The Twin Dragons Series: Dragon's Blood - Book cover

The Twin Dragons Series: Dragon's Blood

C. Swallow

Chapter 3

Luvenia

I usually take to the sky at night, soaring high where the blackness of the night sky hides me. From up there, I can watch everything below.

I know just when to descend onto my favorite hilltop that overlooks a river.

That’s where I am now, perched on my haunches, breathing out fire in frustration as I watch the river flow.

The green flames lick at my legs. When I accidentally set the grass ablaze, I drop down onto my front legs and cross my front two feet and claws.

I let out a long sigh, my tail twitching in annoyance at the words of men. There’s a certain arrogance that comes with being a male Dragon.

Despite this, I grew up enjoying the company of my parents. The day my mother first praised Thaddeus and Sylvan was the day I started to resent her.

After telling me how handsome they were, she joked that I’d marry them one day. She said this while playing with the leather leash her mates had given her.

In that moment, I was suddenly afraid that Thad and Sylvan would take away the freedom I cherished. Or that my mother would let it happen, or even encourage it.

I was a princess, and they were princes. Despite the whole mating bond thing, everyone knew how human royalty behaved: they formed alliances by marrying off family members.

Sometimes it was the same with Dragons, but Thaddeus and Sylvan were not my mates.

Even though there was no mating bond, our royal status and lineage kept us in the spotlight.

What bothers me is that everyone forgets I’m a half-blood, and that Thaddeus and Sylvan are half-bloods too. Well, almost.

Their mother, Zayda, died giving birth. She was human, but she had the strongest prophetic abilities ever seen in this realm.

Her mate was the old Dragon Lord of the Horde of Fortune, until he died suddenly from an illness and Althor became the new Dragon Lord.

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

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

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

So, to put it simply…power ran in our bloodline.

And everyone was threatened by it.

To me, Althor was 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.

So, in my opinion, our only potential enemies were three possibilities. Humans, who hated Dragons having the final say. Althor, who was hardly trustworthy and full of secrets.

And last but not least…Thaddeus and Sylvan.

Despite being only nineteen, they were cocky, well-built, power-hungry, and they loved the spotlight. They loved having 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 apart.

That’s 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 the sake of an alliance. But deep down, I knew they found them young, immature, and extremely annoying.

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

My eyes are adapted to the darkness, and right now, there are hardly any Dragons in the sky. Only night patrols are out, and they stick to the paths where humans camp and travel.

I blink slowly, feeling tiredness creeping in.

I really should go back.

I’ve vented all my anger and relaxed to the sounds of the night forest.

I’m glad I can go back to my bedchamber, my caves, and confident I won’t start a fight with my brother, my parents, or our guests.

I hear a clinking sound in the back of my mind, and I imagine my mother’s optional chain leash next to 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 stand up for me when they spoke to me like that?

Suddenly, I’m angry again.

I hate everyone.

My Dragon mind is filled with anger as my eyes snap open at the sight of bright blue wings flying next to a set of midnight blue ones.

As I see the twins flying not far from my hiding spot, I freeze and feel my mind reaching out to theirs.

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

They’ve spotted me already. Damn it.

We should ask. It looks like a fledgling, Sylvan replies, but with such a calculating undertone that I’m not sure if he means well.

You can never tell with young, bloodthirsty, and impulsive Dragons.

I quickly roll back onto my feet, and with a growl, I slink into the forest as fast as I can.

I know they’ll follow, but they won’t be able to keep up with me.

Once I’m safely among the trees, I sharpen my two long fangs—inherited from Lochness—against two thick tree trunks.

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

I may be a small, thin Dragon, but I’m quick and feisty.

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

Once I’m far enough away, I glance over my shoulder, and my eyes lock onto the two large, muscled Dragon forms landing on the hill. They bump into each other on purpose.

They do it so clumsily, trying to beat each other to the spot 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 probe my mind, but I keep my mental fire barrier firmly around my thoughts to protect my privacy and identity.

I’m so good at hiding my identity, they can’t sense who I am.

A thrill runs through me as I weave through the trees, even scaling one to watch the two clueless boys sprint past beneath me.

This is fun, made even more thrilling by their reckless courage.

They charge in without a second thought.

But then they stop and start to circle back.

They dash past my tree a few times, then circle back and run past in a different direction.

But they’re always beneath my tree.

I fight back laughter as I watch them with a mix of amusement and contempt.

Until Thaddeus comes running past the base of the trunk for the third time, and he swings his massive tail. He smacks the tree with all his might, making it shudder and creak.

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

His color is similar to mine, though not as dark due to the blue tint. But it’s dark enough to blend him in well.

And just like that, fear engulfs me.

I think of Madeline and what happened to her, and I imagine what Thad and Sylvan would do if they discovered I was Luvenia.

Fueled by adrenaline and fear, I leap to another tree, stunned that they knew I was there all along.

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 the dense forest.

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

As I make a few turns, I feel them closing in.

But somehow, I manage a miraculous escape.

I loop back around to throw them off and cut branches halfway through as I go. The branches break after I’m gone, further confusing them about my location.

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 fast as I can toward the Requiem Mountaintop.

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

Too scared to go anywhere else, I head straight for my bedroom chamber.

I’m hoping they 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 burrow deep, pulling the blankets tight and fluffing my pillow.

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

I slow my breathing.

About a minute later, I think I’m calm. That’s until my heart practically stops 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 yell at them to leave, because that might reveal that I’m the Dragon they’re chasing.

Quickly—the fledgling might harm Luvenia if it dared to wander in here. Sylvan urges his brother to hurry.

I tense when I realize they’re 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 enormous Dragon heads hovering over my bed, just over my body.

Fear courses through me.

This is when they speak.

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

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

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

Isn’t she the most beautiful female you’ve ever seen? Thaddeus asks, suddenly dead serious.

My heart skips a beat.

Beautiful enough to attract many eyes. Sylvan’s reply almost has me leaping out of bed. I want to claw at his throat.

But I know the consequences of revealing 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 sounds so sure. ~Let’s leave her be. We should let her rest while she can.~

I hear them leave. My nerves—which I hate that he knows I feel around them—ease as they get farther and farther from me.

It’s a good thing no one told her. Sylvan changes the subject.

My ears perk up into the pillow.

The look in her eyes will be priceless. 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 is everyone hiding from me?

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