Honorbound by Chelsea M. Campbell

Author:Chelsea M. Campbell [Campbell, Chelsea M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Golden City Publishing
Published: 2019-04-25T05:00:00+00:00

16

NOT LIKE THE OTHERS

I wake up in the morning on the couch with Amelrik pressed against me. There’s not a lot of room, and I’d probably fall off the edge if it wasn’t for his arm around me. My neck is sore, and I realize I’m using his other arm as a pillow. I can feel his heart beating against my back and his chest moving in and out as he breathes, and even though I’m starving, I kind of just want to stay here like this. If I close my eyes, I might fall back asleep.

But then a loud, authoritative knock on the front door startles me. Amelrik jerks awake, and I get to my feet, my blood running cold.

Crap. I was supposed to warn Cedric. We were. I can’t remember much about last night after I basically passed out after casting the binding spell so many times, but I shouldn’t have let myself fall asleep. We should have gotten out of here first.

I hear footsteps, and then Cedric and Leif come in from the bedroom. Both of them look tired and sick. They’ve both got long sleeves on, hiding the makeshift dragon rings I made for them, but I imagine the skin around the horseshoes turning red and agitated, my magic slowly poisoning them.

There’s another knock, and then a stern voice shouts, “Open up! On the authority of Governor Claybourne, we have the right to search this house!”

Cedric’s face goes paler than it already was, making him look even more sick.

“Paladins,” Amelrik whispers, jumping up from the couch, wide awake now.

Leif glances around at all the junk, then gives Cedric a worried look.

I don’t know how Cedric’s going to explain all this stuff to them. And from the expressions on his and Leif’s faces, I’m guessing some of it’s incriminating. I mean, they’d have to actually find the incriminating stuff amongst all the junk first, but still. And if they figure out that Cedric’s a dragon… Maybe Leif would come out of it unscathed. Maybe they’d believe he had no idea. But there’s no mistaking the resemblance between Cedric and Amelrik, and it wouldn’t take a genius to piece together that they’re related. And maybe you can date a dragon without also being one—which I know firsthand—but you can’t really be related to one and have the same thing still be true.

“If you don’t open up this instant, we’ll have no choice but to break down the door!”

Cedric tries to smile as he opens it for them. “Can I help you?”

Three paladins stand outside the house. Two of them are the same ones we saw at the inn last night—Blackarrow and Elmhurst. The other one… I’ve never seen her before, but her insignia marks her as a Carver.

A shiver runs down my spine.

The Blackarrow pushes his way in. “We have orders to search the… house.” He falters as he actually looks around and sees all the junk everywhere.

“Holy…” The Elmhurst shakes her head. “What is this?”

“It’s nothing,” Cedric says, scowling at them.

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