The Twin Dragons Series: Dragon's Blood Book 2
Autor
C. Swallow
Leituras
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Capítulos
18
Chapter 1
Book Two
‘Luvenia’s now five years older, wiser, and the war still rages on. She wants nothing to do with Thaddeus and Sylvan. But the princes, they want her. And they’ve got some persuasive tricks hidden in their leather sleeves…’
Luvenia
‘FIVE YEARS LATER’
‘Hold off, Amadahy, Ethne whispers to the other female Dragons. Pagan, Sen, Kali, you’ll come in from the back once Luvenia makes her entrance.’
‘Amadahy, join Luvenia once she’s caught them off-guard. Minx will stay back with me and we’ll come in from the front if you two run into any trouble.’
‘Does everyone understand the plan, or should I go over it again?’
‘We got it, Ethne! Pagan replies, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.’
‘Luvenia and I have this under control, sweetie. Amadahy is next to me and winks at Ethne, who nods at us in our human form with her Dragon head lowered.’
‘We understand the plan. Let’s get this done. Minx sits on her haunches next to Ethne.’
Her purple Dragon is only three feet tall at thirteen years old, but her two fangs are so long they’d make Loch Ness jealous.
Her breed is rare. She’s a miniature Fire-Spitter. Even the most seasoned soldier or Dragon Slayer is often terrified of her kind.
‘Time to break some bones.’ Ethne lowers her head, keeping a close watch on the traveler’s road and the bandits who are robbing a small trader of exotic goods.
Three men armed with swords but no shields have cornered the small man on the side of the road.
“Don’t move, little Jim.” The tallest and fattest soldier laughs heartily as he points his sword at “little Jim.” “Or this sword’s going straight through your tiny guts.”
“Nothing much!” one of the young men calls from inside the back of the cart. “But check out this chocolate, boss—looks like we could sell it for a pretty penny.”
The youngest of the three rushes over to see the loot.
The fat man also saunters over, and “little Jim” seizes his chance to run into the forest. Smart move, because they were going to kill him anyway. I can hear the fat man’s thoughts.
‘Scare ‘em, kill ‘em, take their stuff. It never fails. The boss is going to be impressed when he sees all this wine.’
These guys are just another group of bandits terrorizing the good people of the Requiem territory. All because of the five-year absence of male Dragons, if there are any Dragons left at all.
No more guard masters, no sky trailers, and no forest scouters to maintain peace. Only Hael’s existence and the threat of execution protect us.
The last group of male warrior Dragons went to help with the war, and the last Dragon boom, ‘us,’ was mostly female.
Tzion, Arrin, and Lex were the only males our age that were part of our generation. And they were all at war. Ginette and Talon had decided to help with the effort.
The rest of our Dragon parents wouldn’t let us join the fight.
Not because we weren’t capable of going to war, but because we were the best hope for the future of Dragon kind…being female and all. Ugh.
And God forbid Hael ever let me go to war. Just the thought of it makes me frown. Five years of worrying about Lochness possibly being dead, dying, or injured was enough to drive me insane.
I’m glad to say, though, that I didn’t miss Thaddeus or Sylvan.
At least I pretended not to care.
I’ll go first, Amadahy.
I look down at my leather pants, worn from constant use.
My boots are also well-worn, but I’ve frequently repaired the brown leather so they’ve lasted this long. My top is intentionally torn and covered in mud.
I pick up some leaves just before I step onto the common traveler’s road, weaving some leaves into my hair.
Step by step, I approach the cabin and the three bandits, my boots crunching on the stones and announcing my arrival.
The fat man is the first to notice me. He glances over his shoulder and then jumps around in surprise, pointing his sword at me.
“We’ve got company,” he hisses at his mates, who quickly jump out of the back of the cabin, their faces smeared with chocolate.
The younger boy continues eating while the young man spits out his chocolate onto the ground at the sight of me.
At this point, I’ve stopped on the road and grabbed the bottom of my shirt, pulling it over my skin, up over my full breasts, and straight up over my neck and head.
I toss it to the ground and then stand with my hands on my hips, tilting my head and refusing to blink as I stare down the three men, my eyes focusing on the young man.
“I don’t suppose any of you are looking for a good time?” I ask, my voice sultry, half-closing my eyes and reaching up a hand to pick the leaves out of my hair that I just shoved in a moment ago.
“The last guys I found weren’t so nice to me—not that I mind it rough.” I wink and smile now as the speechless fat man pushes forward the young man, his hand trembling with his sword.
He stumbles forward while the youngest boy looks at me with disgust. “Y—you…you looking to get hurt, lassy?” the fat man asks. “You’d better not speak of what you saw here today…”
“You probably sell your secrets for money,” the younger man states, holding his sword a little more confidently now as he takes another hesitant step forward.
“I trade my body for bits of food, a handful of worn-out coins, a swig of wine, or a bed to sleep in for the night… I don’t spill secrets. That would be downright impolite.”
I can’t help but grin as Pagan, Sen, and Kali have slipped in unnoticed and are now rummaging through the cart.
And the three bandits are none the wiser.
They also have no clue that I can hear their thoughts.
The little boy is perfectly content with me distracting his two companions while he stuffs his face with all the chocolate he can hold.
The older, overweight man is suspicious of me at first, but gradually relaxes as I continue to play up my role as a prostitute.
The young man…well…he looks to be about twenty. His thoughts aren’t as straightforward.
“How much for your company for the night?” he asks me. “One chocolate bar?”
I fall silent as I focus on his deeper thoughts and try to figure out why he’s so keen on seducing me.
It’s odd and raises a red flag because he’s already showing signs of deep distrust towards me, which is unusual unless he has some past trauma related to prostitutes.
I see it now as I delve deeper into his mind: his mother used to abuse him as a child…
His first girlfriend cheated on him…
The prostitutes he tried to sleep with afterwards mocked his inability to maintain an erection.
And then there are his blatant, surface thoughts.
I’ll have this bitch for the night, and then, when she least expects it, I’ll stick a knife right through that pretty little neck. She’s a good-for-nothing whore, just like the rest of them.
“If you want her, you can have her,” the older man grumbles.
“I don’t believe this whore has agreed to my proposition yet. A chocolate bar for your company, my lady?” He switches his terms of endearment, which only makes it more insulting.
“I changed my mind.” I drop the seductive tone and maintain eye contact as I pick up my shirt from the ground and pull it back on.
“Maybe I’ll go tell the authorities about you threatening a man all by himself, stealing his goods, and trying to buy a princess with a chocolate bar.
“That doesn’t seem like a very fair trade… I’m worth at least a few thousand chocolate bars, and you’ve only got an empty cart.”
I smile and watch them exchange confused glances as if I’ve lost my mind.
“A princess?” the young lad asks. “You’re nuts.”
“I assure you, young lady, our cart is full.” The fat man lowers his sword. “Now, you’re going to take back what you said about reporting us, or you’re not leaving this road alive!”
“Check your cart.” I smirk, nodding towards it.
They all hesitate.
“Check,” the fat man finally growls at the little kid, who turns to peek under the cart’s fabric cover. The kid bolts, eager for more chocolate.
“It’s all gone!” he shrieks after he’s checked.
Realization begins to dawn on the other two bandits.
“What happened to it?” The fat man raises his sword again, squinting. “Tell us, ‘whore’!”
“I am Princess Luvenia of the Requiem Horde.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“And while you were ogling my breasts, my friends stole all your stuff and tracked down ‘little Jim’ to make sure he was okay. And now you have no loot.
“‘Little Jim’ will soon have control of his life again... and you will all return to Haven, find legitimate jobs, and leave this bandit life behind.
“Or my father will have your heads. Sound like a fair deal?” I raise an eyebrow.
“I don’t believe you’re a princess.” The fat man takes a few threatening steps forward. “I think you’re a lunatic…”
His voice trails off as his eyes suddenly focus on a figure approaching from behind me. “Another crazy woman?”
“Luvenia!” Amadahy calls out my name, and I lift one hand as she tosses me my sword. The handle lands smoothly in my palm as she strides up to my side.
She has a semi-shaved head, with her short blonde hair forming a striped and zigzagged pattern on the sides, with a bunch of long hair tied at the top.
She holds her own sword at the ready, stopping beside me.
“Now, you can either leave or fight,” Amadahy growls. “Either way, we’re the female protectors of the Requiem Mountains. So, man up, or back down.” She nods to their swords.
“If you were truly Dragons, you’d be in your scales,” the older man points out, thoroughly confused.
“Besides,” the youngest one pipes up, “Fire-Spitters are the only scary female Dragons I’ve heard of!”
Great. Just what we needed! A call to arms for little Minxy.
Did someone call for me? Minx bursts out of the trees, running three times faster than any Dragon.
She sprints out and circles around us, coming to a quick, skidding halt between the bandits, Amadahy, and me.
She snorts threateningly at the shellshocked bandits, fire sparking from her nostrils.
The little kid is the first to drop all his chocolate bars and run. The fat man also takes off, dropping his sword and screaming.
The twenty-something-year-old literally faints, falling backward.
“Damn it, Minx!” I shove the sword back at Amadahy. “I wanted a fight.”
Minx turns to face me, her head tilting with curiosity. Her little face is terrifying.
They called for a Fire-Spitter, so I gave them one, she answers back proudly. You should go back to your room, princess. Playtime is over.
And this was coming from a thirteen-year-old to a twenty-three-year-old. Bloody Fire-Spitters had attitude problems worse than me!
That’s my line! Ethne calls out, her white Dragon stomping out from the trees as she trots over.
She finally flops down on her belly, her front paws stretched out as she settles next to us. Man, that was a workout.
“How?” Amadahy lifts both hands, swords in each, and shrugs. “They’re gone, sweetheart, and we did all the heavy lifting.”
Don’t count us out, Pagan chimes in, and we watch as she, Kali, and Sen emerge from the forest’s edge, leading “little Jim” and returning his stolen chocolate bars.
They had only swiped them from the cart as a surprise to show the bandits we meant business.
This is the first time we’ve worked so damn well together, Ethne sighs, stretching her wings as she rises to her feet. Coordinating everyone was a real chore.
You only repeated the plan ten times, Minx grumbles, her tail twitching.
Ethne barely has time to realize what Minx is about to do, and no time to react.
The petite purple Dragon lunges forward, soaring through the air at lightning speed. She snaps her teeth around Ethne’s outstretched wing before darting off toward home.
No biting, Minx! Amadahy yells after the young Dragon. She’s a terror for a thirteen-year-old, damn.
My wing! Ethne cries out, extending it toward me.
I turn and see that it’s bleeding heavily.
“She hit a vein,” I point out. “Transform—you can’t fly back.”
“I’ve got you, Ethne.” Amadahy transforms into her golden-white Dragon form, lowering her neck for Ethne.
With a whimper, Ethne complies, shifting into her human form and climbing onto Amadahy’s back, gasping from the pain.
Fire-Spitters have incredibly potent venom in their bite. It can drive men mad, and it really, really hurts other Dragons.
I watch as Amadahy picks up her clothes in her claws and flies Ethne back to the Requiem Mountains while I wait for Pagan, Kali, and Sen to approach me.
“Ginette would have loved to be a part of this,” I murmur as they draw near, thinking about our absent redhead.
“They’re not coming back until the war is over,” Sen sighs. “Talon would have loved it too, but she isn’t here either.”
“We miss our sisters just as much as you miss your father, your brother, and the two pr—”
“Don’t bring them up, Pagan!” I snap, losing my temper for the first time in a while. “You know I hate talking about them.
“I wouldn’t have brought up Ginette if I knew you were going to mention them.”
I spin on my heel and storm off, my temper always flaring at the mention of two words: the princes’ names, Thaddeus and Sylvan.
The three girls behind me are close sisters, all hatched from the same egg. They always stick together, and I remember Ginette being close to them.
I just happened to mention her name because I could feel them all thinking about her today.
Ginette always joked about wanting to be a forest patroller, guarding the woods. She would have been in her element helping us out if she were here.
Talon too—she’s another female Dragon we all miss.
I stalk off into the forest, feeling agitated.
At twenty-three, I’ve managed to temper my anger toward my mother, my father, and pretty much everyone else. I’m now a calm Rogue, content with my own thoughts.
Except when someone mentions…ugh…
I can barely think their names.
For five years, I’ve gone to bed thinking about them...and woken up dreaming of them.
During the day, I distract myself by letting in a flood of thoughts from others, which I’ve learned to control.
I remember how the first year was easy. Pure bliss. Delightful even. I was so happy to have space from my mates.
A few months into the second year, the bad news started to roll in. The letters the messengers brought us...
“The war is predicted to last at least ten years, or perhaps five, if a great sacrifice is made.”
These were the words of a leading Mage from the Tempest Lands.
A prophecy, you’d think. No one in the West Lands believed it, but now, five years later, the war is still raging.
And I miss my father.
My twin brother.
As for me? Well, I’ve grown up, matured, and read a lot of books. I’ve read books about...okay, romance, alright? I admit it.
And then, over time, I watched with growing interest as people in the mountain fell in love. Whether it was between slaves, travelers...or Madeline and Hael.
Over time, I started to understand the connection.
Over time, I started to crave it myself.
But ugh, no!
I sprint through the trees until I reach the river and jump right in—clothes, boots, and all. They all need a wash anyway.
Eventually, I crawl out of the water, lying on my back on the rocks, my hands sliding under my shirt to rest on my stomach.
I’m tempted to let my hands wander elsewhere, but a blue bird distracts me. My green eyes focus on the tiny creature.
“Is that you, Shai?” I whisper. “Betraying our friendship, huh?” I joke with the bird, knowing it’s not really her, just a figment of my imagination.
I then look up at the sky as the blazing sun is repeatedly blocked out, not by the wind rustling the branches above me, but by something else.
Dragons.
My heart leaps into my throat as I see the large number gliding past. I start to count.
Three, five, ten...fifteen.
One Dragon in particular, massive and sleek and as black as the night sky, catches my eye.
“Dad?” I whisper. My thoughts shut down, too scared to reach out and check. I can already feel tears welling in my eyes.
Could it be? The Requiem Horde is finally returning?
Luvenia.
I sit up as Hael’s voice echoes in my mind.
Come back home and clean up.
They’re back, Dad! I cry out in relief. Lochness, Lex…the…oh my gosh, they’re back!
Yes, the war seems to be over. Don’t linger outside too long—Lochness will be expecting you. Be quick, darling.
I smile, my gaze fixed on the sky as the number of Dragons begins to decrease, most of them flying past.
It seems like they’ve all finally returned.
But then…
Right at the tail end, I do a double-take, my breath hitching as the sun illuminates the deep cobalt scales and then a set of midnight blue ones, tinged heavily with the same color.
I can’t blink as I watch these two Dragons swoop low overhead, completely eclipsing the sun.
It feels like I’m hallucinating.
I rest my head back against the river pebbles, gasping for breath as the air clears and now it’s just the sun and blue sky above me.
Thaddeus and Sylvan are alive.
Not just that. But they have…oh my gosh.
They’ve fully matured.
They’re bigger, larger, more muscular…more formidable than even my fathers.
I’d heard of this happening to some Dragons from the Horde of Fortune, living on the fringes of the Tempest Lands.
It was because of their mother…
The Tempest Dragon Blood coursing through their veins had shaped them to be even bigger and more powerful than the usual Leading Twin Dragon Breeds of the West Lands.
No wonder they’d survived and returned.
They must be the largest creatures these lands have ever seen.
