Scales and Flames

by Catherine Banks

  Scales & Flames

  A Special Limited Time Multi-Author Collection

  Copyright © 2018 Circle of Stalkers Publishing and Marketing, LLC

  All individual titles copyrighted by the individual authors. Published August, 2018 by Circle of Stalkers Publishing and Marketing.

  Cover Art Design 2018 by Katzilla Designs

  All rights reserved

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

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  Contents

  I. Alliance of Flames by Catherine Banks

  II. The Blood Amulet by Katherine Bogle

  III. Crossing Worlds by T.M. Davis

  IV. Dragon Awakened by Jen L. Grey

  V. The Seer’s Destiny by Nicole Kelley

  VI. Ash Maker’s Sundries by L. Alexandra Long

  VII. Stolen Hoard by J.D. Monroe

  VIII. Flying Into Crepusular by Malek Montag

  IX. A Shift In Destiny by Carma Haley Shoemaker

  ALLIANCE OF FLAMES BY CATHERINE BANKS

  Alliance of Flames by Catherine Banks

  Aideen’s mother sends her to Priok to escape death, but what she finds is a destiny too large for her to handle alone. Out flying, humans capture her, but she’s saved by draconian pirates. However, if the pirates found out who she really was, they’d kill her in a heartbeat. But, their unlikely alliance is her only hope of survival.

  Alliance of Flames © Copyright 2018 Catherine Banks

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  One

  I needed to escape Semil at all costs, but flying was out of the question. As night fell and the men began drinking, I made my way onto one of the pirate ships that I knew was heading for Priok. There were two men guarding the ship, but they didn’t notice me as I slipped between shadows beneath deck and hid amongst their crates. Using what magic I could muster in my exhausted state, I surrounded myself with a blanket of invisibility and set up a perimeter to warn me when someone came near.

  Right before sunrise, the crew returned to the ship and began preparations for sailing. One of the pirates walked down to where I was, searching in the crates for something. He paused next to me, turned his head, and looked straight into my eyes. I held my breath as he stared. He blinked twice and then turned around and stumbled his way back upstairs.

  I exhaled in relief and took out the envelope my mother had ordered me to take to Priok. It had her seal and a spell to keep it closed and fireproof. She refused to tell me what the letter was about and made me swear to take it to Priok’s royal family. With no choice but to obey, and my life on the line if I stayed here, I was following her orders.

  What could my mother possibly have to say to a king and queen? We lived in the middle of nowhere in a small house with hardly a squib to our name. Mother had given me our last squibs for this journey for food. It was the other reason I’d had to sneak onto the ship. I couldn’t afford to pay for transportation. Mother had been powerful, but draconians were hunted here. She’d died protecting me.

  The crew member from before came back down and set a plate of food on the ground next to me. “Not sure what you’re doing here or what your story is, but I’m sure you’re hungry.”

  He could see me? How?

  “I’m a mage,” he whispered, “the only one on the ship. I can see your magic, but not you. I swear I won’t tell the others that you’re here.”

  Could I trust him?

  “Obviously you won’t trust me, but the trip to Priok is three days long. I’ll try to keep the others away from here as much as possible.”

  Why?

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  His eyes widened. “A girl?”

  “Female,” I corrected him.

  “Oh,” he replied and smiled. “Well, I’m Andre. The storms are going to begin in about half a day. If you need to puke, there’s a bucket over in the corner.” He pointed to the left of me. “Are you injured?” he asked as he stood.

  “No.”

  He nodded and then left.

  What a strange male.

  He wasn’t lying about the storms. The ship rolled and swayed on the waves and it took all of my willpower not to throw up the food he’d brought me. He didn’t come back until the next morning, but he brought me a plate of food again and sat to eat his.

  “Won’t they suspect something if they see you take two plates?” I asked.

  “Nope.”

  He could have attacked me already, so I dropped my magic and took the plate. “Thank you.”

  He blinked in silence as he stared at me.

  “What?” I asked and shoveled food in my mouth.

  “I feel like I know you.”

  I shook my head. “Nope.”

  “You sure?” he asked.

  I nodded.

  “Well, can you at least tell me your name?”

  I didn’t want to give him my real name. “Astrid.”

  He smirked. “Okay, Astrid, it’s nice to meet you.”

  “We only have two more days until we reach Priok, right?”

  He nodded. “Tonight, we will hit the most dangerous waters and likely have a battle.”

  “With who?”

  “Draconian warriors.”

  “Draconians? Why?”

  “They try to keep us out of Priok.”

  “And you defeat them?”

  “No, we usually only tire each other out and then continue on our way.”

  “That doesn’t make sense,” I replied as I ate more of the food. I had no idea what the food was, but it was filling.

  “I believe they’re trying to keep certain pirates out, but ours come through here often, so we fight a bit and then go our separate ways.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that, so I stayed silent and finished the food he had brought me.

  “Why are you going to Priok?” he asked.

  “My mom made me promise to go there,” I replied honestly.

  “Oh? Never been there before?”

  I shook my head.

  “You’ll enjoy it,” he said and nodded his head. “It’s a nice kingdom.”

  “Where are you from?” I asked.

  “Far away. My kingdom isn’t even shown on any maps in this area.”

  “How did you become a pirate?”

  He chuckled. “A young boy’s foolish dream of adventure.”

  “Andre,” someone called.

  I threw up my invisibility blanket and slid the empty tray back to him. An ol
der male walked through the maze of crates and barrels and stopped next to him.

  “What’s going on?” Andre asked him.

  “Captain was looking for you. We’re getting close to the fighting point,” the male explained. He looked down at the trays and snickered. “Stealing extra rations again, huh?”

  “I have to be full to fight. My magic won’t last long if I’m hungry.”

  “Well, once you’re done, make your way on up.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The older male shook his head at him and walked back up the stairs.

  “Why are you helping me?”

  “I was like you once,” he explained. “I had to jump ship to ship to make it where I wanted to go. It didn’t always end well and I was starving most of the time.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He finished his food and then stood up. “If something happens to us, or me, you can fly west for another day and reach Priok. Just follow the sunset.”

  “Thank you.”

  He waved and left with the empty trays back up top. What an interesting male.

  Not long after, the sounds of battle ensued. There were battle cries, swords clashing, and screams of pain. The ship rocked madly and I began to worry the boat might sink.

  As soon as the battle began, it was over. Our ship continued on, but it was deathly silent. Had they all perished?

  Someone screamed and I realized it was Andre. Without thinking, I hurried up the stairs, my invisibility still wrapped around me. Bodies littered the deck. At the far end stood two draconians with their wings out, looking like demons more than dragons. They had the captain and Andre tied up and were hurting them.

  “I can smell a draconian,” one of the males growled at Andre. “Where are they?”

  “We don’t have any,” the captain replied.

  They cut him and then turned to Andre. Andre saw me and his eyes widened.

  “Wait!” I called as they prepared to hurt him.

  The draconians turned towards me and lowered their arms. “Female?” one asked the other.

  I let my magic disperse and walked towards them. “They didn’t know I was here and didn’t know what I am,” I explained.

  “Why are you on this ship?”

  “I needed to get to Priok and heard they were headed there,” I answered truthfully.

  “How do we know you’re telling the truth?” the other male asked.

  They were both terrifying. I’d never met males so powerful and scary.

  I took out my mother’s envelope and showed the seal to them. “I need to get to the royals of Priok.”

  Their eyes widened and the one on the left tried to touch the envelope. It zapped him and made him hiss in pain. “Shelene,” he whispered.

  My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open. “You know her?”

  “How do you know her? Where is she? When was the last time you saw her?” he asked me and grabbed my arms as his eyes grew wild.

  I shoved him away from me and felt my body start to shift on its own from fear. “Do not touch me.”

  The other male held up his hands. “Easy. We aren’t going to harm you.”

  “No, you’re not,” I promised him.

  “Please, tell us where she is.”

  “Dead.”

  The male who had questioned me seemed to collapse in on himself. “No.”

  “When?” the other asked.

  “Five days ago.”

  “How?”

  “Perhaps we should take this elsewhere?” the other male asked.

  “Release them first,” I ordered them. I wasn’t sure why I felt I could give them orders, but I hoped they would listen.

  They untied the captain and Andre.

  “I don’t think I can make it a full day,” I advised them.

  “I’ll carry her,” the younger of the two said.

  I was glad that the one who’d gone a bit mad about my mom didn’t offer. He seemed unstable.

  “Astrid,” Andre whispered.

  I walked to him and pressed my lips against his forehead, letting my power flow into him and heal his wounds. “Thank you.”

  The younger draconian shifted and lowered his wing for me to climb onto his back. I hated riding others, but I knew I wouldn’t make the flight, so I climbed on him.

  As we took flight, I watched in shock as the pirates began to stand up.

  “They were just immobilized,” the draconian I was riding explained with telepathy.

  “What’s your name?” I asked.

  “Stian. Yours?”

  “Aideen.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Aideen.”

  “Likewise, Stian.”

  We flew in silence the rest of the day and as the Kingdom of Priok came into view, my breath was taken away. Draconians flew around the city and the tall stone and glass buildings were marvels of ingenuity. The castle far off in the distance was made of Dragon Glass, bright green and formed from a trio of draconians using their fire on a specific section of stone at a time, turning it into the green glass.

  “Welcome to your homeland,” Stian said cheerfully.

  Despite its beauty, I didn’t feel cheery. A sense of foreboding filled me and for the first time in my life, I wondered why my mom had left to begin with.

  Stian flew straight to the castle and landed in the courtyard. Several other males gathered to find out about the female he carried. I hopped off Stian and he shifted quickly, rested his hand on my lower back, and ushered me forward. I couldn’t stop staring at everything. There was so much to look at.

  Two guards pulled open two massive doors and we entered the castle where even more draconians milled about. What were they all doing? Did they have jobs here?

  “Take a deep breath,” Stian whispered into my ear.

  I jerked sideways, his voice and breath startling me. He smiled at me and waited. I took a deep breath to calm myself and then he pushed open a door to our right.

  The room we entered was the definition of opulence. Stone floors, glass walls, crystal ceiling and a throne of bones that gleamed brighter than anything else in the castle. The King and Queen wore no jewels except for crowns and their clothing was plain compared to everything else I had seen.

  “Your Majesties,” Stian greeted them and bowed.

  I fidgeted a moment and then bowed too.

  “Who is this?” the Queen asked. “She looks familiar?”

  “Go on,” Stian urged me.

  I pulled the letter back out and walked up to her. Two guards moved forward, stopping me before I could reach her, their swords drawn. “I was told to give you this,” I informed her and held the letter out.

  One of the guards tried to touch it, but it zapped him. He shook his hand out and looked at the Queen in question. She nodded and he stepped aside so I could approach. I held out the letter and she tapped a finger against the envelope. The spell dissolved so she could take it. She stared at the seal in shock and then with a shaking finger, opened it and pulled out the letter. The King never took his eyes from my face.

  “She’s dead?” the Queen asked.

  I nodded.

  Of all the reactions I expected, the Queen falling out of her chair to curl up on the ground while she wailed in sadness was not one of them.

  Stian gently took my arm and pulled me backwards. The King knelt beside his wife and held her while whispering to her.

  “Who died?” Stian asked.

  “My mother,” I replied as tears welled in my eyes. I hadn’t had time to deal with her death. I’d been too worried about surviving.

  “Who are you?” the King asked me angrily

  “I’m Shelene’s daughter, Aideen,” I replied.

  His scowl turned into wide-mouthed shock. He helped his wife back into her throne and walked towards me determinedly.

  I started to back up, but Stian kept his hand on my lower back to keep me from moving.

  The King stopped just in
front of me and then did the craziest thing of all. He bowed to me on one knee.

  I looked like a fish out of water as I stared at him.

  “I, King Afi of Priok, will do all I can to protect you, Aideen of Priok.”

  “Huh?” I asked and looked at Stian who had stopped touching me and backed away.

  The rest of the draconians present dropped to one knee and bowed to me as well.

  “What?” I asked.

  The Queen wiped her eyes and walked to me just to drop to her knees in front of me. “We had given up hope of you returning,” she told me.

  “What are you doing? What’s going on?” I asked nervously.

  Her eyes widened and the King looked at her angrily. “You don’t know?” she asked.

  “Know what?” This was crazy. These people were insane.

  “You’re the rightful ruler of Priok,” the Queen explained.

  “No,” I whispered, “that’s insane.”

  “Your mother was our Queen, but she disappeared after a battle that nearly cost her her life. We had lost hope of her return, but there is no doubt of who you are,” she explained.

  No. I didn’t want to be a ruler. I didn’t want to be Queen. “This is too much,” I whispered.

  “I know it must seem like a lot, since she didn’t warn you beforehand…”

  I turned to walk out, but one of the guards tried to block me. I shoved him aside with my power and continued walking. People moved out of my way as I ran out of the castle and shifted, taking flight. Flying as fast as I could, I flew up into the air and headed towards the countryside. Queen? I couldn’t be queen. If mom had been queen, why hadn’t she told me?

  None of this made sense.

  I felt like I was being followed, so I turned my head and saw Stian.

  “Leave me alone,” I ordered him angrily.

  “I know you’re scared,” he replied.

  “You don’t know anything! I don’t know anything,” I growled.

  I dropped down into an empty field and sat with my knees up to my chest in my human form. I dropped my forehead to my knees and took deep, even breaths to calm myself down.