Entwined by the Dragon Lord
The Dragon Lords #6
Lyra Valentine
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Copyright © 2016 by Lyra Valentine
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Entwined by the Dragon Lord: The Dragon Lords #6 by Lyra Valentine April 2016
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
About the Author
Chapter One
Instructor Logan knew there was something different as soon as Ishbel landed. He frowned across the ground at her, then turned his attention to her dragon Darra. Stalking stiffly over, he grabbed Darra’s reins and ran a hand down her scaly neck.
He turned to Ishbel after his inspection. His voice was a gruff bark. “She’s brighter.”
Instructor first, father never. At least, not to her. Instructor Logan wouldn’t accept that his children would go without dragons, and so their education of dragon hatchlings began practically at birth. He was determined to mold them into the perfect dragon riders even before they were old enough to walk by their first clutch of eggs. As the youngest, Ishbel was expected to fill all the expectations that her brothers and sisters before her failed. He was more forgiving and nurturing to those outside of the family than within.
“Did she mate?”
Ishbel had been patrolling the outerlands when she and Darra spotted a herd of sheep. Darra was a growing dragon, so they stopped for a rest and bite. Too late, Ishbel saw the dragon that hunted them. He belched fire at them until they were forced to land on a nearby island. It was there that Ishbel discovered he was the Dragon Lord of their enemy castle, and he intended to hold her hostage. Darra surprised them both and launched into the air in a mating run. With no other dragons around, it was easy for the enemy dragon to chase her down to mate with her.
“Yes, Instructor.” Ishbel tossed her messy braids over her shoulders and took Darra’s reins back in her hands. She briefly considered hopping back on the blue dragon and flying away forever. She was sure Rory Meyrick would accept her. Not as a hostage, but as something more.
Her breath caught with the memory of their time on the beach. The weather had chilled them, but the rush of fiery lust from their dragons warmed their bodies. She knew how desire surged in the wake of dragons mating, but it didn’t compare to being connected to a dragon during that time.
The blistering anger she felt at her father’s lack of concern faded quickly to a blushing embarrassment. He was more interested in her dragon than his own daughter surviving the searing intensity of her dragon’s first mating run. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised, but it still stung. She felt foolish for expecting more.
Ishbel turned to Darra and began removing her gear in order to hide her face.
“Well, it wasn’t anyone from around here. I’d have heard it. Who did it?”
How could she explain to him that it had been the perfect man? A real handsome sort, who had a gentle touch when it suited, and a rougher hand when needed. The blush on her cheeks reddened as she remembered some of his touches and how her body responded. Her stomach still flipped when she thought of Rory Meyrick. The confusion she felt stemmed more from their castle divides than him. Something about him gained her implicit trust; something she had never felt with her own father.
“Well?” Instructor Logan asked again.
“The Dragon Lord of Castle Glenn,” Ishbel nearly whispered. She rested her forehead against Darra’s saddle.
“By the flame,” her father cursed. “There’s no putting the fire back in the dragon, now is there? Well, come along. Put your gear away, and let’s go tell the Dragon Lord.”
***
Ishbel eyed those around the council table warily from her seat in the corner. She’d been stupid to think there would be no problems stemming from her Darra mating with Rory Meyrick’s dragon. The faces around the table ranged from irritation to outright rage.
“They steal our land and livestock, and now they steal our women!” One crofter shouted above the others.
Ishbel pressed her lips together. She’d grown up inside the castle. For a crofter to lay claim on her, as if he would ever come close to being a dragon rider, made her blood boil. She tried to remember that crofters lived very different lives outside of the castle. Even so, a fair number of dragon riders nodded in agreement.
“We can’t let this go unpunished.” A rider implored.
Tamhas McNabb, Dragon Lord of Castle Hendry, listened to those around the table. He was an unimpressive man, but he made up for his size with a large personality. He was known to be gruff, but fair. His large nose and bright eyes were his most distinctive features.
After Ishbel had told her story, leaving out the more intimate details and emphasizing that Rory Meyrick willingly let her go, Tamhas sent for the council. She, her father, and the Dragon Lord sat in silence for a long while before the dragon riders filed in with the crofters that needed to be picked up from outside the castle. Ishbel kept her fidgeting to a minimum after receiving a glare from her father.
Finally, the council shuffled into the room. They made small talk while taking their places around the table. She wasn’t the only one who could see the impatience written on Tamhas’ face, and they quickly took their seats. With a clap, Tamhas summoned her forward. She was made to tell her tale again, then they all but ignored her. Dragon Lord McNabb’s eyes flashed just as dangerously as the others at each telling.
Ishbel didn’t expect the discovery of her dragon mating with the enemy to be welcomed with open arms, but she didn’t anticipate such hostility, either. She miserably fidgeted in her seat and again wished she’d gone with Rory to Castle Glenn instead of coming home to Castle Hendry. Her loyalty caused her to return, but no one saw that. Instead, they saw an irresponsible child at best, and a traitor at worst.
“I don’t see what we can do.” Tamhas finally said.
The room quieted before erupting into a storm of bluster and curses.
“But they took away our mating rights!”
“This treasonous beast tried to kidnap one of our own!”
“We’ll be seen as weak if we do nothing!”
Tamhas raised his hand, and the room went silent after a moment. “Believe me, I’d like nothing more than to storm through their castle right now. But Castle Hendry is an honorable castle, and I will not have it said otherwise.
“Our young rider has been returned to us, even if she was originally to be held captive. Though the dragon Darra mated, the fault lies with her rider for not keeping her close to the castle.”
Ishbel gaped. Surely they weren’t blaming her! She didn’t know Darra was near her mating time. Instructor Logan would have held her back if he saw the signs. She looked to her father, but he remained silent and offered no defense.
Tamhas continued, “We’ll keep an extra watch on the castle and the crofts. We can’t afford to l
et this clutch get out of our hands, and I certainly won’t allow Castle Glenn to claim any of our dragons because of this. As it is, we will prepare for a battle. I don’t see Castle Glenn’s Dragon Lord abandoning a clutch that he sees as belonging to him.”
Ishbel opened her mouth to object, but her father’s sharp look snapped her teeth back together. She knew the look that meant a beating for disobedience, and she didn’t intend to suffer as she had when she was a child. She drew herself up straight. She was a dragon rider, not some child for him to reprimand.
She would not allow the castles to come to blows if she could help it.
Chapter Two
Ishbel entered the great hall. She juggled a warm mug of mead in one hand and a bowl of porridge in the other. Most of the tables were full with others bantering over their breakfast. She considered her options.
Word of her misdoings spread overnight through the castle like wildfire. Each table she passed cast her furtive glances before closing themselves off and quieting their conversations. More than once the word “traitor” reached her ears.
Even her own flight group dismissed her when she approached. Their laughter cut off as one woman elbowed the man next to her and openly pointed at Ishbel. Ishbel turned on her heel and found an empty spot at the back of the hall. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of chasing her off completely. A corner hid her from most of the curious and hurtful looks. She fought to not sniffle.
There was an ugly part of her that believed she deserved the treatment. She had broken generations of convention by disregarding the hatred between castles. She wasn’t sure what any of the others would have done, but she doubted they would have willingly surrendered.
She stiffened her spine and shoveled a bite of porridge into her mouth. Her tears dried before they wet her cheeks. Darra dodged the attacks from Rory’s dragon well. They were simply outmatched. Did the others expect her to be seared out of the sky, rather than save herself and her dragon by landing? She doubted any would take that option, even her stubborn father.
The castle dragon riders should be thankful for her return. War would have been declared immediately if she went missing or was killed. At least with her returned, there was a chance to avoid any further injuries. Ishbel pursed her lips. A faint idea of healing the wounds between the castles was beginning to form.
A claxon of bells urged everyone to action and cut off any further contemplation. The hall emptied quickly as all the riders spilled out into the courtyard. Rumors swirled through the crowd. Some said a distant croft was currently under attack. Others said warring crofters had scooped up a herd of sheep, and they needed aid to solve the dispute. Still others hushed any speculation they heard. The Dragon Lord would make the announcement to all the riders before they were given their orders to take to the air.
Ishbel knew there was only one reason why nearly the entire castle was being called forward: the conflict with Castle Glenn had spiraled out of control. She expected something to happen. The tension between the castles seemed to grow every day, and her attempted kidnapping or willing treason added just another bit of kindling to the fire.
Dragons began landing in a choreographed dance. Entire flight groups made their way through the crowd, then jumped onto their dragons. The beasts ferried the riders back to their quarters to be saddled and geared up for battle. They would wait on their ledges for the Dragon Captains to call them into the air.
Ishbel watched the dance many times as a child. Her heart swelled with pride the first time she participated in the practice. She’d never been called into an actual battle before, and now her stomach turned to know whom she faced.
She joined her flight group as they waited for their turn to mount their dragons. She hopped from foot to foot, excitement building even if she didn’t want to fight. The others edged around her. She ignored the glances they gave her and the whispers they hid behind their hands. Let them talk. She was still prepared to defend her castle, even if they thought her a traitor. She didn’t notice her father approach from across the courtyard.
Instructor Logan grabbed her shoulders and roughly swung her around. Anger made his eyes bright. “Where do you think you’re going?” He demanded.
Ishbel tried to shake off his grasp. “My flight group has been called. I’m going with them!”
He was shaking his head before she finished. “Your dragon has been mated. You’re grounded until after the clutch hatches. We won’t risk losing her.”
Ishbel couldn’t help but hear how he phrased his sentence. Losing her dragon was more important than his daughter taking an injury. None of her flight group tried to argue for her. She lifted her chin in defiance to them all.
Her father’s fingers dug into her arm as he marched her forward. They left the courtyard and went back into the hall. He waved down a few of the older riders assigned to stay behind to watch over the castle’s occupants while the main fighting force was defending against the incursion.
“She is to remain in the castle under lock and key.” Instructor Logan told them when he passed her into their care. Without sparing her a glance, he turned on his heel and marched back to the courtyard to join his flight group.
They locked her away in the rarely used cells below the hatching sands.
***
Ishbel paced the cell. She figured it was nearly time for lunch. Surely they would feed her while she was locked away. After all, should she be mistreated, her dragon would feel it. She could see Darra’s anxiousness, and tried to calm her own frayed nerves. It wouldn’t do well for them to feed off each other’s feelings.
She couldn’t remain locked away while the castles were fighting one another. Not when she could prevent more injuries. She’d had time to flesh out the fleeting idea she’d had at breakfast, and thought it stood a chance. She needed to get both lords together to talk, instead of loosing flames. She couldn’t do that in a cell far below the castle.
There was nothing in the cell to help her. The bed was just a heap of hay that hadn’t been changed in some time. The rustles she saw suggested a family of mice had taken up residence, and she didn’t wish to share their space. The walls were rough stone, but nothing was loose enough to pry off as a weapon or lock pick. The only window was the tiny set of bars in the door. She banked her hopes on being fed.
Finally, after she gave up pacing and took up residence far from the mice, Ishbel heard the scrape of boots on stone. She listened to the approaching steps. The outer door closing off the stairs to the cells opened, but she didn’t hear it swing shut. More steps shuffled her way, and she could hear the two who had stuck her in the cell murmur to each other. She hoped they didn’t see her as a threat. It certainly sounded like they kept her there only as a formality, and didn’t follow a strict guard procedure.
The door to her cell opened, and one of her guards entered with a tray of food. She waited patiently on the small cot and watched. The door closed after he entered. She coughed politely, and he started before noticing her in the corner.
“Mice,” she explained, and nodded at the pile of hay.
“Ah. I see,” he said. His thin lips cracked into a smile. “The kitchens finally sent us down lunch. I think they forgot we were even down here!”
Inwardly, Ishbel grinned. If even the castle servants had forgotten, then maybe her way to the battle would be clear. Or if she were seen, they would simply assume she’d been sent back for something.
The older rider handed her the tray of food, and her stomach growled. The bells sounded before she had time to finish her breakfast. She regretted what she was about to do.
Dumping the food from the tray, she smashed it over the guard’s head and he crumpled to the ground.
“Help!” She yelled to the other outside the door. “He collapsed!”
She pressed herself to the wall and waited. The key ground into the lock, and the door swung open. The other guard stepped in, swinging his head to look for her just as she brought the tray down on his he
ad. He, too, fell to the floor.
She winced as she bent to press her fingers to their necks. Gods above, she didn’t think she would forgive herself if they were hurt. Their pulses still beat strongly, and she breathed a sigh of relief. They would hopefully still be passed out by the time she put her gear on Darra and made for the battle.
***
Ishbel directed Darra toward the border between Castle Hendry and Glenn. She didn’t know exactly where the battle took place, but she had a suspicion it would be along the contested lands. Crofters regularly raided each other there, and dragon riders were known to aid or hinder their men and enemies.
Drifting smoke reached her before the roars of dragons. She followed the line of smoke and traced it to a small building. Smoke billowed out from open windows and the thatch roof had just caught fire in one corner.
Grimly, she circled Darra above it. She thought of Rory’s confession of losing his family to a fire as a young boy. Ishbel hoped a repeat of that terrible incident didn’t occur. Not one soul attempted to douse the flame. She didn’t see any other buildings nearby. Perhaps it was in disuse, but where had a threat large enough to rouse the entire castle come from?
Further in the distance, the bright flashes of dragon fire caught her eye. The flashes were followed by bellows from the beasts that sounded like thunder. Darra wheeled around and flew straight toward the mess.
Ishbel urged her dragon higher. She wanted to get an idea of the situation before she attempted to derail the fighting. High above the fighting dragons, the air was thin and cold. Ishbel sucked in a breath, and looked down below. A handful of dragons were landed, and she thought the tiny movements next to them must be their riders tending to their wounds. Burns and breaks were common when dragon fought dragon, and she hoped for nothing more serious.
There, in the middle, the Dragon Lords of Castles Hendry and Glenn circled one another. Rory Meyrick’s gold dragon, Morro, was half again the size of Tamhas McNabb’s black dread, Kerro. She could almost imagine the snarls of rage on each man’s face as their dragons flew around the other, attempting to singe the other with their great breaths of fire.
Entwined by the Dragon Lord: BBW Fantasy Romance Short (The Dragon Lords Book 6) Page 1