Dracones Boxset Books 1-5

by Sheri-Lynn Marean

  “Oh, okay.” Tierney’s gaze shot to Sami, who just shrugged.

  After agreeing to leave in the morning, Tierney walked Kyrian to the door, and smiled as once outside as he changed back into a stunning wolf. So beautiful … she thought as he trotted away.

  “I’m not beautiful!” she heard him say in her mind, and had to smirk. Turning away, she started to close the door, when a shiver shot up her spine. She looked back and studied the forest in front of Kyrian.

  A massive black wolf stood staring back at her and the raw anger and hatred rolling off of him, hit her like a strong wind. Soroyan. His power tingled through her, and the fine hair on the back of her neck rose in warning, setting all her protective instincts on high alert. She could feel his hatred for humans, and knew it made him very dangerous. She would need to keep an eye on him.

  Oh, what a joy he’s going to be tomorrow. Kyrian must be crazy. Or, maybe I am for agreeing. She stared for a moment longer, refusing to show her fear, before turning and closing the door firmly behind her. The wolf was a hunter—a killer—and she wasn’t about to give him an advantage over her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Blood Magic

  THE MASTER GLARED into the empty cell. “Where’s the prisoner?” The Keeper just shook his head, saying nothing, face impassive. “You don’t know?” the icy voice asked incredulously. The Keeper still didn’t say a word. The Master turned chilly eyes on him. “Lyle, how many is this now? How many prisoners have you lost in the last year?”

  “S-six,” was the stuttered reply.

  “Six. Lyle, you are the Keeper. These prisoners are your responsibility, and you’ve lost six of them. How does this keep happening?” the Master demanded, but still, Lyle remained silent. “You are an imbecile. I don’t know why I keep you.” The Master glared at him. “I’ll be looking for your replacement if this keeps up.”

  “Y-yes, Master,” Lyle mumbled, head lowered.

  “Where’s Genna?” the Master asked, switching the subject.

  “In her cell, sleeping,” Lyle answered.

  “Are you sure?” the Master asked cuttingly, and with a sneer.

  “Yes, I saw her a few minutes ago,” Lyle answered, keeping his eyes downcast.

  “Is she chained?”

  “Yes, Master.”

  “Well, we shall make sure.” The Maser turned and began to walk while Lyle hurried behind.

  ***

  GENNA COULD HEAR someone calling her and wanted to ignore it, but when she realized it was Caden, she started the journey back into her body.

  “Genna,” Caden called again, glancing nervously back down the tunnel.

  An illusion of Genna’s body lay on her cot in her cell, although she was aware that Caden knew she wasn’t sleeping, even if Lyle always fell for the illusion. She just couldn’t help it, she enjoyed teleporting places, but no one could know she was gone and Caden didn’t count. Somehow, he was on her side. Since she recently started to teleport away, Caden had tried to get her to tell him where she went, but she never did. It was her secret. Besides, she knew he wouldn’t approve of some of the stuff she did.

  “Genna!” he hissed louder, snapping her back into her body and full awareness. A faint wavy shimmer coated her for a moment before dissipating. Her eyes opened, flashing angrily as she scowled at him.

  “What gots your panties in a pile—the hell you want, Caden? I’m busy.” She watched disbelief and fear flit across his face followed by anger.

  “You’re busy? I’m trying to save your ass and you’re busy?” he asked.

  Genna sighed, feeling bad for being so cranky with him. “What Caden?”

  “The Master’s coming, another prisoner escaped,” he said and Genna’s lips gave a little twitch. “You have any idea how it happened?” he asked.

  Genna raised her eyebrows and tried to look innocent. “No.”

  Caden snorted and she knew he didn’t buy it.

  “Really?” he asked again.

  Genna smirked. “Well, might be I have some ideas.”

  Caden sighed. “I don’t know why I continue to help you. You never seem to care.” He stiffened up and glanced behind him again as footsteps closed in on them.

  “Caden.” Genna heard the hated voice say as it approached him out in the tunnel and she watched as he turned toward the voice.

  “Yes, Master?” Caden bowed his head and waited and Genna just about threw up in her mouth.

  “What are you doing here?” the Master asked him.

  Caden shrugged. “I was looking for you,” he said and Genna knew he was lying. He’d come to warn her instead. She smiled inwardly until the Master peered into her cell.

  “Genna.”

  The she grinned cockily. “What now, Lord of all who don’t give a rat’s smelly ass?”

  Alarmed, Caden swallowed as the Master’s face turned bright red—Genna had to hold back the laugh.

  “Caden, fetch the whip,” the master said angrily.

  “But—” Caden didn’t move.

  “Do as you’re told.” The Master glared at him and after a slight hesitation, Caden paled. Then he walked over and grabbed a whip off the wall not too far away.

  “Here,” he said, holding the whip out to the Master.

  “Open the cell,” the Master ordered Lyle and ignoring the whip in Caden’s hand, the Master sent him a chilly stare. “I think you need to be reminded these are prisoners, not friends.”

  “No,” Caden whispered in dread at what the Master wanted.

  “Just do it, Caden,” Genna hissed, resigned. She should have watched her tongue.

  Caden ignored her.

  Genna knew how much he hated being forced to punish anyone, especially her. He was her only friend in this hellhole. She had once thought to use his affection against him, but when she’d seen what was done to him when he refused, or didn’t give his all, she’d been unable to do so.

  She sighed. Not even knowing the punishment for his insubordination, could make him hurt her.

  “You will,” the Master commanded, but Caden was stubborn too.

  “No, I will not,” he said, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. and while the Master might be oblivious, with her highly tuned senses, Genna managed to pick up on it.

  “Caden, go ahead, get it over with,” Genna growled, getting angry that he’d let them hurt him over her.

  “You’ll be punished,” the Master said icily.

  “Yes.” Caden stood tall, refusing to let the Master intimidate him. Genna pulled at her chains and began to scream obscenities at them. “Genna, stop, please,” he pleaded, but she was beyond listening.

  The Master glanced dispassionately from her to Caden. “Fine, you’ve made your choice. Lyle, take him to the chamber, string him up. Leave no marks on his arms or face. Leave him for a couple of days. He needs to think on his disobedience. I want him repentant when you’re done.”

  “Yes, Master.” Lyle bowed and followed Caden down the tunnel while Genna growled, pulling at her chains.

  “No.” Though able to free herself, she stayed put. She didn’t want the Master to realize how powerful she’d grown. It was like her powers had been suddenly unlocked over the last month, and while she enjoyed discovering all her new abilities, no one, not even Caden, knew what she was capable of.

  “Genna.” The Master studied her intently. “I think you care for him.”

  Genna said nothing, but rage seethed inside of her.

  The Master dismissed her with a sly smile and turned to the robed figure standing silently a few feet away. “Yvan, I want six replacement prisoners brought from the Liberty Lake compound. Tell the scientists to prepare for two special prisoners. A male and a female are to be delivered from Val Jean this afternoon. I want the full workup done on them. After, the male can be given to Lyle. Oh, and bring some Fallen blood—Zander’s—to my chambers.”

  “Yes, Master.” Yvan inclined his head and started to turn away, when the Master stopped him. �
��And Yvan, get a shipment prepared. I’ll be seeing Val Jean soon.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  Genna leaned back on her cot. Poor Caden … Shit. She’d caused this. She couldn’t do anything at the moment, but soon … She thought about everything the Master had said, and grimaced at the hell the Fallen male had been subjected to. It wouldn’t end anytime soon and now she wished she had helped him escape when he first arrived, but it was too late. She turned her thoughts to the place the Master mentioned. Liberty Lake. She liked that name, it had a nice ring on her tongue. Maybe she’d find the compound and see what treasures the Master hid there.

  ***

  THE MASTER, GIDDY with excitement despite the loss of six prisoners, hurried down the tunnel. The plans to kill Zander being thwarted had actually worked in their favor. Although the stubborn male still refused to give them anything, all hope was not lost. The urge to murder and maim someone, though shelved for the time being, warred with another, stronger urge. One to be sated on the next visit to Val Jean—a visit that couldn’t come soon enough.

  When Zander’s daughter showed up at his execution, it stunned the Master to learn who he’d been protecting. A female Dracones. Never before able to sense anyone in the spirit realm, the Master attributed this latest gift to the daily injections of Zander’s blood, and reveled in the new ability, even if it wouldn’t last.

  The Master went over the possibilities of what they could do with the female dragon. Like a junkie anticipating the next high, the Master salivated, and wondered what kind of high Dracones blood would induce. Would it zing tantalizingly through the body, or roar furiously as it boosted one’s own magic?

  ***

  GENNA TELEPORTED BACK to where she’d been before Caden had interrupted her, and once again hid behind the old barn. She spied on the fiercely powerful black wolf with the glittery eyes, and watched him sniff the air. She drew on her new abilities. and held her breath when he gazed in her direction, then released it when he turned away. She pumped her fist with glee. Yes! Her invisibility worked. What a fantastic way to stay hidden. This power is definitely most useful.

  She thought about using her new trick on Lyle. Harassing the Keeper, after all the years of torture he inflicted on her, was much fun. But while she enjoyed thwarting him, he didn’t challenge her anymore. However, her indifference towards Lyle didn’t extend to the Master. That one, she loathed with every fiber of her being. She had been a terrified six-year-old when the Ilyium murdered her nurse and protector, and carried her away.

  Then they had tossed her into a dank, dark cell with a single mattress on the floor. The only light—a flaming torch on the wall out in the tunnel. The iron door had slammed shut with a clang, and frightened, she curled into a ball. A few minutes later a young boy, dirty and bruised, came to visit her. He brought her a flashlight and an old worn stuffed bear. Stupid Bear!

  But after fourteen years, she’d grown immune to the torture. The pain no longer bothered her, and she thought she was doing well, until the Master found her one weakness. Guilt sliced through her as she thought about Caden. He should have whipped her like he’d been told. She was tough, she could easily handle anything Caden dished out, and besides, what did he think he’d accomplish by defying the Master? Caden was physically weaker than her and lacked magic, for some weird reason. Still, he was the only one to have ever treated her with any kindness.

  Genna grimaced, hating to admit that she cared about him, and that he was the only reason she ever returned to her hell-hole prison cell. He was supposed to be the enemy, but instead, he always took care of her. He taught her to read, and snuck her books, and two years ago, he slipped her a device to listen to music, and play games and movies on. At first, she thought it was magic, but he explained that it was an electronic device. He even updated it, added new content, and charged the thing for her. She loved her device. Genna sighed. One day the Master would pay.

  She had already started by freeing prisoners, well, some of them. One, a nasty Were-wolf—who called her names from his cell—well, she kinda disappeared him. The beast never let her sleep.

  As for most of the other prisoners, something she didn’t particularly care for had come over her, making her free them. Maybe she was getting soft, but she couldn’t stand seeing them hurt anymore. Besides, what better way to annoy the Master, than by making precious prisoners go poof and disappear? One day she’d kill the Master, but at the moment the Master used Genna’s own blood to control her. Still, with her power and strength growing daily, Genna knew it wouldn’t be long. She could sense the Master’s control weakening. Soon. She grinned.

  Genna gazed at the large log building. The three within piqued her curiosity, although the female fascinated her the most. She’d been stunned to see Tierney in the haze, as she called the place where spirits roamed, peering into Genna’s cell. That had been the first time Genna had seen someone who was alive in the spirit realm. At first, she had glared at the female, but after she left, Genna wondered how it was that someone could be alive while in the haze.

  A few years ago, Genna had started to sense the spirits. She would catch fleeting glimpses of them, though she didn’t understand why some lingered before moving on. Most dead went to heaven or hell, both places Genna also sensed, but was unable to visualize.

  The spirits never paid her any attention, but Tierney had roused her interest, and Genna decided she needed to learn more about this female. Finding her was easy, she could find anyone once she got their mental signature.

  ***

  JAX, LOST IN THE PAST, didn’t register the news on the TV. Instead he re-lived one of the nightmares from his childhood that never went away. The Ilyium attack on their village. That day was Tierney and Sami’s seventh birthday, and though only ten months older, he had left them hiding in a cave while he went to investigate.

  ***

  The closer to home he got, the more worried he became. His gut told him something horrible had just happened, and he suspected it had to do with their enemy. Jax had slowed from a run to a stealthy walk as he neared the wall surrounding their village. He didn’t know if anyone might still be lurking around, and the roar of all the fires prevented him from hearing anything else.

  Stepping through the gate in the back wall of the keep, Jax squared his shoulders and peered around. Seeing no one about, he hurried toward the stables. All the stalls appeared empty so he continued to the courtyard, his gut clenched in dread. When he spotted the death and destruction surrounding him, he dropped to his knees. The sight and stench of so much blood and burning flesh made him gag.

  He wanted to close his eyes but was unable to. Bodies lay everywhere. Friends and family he knew and cared for, lay decimated all around him. Smoke filled his lungs, choking him. He tried to stand and shaking uncontrollably, knew he’d never forget the scene in front of him, no matter how long he lived.

  His own home still smoldered, an unrecognizable pile of charred rubble. Looking away, Jax pulled his shirt over his nose and mouth, and ran to Tierney’s house—one of only a few not on fire, and where they’d left their mothers when they went to play.

  “Mom,” Jax called once he got to the door. Terrified, and ready to flee back to Tierney and Sami, he glanced around uneasily before entering. He dreamed of walking in and finding his mom inside with Tierney’s mom, baking and chatting. Mom would take him in her arms and praise him for being strong. She’d reassure him, saying everything would be fine.

  Jax sucked in a deep breath, knowing his dream was just that. Heart thundering in his chest, he took another hesitant step, and wondered what had happened to Cristoz. When no one attacked him, he exhaled and walked down the hall, stopping before the kitchen. He closed his eyes for a second, told himself to be brave, opened them and inched into the room.

  A beautiful hand-carved bowl, which used to hold dried sugar blossoms, lay upside down on the floor by his foot, red soaking into the rim. The delicious gold and blue treats were barely recognizable, now sm
all maroon lumps scattered everywhere. Jax reached down absently and picked the bowl up, clutching it to his chest. His heart roared in his ears as he glanced around. He grabbed onto the back of a chair before he fell. His feet, tacky with blood, stuck to the floor. Horrified and in shock, his mind took a moment to catch up with what his eyes were seeing.

  Jax whimpered and swayed. Everything seemed so surreal. The whole room was crimson, and he bit his lip to keep from screaming at the nightmare in front of him. A spell book lay face-down on the floor, along with a broken mixing bowl. The table had been overturned and shoved up against the wall. The oven door was open, and the remains of a cake lay on the floor, soaking up blood. In the middle of the room lay his and Tierney’s moms.

  Jax stared at his mother’s yellow dress, patterned with purple flowers, and couldn’t help thinking how sad she’d be that it was ruined. He shifted his gaze and blinked. Tierney’s mom looked funny with oven mitts on her hands. He tried to avoid looking at their heads, which were no longer attached to their bodies. He failed, and his mind started to shut down. Having reached his breaking point, tears streamed down his face as he turned to leave. His feet made an appalling sucking sound as he stepped back out of the room, almost slipping in the blood.

  Jax grabbed the doorjamb to steady himself and dropped the bowl before stumbling away, leaving bloody footprints in his wake. He got halfway down the hallway when a sense of urgency filled him, and he began to run. He stopped a second later and glanced up at the incredible assortment of swords and daggers mounted along the wall.

  He’d always enjoyed looking at Zander’s weapons whenever he came over. Jax reached up and took one of the daggers. The one with intricate scroll work of dragons and Tartaria’s three suns on the handle and blade. It nestled in a leather sheath and while big in his small hands, for some reason the weapon fit just right. Wishing he were bigger and stronger, so he could wield one of the swords, Jax gripped the dagger and turned away with an unfailing urge to hurry back to the clearing right away. Something was wrong.