Page 10 of Heavy is the Crown
I want to vomit. My body shakes head to toe. Wrenching myself free of his grip, I turn and flee, shoving myself through the crowd as quickly as I can. People shout when I knock into them, and I hear glass breaking as I hit a server with a tray. But none of that matters, all that matters is escape. I bolt up the grand staircase, my pace never slowing until I run headfirst into my bedroom door. I fumble with the knob, nearly in a panic before it unlatches, and I push myself in, slamming the door behind me.
Sobs heave through my chest as I try to get control of my breathing. Try to calm down.Run. I need to run. I can’t wait for my original plan.I rip the jewels from my body and hastily remove my dress, then I pull on dark leggings and my brother’s sweatshirt. The sound of knocking on my door has me pausing, but when I hear my mother’s voice, I throw myself toward my window and haul up the dark backpack hidden below it for this moment. I wrench the window open but pause as an idea barges into my head. Doubling back, I grab the discarded jewels and shove them deep into the zippered pocket with the stack of money I’ve been squirreling away. The straps of my pack loop around my chest as I secure the one thing that will keep me alive outside of Hell.
“Ava, stop being dramatic. You come out this instant and return to the party. I will not have you ruining this,” my mother yells.
But I don’t stop. I keep moving until I’ve hoisted myself up and over my balcony, then I climb down into the grass. I race toward the garage that holds my brother’s cars and bikes and send up a silent thank-you that the door is unlocked. For a moment, I’m immobilized by the idea that Jackson will have no idea why I fled, that I won’t be able to say goodbye to him. And then an equally terrifying thought slams into me—what if Jackson knew what tonight was? His words from the other night come back to me, spurring the fear forward.
Taking a deep breath, I swing my leg over the massive piece of machinery, my tiny body barely able to support its weight. I only have precious moments before my mother realizes I’m not in my bedroom and sends the guards to find me. Turning the key, I feel the engine rumble to life beneath me, and before I can second-guess myself, I speed off into the inky night toward my freedom. Toward a life that will be free of captivity. One of my own choosing.
FIVE
Dragons are difficult to kill.
Not impossible.
– Rosewood Family Journal
Drago
Nothing about this moment feels as satisfying as it should. Shadow’s father, my stepfather, lies a bloody mess at my feet. His body is not even cold yet. The crimson liquid pools from him, staining the white marble floor he lies on, along with the front of my white shirt. While I wanted him dead, I wanted to be the one to do it. We are hard creatures to kill, harder than wolf shifters. But we are not immortal. Blessed with long life, yes, but not immortal. Whoever killed him not only ripped his heart out but put a bullet in his head, one made in Hell.
The compound is buzzing with activity now, my men searching down whoever did this while also taking out anyone who isn’t loyal to me. The old dragon was not well loved, so it’s only a small group who remained loyal to him. He ruled through fear; I rule through loyalty. And it seems, in the end, my way has won.
“Sir.”
I glance away from the body, looking up toward one of my men.
“We couldn’t locate anyone.”
“And his men?”
“They are in the courtyard, sir.”
I nod, glancing back down to the dead man in front of me. “Who did you piss off, Julien?” I step over his body, stuffing my hands into my pockets, and meander out toward the courtyard. The large doors are already flung open and the thick, humid air of Gothic Grove pushes into the cooler room. In the distance, thunder rumbles, and the wind is slowly picking up.
Kai stands in front of the small group of Julien’s loyal people while my other guards circle them. Kai stands slightly shorter than my six-foot frame, his bulky muscles barely contained in the black suit he wears. His luminous yellow eyes stand out sharply below thick brown hair that’s cut short against his scalp.
“Orders?” His voice is scratchy, as if he has smoked his whole life. If I weren’t already mated, I would enjoy hearing that voice moan out in pleasure.
I pull my hands from my pockets and slowly roll up the sleeves to my button-down. “You all made a decision long ago to serve only Julien.” I walk a little closer to the group, my magic now shimmering beneath my skin. “You stood by as he tortured his son.” Black veins start to appear on my hands. “You allowed your prince to be taken by vampires.” Those veins now spread up my arms, my hands wholly black. The scent of fear washes over me as the wind sweeps through the courtyard. “And you have made no effort to retrieve him from those vampires. The very vampires who have worked tirelessly to destroy this city.”
(“SACRIFICE” – In This Moment)
“Shadow was worthless, he deserved to be sold off.” The man has barely gotten the words out before I have my hand on histhroat, hauling him up and allowing my death magic to seep into him slowly. He thrashes and screams as his internal organs wither and melt, his blood boiling. I make sure it’s slow. Make sure he feels the agony that I have had to endure while knowing my mate is imprisoned.
I look at the other twenty or so remaining traitors, noting the various levels of fear plastered on their faces. It occurs to me that since I’ve kept my magic contained, none of them understand who, or what, they are dealing with. “I think you people forgot what I am.” I release the body of the man, and he hits the ground, blood oozing from his eyes. “Because I have spent the last few years not truly showing myself, you believe me weak. Believe I am the same type of dragon Julien was.”
My dragon pushes to the surface, and I know my eyes are now golden. I allow him to begin taking control. “I amnothinglike Julien.” I can hear a man uttering a prayer, as if that will save him, as my face starts to shift into the skeletal beast. Slowly, I turn my head until my eyes lock onto him. “You are praying to gods that won’t hear you. You should pray to the one standing in front of you.”
When my dragon bursts forth, I take great satisfaction in the mind-numbing terror those twenty or so men feel as they take in my form. And then I unleash my black fire across the group and watch their bodies writhe in pain, their souls being torn apart as they are ravaged by my magic.
Once the last man is dead, I shift back into my human form. Kai stands impassive, as if he didn’t just watch a giant skeletal dragon shred humans into a mess of charred remains and body parts that now litter the open yard.
I walk past him, my mood dark and determined. “Let’s bring Shadow home.”
Shadow
(“I Hate Everything About You” – Three Days Grace)
