by Meg Xuemei X
“Do you have more siblings other than the three of you?” I asked to distract him, and I also wanted to know more about the dragon princes who had all kissed me and vowed to protect me.
“Just the three of us,” he said, giving me a rueful look. “As you’ve heard from our quarrels, we’re half-brothers with different mothers, who are equal mates to King Oriel. Unfortunately, we were all born on the same day, though Rai’s mother contested that her son was born a minute and a half earlier. The king refused to announce his heir, which only pitted us against each other since we were children.
We should have bonded like we are now, but we had our mothers, the court, our supporters, and enemies to consider when we were back home. None of us wanted to show weakness to beg for brotherhood or friendship. So, we kept fighting, trying to eliminate each other.”
A smile floated to his lips. “Actually, I had two encounters with Rai and he could have killed me, but he pretended not to see me and distracted his men to turn in the opposite direction. And once, I had an arrow aiming right at Iokul’s back, but I somehow forgot to release it.
Many of our people in the realm have been worried that if the king perishes, we’ll get into a civil war and divide the realm into three. So, when I heard the old Dragon King announce the contest, I took the chance, so I didn’t need to fight my brothers again over the inheritance of Oslan Dominion.”
“And you all ended up coming here,” I said.
He grinned. “The two suckers thought the same and followed suit, only to realize that fate brought us together to have a chance to rid of our curses. We’d been searching for the Furies for the longest time when we weren’t fighting each other in the realm. We decided to share a ship and watch each other’s back against other hunters before we settled the score among us, but old habits die hard, as we kept competing against each other on this savage planet, until we all met you and you refused to choose among us.”
I blinked. Did he mean it was my fault that I broke apart their fight?
“For the first time, we united as one, as brothers should,” he said in satisfaction. “We’re all fed up with the politics and power-play that tear us apart. And now with one mate who bonds us all, we won’t divide the kingdom. We won’t bring war to the realm, and we won’t kill each other. For once, we can be brothers as we’re supposed to be.”
“So, I’m the means to your brotherhood, a united kingdom, and your curses,” I said drily. They had also said they would need to gain the heart of the Fury Queen or have her heads to be rid of their curses.
I was falling halfway for all of them. What if they won my love, but they weren’t my true loves, and their curses were lifted, but mine remained forever?
Could they accept that I had only an hour in my Fae form every day? So, one of them, or all of them could only have me one hour a day, while the rest of the day I stayed as three beasts?
They wouldn’t settle for that. No man would.
Besides, without breaking off my curse, I could never leave Pandemonium.
They called this planet a godforsaken place. The dragon princelings were used to riches, luxury, and power.
I wouldn’t want them to sacrifice for me, either.
After Akem left, the planet didn’t have as many meteor showers as before, which bought us more time and survival space, but Pandemonium, as damaged as it was, wouldn’t last forever.
When the three ships arrived, I’d thought fate was kind to me at last.
I puffed a half-breath and half-laugh in irony.
But at least, it had led to me the dragon princes, who brought me the last joy and pleasure.
I would value every precious moment with them, which was all I had, instead of thinking of tomorrow.
“I’m glad I can be of use,” I said.
He shook his head fiercely, his hand running through his damp hair. “No, love, that isn’t what I meant. I’m not as good as Rai with words and not as sharp as Iokul in thinking. But my heart is in the right place for you. Only after the three of us swore the blood oath did we realize the full benefit of having you as our one and only mate. In the beginning, all of us just wanted you and would have killed each other to claim you.”
“Look at me,” I said. “I’m Furies.”
Even I had no illusion toward my beastly form, and I had three of them.
He smiled, warmer than sunlight that I’d missed and craved for centuries.
“What are you talking about, Daisy? You’re beautiful, honeybee.”
“My hideous beasts? Are you blind?”
“We all smelled the dragon in you—and that’s enough for us. Your three Furies don’t turn us off. I’ve spent only a short time with you, but I already know that you have a fierce and tender heart, and a dragon treasures that quality more than anything. And just so you know, when I was in my dragon form, I looked like a terrifying monster to other species. And we three brothers are the largest dragons, except for our father, in the Oslan Dominion.”
I pulled my lips to smile at him. I knew it didn’t have the effect I wanted since it was basically a monster’s grin, but Blaze only gazed back at me with tenderness and adoration.
All the dragon princes had seen me beneath my skin.
“And you said you weren’t good at words?” I asked in a teasing tone, yet it still sounded harsh in my ear. I wished to the stars that I could have a few minutes now in my Fae form, so he would hold my hands and kiss me tenderly and passionately.
“I know it’s hard for you,” he said. “I can’t even image how hard it’s been for you, having been shipped away from home, from your own kind, and suffered for centuries. You won’t be alone again. We’ve come. We’re here for you.”
I opened my mouth, about to say, “Thank you,” but my gratitude went beyond that.
I perched on the cushion, and Blaze came to sit beside me, a gentle hand stroking my neck. I swallowed a purr, afraid my un-feminine sound would put him off.
My other two Furies flapped their wings and surged toward the skylight. They’d fly above the jungle to keep watching. They knew how to stay unseen and merge into the canopy. If there was anything, they would warn us.
As I slipped my mind into Henry’s and Sybil’s, I knew that my monsters were patrolling the jungle vigilantly.
Blaze’s expression became distant, and I realized that he was mind-talking with his warriors to get updates.
I liked his thoughtful look since most of the time I saw was his fierce and playful ones.
Blaze turned to me, showing me an apologetic smile, for not paying me full attention. The dragon warriors weren’t brutes like the folklore said. They were mostly respectful and overprotective, especially when it came to a lady, though there were many nasty, out of control ones as well, just like in any species.
I believed that Blaze and his brothers were dragon knights, and that was one of the reasons that they couldn’t slaughter each other to become the crown prince, no matter how much pressure they’d been under from the realm, their peers, and their supporters.
Blaze pressed his forehead against my scaled face, careful not to let his mask scratch me, before he asked, “I saw hundreds of abandoned junk spaceships in the arena. What happened?”
“Akem, the entity that enslaved me, made the ships fall,” I said. “He has the power of Time Vortex. He ate all ships’ powers. In his reign, no one could leave Pandemonium and we were all trapped in the past, until the Wickedest Witch took Akem out and used him to power up her mate’s space shuttle, so they could leave through the portal she created.”
Blaze blinked. “That’s why no one could find you.”
“If you had come earlier, you’d have been trapped here with the rest of the nine clans, fighting for the limited food sources. This whole planet is swarming with all sorts of monsters and criminals from all over the galaxies. The witch’s coven and the wolf clan escaped this place a few months ago, leaving behind vampires, cannibal Kruids, and a band of militias. They haven’t att
acked your ships, since you have advanced weapons, but they’ve been lurking in the shadows for an opening. They’ll wait for the newcomers to kill one another before taking down the weakened victors. They’ll shed anyone’s blood to show that the City of Nine is theirs.”
Sybil had been watching them all. The band of the militants had snatched a few straying hunters and took their high-beam weapons. The vampires lurking in the shades also picked some new soldiers to feed upon. The cannibal Kruids, who were big, clumsy, and cursed with bad luck, didn’t get any snacks.
The demons suffered the least loss, since they had rigid discipline, or maybe Elvey’s magic shielded them. I dragged my thoughts away from Elvey.
Blaze nodded, leaning against me. Even my Fury form liked his body heat, and I purred pleasantly.
“I can see that,” he said. “When I saw the urban wasteland under the desolate sky before we landed, I thought we might have come to the wrong place. As for food resources, we have plenty on the ship. Don’t you worry, honeybee. I’ll take care of you. Once we settle the fight with the demons, we’ll get you out of here.”
He forgot that I couldn’t leave while the curse attached to me. And I hadn’t told the princes that my monster subjects would go wherever I go. I doubted they’d be happy with the most dangerous monsters tagging along.
“Ash and fire in the city doesn’t bother me,” I said. “I’m a dragon, after all. We create fire and ash.”
He laughed. “We dragons love fire and ash. But we’ve also learned not to repeat our past mistakes and destroy our land. We’re a more civilized dragon society now.”
“That’s good to hear,” I said. I wanted to know more about his realm. I liked hearing him talk about himself and his brothers. I’d ask him about my old home—the Danaenyth dynasty.
“Have you tried to figure out who cursed you?” he asked.
“Every day. I won’t be merciful when I find my foe.”
“I’ll be less merciful when we find your foes and ours.” He paused to snarl before his voice softened toward me. “How and what happened, Daisy?”
“I’d wanted to see the Forbidden Forest since I was a child,” I said.
“The charmed forest separating the Dragon Realm from the Fae Realm? But no one can really see the forest or find the entrance. It’s hidden by Fae glamour.”
“Not to me. I found it when I was seven, but my guards were always with me, especially Adrian.”
“Who’s Adrian?” he asked, and I detected a hint of jealousy in his casual tone.
Dragons were protective of their females, they were also notoriously possessive. It was beyond a miracle that the three dragon princes had agreed to share me instead of killing each other. I hadn’t wanted to choose of course, and they had their reasons—with me being their sole mate, they’d be united.
“Adrian would have been my general if I’d had the chance to take the crown.”
A dark thought twirled in my mind. Adrian had been my first crush. He might have perished—most likely killed by my grandfather. Otherwise, he’d for sure be in that ship sent by the king, and he would never allow anyone to singe my hair.
I’d always been precious to him.
I’d been his heart. He’d never said it, but I’d seen it in his hazel eyes when he’d thought I wasn’t looking. He had never known, in my Fae form, I had the cunning gift of knowing hearts.
Even after nine centuries, I still missed him.
I half-closed my eyes, my voice softening a notch with grief. “King Daghda forbade anyone from entering the Forbidden Forest. I wasn’t happy with his many prohibitions for years and decided to defy him one day. I desired to know the other part of my heritage, which was also a taboo in the realm. I’d heard rumors here and there, but I couldn’t catch its true meaning. I knew my mother was Fae, and my dragon father died for her. More than anything, I wanted to see her, even just once. Even just from the distance.
On my fifteenth birthday, I woke up and found that my Fae magic had awoken in me, and it was powerful. So, I guessed that my mother must be one of the high Fae. I tried my glamour spell on my guards and snuck out. Adrian was the first who shook off my spell. When he tracked me down, I already stood in front of the Forbidden Forest.
It was the most beautiful, enchanting forest I’d ever seen. It was exactly like what I had dreamt about. As it called for me, I strode toward it.
‘No, Daisy! Stop!’ Adrian had shouted. ‘Princess Daisy Danaenyth, stop!’
But I couldn’t stop. Its call was in my blood.
‘It’s not dangerous, Adrian,’ I’d said. ‘The forest told me that my father met my mother in it and fell in love. If I walk into it, I’ll meet my mother.’
‘Your mother was dead right after she gave you life!’ Adrian had called and shifted to his black dragon form. ‘Now stop where you are!’
I was shocked at hearing the news of my mother, then rage burst in me.
And I was mad at Adrian for keeping me in the dark. I thought he’d betrayed me. That was how a fifteen-year-old girl would react.
‘She isn’t dead!’ I’d said as I dashed into the forest before Adrian could get me.
And the forest turned into this one—home to the monsters, poison fog, and cannibal plants. The last words I heard was Adrian’s scream, ‘Daisy, they cursed you! You can’t enter—’ There was no way home, and I became the freak creature of nightmares.”
My heart ached at the memories, yet no tears could come to my human eyes etched on the Fury’s face.
Blaze traced his knuckles over my scaled cheeks to comfort me.
“I heard the tale,” he said. “But after centuries, it lost all of the truth. Some said the half-dragon princess was born a monster and was tossed out of the Dragon Realm. As for the Forbidden Forest, no one has ever seen it again.” He studied me. “And here you are.” Slowly, cold rage burned in his fiery ember eyes. “Your enemy robbed you of everything. When I find them, I won’t just tear them apart. I’ll—”
He stiffened and cursed profusely.
At the same time, rampages of images flooded my mind, sent by my alter egos through our linked minds.
The demons’ ship Mistress and the hunters’ Falling Star both fired on New Hope from opposite directions. New Hope returned fire but was at a disadvantage as the enemy ships sandwiched it.
Beams of red, blue, and purple flashed across the sky like a net of lightning, striking ships. All the battleships trembled and some parts of them burst into fire with thick smoke.
Every ship was taking damage, yet the dragons’ ship took the heaviest hits.
“Tell New Hope to run!” I shouted at Blaze.
“There’s nowhere to run. They’ve locked on my ship,” he said gloomily. “The demons’ ship is better equipped, double-shielded by the warlock’s magic.”
Deep guilt coated his eyes. He blamed himself.
The three of them had left their ships, venturing into the jungle to seek me out. While they had all gathered here, vying for my affection, Elvey had conveniently vanished. And when the princes had spent the night with me, the demons had planned the perfect attack.
Had Elvey had a hand in this?
My heart ached at the possibility, and rage fogged my mind. I’d sensed his protectiveness for me, but it was all a ruse.
A belt of vast dark rings shot out from Mistress toward New Hope, circling the dragons’ ship and bounding it.
The stench of black magic filled the air—it was so thick that my alter egos shrieked.
I snapped my head toward Blaze. “Jump! Order the crew to abandon the ship!”
Blaze’s eyes lit with pure gold. He’d sensed the peril and he shouted at them through the link.
But it was too late.
The black rings cut into the ship. New Hope broke in two. But it didn’t go down alone. New Hope rammed into Falling Sky that was closest to it, before plunging toward the junk spaceships in the arena on fire and pluming smoke.
The battle happene
d and ended very fast.
My two Furies watched it all.
Deafening sounds of ships colliding, breaking, and exploding sent shockwaves all over the City of Nine, rocking the Vampire and the Witch Towers. At the same time, the waves hit my jungle. I felt my ears bleeding.
My monsters bellowed.
My chamber quaked and rumbled.
A stab of pain pierced my chest.
If Iokul and Rai were both in the ship, they would have perished.
They had called me their mate and sworn to protect me, and I’d just gotten to know them.
I shrieked in fear, rage, and pain, until Blaze put his forehead against mine to calm me.
“My brothers haven’t reached the ship,” Blaze said, looking both relieved and grief-stricken. “Your cannibal plants delayed them. But the others—”
He didn’t need to spell it out. I understood his anguish. With destruction like that, his men, at least most of them, wouldn’t make it.
“Call your other Furies back, Daisy, please,” he said. “We can’t afford to lose you. Without my ship distracting them now, they’ll see you.”
I didn’t argue, and my Furies dove though the skylight and alighted beside me.
“The jungle is now our only shelter,” he said. “We need to learn how to survive here and defend it.”
“Leave it to me,” I said.
Blaze turned to focus on finding the survivors and instruct them to retreat into the jungle through his mind-link. I ordered my monsters to escort the dragon men to my chamber—the only shelter in the depth of jungle that was spacious enough to host a small army of soldiers.
I would use my glamour spell to conceal my place after the princes’ team got here. I had let it drop in the past few days in order to make it easier for my “true loves” to find me.
Then a dark comprehension hit me.
My glamour wouldn’t stop Elvey from finding my chamber. He hadn’t bothered to use the entrance last time.
He hadn’t wanted to harm me, but why had he destroyed the dragons’ ship? He could have cut Blaze in their last duel, and he hadn’t done that either. Furthermore, he’d hinted that he and the demons weren’t really on the same side.