Dragon's Blood

Luvenia

I mostly fly at night, high up, where I’m camouflaged best in the black night sky. Once I’m hidden and up above the rest of the world, I can keep an eye on everything below me.

I was able to judge when to land on top of my favorite hilltop overlooking a river.

I sit there now, on my haunches, breathing fire through my nostrils in frustration while I gaze at the flowing river.

I feel the green flames tickle my legs. When I accidentally set the grass on fire, I plop down to my front legs and cross my front two feet and claws.

I huff out a long breath, my tail twitching in irritation at the words of men. Some arrogance was born in ruling male Dragons.

Despite that fact, I grew up enjoying the company of my parents. The day I hated my mother was the day she complimented Thaddeus and Sylvan for the first time.

After telling me how handsome they were, she proceeded to joke I’d marry them one day. She said this while fiddling with her leather leash her mates adorned her with.

It was in that moment I had a sudden fear of Thad and Sylvan overtaking my freedom I loved so dearly. Or the fact my mother would allow it, or even encourage it to happen.

I was a princess, and they were princes. Despite mating bonds and all that crap, everyone knew how human royalty behaved: they formed alliances through connecting members of the families.

Sometimes that applied with Dragons, but Thaddeus and Sylvan were not my mates.

Yet despite no mating bond connection evident, our royal reputation and our lineage kept us in the limelight.

What annoys me is how I’m a half-blood and everyone forgets Thaddeus and Sylvan were also half-bloods. Well, almost.

Their mother, Zayda, died in childbirth. While she was human, she also harbored the strongest prophetic abilities ever seen in this realm.

Her mate was the old Dragon Lord of the Horde of Fortune, until he tragically passed from a sudden illness and Althor became the new Dragon Lord.

I guess everyone was also excited about Thad and Sylvan being twins. Twin Dragons often harbored a reputation for ruling or overtaking Dragon Hordes.

There were multiple sets of twins in my family. My brother Lex was my twin. My uncles Mason and Darren were also twins.

My mother’s cousin’s mates were also twins, but I guess that was a distant connection.

So, to say the least…power ran in our bloodline.

And everyone was threatened by it.

Althor, to me, was by far the most threatened. The Horde of Fortune was weak but had once been powerful.

The Requiem Horde was the ruling Dragon authority; we were the best.

The Dusk Horde was the third Dragon Horde in the realm. But they were small and kept to themselves.

Hence, to me, our only possible enemies were three possibilities. Humans, who hated Dragon’s having final authority. Althor, who was hardly trustworthy and full of secrets.

Last but not least…Thaddeus and Sylvan.

Despite mere fledglings, at nineteen, they were cocky, well-built, desirous for power, and they loved the spotlight. They loved followers.

I secretly hoped they’d challenge Hael and Lochness for power. I even smiled at the thought—I knew the young boys would be torn to shreds.

Which is why I hoped they’d challenge my fathers, so I could see the princes’ bitter, violent, and final end.

My fathers pretended to like them and tolerate them for an alliance’s sake. However, I knew deep down, they found them young, immature, and extremely irritating.

I stretch out my wings flat on the ground, sighing as I suddenly roll over the grass onto my back and stare up at the night sky.

My eyes were attuned to darkness, and right now, there were hardly any Dragons in the sky. Only night patrols roamed, and they stuck to the pathways where humans camped and traveled.

I slowly blink, feeling exhaustion settling in.

I really should go back.

I had thought out all my anger and relaxed in the music of the night forest.

I was happy I could go back to my bedchamber, my caves, and confident I would not try to start a fight with my brother, my parents, or our guests.

I hear chinking in the back of my head, and I imagine mother’s optional chain leash beside her leather one.

I imagine myself wearing one while Thaddeus holds the end and jerks on it. He would be laughing and mocking me to Sylvan while they joked about breaking me like a horse.

Why didn’t Lochness stick up for me when they spoke to me like that?

All at once, I’m furious again.

I hate everyone.

My Dragon mind is consumed with anger while my eyes flicker wide open at the sight of bright blue wings flying next to a set of midnight blue ones.

As I see the twins sharing a flight not far from my hiding spot, I freeze and feel my stretching mind powers reaching out to theirs.

Why would a young black Dragon, as small as that, go wandering at night? Thaddeus asks his brother.

They had spotted me already. Bloody hell.

We should ask. It looks like a fledgling, Sylvan graciously replies, but with such an undertone of calculation I’m not sure whether he has good intentions.

One could never know with young, bloodthirsty, and impulsive Dragons.

I quickly roll back to my feet, and with a growl, I slither into the forest as quickly as possible.

I knew they would follow, but they could not keep up with me.

Once in the safety of the trees, I sharpen my two long fangs—inherited from Lochness—against two thick tree trunks.

I do so with a snarl, imagining stabbing both of them in the side with a sideswipe of my small but quick head.

I may be a lithe, thin, shorter Dragon, but I was quick and feisty.

Sometimes, if I let my instincts take over, I could be just as violent and merciless as other Dragons my age.

Once I’m a good distance away, I peek over my shoulder, and my eyes zone in on the two large, muscled Dragon forms landing on the hill. They bump into each other on purpose.

They do it so ungracefully, trying to beat each other to the location but arriving at the same time.

They snarl and snap at each other before quickly heading into the forest.

I feel both of them trying to prod at my mind, but I keep my mental block of fire firmly around my thoughts to protect my privacy and identity.

My mental block was so strong they wouldn’t be able to sense who I was.

I’m suddenly excited as I slither past trees and even climb one to watch the two young idiots run by below me.

This was fun, and it was even more exciting because they were stupid and bold.

They just ran right in; they didn’t calculate.

Except it is at that moment they both pause and start circling back around.

They run past my tree a couple of times, then they circle back around and run past in another direction.

But they were always below my tree.

I try not to laugh as I watch them with disdain.

Until Thaddeus approaches to run past the base of the trunk a third time, and he swings out his huge tail. He thwacks the tree as hard as he can, making it shiver and groan.

Get her, Thaddeus snarls at Sylvan, who I can’t see anywhere.

His color is similar to mine, though not as dark because of the blue tinge. However, it was dark enough to camouflage him well.

And just like that, I’m suddenly consumed with fear.

I think of Madeline and her fate, and I imagine what Thad and Sylvan would do if they found out I was Luvenia.

As adrenaline and fire fuel my body, I launch to another tree, shocked they knew I was there the whole time.

I spread my wings and manage to get some lift into the air between the many trees before gliding down to another landing, where I sprint through dense forest.

I run as fast as I can, feeling the vibrating and thumping of them chasing me from behind.

As I make a few turns, I feel them gaining.

However, somehow, I pull off a miraculous escape.

I wind back around to confuse them and cut branches halfway through as I go. The branches break after I’m gone, to confuse them of my whereabouts.

After a few more lucky turns and hiding spots, I manage to get a clear run in a field. I take off and fly as quickly as I can toward the Requiem Mountaintop.

When I look over my shoulder, I see the twin princes taking off from the same spot a minute or so after me.

I’m too scared to go anywhere else, so I just head straight for my bedroom chamber.

I’m hoping they just lose track of me as I finally reach my ledge.

I hop through the large part of the cave and disappear into my magic and mist my way to my bed. Once I solidify into a human form, I pull back my covers and slide in, naked.

I slide in deep, pulling the blankets in tight and pulling down my pillow.

I get comfortable and then try to slow my racing heart.

I slow my breathing.

It’s about a minute later, and I think I’m calm. That’s until my heart literally stops beating when I hear two light thumps coming from just outside my chamber, on my ledge.

I try to relax. I don’t want to get out of my bed and scream at them to leave, because that might give away that I’m the Dragon they are chasing.

Quickly—the fledgling may try to maim Luvenia if it dared to wander in here. Sylvan urges his brother to hurry.

I tense when I realize they are going to enter my bedchamber, which is big enough for their Dragon forms.

I don’t smell any danger, Thaddeus replies, and I hear light thumps as they come in closer.

The footsteps suddenly lighten as they fully enter the main chamber, where my bed lies near the lit fireplace.

Silence from both of them as they take in my sleeping body and the room.

Eventually, I barely open a slit in my eye just to see where they are standing.

I close it half a second later when I quickly take in the two humongous Dragon heads hovering over my bed, just over my body.

It sends a shiver of fear through me.

This is when they speak.

Luvenia is beautiful when she’s quiet, isn’t she? Sylvan mocks me to Thad, unaware I can hear their thoughts as I stay quietly hiding in the corners of their minds.

She’s always quiet, brother. Thad seems annoyed with Sylvan’s choice of words. ~She has the blood of a Rogue.~

She talked too much today for my liking, Sylvan replies sharply, ~but I don’t like her keeping to herself either.~

Is she not the most beautiful female you have ever laid eyes upon? Thaddeus adds, suddenly dead serious.

I think my heart stops.

Beautiful enough to warrant many eyes. Sylvan’s reply almost has me out of the bed in that instant. I want to dig my nails into his throat.

Except I know the consequences of exposing my secret. At least this way, I have freedom. So I stay put, pretending to sleep as I listen.

The only eyes that make her nervous are ours. Thaddeus is so certain. ~Let’s leave her be. We should let her rest while she can.~

I hear them leave. My nerves—which I hated he knew I felt around them—eased as they got farther and farther from me.

It is fortunate no one told her. Sylvan is directing to another topic now.

I feel my ears perk into the pillow.

The look in her eyes will be worth it. I wonder when Madeline will tell her? Thaddeus adds mockingly, and they both laugh.

I don’t hear any more from them as they take off from the outside ledge and disappear.

I sit up right after they’ve left and stare into the fireplace, mind racing.

What the hell was everyone hiding from me?