I was still held by whatever magical spell he’d cast on me, but angry tears of frustration formed at the edges of my eyes and leaked down my cheeks. I wanted to tell him he could shove it, and that I was a darn good musician, and that if he couldn’t appreciate that he shouldn’t have forced me to show off anyway, but I was stuck. His magic still quivered inside of me, tingling and roiling.
“She can be trained in whatever domestic skills you require, my prince,” Mariana offered, earning herself another glare from me.
“No,” Rhys said. “The little songbird is too willful. I can tell by the fire in her eyes. She’ll make a poor servant.” He stroked his chin and considered me.
The tingling in my stomach had swelled and I felt the same awful pressure that I had a moment earlier, like another bubble forming. Again it traveled up my throat and swelled in the back of my mouth.
“I’ll take her into my personal harem and use her until her will is broken,” Rhys said decisively. “Once she’s obedient enough, you can have her to train for Valeria.”
He strode toward me and stroked my cheek, violet eyes hungry. His hand was cold, and his touch made my skin crawl. I wanted to flinch away and shake him off, but the enchantment still held me fast. The pressure in my throat intensified.
“You are a pretty little thing. Perhaps I’ll give you your first lesson right now…” Rhys trailed off. His brows drew down and his eyes narrowed. “What is this? A second talent?”
Once again the strange rushing sound filled my ears and the pressure burst. My mouth dropped open, but this time, a torrent of raw emotion surged up in me, passion and fear and bravery and frustration all heightened to the highest levels of intensity. Shining light poured out of my mouth and rippled around me in golden waves. A sound like a chime rang out and reverberated in time with the pulsing light.
Rhys staggered back from me, throwing his hand up in shock, and Mariana looked stricken, though the waves flowed over them without any apparent effect.
I was as surprised as they were. I had no idea what to make of the golden light flowing out of me. After a moment, the light trailed off just as my song had, the chiming stilled, and my mouth was permitted to slowly close. Finally the enchantment released me. I sank to my knees, gasping, suddenly exhausted.
Mariana and Rhys shared a concerned look.
“She has the spark,” Mariana murmured.
“I can see that,” Rhys snapped.
“The covenant requires—”
“I’m also aware of the laws.” Rhys scowled at me. “No matter how ridiculous they are. Why should I have to give up what’s rightfully mine?”
Mariana pressed her lips tightly together. “I must insist, my prince. You understand how important—”
“Why?” Rhys demanded. “Kaden has done well enough on his own these last years. I needn’t even tell him that the girl exists.”
I was completely lost at this point, but glad that they were done mucking around inside of me with their stupid magic. Even if this was some kind of delusion, it had gone on too long and felt way too real to dismiss completely. The spell had shaken me up pretty badly, and Prince Rhys’s advance had made it worse. I shivered, recalling the look in his eyes as he stroked my cheek. I didn’t want to find out exactly how vulnerable I might be in this world. I needed to get away from them and find a way to get back to Nick and my family.
Mariana straightened to her full height and glared at the prince. “Any human with the spark is the sacred property of the Dragon,” she said. “The girl is his whether he knows of her or not.”
That caught my attention. The way they said “dragon” made it sound like a proper title rather than a creature, but I didn’t care very much. I didn’t know who this Dragon character was, I didn’t want to find out, and I was getting really tired of people declaring that I was property. I had to bide my time, though, so I bit my tongue and waited. I couldn’t escape until I could find a way to get these glowing blue bands off.
Rhys growled. “I swear, Mariana, if you weren’t as useful as you are…” His gaze swung back to me. “But as you wish. If I must give her to the Dragon, then I will. I won’t give anyone the pleasure of saying that Rhys Alvarion broke the covenant. It’s such a pity, though.” He shook his head and clucked his tongue.
He snapped his fingers, and the bands on my ankles dissolved. “Rise,” he said. I did as he commanded sullenly, although secretly I was grateful that I could at least move around on my own two feet again. “I’m taking you to meet the Dragon.”
Rhys strode away from me without waiting for a reply, tugging me along by the leash like a wandering puppy. I stumbled forward and had to hurry to keep up with his long strides. Mariana remained behind, watching us go with shaded eyes. It looked like I was going to meet the Dragon after all. I wondered if he was going to be as terrible as everyone else had been so far in this ridiculous fantasy land.
The prince glanced over his shoulder at me and shook his head once again.
“Such a waste of a perfectly good little songbird,” he muttered. “He’s just going to burn you up like all the rest.”
Thanks for Reading
Thanks for reading Flame Kissed, Book 1 of Seeking the Dragon! Read on for a free preview of Book 2, Flame Bound.
Excerpt from Flame Bound, Book 2 of Seeking the Dragon:
I turned to see a tall, black-cloaked man stride into the room, his face obscured by his drawn hood. He wore a white silk shirt with gray cotton pants, and as he approached Rhys and Valeria they both moved aside to allow him to mount the steps. My breath caught as he passed me by, my anger momentarily dampened by curiosity. His scent was thick in the air, exotic spice and sandalwood. Everything about him radiated power: his stance, his graceful gait, even the way he’d ignored us all while he ascended to the throne.
He threw back his hood, and I was stunned by how attractive he was. Not beautiful, like Rhys and Valeria, but breathtakingly handsome in a rugged, royal way. He had dark wavy hair and a strong, lean jawline. His smooth, tanned skin was a rich golden-brown color, and I’d never seen eyes like his before: a deep crimson with golden flecks in them, stormy and commanding, but also sharp and intelligent. He gazed down at me with an unreadable expression, his eyes lingering on my body, but where Rhys had made me feel uncomfortable, I actually kind of enjoyed the Dragon looking at me. I wondered what he was thinking and stood up a little straighter. Then I realized what I was doing.
Stop it, I told myself. You’re angry, remember? Quit swooning over boys. Rhys was attractive too, and he turned out to be a real jerk. And then there’s the whole thing about him burning me. I set my jaw and stiffened.
“You’ve found another,” the Dragon said. His voice was rich and deep, and carried the unmistakable note of someone accustomed to being obeyed.
“I don’t enjoy being left waiting, Kaden,” Rhys said.
The Dragon frowned. “I am not at your beck and call, Aethling. I was preoccupied. I came when Mariana sent word.”
Rhys looked like he was going to snap back and then thought better of it. “In any case, yes. She carries the spark. Small, but it is there.”
“You’ve leashed her,” the Dragon said in a flat tone. “Release her.”
“She’s troublesome,” Rhys warned. I glared at the back of his head.
“This slip of a girl?” The Dragon snorted. “I can handle my property without tying their wrists, even if you cannot, Rhys.”
“Enough!” I shouted, my anger flaring back in full force. “Your property? Yeah, no. I’m not his property, I’m not your property, and the only reason I’m doing anything you say at all is because this jerk tied me up with these stupid glowing band thingies.” I shook my hands at them. “You’ve all talked over me, threatened me, dismissed me, and passed me back and forth between supernatural super-jerks since I got here. I don’t care if any of you are royalty, I don’t care about whatever this stupid spark is, and I don’t care if you’re hallucinations or not—do what y
ou want with me, but I’m done standing here and quietly taking your crap, okay? It’s been a pretty bad day for me. And one way or another, I’m getting back to my family.”
I stood there staring them down, my chest heaving and my heart hammering away, but I was secretly thrilled that I’d found the nerve to finally give them a piece of my mind. Rhys blinked at me. Valeria’s mouth hung open. Even the Dragon’s eyes registered surprise.
Then he rose from his crystal throne and swept down the steps. He loomed over me, a full head taller than I was. His smell once again filled my nostrils, exotic and heady, and up this close I could feel the heat radiating off his body. I held his gold-flecked gaze defiantly, trying not to let my sudden burst of fear show. Rhys said the dragon had a temper. Rhys said the Dragon would burn me. But doubt nestled in my heart. His eyes were surprisingly gentle—compassionate even. He looked almost regretful, but that couldn’t possibly be right.
And then he seized my wrists. His eyes glowed with intense, crimson light, the heat from his body intensified, and the Dragon began to burn.
About the Author
Alexis Radcliff is an author, gamer, unashamed geek, and history junkie who spent the better part of a decade working in tech before dedicating herself to her first love, literature. Alexis lives and works in the Portland area with her adorable (if surly) cat and her equally adorable husband. When not writing, she spends her time reading, running, playing way too many videogames, and thinking too much about everything.
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Flame Kissed (Seeking the Dragon Book 1) Page 5