The Rising King Read Online Free Page A

show her exactly how fine I am. I lean close and whisper in her ear, “I wish we could go back to the room. To that bed…” The thud of my heart grows stronger. I pull her closer.
    “Dylan?” she asks, her voice sweet and breathy.
    “I’m more than fine.” I kiss her, pulling her deeper into my thoughts, and she sighs, kissing me back until I’m the one who pulls away. Her eyes are closed and the tip of her tongue darts across her full lips, holding on to the taste of me, just like I’ve done with her so many times before. “You’re just as human as I am, you know.”
    She slowly opens her eyes and her mouth tilts into a mischievous smile. “But you have had more practice at it.”
    Signe clears her throat. “Kera, they really need you at the coliseum.” She grabs Kera’s hand and gently tugs.
    “I have to go.” I can tell she doesn’t want to, but she isn’t like other girls. Her whole life has been about putting others before herself. Even me. She’s hanging close because she really is worried.
    It’s then I see purple shadows beneath her eyes. How long has she been awake, watching me? Caring for me? Worrying about me? I gently rub my thumb beneath her right eye, willing the color to lighten. It doesn’t. I kiss her forehead. “Go. I’m fine.” She hesitates and I give her a little push toward the door. “Really.”
    Signe tugs again and Kera begins to back away, saying, “Wyatt and the others are waiting for you. If you need me, just call.”
    Nearby I see the stunted, impossibly pale figure of Bodog. His stubby legs shift uncomfortably in a room filled with so many firsts. His large hands, used for digging his tunnels, white-knuckle the walking stick he carries as if he expects to use it to defend himself any moment. I catch his eye and nod after Kera. He nods back and trails her as she leaves.
    Ever since I defeated Navar, Teag has been through one crisis after another. Finding the protective spells gone, it isn’t a shock that Teag has attracted the attention of the greedy kings from the surrounding countries.
    Their spies infiltrated our cities and it didn’t take long for them to find out Baun had lost his power and that his newfound son was giving orders. I guess I don’t instill the same kind of fear in their hearts as my father once had.
    “Hey there, sunshine,” Wyatt shouts from across the room, “nice to see you’re finally up and able to join the party.”
    I make my way to Wyatt and his brother Reece, my friends and the only full humans in the room. I trust them with my life. They’re surrounded by a small group of firsts who are poring over maps and arguing.
    “He was attacked by millispits,” Reece says in my defense, then snaps his fingers at Halim, a half-human, half- first orphan boy who has a bad case of hero worship toward Reece, and thumbs him out. The boy immediately runs out of the room on some errand.
    “Yeah.” Wyatt snickers. “Those little slimy beasties are like, what? Two inches long?” He holds up his hands to indicate their diminutive size and shakes dramatically. “Scaaarrry.”
    Reece smacks his brother with a rolled-up map. “I nearly died when they attacked me, you jerk.”
    “Not surprised. Dad always said you were a girl in a dude’s body.”
    “He did not.”
    “Why would I lie?” Wyatt says with a straight face.
    I look between the two. “And this is why I’m glad I don’t have a brother.”
    “Hey.” Wyatt slings an arm around his brother’s shoulders. “We love each other, right?” He squeezes his brother tight.
    “Just not right now.” Reece struggles out of the embrace and changes the subject. “Have you heard? While you’ve been protecting the human realm from weird Teag stuff, Wyatt let the council send all our troops away.”
    I turn to Wyatt, and he frowns at his brother. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”
    “Nope.” Reece leans his hip against the table and crosses his arms over his chest.
    Wyatt turns