Dawn of Cobalt Shadows (Burning Empire Book 2) by Emma Hamm (free novels to read TXT) 📗

They were the ones who had requested he marry Sigrid. They were the ones who thought such an alliance would stop the war, although he now knew they had other intentions the entire time.

Now, they could live with the consequences.

Gathering his dignity close, Abdul straightened his shoulders and loudly sniffed. “We’re well aware of your opinions, and while we do not agree with them, we thought perhaps there is a way for all of us to get what we want.”

Nadir leaned back in his chair, noting the dark expression on Abdul’s face. What had his advisor planned out? “I hardly think that possible, advisor, but perhaps you can teach me something new after all.”

Abdul lifted a hand and snapped his fingers. One of the other advisors, a person who should have thought of themselves at the same station, rushed to the doors behind Nadir and opened them.

He would not shift. He would not move to look behind him until they brought whatever it was before him. A sultan did not have to move unless he wanted to.

The clanking of chains reached his ears. He didn’t know of any prisoners. Not yet, at least.

Nadir gritted his teeth so hard he could hear them, but stilled his body in anticipation. He could not show them any kind of response, because that was what they wanted. This entire council enjoyed playing games. It didn’t matter that it was another person’s life. A game was still a game.

His gaze locked with Abdul’s, then Nadir parted his lips in a sneer. “What have you done, advisor?”

“Only what you would have done, Sultan.”

Before he could ask what that meant, a woman walked in front of him, trailed by the other advisor who had let her into the room. There were two armored guards behind her, their helms gleaming and reflecting rainbows of light as they passed by the windows.

His attention didn’t stay on the guards, however, but the woman who walked in front of them. She must have been a beauty in her day. Her dark hair gleamed even through the matted tangles, and her skin was caramel smooth. Unfortunately, it was also dotted with hundreds of scars.

They’d dressed her in little more than a sack. It hung from her figure limp and loose, but the closer Nadir looked, the more he realized it wasn’t because she was thin or malnourished. Instead, the clothing was simply too big. Muscles bulged from her arms, impressive in size and strength.

This was no weak woman.

She glanced up at him, as if she felt his gaze, and her eyes seared him to the bone. There was so much hatred locked in her eyes, along with a desire to live that resonated within her soul.

Manacles encircled her wrists, connected with a chain that looped through a metal collar at her neck. The clanking sounds echoed in the room, but he didn’t care so much about the bindings. He’d seen many more people in chains than most would in their entire lives.

What he did care about was the way her eyes flashed from human to animal. Back and forth, almost uncontrollably as if they had done something to her.

A growl rumbled in his chest. “Who is this?”

Abdul swept the long train of his tunic to the side and strode toward the captive woman. “You wanted a way to encourage the people to trust. This is, perhaps, the most dangerous Beastkin woman we’ve ever encountered. To show them that this one can change would go a long way in convincing them that your intentions are to protect Bymerians.”

“And how am I supposed to convince them of that?”

His advisor ignored Nadir for a moment, moving in front of the captive woman and tucking a finger underneath her chin. To her credit, she stared at Abdul with just as much hatred and anger as before. He hadn’t managed to intimidate her.

A smile spread across Abdul’s face, but it wasn’t a nice one. “There are ways to break a mind. We’ll work with her, tame this creature, and you can show the rest of Bymere that Beastkin can change. We can train them to be more than just animals.”

Fire burned in Nadir’s chest. It seared his bones and sizzled in his veins until he was little more than rage. Forcing his words to remain steady, Nadir replied, “We are not animals, advisor. Or perhaps, you have forgotten that a Beastkin sits upon the throne.”

“By choice of the people.” Abdul looked over his shoulder, finger digging into the woman’s neck. “And that choice can change just as easily as it was made.”

Nadir didn’t want to admit that he was correct. It was hard enough to have his secret out in the world. People still flinched away from him in fear when he walked the streets. As they should. He was a dragon, after all, and could easily destroy the entire city if he wanted to.

But he didn’t want to. The fact was an important one that he needed his people to understand fully and completely. Unfortunately, he couldn’t convince his people of that without the support of the council.

His fingers curled around the arms of the chair he sat in, squeezing so hard he was surprised the fragile wood didn’t shatter under the force of his rage. Pushing himself to standing, he flicked his fingers at Abdul.

“Move.”

Abdul stepped back just enough so that it appeared he respected Nadir’s authority. But not so far that he couldn’t overhear everything Nadir would say to the Beastkin woman. Let him. Nadir didn’t care if his advisors heard the words he was about to let slip off his tongue. They no longer ruled here, although they liked to think they had him pinned down.

He let the thoughts fall away from him and stood in front of the Beastkin woman. Not a single clue marked her body to hint at what she might be. Her eyes, though changing back and forth from human,