Falon: The Ancient Blood Awakens (A War of Blood & Scales)

by Angel Black

  Falon couldn’t ever remember treatment like this, treatment this harsh and unyielding, treatment that left him bruised, bloodied and exhausted. He was exhausted, more tired than he could ever remember being. Everything hurt, every bone in his body ached, every part of his skin was screaming out. The Valkyrie had made sure that she did her job well. The only evidence left of his dragons’ healing factor was, the state of his skin. In spite of the Valkyrie’s blades, Falon’s skin would still heal itself after an hour or so.

  When it takes your skin an hour to heal, know that you are on the brink of death’s domain to feel. That’s how the children’s rhyme went.

  Falon shifted, wincing at the pain that twisted in his stomach. He hadn’t had anything to eat for the longest time. Water was rare enough as it was, but at least it was something that he was given, even if it was mixed heavily with silver. It was beyond bizarre, to feel his body thirst for water, to watch himself gorge on the little water they gave him even though he knew it was killing him and weakening his immune system. Food seemed like a distant memory. He had lost track of time, though, and what could have been weeks in the dungeons of Elemanias’s father, Meneas, could have simply been a day or two. There was no sunlight down there to measure time with. Just the comings and goings of Tara, his Valkyrie.

  Every single day, she visited him. Every single day, she tried to elicit a promise from him, a change of heart. Every single day, she threatened him and inflicted violence on his body and his mind. Every single day, Falon felt his body start to give a little more. He thanked the heavens each and every day for the enhanced healing of his body, the strength which allowed him to endure all of this and survive, relatively unharmed. Oh, he was in pain, but if he needed to, he could still fight, could still run.

  Falon could feel the exhaustion tear at his mind, feel the constant ache and the lack of food and rest start to break down the walls that he had put up. After all, it wasn’t like he was being asked to betray the kingdom or allow harm to come to Alexandra. It was a union with a woman he hated, but he wouldn’t have to see her, after all…

  If it meant that he could go home… Falon felt the longing pull at him and he shuddered, shaking his head. He had to think of something. He had to come up with a plan for escape, or he would go out of his mind in here.

  Falon was interrupted by the sound of the door being pulled open and slammed shut as Tara, the Valkyrie, approached the bars of the cell.

  “Well?” She snapped. She didn’t seem to have patience left for him and Falon swallowed, worry burning in his mind.

  Elemanias must be angry with her. She must have expected the Valkyrie to have broken me by now.

  “I ask for Aedan’s justice,” his voice was raspy, but Falon persisted. He had asked for this, many times, but the answer was always, always the same.

  “Aedan’s justice does not extend to traitors.” She sneered. Then she stopped and a darkness passed across her face, her voice turning serious. “Meneas’s patience is finished, Falon. If you do not apologize and agree to the union, then there is no hope for you.”

  There was a coldness in her eyes and Falon knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she meant every word that she said, “If you choose not to, then you’ll be killed.” She murmured, voice as soft as thunder, “You’ll be killed and everyone will forget you. The memory of you will be erased. Even Aedan will forget you.” She looked at him for a long moment. “He has more important matters to worry about. He won’t even notice that you’re gone.”

  He saw something else in Tara’s eyes. Mixed in with the hatred she felt for him, he saw it. It was the reason for the hatred itself. It was longing, for him.

  “Do you remember when I found my parents, Tara?”

  “Valkyrie. You will address me as Valkyrie,” her voice had taken on an edge. It meant she was going to strike him again. Or worse.

  “I found them there, lying at the foot of my father’s desk in his solar.”

  She kneeled down, looking into him, the hatred thawing a bit.

  “Before Aedan came to comfort me, before any of the kings or the other midlevel nobles came to give me their condolences, before even Valonis had a chance to console me. It was you. The house Valkyrie. You were the one who held me, as I cried at your breast like the child I was.”

  He felt himself jump a little as he saw her reach out to touch him. Her fingers caressed his cheeks.

  “I just wanted to say thank you for that. I know you are duty bound to do this. I know you may even enjoy hurting me. But I know also that you enjoyed protecting me as a child. You practically raised me,” he finished.

  She lifted his chin up and stroked his lower lip with her thumb.

  “I know you don’t love her,” Tara said. “But you wouldn’t have to be with her. Not like that. You probably wouldn’t have to mate with her…”

  Ahh, so that’s what it is.

  “Yes,” she said, reading his expression. “We could be together again, like before you were betrothed to her. I don’t care that you’ve been with a human, I don’t believe the theory about diseases anyway. I just want us to be together again, that’s all. Even if it means that you are married to her in name, but mine in flesh, that’s fine.”

  No.

  “Falon, listen to me. We can be together again, and we can even mate. Maybe we can run off somewhere if she gets to be too much, but I doubt it. I think she has a thing for Vampires anyway, so she’ll only need you to act like her husband in public. But the rest of the time, it’ll just be us. We’ll be each other’s little secret. If you don’t… Falon, they’ll make me kill you.”

  Falon felt a chill move through him. He knew that she was right. It struck Falon that this was his moment, this was the only chance that he would have. It was worth tossing his pride away for an instant if it meant escape and a chance to execute his plan.

  “Fine.” He grit his teeth, the humiliation still tasting bitter, no matter how sweet the rewards would be. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

  Pleasure spread across Tara’s face, a vindictive sort of pleasure. She nodded slowly. “I had a feeling you might change your mind, this time around. The guards will escort you up.”

  Falon felt the hopelessness of the situation descend on him, but he clung to the hope that he could, and would, turn things around. With heavy steps, he pushed himself to his feet. The guards unclicked the lock of his cell and grabbed one of his arms each.

  In any other circumstance, he would have resisted. Now, he allowed them to take him to Elemanias and her father. It would be ceremonial. He would be expected to publicly admit defeat and the thought made him sick. He bit his tongue and forced himself to bow as he entered.

  “A change of heart, hmm?” Elemanias’s father, Meneas, drawled, his voice unpleasantly smug.

  The male was old, even by modern day dragon standards. The rumors said he was younger only to Aedan, and the three kings of Aegon. The Platinum Spider. The male was as tall as Falon, and had the same platinum blonde hair, same blue eyes. In fact, the man could have been Falon’s father for how similar they looked. Humans would have thought they were brothers, actually, unable to catch the slightest aging signs of the elder.

  Falon bit his tongue until it bled and lowered himself onto one knee. “You have my deepest apologies for my actions over these last few weeks, and for my stubbornness.”

  He swallowed deeply. “Elemanias… if you will still have me, it would be the greatest honor to be united with you, under Aedan and the law of the dragons.”

  Falon felt the sting of embarrassment as they both leered at him. He squeezed his eyes shut and thought of Alexandra. He was doing this for Alexandra and soon, it would all be worth it.

  * * *

  Falon had never felt so glad or so lucky to be back at home. He had been allowed to return there before the ceremony, and he was glad for this. Time in his own home was clearing his head. He felt calmer and more settled now. It was important that he took a moment to regroup, before charg
ing into his plan.

  He slipped into the bathroom and cleaned up first, indulging in a long, warm bath. No matter how hurried he was, he needed to get some feeling back into his muscles. He soaked for as long as he dared, before quickly cleaning up, stepping out and drying himself off. A quick change of robes followed soon after, and Falon already felt more like himself.

  When he exited the bathroom, he took his time. He kept his steps slow and his breathing short. He needed to look exhausted, look tired and drained, like he had felt before. The more weakened he looked, the more likely it was that he could surprise the two house guards clad in the typical athletic under armour gear that dragons wore. They had stood watch outside the bathroom, and returned to their post at his door, the moment he was finished. He sank into the chair closest to the door and contemplated what he was about to do.

  He doubted that the guards had accounted for the balcony that looked out from the bathroom. He knew that if he timed it right, he would be able to race for the balcony and jump onto the landing before they could reach him. From there, it was simply a case of out running them. He was exhausted, but he was pretty sure that he would still be

  able to keep pace with them.

  If he had the element of surprise, he could do it. He just had to make sure that they weren’t expecting anything of him. He had played his part well but Falon was feeling anything but weak. Something about his bond with Alexandra seemed to help.

  His escape had revived him and he was more determined than ever to go ahead with the plan, crazy as it might be.

  He saw the guards shift, noticed their relaxed state, the way their eyes were not fully focused on him… this was his chance! Falon leapt up and ran to the bathroom. He didn’t dare look back, not even for a second as he flung open the window and jumped onto the landing.

  He could hear the shouts behind him, the heavy steps of the guards as they raced after him, feet pounding on the ground. Falon didn’t look back, didn’t pause for a second. He had the lead. Now he just had to make the most of it. He ducked and weaved through the realm, making sure to do everything he could to throw them off his scent.

  When he was close enough, he made a sharp right and barreled straight through the portal, ignoring the surprised shout of the guard stationed to watch over the portal. He stumbled through, barely landing on his feet. He raced through the door, slammed it behind him and locked it.

  They probably wouldn’t find him immediately, but Falon was not taking any chances. Not anymore.

  The shop owner’s eyes were wider than the first time that he had seen Falon, but something in his eyes changed to fear. “There’s been others,” he said in a rush, “Others through the door.” He shifted, his eyes lingering over Falon. “I’ve been told that… if I see you, I’m to tell the next one through… let them know…”

  Falon nodded, feeling cold dread move through him. They were more prepared than he had thought. Maybe they knew about his plan all along.

  “I understand. Don’t put yourself in any danger.” Falon frowned. “But if… if you can find a way to delay them… even by a moment… I will be forever grateful to you, Sir.”

  The grandfatherly old man nodded. “For love, is it?”

  Chapter 18: New Life

  Alexandra stared at the screen in front of her. It was just like before. It felt like nothing had changed and yet, everything had changed. Alexandra sighed and pressed her fingertips against her eyes, trying to settle the pounding headache that was making itself known. It seemed that, lately, she was getting headaches on a daily basis, but now she was feeling sick to boot, and there was the intuition that Connor was scared. The pain that she had sensed in him had seemed to disappear, though.

  Taking a deep breath, Alexandra dropped her hands and reached for a glass of water on her desk. She took a deep sip, letting the cool water trickle down her throat and wake her up a little bit more. The sensation eased the burning dryness in her throat, just a little.

  Alexandra had a strong sense of dejavu, a sense that she had been in this exact rut before meeting Connor, and that now it had come back, worse than ever.

  She turned back to her screen and tried to focus on the words and numbers in the document. They seemed to swim before her eyes, making no sense. This was ridiculous. Alexandra frowned and tried to focus. She was an associate on the verge of making partner. She’d spent years studying and learning. Her work was challenging, yes, but there was no way that it should be feeling so impossibly hard.

  Alexandra was good at what she did. Gaining partnership was all she had right now. She’d spent years working in this law firm, proving herself, and she was in no mood to throw it all away. After all, she was driven, talented and determined to achieve. But lately it felt like, no matter how hard she threw herself into her job, the facts and figures of it all just slipped further and further away.

  She’d been exhausted, lately. The dreams had started all over again, but now they were dark things. Things of torture and gritty dungeon cells that had Connor’s face and some mysterious woman. He’d better not be with her. Sleep was eluding her and the sleep that she did get was patchy and shallow. She just hadn’t been feeling herself. The ache in her head was getting worse and she was constantly feeling run down.

  Rex was frustrated with her again. He had given her his last warning, and Alexandra knew that if she messed up again, this job was as good as gone. Without Connor, it was all she had and Alexandra felt the ache keenly, but she just could not find the passion for her job that she had once had.

  Snap out of it. Step by step: first you secure your job security again, then you make the climb. All your past cases didn’t go anywhere, and you still have a 99% case record. Just get back to work on time, and at least look like you’re paying attention, and you should be fine.

  Alexandra had been feeling worse and worse over the last few weeks, nausea that left her throwing up in the bathrooms, and an exhaustion that just wouldn’t quit. She had gone to the doctor, who had suggested a few more tests.

  Alexandra couldn’t understand why she was feeling this way. She ached for Connor, but he was gone, and surely lovesickness didn’t leave one feeling this terrible? Alexandra was dependable, but right now she felt like curling up in bed and wishing the day away.

  When the phone rang, Alexandra jumped, feeling prickles run down her spine. She sighed and reached for the phone, picking it up to a private number. “Hello?”

  “Hello, Alexandra? I’m calling from the doctor’s office.”

  Alexandra felt her stomach tighten with nerves. The doctor’s office. That would mean that the results were in, the results of the tests. She took a deep breath. “Yes?”

  “Well, I don’t know how to say this… it’s inconsistent with earlier results…”

  “Yes?” Alexandra felt the nerves growing within her, overwhelming and all consuming.

  “We did all the tests and… you’re pregnant.” The doctor’s voice caught, “I don’t know how that’s possible, but you are.”

  Alexandra felt her world spin, disbelief flooding her system. Pregnant?

  “But, I thought you said…”

  “I know, I know. This is more than just an irregularity. This should be impossible but… the results don’t lie. They all confirm it.”

  “Thanks,” Alexandra replied, faintly. She didn’t hear the rest of the conversation, the doctor’s voice swimming in and out of her conscious mind until she finally put down the phone, staring at the screen of her computer.

  Pregnant. The world swirled around her mind, spinning there and leaving her feeling breathless and out of control. She couldn’t believe it. She had only just gotten over the pain of being told that she couldn’t have children and now she was being told that she was pregnant? She felt the shock ripple through her, the disbelief that moved through her body, the excitement that tingled just beneath the surface, out of reach.

  Alexandra was having a child, a child who she created with Connor. Connor. The though
t of him sent a jolt through Alexandra. She had been trying to push him out of her mind since she realized that he wasn’t coming back. She had tried to ignore the longing inside of her heart, the part of her that needed and wanted Connor like a breath of fresh air. She felt the pain move through her, as if it was still fresh.

  She missed him. She missed him more than she could ever say. Alexandra bit her lip. She had refrained from chasing him, as she assumed he didn’t want anything to do with her, but this was different. He didn’t have to be with her. He didn’t have to care. But he at least had the right to know that she was pregnant with his baby, with his child.

  Alexandra wouldn’t deny him that. Despite everything, she cared about him. She cared about him deeply and she found it almost impossible to shake the belief and faith that she had in him, the belief that he would return and tell her that everything was just a misunderstanding.

  Alexandra took a deep breath, steeled herself and her courage and decided that she would ask Lynn about this. If anyone could help snooping out potential records, then it would be Lynn.

  Lynn looked up in confusion as Alexandra approached her desk. She tilted her head and started to open her mouth, but Alexandra beat her to it, speaking in hushed tones.

  “Connor. Do you have any information about him?”

  Lynn looked Alexandra up and down. “Bitch, please,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  “Lynn, please! I need your help!”

  “Nope. You disappeared on us, not saying a word. Then you come back, looking worse than when you met him, and haven’t said a thing. Wow, Alexandra, you look different.”

  At first, Alexandra was confused, letting her mouth drop, not sure what to say.

  “I mean, your skin is glowing.”

  Oh, shit.

  “And your eyes are different too. Like they’re supernaturally glowing or something. Twirling almost, kind of like Connor’s did…”

  Wasn’t expecting that…