Valentine (The Dragon Kings Book 3)

by Kimberly Loth

“Yeah, sort of. But it’s not so bad. I’ve waded in a little bit. Mostly I spend my time near the volcanoes.”

  Hazel couldn’t help but be fascinated by him. He lived in Hawaii but had never been on a plane or swimming. That was like being a vegetarian in Texas.

  “I saw the active volcanoes a few months ago when my sister came to visit. Not many people live on the Big Island. Too many dragons.”

  “I like the dragons.”

  Hazel rolled her eyes. “You’ll like my sister. She’s totally in love with them.”

  “You make it sound like I’ll be meeting her.” He watched her expectantly.

  Hazel blushed. Not the response she was looking for from him. He was nice to talk to on the plane, but she didn’t want to see him again. He would be too much of a distraction from helping find Rowan.

  “Probably not. But really, what is there to like about dragons? They’re a nuisance at best and dangerous at the worst. They serve no practical purpose. All they do is prevent us from enjoying some of the most beautiful places on earth.”

  He frowned. “I think they add to the beauty. People avoid the places because of an irrational fear. You’re scared of flying, and yet here you are. Look at this gorgeous view.” He pointed out the window.

  Hazel snorted. “You’d see a lot more people visit the national parks if there were no dragons.”

  “Are you proposing killing all of them?”

  “Of course not. I’m just saying I don’t like them.”

  He crossed his arms and looked outside. Great, she’d made him mad. He took her mind off other things, like her brother.

  The fasten seatbelt sign went off, and Hazel jumped up and raced for the bathroom. Maybe she’d regain her dignity in there.

  VAL LOOKED OUT the window and sighed. She had been so promising. Theo told him his primary job as a new king was finding a queen. So he looked everywhere for her. Hazel was the first woman he spoke to that he thought he might actually be able to stomach spending the rest of his life with.

  Part of him just wanted to find her so he could learn the rest of his duties. He liked Hazel. He shook his head at the thought of bringing her to the council and informing them that he’d found his queen. But there was one problem. She hated dragons. Oh well, he was told he’d have help finding his queen once he reached the mainland.

  He still couldn’t quite believe he was on plane heading there. As a king. Until it happened, he thought it was impossible. Only royal dragons became kings. Val was a fire dragon.

  But exactly ten days ago, Val had been flying back from Lanai after visiting one of the exiled dragons with his uncle Rojo when it happened. The air was cool high up in the clouds. He felt no physical change.

  Valentine, please don’t panic, but you’ve changed. Rojo was calm. He was always calm.

  Val laughed. I’m always changing.

  No, you don’t understand. Your scales, they’ve changed.

  My scales?

  Yes, your scales.

  Val twisted his head around and looked at his flank. It was pitch black. Val dropped a few feet as he turned around the other way. Everything he could see of his body was black.

  How is this possible? Maybe it’s just a trick of the light. Am I sick?

  I don’t know, but we should go to the elders. They will know what to do.

  Val’s mind had spun as he thought of all the possibilities. There was only one black dragon, and he was always a royal dragon. The king. In fact, they just crowned a new king. His name was Obsidian. Val was a fire dragon. This was not possible. Was he sick? Would he die like his parents? No one ever told him how they died.

  Rojo changed direction and flew to Eros’s home, since Eros was the leader of their clan and council representative. If he was on the mainland, they could go see the other two elders who lived in caves close by. Eros’s cave was dark, so they immediately went to Hoa’s cave.

  She let out a small flame when she saw him.

  Your Majesty, she said, lowering her head. Val’s insides went cold. This was impossible.

  No, it’s just me. Valentine. We don’t know what happened.

  She raised her head and studied him. We need Eros, but he’s at the council. I’ll send an eagle.

  What’s wrong with me?

  I don’t know. Go home, and we’ll wait until we hear from Eros.

  Val waited. For nearly forty-eight hours. When Eros arrived, he brought a tall gold royal dragon with him named Theo, who studied Val for a few minutes before speaking.

  Have you ever heard of the Legend of the Three Kings?

  Of course, it was one of my favorite stories as a young dragon. Three kings will rise up and kill the Evil Witch of the North.

  Very good. But the legend is a prophecy. And you are the beginning of its fulfillment.

  Val shuffled back a few steps, trying to make sense of what Theo said.

  Are you saying I’m a king? Val’s muscled tensed.

  Yes. One of three. The third hasn’t been identified yet.

  But I’m not of the royal race. Something about this had to make sense. What was he missing?

  Eros spoke up. We’ve always suspected that the three kings would come from different races.

  But I’m not a leader. He was a low-ranking dragon. The fire dragons were laid back, none really aspired to leadership. They were peaceful, and their elders rarely had to deal with issues. Val figured he’d eventually find a mate and live out his years on the island. Now that dream was gone.

  Theo shook his head. You will be a leader now. We’ll be here for a week or so, and then we’ll head back to Montana. I can only teach you so much. Obsidian, the first king, will have to teach you the rest.

  Val didn’t know what to think, what to feel. The only thing he could do was move forward.

  What do we do first?

  Let’s give you a human form.

  And so it began. A week and a half of stumbling around on two legs. Reading books. Watching movies. Interacting with humans.

  The person behind him kicked his seat, and Val was brought back to the present. Secretly, Val was thrilled with the fact that he got to be a human. It was the only good thing that came out of becoming king. He never thought humanity was a possibility since only royal dragons got to be humans. His aunt and uncle had never understood his fascination with humans, but he’d spent most of his free time watching them. He wondered if he’d ever seen Hazel before. Probably. Surfing was one of his favorite things to watch.

  He shook his head. He couldn’t think about her. He had less than six months to find a mate, and she obviously wasn’t going to work.

  Instead, he thought of the news that had really rocked his world. Last night, while they were eating dinner, Theo asked him if he’d ever head of Damien.

  “That was the name of my father. He’s dead.” Val took a bite of his cheeseburger. He wasn’t sure he could ever go back to eating as a dragon again. Human food was incredible.

  “He’s not dead.”

  Val spewed bits of burger and cheese. “Excuse me?”

  “He lives with the royal dragons, and he can’t wait to meet you.”

  Val’s appetite disappeared. “Why did no one tell me?”

  Theo had shrugged. “I don’t know his story. I know he’s not allowed to leave Yellowstone though.”

  Val knew he should be more focused on how to become a real king, not just a dragon that looked like one. But he couldn’t stop thinking about his father. Did that mean his mother was alive too?

  A man plopped himself down in the seat where Hazel should be. Val met his eyes. It was the man who had been arguing about Hazel’s seat.

  “Excuse me, sir, I think you have the wrong seat.” Val wanted Hazel sitting there even if she didn’t like dragons.

  “Nope, don’t think I do.” The man had a receding hairline, wore glasses, and had a blazer over a blue button down. He reached into his inside pocket and started pulling something out.

  Hazel appeared, eyes
blazing. “You’re in my seat.” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

  The man withdrew his empty hand. “No, sweetie, this is my seat. You can go back and sit in 27E. Nice middle seat in coach. Go on.” He waved toward the back.

  The flight attendant hurried to them. “Sir, you are disturbing the passengers. You must go back to your seat. If you don’t leave, the police will arrest you when we arrive in San Francisco.”

  The man glared at all of them as he got up and moved out of the first class section.

  “I’m sorry about him. If he bothers you again, make sure you alert us right away. Can I get you two anything?”

  Hazel settled back in her seat. “I’m fine, thanks though.”

  “Are you sure? We just warmed up some cookies. We were waiting for them to cool, but I can bring them to you now if you want.”

  “Chocolate chip?” Hazel asked. Val wondered what chocolate chip tasted like. He couldn’t wait to find out.

  The flight attendant smiled. “Of course.”

  “Not going to turn that down.” Hazel had a grin on her face, and once again Val regretted the fact that she didn’t like dragons.

  “I’ll be right back,” the flight attendant said and disappeared into the galley.

  “Geesh, he doesn’t know how to take a hint, does he?” Hazel asked.

  Val gave her a small smile and looked out the window again, even though there wasn’t much to see other than clouds. He wanted to fly to Montana as a dragon, but Theo told him he had to get used to the way humans did things, and planes were part of the equation. Theo was supposed to be sitting in the seat next to him, but had sent him a message a few minutes before boarding that he’d meet Val on the mainland.

  “I’m sorry,” Hazel said, her voice gentle.

  Val turned to face her, and her beauty struck him. He’d watched a lot of humans over the years, and for some reason she was more attractive to him than most. It was the combination of her wide green eyes and jet black hair. Her sun-kissed skin seemed to sparkle. She continued to speak but kept her gaze lowered.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you. I don’t like dragons. Can we forget about that and talk about something else? It’s what my sister and I do. We usually just avoid the subject of dragons.”

  He supposed talking couldn’t hurt. Maybe then he could meet her sister who liked dragons. Theo seemed to think that finding a queen was the most important job Val had as a king.

  “Sure.” He settled back and stretched his arms up. The flight attendant came back with the cookies and handed them each one. Hazel took a bite of hers and moaned.

  “That good?” Val asked.

  “Yes. And if you don’t eat that, I’m going to finish it for you.”

  Val tried his and was surprised by the sweetness. They were good, though Hazel seemed to enjoy hers more than he did his.

  After Hazel finished her cookie, she eyed him carefully. “How come you never learned how to swim?” Her eyes danced with curiosity.

  Val wasn’t sure how to answer that. He knew a lot about humans because he’d spent so much time observing them. He’d even hid out in the forests behind people camping and listened to their conversations. He probably had a better grasp of humans than the royal dragons, but he had no idea what she expected him to say. He’d learned it was better to give an answer that was expected, otherwise they got suspicious.

  He and Theo had spent a good deal of time inventing a human backstory for him, and it served his purposes now.

  “I grew up believing both my mother and father were dead. My aunt and uncle told me they died in an accident on the water. I guess I was just scared. An irrational fear.” He gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile, and she leaned even closer to him. He wasn’t sure what she was up to, but he was thinking thoughts he shouldn’t, like what those lips would taste like and if the scent of jasmine coming from her hair would smell even stronger if he were to embrace her. The desire to touch her was almost overwhelming.

  “Tell me more about your parents.”

  He sucked in a breath. “Why are so you curious about my parents?”

  “I don’t know. I like mysteries, and this is a mystery. You already told me your father is alive, so if they didn’t die on the water, what happened?”

  He’d really hoped to learn about her, not tell her his life story. Most humans liked to talk about themselves more than listening to someone else. The flight attendant interrupted their conversation by coming around giving everyone their meals. She spoke with her coworker who was serving the row in front of them.

  “I still haven’t heard from my sister in Alaska. I’m worried sick.”

  “Did she live in the town that had the avalanche?”

  “No, one town over from the fire. But I heard buildings all over Alaska are catching fire.”

  “What happened in Alaska?” Val asked Hazel.

  “Uh, Alaska? Where have you been? It’s been on the news all week. Unexplained avalanches everywhere. One small town was completely buried. Then a huge fog moved into another town on the coast, and when the fog disappeared, buildings all over were in flames. It started a few days ago. Then yesterday, a cruise ship literally capsized. Everyone died. No one can explain it,” Hazel replied.

  “That sounds awful,” said Val.

  “It is. Some people are speculating that it’s the dragons up north. It’s like they’ve declared war on us or something. But no one has reported seeing one.”

  War. He wondered if she was right. Theo had told him that the war would begin soon and that it would be the arctic dragons against the rest of them. And he was supposed to stand beside Obsidian and the third king, and the three would lead everyone into battle.

  Hazel tapped his knuckles. “Your parents. What happened?”

  He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. Glad to have the distraction.

  “I don’t actually know what happened. It’s part of the reason I’m going to the mainland. To find out. I don’t know why my father had to go to Montana and why I couldn’t go with him. Also, I want to know how my mother died.”

  That was absolutely the truth, and he planned on getting that answer out of his father before he did anything else, even though he had new responsibilities as a dragon king. He frowned. He was never supposed to be king. Hell, he wasn’t even slated for leadership among the fire dragons. How was he going to do this?

  “You okay?” Hazel asked, studying him.

  He squirmed. “I’m fine, why do you ask?”

  “Because you look like you are about to throw up.”

  “I’m just worried. What if I don’t like the answers I get when I meet my father for the first time?” He liked talking to her. He didn’t know why he felt the need to say so much. She was comfortable. A lot more than Theo had been. He rubbed his forehead.

  “You probably won’t. But you’ll process through it and move on. We all do. If you want, after you talk to him, you can call me to process. I’m a good listener.”

  “Why do you care?” This girl was constantly surprising him

  She shrugged. “I told you. Mystery. I like answers. My family tells me I’m too nosy for my own good. I can’t stand not knowing the end to stories.”

  “So you don’t care about my feelings, just satisfying your own curiosity?” He raised his eyebrows at her.

  She laughed and put her hand on his. “Sorry. I get caught up in the answers and forget about the human side of things.”

  He looked down at their hands, enjoying her touch.

  “Fine. I’ll tell you, but not over the phone. You’ll have to come to dinner with me.”

  “I told you I have a boyfriend.” She blushed.

  “I’m calling bullshit. I’ve seen girls with boyfriends, and you don’t act like it at all.” Maybe she did have a boyfriend, but if so, she wasn’t in love with him. He used to watch couples on the island, and he got good at identifying those that were in love and those that were just messing around with ea
ch other. Her attitude told him all he needed to know.

  She pushed her dark hair behind her ears. “No, I really do have a boyfriend, but we’re in an open relationship.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “That we can date other people. It’s pretty casual. I don’t really do commitment.”

  “Why don’t you do commitment? That’s the best part of relationships.”

  “Because that’s the easiest way to get your heart crushed. It happened to me, and I’m not really interested in recreating the experience.”

  “You mean to tell me that you would give up all the good parts of your relationship just because of one bad experience?”

  “Absolutely. If I could go back and erase that entire summer, I would. I’m sure my sister would too. We call that the summer of hell and don’t talk about it much. She finally moved on though. I never will because the heartache isn’t worth the rest of it.”

  Hazel’s hand was still resting on his. It felt warm and nice, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t starting to develop feelings for this girl. He thought about flipping his hand over so he could hold hers but didn’t want to spook her. He leaned forward.

  “I told you what I know about my father. I want to hear about this summer of hell.”

  Hazel hesitated, and Val had the irresistible urge to kiss her. He’d never kissed anyone before, but he’d seen it a lot. It always seemed so intimate to him though. Something that was done in private, not in an airplane surrounded by people.

  She sighed and turned in her seat so one knee was brought up. She tucked her foot under her other leg. “I guess I owe you one. My parents are park rangers. One summer they did a stint in California. In spite of growing up in the parks, I’m not all that crazy about mountains and trees. I like the water better. I liked living in the Everglades a helluva lot more than I liked Yellowstone, so when they went to Yosemite, I was ecstatic to be closer to the ocean. But it’s still a three to four-hour drive to a beach. My aunt lives in San Francisco, so she let me stay whenever I wanted. I had never surfed before, and I met this guy who offered to teach me.

  “His name was Teddy, and he was a few years older. I never found out how much older because he was vague about his age. He taught me how to surf, and I fell hard. For two glorious months we were inseparable. I still remember how his lips felt on mine. No one could match his kisses.” Her eyes glazed over a little, and he finally understood what jealousy felt like. Val thought it was odd that she was so open about it. She seemed almost wistful.