by Tessa Dawn
Table of Contents
Credits and Acknowledgements
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Epilogue
About the Author
Other Books by Tessa Dawn
Read an Excerpt from Tessa’s upcoming Dark Fantasy Saga: Pantheon of Dragons
Coming Soon…
Credits and Acknowledgements
Ghost Pines Publishing, LLC., Publishing
Damonza.com, Cover Art
Reba Hilbert, Editing
Quotes
Proverbs
Friedrich Nietzsche
William Shakespeare, King Lear, 1608.
In memory of Elaine Latkin, my eighth-grade English teacher.
Prologue
In a land as ancient as time itself, there were those who were born to protect the Realm, to rule over commoners, shadow-walkers, and warlocks alike, and those who were born to serve the rulers with blind obedience. The former carried the primordial blood of the Dragon in their veins; the latter bore the burden of a dragon’s desires—his hunger, fire lust, and passion—on their shoulders.
It was a sacred duty.
An elemental obligation.
They were chosen females, taken from their homes at the tender age of twelve, reared by strangers at the Keep, and trained to serve, obey, and feed their masters in order to keep the dragons strong.
A select few, the Sklavos Ahavi, were singled out for an even greater purpose: to bear the future sons of a dragon’s line. To wed the ferocious beings who were so deceptively human in outer form, yet primal, dark, and wild at the core.
The Ahavi were servants who belonged to their dragon lords.
The shadow-walkers and warlocks were reluctant subjects who resented their dominant masters. The commoners were humans who lived in fear of all that inhabited the Realm.
And the dragons…
Well, they were a species apart—and above—all others.
Part One:
Dragons Realm
“He who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself; and if you gaze too long into the abyss, the abyss will gaze into you.”
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
Chapter One
Mina Louvet was only twelve years old the day she was taken by the Dragons Guard, the day she was ripped from her mother’s arms in order to be schooled in the ways of the Ahavi, those who would serve the Dragon. She had been chosen for her aptitude in linguistics, her burgeoning ability to speak multiple languages, both those of ancient tongues and foreign lands, and for her rare, almond-shaped eyes.
She had been chosen because Wavani, the king’s witch, had assured the king that Mina would one day be one of the few, the chosen, the Sklavos Ahavi, a female who could not only bear healthy children but would only give birth to sons. The witch had seen it in a Seeking Vision, and the revelation had been enough to change Mina’s life forever.
Now, at the age of eighteen, Mina, along with two other chosen females, entered Castle Dragon for the first time. As she stepped into the grand receiving hall, she had to will herself to be strong, to hold her head up with pride, to keep her shoulders from slumping in defeat. She had to consciously keep her knees from knocking together in fright.
Her eyes darted around the enormous foyer in anxious, furtive glances, as she gawked at the numerous examples of opulent wealth: The architecture was cutting-edge and grandiose. The artwork was rare, refined, and priceless. And the floor beneath her feet was made of exquisite marbled stone, reflecting the purest blue veins and pearlescent arroyos Mina had ever seen.
The ceiling was beyond magnificent. It must have stood at least fifty feet high and, heavily coffered in ornate tiles, its large uncut beams framed the massive structure like a celestial curtain. And the sparse but ornate furnishings—the round table by the grand entry; the golden wing-back chairs, placed on either side of the enormous staircase; the pair of vintage, velvet sofas that sat up against the textured walls—they all looked too elegant to touch, too expensive to sit upon. This was the Dragons’ home. The castle where King Demitri once lived with his infamous Queen Kalani, a Sklavos Ahavi who, prior to her death, had given the king four noble sons: one who had died by his own hand, and three, still living, who would remain in the gigantic fortress to serve the Realm along with their newly acquired Ahavi.
At least until the Autumn Mating.
For once the sons were wed, they would be sent out into the three rural provinces, along with Mina, Tatiana, and Cassidy, to set up their own royal courts and rule as dragons of old.
A soft echo accompanied a dainty set of footfalls as Pralina Darcy, the Ahavis’ governess, descended the grand staircase, rounded the corner into the foyer, and strode regally before the girls, her head held high enough to intersect with low-lying clouds. “Welcome to Castle Dragon,” she said in a cocky drawl. “This will be your new home for the next five months, and I will be your mistress.”
Mina swallowed a lump in her throat and glanced longingly over her shoulder at the main castle doorway. She had half a mind to take off running, to dart beneath the high wooden arches, dash into the nearby woods, and escape the boundaries of the Realm forever.
She wanted another reality.
She wanted another life.
She pressed her palm against her lower belly and curtsied instead. “Governess.”
Pralina began to walk in slow, demeaning circles around the cluster of girls, her face a mask of disinterest. She appraised the group much like a common farmer might appraise a herd of cows at market, studying their features, scrutinizing their figures, and assessing their postures with barely concealed disdain. And then she reached out to grab a lock of Mina’s raven-black hair. “Do you shampoo with rose water?”
Mina nearly teetered in place. “I…I…yes…sometimes.”
Pralina frowned, her severe gray eyes reflecting dubious shadows in their depths. “You stutter?”
Mina shrank back. “N…no, ma’am. I’m just nervous.”
Pralina bent low to Mina’s ear. “Do not stutter in the presence of the dragons.”
Mina nodded, unable to reply, unwilling to risk another misstep.
Pralina let go of her hair and stepped to the side, evaluating Tatiana next. “Your name?”
The shy girl winced and averted her eyes. “Tatiana Ward.” Her voice was barely audible.
Pralina fingered the high, lacy neckline of Tatiana’s gown and scowled in reproach. “Are you a prude, uneasy, or just stupid? You cover your shoulders, your breasts, and your throat…on this day?”
When Tatiana started to tremble, Mina wanted to reach out and slap Pralina across the face, governess or not. Of course they were all nervous and uneasy—who wouldn’t be? They were the future brides of dragons, glorified slaves, offered like lambs to the slaughter for the supposed good of the Realm. And even if
that had not been the case, Tatiana would not have been well suited for this duty. She was unbearably shy, far too sensitive, and this heartless woman, this prickly governess, was nothing more than a bully—as if they didn’t have enough to fret over already.
Mina bit her bottom lip in an effort to hold her tongue. She watched as Tatiana curled inward, her frail frame retreating like a tortoise’s head inside of a shell, and thought about how hard the girl had struggled at the Keep, how deeply Tatiana had grieved her inescapable destiny.
Like Mina, Tatiana Ward had been born to a common family in the poorest province, only Tatiana’s family had desperately needed her help on the farm. Unfortunately, that fact had not mattered at all to the Dragons Guard or the imperious king—not one iota. Once Wavani had discovered that Tatiana was a Sklavos Ahavi, her significance as anything more than a servant to the Realm, a future bearer of a dragon’s sons, had been completely disregarded. It was as if her value as a person no longer mattered, as if she were nothing more than a commodity to be traded.
Mina sighed, understanding it all too well.
Even as a child, Mina had been a rare beauty: Her long, raven hair fell in thick, glossy waves down her gracefully sloped back, the silky tresses a flawless complement to her deep green eyes; and her uncanny ability with languages, her miraculous ability to memorize and understand foreign dialects, had ultimately sealed her fate. The fact that another rare beauty, Tatiana Ward, had also excelled in economics, that she understood the complex dynamics of running a royal treasury and seemed to just get the finer nuances of a ledger, had rendered any possible objection to her service futile. With ringlet, auburn curls and soft, amber eyes, Tatiana was stunning, plain and simple. She was a fiscal asset to the Realm, and her body was ripe to bear sons. The fact that she was painfully shy and far too delicate to withstand the lustful, temperamental demands of a dragon simply didn’t matter to the powers around her. And that fact, that harsh reality, had been a devastating blow to Tatiana’s family and, quite frankly, a cruel twist of fate Tatiana didn’t deserve.
None of them did, really.
Well, except, perhaps, for Cassidy.
Even before Pralina could approach the obnoxious female, Cassidy took a bold step forward. She flipped her shoulder-length blond hair, batted her crystal-blue eyes, and angled her jaw in defiance. “I am Cassidy Bondeville.”
Pralina drew back in surprise. “Did I ask you to speak?”
Cassidy manufactured a frown as severe as Pralina’s. “No, ma’am. You did not.” Her voice was clipped and brazenly unapologetic.
Pralina raised her open palm and held it just inches from Cassidy’s jaw. For a moment, Mina could have sworn the governess was going to slap her, but then, as the tension slowly ebbed, she stroked the side of Cassidy’s rosy cheek with her thumb, instead. “Ah yes, Cassidy Bondeville, born to a high-bred family in the common province. Eager to get on with it, I see.”
Cassidy shrugged her shoulders with haughty indifference. “Eager enough…to serve the Realm.”
Pralina snorted. “I see: to serve the Realm.” She laughed out loud, and then she took several steps back and regarded all three girls circumspectly. “As Cassidy has so humbly reminded us all”—she spat the word humbly with heavy sarcasm—“you are here to serve the Realm.” She snickered. “More importantly, you are here to serve the king. More specifically, you are here to learn what you must over the next five months in order to serve Damian, Dante, or Drake Dragona however they see fit.” She cleared her throat and smiled, and it was a wicked parody of mirth. “When the leaves turn color in autumn, which they inevitably will, the witch will make her recommendations to the king. Those recommendations, along with whatever petitions His Majesty receives from his sons, will ultimately determine your fate, which one of you will be bound to each dragon son. You have no say in the matter, and if you were not already fit for this appointment, you wouldn’t be here. It is my job to make you worthy before then, to ensure your absolute obedience. It is your job to comply.”
Tatiana choked back a sob, and Mina reached out to take her hand, hoping to provide whatever comfort she could. “Ignore her,” she whispered beneath her breath. “She’s just trying to scare us.” She left out the fact that it was working.
Tatiana squeezed Mina’s hand in desperation, and Mina responded in kind.
It was the wrong thing to do.
Pralina instantly stiffened and glared crossly at Mina. “What did you just say to that girl…a moment ago?”
“Nothing, Governess. I just—”
Pralina seized Mina by the arm and dug her nails into her flesh. She squeezed so hard that her bony fingers drew blood, and then she slapped Tatiana’s linked hand away. “You just told this girl to ignore me. Are you insane?”
“No,” Mina said, realizing she should stop there but unable to hold her tongue a moment longer. “I didn’t tell her to ignore you. I told her to ignore your flagrant attempt at intimidation, your obvious need to humiliate us.” She clasped one hand over Pralina’s, unpeeled the bony fingers from her bleeding arm, and met the governess’s icy stare head-on. “I told her you were just trying to scare us.” This time, she didn’t stutter.
Pralina drew in a sharp, angry breath. “You willful, insolent…whore! Do you not know that I could have the flesh peeled back from your bones, have that tongue cut out of your insolent mouth? There are dozens of Ahavi at the Keep just waiting for the opportunity to take your place. Do you think you are irreplaceable, you stupid, rebellious wench?”
Mina clenched her fists and her arms began to tremble. She was this close to taking a swing at Pralina’s jaw when the room suddenly grew cold, and the air grew inexplicably still. It was as if someone had thrown open a window in a dark, creepy attic and a glacial mist had swept into the room. As the eerie, otherworldly wind swirled about the foyer, a tall, imposing male stepped out of the fog.
Great ghosts of the original dragons, Mina thought. This was not someone to toy with.
The male had to be at least six-foot-two, and he was dressed in form-fitting breeches and a silk black shirt, one that bore the unmistakable emblem of the dragon in the upper left corner. The royal sigil was a deep blood red; the dragon itself was embroidered in gold; and in the center of the dragon’s eye, just below his angry brow, there was a polished inset diamond. It was roughly cut and blazing with light. In fact, it almost appeared alive, as if it were waiting…and watching…guarding the dragon’s heart.
The male was just as cryptic.
His angular features were drawn so taut they appeared to be chiseled in stone, and he practically glided when he walked, slinking forward in the most inhuman manner. His muscles contracted and released in waves, rising like the haunches of a predatory cat, descending like an ocean’s foam, as his rich onyx hair shifted in the preternatural breeze, cascading around his proud, broad shoulders. Power radiated from his hidden aura; danger settled in his wake; and all the while, his midnight-blue eyes shone like dark sapphires, emerging from hidden flames.
His movement, his very essence, was chilling yet deceptively calm.
He was utterly terrifying in his animal grace.
Pralina stepped back and bowed her head, and for a moment, Mina thought about doing the same. Heck, she thought about climbing underneath the nearest piece of furniture, but she stood, transfixed, watching Pralina’s obedient, submissive behavior.
It reminded her of a pack of wolves she had observed while living at the Keep.
It had been the dead of winter, and she had been gathering wood in the forest when she came across an alpha, a pack leader, snarling at a beta pup. The pup had tucked in his tail, bent back his ears, and exposed his underbelly in submission, much like Pralina was doing right now.
Mina shivered.
The governess’s body language was more than acquiescent—it was positively withdrawn. “Milord.” Pralina spoke the word with reverence and more than a little fear.
The male spared her a glance and w
aited.
For what?
Mina had no idea.
But the seconds seemed like hours as the bizarre scene dragged on. And then, all at once, realization dawned on her: This wasn’t about Pralina or her piteous show of submission. It was about the royal prince reining in his beast. Somehow, Mina just knew he was telling his barely leashed, primordial instincts to heel, that he was commanding himself not to hurt the governess.
And then, just like that, his countenance softened.
He shrugged his shoulders and inclined his head, casually regarding all three girls without meeting their eyes. “Governess…” His voice was laced with unspoken command.
“My prince?”
He gestured toward the Sklavos Ahavi. “Name them.”
Pralina nodded far too enthusiastically, and her tongue darted out to lick her quivering lips. “As you wish, milord.” She pointed at Mina first. “My prince, Dante: This is Mina Louvet, from the southern province. She is renowned for her aptitude with foreign languages and her knowledge of distant cultures.” She turned her attention to the shy beauty quaking in her boots. “Tatiana Ward is also from the commonlands. Although she hails from a poor family, she is now well-educated and shows great promise in mathematics and commerce. I believe she is the most obedient of the three.” She cut her eyes at Mina as she spoke the previous phrase, and then she immediately turned her attention to Cassidy. “And Cassidy Bondeville is from a well-bred family, wealthy and respected. She is eager to serve the Realm.”
Dante listened, but he kept his eyes averted, his head cocked slightly to the side.
He didn’t look at any of them.
He simply nodded after each introduction, and then, without saying a word, he silently turned on his heels and strolled to the castle doors.
The dismissal—the absolute disregard and ownership—was as glaring as his silence and far more foreboding.
Both gave Mina the chills.
She watched as he walked away, both silent and proud, without bothering to look back or even dismiss the governess, and something inside of her recoiled.