by test
“Torturing is your sport of choice now, is it?”
“It has always been one of my favorite pastimes, daughter. Your mother just
shielded you from it. She was so nurturing.” He laughed. Her skin crawled. “I think it’s about time you took a tour of the dungeons. I’ve replicated them just as they are in the Palace on Dragonia. You’ve done wonders with this Manor House that was built by humans, but I’ve perfected it.”
“I’ll just love seeing how they’ve fared. I’m sure they’re near to bursting with you in charge.”
His eyes sparked. Fire swirled within their depths.
“Lead the way, I have no where to go, now.”
“I want you to relinquish your sword to me.” He stared at her side where she had the sword sheathed.
“Of course.” She reached for her sword. She could choose to fight him right now, but it would do her little good.
Guards lined the walls, she wouldn’t get too far before she was overpowered. It was time to be patient until she had the cards stacked in her favor. Once she had Bronwyn secured, they could see what they could do about blowing this house to smithereens with her father’s forces inside of it.
“I can see that familiar seed of cunning in your green eyes, Grania. They are such a rare color of green, the way the fire leaps inside of them still amazes me. Do not think you will escape this prison you once called your home. You never should have left it without a powerful enchantment on it. You had a great lapse of judgment, daughter.”
“I never thought you would defile this home in the manner that you have done.
But then, little surprises me about how low you can go.”
Rage erupted in his eyes. She reached for her sword, he lifted his hand. In one swift gesture, the sword was ripped from her grip.
“You will not be using that on me.” His smile reminded her of a serpent. She
wanted to retch all over him.
“Do you think that even I would be stupid enough to attack you with those guards flanking the walls? I know they’d kill me as soon as look at me. I am nothing to you.”
DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170
He hand still hovered in midair. Was he going to strike her or use his dark
powers on her? She braced herself for what was to come.
“I would only give you what you want by retaliating. You already think me to be a monster of the foulest sort, why give you even more satisfaction?”
“Do you think your evil ways please me? You are a walking conundrum, Draco.”
“Keep calling me that and I will give you a beating you soon won’t forget. Get her out of my sight.” He waved his hand at his guards.
They came forward and grabbed her roughly.
“Touch her lightly, I will not have anyone else defiling her … I’m saving her for Denys.”
Her stomach lurched again as her throat grew as dry as parchment paper. She
stumbled when the guards pushed her forward. She wasn’t going to stick around here much longer. As the guards were pushing her out of the hall, she caught one last snippet of conversation between her father and someone that she couldn’t see.
“Excellent. Tell me when London is burning to the ground. I’d like to be there to see it.”
Her heart stopped ... London burning? No. She had to do something. This had gotten out of control; if England fell the rest of the world wouldn’t stand a bloody chance. Her father needed to be stopped. She could break away from the guards and use her bow and arrows to kill her father once and for all. Would she even make it halfway there?
She doubted it. He expected her to try something and the only way she was going to kill him was if she caught him off guard. They led her to the servants’ quarters, which had been magically turned, into what her father deemed worthy of a dungeon.
The smell of damp and decaying dead bodies tingled her nostrils. She instantly felt several sets of eyes lock on her. Murmurings spread through the area like wildfire.
Hope surged throughout the room. Why they thought they now had hope was beyond her. As far as they knew she was in the same boat as them.
“Grania?”
The guards shoved her into one of the cells separated from the rest. The sound of water trickling set her on edge.
“Bronwyn?” Despite the darkness, she searched the space for her cousin.
“I’m behind you.”
She whirled around. Bronwyn looked like a waif. Her heart ached. How long
had she been imprisoned here?
“Brianna?”
“Brianna is fine.”
“Thank the Graces. I haven’t seen her in so long. I was lured away before the palace fell to Draco’s forces.”
“She’s safe with her intended mate.”
“She is?” Hope lit Bronwyn’s sallow face. “Help me up.”
“It was you. You were calling me for help.”
“I’ve been calling out for help for days. I knew someone in my family would
hear me. I just thought it would be my twin.”
“Her link with you was being manipulated by the chameleon demon
impersonating you.”
DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170
“That’s not good.” Tears welled inside of Bronwyn’s eyes. “I can only imagine what the impersonator did in my guise.”
“Don’t worry about it. Everyone knows the truth now.”
She extended her hand to Bronwyn.
Bronwyn gripped it tightly. “I’m so weak. I haven’t eaten in days … much like the other prisoners here. I can keep going though if I know there’s hope that we can still win. If I were mortal, I suspect I’d be dead now.”
“No doubt you would be. We dragon shifters were made tough.”
She wrapped Bronwyn in a tight hug. “I can get us out of here,” she whispered against her temple.
Her father had eyes and ears everywhere, if they were going to make a successful attempt at escape they would have to work quickly.
“How?”
“I have a way to open a portal back to safety.”
“The prisoners say there is no safe spot now that Draco has reached Earth. No matter where we go, we won’t be safe.”
“We have to rejoin the fight,” Grania whispered.
“I know.” Bronwyn looked around. “Everyone here is loyal to my father ....”
“Bronwyn .…”
“I know … my father was killed by Draco. He came down here to gloat to me
after he was triumphant. I just can’t get used to it. I can’t get used to saying he’s gone.
Give me time, and maybe I’ll remember. The pain is just too fresh.”
“I know. It will take you time, but you’re still going to feel the pain … it just won’t feel as if you’re in a waking dream.”
Bronwyn nodded. “Thank you. Now, how many can we take with us?”
“I don’t know. I have no idea how long the portal will remain open once it’s
activated.”
“Then, we take as many through as we can.”
“Indeed.” She reached for the bag that Aurora had given her. It reappeared as soon as she touched it.
“That’s endowed with powerful white magic.”
“Yes, I had a good witch give this to me a day or so ago. She said it would give me what I needed at the time. I hope it will give me something that will wipe out the bars separating all of us. That way as long as the portal stays open we should be able to evacuate quite a few.”
“Thank you for coming for me.”
“I knew Brianna wouldn’t stop worrying until she had you back.”
She reached into the bag and felt her hands enclose around something circular
shaped.
Pulling it out, she threw it at the bars. A huge gust of smoke blew through the space. When it cleared, the bars dividing all of the cells magically disappeared.
“Just like magic.” She grinned at Bronwyn.
B
ronwyn gave her an encouraging smile even though she looked as if her legs
were about to give way beneath her.
“Now for the portal, Grania. You have to act quickly, the guards will be back down here to check on all of us in five minutes. They never leave us for more than ten DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170
minute intervals.”
“Got it. Is everyone ready?”
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the dungeons. Bronwyn turned to them
all. Speaking in a hushed voice, she gave out their instructions. “My cousin will be opening the portal shortly. She has no idea how long it will stay open. Those of us that can will get through the portal and rejoin the fight. For those that are left behind, know this, I will return for all of you once the war is won. Draco is about to get what he deserves, when I rendezvous with my brother, the royal line will be triumphant.”
A low cheer went through the large room. Reaching for her bow, she felt it
solidify under her touch. The enchantment concealing it faded away as soon as her fingers caressed the surface.
The portal shimmered into existence.
Her heart surged. “I’ll be the last one to go through.”
“No.” Bronwyn’s protest was adamant. “I won’t risk leaving you behind.”
“I’m the older one here. You just heed my order. You’re ailing, therefore you go through first. I want you to stay at the cottage, if you even think of returning to the conflict consuming London, I’ll never forgive you.”
“I won’t sit idly by while my friends die.”
“You will. Or else you won’t survive to fight another day. You need to
recuperate from the ordeal my father has put you through.”
Shadowy fear crept into her eyes. She inhaled sharply. “Okay. Time is wasting.”
Several of the prisoners had already jumped through the portal. “Take care,
Bronwyn.” She touched Bronwyn’s hand softly. “I’ll see you soon.”
“You’d better.” Bronwyn gave her one last hard look then she jumped into the
portal.
“Come on everyone, get jumping! Don’t think just leap!”
They’d evacuated almost half of the prisoners. The sound of cell doors clanking open caught her attention. They were coming. Soon, they would discover the portal.
She reached for an arrow. The guards thought they had disarmed her but they were in for one hell of a surprise.
“Everyone stand clear of my aim ... these arrows will kill our kind on contact.”
Suddenly, everyone was behind her. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Keep going
…don’t worry about me.”
She fired off her first arrow, hitting one of the guards. He screamed, as flames engulfed him.
He was dead. Her heart froze. Could she continue using this weapon?
She was starting to wonder if perhaps Dylan had been right. This didn’t seem
right, but they were evil and she had no other choice. “Forgive me.” She shot off another arrow, taking care of the two guards. It wouldn’t be long before more arrived, their screams of agony must be echoing throughout the building.
She turned. The portal was starting to shrink. It was closing. All but three of the prisoners had made it through the portal. Miraculously, the tide was turning in their favor.
They lingered, looking at her. “Go!” she shouted.
Turning away from her, they jumped. She sighed. The portal had shrunk so
much that she doubted she would be able to fit through. Closing her eyes, she put her DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170
hand into the portal, hoping that the magic would suck her in.
It did. Just in time. As she was sucked into the portal, she felt something sharp graze her side.
She somersaulted into her cottage. It was bursting full with escapees. “Grania!”
Her bow slipped out of her hand and fell onto the floor.
“You’ve been hurt!”
“It’s nothing.”
Bronwyn inspected the wound. “I don’t think you require healing, thank the
graces for that.”
She stood up, wobbling slightly. “You look better, Bronwyn.”
“I raided your magical stores, and found an elixir that seemed to help me out, restoring me to my old self.”
“Thank goodness for that.”
She walked to the window. “We should get to London, the sooner the better.”
She turned. “We’ll have to travel by air to London, since there doesn’t seem to be any wizards or witches left in residence.”
“That’s what you think.” Nicholas’s voice carried to her from above. Brianna
came racing around the corner.
“Bronwyn?” Sheer joy enveloped her features. Grania turned away feeling a pang that she didn’t have a sibling to lean on ... all she had was Dylan.
Dylan.
She reached out to him with her mind. Pain seared her temple. She sucked in a deep breath.
“We have to get to London, now. Nicholas, do you think you’re strong enough to open us a gateway?”
“I should be.”
Brianna and Bronwyn moved forward. “We’re coming with you, this time.”
“We would like to come as well. We are ready to fight.”
A spokesperson for the prisoners seemed familiar to her; she had once been one of her father’s most loyal soldiers. When he’d revolted she had turned her allegiance to the Royal Family.
“Then, allow me to lead you to my weapons room. Everyone can get themselves
properly armed and then they we can go into battle fully prepared.”
“Sounds like a definite plan.” Bronwyn smiled, still holding onto Brianna as if her life depended on it.
She walked through her cottage to a room located off her kitchen. She pressed her hand to the wall, watching as the room was revealed.
Weapons of all sorts lined the walls. A few dozen swords, some daggers, flying stars, pistols, among other inhuman weapons. Her followers moved forward taking what they could use.
Bronwyn and Brianna still stood with their arms wrapped around each other.
“You two need to stay here and keep this cottage safe. If we were to leave it uninhabited the magic protecting it could waver and then my father would have another victory on his hands.”
“I don’t want to leave Nicholas … I could go and Bronwyn could stay. She is
weakened by her ordeal at the hands of Draco. I think it would be wise if she remained DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170
behind.”
“I’m not letting you go and get yourself killed.” Brianna locked eyes with
Nicholas. Passion sparked between them.
“Hardly. I’d be with her, but I agree with you, Bronwyn. I think you should stay here, Brianna.”
“I’m not going to allow you to order me around. You aren’t my mate yet.”
“I’m your intended mate, and the mating fire has started between us, don’t deny the fact that you can feel the burn.”
“Brianna, Bronwyn, I hate to say this, but I think Nicholas is thinking sensibly.
He’s trained for this, the two of you haven’t seen actual action.”
“Yes, we have. I have.” Bronwyn sighed. “How do you think I ended up in the
prison? I had slipped out to fight with Blaze’s forces, except I was caught during the battle.”
“And, I’ve seen my fair share of action, Nicholas can attest to that.” Brianna looked at Nicholas searching for his support.
“We can’t continue quibbling like this, Brianna. You stay here with Bronwyn,
until you are needed. Grania and I are going to go and assess the damage in London. I just hope it’s still there and not burning to the ground.” A muscle throbbed in his cheek.
Grania swallowed. “I can second that. I hope we haven’t lost too many of our friends.”
“Come, Grania. La
dies first.” Nicholas raised his hand as a glowing vortex
appeared before them.
She drew in a deep breath and walked through the gateway feeling the other
dragon shifters follow her.
The air felt hot.
The sun was high in the sky, and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. Buildings around her burned. She searched the skies for Blaze. Dragon shifters and witches and wizards were locked in combat. The battle didn’t seem as if it was going to die down anytime soon.
“I’m going to look for Dylan.” She was about to transform halfway into a dragon shifter when Nicholas reached for her hand.
“I’m not about to let you out of my sight. Dylan won’t forgive me if something dire befalls you.”
“I’m not about to be protected by you. I was given the honor of being Dylan’s protector and now that I’m his wife, I’m not about to let anything happen to him. These are the final hours, Nicholas. Can’t you feel it? I want to die or live by Dylan’s side. No matter how this battle ends ....”
“You mean no matter how the war ends.” The former prisoners that had traveled
through the gateway with them had now joined the fight, which seemed to be turning the tide back in their favor.
Lifting her palm to her gaze, she marveled at the way it glowed. The light
gradually dimmed.
“Dylan!” she gasped anxiously.
Nicholas looked down at her palm at the exact same moment. “That’s not normal, is it?”
“No. We must go to him.”
DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170
“Take me to Dylan.” Just as the mating magic worked, Nicholas grabbed her by
the arm, riding the same wave of magic.
They stood inside of a building she knew too well. “Dylan’s mother will
probably be in the Prime Minister’s office.”
“I should think so.”
Nicolas gestured to the standard of Draco’s that was on the far wall. “I don’t like the looks of that. What’s going on?”
“Why not find out? Where is Merdwyn? I thought with his might on our side
that we had victory in the palm of our hands.”
The sound of several dragon shifters roaring made her head ache. They both
froze in their tracks.
“What was that?”