by Ivy Clyde
ASSASSIN’S PAST
The Assassin and her Dragon Princes II
IVY CLYDE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 by Ivy Clyde. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be used or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted and reproduced in any manner or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or whatsoever without written permission of the author.
For information contact, Ivy Clyde
Table of Contents
ASSASSIN’S PAST
1
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7
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11
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Ready for the next part in Daria’s journey?
About Ivy
ASSASSIN’S PAST
A cruel Drakhaven prince is holding one of my mates captive.
He won’t see me coming or the way I intend to make him pay.
However, it is one thing to have a dragonborn prince as your mate, and quite another to have one as your enemy.
I am fleeing to the imperial capital of Huadu but the dragon emperor’s shadow is never far behind. What is supposed to be a temporary safe haven goes up in flames as I get entangled in meshes of memories I long suppressed.
The threads of fate have long bound me to the three dragonborn princes at my side and I am determined to protect them even if it costs me my life.
Assassin’s Past is the second book in an intrigue-filled whychoose fantasy romance that support’s our heroine’s right to choose more than one mate. Get ready for this captivating tale full of heart-pounding romance and edge-of-your-seat action.
Note: The Assassin and Her Dragon Princess is a reverse harem series with sexy dragon shifter romance and action meant for mature readers who enjoy their fantasy fiction with no restraint to language, violence and some heated scenes.
1
“Cain…” My voice sounded incredulous to my own ears. I couldn’t help but feel sheer terror as my eyes took in the gigantic proportion of the creature before me.
The dragon was terrifying. I avoided looking at the sword-long teeth, visible through its open jaws. It wouldn’t take much effort for it to gobble me up, chew my body and then spit it out. Steam and smoke gushed out of its nostrils, filling the underground chamber with a sulfurous smell.
Standing naked before it, I realized none of my bravado would be of any use in killing the creature before me. Even if I had my poisoned darts and needles, I doubted they would pierce through its steely hide. My powers of air and fire would be equally useless against it.
I blinked my eyes, hoping the magic in the sacred chambers was making me hallucinate. Pressed up against a wall with the dragon’s head mere inches away, I tried to slide sideways to get away from it. At once a large, lizard-like hand slammed against the wall beside me. A whimper escaped me while I tried to control my trembling body.
Slowly, I looked up at the dragon. Its fiery orange eyes were fixed on me. Slowly, I cast my gaze on either side. His massive limbs blocked my movement on both sides.
“Don’t be afraid.”
I gasped. It was Cain’s voice but it sounded inside my head.
“I won’t hurt you, Daria.”
I looked back into the fiery depths of the dragon’s eyes. There was deep intelligence in them. While the primal part of my mind insisted it was a fearsome beast, a more logical part was curious.
“How did you suddenly turn into a dragon?” I asked aloud.
“I don’t know. One moment I was in intense agony, wanting to die and the next, I am staring down at you from a height of fifty feet.”
I willed myself to take several deep breaths. “You’re very frightening at the moment, Cain.”
A familiar chuckle sounded inside my head. “Really, Dari?” There was a touch of boyish excitement in his voice. “I wish there were mirrors in the sacred chambers. I want to look at my true self.”
A shaky laugh escaped me. If I could close my eyes and hear Cain’s voice in my head, the fear would leave me. “You will need to be outside before a calm lake. I don’t think any mirror in the world would be big enough to capture half your magnificence.”
“You flatter me, Dari.”
Shaking my head, I slowly moved towards the other side of the vast hall, passing underneath the dragon’s long neck and its belly to retrieve the clothes I’d shed earlier. A moment of heat between me and Cain led up to this moment. While the sex was just as amazing as it was with Adal, my shock completely erased every bit of the afterglow.
Keeping my back to the dragon, I quickly donned my clothing.
Once my breeches were pulled up and my long tunic secured at the waist, I turned around to face the dragon. “Cain, can you shift back? There is no way you can walk out of here without anyone noticing you.”
“It’s so much more exhilarating in this form,” Cain’s voice rang through my head. “I almost don’t want to go back to being a human.”
“You must, Cain. We have already spent enough time in this place. You should head back to your palace in Gweryn while I proceed towards Baledonia to meet Adal.”
A long sigh escaped him, followed by a cloud of smoke billowing out of the dragon’s nostrils. “Let me try.”
The dragon retreated several steps away, its movements oddly clumsy like it was just trying to use both pairs of limbs. Its spiky tail grazed a wall, leaving deep scratches on it. I was slowly beginning to comprehend the intrinsic magic residing in these sacred halls. It allowed Cain to gain and release the powers locked in his blood. He was still unaccustomed to his new form but I was sure intuition and a deep inherent sense would help him train his new body.
My vision swam, like the shimmering air of a heated desert. In the blink of an eye, the dragon vanished and in its place stood Cain. He was completely naked. Wisps of steam rose from his skin as he stared at his hands with a bewildered expression. Strands of his thick, dark hair had come undone, flowing past his shoulders. Slowly, he raised his silvery eyes to look at me.
“Tell me I am not dreaming.”
I rushed up to him, throwing my arms around his neck. Overwhelmed, I began sobbing.
“Daria…” Holding me close, he gently stroked my back. His body felt hotter than usual, the heat seeping through my clothes to warm me up.
It was a few minutes before I could talk again. Sniffing and swallowing my chokes, I stepped away from him. “It is no dream, Cain. You achieved your true dragon form.” A smile rose on my lips while tears continued to pour from my eyes. “Emperor Ivan isn’t the only true dragon in the four kingdoms anymore.”
“But how did it happen?”
“I can only guess.”
“Tell me.”
I moved to the spot where Cain’s clothes were lying on the stone floor. Picking them one by one, I put my thoughts together. As I handed them back to him, I said, “I’m not sure if it has something to do with this place but from the moment, we entered those waters, I could feel magic bin
ding us.”
“What kind of magic?”
I shook my head. “I don’t understand it myself. You’re not the only one it affected though.”
Cain stepped forward to put his hands on my shoulders. “Are you all right?”
“I think so.” Bringing my hand close to my face, I stared at it. “Light a fire for me, Cain.”
He looked confused but let flames leap up in the palm of his hand. “What do you want it for?”
“I want to test something,” I said. Taking a deep breath, I suppressed the magic within me. It terrified me to do so with the leaping flames so close to me but it was the only way to know.
“Why do you look like that, Daria?” asked Cain.
“I want to test something,” I repeated, taking a tentative step forward. Biting my lip, I thrust my hand into the flames. I expected pain but nothing happened. Instead, the flames licking up my hand felt cool.
“What are you doing?” asked Cain, looking thoroughly confused. “I know you can manipulate fire. It doesn’t even burn you.”
“I can,” I said, continuing to keep my hand in the fire. “But it’s all because of the magic I channel through me. Right now, I am keeping it at bay. I still don’t feel a thing.”
“How could that be?” He extinguished the flames and looked at me with a grim expression. “Unless you have dragon blood in your veins, it’s not possible.”
“I know. But this is something that never happened to me before. I was burnt badly as a child. It took me months to recuperate and heal. Just as we reached…our…” I struggled to find the right word to describe the moment of utter ecstasy as we both climaxed together. “That moment when you came inside me, something shifted within you. We were both covered in flames and I was too shocked to call my magic to protect me. Your body went through the transformation and I was suddenly gifted the ability to withstand heat. If I was truly dragonborn, wouldn’t I have always had this power?”
“You are right. It is strange.” He began putting on his clothes, his expression steadily getting more serious. “There are so many questions to be answered. How did I turn into my true form? Was it the magic in these scared chambers or something that came from inside you? Adal was also intimate with you but he never turned. However, Norvin was able to soak up your inner energy to turn back into his human form. Everything is connected, but I can’t figure out how.”
“You are right,” I agreed. “It’s all connected. Perhaps, Adal might discover something in the scrolls you found.”
He nodded. “Let’s get back to the world. Before you go, let’s have a drink at a tavern in Partaig. You owe at least one drink.” His smile was infectious.
“But you said it’s too dangerous for you to be seen there.”
“I am sure it’s evening now. No one will recognize me.”
Anxiety weighed in my stomach. The closer we got to the capital, the more dangerous it became. People in Partaig would recognize Cain more easily than the peasants of remote villages who never saw their king.
Cain took my hand in his. “Come along, Dari. It won’t be as bad as you’re thinking. No one will mind us in the city.”
“All right, then.” I smiled at him as he gave my hand a gentle squeeze and led me out of those vast chambers. Casting one glance at the bed and the pool of water where we’d bathed together, I followed him out.
My mind was full of questions, keeping me blind to all the incredible paintings adorning the walls of the underground chambers. It was too incredible to believe the four kingdoms had a new dragon. Perhaps, it wasn’t an impossible dream to overthrow the emperor, after all. If Norvin and Adal could turn too, they would both have an even footing to win back their powers.
A cool draft blew against my face. After the dry, stale air of the underground chambers, it felt especially refreshing. We were drawing close to the upper halls of the dragon temple. Soon, we came out into the small room which led the way to the main prayer hall.
It was completely dark by now. Cain lit up a fire in his palm, guiding me out.
The main hall of the temple was silent. The offerings we’d seen at the altar earlier were cleaned up. It was incredible how a group of priests didn’t even realize we were there while they cleaned and offered their daily prayers to the dragon deities.
“Any idea how long we were down there?” asked Cain, looking around.
“The day is long over. Let us go outside, my prince,” I said. “The position of stars will tell me the hour.”
A cold breeze blew all around us as we stepped out of the temple. Night had fallen over the wooded area. Everything was still and quiet around us.
“It’s too late to be traveling tonight,” said Cain as we walked towards the place we’d kept our horse. “Stay with me tonight and start on your journey tomorrow.”
“I can stay out here by myself. I’ll be fine.” While I would’ve loved to go see Cain’s palace, some deep intuition was warning me about approaching danger. While the woods around us seemed still, I felt it was best to move away from there.
“I was hoping you would come with me to the palace. It’s been a while since you had a proper bed to sleep in.”
His words warmed me immediately. “I don’t mind spending the night here. But you should go now. I’ll feel more at ease to know you’re safe in the palace.”
Cain pulled me against him at once. His hug was tight enough to force the air of my lungs. “It’s hard to let you go, Dari.”
“I can’t breathe,” I gasped out as his powerful arms crushed me to his stone-hard body.
As if he just realized it, he let go off me immediately. Massaging my chest, I looked up at him and smiled. “Other than you, Adal and Norvin, no one’s ever cared for me. You have no idea how much harder it is for me to part with you.” Breathing in deeply, I swallowed the choking tears. “I want to finish the task as quickly as possible now. The realm can’t take the emperor’s cruelty anymore.”
Cain exhaled out a long breath. “I’m not sure I want you to do that anymore.” Taking my hands in his, he pulled me against him gently. Leaning down, he kissed me.
“What do you mean?” I asked when we parted.
“I want you to stay with me. We’ll figure out a way for Adal and Norvin to turn into their true forms as well. It will be three dragons against one. We will surely win!”
“We still don’t know how it happened,” I said thoughtfully. “I have to go to Adal with the scrolls and see if he can find the answers. There’s a chance we may never know. We can’t afford to waste any time. We can let Adal look for the solution while I continue on my journey to Drakhaven. I can’t kill the emperor in his true dragon form. It will have to be a stealth attack. It’s the only way I can assassinate him.”
Cain was about to say something but I placed a gentle hand on his mouth, stopping him. “There’s so much we don’t know about dragons. Even if you go against Ivan, he has an upper hand because of his knowledge. He will know your weaknesses better than you. You’ve just turned. It will take time for you to adjust to your own strengths and hone them. Until then, let me do my best. We can’t let our emotions come into play when the future of the four kingdoms is at stake.”
“How can an assassin have more heart than the noblemen in my court?”
I chuckled humorlessly. “I am a commoner. It is natural for me to understand their hardships more than the nobles who think a peasant’s life matters less than theirs. They will never know what it is to be hungry and cold or the desperation that comes from seeing your children starve.”
“You’re right about that. I wouldn’t have known their plight if I hadn’t lived amongst them.”
I nodded. “This is the mission I accepted. It’s all right to let me go, Cain.”
He was about to pull me into his embrace when the sudden sound of crunching leaves stopped him. Alert, we stared at the source of noise but only saw the gentle sway of nearby branches. Cain gripped my hand tight as it got closer.
&nbs
p; 2
“Who’s there?” Cain’s voice was thick with warning as he gripped my wrist.
Unseen feet shuffled closer, disturbing the deep silence of the woods. I was poised ready to spring, whether it be human or beast.
“Your Highness,” said a timid voice. “It is I, Yulong.”
Cain’s grasp loosened at once as a long breath escaped him. “Priest Yulong, come forward.”
Next moment, a tall, thin man emerged out of the shadows. He wore long robes, that covered him from head to foot. Lowering the hood, he revealed himself. Moon rays glinted off his shiny bald head as he bowed low before his prince.
“What are you doing here so late?” asked Cain, moving forward to stand directly in front of him.
“I didn’t know what else to do, Your Highness,” said the priest, his voice taking on a more urgent note. “The city is in the grips of death, Iorna’s guards wait to capture their prince and the palace is crawling with soldiers, waiting for your return. They even raided the temple and the grounds. I waited here, hoping to see you. If they were searching for you, then you had to be close by.”
“What are you talking about?” Cain’s voice was heavy with anxiety. “Tell me everything from the beginning.”
The man wrung his hands, pacing back and forth. “Prince Mekhi was waiting for you to return from your prayers but Princess Helena came to the palace early this morning. Things were already tense with Drakhaven’s prince in Gweryn but everything got worse with the princess’s coming.”
My fists tightened. Mekhi was Emperor Ivan’s eldest son and the one responsible for nearly killing Norvin. I’d hoped Helena would ride north to Drakhaven but she’d chosen to go to Partaig. With her adopted brother there, she got the upper hand. Cain should’ve really asked me to assassinate her, laws and justice be damned for once!
“They captured Prince Norvin of Redfall this afternoon,” said the priest, coming to a stop to stare at Cain. “He was found in an inn.”
My blood turned to ice at once.
“Cain…”