by J. E. Taylor
“You are mine.”
I pulled out of his arms. “I am not something to own,” I snapped and turned to get up.
He grabbed my wrist.
I yanked my arm from his grip and got out of the bed. “But I do. That says you are mine in the eyes of the public. It means you will be safe.”
“You do not own me,” I snarled.
He moved fast, blocking my exit before he took me in his arms. “I’ve coveted you since that first day I laid eyes on you. I claimed you the day I saved you from the acid pool.” His eyes blazed with fire. “And I sealed that claim before I left your castle.”
“I am not your slave.”
He laughed and looked at the ceiling, as if asking it for some wisdom. “I never said you were, regardless of the branding on your back. When I couldn’t erase it from your skin, I embellished it. You have the mark of royal blood. So yes, they will recognize you as belonging to the king.”
I still wasn’t convinced. Especially after what the kind slave who had given me water had said. “Is that what you did with all your slaves?”
His smile faded and he stepped back, looking at the floor instead of me. His features held remorse. He shook his head. “Before you wandered into our kingdom, I was as brutal as my mother. I believed her lies. I believed your kingdom rejoiced in my father’s death, therefore I acted brutally and without mercy.”
“You... killed them for what? Sport?” He had told me he hadn’t killed for sport. “Because it was fun to kill the poor human slaves?”
He bit his lip and shook his head. “It wasn’t for sport. And it was far from fun. Taking a life never healed the wounds deep in my heart.”
“Then why? Why would you so callously take a life?”
“I thought I was avenging my father’s death by slaughtering the ones I found... attractive.” He wiped his face. “I thought I was betraying my father’s memory every time I had a physical reaction. So... I tore them to pieces.”
I stepped back, putting distance between us. “And what about those times you saw me in the woods hunting? Why wasn’t I included in your search for vengeance?”
He pressed his lips together and stared at me in silence.
“Well?” I snapped when he didn’t answer.
“I was going to kill you, and then you apologized to that rabbit and sent my entire world into chaos.”
I didn’t know how to feel. I blinked and opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn’t think of anything that resembled an appropriate response. “Those slaves were innocent.”
“I know that now. Why the fuck do you think I haven’t been anywhere near the mourning hall? I cannot pay my respects to a woman who made me into such a fucking monster.” His voice rose as he stalked toward me.
He grabbed me and planted a violent kiss on my lips.
“You showed me the truth. You allowed me to see the goodness in humankind. You, Rory. You also showed me just how wrong I had been and how unjust I behaved.” He looked around the room. “I do not deserve to be the head of a kingdom. But I have no choice, and I need you by me to keep me humble.”
I stared up at him, still unsure of what to say. I did not know whether I could be with someone so callous.
“You changed me, Rory. The times I saw you hunting, I did not understand that pure souls do exist, but I knew you were different, and I looked forward to getting a hint of your scent. When it didn’t come for so long, I thought the same as you. I thought you were a ghost. Something I created in my mind to temper my fury in some way.” He drew his hand through his hair. “I can’t lose you,” he said softly. His eyes held a deep anguish for everything he had done in his past.
If he could find it in his heart to forgive my father for what he had done, and no longer saw humans as the enemy, I had to give him the benefit of the doubt despite the fact my brain could not wrap around everything he just laid on me. “I’m not property,” I finally said.
“Then be my partner. Be my queen.”
Before I could answer, a knock sounded on the door.
“Come,” Zachary said, loud enough to be heard in the hall.
The door creaked open and I could only see the iridescent eyes of a dragon in human form in the hallway. “Sunrise is almost upon us, my lord,” he said. “And the general is waiting.”
Chapter 15
A king’s coronation was supposed to be a celebration of passing the seat from one generation to the next, at least from all the stories Marabel told me. Yet Zachary’s step onto the throne and control of the Dragon Realm was anything but. Only a few dragons stood in the throne room when we entered.
“Are you serious?” a few of the dragons standing in the shadows said in unison. They waved at me as though I were an annoying pet.
“Yes. I’m serious,” Zachary snapped and looked at the general. “Can we get on with this? I have a war to stop.”
The high general of the dragon force stared down at him from his perch on the throne pedestal. His ribbons and medals pinned to his uniform covered his entire right side and the royal dragon crest covered the left. In his hand, he held the king’s crown. His gaze drifted to me and then back. “This is a private affair. One that a human should not be present for.” His distaste came through in the word human.
Zachary took a large inhalation. He leveled a glare at the general. “I am the last in the royal bloodline. Are you going to deny me the throne because of an unwarranted prejudice?”
Silence layered on the room, and I glanced at Zachary. He kept eye contact with the general and his calm mannerism seemed to break whatever standoff was occurring between the two.
“No,” he said through clenched teeth and then closed his eyes to gather himself. He shifted the crown to be in both hands and nodded at Zachary.
The general uttered an ancient oration in a language I did not recognize before he set the crown on Zachary’s head. The moment he removed his hands, the crown ignited in a ring of flame that matched the markings of his dragon form.
My shoulder flared with pain, but I bit my lower lip, trying not to let the whimper escape. Zachary glanced down at me and then his gaze moved to my back. To the brand on my shoulder. His eyebrow cocked and then he glanced at the general and gave him a subtle nod.
The dragons in the room bent a knee to their new king. I went to do the same, but Zachary shook his head and threaded his fingers through mine.
“There will be no more attacks on the Kingdom of Light,” he said.
Heads snapped up and mouths popped open for an instant, and then gazes dropped to our intertwined hands. Hardness replaced the shock on most of their faces.
“But...” the general started before he had the good sense to close his mouth.
“We went through this already when I first arrived with my mother’s body. If they attack, then we have a right to defend our kingdom. However, if I can broker peace between the realms, then killing humans for food or any other reason beyond self-defense will become a criminal offense.”
My eyebrows arched at his statement and this time, I was the one with the mouth hanging open.
“If I of all people can rise above the anger and hatred my mother sowed into me, the same hatred that brings war to our lands and threatens our people, then all those who reside in our majestic kingdom should rise to the same challenge. Acting as savage beasts is beneath us. We must set an example and show our true strength. The strength of our minds. If we seek to wage war for the sake of war with the humans, we will never see an end to it. I, for one, do not wish to see that kind of destruction. I will not risk my people when there is a chance for peace standing right here before us.” He glanced at me and then back at the general. “If they are unwilling to come to the table, then I will have to rethink my position.”
The general sighed. “Yes, my lord.” He nodded.
“Thank you. Now, on a different note. Please make sure the elders are present when I return from the border. I will be marrying the princess of the Kingdom of Light
and putting an end to this madness.”
Their gazes locked on our intertwined hands. A couple of the guards looked confused, but the others practically had steam rising from their heads. However, not one person made a comment. After all, Zachary was now their king.
“Let’s go stop your father before he starts a war no one wants,” he said to me and transformed, with me gripped in his talon. My stomach dropped as Zachary took to the sky like a speeding arrow.
The dragon force was something to behold from my perch in the sky. Thousands of dragons soared over the land, headed toward the border and an evident fight. Zachary flew high and then dove at a speed that terrified me. He successfully beat the pack to the border, where my father’s army had assembled en masse.
My heart hammered in my chest at the sheer number of arrows pointed in our direction as Zachary landed at the front of the dragon force.
He gently set me on my feet and transformed into human form as the general landed behind him. The general spread his blue and red wings out wide, holding off the rest of the dragons. It was a spectacle to see and the troops yielded, waiting for their orders from either the general or their king.
I turned toward my father’s army and too many weapons were aimed in Zachary’s direction. All I wanted to do was jump in front of him and yell for my people to cease their hostilities.
The dragon force surrounding us could wipe out the entire human army with just one fiery breath, and that could include us if the news Zachary announced in the castle hadn’t reached the front lines. I wasn’t sure his people had the ability to let go of their hatred so readily.
Zachary took my hand and crossed over the dried husks of the thorn bushes that had been there a couple of days ago. I could almost feel the sting of them as they crunched under my feet. I swallowed hard at the unyielding firing line. Hundreds of arrows were aimed in our direction. The last time arrows were aimed at a dragon, she ended up dead. I did not want to see that pattern repeated today.
“Hold!” the king bellowed and came forward.
Zachary raised his hand and glanced over his shoulder. With only a hand signal, the dragons behind us relaxed and stepped back, giving us the ability to negotiate before they rained havoc on the human force.
“What are you doing with my daughter?” King Henrick growled as he came within hearing distance.
Zachary glanced at me. “Saving her life. She seemed to think she could stop the rest of the dragons in their misguided actions earlier. My apologies for their behavior. They did not have the king’s blessing to launch that attack.”
King Henrick blinked at Zachary and then looked at me. “Is this true?”
I kept a grip on Zachary’s hand and nodded. I wished Zachary had insisted on an outfit that covered my back. I felt uncomfortable in this dress. I would rather be in my hunting pants and soft shirts that I used to wear. Having my shoulders exposed made me feel naked, but I understood it was necessary until my shoulder healed completely. At least the dress looked a bit like the one I had been wearing when I rode out of the castle before all hell broke loose.
“Thank you for keeping her safe and returning her to us.” He put his hand out as if he expected me to cross and take it.
Zachary laughed. “I did not keep her safe for you. I kept her safe because before the sun sets tonight, she will be my queen. And we”—he pointed between the king and himself—“are going to sit down and figure out a reasonable peace treaty between our kingdoms. One that benefits both sides.”
My father’s face turned bright red and his hand went to the hilt of his sword. “Humans and dragons have never wed. I will not allow it,” he snarled.
“I’m not asking, Your Highness.”
Zachary’s hand tightened on mine. I squeezed back to let him know I was with him and wasn’t going to run away if this all went to hell. The only thing that kept my heart slamming like a galloping horse were the arrows still aimed at Zachary’s chest.
“I am inviting you and your royal delegation to the peace table.” Zachary layered a warning into his voice. “Or we can keep the hostilities going and wipe each other off the map.”
My father’s knuckles whitened on the hilt as his lips disappeared, but he did not unsheathe the sword.
“Need I remind you, my parents, the king and queen of my kingdom, were killed on your land? One murdered by your hand, the other an unfortunate mistake. I would be well within my rights to strike you down on the spot. But your heinous act made Rory possible.” He glanced at me. “And for that, I am inclined to forgive.”
His tone held a chill that made me shiver, but he was trying to put a twenty-year grudge behind him.
“Your thugs killed several innocent farmers today,” King Henrick said. “That cannot be dismissed.”
The dragons behind us rose to their full heights, casting shadows over us. Their aggression seemed to agitate my father’s troops.
I tore my hand out of Zachary’s grip and stepped between the two kings, splaying my hands to either side. “Stand down!” I shouted. “Both sides, just stand down. Go home. Hug your children and live another day. This is not worthy of more killing. Dragons are not the enemy,” I said to the humans gathered, and then turned to the dragons. “And humans are not the enemy.” I wasn’t going to let either side flex their testosterone. “Two decades of high tensions borne of hatred cultivated by your queen does not disappear in an instant. I understand that.” I spoke to the dragons. “Your kingdom has not fallen. Just as mine has not. Trust in each other needs to be rebuilt, and I believe it can with time and the right treaty in place between our kingdoms. With the right agreement in place, we can prosper at a level beyond what we have ever seen, as long as our minds are not being poisoned with hatred.”
My father stared at me as if I should just shut up and be a humble daughter. But Zachary barely contained his smile. The more I spoke, the more his eyes sparkled with pride. When I finished, Zachary raised a challenging eyebrow at my father and waved the dragons away.
All but the general obeyed, retreating towards the castle. The general stayed with his king, but gave us enough room to negotiate. Even with his showing of true leadership, my father kept that level glare at Zachary.
“Come home, girl,” he said to me in a stony voice.
“I am home.” I stepped back by Zachary’s side. “And if you decide to retaliate instead of taking the peace offering, there will be nothing anyone can do to stop the dragons from annihilating your kingdom.”
“Send the fae to settle your mind on what you fear most. They have the power to see the truth. Besides, I am sure Rory would like time with them here. And then when your fears have been alleviated, bring your delegation to our castle.” He glanced over his shoulder at his general. “If King Henrick does send a delegation, see to it that they arrive safely.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” the general said.
Zachary looked back at King Henrick. “I assume you know the way?” His voice lilted up at the end of the sentence as if it were a question.
My father pressed his lips together and glanced at both of us before he gave Zachary a curt nod.
Zachary took my hand and backed up onto dragon property, transforming gracefully. He reached for me with his talon.
I swatted it away and gasps sounded from the Army of Light, as if I had committed an atrocity that was sure to have me turned into cinder in a snap. It made me suppress a smile. “No. I don’t want to be carted around in a talon. If you insist on flying, I get to ride.”
“As you wish.” He bent down so I could climb up his wing.
I crawled up his scaly wings and settled on the back of his neck and tightened my thighs, gripping his horns to steady myself. When I looked forward, the entire force of guards had their mouths dropped open at the spectacle. Even my father looked shocked. I smiled and waved before getting my grip set.
“I’m good,” I said to Zachary. When he launched into the air, I gripped tighter with both my legs and my hands.
The wind whipped through my hair and I got one last look at the armies below all staring up in awe. Zachary arched around and headed toward the castle in the distance.
Flying on his back was much more freeing than being clasped in a talon. The air surged around me as his wings lazily beat in the air. The Dragon Realm was stunning from this height, colorful and lush. It extended as far as the eye could see, or at least until the endless blue took over. I couldn’t tell whether it was a body of water or the sky.
“What’s that in the distance?” I asked.
“That, my dear, is the ocean,” he said. “I will take you there once we get this peace treaty in place.” He dove toward the castle, bringing his wings close to his body like he had done before.
Adrenaline made my skin tingle and my breath caught on the rushing air. Tears blew from the corners of my eyes, and I laughed like I did when I was a child running through the woods at top speed. This was far more exciting.
Zachary evened out and drifted on the wind until he landed softly on the ground outside the castle entrance. He bowed so I could slide off and then shifted back into human form with a smile so enchanting that my knees weakened underneath me.
He clasped my hand in his and headed inside the castle into the room that he had been coronated in earlier. Gold glistened in the sunlight, giving the room a soft hue that didn’t erase the severity of the onlookers standing on the throne pedestal. A half dozen elders stood waiting for the king along with a few of the men who had been here earlier.
As we got closer, the oldest one, with white hair and even whiter eyes, stepped forward.
“You are dishonoring your mother and father,” he said with a shaky voice of the ancient.
“No. I am not. Do you know the reason why my father was killed?”
“It was cold-blooded murder.” Another stepped forward, not quite as old as the first.
“That is exactly what my mother told you, wasn’t it?” Zachary asked, but his tone wasn’t argumentative like it had been with my father on the battlefield.