[The Dragon Kings 01.0] Obsidian

by Kimberly Loth

  “You’re broadcasting them. Get a grip.”

  “Why am I not going to work tonight?”

  “I thought I made myself clear. Because you need to stay away from Aspen.”

  Shouts of protest followed Sid to his car and became muffled when he slammed the door shut. But Sid didn’t go to work. If Theo already called in, he would use the time to think. He drove into Yellowstone, spotted a little used trailhead, and pulled off the road.

  He climbed. The path was steep and narrow. Trees stretched out for miles on either side of him. He could feel the animals following him. The bears, the birds, the wolves, and the foxes. Sid didn’t see them. They kept their distance. They recognized him as their king even if the dragons thought he needed to wait a few years. He built a shield in his mind like Skye taught him years ago. He didn’t allow any thoughts out or in.

  Sid lay on the grass, the cool ground soothing his sorrows. He closed his eyes and released his shield. His mind expanded, and he pushed out the mental borders so he could hear the broadcasts of the other animals. A mother bear instructed her cubs on the best way to catch a fish, an owl argued with an eagle over a mouse. Sid pushed his mind farther and discovered the ants were nearly ready for winter and that the fish knew how to avoid sharp claws. They all whispered of him.

  One by one he shut the conversations off. Click, no ants. Click, no owl. Click, no more mother bear. Soon he was left alone to think. He practiced this exercise many times over the years. Unbeknownst to Theo, he’d never been particularly good at keeping his thoughts to himself. It was something animals had to learn and the first thing his mother taught him, but he never fully perfected it until he met Skye. Humans were one of only a few species on the planet who actually had to make a conscious effort to send out thought.

  Sid opened his eyes and found a wolf cub nose to nose with him. The cub blinked and ran away. Sid sat up and saw he was surrounded. The animals had come to see their new and mighty dragon king.

  They ran away when he sat up, most likely not wanting to disturb him. He was utterly alone in the woods, and his mind shut off once again. Sid finally understood how it was that humans could feel so complex. He loved Aspen, more than anything. But he could not allow himself to indulge that feeling or to pursue it. If she ever felt the same way, he’d be dead the minute the council discovered it. So while he felt like he was in paradise, he was also in hell.

  Sid wanted to see the etching that sealed him to her. As long as it remained a swirl of loops and patterns, he was technically still okay. If her name were to show up, it would be over. At the moment, that wouldn’t be a problem.

  He peeled away his sock and looked at his etching for the first time. The loops and swirls were there, but in the midst of them a single word was scrawled.

  Aspen.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Not one word, but six. Her name was on the front and back of his ankle and in between was the scrawling of the ancient dragon language.

  Aspen ~ Nin Bereth ~ Aspen ~ Nin Meleth

  He’d have to look the meanings up when he got home.

  Death was coming. The only question was how soon. He probably had until Pearl came back, as long as no one else realized Aspen had sealed herself to him. That could take days, months, or even years.

  Pearl had to find a way to call a full council and convince them to transfer him without revealing why. She was resourceful but would need help, and Sid hoped she wasn’t desperate enough to involve someone else.

  Sid paced among the trees and considered his options, limited as they were. They all ended the same, with the dragon council tearing apart his body. Sitting around and waiting for them to come seemed wasteful somehow. So he chose the only option that made sense.

  When he got home, the house was quiet. Usually, Theo watched television in the living room, but tonight silence reigned.

  Sid crept up the stairs, unsure why he was being sneaky. Noises came from Theo’s room, and he approached the door and listened. A female voice giggled. “I’ll be right back.”

  Ella bounded out of Theo’s room and into Sid’s arms. “Oops, sorry. What’re you doing out here?”

  “Nothing, I just got home.”

  “Which way to the bathroom?”

  Sid pointed down the hall. Ella, wrapped in a sheet, shuffled toward the bathroom. Anger rose in him like never before. He stormed into Theo’s room.

  “Dude, what the…” Theo hurried to cover himself up. The room was a mess. Pillows, blankets, and sheets were everywhere.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Nothing, I, oh man, Sid, you don’t understand.”

  “I understand perfectly well. Number one rule, no sex with humans. We mate for life. You just ruined your chances for parenthood.”

  “Rule number two, actually, not sealing yourself to a human is number one. And I only ruined my chances if the council finds out.”

  “Technicality.” Sid closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. The nerve Theo had, mating with a human. Sid tried to think of a way to fix this, to make it disappear. Several decades ago a cousin had mated with a human. He nearly married her, until his mentor found out and reported him to the council. Sid watched, along with Theo and the other potential kings, while the king tore him to pieces. His head landed right in front of Sid.

  Sid’s death sentence was already written since eventually his sins would be known because the sealing couldn’t be hidden for long. Theo had a life to live. His sin was a secret. No one had to know. Plus, Theo needed to be here with him. He couldn’t risk anyone else finding out about Aspen.

  “Are you saying you don’t love her?”

  “Of course not, I barely know her. She knows that. She doesn’t love me either.”

  “Then why are you mating with her?”

  “Sid, I know you don’t get it. But sex is different for humans. They don’t mate for life, and it’s not about kids. It’s about desire, excitement, and fun.”

  “But what about the rules? And what if someone finds out? You’ll be killed.”

  “I spent the last ten years denying this desire so I could be ready to be king. Then you become king, and I’m told I have to come back to this wretched human form for another ten years to watch over you. Sorry, I’m done following the rules. No one’s going to find out unless you tell them.”

  “What if I do?”

  Theo glared at Sid. “You wouldn’t.”

  As angry as Sid wanted to be with Theo, he was pleased with how well this fit into his plans. Although Aspen had obviously sealed herself to him, she didn’t seem all that keen to be around him.

  “I’m going to pursue this thing with Aspen, and you are going to keep me out of trouble. You will help me win her over, and you’ll keep your mouth shut about love.”

  “Obsidian, you’re the king. You can’t do that.”

  “Then you can’t have sex.”

  Ella toddled into the room. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll just get my clothes and leave.”

  Theo’s eyes burned as he watched her scurry around the room. “Ella, stay. Sid is leaving.”

  She leaned over to pick up a pillow, and her sheet slipped, revealing a fairy tattoo.

  Theo turned to Sid. “I won’t say anything, but I’m not helping you.”

  Ella threw the pillow onto the bed and sat, hiking the sheet up to cover her chest. “What won’t you tell? I want to know.”

  “Sid’s in love with Aspen.”

  Ella grinned. “Yeah, I know. It’s time he figured it out. You are going to help and so am I. Starting tonight.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Sid deserved to die a thousand deaths. The hike to the top of the hill took forty-five minutes, and Aspen had misjudged the steepness so she didn’t have any of her gear. The result was bloody palms and a head full of briars. Which would’ve been worth it if the dragon had actually shown up. But, of course, he didn’t, because Sid was an idiot who didn’t know what he was tal
king about.

  Aspen made it back to her car about nine o’clock, tired and grumpy. Her phone buzzed just before she started the car. Ella.

  What u doin tn?

  IDK yet. Figuring stuff out.

  A surprise 4 u. u want it? Ella’s surprise could be just about anything.

  Sure.

  Ok, I’ll be over in 30 or less. Dress sexy.

  Yes! Ella was finally going to take her clubbing. Aspen had been begging her for months; Ella knew all the best places, but she needed to get Aspen an ID first. Dancing would be perfect to burn off the anger.

  After Aspen sped home, she showered and contemplated her wardrobe. The only time she ended up with sexy was when she went shopping with Tori, and all those clothes still had the tags.

  Aspen found a black long sleeved mini dress with a print of a silver dragon. She loved it the moment she saw it. The back of the dress had the body and the wings of the dragon with the head and tail entangled on the front. Aspen never even tried the dress on, just bought it straight off the rack knowing that no way in hades would she ever wear it. Tonight seemed appropriate.

  The dress was short and revealed far more cleavage than she’d shown in ages. But, she reasoned, everyone else would be wearing clothes equally revealing. Probably more. Aspen left her hair down and dug among her shoes for the boots Tori bought for her birthday. They wouldn’t go with her thick socks on. She’d never taken her socks off since that dragon marked her, except in the shower. She shrugged. She’d just need to remember to put another pair of socks on before she went to bed, in case her parents came in while she was sleeping and her foot was sticking out.

  She’d never worn the boots before. The three-inch heels went clear above the knee. A touch of eye shadow and mascara and the effect was complete. Sexy. Ella would be pleased.

  Ella whistled as Aspen got into the car. “I didn’t think you’d listen to me.”

  “I can listen sometimes. Can I see my ID?”

  “What ID?”

  “You’re taking me clubbing right?”

  Ella laughed and sped toward town. “Sorry, chica, I’ve got other plans for us.”

  Aspen probed, but couldn’t get another word out of her. They drove through town, past the coffee shop, and turned down Shelby Lane.

  Aspen’s fingers curled around the edge of her seat as Ella parked in front the gigantic home. Aspen hit the lock button when Ella left the car and looked away, but she had a keyless remote, so in less than thirty seconds she had the door opened and Aspen’s seatbelt off.

  Aspen glared at her. “I’m not getting out.”

  “Come on, it’s not that bad.”

  “Yes, it is. You said nothing about your ‘surprise’ involving Sid.”

  Aspen was a little bit curious. No one she knew had set foot in King’s Castle before. They’d all heard about it, and she’d snuck over the gates a couple of times, but had never actually been inside the house, er, castle.

  The weathered stone mansion looked like it should be perched on a cliff in Ireland. Towers stood tall on both sides of the main house. They had to be four, five stories tall. Aspen wanted to see the inside, but she wasn’t getting out of the car.

  “Why are we here?”

  “Theo and Sid wanted to make dinner for me, and I didn’t want Sid to feel like the odd man out.”

  “So you invited me?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Ella, I don’t like Sid.”

  Ella rolled her eyes. “This isn’t a date. We’re just having dinner.”

  “You told me to dress sexy.”

  “That was for Sid’s benefit, not yours. You do look good. I should tell you to dress sexy more often.” Ella laughed.

  “It’s not funny. Take me home.”

  Ella crouched next to the car, not an easy feat since her outfit was shorter than Aspen’s.

  “I really like Theo. He feels like he’s leaving Sid out. This was the only way I could see him tonight. Do this for me, please.”

  She turned on her Bambi eyes. The ones Aspen could never resist, which was how she ended up working a ton of overtime at the Purple Dragon.

  “Fine,” Aspen mumbled and got out of the car, angry at that small part of herself that actually wanted to be here. “But you owe me.”

  Ella let herself in the front door without knocking. At the end of the enormous entrance hall, two sets of stairs wound up to a landing. The marble floors gleamed.

  “Pretty cool, huh,” Ella said.

  “Yeah.”

  She led Aspen past the right set of stairs and into the kitchen. A marble island in the middle of the room sparkled. Double ovens were built into the walls, and next to those was the sink. Not a single appliance was turned on.

  Both Sid and Theo were sitting on the island, grinning. They had been talking until the girls entered the room. Ella wasted no time once she saw Theo. She was in his arms, and their lips locked together in less than ten seconds.

  “I thought Ella said you two were making dinner,” Aspen said loudly, trying to squash the steam that Ella and Theo seemed intent on.

  Theo grimaced. “We were, but after Ella left, we realized that neither one of us knew how to cook, so we ordered delivery. The pizza guy should be here soon.”

  The doorbell rang.

  “Sid, why don’t you go get the pizza, and I’ll show the girls into the theater room.”

  Sid slid off the counter and left the room without saying anything to Aspen. He kept his head down and wouldn’t look at her. Aspen knew she hadn’t been nice to him, but still.

  Theo had his arm around Ella, and he reached for Aspen’s hand. He spun her in a circle and whistled. “Sid’s got good taste, dragon girl. You look hot.”

  Aspen blushed, unsure of how to take the compliment. Ella grinned, so Aspen supposed it was okay. He put his other arm around Aspen. “This way, ladies.”

  Aspen counted doors; there were six ways out of the kitchen. Theo shuttled them down a long hallway, under an archway, and up a short set of stairs.

  “Relax. Take off your shoes,” Theo said.

  Aspen paused. She didn’t have socks on, but her parents weren’t here to see the tattoo. Besides, what was she going to do? Wear those stupid boots all through the movie. The lighting was low enough that maybe no one would notice. Ella wouldn’t tell her parents anyway. Aspen slipped off her boots. For some reason, she felt less exposed without them on. They stepped into the room and onto sinking velvet carpet. Ella laughed. “How come I haven’t seen this room yet?”

  “’Cause I like my bedroom better.” Theo kissed her, for a long time. In the extreme awkwardness, Aspen wished Sid would come back. She didn’t like being around people who were overly affectionate, and so she wandered farther into the room.

  An oversized couch formed a U around an eight-foot ottoman covered in bowls filled with chips, pretzels, M&Ms, and popcorn. On the floor was a cooler of ice with all kinds of sodas. Sid appeared in front of Aspen, carrying five pizza boxes. “You like junk food, right?”

  “Of course.” Aspen crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Where are Theo and Ella?”

  “They got tied up by the door.”

  Sid glanced their direction, and a dark look passed over his face. Then he turned to Aspen. “You wanna pick the movie?”

  “Movie?” Aspen didn’t see a TV anywhere. Sid motioned for her to follow and opened a door. He flipped a switch and walked in. The room looked like a library, but instead of books, it had thousands of movies.

  “What do you like?”

  “Action, adventure, blowing things up.”

  “Really?”

  “I hope you don’t think I’m a sucker for cheesy romantic movies like Titanic or Pretty Woman.” So what if she could quote The Notebook by heart, no one else had to know.

  “No, I just didn’t quite picture you as the blowing-things-up type, but maybe it will prevent Theo and Ella from pawing each other all night.” Sid pointed to the shelf next
to her, and she scanned the titles. Aspen debated between Die Hard and The Matrix and finally handed Sid both. “I can’t decide.”

  “I haven’t seen either one.”

  “Then you’ve been deprived.” Aspen took both movies from him, put Die Hard on the shelf, and plucked out the other two Matrix movies.

  “Looks like it’s going to be a long night for you. You’ll need to watch all three. In case I zonk out before the movies are over, Reloaded comes before Revolution.”

  Aspen walked into the room and opened one of the pizza boxes, ignoring her racing heart. She hated the way he made her feel. Being near him felt natural, yet wrong. She yelled over her shoulder, “Hey, Ella, the pizza’s gonna get cold.”

  “I think we’ve been ditched.” Sid came back carrying a remote.

  “Uh-oh, who’s going to eat all the food? We should invite a few others.” Aspen didn’t want to be alone with him.

  He sat down next her, too close for her comfort. “Like who?”

  “I’ll call Tori. She can always come up with a few people.”

  “I’d rather you didn’t.”

  “Why not? You know I’m not all that comfortable being alone with you.”

  He shrugged. “Don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but I don’t really like Tori. I’m sure she’s a nice girl and all, but it’s painfully obvious she likes me, and that makes her difficult to be around. I’ve told her in no uncertain terms I’m not interested, and she won’t back off.”

  “Sid, you are aware how hypocritical that is?”

  He looked surprised. “Oh, you mean us? Well, I wouldn’t be sitting in her living room alone with her, so I guess that makes us different. You like me. You’re just not ready to admit it yet.”

  Aspen moved away from him and rose from the couch. “I’m leaving.”

  He grabbed her hand. “No, wait, I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right. Please stay. We’ll watch these movies you seem to think are so great, and I’ll be good. I promise. I’ll even sit on the opposite side of the couch from you. Please.” He pushed a button on the remote, and the entire wall in front of the couch lit up with the DVD menu from the movie. The floor shook with the sound. Aspen had never watched a movie like that.