Page 2 of Wrath of the Dragons
The Dasterians were a long line of warrior kings, some of whom wielded earth magic, thus earning their sigil. Eagor was the first to outlaw magic in these lands that were once rampant with earth-wielders and accepting of mages that delved into soul magic and dark magic. Now earth mages seek refuge within the earth cult that travels through godly land, or in Urasos, though most of the population despises them. The longer the gods slumber, the more volatile people become, and the more crimes they commit against mages.
I round the corner and slow my steps while passing the entrance to the throne room. On either side of the door stands a massive statue of a dragon with a wing flared out and a sword clutched in its talons that cross above the walkway. I stride forward and pinch the velvety midnight-blue fabric that ripples beside the dragons, and pride swells within my chest. Five black dragons, all facing the same direction with one wing tipped up, are stitched into a circle, almost like a wheel, set behind a pair of crossed golden swords. The colors of the dragons’ eyes are an homage to Elowen’s dragons: red, blue, green, silver, andlavender. No matter who comes after us, they will know the founders of House Veles. The queen who brought dragons back into the world, and the king who conquered a kingdom to have her.
I continue my path up several flights of curved stairs and tug the hood of my cloak down as I tap my knuckles against Ryder’s door before shoving it open since I can hear him and Saskia arguing through the wood. Sure enough, Saskia is ready for the day, as she always is when dawn comes, and helping Ryder redress the wound on his stomach he obtained while helping me overthrow the crown. He groans a curse into his mug as Saskia tightens the wrappings, only opening his half-shut eyes when he notes my presence.
“I take it you weren’t warming the betrothal bed last night,” he says, glancing over my muddy boots, weapons, and black leather chest guard over my matching tunic.
“I take it you’ll never be warming a betrothal bed.”
He mutters something unintelligible into his cup again before Saskia’s healing abilities cause him to flinch. “I’m assuming you rode to the border to check on the security of the kingdom. Any issues?”
“None. Eagor never cared for militaristic involvement, so his death doesn’t affect the soldiers.” I walk toward the window and feel the tension in my shoulders loosen when I note the remaining three dragons by the lake. Calithea rests on the shore beside Basilius, who is so massive he makes her look like a hatchling, but Delmira spreads her wings and glides her claws through the water. “You never protect your left.”
“I’ll learn one day,” Ryder replies with a chuckle in his voice. “You shouldn’t be riding to the border without me. The kingdom is volatile. Nobles have been fleeing the castle since Elowen rode her dragons yesterday.”
“Yes, you’re in such good condition to fight should someone attack Cayden on the road,” Saskia mutters.
“I would be if your healing skills were better. I’d have asked Elowen if she wasn’t getting ready for the day.” Ryder grins when Saskia’s glare intensifies.
I clear my throat and claim a chair on the other side of the coffee table. “Have you seen her?”
Saskia’s glare slides to me, but quickly becomes more contemplative, making me feel like one of the coded letters she looks forward to deciphering. I think it’s always irked her that she’s never been able to read me as well as she can other people. She finishes bandaging Ryder, making him wince again. “Only briefly. She came to my chambers an hour ago and asked if I’d accompany her into Verendus today.”
“How did she look?”
Saskia grabs a small bowl of fruit off the tray before leaning back on the couch. “She looked fine.”
She didn’t sleep. She’s not fine. Her uncle betrayed her, and even if she wants to pretend his death doesn’t faze her, I know it does. She wanted his approval and love, and he never granted her either. She was constantly reaching out her hand and left it there with blood pooling in her palm as the man that should’ve cherished her, loathed her. When I carried her out of that banquet hall covered in his blood, she looked shattered.
“I’m hoping to get some wedding planning done while we’re out. You need to solidify your claim to the throne as quickly as possible.”
“Give her some time,” I state. “Just get her out of this castle.”
Saskia’s eyes soften a fraction, but she remains silent. I’d have taken her away from the castle after she said good night to her dragons, but her eyes filled with pain as soon as she landed in the grass and saw me waiting for her. She took to the skies after the dragon ceremony and didn’t come down until she was so cold she could hardly walk. She wants time away from me, and though it goes against my instincts, I’m trying to respect it. But I can’t sit by and watch her torture herself within the confines of her mind. She internalizes all the pain around her, trying to take it away from everyone while brushing her own aside as the knife twists in her heart. She wants to protect everyone else, and all I want to protect is her.
Ryder fills a cup of coffee halfway before pulling a whiskey bottlefrom the shelf under the table and topping it off. “You look like you could use this.”
I note the label painted with black flames. “Did you take that out of my reserve?”
He shrugs. “You import the good stuff.”
I take the cup from him, making a mental note to replace the lock. Saskia’s eyes still burn into my face, so I gesture for her to voice whatever thought is brewing. “Let’s get this over with.”
“You’re in love with her…” she softly states. “And it’s killing you.”
“All hells, Sas,” Ryder mutters. “At least let the man finish his drink before you begin analyzing him.”
Love.
Love latches on to a person and drains them until they have nothing left to give. It reinvents someone and makes them unrecognizable. One of the many flaws in human nature is regarding a heart as anything more than an organ that pumps blood. I’ve lived a life of endless battles, always needing to have my weapons raised against threats in front of my face and behind my back. There is no room for love. It’s a weakness I could never afford and never wanted.
And yet, when I think of Elowen, the fire that’s raged within me for as long as I can remember is tamed. Her presence is a moment of peace in a lifetime of pain. What I feel for her defies the logic I’ve lived by. I don’t like calling it love; it seems too mundane a word and too hypocritical. Men say they love their wives but slide their hand adorned with a wedding band across the skin of another. Elowen is tethered to my soul in an unbreakable way. I would do anything for her, but she’s never felt like a weakness. It’s true that if someone wants to hurt me, they’d target her, but Elowen’s existence makes me more ruthless than I’ve ever been, to ensure she’s never taken from me.
She’s the poison I’d willingly lift to my lips without an antidote in sight, and force myself to survive, knowing death would offer me no relief if it cleaves me from her.
I ignore Saskia’s observation. I don’t know what love is, butwhatever I feel for Elowen Atarah is something unknown to this world. “I’ll serve as her guard today.”
“We’ll have Finnian and Braxton and five dragons that are never too far from her.” Saskia sighs. “Let me try to talk to her. She won’t be able to think as clearly if you’re there. People can’t process their pain when surrounded by it.”
