Dragon's Prize (Dragons Awaken Book 2)

by Maya Starling

  Manu and his group snickered. “Yes, she told us what she did… a brave woman. She would make a good warrior, at least a spirited one.”

  “Olivia? A warrior?” Theo scoffed. “She wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone on purpose.”

  “Don’t underestimate her, Theo,” Damien finally spoke up. “She would fight if it was to protect someone she cared about.”

  “You’re right… she would,” Theo said as they gathered the rest of their belongings.

  “Follow us, but be wary. Magnus is in a very foul mood and so are some of the other men. He’s lashing out at everyone.”

  Manu nodded his understanding and they followed Theo and Damien back to the prince’s camp.

  Magnus was furious. He had barely gotten any sleep the previous two nights. He was injured, humiliated and betrayed.

  I am the prince!

  He stared at the ceiling of his tent, lying on his bedroll. She ran away. She took his whore with her. Cassiel betrayed him.

  “What have I done to deserve this?” Magnus mumbled to himself. He swiped his hand down his tired face. “I should have beaten her sooner. Broken her spirit before she got bold enough…” He pictured Olivia’s face in his mind and promised himself he would get revenge. He would make her suffer first, then he would have her as he had planned.

  It was humiliating to have Donovan stitch him up. The young man told him that he’d been fortunate because It was only a plunge and that she hadn’t moved the blade. But it was deep enough to do serious damage, its severity still unknown. It took six excruciating, layered stitches to close the wound. He was glad she hadn’t chopped it off.

  It hurt him to walk.

  It hurt him when he had to relieve himself. And it would hurt many times to come.

  He could deal with the pain, use it to feed the anger inside him, but he was worried whether he would be able to function and produce an heir. He would have to send for the witch, surely she would be able to help.

  Reed cleared his throat.

  “What do you want?” Magnus snapped.

  “We have company…”

  “What do you mean?” The prince finally deigned to look at his most faithful knight, his eyebrows gathering in a frown.

  Reed sighed. “Some savages are here. I think it’s those bloody barbarians wanting something. They even got some bitches with them pretending to be warriors.”

  “Send them away.” Magnus shooed Reed off with a flick of his wrist.

  “They’re insisting to talk to you.” Reed snorted.

  “Does it seem like I care? Get rid of them.” Magnus returned to his staring at the top of the tent.

  “They have weapons drawn, there are ten of them. I hate to admit this, but we don’t stand a chance if a fight breaks out at this moment. They seem adamant in talking with you.”

  Magnus groaned. “I hate them already.” He sat up, leaning on his elbows. “Get out, I’ll be right behind you.” He didn’t want Reed to witness his struggles and groans of pain as he got to his feet.

  After rising to his feet, he put the scabbard on his back, his trusty sword sheathed in it. He straightened his posture, shoulders pulled back. He couldn’t hide the limp though, fighting against it, gritting his teeth against the pain.

  He knew he looked pathetic; his hair was a dirty mess on his head, there were dark bags under his eyes and now the limping. Fuck!

  Only the fury in his eyes made him worth a second thought.

  He took a deep breath as he scrutinized the savages. His men drew closer, the ones still able to fight, Reed standing to his right.

  “Who demands to talk to me?” Magnus said as he scanned the barbarian’s faces, his eyes feasting on the scantily dressed women.

  Manu took a step forward. The prince’s men clutched their weapons, except Theo and Damien who were subtly standing in a more neutral position, not too close to Magnus.

  “I do,” Manu said.

  Magnus narrowed his eyes when the barbarian didn’t bow before him. Savages! “Do you know who you are addressing?”

  “Yes,” Manu said.

  The fact that he didn’t explain himself or acknowledge the prince’s title infuriated Magnus further. Bright splotches sprung up on Magnus’ cheeks. His hands were fisted at his sides, trembling. He opened his mouth to speak but Manu interrupted him.

  “We have come here to ask you to leave our forest. There is a village to the north east of here that you could reach by morning.”

  “Wh… What?!” sputtered Magnus, spittle forming at the corners of his mouth.

  “You heard me, sir.” Manu was polite but still unwilling to address the prince by his title.

  The prince nodded at his men and they drew their weapons. Manu’s people took a step back, drawing their bows and readying javelins, aiming at Magnus’s men but not at Magnus.

  Magnus knew what they were up to. His men had only melee weapons and if the savages were skilled warriors, his men would be down before they could reach them.

  The prince exhaled a deep, calming breath. “We have wounded.” He tried a different approach.

  “You have a carriage and a wagon, and you’ve made it this far. Or is there another reason why you do not wish to leave?” Manu eyed Magnus, challenging him to admit his own disadvantage.

  “I do not need to explain myself to you! This forest is a part of my kingdom!” Magnus sounded childish even to himself, but he didn’t care.

  “You have an hour. When we return, we expect you gone. We will not hesitate to kill your knights and send you off on your own.” Manu nodded to his people. They quietly retreated into the forest and blended with the shadows.

  “What do we do?” Reed was the first one to break the silence which settled after their visitors left.

  “We leave!” Magnus growled as he turned and half-stomped, half-limped to his tent.

  He knew the threat was real and he didn’t need to be humiliated further. He would get his vengeance on all of them for messing with his plans. They thought themselves invincible, undaunted, for they had never been defeated in their forest. But Magnus had a new weapon, and he would soon have more. He pledged his return.

  As soon as they arrived at the village, he would hire a messenger and send him to Remor, starting his sweet revenge on Olivia. He was glad for the shady connections Reed had.

  When Manu and his group returned to the campsite an hour later, Magnus and his men were gone.

  Chapter 21

  Kaden slowly came to his senses.

  The pain was gone, that was the first thing he noticed.

  The ground beneath him was soft and soft yellow lights flickered behind his eyelids.

  In the distance he could still hear the crackling of the fire. He inhaled a lungful of air, the scent of fresh grass mixed with that of burning.

  A thunderous roar snapped his eyes open. He swiftly jumped to his feet.

  Confusion made him dizzy. He was not in the forest anymore, but in a vast grassy meadow surrounded by trees on one side and the highest mountains he had ever seen on the other.

  The forest was on fire, angry flames reaching high up towards the sky. But the blue sky was not to be seen. Above him were only grey, orange-tinged clouds that reflected the hungry flames. The air itself was shaded in red. He felt like he was in the pits of a fiery underworld, though if not for the raging fire and chaos, the view would have been amazing.

  Angry roar repeated, he turned around.

  “Olivia!” Kaden’s eyes widened in panic. If he’d somehow managed to get here… if he’d flown and never knew about it… Oh God, what did I do?

  Racing toward the burning forest, Kaden only had Olivia on his mind. His heart pounded a crescendo. If she was in the forest when it caught fire… He didn’t even want to think about it. He ran, even though he didn’t know if he was running in the right direction.

  Before he could reach the forest, the ground shook underneath his feet. Another roar rent the air. A dragon stumbled out, stomping,
smoke billowing from his nostrils.

  Kaden halted, shocked. So did the dragon, confused.

  They looked at each other for several heartbeats.

  The feeling was indescribable for Kaden. He realized that he was looking at his former dragon’s form. He was lost for words, unmoving.

  The dragon was confused to see someone here with him, interrupting his tantrum as he tried to break free. His eyes narrowed instantly, How dare the human interrupt me!, but for once in a long while, curiosity defeated anger.

  “Who are you?” he spoke in the language of the dragons.

  Kaden was quiet for a moment. He heard the dragon’s voice, a strange garbling sound coming from its mouth, yet he understood.

  “WHO ARE YOU?” the dragon’s deep, rumbling voice echoed over the meadow. His patience was rapidly growing thin. He inhaled deeply and rose to his feet, ready to blow Kaden to bits.

  “Kaden,” the human finally responded.

  The dragon quickly swallowed the flames he’d been about to fire at Kaden. He almost choked on the fire, his eyes wide and smoke billowing out of his nostrils.

  “So killing you would certainly not be a smart idea…” the dragon muttered under his breath once he recovered his composure.

  “I…I… What’s going on here? Did you do that?” Kaden pointed to the burning forest.

  The dragon looked back over his shoulder and nodded.

  “Why?! I gotta go save them!” Kaden finally regained control of his legs. He ran towards the forest.

  He didn’t get far, though. The dragon picked him up in one claw. “Nobody’s in there.”

  Kaden struggled against the dragon’s grip. “You don’t understand… the tribe… and Olivia! If anything’s happened to her I’ll kill you myself!”

  Kaden’s desperation and his love for Olivia gave the dragon some pause. To an extent, he shared those feelings. He didn’t want the human to know he was distressed by it.

  The dragon faked a chuckle. “There is nobody in there. We are not where you believe us to be.”

  Kaden stopped struggling and the dragon put him down, eyeing him warily in case Kaden decided to bolt.

  “What do you mean we’re not –“

  “You are not awake.” The dragon interrupted.

  Kaden mulled this over. “That would explain why I can understand you. Is this a dream?”

  “It is not a dream. You can understand me because I am in your head. We really do not need to speak to communicate, but I presume this makes it easier for you to deal with what is happening.”

  “What do you mean?” Kaden frowned.

  “Look around again…”

  Kaden turned his head and saw that the trees were no longer burning. The sky was still an angry grey, sudden flashes of lightning weaving through them.

  “How?” Kaden said, his brows still furrowed.

  “Sit.” The dragon ordered and he lowered himself to the ground when Kaden sat down. “You and I need to talk.”

  “Alright, start from the beginning.” Kaden was still worried, but he was ready to listen.

  “First, we are inside your consciousness. What you are seeing around us, is your mind trying to repair itself. But before I tell you my history, I need to hear yours. What happened, how did I come to be trapped in here? I had no idea where I was and what was really going on… but it all revealed itself now, when you spoke your name.”

  After a long exhale, Kaden began, “It all started with a curse...” By now, retelling the story was an emotionless deal for him, until he reached the part about Olivia. He couldn’t help but smile when describing her. It didn’t take him long to finish his tale, and the dragon kept quiet the whole time, listening carefully, absorbing it all.

  The dragon finally felt some peace settle over him, the anger slowly deflating.

  “Aaaaah, yes. Makes much more sense now.” The dragon frowned. “This will not be easy for either of us. The shamans were right about the meld. This is…” The dragon stood up and started pacing. “We could fight for control…”

  Kaden jumped to his feet. “I don’t… I can’t… Can’t I finally have some peace!?” he threw his hands in the air.

  “Settle. I said we could, it does not mean that we have to. If you are sensible, we could agree upon a compromise. Now sit back down.” The command in the dragon’s voice made Kaden sit down immediately. He knew it was better to listen. He wouldn’t stand a chance against the dragon now that the door between their minds was open.

  “I have so much to tell you… I heard of the prophecy a long time ago. Never did I think I would be a part of it.” The dragon eyed Kaden, who sat cross-legged in front of him, looking up.

  “What is your name?” Kaden asked.

  “Órva’ar.” When the dragon pronounced his name, the deep rumble made it sound very old.

  “Órva’ar,” Kaden repeated, but as the name rolled off his tongue it didn’t seem as intimidating.

  The dragon nodded. “So, you spent about 150 years in my body?”

  “Yes, were you not aware of it?”

  “Sometimes I was aware when you were flying. I could see the world through your eyes. But, I thought I was dreaming. You see, I was in my long slumber, as are, I presume, the rest of the dragons still. We turn to stone after a while. I guess I was still sleeping when we were bonded, and you took control of my body. But when the curse broke and you returned to your body, I did not return to mine… my self was stuck in you. I did not know that at the time, so imagine me waking up in someone’s mind, trapped. In the beginning it was not that bad. But I am alone here, unable to sleep so I wander aimlessly, and it is actually not as big as it seems. And I cannot fly here. I also feel your feelings. I see glimpses of what you see, mostly when you are angry. It was all so confusing.” Órva’ar frowned and shook his head as if still trying to rid the confusion.

  “Can it be undone?” Kaden asked.

  “I am not certain. If the old dragon shaman were still among the awake, he would have been able to answer our questions, maybe even help us. But as it is, we are… stuck… until we learn otherwise.”

  Sighing, Kaden plucked a blade of grass and played with it absentmindedly. “What happens now?”

  “We learn to deal with it. I have no desire to fight for control, nor the desire to have it. I am willing to let you take the proverbial reins in this relationship. I will offer my guidance when needed. I decided to enter the long slumber for a reason. I have seen it all, lived a long life.”

  “But?” Kaden said.

  “I yearn to fly again,” the dragon said in a dreamy voice. “I miss it.”

  “How –” Before Kaden finished the question, Órva’ar interrupted.

  “The amulet is now a part of you. Part of a dragon’s essence is trapped inside it, as I am now trapped inside you. You should be able to take on the form of a dragon. My form.”

  “And you will let me have control?” Kaden asked, the uncertainty clear in his voice.

  “Yes. But…” the dragon warned and Kaden took a deep breath, “…occasionally, when you fly, I will want control, the ultimate freedom and you will give it unreservedly. I promise, I will not demand it at inappropriate times.”

  “I sense there’s more…”

  “Yes, there is more. If I feel that we are in danger and you are not handling the situation, I will take control - without giving you the choice. Also, when I have an opinion on a matter that is more than mildly relevant, I will tell you what I think. I am older and wiser than you are, Kaden, and I think it is only fair that I should have a say. You can only learn from my experience. I do not know yet how we will be able to communicate, but we will find a way.”

  “Is that all?” Kaden asked hopefully, but frowned when the dragon shook his head no.

  “I want to meet her.”

  Kaden suddenly snapped to full attention. He pulled his shoulders back, chest puffed out. “Olivia?” he verified.

  “Yes, your woman. I want to meet her.
I feel strong love and protectiveness towards her. It is confusing, for the feelings are not my own.”

  Kaden thought for a moment, but he really couldn’t afford to disagree with the dragon. “That sounds fair, but I’ve a friendly warning for you, old dragon.” An honest, warm smile appeared on Kaden’s face. “As soon as you meet her, you will feel the same.”

  The dragon nodded. “I will be looking forward to it. It is not easy for dragons to love so deeply. Do we have an agreement?”

  Kaden considered the deal. Did he really have a choice? Did he want to fight the dragon for control and risk losing Olivia and his freedom? The conditions didn’t seem unreasonable, the dragon could have asked for more. So in the end, he should be grateful that the dragon was willing to give up so much. And after living alone for so long himself, Kaden had an inkling of how the dragon felt.

  Rising to his feet, Kaden took a step closer to the dragon. “Alright.” He stuck his hand forward, feeling silly the moment he realized the dragon couldn’t shake on it. The dragon, however, lowered his head, snout only inches away from Kaden’s hand.

  “Deal?” Órva’ar asked for confirmation once more.

  “Deal,” Kaden said as he pressed his palm to the dragon’s snout.

  The sun broke through the grey clouds and shone on them, sealing their covenant.

  Kaden blinked, and everything went black again.

  Chapter 22

  “Kaden?” he heard Olivia’s sweet voice.

  He smiled first, opening his eyes a crack. Olivia’s worried face was the first thing he saw above him. Her hair was hanging down, framing her soft face. Kaden realized his head was resting on Olivia’s lap as she ran her fingers through his hair.

  “Kaden?” Olivia frowned slightly down at him. “Is everything alright?”

  Kaden didn’t answer. He pushed himself up a bit with one hand and used the other to pull Olivia’s head down, closer to him. The silly grin was stuck on his face as their faces inched closer. Kaden’s lips softly touched Olivia’s, his warm tongue slipping past her lips, stealing just a taste of her sweetness. His passion erupted as he deepened his strokes, pouring all of his relief and love for her into the kiss.