A Dragon's Tale

by Bonnie Burrows

  “Mm,” Pryce vocalized, slinging an arm across Nina’s bare stomach. His eyes were powder blue again, and they were twinkling as he looked at her. “God, that was incredible, Nina. Please tell me it was good for you.”

  Nina was silent. Her head was spinning, but not just because of the sex.

  Pryce propped himself up on one arm, his lustful expression growing worried. “Nina? Is something wrong?”

  Nina thought about what had just happened between them, trying hard to find the right words. “You were amazing,” she said first. “But... that wasn’t a normal orgasm, Pryce.”

  Pryce’s eyes grew serious. “No, it wasn’t,” he admitted. “I didn’t think you’d notice.”

  Nina laughed incredulously. “What? How could I have not noticed that our energies decided to fuck while we were fucking?”

  “To tell the truth,” Pryce said softly, “I assumed you wouldn’t think much of it because it probably happened with Eli.”

  Nina closed her eyes. “Something like this happened with him,” she said. “But... this was different.” She opened her eyes and turned her head to find Pryce gazing at her thoughtfully. “This is a new power,” she said suddenly. “But what is it for?”

  Pryce smiled. “Maybe it tells you who you’re compatible with,” he suggested. “You know, before we had the Council, when we had kings and queens, sex was how a king chose his queen. Well, an intimate ceremony leading to sex.”

  “Really?” Nina said, sitting up.

  “Yeah,” Pryce said. “I expect the books you had as a kid weren’t actually adult-level history books, or they would have mentioned it. It was important for dragons to be compatible if they were going to rule together, or shit got bad really fast. The couple would fight instead of focusing on the realm, or indulge in the wrong things together because one of them was some kind of enabler... or fall apart and start trying to fill the voids in their life with other things or other people. That’s how the Civil War started.”

  “I thought someone assassinated the queen?”

  “Someone did,” Pryce said darkly. “One of the king’s lovers.”

  Nina gaped at Pryce. “What? I read that it was a disgruntled citizen!”

  “Basically, it was.” he said. “King Damian started stepping out on Queen Adama almost immediately, and when he realized that he had chosen for beauty instead of compatibility and that they had different things in mind for dragonkind, he started whining about it to his lovers. One of the lovers got it into her head that he wanted one of them to get rid of the queen, so she took a crossbow and shot her full of dragon’s bane.”

  “Jesus,” Nina said weakly. “And that’s when the Council decided to form?”

  “Yes,” Pryce confirmed as he stood to dress. “Some royal advisors and other ‘wise’ dragons decided we needed a governing body with more rules and restrictions than ever before. And we all lived happily ever after.”

  Nina didn’t miss the bitterness in his tone. She felt closer to him than she ever had, so she allowed herself to feel curious about the Outcasts.

  “Why did you become an Outcast, Pryce? Was it because of the Council?”

  His angry expression cooled as he looked at her. “Not exactly. I don’t really buy the Council’s motives, but it has more to do with my family than anything else.”

  When he sat down, Nina moved as close to him as she could while still being in her own space.

  “What happened?”

  Pryce looked at her with a guarded expression. “You really want to know?”

  “Yes,” Nina said immediately. “I think... maybe if I know more about you, I won’t be so weird about Outcasts in general. I’m sure you’ve noticed I’m not exactly neutral.”

  “I have,” Pryce said carefully. “But I didn’t think you cared enough to change.”

  His words stung Nina. “I do,” she said bluntly. “I don’t like being unfair or prejudiced. It’s not becoming of a queen.”

  Pryce smiled. “Okay. I’ll clue you in.” He looked down at his large hands, studying his blunt fingernails as he spoke. “My dad was a piece of shit, but he wasn’t just abusive. He was full of hatred, and he wanted us to be full of hatred too.”

  “For the council?”

  “No,” Pryce said sadly. “For the Outcasts. For ourselves.” He sighed and pulled his gaze up to hers. “My dad wasn’t an Outcast by choice. When he was younger, he shifted in front of his human girlfriend. The Council found out and gave him a choice: go to a dragon reform center or become an Outcast.”

  Nina stared at Pryce, ashamed at how horrified she was at his father’s decision. “He chose to be an Outcast?”

  “Yeah, he did. And instead of blaming himself or even the Council for their stupid fucking rules, he chose to hate the rest of us instead. He told me all kinds of shit growing up: we’re inherently inferior, we’d be lucky to get near a horde in our lifetime, we were made to die alone…” he trailed off. “That’s why he was abusive to us. He hated us, plain and simple. He only settled down with my mom because she was in the same boat, sort of.”

  Nina heard the bitterness creep into his tone again. “Sort of?”

  Pryce smiled, but it was so lacking humor that it was unsettling on his square-jawed face. He turned his green eyes downward again. “My mom was sexually assaulted as a teenager, and she shifted to save herself. They gave her the same choice as my father.”

  A wave of revulsion swept over Nina. “They can’t do that—she was raped. She had to do something.”

  “Not according to the Council.” Pryce spat. “One day, though, my dad got word that an Outcast group was settling near a real Horde, and not underground and in remote areas like most of us. He took off to join them. He didn’t even think about taking us.” He closed his eyes. “He told my mother something before he left, and she would never tell me what it was. She just got really insistent that I take the ‘noble path’ and decided to send me to ceremony prep classes so I could become bonded. I told her I’d think about it, just because it meant so much to her. She didn’t want me to end up miserable like him. I hoped she’d be happy to see me try, at least. But a few years later, she killed herself.” Pryce swallowed, and Nina saw he was holding back tears. His voice trembled with rage, but his words were calm and clear. “My father didn’t come back for the funeral, but I saw him one time after that. I told him Mom had died. He said ‘at least she’s not an Outcast anymore.’ All matter-of-fact like that.” He made a noise of frustration. “I knew I didn’t want a system that had pushed two people into such miserable fucking lives. I didn’t want any part of it. I still don’t.”

  Nina put an arm around his lower back and kissed his jaw gently. “I understand now.”

  Pryce wasn’t finished. “I don’t want any part of it. But I’ll help you save it if that’s what you need to do.”

  Nina was speechless. “You’re... I... thank you,” she finally sputtered, gazing into his eyes wonderingly. She had no idea that he was fighting his feelings of disdain so actively. “Pryce, thank you so much. Why are you doing all this for me?”

  “Because I love you,” he said simply. His eyes sparkled again, and she saw how truly happy he was being open with her. “Didn’t I tell you that?”

  She raised her gaze to his and was happy—and astounded—to find that that when she spoke again, it was with absolute certainty. “I love you, too, Pryce.”

  He wrapped her in an electrifying embrace and kissed her again. Nina was on cloud nine as their lips massaged each other’s. The world dropped away when she was with him, she realized; is that why she liked spending time alone with him? Eli reminded her of how much she had to lose, and Pryce only reminded her that someone could lose everything and still be okay.

  When they pulled away from each other, they were both slightly breathless. Pryce’s eyes were shining in a way Nina had never seen before.

  “Maybe we should go grab some lunch,” he said. “We’ve both worked up an appetite.”
<
br />   They parted the curtains and emerged in the main space arm in arm. Rachel was sitting on one of the thick velvet couches, eating an enormous sandwich. When she saw them, she froze, her mouth full of turkey and kale.

  “Uh oh,” she said.

  Nina laughed. “What’s wrong? Didn’t bring any for us?”

  Rachel swallowed and stood up, her brown eyes wide with panic. “Oh shit. Oh my God.”

  Pryce turned a look of alarm toward her, and Nina’s smile faded when she realized her sister wasn’t doing a bit.

  “Rachel, what’s wrong?”

  “You know how we’re not supposed to leave alone?”

  “Yes,” Nina said slowly.

  “Eli was down here when I got done raiding the kitchen upstairs. He said you guys had just taken off to a likely location of the Heart, and he was following you. Then he ran out the back door with a bunch of his stuff. I didn’t see you, so I didn’t say anything. But here you are!” she finished hysterically. “Here, and not searching for the Heart!”

  Nina’s blood ran cold. “He’s gone?” she said, feeling her panic mount. “Eli’s gone?”

  “Where did he go?” Pryce shouted, causing Rachel to flinch. “Where did he say he was going?”

  “He didn’t say.” Rachel had tears in her eyes. “He took off so fast I didn’t want to stop him, in case it was time sensitive. Nina, I’m so sorry!” She collapsed on the couch, and Nina rushed forward to wrap her in a hug. Rachel’s body was shaking violently from the force of her sobbing, but Nina was deathly still. She rested her chin on Rachel’s crop of red hair and locked eyes with Pryce. She was remembering how strangely he’d behaved that week, how he'd refused to talk about anything personal, shot them guarded looks while he cloaked his essence, and left their presence immediately after sex. Now this—a blatant, half-assed lie that bought him just enough time to make a quick escape. She felt Pryce’s energy sweep toward her and knew he was thinking the same thing she was.

  Eli had been working with Lylah. And now he’d gone back.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “I’m going to fucking kill him.”

  Pryce’s arms were locked around Nina’s body, subduing her—with difficulty—as she tried her hardest to burst out the back door. Rachel ran over to help, seizing Nina’s legs after she started windmilling them in the air. She kept thrashing, even though she knew it was getting her nowhere; how could she do anything else right then?

  “Let me go!” she screamed, going limp suddenly. “I’m cool! I’m cool! Let me go!”

  “Fine,” Rachel said shortly. “But I’m locking that door with a personal spell.” She waved her hand toward the heavy steel door, and a loud kerthunk sounded through the cavernous space. “And I’m not lifting it until I’m sure you’re okay.”

  Pryce released Nina, who spun around and glared at them both. She had been planning on making a run for the door. Rachel knew her too well.

  “You have to stay calm,” Pryce pleaded. “I hate to play Devil’s advocate, but we don’t know where Eli went. Not for sure.”

  Nina laughed bitterly, letting her energy swirl and gather around her like a tornado. She almost wished he would come back at that moment so she could finally see how much power her damage could do. “Like hell we don’t. He came here to make sure I was steered into danger, Pryce. And you two, by extension. Then, when Lylah’s scare tactic didn’t work, he just fucking fled like the little bitch he really is!”

  Pryce looked unnerved, but Rachel had seen Nina in a rage before. “I agree with your line of thought,” she said calmly. “But we have to remember that our judgment hasn’t always been sound before.”

  Nina rounded on Pryce. “What do you think?”

  Pryce gazed at her silently, weighing his words before he spoke. “I think Eli hasn’t been honest with you—with any of us—and I’m very suspicious of his absence. I should say, though, that I don’t know if he’s absconded out of a higher loyalty, or out of total fear. This could just be too much for him to handle, Nina. He’s not built for this kind of stuff like we are.”

  The sincerity and warmth in his words calmed Nina slightly. “So you think he’s just a wimp, is that it?”

  Pryce shrugged. “I don’t know for sure. I’m suspicious, Nina, but it makes no sense to go after him right now.” He looked around. “We should lay down some extra protection in this place, though, in case he gives Lylah a head’s up. Or brings her back here.”

  “I hope he does!” Nina shouted. “I’d love to take both of them on right now.”

  “No you wouldn’t,” Pryce said dryly. “I know you feel mad with power right now, Nina, but Lylah is very old and capable, and Eli is probably more powerful than he looks. I’ve heard stories about Lylah, and she doesn’t choose weaklings. Both of them against us isn’t an arrangement I’d feel comfortable with, especially since Lylah is right about the bond created between two lovers. It doesn’t go away easily even when they separate, and it can be a big boost in combat.”

  Nina screamed in frustration, and the air around her began to waver with the heat her wrathful energy was putting off. Rachel took a step away from her, and Nina tried to reel her emotions in, but it was no use. She felt broken and alone, even with two people she loved deeply right there in the room with her. Why did I fall in love with you? She pictured Eli and directed her wounded thoughts at him. Why did you make me fall in love with you?

  “We need to stay calm,” Rachel said, taking a tiny step forward. “You’re at your best when you’re calm, at least planning-wise.”

  “You can get fiery when there’s someone to fight,” Pryce said then, eyeing her closely. “But please, Nina, we need you to come back to Earth and be here with us. We can’t lose our heads right now. We need to prepare, especially in case he really did go back to the Council for help. Besides, he’s miles away now. That Porsche goes faster than any of our vehicles.”

  Nina inhaled deeply, letting Pryce’s words sink into her brain. He’s right. I can’t just charge after him, and we have to be ready if he comes back.

  She turned an apologetic smile to Rachel, her cheeks burning from embarrassment. “I’m sorry I flipped, Rache.”

  “It’s okay,” Rachel said immediately, pulling her into a hug. “I completely understand your rage, trust me. I’m just glad you didn’t bite me this time.”

  Nina blinked tears from her eyes as she pulled back, feeling exhausted. She didn’t want to admit to them that a big part of the reason she was so unhinged was that she’d finally accepted her love for both men, and now felt abandoned by the one who made her feel like she could really be a fully-fledged dragon someday. Did that void his faith in her? Did that make her less than she thought she was? Nina shoved the vitriolic thoughts away and shook her head to clear it.

  “Okay, let’s take a break and then put up those protection charms.”

  Nina’s break turned into a three hour nap punctuated with startled, fearful sleep noises. She dreamed of Eli coming back and throwing her on the couch to fuck her. It was the only word for the way he handled her—rough, careless, almost cold. In the midst of penetrating her, Dream Eli pulled out the ceremonial knife he carried for Readings and started slicing her nude body deeply enough to bring forth spurts of arterial blood.

  “Now you’ll be scared, just like Pryce,” Dream Eli said with a lazy smile.

  Dream Nina just kept writhing underneath him, bleeding to death while he thrusted. He left her in a dark pool of her own blood, laughing as he climbed the stairs and turned out all the lights.

  When she woke, she pretended not to remember her dream, but it kept coming back to her, clashing with the loving image of Eli she’d carried inside her until then. Rachel and Pryce were tactful enough not to mention her consistent sniffling as they walked around the room with chunks of various stones and handfuls of shimmering powders, muttering under their breath and directing their energy to join with that of the enchanted hematite. Every layer of protection brought Nina a little
closer to sanity. By the end of the evening, Nina had almost managed to forget that she might be descended upon by Lylah and her lackeys at any minute. Because of you, a needling voice chimed. Because of your godawful choices. What kind of queen are you?

  Pryce pulled her over to his bedroom while Rachel finished warding the front and took her face between his hands, probing her light brown eyes with his sharp blue ones.

  “I don’t want you blaming yourself,” he said gently. “This isn’t your fault. Even though you fell for him, and even though we both trusted him, this is no one’s fault but his.”

  Nina started to cry again. “Are you upset with me for falling for someone like him?”

  “Never,” Pryce promised. “We couldn’t have seen this coming, and I wouldn’t dare try and police your feelings, Nina. I love you too fucking much for that.”

  A massive wave of gratitude overtook Nina, and she tilted her face up and pulled Pryce downward, kissing him so passionately that she forgot to breathe. He wrapped her in his soothing energy as he rubbed slow circles on the small of her back, and Nina had a brief moment of profound clarity: Eli may have made her feel like she could become a real dragon, but Pryce made her feel like she already was one. How can that be?

  “I love you,” she said aloud. “Pryce, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “I know what you’d do,” Pryce said, smiling. “You’d be just fine.”

  Nina’s smile felt brittle as it spread across her face, and she decided to drop it before it shattered, opting for a worried frown instead.

  “But what are we going to do in the meantime? How can we just sit here?”

  “We have options,” Pryce reminded her. “I have our best Outcasts on it, and some of those Outcasts even have ties to the Greater Horde. It’s going to be okay.”

  Nina wanted to latch on to the hope in his voice and let it pull her away from her agonizing thoughts, but they were too heavy to be moved by Pryce’s uplifting tone.

  “Lylah said there are other ways to clean the stone. Maybe that’s true, but I’m still the best option.”