Denying the Dragon

by Rinelle Grey

  Karla suppressed a shiver at the memory of that fear. Throwing fire might be intimidating, but she could see why it might not be able to stand up to life dragon powers. How could one even throw fire if they were paralysed by fear? Or worse.

  She didn’t really want to think about how far that power could go, so she returned to the issue at hand. Ultrima. “So how are dragon laws usually enforced?” she asked.

  Taurian shrugged. “Usually by a fight.”

  Karla had never heard a more stupid way of enforcing laws in her life. “That makes no sense. What if the one who broke the law wins?”

  “That never happens,” Kyrian insisted. “Because the whole clan will back up the law.”

  “Except when some of them side with the one who broke it,” Karla pointed out. “Has that really never happened before?”

  “No,” Taurian said firmly. “It is rare for a dragon to even break one of our laws in the first place. For others to agree with him and fight for him is unheard of.”

  “Which is exactly why we need to do something about it,” Ostrian insisted. “And why the life dragons need to side with us in this case. Otherwise, our laws mean nothing.”

  Taurian stared at him for a moment, then shrugged. “It doesn’t matter at this point, since we don’t have a life dragon. Not even a non-royal one. It is unlikely we will ever see one again, since the last one has died out.”

  “Exactly why we need to breed one,” Ostrian said immediately.

  Karla’s stomach churned. She’d almost forgotten how this conversation had started. And she wasn’t happy to realise that she hadn’t been on the wrong track with her assumptions.

  “That’s impossible without a life dragon to mate with,” Taurian said firmly.

  “Not impossible,” Ostrian argued. “It has long been summarised that life dragons are different to all the other powers, and aren’t necessarily created in the same way. They aren’t a new breed that just pop up unexpectedly. They are a combination of the existing powers. We just need to figure out what that combination is. I suggest starting with fire and water.”

  The fire was obviously Taurian. Who water was Karla wasn’t sure, and she didn’t care. It certainly wasn’t her. A bitter bile rose in her throat and she swallowed.

  Taurian raised an eyebrow. If anything, he looked amused. His expression settled Karla’s stomach a notch. Only a notch.

  “You do, do you? That’s interesting.” Taurian’s voice sounded almost bored. “How lucky for your plans that I just happen to be a fire dragon.”

  A dragon somewhere nearby gave a snigger. Karla looked around, but couldn’t work out who it was. Then her eyes fell on Jayrian, who gave her a wink. She took a deep breath. Taurian wasn’t really going to mate with another woman, was he? He could see how crazy this was, couldn’t he?

  Ostrian obviously couldn’t. “I found a record of a life dragon being born to fire and water parents.”

  No one sniggered this time. Even Jayrian looked slightly shaken. Karla’s stomach clenched again.

  “When did this supposedly happen?” Taurian demanded. “And why haven’t I heard of it before?” He didn’t look so amused now.

  “You would never have seen it if you hadn’t spent the time I have pouring over our records. It was six hundred years ago, but the facts are still there.”

  Surely they weren’t going to use six hundred year old records to push Taurian into this? It was ludicrous. Karla couldn’t help interrupting. “Surely other fire and water dragons have mated since then? Have they produced life dragons?”

  “Actually,” Taurian looked thoughtful. “It is rare for a mating between fire and water dragons. Neither enhances the other. As water quenches fire, so does a water dragon’s stoic nature eat away at a fire dragon’s spirit. And a fire dragon’s constant search for new adventure exhausts a water dragon’s patience, as fire turns water to steam. It is not a good combination.”

  “Exactly.” Ostrian looked smug. “The very fact that they have not been combined previously explains why we have had no life dragons born to anyone but life dragons for centuries.”

  They had to be joking, right? The fact that even Taurian seemed to be being sucked in now caused panic to rise in her throat. “Even if that worked, and it seems like a long shot, it would be years before the child was old enough to fight Ultrima.” Her voice was unnaturally high.

  The look Ostrian gave her was pitying. “Humans have such short lifespans that that may seem to be an impediment, but dragons see a longer view. What is a few decades against the three centuries we’ve already waited?”

  His words just rammed home the fact that they were different to her. That she would never fit in here. Why did she even care? This wasn’t her business. She had no right to tell Taurian he couldn’t mate with another to save his clan. If he thought that was a suitable method of helping them, that was his issue. She didn’t own him.

  In fact, she’d already told him she had no intention of mating with him.

  She looked up at him, slightly disconcerted to find his eyes boring into hers. Suddenly, she found it hard to breathe. The thought of him mating with another dragon caused bands of jealousy to tighten around her chest until she could barely draw breath.

  She forced herself to look away and the feeling eased a little. It had to be leftovers from the Mesmer bond. She’d never felt that sort of jealousy before, never experienced any emotion that strong. It couldn’t be real.

  “Perhaps we should consider Ostrian’s suggestion,” Mesrian said. Her expression was troubled. “It is clear that we have few other options.”

  “Creating a royal life dragon isn’t a new suggestion,” Ostrian insisted. “Princess Sarian was promised to Lirian, our last male life dragon, for just this reason. That is one of the reasons she refused Ultrima. You may have been too young to grasp the implications, Taurian, but I’m sure the other dragons were well aware of the potential of having a royal life dragon.”

  “I was not ‘too young’ to know what was going on,” Taurian said firmly. “All Rian princes and princesses were included in the discussion. So I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that they intended to use life dragons to protect our people from discovery by humans, never to attack another dragon. It has been a goal to create life dragons for several generations, when we realised their numbers were declining. As the eldest in our family, Princess Sarian felt that she could not ask another to take that burden, but that she must bear it herself. Even so, it was never to wage war, but simply to keep the balance.”

  “Then create one to protect your people,” Ostrian said, his voice strained. “Goodness knows we need protecting badly. How can this be a bad idea in any way?”

  “Because once we had that power, the temptation to use it would be too great,” Taurian said. “We have our honour to uphold.”

  “I know,” Mesrian said quietly. “And while we all respect that choice, it is plain that things have changed in the intervening years. We have failed, time and time again, to uphold that honour. We waited three hundred years for the chance to wake you, and now that you are awake, we need to do everything in our power to ensure that we can wake the others to. We need to win this battle, because we may only have one shot at it. If a life dragon can help us do that, then we owe it to your brothers and sisters to do that.”

  Her speech raised goosebumps on Karla’s arms.

  There was complete and total silence in the room.

  Karla could barely breathe. Somehow, their impassioned speeches were starting to affect even her. Maybe the emotions circling the room, despair, fear, hope, and desperation, were somehow seeping into her.

  Something had to be done, that much was clear. But why was everything conspiring to compel Taurian to sleep with another dragon? Why had she ever even thought that she and Taurian had a choice in the matter?

  What would have happened if they had already slept together, and this was no longer an option? If she hadn’t resisted him until now, this choice
wouldn’t even still be on the table.

  But she had. She hadn’t mated with him because she didn’t want this to be forever. At least, that’s what her mind said. Her heart had other ideas. She was certain, with a pain that made it hard to draw a shaky breath, that she couldn’t live without him.

  Her hands trembled, and her heart thundered in her ears. Taurian’s eyes met hers. His eyes were on fire, and Karla knew exactly how he felt. When she’d felt like she had a choice, she’d been certain that she shouldn’t mate with him. Now that the choice may no longer be hers, she suddenly realised that she wanted him. Strongly.

  Taurian’s voice though, when he spoke, was calm. “I will consider your suggestion,” was all he said.

  Karla drew in a deep breath, trying to calm the panic. Nothing was going to happen immediately. She had time to think this through. Time to find a way out. Time to convince herself that she didn’t really want him anyway.

  “There’s one more thing,” Ostrian interrupted.

  Taurian’s eyes shifted to his. “Yes?”

  “I knew that you would feel a little on the spot, with a major decision like this to make,” Ostrian said quickly. “All the women you knew are no longer with us, so I understand it will be a difficult choice for you. Because of this, I thought it would be wise for us to help you with this important decision.”

  “That will not be nec…” Taurian began.

  Ostrian was already ushering forwards a blushing young woman. Her slightly wavy blonde hair and pale skin made her look rather washed out. Her nervous expression didn’t help. “This is Wayrian, my granddaughter. She has already agreed to the match, and is willing to do whatever is needed to ensure the safety and continuation of Rian clan.”

  Karla’s chest tightened. So much for having time. This was it. This was the moment when the option of mating with Taurian in the future was no longer even a possibility. Perhaps this would convince her heart to accept that.

  There was a silence in the room. Even the other elders stared at Ostrian uncomfortably.

  The poor girl blushed hotly, and stared at Taurian, her expression a little awed and nervous.

  Karla couldn’t drag her eyes away, needing to know what Taurian’s response would be. He would reprimand Ostrian, wouldn’t he?

  But he just stared at the girl, not looking back at Karla. Was that deliberate?

  “I must speak to you, Ostrian, in private.” His voice was clipped.

  Wayrian looked like she was about to burst into tears, but she kept her back straight and her head high.

  Karla didn’t want to feel sorry for her. She wanted to hate her. But she couldn’t. The young woman seemed to have been put on the spot as much as she and Taurian had. She didn’t know Taurian, she couldn’t have any feelings towards him at all.

  She didn’t have any experience of how it felt to be touched by his fire. How tempting it was to let those flames consume you. How hard it was to look away.

  If Taurian mated with her, she wouldn’t ever have to walk away. She was a dragon, and chosen by his clan. Accepted.

  Something Karla would never be.

  Taurian didn’t once look in her direction as he followed Ostrian into a back room, out of sight.

  It was plain he didn’t need her anymore. He had his own life, his own responsibilities. She was just in the way, preventing him from doing what he knew he must.

  She should take this opportunity to get out of here. That way, she could just remember what they had shared together.

  And maybe imagine he would have chosen her, given the chance.

  Chapter 6

  “This is the sort of discussion that should be had in private, not in front of the entire clan,” Taurian scolded, as soon as they were out of earshot of the rest of the dragons. “Why did you bring it up in such a public place?”

  Ostrian didn’t even flinch at his tone. “The clan has a right to be involved. They have been waiting for you to wake for a long time thinking that when you were awake, all our problems would be solved. And they’re not solved, because we cannot achieve victory over the Trima clan even if we manage to wake the rest of the princes and princesses. They need to know what you plan to do to defeat him. You need a plan that is going to actually work.”

  Taurian hid a wince at his words. What would his clan say if he told them he didn’t have a plan for defeating Ultrima? That he didn’t have a plan at all besides waking his brothers and sisters and handing the responsibility over to them.

  He glanced at Ostrian, glaring at him, waiting for his answer. Did the elder have any clue? Probably. And probably he was waiting for Taurian to admit it.

  Well, he’d be waiting a long time. Taurian raised his eyebrows at him. “I will inform the clan of my plans when I decide to. I appreciate the elders caring for the clan in my absence, but now that I am here, the decisions are mine, and mine alone.”

  The responsibility was too. A lonely place to be. He’d better work on waking the others as soon as possible.

  “Things have changed while you were in the Mesmer, Prince Taurian.” Ostrian’s voice was threaded with a threatening undercurrent. “We have been making our own decisions for the last three hundred years. We had no other choice. Do you expect us to just hand all the decision making over to you without looking back, just because you are awake?”

  Of course that was what he expected. What was his right, as prince of Rian clan. But the elder's tone gave him pause. His clan had been running their own lives for three hundred years. And they had the perfect example of the success of a revolt, in the form of Trima clan. He needed to tread carefully. The last thing he needed right now was a challenge to his leadership.

  He’d thought he would have a day, maybe two, to settle into his clan and get to know everyone before he had to prove his worth. It looked like that wasn’t going to happen. He couldn’t put off making decisions until his brothers and sisters were awake. Not with Ultrima breathing down his neck. Who knew when the other dragon was going to appear.

  Taurian bit back a sigh. Which meant he had to consider Ostrian’s suggestion. Or appear to at least. Not because it would help him any if Ultrima showed up right now, but because it would reassure his clan that he had some long term plans, and keep them cooperating with him while he figured out how to wake his brothers and sisters.

  Once they were awake, no one would dare challenge him.

  He tried to ignore the fact that they had. That Ultrima had. Dwelling on that wouldn’t help.

  Instead, he focused on putting the slimy little elder into his place. “No, I expect you to give me advice and suggestions, in private, rather than trying to force my hand with a very public suggestion,” he said flatly.

  Ostrian didn’t even have the grace to look guilty. “My apologies, sir. It’s just that we’ve all been waiting a very long time for this moment.” The words were empty, uttered with no genuine feeling at all.

  They didn’t make Taurian feel any more secure in his position. “I don’t care how long you’ve been waiting. I’m not impressed at having a mate picked out for me.”

  This time, Ostrian did have the grace to look guilty. “Wayrian is only a suggestion,” he insisted. “The choice is yours, of course. I didn’t mean to insult you. I was just offering one possibility, if you felt short on time.”

  So long as he picked a water dragon. The implication was there, even if Ostrian hadn’t said it. The possibility of mating with Karla retreated even further away. Taurian’s heart sank.

  He was a prince. He’d known he’d have responsibilities as soon as he found his clan again.

  He just hadn’t expected it to hurt this much. He hadn’t expected to be confronted with one of the hardest decisions he’d ever had to make.

  He hadn’t expected to have to give up the one thing he wanted the most.

  And he wasn’t ready to. He would find a way. A better way.

  “I shall consider your suggestion,” Taurian said. “For now, let’s continue feasting.
”

  Ostrian inclined his head as he withdrew from the room. Somehow the movement annoyed Taurian. It was a token gesture, with little real respect.

  The sooner his brothers and sisters were awake, the better. He was the youngest prince, and it was plain that the elders didn’t respect him. And without their respect, he couldn’t keep control of his clan.

  He bit back a sigh, and headed down the corridor towards the main room. Perhaps if he could find a minute to talk to Karla in private, he might be able to figure out a better plan. They’d always managed to figure out a plan together. Karla was full of great ideas.

  She’d think of something.

  His heart feeling a little lighter, Taurian looked around the room for Karla.

  But she wasn’t there. He looked for Jayrian, and quickly located the young fire dragon talking to another dragon in the corner. Karla wasn’t nearby.

  Where was she? A cold hand gripped his heart. He tried to calm his racing mind. Just because he couldn’t see her didn’t mean she had left. He hadn’t heard the ute start up, had he? What if he’d missed it? What if he’d been too far underground to hear it? What if he’d been too focused on his debate with Ostrian to notice?

  He headed towards the entrance, figuring that if he checked for the ute first, he’d at least know she was still here. Before he’d taken more than a couple of steps, a voice interrupted.

  “Prince Taurian, can I have a minute of your time?”

  Taurian bit back a sharp refusal at the quiet voice at his elbow. He turned to look at Mesrian.

  Her gnarled face was kind and understanding. “You are fond of the human, yes?”

  “Do you know where she is?” Taurian demanded. If any of the elders had anything to do with Karla’s absence…

  “I have not seen her since the discussion about your taking a mate.” Mesrian’s eyes were sharp. “I don’t think she understood why it was necessary.”