C. Swallow
MADDIE
I struggled, kicking and screaming, as Loch pulled my hand closer toward the green flame, but he refused to let go.
“What the hell are you doing?” I shouted in terror. “Is this about the stealing? I swear I won’t do it again. I swear! Just please don’t burn my hand!”
It seemed as though both Loch and Hael were enjoying my anguish, and the more I struggled, the more they were getting off.
“You sick bastards!” I screamed.
“It must be done, Maddie,” Hael said calmly. “It’s the only way to know for sure.”
The green flame was swaying wildly in the fire pit as Loch shoved me in front of it. Even though I was afraid, I couldn’t look away.
The heat was oddly soothing, and the flames felt inviting, even though that seemed absurd.
Loch lunged forward with my arm in his grip and sent it straight into the flames as I screamed.
I imagined my flesh burning off and the horrible scars that I would bear as a result of the brothers’ twisted game, but to my surprise…
Nothing happened.
I watched as my sleeve burned up and the charred cloth drifted to the bottom of the fire pit, but my skin was miraculously unharmed.
“See, brother. Not a single burn on her,” Loch droned smugly. “Do you believe me now?”
Hael’s usually stoic expression was replaced by a stunned one.
“This changes things,” he muttered.
Did these lunatics even care that I was here? Was this just another one of their games?
I pulled away from Loch and stumbled backwards, forgetting how drunk I was.
“You two…you two psychos better stay away,” I warned them while wobbling back and forth. “You can’t just go around throwing girls into fires.”
Loch and Hael grinned at each other.
Wait…
Why the hell did I not get burnt?
I was set on fire, and I’m fine…
“What kind of magic trick was that?” I asked accusingly, pointing to the fire. “Is this how you two try to seduce girls? News flash—magicians don’t make us horny.”
Loch suddenly gripped my waist, and I found myself staring deeply into his emerald-green eyes.
“Okay then, little mouse, tell us. What does make you horny?” he said, flicking his tongue like a lizard.
“I…I uh…I’m not sure yet,” I stammered, my cheeks flushing red from more than just the alcohol.
The truth was that I was a virgin and I had no idea what turned me on.
As the Dobrzyckas stared at me, I was nervous they could read it on my face, and it embarrassed the hell out of me.
Why do I care so much if they know about my virginity?
“Loch, this is distasteful,” Hael said, shaking his head. “She’s clearly not ready.”
Not ready for what?
“Don’t spoil my fun, Hael.” Loch pulled me closer and whispered into my ear. “Don’t worry, little virgin. We’ll teach you everything you need to know.”
Sometimes it really does feel like they can read my mind.
I pulled out of Loch’s embrace—God, those arms were huge—and started stepping backwards.
I was too inexperienced for this, and even more, I was too damn drunk for this.
These two men made my head swim, and it was already doing laps before all the sexy talk.
I needed to sit down…
“Maddie, watch where you’re—”
Hael tried to warn me, but it was too late. My heel caught on a stone dragon carving, and I tripped backwards until my head hit the ground.
Everything went dark.
HAEL
The crisp morning air whipped across my face as I surveyed the view from Req Enterprise’s rooftop.
Requiem City…
Such a filthy, wretched place and yet we were its masters.
Without our control, this city would be a den of thieves and scoundrels.
Without order, it would collapse from within.
And now…we had our own little thief.
Sleeping peacefully just a floor below my feet.
She was young, naïve—completely ignorant of the ways of my people, or even their existence.
I still couldn’t believe she was the one.
Loch had been right all along.
And I really fucking hated it when he was right. I’d never hear the end of it.
But she was only seventeen, and I refused to expose her to our customs until she was more mature.
One of us was hard enough to handle, but two of us?
“What are you doing sulking up here by yourself, brother?” Loch’s annoying voice droned in my ear.
“Coming up with a solution to the problem you created,” I said through gritted teeth.
“The girl? I hardly see how that was my fault,” he said with an oafish grin. “She practically fell into our laps.”
“Yes, and now we’ll be in constant contact with her despite the timing being completely wrong,” I said, massaging my temple.
“She just needs a bit of training. We’ll whip her into shape.” Loch smirked.
“She’s not ready,” I growled.
“So we’ll dip our dicks elsewhere until she is,” he replied casually.
“Those days are over, brother, or have you forgotten the rules?”
By the crestfallen look on his face, it was clear that he had.
“Well, fuck…what’s your plan then?”
“I’m still deliberating,” I responded. “I need more time. But until I say so—no one touches her.”
“She’s not only yours,” Loch growled, pacing in a tight circle. He was getting territorial.
“I’m the eldest of birth—even if it is by minutes—and you’re far too headstrong to make these kinds of decisions,” I said, chastising him.
“Fuck off, Hael. I don’t answer to you. I never have, and I never will.”
Oh, so he wants the horns to come out?
Then the fucking horns will come out.
“If you insist on being childish, brother…”
I stomped my foot into the roof, causing it to crack, as I gave Loch a sharp smile.
Both of our skin tones were beginning to turn color, and the surface grew rough and scaly.
“Bring it on, bitch.” Loch pounded his fists together.
“I haven’t even had my morning coffee,” I responded, already regretting this.
“Don’t back down now, Hael. It’s just getting fun.” Loch grinned.
Of course fighting was always fun for that fire breather, but I had to admit I was looking for an excuse to shift.
“Don’t worry, brother. I can turn up the heat.”
MADDIE
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
I knew I was probably dreaming, but as I wandered the corridors of a magnificent, glittering emerald palace, I didn’t want to wake up.
I didn’t know if it was my heart beating out of excitement, or something else, but a soft thumping noise reverberated inside me with every move I made.
A palace of this size must’ve had a treasure vault, and I intended to find it.
I came to a corridor filled with flames, and I confidently walked through them, unscathed.
Maybe this wasn’t a dream after all because, seemingly, I could do that in real life too.
I kept walking until I reached a giant wall covered in scales. But why scales?
They twitched at my touch, and something slithering underneath the scales directed me to a secret opening in the wall.
I crawled through the opening and found myself exactly where I’d hoped.
There was treasure everywhere, from floor to ceiling.
I could’ve filled a swimming pool with the amount of gemstones within this room.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
The noise was getting louder for some reason, but I didn’t care.
I fell back into a pile of pearls and sighed as I imagined running away from Requiem City with my friends and never looking back.
The room started to get hazy as the treasure began sinking into the floor.
I’d let reality sink in, and now I was sinking away too.~
***
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
CRASH!
I jolted awake, once again finding myself in Loch’s bed, though this time I was thankfully clothed.
There was a massive commotion on the roof above me. It sounded like a freaking dinosaur, maybe even two of them, but that would be insane.
Either way, the whole penthouse was shaking, and I wasn’t about to stick around for the roof to cave in on me.
I jumped out of bed, despite nursing a hangover, and ran into the empty living room.
Where were Loch and Hael?
The commotion suddenly stopped, and I took a deep breath.
Ugh, what was that? It must’ve been construction. Those ~assholes~ always make the most noise in the morning.~
I allowed myself to relax for all of two seconds until I remembered Darshan.
Why was I such a mess last night~?
I whipped out my phone and started typing.
Damn, get it, Darshan.
At least someone was getting it.
I, on the other hand, just kept waking up in Loch’s bed after getting wasted.
But this morning I was lucky enough to be alone, so I decided I’d better book it before anyone got home.
As I waited for the elevator, I examined myself in the mirror.
My dress was a mess from where the fire had burnt off an entire sleeve.
Oh, I hadn’t forgotten the fire, and I was still freaked out about what I remembered from last night.
But that was nothing compared to what I was looking at right now…
What.
The.
HELL.
On the back of my shoulder, where my dress had burned, was a mark—
A tattoo of two dragons, intertwined.