The Crystal Dragon Series Collection

by Katie Cherry

  Hunter’s eyes slide down the field, taking in the hunched over form of Patrick. He may look busy discussing swords with another of his men, but Hunter knew better from the gleam of his eyes as they flash over to watch Scourge’s struggle. He has no idea why Patrick would care about Scourge, though. He had certainly never shown the boy any kind of kindness or favoritism.

  Perhaps he was simply still plotting against Hunter, thinking about how his best friend’s injury would affect his leadership. Hunter’s lip curls up at the realization. He’s still looking for a weak link in my armor so he can get Dexter to put him back in charge. That idiot. He should have realized by now- regardless of how incompetent I am or may become, he’s made far too many mistakes. Dexter is far more likely to replace us both than to ever put Patrick back in charge.

  Sighing, he finally stops his pacing. Closing his eyes, he focuses on the moment, calming his nerves and his scattered thoughts. No more revenge for Scourge, rescue for Alyssa, or mutiny from Patrick. Nothing was happening right now, after all. Just his men below him, panting as they work and train together. The soft snap of bowstrings, the grunting as maces are swung, swishing, through the air, and the ringing of a multitude of swords dancing across the field. The subdued sweet smell on the breeze, carrying away the stench of bad breath and body odor and occasional metallic tang of blood. Releasing his pent-up breath, Hunter breathes in, deep and slow. He was in control now. He had an army of men willing to do his every bidding. Patrick was of no concern, and honestly, neither was Dexter. They were all in his domain.

  And his domain was about to expand. Hunter closes his eyes once more as he slowly clenches his fist, picturing everything Zilferia had to offer in his grasp. After seventeen years, he had moved out from under Patrick’s shadow. He was the one in control now. It was time for Zilferia to see what it’s scorned Prince had to offer.

  <<>>

  Kate smiles as Zeke’s thumb traces small circles on her hand. He wasn’t even aware that he was doing it, he was just focused on the council meeting as it progressed. The skin between his eyebrows is knitted together as tension pulls at his body. Following his gaze, she understood why. Krasnigor, the mermaid, was speaking, authority ringing through the air. The mermaids put them all on edge. They were warriors, and therefore highly needed for the war, but the Villagers were not. They were trying to handle things their way, which caused the mermaids to butt heads with them as they demanded, time and time again, to storm Patrick’s castle and fight rather than wait to see what the Dragon Hunters were going to do next. She understood their thinking- why wait for a potentially powerful attack as they sit in their homes, their lives vulnerable to going up in flames? But she also understood the King’s position- Hunter was now leading the Dragon Hunters, and this change in leadership made them unpredictable. Would the war continue? It was highly unlikely not to. But would he attack them head-on? No one knew. And no one wanted to march into a potential trap, trying to drag the fight onto the Dragon Hunters’ own territory.

  Especially since Hunter’s fleet of controlled dragons resided there.

  “It would be a slaughterhouse to attempt that!” Zeke finally roars, cutting Krasnigor’s rant off. “They have dragons lying in wait for us there. They have actual soldiers- more than your little band of merfolk. They are ready for an attack of that kind from us.”

  “Your wall will not protect you from the dragons either,” Keyana sneers, stepping up beside her mate.

  “No, but it’s a defense against all those soldiers Zeke mentioned,” Thaddeus gently reminds, trying as always to appease both sides. “We are more prepared for them every day that we wait.”

  “It will never be enough,” Krasnigor growls, his deep voice reverberating through the air. “It is suicide to wait for them to be ready for us, to be exhausting your soldiers to stack rocks to slow the humans.”

  “Are you questioning my leadership?” Alexander growls, standing and putting his hands on the table, pressing into the wood.

  The merman hesitates, then lowers his head slightly. “Of course not, friend of my King. I only hope to give guidance regarding war, considering how inexperienced your land is with it, thanks to the peace you’ve had for most of your reign.” Kate knew he was trying to make the peace sound like a good thing, but it was clear he didn’t actually think it was. The mermaids were always fighting something, even if it wasn’t each other. Peace, to them, was an excuse to get lazy.

  “Well, that’s enough of that for today.” Pushing himself back from the table, he runs a hand through his hair in exasperation. “Everyone may go, we’ll try again in a few days. Try and cool down by then,” he sighs, stepping to stand behind his wife. Quiet murmurs of thanks and goodbye sound as everyone files out of the room, the doors held open by the two guards. Kate makes sure to smile at the young boy who always seemed down about his position. His face lightens every time she does so, and it improves her mood as well. He may not need medical attention, but she could still provide healing in other ways.

  Stepping back into the cold after being helped into her fur coat by Zeke, she takes his hand once more. He doesn’t immediately put on his own coat, but carries it, the heat within him burning hot enough to combat the snow drifting through the air. While she appreciates the heat radiating from his hand to hers, she knows she needs to get him to calm down. Leaning up on her tiptoes, she reaches his cheek with her lips, the scratch of his whiskers poking her mouth a little. She stretches higher and lands another small kiss on the soft skin of his cheekbone.

  Zeke turns to her with a smile, pulling her into his arms. She instantly feels overly warm, but he still feels nice. “Oh, Kate,” he murmurs into her hair. “What are we going to do?”

  “The best we can, regardless of what the council decides- if they can ever reach a decision,” she responds, tracing circles on his chest with her finger. “We will survive this, Zeke. …We have to.”

  He nods, lowering a hand to her belly. “Yes… we do.”

  <<>>

  T kneels in the dirt, his old, sturdy fingers wrapping around the thin, delicate roots, gently coaxing them from the soil. They feel almost like hair in his hands as he brushes the dirt away, revealing their golden color. He sighs, his heart heavy in his chest as he remembers his one and only love in his long life. Recalling how much she loved life and appreciated it and everything around her caused him to do the same. It was part of what made him fall in love with her. He hadn’t felt such reverence for nature in nearly a millennium; so far back his memory stretched thin.

  His soul ached to return to her, but he stops, shaking his head at himself. You can’t go near her- not now. He lectures himself. She’s in too much danger, and you being by her side would only make it worse. Still, the memory of her laugh echoed in his mind, the strength of it when she was young, and the careful energy going into it now that she had aged.

  Staring at the back of his wrinkly hands as he packs up the roots, he feels awe once more that the love of one woman would cause him to give up his youthful body, allowing it to age alongside her. Once she passed, he could always go back, but for now… he enjoyed how it helped him to put himself in her shoes. He knew the ache of her passing would be worse than anything he’d known since the birth of the realms, but he also knew it was worth it to feel the warm glow of love that he had seen, but never experienced.

  Grunting as he pushes himself up from the ground, he walks back toward the hidden door leading to his transporter, each step falling heavier than the last. I never expected a war with Dravyn… but now that it has begun, I fear that neither of us will make it out the other side. And what that might mean for the realms… Sighing heavily, he shakes his head as he reaches his hand out for the doorknob. It doesn’t matter. Things are in motion now that cannot be stopped. Not while Dravyn still holds to that pride of his.

  I only hope the realms will continue to exist and sustain life after I’ve gone.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Rock Bottom
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  Patrick shifts to ease the pressure on his knees as they press into the stone floor. Dipping the scrub brush back into the pail of soapy water, he grumbles to himself. “This is unbecoming of the leader of the Dragon Hunters. I led this group for years, and this… this utter disrespect is what comes of it? ‘A punishment for your stunt on First Earth…’ please. He just wishes he’d thought of it himself.” Staring at the backs of his hands as one supports him against the floor and the other tightly grasps the brush, he feels an unexpected pang in his heart as he recalls the last time he remembered having to clean up someone else’s mess.

  The cottage was small, but orderly. At least… it had been. Before Patrick’s father had thrown the dishes and the remainder of his dinner to the floor; cast aside like his mother had been moments before. He could see her now, from his position on the floor as he picked up the shattered pieces. She was huddled in the corner, a new bruise darkening on her cheekbone, beside a faded one. There was another new bruise on her arm from her fall, and her leg from when she had hit the edge of the table. She sat quietly, not uttering a noise, even as her husband snored from the seat next to her. No tears escaped her eyes, but they looked different than ever before… some kind of new resolve was passing over her features, hardening them as she stared at the wall.

  Tears escaped his eyes, though, falling onto the back of his hands, which were bruised from his own beatings. As every time before, he wonders if it was his fault… because he was Giftless, that his father hated him. It had certainly brought on this newest breakdown. Looking back up at his mother, he etches her form, her face, into his mind. Somehow, he knew. This would be the last time he ever saw her.

  Growling, Patrick yanks himself back to the present, tearing the look of his mother’s bruised face from his mind. Wiping at the one tear that had escaped, he returns his focus to the stone floor, scrubbing harder than ever, fury pulsing through his body with every brush stroke.

  <<>>

  Tiny monkey paws skitter on the strange, smooth surface of the city ground as the escaped Rabazi monkey slides to a halt, feeling the last wisps of connection to the boy disappear at last. Panic and frustration build in him as he runs in circles, hunting for the thread, but to no avail. Letting out the tiniest of sighs, he slips into a nearby corner to wait, hidden in the darkness of the shadow of a nearby building. Draping his paws over his nose as he settles onto the cold, smooth ground, he tries to hide from the smell of salt that seemed to permeate the air, even though he knows it’s futile. Whatever land he’d been taken to was drastically different from his home. Oh, how he missed climbing the trees, racing through the colorful surroundings, and drinking from the sweet water collected in the vast leaves of the trees. Thinking of the juicy bugs that were at least as big as he, his stomach grumbles, causing the tiny monkey to curl up tighter, whimpering quietly to himself.

  His head shoots up from under his paws as he discerns a food-like smell coming from someplace nearby. Leaping toward the source, he finds himself in a metallic pit, surrounded by an assortment of human food. Happily tucking into the remains of fish, fruit, and grains, he feeds his hungry body until the sound of approaching humans reaches his ears. He immediately leaps from the bin, rushing back into the shadows before peering out at the group. There were three of them, looking similar to the human that was with the boy he had connected with, making high-pitched noises to each other. In their hands, each held food that smelled even better than what the Rabazi monkey had just discovered, drawing him out of his hiding place.

  He froze in fear, however, when their eyes all turned toward him. Stuck in place from his desire for food but his fear of these humans, he quivers as he watches them cautiously approach. One reaches a hand out for him and he immediately skitters back a couple of feet before realizing that the human was extending food to him. An offering. Carefully making his way back to the hand, he snatches the bit of fish from the fingers, backing away before shoving it into his mouth. More high-pitched noises ensue, and more food is offered him. He gratefully accepts each morsel until the group finally grows tired of him and leaves.

  Now full and feeling much more relaxed, he curls up in his corner once more, forcing himself to stay awake. He didn’t want to miss the return of the boy he’d connected with, but he also didn’t want to find himself caught unawares by the strange, painful storm that had come before, burning holes into him. He had healed from it quickly enough, but it was an experience he never wanted to have again.

  <<>>

  The boat eventually stops, slowing to rest on the gentle waves above the dark water. I can’t help but catch my breath in panic as I stand and stare down at the sparkling waves, knowing that there’s something huge and dangerous down there- and we were going looking for it. The guys begin jumping off the side of the boat, and Nathan comes up close to my side, concern in his eyes. “You sure you want to do this?” he murmurs. “I just heard what they’re planning to do… Listen, I know we need to get to know these guys, but there’s just no sense in diving straight into danger, right?”

  I pause, debating, but eventually shake my head. “No, we need to do this. We need to gain their trust, and I don’t want to risk losing our opportunity. Besides, they’ve looked before and obviously haven’t found anything, so I doubt the risk is actually as high as it seems. Our lives are riddled with danger- our being on Quagon is a danger. If we don’t mingle and swim with the Quagonians like we’re one of them, the danger increases of the King catching and killing us anyway, right?” Blowing out a deep breath, I turn to him with a smile as Kenyan joins the rest of the guys in the water, leaving us alone on the boat for a moment. “We’ll be fine,” I say comfortingly with a smile I was proud to note held more confidence than I actually felt.

  Stepping off the side of the boat, I slide into the cool water with the others, relieved to find that the upgrade to the ScubaSpec really did take the harshness out of the temperature of the water. The guys all send me a smile before turning and leading the way down. It doesn’t take long for the light to decrease, and as we continue further into the black water, I notice our ScubaSpecs light up the area around us. With the seven of us, it provides decent lighting.

  “Alright,” Drake speaks up. “It’ll still be a while before we reach the bottom, so I figure now’s as good a time as any to introduce everyone! Crystal here is one of the most dedicated people I know, with Nathan being the most loyal. They’re both incredibly good fighters, but other than that, I guess I don’t know much about them myself!” The guys chuckle and flash more smiles at me and give respectful nods to Nathan. I smile at Drake, thankful for his kind words- and for omitting anything that would tip us off as not being Quagonians.

  “This is Aren,” he continues, pointing to the tallest boy. His hair looked blond in the sun, but in the water took on more of a reddish hue. “He’s the jokester of the group. Kenyan is the sensitive one, Sivam is the most curious and observant, and Jax is the most knowledgeable. If you have a question about pretty much anything, he’s your guy. Although Sivam is usually the first to ask the questions,” he chuckles. Sivam looks over at me with his green eyes, and I can now identify the hunger behind them as his curiosity. Unfortunately, he seemed to be extremely interested in me.

  “Speaking of,” he begins, swimming over closer to me, taking Kenyan’s place. “I’m sure there’s more to you than Drake told us. Where are you from?”

  “Keyon,” I reply, immediately recalling my cover story.

  “May I ask the story behind your tattoos?” he continues. A shiver slides down my spine at the question he knew was traditionally more of a personal one. “I’ve noticed that all three are rare and magical.”

  “Maybe that’s because she is too,” Nathan mutters from my other side. Snapping my head over to him, I look at him in surprise. Not only was that dangerously close to leading to a follow-up question as to why I would be considered rare and magical, but it was also an unexpected thing for him to say in t
he first place.

  “Of course,” Sivam mutters in acknowledgment before sliding away from me once more. He keeps his eyes on me, but I immediately relax, relieved that he was backing off.

  “Well he’s not Rex,” I mutter to Nathan.

  He nods in acknowledgment. “Even Hunter doesn’t give me the creepy vibes that guy gives off.”

  As soon as he finishes, I notice a small movement behind his head. Noticing the shift in my gaze, he slowly spins around as well. It’s a fish, but not like I’ve ever seen. It seemed to be covered in hard, rigid plates from its head to its scorpion-like tail.

  “A Plate fish,” Jax says, swimming closer to us. “It’s not too rare to see them, but they are rare enough that I’m not surprised you haven’t seen one before.”

  “It’s pretty cool,” Nathan admits.

  Jax nods with a smile. “That it is. Luckily it’s not a danger to us. I’ll let you know if we run into anything that is,” he finishes with a quick wink to me before returning to the rest of the group.

  As we follow them deeper into the darkness, we see ghost fish, which are white, glow slightly at will, and look like moths. I stopped for a minute to look closer at one, intrigued by the feathery looking areas that lift by the head like ears, and their moth-like elongated nose. Nathan’s excited when we see an Angler fish since that’s one that we recognize from our own realms. Once it saw that we were bigger than it, it moved on past us and we got a pretty good look.

  “This is super cool!” Nathan excitedly says to me, his voice quiet so the others won’t notice our unusual excitement.

  Smiling back at him, I nod. “It seriously is.”

  “I feel a little silly for being afraid of what we’d find down here,” he chuckles, his voice carrying his embarrassment.

  “We were both afraid,” I assure him. As we continue, I notice our light finally hitting something solid below us.