by G. Bailey
“They are here and on their way, princess,” the seer woman says, like she knows my thoughts.
“Good. Are they well?” I ask, continuing forward and leaving Jenny in the crowd. I stop right in front of the woman, and she stands up, towering over me as she is much taller. I still keep eye contact and hold my ground.
“Is that really the only question you wish to ask, lost princess?” she chuckles and starts walking around me with measured steps, examining me slowly. “Don’t you want to ask if you are a prisoner about to meet her death . . . or if we side with you?”
“I will not ask either of those because I already know the answer. Yes, I am your prisoner, and you do not know whether you want to side with me or not. If you didn’t want to truly consider which queen you want on the throne, I would be dead already,” I reply, and she nods, going back to her seat and sitting down. We watch each other closely, neither one of us saying a word as the warm wind blows my hair around my face.
“Isola!” I hear Dagan shout, and I turn, seeing him, Elias, and Thorne being dragged through the crowd in handcuffs. They all look a bit worse for wear, especially Elias, who is covered in dirt and has a cut on his cheek. I go to step towards them when Melody walks out of the crowd, shaking her head as she stops next to Elias. She isn’t handcuffed, and she has clean clothes on. A light-blue cloak, leather clothes, and she has clearly showered. So, they apparently trust her.
“The princess that is always lost wants us to fight for her!” the woman shouts out, catching my attention, and there is laughter in the crowd as my cheeks light up.
“Essna, you must hear her out,” Melody shouts back, pushing past a seer that tries to stop her and comes to stand at my side.
“I have listened to you all day, and I understand what you need . . . but I know from one look where her loyalty lies. What the princess truly wants,” Essna says, her blue eyes watching me like she has won some great prize.
“What do you think that is?” I ask Essna, and her eyes purposefully travel to my guards and stay there.
“Them, you are in love with your dragon guards. The only dragons in this world who you are forbidden to love, and yet, you fell. Why would we want a rebel who doesn’t follow or respect rules to be our queen? Who would trust a princess who let a curse take her loves’ dragons?” she asks, her voice echoing around the crowd, and everyone hears. I glance at my guards, who don’t seem upset by her words like I am. If I could have stopped the curse, I would have. I never wanted the curse to take their dragons. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
“I want to break the curse. The curse should never have been placed upon the guards," I say firmly.
“Yet, you are here to ask for help to take the throne back. Which is it you want more, Isola Dragice? Your dragon guards free and the curse broken . . . or the throne,” she asks, and I know she is testing me.
“Both,” I answer.
“You cannot have everything in life. So, I will make you an offer. I will fight for you, and my army will side with you . . . only if you choose us over your guards. Make it clear to me that the throne means everything to you, and when you get it back, you will dedicate your entire life to fixing the mistakes of your father and his wife,” she says, but the calculating smirk on her face tells me all I need to know. This isn’t a real offer because she knows my answer, and she wants to drag it out for our audience.
“I will always fight for my dragon guards. I will always choose them. They are mine, and I am theirs," I state, walking up to the seer and not backing down. I'm their queen, not simply some stranger asking for help.
"The queen can only belong to the throne and the people it rules. A queen lost to her guards is no queen we want to follow or support," the seer responds, raising her hand, and I see several seers in cloaks walk over, surrounding us. Melody gives me a worried look, but my focus is on the little flash of silver I see at her hip as she steps closer to me.
“I am not asking. I am demanding,” I say, and I reach across, sliding the dagger out from Melody’s belt and holding it to my neck as shocked gasps fill the air.
“No, Isola, don’t!” I hear Thorne shout. Growls emanate from my dragon guards as they fight their way over to me, but I don’t look away from Essna. This is about me and her, nothing and no one else matters right now.
“I will use my last words to cast a curse, a curse on you that will make sure no one ever forgets the name Isola Dragice. I am the rightful queen, and I demand you give me fair trial to win your favour . . . or you should hope the magic is kind to you upon my death," I say, trying not to swallow with how nervous I am. Essna stares at me and finally lifts her hands into the air, stopping her people from coming near me. I wait for her people to move away, and I feel my dragon guards right behind me as I lower the dagger, holding it at my side.
“Impressive. There may be more to you yet, Isola Dragice,” Essna says quietly, and stands up, raising her voice. “The princess is offered two trials for two prizes. The first will be the answer to breaking the dragon guard curse. The second will be to win our help in the war that she will bring to Dragca.”
“What are the trials?” Melody asks Essna, who smiles like Melody is asking exactly what she wanted.
“On the blue moon in one week, she must enter the cave of memory. If she can make it to the other side, she will learn how to break the curse. The second trial will be on the yellow moon, three days after the blue moon, and you will not be told in advance what it entails,” Essna tells me, and I glance at Melody, who shakes her head.
“This is unfair! No dragon has survived in the cave! Seers can barely make it through without losing their minds!” Melody exclaims, not exactly making me feel better about this cave. I watch as her eyes glaze over, and she stands very still. I think she is having a vision when suddenly her eyes pop open, and she stares right at me.
“She is no normal dragon, and she may take her light spirit with her. I’m sure she knows enough light magic that she will not miss the loss of her ice powers that the cave will take,” Essna waves a hand as she speaks, and I finally look away from Melody.
“Make your choice,” Essna says to me.
“I have one request first,” I ask.
“Go on,” Essna retorts, looking annoyed.
“My guards, my sister, and Darth are all to be treated as guests. Not as prisoners, and you must heal Korbin,” I state, holding my hands on my hips, the dagger still in my hand.
“Korbin has been healed already. His parents have taken him,” Essna says flippantly, and I try not to show the emotion on my face, though my relief is immense. “As for your other wishes, they are allowed as long as you take the trials. We are seers, and we look after those who we side with.”
“Then I agree to your offer. I will take the trials,” I say, knowing that I’ve likely just signed my death warrant. The cave of memory sounds like the last place I want to be or will be able to survive alone, without my powers.
“Can she take someone into the cave with her?” Thorne asks, stepping to my side, close enough that his arm brushes against mine.
“If anyone is going with Isola, it will be me or my brother. Not you,” Elias snaps, pulling Thorne’s shoulder, so he has to step back from my side as he shakes Elias off.
“Don’t fight, now is not the time,” I turn my head to whisper harshly at them as they glare at each other, clearly seconds away from fighting once again.
“No, the trial is for Isola only. She must do this alone,” Essna snaps.
“I see him benefitting from travelling the cave. The past needs to be revealed; you should allow it,” Melody says, and Essna narrows her eyes at her.
“You are not your mother. You are not even a full seer, so do not think you have the right to tell me what I should and should not do!” Essna practically growls, standing up.
“I meant no disrespect,” Melody starts, but her expression says otherwise. “I only speak what the visions have shown me. He is meant to travel the c
ave with Isola. Thorne even feels the pull to his past, and that is why he is asking to go. We never used to ignore the visions that we are sent to guide us. I didn’t realise things had changed so much since my mother was in charge.” Essna’s face narrows on Melody as people whisper in the crowds, and Melody simply smiles like she just won a prize at a circus.
“Nothing has changed. We still respect the magic of Dragca and trust in the visions she blesses us with,” Essna snaps out, and slowly sighs as she glances at the people. “The fake king shall go with the princess. That is all for today.” Essna quickly holds one hand in the air, and all the people copy her move.
“One more thing . . . is my uncle here?” I ask her, and she breathes out an aggrieved sigh again.
“No. He was, but he went to Earth to look for you. We haven’t seen him in a while, but I’m sure he will return here when he realises you are no longer on Earth." She lowers her hand with her sharp words, and quickly walks away. The crowd all walk back to wherever they came from until there is just us, all standing together quietly. Jenny walks over, handing a key to me which I accept before she scurries off without a word. I quickly realise the key is for the handcuffs on my guards, and I turn to Thorne first.
“That was stupid. I could die in that cave, and now you might, too,” I mutter angrily, undoing his cuffs which fall to the floor. Thorne catches my hand before I can turn away, making me look up at him. I hate how attractive he is, even with his blond hair all messy and littered with dirt and leaves. His stupidly perfect face stares down at me like I’m his everything, and all I can feel is anger. And hate. I hate him, remember that Isola.
“I’ve told you before, hate me all you want, but I am not leaving your side. You will not die in that cave. We will get through it together, or I will at least make sure to find a way you will survive,” he tells me, locking his eyes with mine and making me stare into those pale-blue eyes that remind me who he really is.
“Let’s hope so, or Dragca will have no dragon heirs to the throne left to stop your mother,” I pull away, and he lets me go, averting his eyes because he knows I am right. If we both die in that cave, there is no one left. I sigh as I rub my forehead, knowing things just got a million times more complicated. I walk over to Dagan and Elias who are talking quietly. Their conversation stops when I get to them, like that isn't suspicious at all. I raise my eyebrows at them, just as I notice something.
“I guess we all have a lot to talk about, but first, where is Bee?”
Chapter Eleven
Isola
“Bee is with Korbin. She didn’t want to leave him alone. Darth went with them, and he said he would watch over her,” Dagan tells me as I unlock his handcuffs after undoing Elias’s. Dagan rubs his wrists, looking at me through his fringe, which has fallen into his face, and frowning. He gently places his hand on my cheek, rolling his lip ring around as I relax into his hand for a second. “It’s going to be okay.” Melody clears her throat, snapping me and Dagan out of the little moment we had.
“Do you know where Korbin is?” I ask. I want to see him, even if his parents are looking after him. I need to see that they have a cure, and if there is anything else I can do to help.
“Yep. In fact, his parents want to meet you,” Elias grins. “Ready to meet the parents, naughty princess?”
“I didn’t think of it like that, but erm, yes,” I say, suddenly feeling nervous. What if they don’t like me? What if they don’t think I’m good enough for their son?
“They will love you,” Melody says, clearly guessing what I’m thinking and smiling at me. “I’m going to sort out accommodations for us all and have a snoop around. I want to find out what the second trial will be. I don’t like that she didn’t tell us. Seers have many ways to kill dragons, and I’m not letting my sister go into an unfair trial.” I smile at her words, loving how protective we have become over each other in such a short time.
“We shouldn’t have split up. I don’t trust everyone here not to try and kill us,” I say before she can walk away from us.
“I will go with her,” Thorne offers, stepping to Melody’s side.
“Thanks,” I tell him, only glancing his way briefly.
“Come on then, blondie,” Melody says, not looking entirely happy about Thorne following after her, but I know she sees the reason in it. We can’t trust this place, not yet.
“Princess Isola. Princess Isola’s dragon guards,” Jenny says from behind me, and I turn to see her standing behind me, bowing her head, and two other women stand next to her. I instantly scent that they are human, and when they lower their hoods, I believe they must be Jenny’s children. The teenagers look like her, anyway. They have the same hair, similar features, and they give me a nervous glance.
“We wish for you to come with us and choose your weapons for the trials. I am also to take your guards to select new clothing to wear while they are here,” she says, and Dagan places his hand on my shoulder as he steps to my side.
“I will choose the weapons for the princess and the clothes for myself, my brother, and Thorne,” Dagan says, and I watch the two teenagers giggle as they stare at Dagan.
Kill, nice meal these humans, my dragon growls, pushing for me to shift.
No! Dagan looks like a god, you can’t blame them for finding him hot, I try to reason with her, and she huffs.
“Everything okay?” Dagan asks me, snapping me out of my head. I turn to him, leaning up and kissing him thoroughly, loving how his lip ring pushes against my lips.
“Everything is fine, my dragon was just getting a little jealous,” I admit to him, forgetting that there is anyone else here as Dagan slides his hand to the back of my head and takes my lips passionately. His lips press against mine, marking me, and making me completely unaware of anything other than his kiss until he breaks away.
“There is nothing to be jealous of,” he whispers against my lips, the chill from his lip ring a direct opposite of his warm lips. It feels amazing, and I wish we were alone.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Elias drawls from my other side as Dagan and I break away and see Jenny narrowing her eyes at me with her hands on her hips.
“Young people, always frolicking. Come on with me if you think you can manage to pry yourself away from the princess, Mr. Fire,” Jenny scolds, and I try not to laugh at her annoyed face as she turns, walking away with her daughters trailing behind her. Dagan winks at me before following her, and I turn to Elias, who holds out a hand. I slide my hand into his, and he pulls me close to his side as we walk across the clearing towards a path in the trees. I look over at two women watching us near a table as they fold clothes. I still see the look of desire they flash Elias. The growl slips from my lips before I can stop it, and they jump, giving me a fearful look before scampering away.
“That’s not the way to make friends, princess,” Elias laughs.
“My dragon is a little possessive,” I reply, not apologising for it. They could clearly see us close together and should have figured out he is off limits.
“Mine, too,” he kisses the side of my head. “But yours has nothing to worry about.” I don’t answer him, knowing nothing is really certain between any of us, and that’s why my dragon worries. She won’t stop being jealous and irrational until mating with them. Dragons are naturally territorial of what they think of as theirs. Unfortunately for me, my dragon thinks sexy guys are like jewels. And she wants to hoard them all, keeping them for herself.
“How is your arm?” he asks, and I automatically glance at it. It’s really weird how you have to look when someone asks about something.
“It’s okay, I don’t think it will be long before I can take it off,” I answer. It is feeling a lot better. I will be glad to take the bandage off later.
“You were amazing today, you know that?” he says, watching as two seers pass us, not even looking our way.
“I don’t think amazing is the right word to describe it. I haven’t gotten any of them on my side or believ
ing in me,” I respond quietly. “How did my father and my family before him just get people to follow them?” I ask the question I keep wondering. I know one of my ancestors won a war and that made him king, but how did my family never get kicked off the throne until now? I know we are stronger than fire dragons, but there are only so many of us, and every generation there are less. I always wondered what would have happened if I had a child with Jace and who that child would have mated with. With no ice heirs, it would have had to be a fire dragon, and then everyone would find out that fire and ice dragons can have children together like Thorne. Fire was always heading towards the throne, one way or another. My father wasn’t a stupid man, he would have thought this all through, so what was his plan?
“By being a leader, a ruler. By being a light they could follow when it felt like darkness was all that was left," he tells me. I don’t reply as we follow the path, walking past more huts until we are quite far out in the woods.
“How do you become a leader?” I ask, because it’s clear I do not have a clue.
“By being inspirational,” he shrugs. “I always used to hear tales of the king and queen, and how even though they had their issues, they were inspirational to see.”
“Then this is hopeless. I’m not an inspiration to anyone. I’m a princess of a world I wasn’t even brought up in, a princess that let her father be killed and then forgot who she was. A princess that didn’t even want the throne in the first place,” I say, starting to panic as everything collapses in on me. What the hell am I doing trying to get the throne back? Why aren’t I running away like a smart person would? Elias pulls me to him, tucking my head under his chin as I try to calm down. When it becomes hard to breathe, I start to panic more, not knowing what is happening to me.