Crown of Dragons

by Nina Walker

  “I must say,” the man laughs, “this is quite a fortuitous meeting. I’ve been tracking young Terek here for weeks. I was rather annoyed with him for escaping me the first time but now I can’t say that I’m anything but delighted with how things have turned out.”

  Terek pounces.

  “Run,” he yells, as his claws rake across the Occultist’s face, who immediately throws him off with a roar.

  Bram and I explode into an all-out sprint. My dragon ignites and I welcome her forward, shifting in an instant. Bram jumps onto my back, his grip tight. Good thing, too, because I have to fly straight up through the canopy of branches.

  “Head south,” he calls into my ear against the rush of wind, “as fast as you can. Look for the part of the forest where there are many lakes. That’s where we’re going.”

  My wings lift us higher and higher. The road cuts into the thick forest below, though it is peppered by the occasional village or estate, and most of the land is a picture of wild green. Adrenaline runs through my body, and my dragon gains speed. I have to get us out of here. As far as I know, the Occultist can’t fly, but he also can’t be far behind, not with his level of magic. If we’re caught, we’ll never make it to the human realm, let alone back to Drakenon.

  A wall of dominant energy slams into me with such force that the air is knocked from my lungs. Bram’s hold on my back disappears. I whip around, horrified as his body pinwheels toward death. We’re high enough that there’s no way he can survive a fall like this, his body would explode on impact. I race after him, pushing every muscle in my body to the max. But it’s not fast enough.

  The trees grow closer. There’s no time left. I can’t lose him, too.

  I draw on my elementals, bringing a giant gust of wind up underneath Bram. It wraps around him, slowing him enough to break the fall. Relief is quick. I fly toward him but another wall of invisible energy blocks my path. I slam against it with a thud and fall. A screaming pain pummels through my right wing. I tumble into the trees, branches attacking, while desperately holding onto my dragon form. I’m stronger this way, my scales creating a thick hide of armor.

  As soon as I land, I pick myself back up and search for Bram, pulling on my wind elemental. The sky darkens. My storm.

  Bram! I call out through the dragon link, but it proves fruitless. He can’t hear me. He never will in this form. I’m desperate to find him but he’s no longer in the area where he landed.

  Thunder claps echo through the air. Rain starts to fall in needling pelts. I welcome it, urging my elements on. I can see clearly through it, can control it. The Occultist won’t have the same luxury. I breathe in deep through my nostrils, trying to catch Bram’s scent. But I made a critical mistake by calling the storm in too quickly and the water has washed away all smells.

  I rip through the trees, charging back to where I left Terek and the Occultist. Somehow, I’m sure that warlock has Bram. Fire burns hot in my veins. Smoke rises from my nostrils, mixing with the mist from the rain. Where are they?

  I no longer care about drawing attention to myself, no longer care about this forest or what threats lay within it or beyond. All I can think of is Bram. He risked everything by coming with me on this journey. I can’t let him down. I can’t be responsible for another Brightcaster’s death.

  I make it back to the road, the rain pounding harder, turning the dirt into slippery mud. A cry sounds from further down and I charge toward it.

  A flash of red magic pulses and I scream. The Occultist is standing next to Bram but Bram can’t move. He’s been put under a spell. Even though nothing binds him, it’s as if invisible ropes tie him up. His eyes bulge with the effort to break free.

  I want to call out to him, but I can’t in this form, and I don’t dare change back into my more vulnerable human body. I growl, readying myself to send a plume of fire at the man, but he beats me to it. He pulls Bram to him, using him as a human shield.

  “Come with me willingly,” the Occultist says, “or come with me by force.”

  “Don’t trust him!” Bram yells. The Occultist sneers and employs more of his invisible force to squeeze Bram, who cries out in pain. But Bram grits his teeth and continues, “Go! Go, like I told you.”

  “Come with me, Dragon Princess,” the Occultist continues, “Or pay the price.”

  The elements are demanding to be let free, to destroy this man, but I know that’s impossible with Bram in his clutches.

  “Go!” Bram cries again. “Save your father. Come for me later.”

  I’m immobile between the two choices, but the elements continue to build. The rain pelts down harder, the wind blows into a wild hurricane, fire rises around me. The earth shakes.

  “Have it your way,” the Occultist snaps, howling overtop the noise but it’s so loud, I can barely hear a thing. “You’ll be coming to me soon enough anyway, whether or not I had your useless prince. Tick, tock, Princess, you’re almost eighteen.”

  Confusion and fear whirl within. A tree cracks and plummets to the road. Lightning flashes through the sky, a clawed reckoning. The Occultist lifts his hand and twists it in an intricate pattern. A glittering symbol hangs in the air for the briefest of moments before vanishing to smoke. Seconds later, both he and Bram disappear.

  25

  Hazel

  The weekend comes fast and thank God for that. Each minute is filled with studying for midterms, shoving junk food into my face, and avoiding the gloomy weather. Before I know it, Sunday morning sweeps in and my focus turns to my date with Landon tonight. When he texted to confirm, I replied with a happy “yes” but I couldn’t help but notice a little pang of regret. My thoughts have been consumed with Dean. Everything about him is dangerous and wrong, but I can’t help myself from wanting more. And being with him, it makes me feel alive in a way I’ve never experienced. And now Landon doesn’t compare. Another thing I can’t help. Nor can he.

  It’s not his fault that he’s normal. It’s not my fault I’m not.

  “Are you sure you want to go on this date?” Cora asks.

  “How are you so good at reading me?” I laugh.

  We’re walking back to the dorm after having a giant breakfast at the dining hall. The bagel and cream cheese I ate at the end of our meal sits like a rock in my stomach and I’m already regretting my life choices. Why don’t I love grapefruit and plain Greek yogurt like Macy? It would be so great to crave only healthy food and know when to stop. But in my defense, I secretly think the woman is lying when she says she loves all the healthy foods she eats. Who loves kale? Nobody. It’s all lies.

  “You’ve been a distracted mess ever since your confession to us,” Cora continues, “and I’m sorry, but I don’t think your most recent distraction has anything to do with Landon.”

  “Agreed!” Macy pipes in.

  I sigh. They’re right. The wind is chillier than normal and it suddenly rushes at us, wrapping us in an icy cold grip. Macy squeals and we take off, running for the dorm. After a couple of hellish minutes, we tumble inside. I’m breathing way too heavy for a seventeen year old. I probably should start working out more often. And eat kale.

  “Landon will be good for you.” Macy grins. Her hair is piled on top of her head in the kind of messy bun that looks sexy. When I try to do that, I look like a toddler. “Don’t stress. Just have fun tonight. I’ll help you get ready.”

  Flashbacks to the white minidress and high heels on that first Friday pop up and I grimace. “Umm, I don’t know if I want to go and if I do decide to go, I’m not sure I’ll need help getting ready.”

  “You’re really going to cancel on Landon?”

  I twist my lips as I think it through. We do have chemistry and he’s a fun guy, for my first ever date, Landon’s a good choice. “I guess not,” I sigh. “He’s harmless. I just don’t know if I’m interested in him anymore.”

  “Because of Dean?”

  I nod, equally hating and loving how the man has gotten under my skin.

  “W
ell, if anything, the date will just make Dean jealous,” Macy says happily. “I’ll make sure Deany finds out about it tomorrow.” She winks. “No worries, Girl, I got your back.”

  Cora laughs. “That’s actually not a bad idea. Guys like what they can’t have.”

  “So come on, then.” Macy cocks her head to the side and studies me. “You have the prettiest coloring. Your hair is amazing but you always wear it up in a ponytail. If you let me curl it, you’ll look like Goldilocks.”

  I gape at her, horrified. “And this is a good thing?”

  She laughs again. “And I’ll do your makeup so it enhances your natural beauty but isn’t too much.”

  We make it to our doors and I continue to think on her offer. My door is the first. Macy’s is across from mine, and Cora’s is at the end of the hall next to the bathroom. Macy is so earnest and her big blue eyes are so hopeful that I finally relent. “Okay, you can do my hair. But don’t get here before five. I need to study between nap sessions.”

  “You mean nap between study sessions,” Cora interjects.

  “Yup!” I laugh and unlock my door, slipping inside.

  Macy giggles and Cora yells, “If she gets to do your hair and makeup, I get to pick out your clothes!”

  I don’t answer. I close the door and lean against it with an amused groan. What have I gotten myself into? I should have learned the first time I agreed to be their human puppet.

  Once I’m in my room, I crash on my bed. I haven’t been sleeping well at night lately and the naps are starting to catch up with me. But at this point, there’s nothing I can do about it. If I’m going to be Goldilocks, I need my beauty rest. Wait, that’s Sleeping Beauty. Well, same difference.

  My phone rings, and I pull it from my pocket to see my mom’s smiling face light up the screen. I answer, lying back on my downy pillows.

  “Hey, Mom. What’s up?”

  “Hi, Sweetie.” Her voice is clear through the line. “I just wanted to check on you since the incident. How are you doing? Are you safe? Are you sure you don’t want to come home?”

  I sigh. I knew this would happen. I told the police that I didn’t want to call her, but they insisted because I’m still a minor. Mom lost her mind when she found out and has been worrying nonstop since, calling and texting day and night. She’s even offered to bring me home and work out an independent study with the school so I can leave before the semester ends. It’s only a matter of time before she asks me to transfer to a different school.

  “I’m fine,” I assure her. “Seriously. It was a wrong place, wrong time, sorta thing and I promise I’m being more careful now.”

  My mind races back to breaking into Dean’s place and guilt prickles hot. I’m such a liar. But I am not lying when I say I am going to be more careful now.

  “You know how I feel about it, Hazel. I’m your mom. Of course, I’m worried.”

  “I know, but can we talk about something else. Please? I’m doing the best I can.”

  “Okay––”

  “What’s new with you?”

  The line goes quiet for a moment and then her tone changes to its normal cadence. “Nothing new here. What about you? How is your weekend going? Are you feeling ready for your midterms next week?”

  I sigh and roll over. “Not ready yet, but I will be. My first one isn’t until Wednesday. We get two days of a reading period so there’s no classes tomorrow or Tuesday. Good thing, because I need it.”

  “Well, that’s nice. You’ll be able to get a lot of work done.”

  “Yup.”

  “And you’re sure you’re liking this college?”

  My smile is real and that feels so freaking amazing. “I actually really like it here. My job pays well and is actually pretty fun. My boss is helpful, as you already know. My classes are super interesting. I absolutely love my new friends.” And Dean is here…

  Really, Hazel? Stop thinking about Dean! Landon. Think about Landon. Dean isn’t right for you. He’s a dragon shifter for crying out loud. Besides, he’s obviously in love with that Khali girl. And Landon actually asked you out on a date. Did Dean ask you out? No. No, he did not.

  Mom’s been saying something but I’m so caught in my own thoughts. Oops. “Sorry, Mom. Could you repeat that?”

  Her voice is patient. She’s used to me getting distracted. Until recently, it was the spirits that caused it. “I was just wondering if there are any boys you’re interested in. Have you met anyone?”

  I burst out laughing. What is it with everyone reading my mind lately! “I dunno. Maybe. I do have a date tonight, so I’ll call you in the morning and let you know if it was a bust.”

  “Well, that’s great. Have a good time and don’t put up with anything less than you deserve, Hazel. You’re such a special girl.” Her voice is back to being all concerned and motherly, and for a second, I wonder what it would be like to have a dad. How would he react to me going on a date? My heart squeezes because I’ll never know and it’s best not to think about it. That’s how I’ve always coped with being fatherless in the past. But ever since Dean mentioned me not knowing my lineage, it’s been on my mind.

  I have to ask.

  “Mom, I know we haven’t talked about this very much, but was my father disrespectful to you? Is that why you never let him come around?”

  The line goes silent and, for a moment, I wonder if the call dropped. But then she lets out a slow breath. “You haven’t asked about your father in years.” Her voice is even. “Are you sure you want to start now?”

  “I’m ready to hear the truth. What happened? It’s okay, Mom,” I say, “I can take it.”

  Because I’m pretty sure the reason we haven’t talked about it much is because whoever he was, he wanted my mom, but he didn’t want me. I think she’s been protecting me by staying quiet about him. And I love her for it. But what if my father is the reason I’m the way I am? What if learning my history could help me now that I’ve embraced this mediumship stuff?

  She lets out another long breath. “The truth is I didn’t know much about your father. He was a one-night stand. I didn’t even know his real name."

  “What!” I sit up so fast blood rushes from my brain and starts blossoming along the sides of my vision. Shock gives way to laughter. “Oh my gosh, Mom! I never knew you had it in you.”

  “It was a one-time thing and it never happened again!” Her defensive tone is playful.

  “I have to admit, this wasn’t what I was expecting.” And I am a little disappointed. Not in her, because everyone makes mistakes and I love my mom. Besides, if it weren’t for that encounter, I wouldn’t be here. So who am I to judge?

  No, I’m disappointed because if she doesn’t know his name, then it’s official. I’ll never meet my father. Part of me always wondered if maybe I would. I even assumed it would happen eventually. That one day he would show up and I would have the chance to get to know him, or at the very least, to tell him off for being a deadbeat.

  “Can you tell me about him?” I ask gently. “What do you remember?”

  Her voice softens, and I can hear the smile on her lips, “He was gorgeous. Tall and broad and really something to look at. You get your stunning blonde hair from him, though your hazel eyes are all mine. He was this mystery I wanted to solve. He had this tortured soul and once I saw him, I couldn’t look away.”

  Well, damn. “Where did you meet?”

  She clicks her tongue. “I met him at a bar, actually.” She sounds embarrassed but not ashamed, which is good. It means I can laugh at her without feeling like a total brat. And I do! “You know me, Hazel. I’m always trying to heal every broken person I meet. It’s who I am.”

  “No kidding.” I’m still laughing, but silently this time.

  “And this guy had something about him that was just so sad, but also magnetic. I struck up a conversation with him because I had to, it was like I was being pulled to him by some unseen force.”

  Okay, that’s weird. My mind races and I wa
nt to ask Dean if magic could have been a factor that night.

  “It wasn’t like me at all, and I don’t know how to explain it,” she continues. “But I had to meet him and see what was behind his sad eyes. We had a few drinks. He came back to my apartment. We were both a little drunk. I was a brand new nurse back then, you know. I didn’t have much but he didn’t care. He was kind to me. One thing led to another…”

  “Okay, yeah, I get it. You don’t need to go into details.”

  “Well, the next morning, I woke up and he was gone. No note. Nothing. I never saw him again.”

  I lie back down on the bed and stare at the white ceiling. “That’s kind of depressing, Mom.”

  “It was,” she agrees. The smile in her voice is gone, and my heart hurts for her. “I barely knew him but I wanted to know more. I really did. He said his name was Jack but I could tell he wasn’t being honest about that so I introduced myself as Jill.” She laughs. “I was sad to see him go, but you know what? It brought me you. So I could never regret it.”

  “Aww, Mommy!”

  She laughs. “I’m being serious! Hazel, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I love you so much. And I miss you. You’re so far away. I worry…”

  “I miss you, too.”

  An hour later, after talking about everything and nothing, we finally end the call. I’m no longer tired so I get back to studying. But I’m distracted again. Lost in the revelation of Mom’s one-night stand and if there was more going on there than she realized, by the looming date tonight, and still, by the thoughts of Dean and what he is and what it could mean for me.

  I skip lunch, opting to snack on the junk food I have in my room and end up crashing into a sugar coma by mid afternoon. I’m pulled from my nap when Cora and Macy come knocking.

  “It’s time to get ready for your date, Goldilocks!”

  I’m basically their Barbie doll over the next two hours. Cora styles me in a white knit sweater that’s the softest thing ever. It’s like butter on my skin and I never want to take it off. When I tell her I’ll fight her for it, she rolls her eyes and rummages through my chest of drawers. She pairs the light gray top with my black skinny jeans. Finally, she makes me wear her suede ankle boots. The heels are only a couple inches high and the zippers on the side stabilize my ankles.