Burn

by Penelope Fletcher

  Daniil and Nikolai echoed his astonishment.

  Koen’s shrewd gaze landed on the crestless back of a blue Dragon so light it appeared silver.

  When the cry had gone up of peril on the lagoon, Jakob reacted with as much concern as the rest of them.

  Daniil clearly wanted to protest his presence, but let it alone in deference of the need for swiftness.

  So Jakob flew with them, yet not, for he remained lower and silent.

  The male seemed as reluctant in accepting Marina’s offer to become her Second as Daniil was in allowing the male to replace him at her side.

  Koen felt both relieved and panicked by the change. Relieved because beneath it all Daniil and Marina’s relationship worried him. They’d come so close to crossing the line of friendship to lover – so very close.

  He fought the jealousy each moment they were together alone, because he trusted her, and realised she would never betray him if he remained true. It helped Daniil had already been tested in the worst way when it came to his Treasure yet remained honourable out of loyalty to their long-time friendship.

  Now, his panic stemmed from the knowledge another male would become close to his love.

  His Dragon didn’t know, or trust this male.

  It made the situation difficult.

  Having Marina move into the midst of other Dragon Lords he wasn’t familiar with, family or no, didn’t help either.

  Jakob banked hard falling from sight.

  It was as if he felt the Dragon King’s attention and wished to be free of it.

  Dipping his snout, Koen focused on the astounding manifestation rushing past beneath them.

  The usually swift and warm dark waters were iced over, its inhabitants breaking through the rime in fear-filled panic.

  At the mouth of the canyon the wild ones were frenzied. They roared and screeched as they flew haphazardly across the ragged landscape, slamming into each other and the peaks of the rocky chasm in their crazed riot.

  Koen’s scaled brow furrowed in a scowl.

  They would hurt themselves if the erratic behaviour continued.

  Dropping from above, Mikhail joined the four Dragon Lords, his booming voice edged with worry. ‘They will not listen.’

  Bronze scales glimmering in the midday sun, Nikolai somersaulted into a vertical dive. His leathery wings snapped open and his claws scraped the zenith of a shimmering glacier.

  It was one of many bobbing on the brackish surface.

  ‘The lagoon is frozen yet the sun shines.’ Nikolai angled higher to rejoin his brother. ‘I understand a Council Mon has the power to do this, but such interference on a Chosen’s behalf–’

  ‘I did not do this,’ Mikhail interjected. The gravity of his tone left them in no doubt he told the truth. ‘I would not compromise her in such a way.’

  Koen was at a loss to explain what he saw. He would not have believed it unless seen with his own two eyes. ‘Did you witness what happened?’

  ‘No.’ Mikhail’s great head thrashed in irritation. His ivory horns jutted at a deadly angle. ‘That does not mean another Council Mon did not interfere on behalf of another Chosen. Putting my offspring at risk.’ His fury was undeniable. ‘I kept my distance for peace of mind. But the wild ones were uncommonly interested and followed her.’

  ‘What do they say?’ As a mere Wyvrae, Daniil could not communicate with the wild ones, as could a Phoenix, yet their abnormal behaviour troubled him. ‘They are so aggressive.’

  ‘They keep crying ‘female’.’ Koen’s disturbed tone affected them all. He should have control over the wild creatures, but they refused to heed him. ‘At first I thought I heard wrong.’

  ‘They say nothing else,’ Mikhail agreed.

  Daniil rumbled deeply in his throat.

  The cooler air wafting from the ice reminded him of home. It caused an unwelcome ache in his heart. He knew that was why Jakob flew lower, so as to glory in the chilly air and take pleasure in the kaleidoscope sparkles created by the sunlight.

  ‘Perhaps Mages?’ he said.

  Nikolai dismissed the idea. ‘The delegation has been sighted. It is yet a day away.’

  ‘So?’ Blunt. Accusatory. ‘They seek to confuse us.’

  Eyes cutting at being questioned, Nikolai bared his teeth. ‘Ever do you see plots, Dani. I am telling you, it is not the Mages.’

  ‘Rina may call me Dani.’ The smooth-backed sapphire Dragon swerved. Snapped at the bronze’s larger hide. ‘That is Lord Kol to you, brat. Or my worshipful master.’

  ‘I would rather freeze my cock off than call you master.’

  Koen was ready to snap at them but his keen gaze spotted a protrusion in the near distance. Truthfully, there was no missing it. ‘What the hells is that?’

  The mighty Dragons descended upon the largest ice floe in the lagoon with a great beating of gigantic wings.

  Jakob’s decent was graceful and sure-footed.

  As deft as his fellow ice breather, Daniil was used to landing on ice, and did so flawlessly.

  Nikolai found the slick surface troublesome. He skidded until he was at risk of tumbling tail over snout into the water.

  Daniil pounced and snagged his hind leg in his maw. Biting down, he dragged the Raad away from the edge and shook his head playfully, rubbing his victim’s underbelly across the cold ground.

  ‘Frozen cock was it?’ He shook with more force. ‘Refreshing?’

  Shaken from his tumble, it took Nikolai a while to gather his bearings. ‘Bastard.’

  Daniil chuckled darkly and let go when smoke billowed from the bronze’s broad snout.

  ‘There is a lava pool back home that will singe your balls off.’ Nikolai twisted, growling. He snapped at the sapphire Dragon. ‘It now has your name on it. Watch your back, Kol.’

  Jakob snorted and lumbered past the bickering pair.

  Ignoring the rough-housing, Koen, Jakob and Mikhail prowled towards the strange mass jutting from the ice.

  The eldest Dragon realised what he moved towards. He halted. ‘I do not believe it.’

  Jakob’s confident stride faltered.

  He breathed a lengthy hiss tinged with dragonfrost. Crouching, his overlarge eyes slid from side to side as if expecting an ambush.

  Pushing past his disbelief – his courage a faultless thing – Koen Raad didn’t stop his heavy stomp until he was snout to snout with the giant beast.

  Half its body was encased below the water, but still the brute was so large Koen’s own vast size appeared diminished.

  Deathly serious and quiet in his scrutiny, he reared onto his hind legs. He knew those bloodshot eyes. He had looked into them before and seen death. The alpha male of the black lagoon was encased in a shroud of thick ice, a feat Koen himself would have been hard pressed to do without a considerable amount of mental preparation. Though he was a master at dragonfire, his skills with dragonfrost were far lesser. Of course, being the Dragon King he could go claw to claw with an ice breather and come out victorious, but only by a small measure if only using that skill. It was worth noting a group of powerful Mages could manage this deed. But he believed Nikolai. There were none of those magickal barbarians near this treacherous place. He would sense such a strong use of foreign power so close. He had felt nothing untoward around the canyon or in the lagoon other than a swelling of Dragon magick. That was not an uncommon thing to feel in this Kingdom, and not uncommon to feel during Aver. The Chosen were not devoid of mystical energy, even if they were not dual-natured. His Treasure had more than her fair share of Dragon blood that revealed itself in extraordinary ways.

  His next breath hitched and his pulse raced.

  Back on four claws, his blocky head turned to meet Mikhail’s knowing gaze. ‘I know she is strong.’ His voice was deadpan. ‘But this is far beyond what I expected. She could have been seriously harmed.’

  Slamming his tail onto the ice, Mikhail stopped scenting the area and bared his fangs ‘Has she shown you she is anything but capable
?’

  Koen didn’t flinch. He met the older Phoenix’s enraged gaze. ‘No.’

  ‘My offspring is the perfect battle-mate. She was born to lead, to fight.’ Mikhail huffed angrily, offended. ‘Are you intimidated? Your fear dishonours her.’

  Koen snorted.

  He was a predator, fearing nothing, intimidated by no one. Treating a female as fragile to stroke his sense of self was beneath him.

  It was the mark of a weak male who repressed his female’s independence.

  He was anything but weak.

  Discovering his mate possessed her own strength relieved him. He had peace of mind she wouldn’t do something unwise or succumb due to lack of strength the moment he turned his back.

  ‘Do not insult me. Nothing could make me love her less. I wish her safe but never will I restrain her might simply so that I feel more secure. Her power attracts me, but this?’ He tossed his head. ‘I dislike her in danger. I admit it. There is no changing that. Just as there is no changing to overprotect her would dim her fire.’ He ran his gaze over the frozen wild one. ‘The female holds my heart, as I hold hers. I am not ashamed to say the thought of losing her terrifies me. She is changing, growing. I love her for it. But....’

  He quieted, intense, brooding.

  There were no words for what he felt. He wanted her protected but she had to be free to roam. There were times he could intervene. This was one of those times he wished to be at her side, could not, feared she’d fail without him to guide her, and yet she had managed fine.

  It was foolish to feel sad she triumphed alone. That was something to be proud of.

  ‘See how I bare my soul when I should be thrashing you for hurting her?’

  The Council Mon grumbled and lowered his snout to the ice.

  He sniffed and snuffled along the ground until he lifted his head and peered towards the horizon. ‘All three passed this way.’ He looked through the Dragon King, deeply occupied by his thoughts.

  Jakob broke the hush. ‘This solves nothing. We will not be certain of what happened until we speak to her.’

  We? As far as Koen Raad was concerned there was no ‘we’ when it came to his Treasure.

  He regarded the other male stonily.

  Had he asked his opinion?

  Jakob stared back. There was no challenge in the look, merely resigned acceptance.

  Marina wanted him on side, and at some moment between her asking and this quest he’d decided to offer her allegiance.

  He meant no disrespect to his King, but he wasn’t going to pretend he was less dominant than he truly was simply to appease misplaced jealousy. ‘You know I am right.’

  Disgusted by his bad-mannered thoughts, Koen relented.

  He ceased his damning stare and concentrated on piecing together what happened.

  Nikolai and Daniil joined them. Both males investigated the frozen wild one.

  Daniil was disturbed on a primitive level. They were predators, but even he held respect for the larger wild ones that shared the land. To see one of the greatest defeated was disconcerting as it was alarming. He did not like the idea Anastasia had been in the midst of this, and he knew Koen would be beside himself until Marina snuggled into his arms.

  Of the three Nikolai acted the least disturbed. He knew his sister-to-be was fierce. He held no doubt this wonder was all her.

  Koen sprung into the air and gracefully extended his wings. He climbed until he hovered an optimal distance from the ice and inhaled, rigid tail anchoring his position in the sky.

  Hearing the deep draw of breath the other Dragon Lords took off as he released a torrent of magick infused flames upon the floe. Streams of heat merged with the black Dragon’s mystical fire and melted the unnatural ice into lesser chunks.

  Jakob flew lazy circles high above them, lamenting the loss of the reminder of his homeland.

  Waiting patiently at their backs, Daniil watched the fire breathers with a measure of awe.

  He was proud of the ability to breathe dragonfrost, but there was a surreal quality to the way dragonfire flowed through the air. His own flurry of ice was far more aggressive and cutting.

  The fire had a grace he never tired of seeing.

  The frozen wild one broke away with an air-splitting crack.

  It bobbed ominously in the water before its great weight sank. The beast slipped under the rippling water into the murky depths.

  Koen and his Dragon Lords made haste. Flying towards the noonday sun each male prayed the Princess was safe.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Marina crossed the finish half an hour after the other First Chosen. During the last leg she’d hit a wall, and her flagging energy drained faster than she was able to cope with.

  She was dehydrated, pale, and close to collapsing when she reached the far bank with scant minutes to spare before midday.

  The Courts descended upon her hunched form en mass.

  Unknown faces thrust into hers, unfamiliar voices demanding explanations as the other Chosen finished speaking of frozen water monsters and a river of ice crystals.

  Marina searched for a friendly face amongst the crowd.

  No one was there to help her escape.

  Weak, confused, she stood there, wet and shivering as she struggled to articulate answers to please the people feverishly pulling and yelling at her. Ice had scraped her soles and heels bloody, so her feet were sore and bleeding.

  It was Sevastyan and his son who sheltered her from the rabble.

  A forbidding Captain Vadik led the way as they escorted her from the muddy bank and the questioning crush of strangers.

  She recuperated from the quest at the closed marquee Sevastyan thoughtfully set up to receive her.

  It was plain compared to the other grandiose pavilion’s which displayed spires topped with pennants, elaborate warrens of lesser tents set up as antechambers, and additional quarters. The unadorned structure was warm, contained hot water for a rag bath and a soft sleeping area separated by a woven-grass screen.

  It was blessedly private.

  Stumbling over the threshold onto the tatami mats covering the swampy ground, she mumbled a relieved thank you.

  She insisted the Dragon Lords and Vadik join her inside when it seemed they would leave her.

  The Captain declined, preferring to bodily bar the entrance flap.

  At his Sire’s firm nod, Victor politely accepted the invitation on their behalf, mostly because they doubted she could stand without fainting from exhaustion.

  Sevastyan led her to the bedding.

  Viktor attentively went about pouring lukewarm water into a shallow bowl, and lugging it, soap, and squares of cloth over to the bed.

  Eyelids dropping, Marina felt her arms being lifted overhead then slapping her sides. She was stark naked before she realised what was happening. Squealing, she covered herself awkwardly with her arms, gawking incredulously.

  Rolling his eyes, Sevastyan carried on scrubbing the cake of soap into her mucky hair.

  Face scarlet, Viktor avoiding looking at her as he washed her sludge covered feet and lower legs. He paid rapt attention to ensuring her feet were cleansed and dried to keep her from falling sick then smeared ointment over the cuts.

  She spluttered feebly as Sevastyan pushed her head to her knees to rinse her loose waves using a pitcher of cooler water.

  Sitting her up he swiped a rag over face before she could speak then roughly dried her off with a towel.

  Her skin prickled, clogged pores exulting in being somewhat clean.

  “You can bathe properly when you are alone,” Sevastyan said brusquely. There was not the faintest hint of inappropriate lusting in his voice. He viewed her much like a taxing daughter who’d gotten herself dirty when playing. “At least now you will not be itching your scalp or scratching this lovely face as you rest.”

  Making a clicking noise of displeasure, Viktor ripped something from her skin.

  “Argh.” Short-tempered as a result of her fati
gue, Marina readied to fussily slap him away. “Wha?” She blanched at the slimy creature trapped between Viktor’s blunted fingernails.

  “A leech. Fat and happy.” He chucked the wriggling beasty into an empty bowl. “Sorry, I hurt you.” Sparing her a knowing grin, he gave her upper calf a friendly pat as he cleaned the irritated abrasion the bug left behind. “It would have fallen off when it was done feeding. I thought you might become distressed if you felt it when you were alone.”

  She swallowed a whimper of discomfort. The image of reaching down and feeling that thing hooked into her skin as it greedily sucked her blood bothered her. She hadn’t felt the thing at all.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. They understood by her timid manner she thanked them not just for removing the leech. “I was sort of lost back there.”

  Gently cleaning streaks of brownish grime off her arms, Sevastyan hesitated. “I understand after the last quest House Zar saw to your care. It seems in the confusion of moving and changing guard someone, ah, overlooked arranging servants to tend you at the finish. This is something the House Head arranges.”

  “Oh, hey now.” She patted his arm. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. You’ll get it right next time.”

  He blinked. “Marina, you are Ryu House Head.”

  She opened her mouth then closed it. Rubbed her nose. “But you.... How?”

  “You took it when you joined our family. You hold the highest noble rank. You are royal.”

  She groaned. “I didn’t know that. I didn’t realise everything Mikhail took care of for me.”

  Genuinely upset and sorely missing Mikhail’s all-embracing presence, she sighed. Her embarrassment over being nude died. The Dragon Lord’s platonic manner made it clear they saw her as family to be fussed over.

  “I wonder what else I’ve forgotten.” She gazed at her uncle hopelessly. “Is there other stuff I’m supposed to be doing for you that I’m not?”

  Sevastyan regarded her steadily. A kind expression softened his strong features, because frankly, he found this young female astonishing.

  It was not in the nature of the affluent to admit failings.

  He felt her pride, but the casual acknowledgement of her mistakes revealed said pride was balanced by humility.