that plagues me.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

Yuto stepped back, and my hand fell away. Slowly, he pulled at his gloved right hand with the

other, dragging the steel off his skin. I braced myself, my heart frozen in my chest. When he finally

pulled the glove away, he held up a very normal looking hand. The skin was a bit paler than the rest

of him—likely from lack of sun. Other than that, nothing was amiss.

“Stay back,” he warned me as I moved a step closer to him. “Do not come near me when my

gloves are off.”

He strode over to his desk, picked up a piece of parchment with his left hand, and then held it up

to his right. His fingers skimmed the paper, and then suddenly, it burst into flames. A terrifying heat

rushed toward me. Pressing my heart to my chest, I stumbled back. I could scarcely believe my eyes.

The paper transformed into ashes in scarcely a moment, the charred remains drifting to the floor.

Yuto’s jaw flickered as he snatched his glove and shoved it back over his fingers. He didn’t look

at me. Somehow, I knew why. I could read the truth of his heart, even if he didn’t speak it out loud. He

thought I would be scared of him.

“Well, there it is,” he said gruffly. “The full truth of Yuto Cirillo, the Lord Master of Pira.

Although, I suppose the truth is that I am the former Lord Master now. My enemy stole my land from

me. My crown, my throne, my everything. I’m a man cursed, not only to a thousand years in this realm

but a thousand years of deadly touch. Anything my fingers come into contact with turns to flames.

Anything except for these gloves.”

“It’s part of your punishment?” I whispered.

He nodded, raising his tortured eyes to meet mine. “But it is not a punishment, Aradia. It was a

way to get me gone so that another could take my place.”

“And the touch part of it?”

“A way to make certain I remained miserable here,” he said. “I can never forget, not when I’m

forced to wear these gloves every minute of every day. Have you ever realized how much you use

your hands?”

My heart ached for him. No wonder he had formed such a hard shell around his heart. “Who did

this to you?”

He closed his eyes. “Her name was Lysandra. For a very long time, she was one of my closest

allies. She knew me better than almost anyone else. In the end, she used that knowledge against me.

Exploited weaknesses that only she knew.”

“Well, then we’re just going to have to make sure that you get back to Pira as soon as possible.

You have to take back your homeland, Yuto.”

He gave me a wan smile. “If only it were that easy.”

“Isn’t it?” I strode toward him, determination solidifying the strength in my bones.

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