Page 111 of The Exiled Dragon

“I need you to always be at my side.” I smiled at his overly scruffy beard.

“Always.”

Broken out of our moment, Nicholas called into the shaded area of the garden. “Creed!” His voice was laced with haste. Even with his eagerness to find Creed, his steps were light and barely heard. “Creed! He’s been assembled!” I snickered, thinking it sounded like a freaking Avengers movie.

Laughter behind him came. Female Dragon Shifters were eating in the garden down the overgrown path. They eyed me, several waving for me to join them.

The walls had been deemed effective against the use of Vampires, so many had ventured outside the palace and took comfort that they could receive some of the sun's rays.

Creed stood up, taking me with him, setting me on the ground gently. “There you are!” Nicholas huffed his hands on his knees. Nicholas’ eyes held bags under them, the corners of his lips in a frown as he glanced up at Creed.

“The Duke’s body has come together faster than expected. They ask for your presence as he awakens.” The deep vibrations from Creed’s chest had him heaving heavily. His claws had already extended, and scales rippled down his arms. I knew Creed would be safe with the Duke behind bars, but I was scared stiff. The Duke was in the palace, and the thought of him escaping, finding me hidden in the garden, petrified me.

Creed whisked around, grabbing me by the hips. “Stay in the garden, stay in the palace walls. Promise me.” I could only whisper a ‘yes,’ until he stood up abruptly, kissing me on the forehead. “He will be dead by nightfall, my fawn. Then we will have a celebration of our own.” The hidden meaning had me blushing. What happened to my shy Creed, who did not know what a breast was and called them teats? I giggled, my spirits lifting at his promise.

“Stay within the walls.” Nicholas pointed to me. “Stay in earshot of the other females.” His eyes glanced down the path hidden by overhanging fruit trees. Smiling, Creed and Nicholas ran down the path as I slowly followed.

Female Dragons sat eating fruit from the trees. Some were brushing each other’s hair and braiding into intricate design patterns. They looked up, seeing me standing there fidgeting with my fingers. They all had their traditional leather’s on, pants and dresses, and some with crop tops just covering their breasts and legs with short skirts.

“Alpha,” they all bowed.

Feeling ridiculously uncomfortable, I shook my hands. “Oh, just Odessa, please.” One woman beckoned me over, having me sit in front of her.

“Such luscious curls. I bet Alpha Creed loves to pour his claws into them.”

I laughed. “Yes, he does; he just doesn’t understand how to use a brush on them. Otherwise, I look like a giant fuzzball.” The women all murmured in agreement, only to brush my hair with their fingers. Another girl came to me, asking for permission to give me a traditional hair braiding.

Taking my curly hair, they weaved the fibers together. Several small braids were intertwined with the larger one that fell down my back. I felt like a princess, having my hair not only braided but decorated with small flowers the children continued to bring.

The afternoon was spent in idle chatter. I didn’t see Creed, his parents, or Melina and Amora. They all had better things to do, like fight, while I sat here doing my hair. Shame fell on me, my Dragon only purring for me to be patient. She even knew more than I did. I sighed, frustrated. Did these women look at me differently because I wasn't out helping? I rubbed my mark, thinking of Creed's words. He didn't want me to fight, but the thought of what others perceived me as was a concern to me.

I did care what others thought. What human, Shifter, who wouldn't? Biting the inside of my cheek, my Dragon purred.

She was a patient Dragon. She gave me strength when I needed it. The past few days, trying to conjure magic, she did her best to give me what I needed. She gave me strength, but only I could give myself the confidence to do anything else.

“Odessa!” The women had started sewing leather together, talking amongst themselves about how they were to arrange their new homes once winter was over in the mountains. My head continued to look around, hearing the childlike voice. “Odessa!” My mind snapped, thinking it sounded like a young child, like Leaf from the Elven territory. Why would he be here?

I stood up, none of the other women taking no mind, and I walked down the path, back to where the fountain of the wolf and the Fae. Another call of my name had me flinching when I saw Leaf behind the overhanging branches of the willow trees. He was unconscious and held by a being covered in black. He was overly large, wearing black thigh-high boots, a dark trench coat with a hood covering his face. Several others, including a woman, came from behind the trees where Creed and I had emerged from the palace.

Gasping, the woman behind the brooding man brushed his shoulders and tsked with her fingers. “Shh, now, everything will be all right.” Her coo sent scales down my spine, and a few feathers sprouted underneath my hair. “Nah, ah, let’s not get carried away or your little friend will be sucked dry.”

A nasty growl left my lips, only to be silenced as her long nail grazed the top of Leaf’s chest. Blood trickled down, and the brooding man’s nose flared, pulling Leaf to his mouth, and licking the blood that dared to pebble around the wound.

“Come with us now, and the boy will live.” Gripping my dress at the chest, desperately wanting to scream for help. The Vampire that licked Leaf’s olive skin held up his exposed arm. My actions and thinking proved not fast enough when two large fangs sank into Leaf’s forearm.

“No!” I yelled out. My hands reached as if I could touch the heat of Leaf's skin. Flashes of the Duke sinking his fangs into my arm had my vision spotted in red, but the thought of Leaf kept my consciousness. Leaf’s body was let go, and before I could say another word, a hand was put to my mouth. The Vampire had run to me so quickly that he had caught me before Leaf’s tiny, lifeless body hit the ground. Biting into my attacker's cold and clammy skin, I pulled him over my shoulder, surprising myself as he fell to the ground. My claws lengthened, ready to swipe at the Vampire’s throat only until a blunt object hit me in the back of the head.

I tumbled forward, rubbing the back of my neck. Shaking my head and getting up to my knees, I crawled to Leaf until another blow hit me again, causing my vision to darken and my hand to fall lightly on Leaf’s arm.

Chapter Sixty-Five

Under the Moon

NicholasledCreedthrougha series of dark corridors of the palace. With each step, Nicholas’ heart pounded in his chest as he continued to go further and further into the ground of the infamous dungeons of the Golden Light Kingdom. Several floors contained different holding cells. One for the lesser crimes such as petty theft; the deeper your descent, the worse the crimes and the worse the punishment prisoners received.

As they continued lower, the heat of the light sources no longer penetrated the Bergarian soil. The icy darkness consumed them as the torches on the wall continued to struggle to keep the hallways alight. Drips of stale water, blood, and sewage dripped down the aging rocks. The rust hung on the silver and iron bars, scraped by the thick skin of Creed, who hung close to the cells. Showing no fear to the prisoners that hid within.

Osirus stood at the end of the last level of the prison. His white robes were a stark contrast to the darkness that surrounded him and his mate. Melina stood, crossing her arms, eyeing the Vampire with her Cerulean eyes. Her body was rigid, wings stiff and without movement. Lips twitching, waiting for the Duke to awaken.

---