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

by Angel Black

  Connor shook his head and moved, almost frantic. “I’ll show you my dragon form!” He paused and grabbed Alexandra’s hands, looking her in the eye with burning passion. “I promise. I won’t hurt you, so there is no reason to fear.”

  Connor pulled back and Alexandra didn’t get the chance to say another word. He shifted, and she could see the huge shift in his body, the light that seemed to glow from him and emanated around him. His body was changing. Everything was changing.

  It didn’t take long, but Alexandra was left gasping in awe and surprise, stumbling back in panic.

  A dragon. Connor was gone, and, in his place, was a huge dragon, who was crouched low, as low as he could, but still threatened to break the ceiling of her apartment. He was huge. Huge with scales that glittered blue like his eyes, and in dragon form, his eyes held all of the intelligence and compassion that she had come to know and love, from Connor himself.

  “A dragon…” She whispered. It was insane, but either Alexandra had gone mad, or he was telling the truth. Alexandra just nodded, unsure of what to say to a dragon. He morphed, just as quickly as he had before, back into a human.

  Dumbfounded, she laughed and wrapped her arms around him. “A dragon,” she mumbled, “Thank the heavens you aren’t insane. A dragon… I think I can deal with that.”

  Her hands were shaking. “I’ve had dreams, Connor. Dreams of dragons, dreams of men like you,” she whispered.

  Connor nodded, arms wrapping around her. “Ancient dragon blood lives in many people in this realm. You included,” he whispered against her skin. Alexandra felt safe again, finally felt the anger and confusion easing in her chest. She believed him. She had no reason not to and all of her dreams had pointed her to this, brought her this way.

  Connor shook his head, eyes widening in awe. “Alexandra… we haven’t had a new dragon born in centuries. I didn’t think we could have children anymore…” His eyes softened.

  “I think the fact that you are dragon blood, and the fact that I mated you, when you were sleeping…” He went on, explaining how he had intermingled their blood. Alexandra nodded again, still in a bit of shock from everything.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “Alexandra, I should have asked. Bonding like that, without your consent. I only did it to make sure you would be alive for when I came back. We outlive humans by at least nine hundred years, sometimes even two millenia. I had to know that when I came back to your world, you would still be here. I love you, and I’m sorry, I never-”

  She cut him off.

  Alexandra felt happiness welling up inside of her. “Connor… does that mean… you will stay with this child? With me?” She whispered, hopefully. Maybe everything, as insane as it was, would turn out okay. Maybe everything would still work out, would still line up okay. Alexandra could only hope.

  “I’ll do everything in my power to stay and to keep you safe.” He paused and touched her cheek, a gentle gesture, before he kissed her lips, long and slow and sweet. “And my real name is Falon,” he murmured, “You deserve to know that.”

  Chapter 21: Peaceful Glory

  Alexandra looked at Falon from across the table in her apartment. It was so strange seeing him here, right across from her, after everything that had happened. She couldn’t help but feel elated, feel excitement within her. Falon was here, right here, and he was here to stay, mine.

  She finally understood why he had stayed away like he did. She finally understood why he had not told her anything and why he had treated her like he had. He wasn’t from this world, and he had been trying to protect her. She felt warmth rise up inside of her.

  She lifted her coffee and took a sip. Falon had been slowly sipping his as they had breakfast together. It was blissful, it was quiet and peaceful and perfect. Alexandra smiled and she couldn’t help the happiness within her.

  It wasn’t until her phone beeped that Alexandra felt the first stirrings of concern. She glanced at her phone and saw a text waiting for her. She felt a sense of dread and Falon looked at her in concern. ”Something wrong?” He asked. She shook her head indicating no, but he insisted. Something’s wrong… I can feel your emotions. He had said it telepathically to her. Apparently, it was part of the bond from the mating, and they could communicate telepathically with each other. She still needed to get used to it.

  Alexandra lifted the phone. “I’m not sure. Just need to check this.”

  It was a message from Rex, just like she had expected, just like she had been dreading. A message from Rex could not be good news. There was no way that he would send her a message if everything was okay. Besides, when Alexandra considered it, she was probably late, anyway. He was probably angry at her. She shifted in frustration, feeling the dread wash over her.

  She flicked open the message and read it, the sinking feeling in her stomach growing worse. She sighed deeply. It was a very curt message, telling Alexandra not to come in today. There was only one thing that that could mean, especially coming from Rex.

  She had just lost her job. When she did show up to work next, she would be fired, without a second thought, and certainly without a second chance. After all, her work had not been at its best lately and Rex had no patience for her, or for anyone else. Her job was no longer hers, and she felt the sinking feeling grow.

  What was she going to do? How was she going to get by now, without her job, without the money that it brought in. Rent, the utilities, Netflix, Sephora. God, Sephora’s so addictive. It struck her what her job really meant to her: a world of simple comforts. She looked over at Falon who was giving her a curious look.

  She swallowed, not really wanting to admit what had just happened, but knowing that she needed to, “Well… that was my boss.”

  “The guy from the law office?”

  “Mhmm…” Alexandra took a breath. “I’ve just lost my job.”

  Alexandra wasn’t sure what reaction she had been expecting, but it definitely had not been this. Falon laughed, the sound bubbling up in his chest. He shook his head. “Does he think that really matters?”

  Alexandra stared at him for a moment, not really understanding what he meant. It didn’t matter? But it was her job. Then the realization kicked in. Hadn’t Falon told her he was part of another realm? She was expecting a child, her relationship was back on track and she probably wouldn’t be staying here for much longer. What use did she have for that job anyway? She would probably have to find a new job in the new world, the Dragon’s Realm as Falon called it. Pax Gloria.

  Peaceful Glory.

  She didn’t have to worry about losing this job, because it just didn’t matter. It just didn’t matter at all. She felt the relief flood her and she sighed, smiling, “I suppose you’re right.” She looked at Falon for a long moment.

  “Falon…” His name still sounded new, but she realized that she liked it a lot more than Connor.

  “Hmm?” He smiled, softly.

  “Where will we go?” She looked at him, quietly.

  Falon sighed and leaned on his hand, “Well, we’ll have to go to Pax Gloria at least. They could find us far too easily in the human realm and they have the ability to move freely around in the realm, which is a problem for us.” He considered for a moment. “The only chance we have is to go back. I have long time family friends, people who love my father, cherished my mother…” He sighed, “Look, it’s a long shot, but I have friends in other kingdoms. They could hide us. ”

  He smiled at her softly. “We shouldn’t have to hide for long. Only until the child is born. Then he or she will be protected under dragon law… you’ll be protected to. If we can get through the next few months, we’ll be okay.”

  Alexandra nodded slowly. It felt like a longshot, and it sounded even worse, but Alexandra had a feeling that it was the only option that they had. She reached across the table and took his hand in her own. She could feel his anxiety coursing through her, as if it were her own.

  He smiled and looked at her quietly. “Will you come with me,
Alexandra? I know I am asking you to leave everything you know, here…”

  “Of course, I will come with you, Falon,” she whispered, “There’s nothing here for me now. There’s no reason for me to stay here, especially if it means staying here without you.” She saw the relief in Falon’s eyes and she squeezed his hand tightly. “I’ll be at your side, always, no matter what.”

  “And I will be with you. I will do all I can to keep you safe, and to keep our baby safe too.” He looked deep into her eyes and Alexandra felt a flutter. He had said that as if it was the most natural thing in the world, the most normal thing to mention.

  He loved her. He was going to do everything he could and Alexandra felt safe. She had just lost her job, but Alexandra had never felt more secure. She had never felt happier. This was everything that she had dreamed of, and no matter what struggles lay ahead, Alexandra knew that she could face them with Falon at her side. Everything was okay now.

  He squeezed her hand softly. “Remember this day. It will be your last here in the world of man. For here, there be monsters.”

  Chapter 22: Gloria in Excelsis Deo

  Falon squeezed Alexandra’s hand as they approached the shop, The QG, where the portal was kept. Falon could tell that Alexandra was anxious, could see the nervousness fluttering across her face and feel the way she gripped his hand that much tighter.

  She was worried and he couldn’t blame her. He was worried too. Their only chance was hiding out in different realms, or, if possible, getting Aedan to grant them mercy. Falon swallowed deeply. He didn’t know if Alexandra would be alright with all of this, but she seemed to be agreeable and he would do his absolute best to do right by her and by the child that she carried.

  He felt his heart pound against his chest, hammering away beneath the surface. He stepped into the shop and the bell rang. Immediately, the shopkeeper was there, worry written all over his face.

  “They came through the portal yesterday. I had to tell them I had seen you.” The shop keeper was pale. “A big man with long dark hair.”

  Falon nodded. “I understand. Thank you for buying me what time you could.”

  The shopkeeper nodded, but the moment of relief was short lived. Falon knew that man. Falon knew him well. A Sigma that was loyal not to Aedan, but to Elemanias’s house. Dax. That was dangerous. Elemanias would know where he was and chances are they would have mounted an attack on the other side.

  For a moment, Falon wasn’t sure what to do. Then the question was answered for him. The first Sigma, Dax, stepped through the portal, and the rest followed suit quickly. Alexandra gasped and stepped back and Falon moved in front of her, shielding her from their sight. He felt the tension in his muscles.

  Dax was huge. Even for a dragon, Dax was huge. He was big enough to look down on even Falon. And he had three other Sigmas who were as tall as he was, men that Falon had seen rarely in court, but he had heard of often: Balor Terra, Drake Tonitrum, and his brother, Blake Tonitrum. Fuck.

  Any one of these dragons by themselves were considered a weapon of mass destruction. The fact that there were four of them together, in one room, just showed how much power Meneas, Elemanias’s father, had come into.

  Okay, so he would have to try and talk himself out of this instead. Fallon swallowed and braced himself. He knew that, if the Sigmas were here, of all places, then Elemanias would not be far behind. He didn’t particularly want to deal with her, especially since he was with Alexandra now, but it seemed like he might not be given much of a choice.

  Just as he had feared, Elemanias followed suit, her eyes burning with a fury he had never seen in her. She wasn’t just hateful towards him, she wanted to destroy him. Falon stood his ground, standing in front of Alexandra, reaching back to shield her as the Sigmas surrounded them both.

  Dax’s eyes never left Falon’s face, but Dax sniffed at the air. The other Sigmas made a similar sniffing noise.

  Elemanias all but snarled with anger as she stared him down. “Falon, you’re going to pay for this!” Her eyes moved over Alexandra and the anger darkened to a whole new level. “Both you, and your human whore will pay for this with your lives!” She hissed. “Neither of you will have a chance to receive Aedan’s mercy, because you have gone too far this time! Too far!” Her voice was low, but the emotion in it tasted like venom.

  Falon’s eyes darkened. “How dare you insult Alexandra like that?” He tensed up, feeling the anger just beneath his skin. “I demand to see Aedan. You don’t know what you’re doing, Elemanias!”

  “I don’t?” She laughed, a cruel sound, “I’m sure I know exactly what I’m doing. Guards!”

  Falon felt hands close around his arms, wrenching him forward. Alexandra cried out in surprise as she was grabbed, as she was pulled away, dragged through the portal in an instant. Falon didn’t even have a chance to reach her. He saw the flash of fear in her beautiful eyes, and called her name, before she vanished from his sight. He wrenched, trying to fight their steel-like grips.

  “Elemanias, she is carrying my child!” Falon hissed darkly, anger seeping into his voice, “She is pregnant with a dragon child. You cannot do this! To harm her would be to endanger our species! To not tell Aedan would be to break the most sacred of laws!”

  “I don’t care!” She scoffed, a scathing tone in her voice, “You’ve broken the law, Falon, many times. You have broken the law and betrayed me and this is the final straw. You’re finished, and so is she!” Elemanias stared at him with all the hate that she had within her.

  Then she turned to the guards. “Take them both to my father to be dealt with. Pass the message on to the ones who have Alexandra.” She all but snarled.

  And that was when the miracle bloomed in front of his eyes. Falon felt the rough hands of Dax let go of him, and to his surprise, Falon saw all four Sigmas genuflecting, one knee down on the ground, as they bowed their heads in silence towards his mate.

  “Gloria in Excelsis Deo,” they said in one voice, praising Alexandra.

  Chapter 23: World on Fire

  I must be dreaming again.

  She was surrounded by five dragons, one of whom was standing next to her and was the father of her child, and four of whom were kneeling in front of her with their heads bowed. Two of them had hair that was completely silver, and they looked like brothers. The other two, one a black guy and the other a man with jet black hair, were kneeling as well. They were all wearing what looked like Under Armour, athletic clothing made of synthetic material that clung to the body like a second skin. Dragons must love showing off their muscles.

  The man with jet black hair stood first.

  “Falon, son of Phallax and Regalia, you and your mate, Alexandra, are under our protection.”

  The man with jet black hair received a nod from Falon, who had a somber look on his face. Falon seemed to know the man. Dax, his name is Dax. Falon told her silently, holding her hand. Alexandra didn’t know what to think, the tension still knotting in her stomach from meeting Elemanias, who looked like she could be Falon’s evil twin sister, and now the surprise and shock of being bowed to by these huge muscled goliaths.

  The other three men stood and introduced themselves: Drake and Blake of House Tonitrum were brothers, and Balor of House Terra. These are high dragons, Falon said to her via their telepathic link, as she shook hands with them. They are of the oldest families in dragon history, the highest of the royal court. House Tonitrum and House Terra are two of the four kingdoms. These men are princes. Dax is like me, another Duke. Unlike me, he is a Sigma, like these men.

  It was way too much to process at the moment, so she simply responded, Ok.

  “We don’t have much time,” Balor, the black one, said. “They will be coming for her soon. Falon, you stay by her side at all times. Of course, we don’t have to tell you that, since you’re her mate. Blake and Drake, you two form a perimeter around them at all times, no matter what. Dax and I will take point, as the vanguards.”

  Balor’s voice was so
deep it seemed to rumble the ground around her feet. He turned and looked directly at her. “My lady. I know this seems strange. But you are the first mother of a dragon since Falon’s mother. Our life for yours.”

  * * *

  Alexandra would never get used to the sensation of the portal. It was almost impossible to see the portal itself, mostly just a glowing iridescent light that seemed to take on all the colors of the world and yet have none of it at the same time. Stepping through it filled her with a complete sense of warmth like that of sunlight and that of a warm shower. Yet, when she felt Falon’s emotions, she could tell that he had found it cold. Cold blooded dragons? It was a bad joke, but she was in a weird situation.

  What greeted her on the other side was a gorgeous hall out of what felt like an old Scottish castle.

  “Welcome to the Pax Gloria, my love. We are in the kingdom of Imbris,” Falon said. “This is the portal I guard, or used to anyway.”

  Balor gave Falon a strange look. “You volunteered for portal duty? You must really love humans.”

  Falon made a sheepish grin. Alexandra realized it was the first time she had seen Falon around his peers, and not around the sycophants at her office who had treated him like royalty. He is royalty, though.

  One of the brothers, Blake or Drake, it was impossible to tell which, made a joke. “My lady, the reason it’s so strange that he is guarding a portal is that Falon’s title automatically grants him the rank of officer. So it’s strange that he would volunteer for something like portal duty. Honestly, he could have almost any job in the military.”

  She noticed that the silver-haired brothers both had silver eyes as well.

  “The royals are in the military?” she asked.

  The blue Drake, or Blake, looked at her with a confused face. Falon stepped in. “Remember, humans don’t have a primarily military society anymore. Most of them are civilians now,” he explained to the brother. He turned to her. “Think of the Spartan society: every officer here is considered to be of the nobility class. Almost everyone has had military training, even the merchant class is born into it.”