by Emma Dean
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
JASMINE OF DRAGA
THE DRAGA COURT SERIES
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Copyright © 2018 by Jillian Ashe as Emma Dean
ASIN: B077T9PRYQ
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, locations, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Contents
Books by Emma Dean
Dominance
Houses of Draga
The Draga Galaxy
The Khara Galaxy
The Hai Galaxy
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Do You Like to Be Teased?
Do you like Space Opera Adventure Romance?
About the Author
Books by Emma Dean
The Draga Court Series
Princess of Draga
Crown of Draga
Jasmine of Draga
Heir of Draga
Prequel – Royal Guard of Draga*
*Can be read as a standalone before or after Princess of Draga.
The Khara Court Series
Warrior Princess of Khara - 2018
The Hai Court Series
The Last Dragon Princess of Hai - 2018
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Dominance
Each Kalan is born with a scent marker that identifies their level of dominance. There is also a range within each level. Two people who are at the same level, such as the black rose, can have a different amount of dominance.
The genetic alterations used these scent markers to reflect ability and position in a pack or society like the Ancient wolves.
*Spicier/muskier means more dominant. Sweeter is more submissive.
From most dominant to least:
Black Rose
Winterflowers
Orange Blossom
Lilac
Jasmine
Houses of Draga
Deytis – Barony
Baron Kace and Baroness Lyria
Heir – Leo
Second-born – Lora
Draga – Royals
King Orion and Queen Adele
Heir – Raena
Second-born – Giselle
Third-born – Adelina
Fourth-born – Asher
Fifth-born – William
Sixth in line to the throne – Ian, Elara’s son
Brother to the King – Prince Solomon
His wife Princess Mara
First-born – Ajax
Second-born
Avvis – Archduchy
Archduchess Indra and Archduke Chet
Heir – Hayden
Second-born – Masha
Indra’s Sister – Lady Tine
Her husband Lord Berter
First-born – Sonya
Second-born – Hewayn
Indra’s brother – Lord Keve
Priea – Marquis
Marquess Delia and Marquis Greyson
Heir – Veri
Second-born – Alock
Third-born – Cindra
Cousins – Adam
Alfonso
Ushanov – Duchy
Duchess Odette and Duke Mikel
Heir – Marcel
Second-born – Rashad
Third-born – Raphael
Pedranus – Count-ship
Countess Joslynn
Scyria – Count-ship
Countess Malaya
Heir – Anatoly
His wife – Elena
Second-born – Peter
Third-born – Sirus
Treon – Marquis
Marquis Peter and Marquess Wendy
Heir – Lucas
Second-born – Grady
Seprilles – Barony
Baron Jarvis and Baron Romeo and Baroness Leslie
Heir – Jayden
Second-born – Rory
The Draga Galaxy
The race of Humans living in the Draga galaxy under the Kala sun is called Kalans. Only the ruling family of each planet holds the name Draga, Avvis, etc.
Planets in the Draga solar system from first to last:
Deytis – Barony
Draga Terra – Capitol; Royal Planet
Avvis – Archduchy
Priea – Marquis
Ushanov – Duchy
Pedranus – Count-ship
Scyria – Count-ship
Treon** – Marquis
Seprilles** – Barony
**Seprilles and Treon have elliptical orbits around the sun. Half of the cycle one planet is on the border of one side of the galaxy, and the other half is on the opposite border. Twice a year they are closest to each other than any other planet.
The Khara Galaxy
Sun – Corinth
The race of Humans living in the Khara galaxy under the Corinth sun is called the Corinthians.
Planets in the Khara solar system from first to last:
Capuli – Panthera House
Prince Milagros and Princess Lilja alive
Arcadius – Neofilis House
Princess Kaita alive
Khara Prime – Capitol, where the current ruling family resides
Royals Dead
Minara – Tigris House
Prince Valdis alive
Lithios – Jaguar House
Princess Svana and Princess Tawney alive
Leva – Leo House
Royals Dead. Prince Nash’s home planet
Kepri – Serval House
Royals Dead
The Hai Galaxy
Sun – Drakesthai
The race of Humans living in the Hai galaxy under the Drakesthai sun is called the Drakesthai. This does not apply to the Humans who remain Unchanged.
Planets in the Hai solar system from first to last:
Anarr – Skye Dragons
Kuan-Yin – Ruled by the Unchanged
Imaldi – Ruled by the Unchanged
Hai Delta – Capitol; Obsidian Dragons
Tainos – Fyre Dragons
Argo – Starr Dragons
Vudu Shaa – Vega Dragons
Chapter One
Princess Kaita of Khara
Inner City
Planet Seprilles
Kaita glanced over her shoulder and pulled her hood up over her head. This stupid shikta planet was a wasteland compared to her homeworld. Terra-forming had done nothing to make it lush and fertile; there was no way when for most of the cycle Seprilles was too far from the sun to grow much outside of a greenhouse. The air was barely breathable outside the domes and the air inside of them was stale and bitter.
It had been months since she had barely escaped the Khara galaxy and her home planet with nothing but her life. All alone with only a few men and women loyal to her, they fled to the Draga galaxy. Kaita had no plans for the future other than to survive and search for her people, the ones lucky enough to escape.
When she’d heard Prince Nash had survived the attacks as well and somehow managed to get to Draga Terra, and how he pleaded with the King for assistance – Kaita had been relieved. Grateful she wasn’t the last royal of the Khara galaxy left alive.
Unfortunately, there was no safe way to send a message to her fellow royal, not on the border where Draga had forsaken their own and only the noble family of Seprilles ruled this barren world. Even the nobles were on Draga Terra, and the stewards and cousins had to rule in their stead.
Her boot splashed through a puddle she didn’t wish to know the contents of. With her knives strapped to her back, her fighter’s uniform and billowing cloak she was nobody among the crowds of people pushing through the market.
Metal was everywhere. It formed cubes of buildings, stalls and the stench of the tang permeated everything. Kaita fastened her mask over the lower half of her face. The piece of tech hid her features from scanners and filtered the air. She pushed past the dirty miners, the soldiers, and the merchants until she reached her destination. The tavern was busy as usual. It was after work hours and the citizens liked to let off steam with alcohol.
It was like any world in that sense, Kaita supposed. Despite their lack of beauty on this planet the citizens were surprisingly happy. Word had come the capitol had sent warships and soldiers with supplies to refortify the border. With the Neprijat a quick jaunt away the relief was palpable.
At the back of the tavern near the bar was a large table, and she slid into the chair next to Mak. “No luck,” she told her soldiers. “The genetic ping revealed nothing in the immediate area. Hoping and waiting for Prince Nash to find us is a fool’s hope. We need to make a better plan.” Kaita slapped the table and the metal groaned. Shikta gravity made her stronger than normal and it was difficult to get used to.
“Are you sure we cannot contact Prince Nash? The person I spoke to said he’s friends with the Prince of Thieves. He has to know we’re here.”
“And then what?” Kaita snapped. Her pale, rosy pink eyes held his and the male flinched. “Wait around for sweet Prince Nash to rescue us? We’ve been here for months – and months before that limping through space. I’m done hiding and skulking about. We need to head to Draga Terra. The royals finally acknowledged our alliance and if they have granted sanctuary to Prince Nash they will grant sanctuary to a Princess of Khara as well.”
Her second shook his head. “We don’t have the fuel to reach Draga Terra, or the food. The starships are running on fumes. Unless we can get our hands on more gold we’re stranded here until we can make contact with Prince Nash and his forces.”
The drab flight suits they all wore had their insignia ripped from the sleeves. Nothing indicated they were anything other than Draga citizens. Their tech hid their true identities, and the small bit of gold Kaita had smuggled out had kept them from going hungry, but they were down to their last few ingots and something had to be done.
Kaita considered her soldiers. The males and females who followed her looked tired and worn out, there wasn’t a spark of hope left in their eyes. She was a princess which meant they all looked to her. Kaita protected them and she had to step up, make sure she fulfilled her duties.
“I want all of you to scatter, find out if there are fights, legal or illegal I don’t care. Find something that makes us cash. Bring me back the info and we’ll go from there. A few fights and we’ll have all the gold we’ll need. We’ll head to Draga Terra and join with Prince Nash as a united front.”
The soldiers perked up and started to smile. A good fight would bolster everyone’s mood. Kaita turned her hand palm up. “Once we have the gold to repair our starships and tech I will send out a coded message to the Prince. From what I’ve heard he’s looking for us, which means he has not forgotten we exist despite his romantic flirtations.” Each of her soldiers placed their hand over hers in agreement and she gave them all a nod. Kaita took care of her own.
She took care of her people while Prince Nash cavorted with the royals in luxury as his own people suffered. Kaita shook her head. It wasn’t fair to him, but the last few months had been the hardest of her life and she had no more energy for sympathy and understanding. Kaita wanted retribution. She wanted justice.
Her plans to gather enough forces to rip those monsters limb from limb hadn’t quite panned out yet, but never once had she wavered from her goals. Those monsters had murdered her entire family. A few were missing, but she hadn’t dared ping their genetics while in Khara space. Not even on Seprilles, they weren’t far enough away from the Neprijat and Kaita didn’t know enough about the Neprijat tech. Her ping could alert those abominations to her family’s location.
Just last week they’d been able to modify the genetic tech and encoded a transmission, but it had been too long since the original attack. There weren’t any pings of her people in the Outer Rim other than the ones already with her. Kaita sighed and signaled for a round of drinks.
“Hey turn that up!” someone yelled.
The livestream constantly displayed on the wall showed Prince Nash clasping the arm of the King of Draga. It looked like he was saying goodbye. Kaita narrowed her eyes and focused. The voice coming from the livestream explained Nash had been granted permission to travel to Seprilles in search of his people. Apparently a princess had been sighted.
Relief flooded Kaita; she was ashamed at how much she’d secretly wished Nash would remember her. He had an entire contingent of soldiers with him and with their tech he would be on Seprilles in a matter of days. All that prancing about in the palace had finally gained some traction.
The livestream was always a day or so behind by the time it finally reached Seprilles. With any luck Prince Nash would be there within the day.
“Plan stays the same. We cannot rely on Prince Nash having extra gold or the supplies we need. Find ways to get what we need. I want every starship fueled, supplied, and ready to go when Prince Nash arrives. No doubt he’s managed to locate others.”
The soldiers clapped each other on the back and started chattering about who might be with the prince and if any of their loved ones were with him. It was more hope than she’d seen in months. Those weeks when they were on the run, before they reached the border, had been…harrowing. Kaita would never forget those hounds on her trail or the skirmishes where they’d lost so many of their people.
The entire tavern shuddered and a blast reverberated through her skull. Kaita fell to the floor and ducked under the table as she shouted orders. Her people followed without hesitation but they were all trapped. “Report!”
Her second tapped his armband and studied the streaming data for a second before his mouth became a grim line. “Seprilles is under attack. It looks like the Neprijat.”
Kaita let out a stream of very un-princess-like curses and then another explosion rocked them. “Everybody single file, we need to exit the building before it falls down on us. I want everyone to our ships now. I don’t care if you have to steal or kill. Gather fuel and supplies. We’re leaving this blasted planet now. Masks up!”
They all covered their mouths and noses with the filters. Kaita pulled down her goggles and signaled for her soldiers to fo
llow. Debris rained down on them and she tried to ignore the screaming and shouts from the poor souls all around them. These were not her people and she couldn’t do anything to help them.
It was like the attacks on her homeworld all over again. Her eyes burned with unshed tears. Kaita would get them back in the sky and blow as many Neprijat out of existence as possible. She only had to survive for a little bit longer. Gather supplies, fuel, and weapons. Destroy the Neprijat. Live long enough to regroup.
The streets were a nightmare. People ran to and fro. No one knew where the next strike would be and they pushed and shoved in pitiful attempts to save themselves. A child all alone sobbed as adults ignored it, running right by. Kaita scooped up the little one and kept running. Their ships weren’t far.