Free Broken Prince (The Broken Ones) by Jen Wylie Page B

it, Garen?" She stepped up beside
him, resting a hand on his back.
    Run!
    She looked down at him. His voice in her mind had
quivered with fear, as if he'd struggled just to get that one word out. Yet he
didn't look afraid, he looked ready to take on an army.
    "I see you have made a new friend," Damon
said, walking into her view.
    She pursed her lips and glared at him as she stepped
forward, putting herself between him and Garen.
    The Dragos was dangerous. He also had no qualms about
hurting her friends. The last time he'd come Kei had attacked him, so had
Prince. Neither had hurt him, he was simply too powerful.
    She glanced back at Garen, Do not attack him. It
won't do any good.
    He growled in response, but his head lowered slightly,
which she took to mean he'd actually listen to her. Hopefully the others didn't
know Damon had come. If she could keep them out of it, she would. They tended
to try to protect her too much. She didn't want them hurt at her expense again.
    "Hello, Damon," she said, struggling to make
the words come out calmly.
    A smile spread across his handsome face as he stopped
a few steps in front of her. "Arowyn. It's been a while."
    "Not long enough." She forced a smile,
trying to make light of her words. She had to be careful. He could get angry so
quickly.
    He chuckled. "Now, now. Last time I believe I was
quite helpful to you."
    Yes, he'd come back, and answered some of their
questions, mostly concerning Prince, who had left them. But Prince had only
left because Damon had torn his glamor away and shown them all he was an Elf. This
was of course after Damon had ripped through her mind, destroying all of her
inner defenses, nearly destroying her.
    She didn't like him. Of course, she didn't understand
him either. Though he mostly looked human, he wasn't, his true form being a monstrous
dragon.
    He cocked his head to the side, his strange iridescent
eyes with their vertical slits seeming to swirl. "I take it you didn't
miss me?"
    "We've been busy," she said quickly. "Trying
to get Prince home." She bit her tongue. She shouldn't have mentioned the
others.
    However Damon merely nodded. Perhaps he actually
remembered. He stared at her intently. "You seem stronger."
    She tensed, waiting for him to invade her mind,
waiting for the pain of it. It didn't come, not yet, however she didn't know
what to say.
    His gazed went past her, back to Garen. "You have
them all now. Perhaps that is why."
    She had no idea what he was talking about. Not really.
She guessed he referred to her friends being from all of the races, human, Elf,
Were, Fey. However she didn't know how that could be important. She hoped there
hadn't been something about them in the stupid prophecies he liked to prattle
on about all the time. She doubted she'd be so lucky.
    "You're very quiet this time," he said,
breaking her thoughts.
    "I don't really have a lot to say."
    "You just never know what I want you to tell me."
    She clenched her fists, trying to stay calm, trying
not to say something sarcastic or stupid which would cause problems. "You
should ask then, if you have a question."
    He smiled. It was a little smile, he was not amused. "That
takes too much time, you don't say everything. I like to see for myself."
    "Stay out of my mind," she said sharply. The
edges of panic crept over her. She knew what was coming, knew she couldn't stop
it. No one could. She wanted to run, but knew he'd catch her. He'd probably
love that, some extra excitement. She shifted slightly from one foot to the
other, waiting.
    "You…" he paused and looked over one
shoulder then the other.
    She looked as well, confused, until she saw all the
others come forward out of the trees, even Prince. They had circled him.
Idiots. She ground her teeth, furious they had come.
    She carefully focused a thought at Garen. Did you
call them?
    Yes. I felt him to be a threat. Was I wrong?
    She tried to stay calm and to not yell at Garen. He
didn't know. She'd never gotten around to telling