Free Dragonmark by Sherrilyn Kenyon Page A

the hatred he pinned her with. “What ruse? What are you talking about?”
    Where’s your brother, Edilyn?
    â€œHe should be where we left him.” She headed for the stone steps that led up to the bedchambers. “Virag!”
    When her brother didn’t answer, a bad feeling went through her. One that wasn’t helped by the accusatory suspicion in Illarion’s eyes.
    You betrayed me!
    â€œWhat? No! Why would you think that?”
    I think nothing. I know it for a fact. You had no interest in taking me out of here except to give your brother time to pilfer through my chambers and take from them!
    Those words slapped her. “That is wholly untrue! Virag would never do such a thing and I damn sure didn’t!”
    Don’t lie to me! Think you I don’t know every single item I keep? That I can’t smell every place your brother snooped in my absence? My whole cave reeks of his stench. Illarion raked her with a cold, lethal stare that would have infuriated her in turn had she not seen the tormented pain behind it. I commend your acting abilities. You took me for a fool entirely.
    â€œIllarion…” She reached to touch him.
    He pulled back sharply. I hope whatever he took was worth the price of turning his sister into a whore for it.
    All sympathy for him fled at the harshness of those words. “How dare you!”
    How dare you ! he snarled in return. Get out! Never let me catch either of you here again or so help me, I will be the beast you fear most.
    He’d barely finished speaking before she found herself standing out in the middle of her village—still dressed in the samite and with her bow and quiver resting at her feet. Everyone there turned to stare at her.
    Including Brenin Cynfryn and Morla. Their amused, judging gazes all said they knew that her dragon had repudiated her. A few, including Nesta and Morla, even went so far as to snicker and smile in smug satisfaction.
    Too horrified and humiliated to speak, she retrieved her bow and quiver with as much dignity as she could muster, and headed back to her hovel, all the while choking back her tears.
    Nay, this day had not turned out the way she’d planned at all.
    As bad as she’d thought it could be, this was so much worse. Where was Virag? Could he have really pilfered from Illarion’s treasure? Why would he have done such a thing?
    She didn’t want to believe her brother capable of such a dastardly deed and yet …
    Everything had been like a dream with Illarion until then. His anger had been too real to be feigned. His wrath too absolute. For whatever reason, her brother had betrayed them both and abandoned her to Illarion’s fury. He knew the one rule her dragon had made for them—they could use any item there, but were to leave with nothing.
    Why, Virag? Why? Why would you have done this to me?
    Heartbroken, she sat on her bed and cried.
    *   *   *
    Illarion cursed at the absence of his dragonstone. Without it, he lacked the ability to heal himself. And it wasn’t like he could get another. Between mankind and other fey creatures, they’d stolen them, down to only a tiny handful. Slaughtered his brethren for them until the world was all but devoid of what had once been in abundant supply.
    He’d been one of the very last drakomai to possess one, and only because Max had given his to him out of guilt over what had happened to him as a dragonet.
    Dammit! He knew better than to trust anyone, especially a human and a sneaky kikimora. Was he really so desperate for kindness that he’d be such an easy fool for her?
    The answer was obvious. He was all kinds of stupid. Max would be the first to beat him over this.
    And he deserved it.
    Sick to his stomach, he wished he could still roar. Anything to vent the fury inside him that craved blood.
    Trying to calm himself, he focused on the one bright spot of the day. At least the kikimora hadn’t