Page 6 of Court of Dragons and Ashes

A cry reaches me, and I turn, my eyes widening as Tara is dragged into the room by two guards. They dump her in front of my mother. “WAIT! NO!” I can’t do anything, I’m not fast enough, and I have no power to stop my mother from wrapping red magic like a cloud around Tara and draining the life from her as I run to stop it. She knows I love Tara, she can sense it, and love is a weapon she uses against everyone. Even her own daughter. When I get close, she drops Tara on the stone like she is nothing and sighs as I grab her shoulders, pulling her onto my lap, knowing she is going to die. “No, no, no, no.” I cry, hot tears falling down my cheeks and a sob echoing in my throat. I can barely see through the tears, my heart breaking.

My mother sighs. “Honestly, she was just staff and a pointless mortal. Why are you crying over her? I named you after my friend, a powerful goddess, and here you are, powerless and pointlessly crying over a mortal’s death.”

I weep as I hold Tara to me, hearing her crackled whisper in my ear. “You are not powerless, my darling Arty. Prove to them how good you are, and I will see you in the skies with the mighty dragon gods of this world.”

A scream escapes my throat as she goes still in my arms, her chest freezing along with what feels like time as the room goes still. I’m done with my parents; I’m never, ever helping them. I’m going to make sure Ellelin wins and my parents die. I barely notice the shadows spread across the room, washing around my legs and Tara’s body at first. My father shouts, “What is happening? Who is doing that?”

Shadows spread everywhere until massive dark wings made of shadows shift into the shape of a dragon appearing over the throne room. It crashes down, ripping off the roof of the throne room, sending stone everywhere as people run out of the room screaming. Ellelin, riding a massive shadow dragon with wings bigger than any dragon I’ve ever seen, lands in the middle ofthe throne room. The dragon disappears around her, letting her gently fall down to her feet in a cloud of darkness. It disappears in the air, and for a moment, she looks like she has shadow wings spreading out of her back. Ellelin is in black armour and tight-fitting black clothes with the Spirit Court dragon symbol on her chest plate. She just needs her crown now.

My father stands, lifting up his staff, instantly throwing magic straight at her. Only for it to simply bounce away, unable to touch her at all. He looks at her in pure confusion and complete fear. Something about the fifth court scares him, and I’m going to find out what that is. “That’s impossible!” he roars.

My mother laughs and laughs. “Stupid spirit girl, you signed up for my test! The one that offered pure protection from both of us?” She claps. “Very smart or idiotic. You did it in the name of love, and I admire that.”

“What have you done?” my father all but growls at Aphrodite, grabbing her wrist.

She roughly tugs her wrist out of his grip. “How was I to know she’d do this?”

The princess of the Spirit Court stands in front of the gods and makes one single claim that shakes this realm. “They belong to me, not you. You will give them back, or your world is going to drown in my darkness.”

CHAPTER 3

Shadows spread around me like small rivers, mixing and spreading into every inch of the Water Court throne room. They continue spinning around the cold, damp air that tastes and smells like sea water. None of the people of the Water Court are hurt as my dragon disappears into the void of darkness and shadow, waiting once more for me to call. The throne room is more than I expected it to be, with huge waterfalls down each wall, creating steady streams of blue water within the stone pathways. Some guards barely get two steps closer before I throw them into the walls with my shadows and hold them there. The rest of them step back, their weapons dropping to the ground. Dragon roars echo outside the castle, but they reach us all, and I wonder if they are roaring for me or for the gods sitting on their king’s throne.

I barely noticed Ares and Aphrodite on the throne, which is buried in an archway at the back of the room, with four short blue stone steps leading up to it. Her laughter echoes around the room as my entire focus shifts onto the only men I have ever loved. My dragon kings. My chest hurts, my heart slamming so hard that it feels like it will beat itself out of rhythm. They’re kneeling in puddles of water. Each one of them has a completelyblank expression, their eyes covered in a red haze. They look black and blue with bruises, but they are alive. Relief threatens to pull me to my knees. The gods haven’t killed them. Even when every inch of me is desperate to run to them, to open a portal and bring us all to Earth to escape, I hold still. That plan would not work and it’s too risky.

I’m signed up for a magical test, once again, but this time I’ve joined willingly. I watch them with every bit of hope, longing, anger, and pain that I could feel. I hope they are aware of what is happening, that they know I’m here to help them and get them out of whatever curse they’re under. I straighten my shoulders, pulling my eyes from my dragon kings with all the strength I’ve got left. Facing Aphrodite and Ares is easier than the men I’m in love with, who dragged us all into this mess. They are waiting for me to acknowledge them. “How did you survive?” he asks.

I turn my gaze to him. Ares’s long green cloak covers the throne room seat, his staff resting in hand, ready to be used. He murdered my father, killed hundreds of people in my court, and tried to conquer this world. I lost everything because of him. I don’t care if he is a god; he is fucking dead. “Ares.” He frowns. “My grandmother, Hera, explained to me who you really are. She sends her wishes for your long, painful death at my hand.”

His eyes narrow. “I prefer the title sorcerer, and your grandmother is a fool, trapped in a magicless world.” He is practically shaking with anger. “You made a grave mistake turning up here and signing up for that test. I’m guessing my worthless daughter had something to do with it.”

I follow his gaze to Arty, who’s on her knees, holding a dead woman to her chest, crying her eyes out. I didn’t kill the woman, and I don’t know who that is, but her cries are nothing short of losing someone she loves. She barely even lifts her head at her father’s mention of her name, but her voice echoes as she proclaims, “I stand with the fifth court, and the true princess.”

Ares throws shadows her way, but I block them before he can hit her, a clash of light and shadow exploding between us all. Arty doesn’t move, and she continues to cling to the dead woman. Aphrodite stands, her long red gown pooling onto the steps as she walks down to me. She looks over her shoulder.

“That’s enough, husband. It seems our daughter is under the princess of the Spirit Court’s spell,” she says before turning to me. “Such strange, curious, and powerful magic. I can see it all around you.” She pauses on the last step so she is standing over me. We both know she purposely stopped there. I try not to look at my dragon kings while she is watching me so closely. “No wonder you found four kings to love you. They are devoted. It is impressive.”

There is silence when no one replies to her, and I won’t give her the satisfaction of an answer. She twirls a lock of her glistening blonde hair. “No one signed up for my test other than you, and I’m guessing no one will now. Who would want to compete with the princess of the strongest court? So, let’s make a deal?”

I look into her eyes, making sure she sees me. Making sure she understands the lengths I am willing to go to save them. My life…I don’t want it if they don’t survive. “I want my dragon kings and the courts back.”

She finally gives up the step to walk around me, but she doesn’t touch me, although I keep my shadows at bay just in case. I don’t trust her word, her spells, or tests. “Did you learn the conditions of my deal with the fire king?” She raises an eyebrow when I silently nod. “If any decided to take you as their mates, this would never have happened. Aren’t you upset with them?”

I curl my hands into fists. “They’re mine, and I didn’t come here to discuss my feelings with you.”

Her laugh is enchanting as it echoes. “All of this is about your feelings. Love is endless and stupid, or you would not be here.” She grins widely. “I’m the goddess of love. I can see the bonds of love. The echoes of love that have only just begun are like strings, and I have the power to tug on them as I see fit. I can see traces in the air that bind strangers who haven’t even met yet, and if I wish, I can pull two strangers onto one path.” She leans in, her voice a whisper. “I see your feelings, princess. They’re your mates, aren’t they? Fate has bound you to four powerful kings. Your bond is strong and clear with one, but the others you have not bonded with yet. It’s all so interesting.”

“What is the point of all this?” Ares snaps, slamming his staff on the ground, cracking the stone. “Just end her! You made this foolish?—”

“I am getting to my point,” Aphrodite interrupts with a smile of pure seduction flashed at her husband, which drops when she looks my way. “You love them, and love is a weapon I wield the best. It has always been interesting to me what people wouldn’t do for love. The poets have always claimed that it’s one of the greatest weapons known to humans. It’s also one of the greatest weapons known to us. To gods. To demigods like yourself. To possessive dragons.”

“Stop playing games, my wife,” Ares warns, “and just kill her.”

Aphrodite rolls her eyes. “The game has begun, my husband, and nothing will stop it. She has my full protection from everybody, including myself. I cannot kill her.”

“Then I’ll order a guard too!” he shouts, full of frustration.

I hold my hand up, shadows wrapping around my fingers. “Do you really think a guard would be able to stop me? Don’t bother.” I pull shadows around me. “You killed my entire court, and you should be more concerned about what is stopping me from attacking you.”

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