Chapter 282 CHAPTER 282

Chapter 282 CHAPTER 282
"Alira, have you forgotten you can control the air around you?" The Dragon King reminded me.

My mind instantly reconnected to my power again and I corrected course, two feet from slamming my head into the grassy ground.

The noises around me stopped all at once as they watched me slowly descend to the ground.

But I ignored them, turning my head up to see the King looking at me with a frown.

He cheated and he has the guts to be upset?
Is his pride so large that he'll rather lead this kingdom to ruin because of it?

Well, not on my damn watch.

Florian got to me first and hugged me tight.

"I was so fucking terrified," he whispered in my hair.

"That was close," Draco's voice came from behind him, "thank the stars you're in one piece."

"But I lost," I grumbled, still feeling rage in my blood.

"The King can't be challenged, unfortunately," Zade added the last part with anger in his eyes.

"Let's go back. He can lead his war and do whatever he wants."

"I'm not doing that," I snapped, turning away from them and heading towards the King who was coming down from his dragon with a sullied face.

"Your Majesty," I bowed a little, trying not to be overly disrespectful despite how I felt.

"Alira. You're clearly not ready to lead us into this war. But fret not, you can stay by my side as I lead our people to victory."

"As a hound dog?" I hissed, but took a deep breath, "Can we have a rematch?"

"What? Learn how to accept defeat, daughter of Zhar, that's the way of our people."

Yeah, right. Thanks for the alienation.

"I doubt we'll go into the land of the Faes brandishing arrows and shields. So this isn't how to really know what I can do," I insisted.

He narrowed his eyes, and I watched his hands tighten in a bloody fist and his jaw crackled.

I looked him in the eye instead.

"Alira," I felt Draco's hand on my shoulder, "let's go. The King has a lot on his plate today."

"That's more important than our victory? You're powerful but you asked for this power to be brought to you, Your Majesty. Let's see if it's whatever they say it is. Why keep your strongest weapon behind when it could clear the path for everyone else?"

"Alira.." Draco ground out, but I took a step forward.

All eyes stayed on us, and the King looked at them, his dignity on the line.

My dragons insist on me leading this war and I have failed them once, that's not happening again.

"Fine," he threw causally, "let's see what's so special about this power anyway."

I held back from grinning like a maniac.

The thing is, I've felt the King's power, how overwhelming it is.

But mine isn't like an ocean blanketing everything else, it reaches inside and tears defences apart and I plan to make him feel as pissed off as I was.

Besides, a King playing such cheap tricks is annoying, and I won't be comfortable letting him lead me into a life-or-death situation so I knew to put my all in this.
"Clear the way everyone," Prince Caelen called from behind and gradually, I wasn't being assaulted by different scents.

Just the King's rage as he breathed hard and the weird-smelling shampoo we'd found in the Palace bathroom this morning.

I was ready for his surprise attack this time, raising my hands around the same time and we released our fire.

Raw flames poured from our hands and clashed at the middle, the ferocity of it knocking us both back a step.

But I leaned in, driving all my rage with this weird King into my fire.

His own charged forward, harder, and more intensely.
He's been doing this for centuries. He wasn't King by chance like his son had been, he had fought enough rage-fuelled battles that this was like child's play to him.

My feet scraped the ground as he pushed me backwards, grunting and still managing to grin.

That's what pissed me off.

Valyra wasn't pregnant anymore, so I didn't have any guilt pulling everything out, and using the power as a battery, and I pushed.

Hard.

Okay, maybe a little too hard.

His scream was more of shock before the satisfying sound of his back hitting the ground reached my ears.

Chaos erupted, the King was on the ground, his fire leaking into the green grass.

I pulled mine back and stood still, looking him in the eyes.

It wasn't intended as disrespect, but he has to acknowledge what was more important here and it wasn't his pride.

I'd just eliminated that anyway.

What I got was rage, "lock her up immediately!" He roared emotionally.

I rolled my eyes and turned around to leave, but he pulled me again, his control overpowering my senses.

I collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain as he squeezed tighter, making me unable to breathe.

My dragons growled but nothing changed.

"I told you not to piss him off," I heard Draco's voice from the distance.

"Can you leave the girl alone?!" I heard Florian's snap, and I would have smiled if I hadn't been struggling to get out of this hell.

The guards finally got that rope around my hands and the pain suddenly ebbed away.

"You disrespectful child," I heard the King's growl from behind me, "throw her in the dungeons. I'll lead my people to war two weeks from now. If I die in battle, then I will accept defeat and you can rule the ashes left of Drakkonia!"

They pulled me away, my power boiling hot but unable to escape the hold of the rope.

My hands couldn't produce fire.

I heard my men begging, trying to get the King to change his mind.

But they failed to understand what this was about.

Power.

If I win, he'll have to watch his Kingdom shift their attention to me.

If only he knew that sending me into this war ahead of everyone might assure him victory and also end my life, he wouldn't be so resistant.

"But Your Majesty," General Thorne's voice wafted into my ears as I was led away, "how do we go to war without the girl who can read the book?"

I didn't hear his response, the large doors shut behind me and the climb to the dungeons high up in the sky began for me.