I held my arms out and inhaled. A tingling sensation overtook my fingertips, then coursed down my arms. I opened my eyes and watched in stunned silence as my scales rippled like a bird’s feathers. The black melted away and changed to a beautiful green with yellow hues like the leaves of trees in springtime. My clothing seemed to melt into my body as the scales covered it, and the bones in my fingers began to pop and twist—yet it felt completely painless.
My claws extended, taking place of my fingers on my hand, which became much larger than it had been. I expected to be afraid, but opening my heart to the dragon had also opened my wonder. I turned and watched as a tail reached out across the ground, and my stance changed to my hands and feet.
The small prison couldn’t contain my size, and as I grew into my dragon form, I pressed against the bars at the front. They groaned in protest and, with a coaxing push, broke. I placed my clawed feet on the edge of the opening and leaned out to survey the damage.
The faeries had gathered at the entrance to their cave city, but for some reason there wasn’t a way down. I didn’t have time to look over myself now the transformation was complete. The fires were spreading, and several faeries were trapped, screaming for help.
No better time to learn than the present.
The voice in my head … was me. The side of me I’d never been willing to face.
I spread my wings as I pushed out from the cave. However, panic stopped my heart as I dropped. I had misjudged the weight of my dragon body, and with great effort flapped my wings. At first, they felt heavy, foreign, and slow, but with each push against gravity, I lifted into the air. Now was not the best time for flying lessons, but I had to figure it out at some point. I rolled from one side to the other, testing the turn of my wings against the wind.
“A dragon!” a woman cried. “Please, help!”
She stood on the porch of her small home with a young child in her arms and two clinging to her legs, coughing. Their home wasn’t on fire yet, but they were trapped by the smoke. I flew over, the wind from my wings pushing the smoke aside, and reached out my hand to them. The children began to wail, and they clung behind their mother.
“It is safe, I promise,” I reassured, but it was difficult to hold my hand steady while beating my wings so I didn’t fall from the sky.
The mother set the youngest on the ground, picked up her oldest, and tossed him into my hand. I caught him easily. She did the same with the daughter, and then picked up her infant, took a breath, and jumped herself. I managed to keep them all in my hand, my claws curled to allow some kind of barrier, and tried to hold them as steady as possible as I lowered down to the ground.
I landed rather hard, and the little girl tumbled from my hand with a scream. I managed to reach my other hand out and catch her before she hit the ground and heaved a sigh of relief.
The mother ran over and hugged her children as soon as they were safe and looked up to me. “Thank you.”
I nodded to her and flew back into the sky. There were still a lot of faeries trapped, and I had to move much faster than I was. Luckily, the longer I flew, the more natural my body began to feel. Soon, I had cleared those faeries who were trapped and turned my attention to the large group trapped in front of the palace.
I descended from the sky, trying to push the smoke away and give them fresh air to breathe. “I am here to help,” I explained as I touched the ground and lowered my body to the earth. “Climb onto my back. I believe I can carry all of you at once if you are careful.”
The people turned to their queen for permission.
The queen motioned without hesitation. “She has saved many of our people already. Go!”
Some people clamored, climbing up, grabbing on to whatever scales or horns were down my spine, and others allowed me to open my hands and pick them up. It took me several trips before I returned at last to recover the queen, her guards, and Dormir.
The queen stood with her soldiers, and one of them had Dormir’s slumped form over his shoulder. The guards struggled trying to get him up until I offered to carry him in my hand. He looked so small and fragile.
Once they were on, I carried them down to the ground with the rest of the people, who watched as their only sanctuary burned down in flames.
“Why would you do this?” someone asked, looking at me.
“Yes. I saw you come with those men. You came to burn us down?”
People began shouting at me, and my heart sank. “I didn’t do this,” I insisted. “I was locked away in your prison.”
Queen Misla stepped in front of me. “It wasn’t she but her companions who started this.” She turned to me. “Though we don’t know why.”
“I don’t know either. Gerard was my betrothed. He wanted the spring stone so he could help cure me. Or so I thought. I can’t answer for him. He betrayed me as well as you. I can, however, promise that he isn’t done. He left with a threat to take my throne, so I must stop him before he hurts my family.”
Gerard would regret leaving me to burn.
I had accepted the dragon within and would use it to bring him down.
Seventeen
“Where will we go?” someone asked.
I looked over the small crowd. “What about that cathedral? A’Luvien,” I asked. “There’s an entire forest there, young and waiting. I think the trees would be happy to see you return.”
“We need somewhere safe. If soldiers come for us there, we would be exposed and vulnerable,” Misla explained. She looked up at the burning buildings with a look of dismay.
I turned and followed her gaze.
The city was gone, lost to the fire. The stables where the horses had been kept was also destroyed, but none of the horses were there. It was likely Gerard had taken at least one of them when he fled, so all I could pray for was that Tao had fled to safety.
I didn’t know what else to suggest. I didn’t know where they could go and be safe—I couldn’t even tell west from east. Gerard had destroyed their only home, the only place they were legally allowed to live. They could stay near the mountains, but the night was settling in, and the cries of the children reached out to my heart. I couldn’t carry all of them at once either. I wasn’t big enough or trained enough.
“I could scout for a location,” I offered. “But I’m afraid I still wouldn’t know the best place. Perhaps I could take Dormir with me?” I hinted with my head toward Dormir’s form.
Misla walked over to Dormir and knelt at his side. She reached out and smoothed his hair. “He tried to argue on your behalf. He said you were kind and only trying to look out for your people. He also explained you didn’t know about us and that there is much you don’t know.” She turned her gaze to me.
“It is true,” I admitted. “My mother kept me hidden away so I wouldn’t turn into a dragon. She never told me about your exile.” I sat down on my hindquarters. “What, exactly, is wrong with him?”
“Dormir had an accident as a child. A few days ago, he went to A’Luvien to plead with the gods so he might find relief. It is rather unfortunate. He is fine unless his heart begins to race too much, such as when he is angry, frightened, or stressed.” She leaned back on her feet. “I believe it is also why he won’t try and find a wife.”
“It seems a little odd to me that the way to wake him is through a kiss.”
Misla gave me a startled look. “How did you know?”
I was suddenly grateful to be a dragon so she couldn’t see my blush of embarrassment. “The trees told me.” I was about to explain the entire story, but a sound on the wind caught my attention. I got to my feet immediately and inclined my head as if that would help me hone in on the origin.
Giant wings.
As the sound drew closer, the faeries began to mutter to each other.
I looked at Misla.
“It sounds like … like another dragon,”
she said in disbelief. She stood close by, searching the skies like everyone else.
A massive black form appeared overhead. I heard a rumble through the sky and understood the words. “Don’t be frightened. I am coming to speak with you.” The dragon landed a moment later.
He was at least twice my size, much bigger than any home I’d seen along my journeys. His scales glinted in the dim light, but I couldn’t quite make out the colors. Brown, possibly with a bit of red? Then again, it could have been the reflection of the flames.
“You’re a dragon!” he stated excitedly.
“Yes, I am,” I replied.
“A new dragon … You must be … But how?” He looked at Misla, then back at me. “I need you to come with me.”
I blinked. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know you.”
“Of course not.” He shook his massive head. He had six horns on the back. “But I need you to come with me now.”
“I can’t. I am in the middle of helping the faeries. In case you missed their burning city?” I flicked my tail.
The dragon looked up and suddenly transformed into a tall man with broad shoulders and clothing unlike anything I’d seen. He wore robes like a wizard, but they were elegant and made of flowing material I could only compare to silk. He also had a beard braided into two sections at his chin, like the horns he had there in his dragon form.
He lowered his head to Misla. “It has been long, Your Highness.” He bowed to her.
Misla stepped forward, her eyes wide and pupils dilated. “Nicholia. It has been long, dear friend.” She bowed, then straightened. Suddenly she ran forward and wrapped her arms around him. “It has been so long.”
“Forgive me for not recognizing your plight with the fire. I saw the dragon and had to come.” He looked at me again. “You don’t understand how important you are, young woman.”
I laughed. “I already know I was cursed, though I’m beginning to wonder the validity of that, considering part of that story also details that the faeries will save me, and they’ve never heard that before. My name is Princess Elisa.”
He shook his head. “You’re so much more than a princess. You’re the favored.”
“Stop.” I shook my head. “I just barely accepted that I’m a dragon at all. Besides, I have other pressing matters. The man who started this fire is on his way to take the throne. I don’t have time to go speak with dragons.”
Nicholia nodded once. “I see. You know nothing of the truth? That you were taken?”
“No. I was cursed,” I insisted. I repeated my memorized curse. “A curse upon her head, I place, that all will see her truest face. The rage of a dragon shall grow inside until, the truth, she can no longer hide. When she reaches her eighteenth year, her destiny will be made clear. She will hear the dragon’s call, then she will come and destroy you all. I’ve just turned into a dragon, so the last part of that curse is destruction.”
Misla stepped away. “They changed the prophecy,” she muttered.
Nicholia rubbed his chin. “The only recommendation I can make is that you trust me and allow me to take you to the other dragons. We can help teach you how to be a dragon, and your real parents can explain what happened.”
I started to pace. “You tell me that, not only are there other dragons, but I have birth parents and there’s actually a prophecy, not a curse? And where have they been all this time? Why didn’t they come save me?”
“There’s so much you don’t know,” he said delicately.
“He’s telling the truth,” Misla added. “Nicholia is one of the elder dragons. He wouldn’t lie.”
Nicholia looked to Misla. “Perhaps the roses can help.”
“Roses?” I looked at Nicholia. “There was something about a rose bush in a letter on my birthday …”
He gave me a little smile. “I know it’s hard right now, but can you please trust me? You can carry some faeries, and I will carry the rest. We will take them to where the dragons have been hiding all these years. They will be safe, and you will get the truth. You can choose what to do after that.”
My head was reeling. As if transforming into a dragon wasn’t enough!
I felt a hand on my foot and looked down to see Misla.
“I know this is overwhelming for you, child. Everything will make more sense when we get to the dragon lands.”
Overwhelming didn’t seem to cover it. Numb, yes. I nodded and leaned forward onto my belly so she and her men could climb onto my back. As they went to lift Dormir, he grumbled and began to wake.
Misla climbed back off and over to him. She placed her hand on his cheek with tenderness. “Take your time.”
His eyes rolled and he tried to lift his head.
“Focus on me. There you go.”
He looked dazed, but had come back from whatever place his mind stole him off to. “What happened?” He rubbed his head and winced at a tender spot.
“I will catch you up as we fly to the dragons’ nest.” Misla kissed his forehead and returned to my side.
The two soldiers helped Dormir to his feet, but as soon as he set eyes on me, he scrambled backward, just like he had the first time we met. One of the soldiers caught Dormir when his boot caught a rock and he fell backward.
“This is Princess Elisa,” his mother explained. She hurriedly explained how Gerard had stolen the stone, set the town aflame, and how I’d saved them.
Dormir looked up at their home, now in ashes, and his shoulders slumped. “At least Elisa was able to save us. That couldn’t have been an easy decision for you,” he said, looking up at me. “I know how afraid you were to become a dragon.”
I nodded softly. “It is done. I guess we get to go to the dragons and get some more answers, and then I’ve got to stop Gerard from whatever he’s got planned.”
Dormir rose to his feet. “Thank you.”
Most of the people climbed onto Nicholia’s back since his dragon form was so much bigger than mine. He guided me into the night sky. It wasn’t until I truly got in the air that I realized my vision had changed with the dragon. I could see through the darkness as if the sky were lit by a bright summer moon and saw orange-red details in the forest below.
“What are those?” I asked. “The orange marks below.”
“Those are animals. You’re able to see with what’s known as infrared vision. Your dragon senses can pick up on creatures, movements, and differences in the landscape that no one else can. You’ve got hunter’s eyes now.”
We flew along the Drakespine Mountains, heading northward. I knew that only because the mountains ended at the south, toward Terricina, and we hadn’t reached the end. Nicholia turned to the right when the mountains gaped into a deep pass. We flew through it, then over an open expanse until he reached a cluster of tall white-capped mountains.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“We flew over the Weeping Woods, and we’re on the border between Arington and Ashwrya.”
“We flew across the entire country?”
He rumbled a chuckle. “You fly much faster than you could ever run. Travel is cut significantly. You’ll never want to travel any other way.”
Dawn appeared on the horizon.
“Earlier … you transformed out of your dragon form. I didn’t think dragons could do that?”
Nicholia looked over at me. “Very few can. It’s an adaptation to try and keep us safe and hidden. I’m a scout, and it’s my responsibility to gain information. I can’t do that in this world as a dragon.”
“Why have you all been hiding?”
He smiled. “You ask a lot of questions. We’re nearly there. Unfortunately, if you are pressed for time, we won’t be able to answer all of your questions tonight. You will need to return when you are done handling your situation with the gem snatcher.”
I nodded.
The moun
tains had a ring of thick fog encompassing their base. Nicholia guided us through the valleys and toward the mountaintops until he descended into a beautiful meadow. The waking sun spread light down across the valley, slowly revealing every beautiful crevice. In spite of it being high in the mountains, the valley was covered in lush green foliage. A magnificent waterfall with a constant and comforting roar pooled on one side and then traveled down a thin stream and carried on into the valley.
Simply put, it was magical.
The trees were much smaller and had much bigger tops. The leaves were also tiny, like flower petals, and drooped with hanging flowers. The trees seemed almost blue in the light, and the flowers all around us glowed in the remaining darkness in vibrant purples, pinks, greens, blues, and white.
We landed in the open space between the waterfall and the mouth of a cave.
The faeries climbed off our backs. Many children rubbed their eyes as they were helped down and then picked up.
“The cave still has rooms inside and should be fully stocked except for food. Go on and I’ll send some people in to help.” He turned to me. “You and I are going to go talk with the dragons. This way.” Nicholia led the way to the waterfall and then stepped through. The water splashed across his back, and he disappeared.
I stared in momentary surprise and looked over my shoulder.
Dormir stood watching me. He smiled and waved.
I smiled back.
He followed his people into their cave, and I followed Nicholia into the dragons’.
It was time to learn the truth.
Eighteen
I stepped inside a massive cave at Nicholia’s side, my heart pounding in my ears, and then I wondered if dragons even had ears. I glanced at Nicholia and didn’t see any exterior ears but spotted a small notch under one of his horns, protected by a curve in his skin.
He let out a low rumble in his chest, some sort of signal to other dragons nearby.
We entered a massive cave with stalactites hanging high overhead and glowing with the same kind of glow the faeries had summoned into the stones along the path to their mountain kingdom. Four stalagmites rose from the floor, and it was only then I recognized the stalactites and stalagmites weren’t made of stone at all but enormous crystals.
The Dragon Princess: Sleeping Beauty Reimagined (The Forgotten Kingdom Book 1) Page 15