The Lost Siren: Rise of the Drakens Book 1

by Raven Storm

  “This will be your chamber for the duration of your stay. The first door on the left leads to your private chamber and bathing area. The door on the right is locked, and I suggest you keep it that way. Be bathed and dressed in two hours.”

  I whirled around, surprised. “I am to stay here. Why?

  He shot me a look, one that silently asked if all humans were this stupid, or was I a special case?

  “Mr. D’Arcy,” I said tentatively, “I was under the impression that I was kidnapped to be sold at auction or put to work. If...if that’s not the case, then what’s going on?” I snapped my mouth shut, not wanting to earn any more ire than I had already invited. D’Arcy studied me closely, and I braced myself for his criticism. Servants weren’t chosen due to their great beauty, after all. My brown hair was common, my eye color unremarkable, and Lord Crullfed had always delighted in telling me how utterly underwhelming I was.

  “You may call me D’Arcy, no Mr.”

  His fingers clasped together underneath his chin, but I wasn’t fooled by his demeanor. This ‘man’ screamed predator; every inch of his body was tightly controlled aggression in a much different, more threatening way than my captor was. I willed myself to remain calm. Not all men beat women when they were alone, did they?

  “What’s a draken, D’Arcy?”

  He grinned, flashing a set of fangs I had missed before. I’m sure my face went white.

  “I would tread very carefully, Miss Wren. drakens are very instinctive creatures, known to act irrationally first and wash the blood off later.”

  My heart thudded painfully against my chest. I didn’t think I’d done anything wrong, but this man reminded me a lot of Crullfed; he didn’t need a reason to be cruel.

  “I’m...I’m sorry.”

  D’Arcy laughed, a loud booming sound that held little warmth or empathy.

  “Did Benedict explain nothing to you? What a stupid little creature you are.” I kept my face carefully blank. Bullies thrived on seeing just how much their words affected you, and D’Arcy seemed no different. If he aimed to make me feel small, he didn’t need to try so hard. I was used to it.

  “Allow me a kiss, and I’ll tell you why you’re here.”

  I blanched and took a half-step back. The women at the breeding center exchanged their bodies all the time to make their existences more bearable; but I didn’t think I could do it. I shook my head and took another step back.

  “No.”

  It was the first time I had ever said it to a man, and I was terrified. D’Arcy flashed me a wicked grin, and my stomach twisted in fear as he seized me by the back of my neck. He traced the path from the top of my spine down the curve to my shoulders, gliding along my skin and squeezing none-too-gently.

  “There hasn’t been a female in Dark Haven. Ever.”His nose buried itself in my hair as his hands tangled in it, teasing. I tried hard not to flinch; it had probably been months since my hair had been last washed. I hoped there were bugs in it, and it would disgust him enough to drop me. I closed my eyes and wished I were somewhere else. If I fought him, it would only last longer, and hurt more.

  “Drakens are a race that has always kept to itself. The less the world knows about us, the more dangerous we are. You’d know that if you weren’t so brainless.”

  It was hard to focus when his fangs were so close to the pounding vein in my neck, and his hands pulled painfully on my hair. He lifted my chin up and I didn’t fight him as his other hand rested gently against my breast. It didn’t even occur to me to fight back.

  “What else?” I choked out, hoping to at least distract him. I had no such luck as he bent down and grabbed my mouth with his, muffling my cry of pain. It was night and day compared to my captor: his touch had been giving, but D’Arcy was simply taking. I whimpered as he licked along my lips and quested further into my mouth. I refused to open, instead going limp in his arms, forcing him to hold me up. His fangs tugged against my bottom lip, and I worried if they were sharp enough to cut me. A groan tore itself from his throat, his fingers splayed against my neck.

  Then he was gone, and I was left gasping and afraid. He chuckled darkly as the passageway behind him opened, revealing my captor dressed more formally than before. He wore a black and royal blue cloak that was pinned at the shoulder, and a pair of unadorned leather boots. His purple eyes framed his high cheekbones, with full lips that were pulled back in a scowl aimed at D’Arcy.

  “An interesting specimen you’ve brought, Benedict.”

  The man (Benedict?) took one look at my terrified face and transformed into a... creature. He still looked vaguely like himself, but iridescent scales covered his upper body, changing to a deep purple around his waist and back that faded down into black, glinting obsidian with sheens of green against the torchlight. Hard spikes protruded from his back, white ridges that I was hesitant to call bones, but looked wickedly sharp and rigid. Black wings hung from his shoulder like a heavy cape, the tips a dark amethyst color that matched the sheen of his scales. Claws extended from the beds of his nails, and purple scales curled around his neck. Faster than I could blink, he had D’Arcy by the throat, his wings spread wide.

  “You don’t touch her without her permission. Or are the rules only for others?”

  D’Arcy’s self-assured demeanor vanished, replaced by a slithering, skulking sycophant.

  “Understood, my king.”

  Benedict dropped him to the floor and D’Arcy hissed, disappearing in a wisp of black smoke. I gasped; did Benedict do that to him? Those purple eyes swung to me, and I lost my battle with my dwindling courage. I fled to the door D’Arcy had indicated as my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. I didn’t breathe again until the deadbolt clicked in place.

  “Leaving so soon?”

  I shrieked as Benedict’s voice came from behind me, sitting casually on the largest bed I’d ever seen. My back pressed against the door, my hands twisting uselessly at a knob that wouldn’t budge, because I had just locked it. At least he looked human, again. Benedict smirked at my flustered face, and in one fluid motion pushed himself off the bed and leaned towards me.

  “Do all humans smell so bad?”

  He was too close to me and my adrenaline was still racing after D’Arcy had his hands on me. I didn’t think, I just reacted. My hand flew out and smacked him hard on his mouth, an automatic fight or flight response from my body. He jerked back more in surprise than pain, putting a hand to his lip and laughed at the blood that welled there. My eyes went wide as the cut vanished before me, and in moments there was no proof I’d ever hit him to begin with. I cringed as he bared down on me, sliding down the door and putting my hands over my head.

  He took one look at me, and immediately stepped back.

  “Did it make you feel better?” He asked, his voice light and humorous. I narrowed my eyes and raised my head. There was a flicker of something in his eyes that wasn’t all anger. That flicker combined with his tone gave me the courage to talk back.

  “I don’t know. Maybe I should try again just to be sure?”

  He laughed; a loud, booming sound that was the first bit of true emotion I’d seen from him yet. He smiled, but it was the look you gave to a child who said something amusing, or a clever little pet.

  “What did D’Arcy do? You’re white as a sheet.”

  I tried to move, but he blocked my path. He leaned in closer, his nostrils flaring.

  “I can smell him all over you.”

  The playfulness was gone from his demeanor. I kept my eyes trained to the floor and focused on breathing. In, out. In, out. After a moment he let me go, practically throwing me from him.

  “Get a bath and get dressed.”

  He left.

  I allowed myself only moments to gape wordlessly like a fish, my mouth opening and closing but no real sound coming out. These...drakens were utterly terrifying, but he had yet to do anything to hurt me. He’d done the opposite. He’d taken me away from Crullfed, gave me a room, a bath, food, and defen
ded me from D’Arcy. Sort of.

  I picked up my chin and undressed, leaving my clothes in the empty wardrobe up against the wall. The room was full of such opulence that I hardly wanted to look at any of it, lest I blinked, and it all disappeared. The floor was covered in soft, thick rugs from animals I couldn’t name if my life depended on it. Candles in sconces lined the walls and corners, and decorative stones and metalwork weaved into the walls like the floor in the great hall. The bed was an absolute work of art; it was canopied with thick velvet to ward off the chill of the mountain, with heavy curtains able to be pulled back in favor of sheer gossamer curtains underneath. My face heated remembering how Benedict had sat casually on it.

  Be sure to bathe.

  How? Where were the servants to bring the water? Where was the—I stopped, poking my head in a smaller room adjacent to my bedroom. It looked like a small garden, but indoors. Plants lined the walls, draping around a large marble pool in the center of the room. It was already filled with water that bubbled up gently from the center, and the edges were lined with various bottles and ointments. Curious, I sniffed all of them and dipped my toe into the water, which was warm. What trick provided the amazing treat of warm water without a horde of servants? Maybe they had already been here and gone?

  I scrubbed and washed quickly, using only drops of the oils provided lest they belonged to someone else and not intended for me. The silk robe hanging from a hook nearby was close to my size, which only gave me more questions than answers. I padded back to the bedroom, surprised to see an outfit already set out on the bed. I examined it, my face flushing. This...garment couldn’t be considered a dress, could it? The color was pleasing enough; a purple so deep it was nearly black, like the coloring in Benedict’s creature form. The length was also acceptable, flowing well past my ankles and ending in a small train. The material itself was nothing more than translucent gauze, and I frantically looked around the bed for more clothing. I found nothing. I stalked to the wardrobe in the corner and grabbed my work dress. I made quick work of ripping off strips of fabric, which I fashioned into a rough band, and tied around my breasts. I took a nearby blanket and wrapped it around my waist, tying it off with another strip. Finally, I put the sheer gown overtop, feeling somewhat covered. At the last moment, I retrieved my knife from my old dress and tied it to another strip, fastening it to the other ties. The gauze material felt divine on my skin, but I couldn’t believe I was meant to wear it alone. Perhaps going topless was a cultural thing, specific to the drakens? I wondered what the women—

  I stopped, my brain freezing as I realized something very, very important, that Benedict had ignored when I’d asked in the great hall about the women. Or rather, the lack of them. There were female drakens, weren’t there? There had to be. Every species had females, didn’t they? Come to think of it, I never heard mention of any female demons. D’Arcy had said there had never been a woman in Dark Haven before. My kidnapping suddenly made a much more agonizing, awful sense. Had I just made the biggest mistake of my life?

  “Are you ready?”

  A bang on my bedroom door caused me to jump, and I hurriedly unbraided my hair, letting it flow loose around my shoulders. I raced over to the wardrobe and grabbed the black traveling cloak hanging on the right. I flung it over my shoulders, sighing in relief as it covered the shape of my body. I did appreciate the new pair of leather boots next to the bed and slipped them on gratefully. With a bit more confidence I opened the door, only to find Benedict pacing. His eyes gave me a brief once-over, lingering at the crude modifications I made with clothing. I gave him a challenging look in return, and he rolled his eyes.

  “You’re late.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but he had already grabbed me and tugged me through the passageway. I planted my feet on the stone floor, afraid. He growled and yanked me towards him. I flew into his chest, banging my head against the hard planes of his body.

  “It would be cowardly to back out now.” His eyes judged me, finding me clearly wanting. I wanted to smack him again, or at least talk back, now that I knew I wouldn’t be punished for it.

  “It is difficult to be cowardly when you have no idea what is going on, especially when the man who kidnaps you doesn’t even offer his name!” I might have been shouting. His eyes widened, then narrowed in suspicion.

  “You don’t know who I am?” The shock in his voice was genuine, and about the only thing that snapped through my torrent of rage. Both of us relaxed, letting go of each other. I looked at my feet nervously.

  “D’Arcy called you Benedict. I assume that’s your name?” I glanced up warily to find his head cocked to the side, studying me intensely.

  “Yes. And you are Wren.”

  I pushed forward, wanting—no needing—more answers.

  “And you’re all...drakens?” He blinked slowly. I looked away, unable to stand that fiery, purple gaze.

  “Why me?” I finally managed, still unable to figure out what this handsome, strong creature would possibly want with me.

  “You were there. I chose you.” He made it sound so simple.

  “And the ‘crying blonde’? What about her?"

  He snorted, an animalistic sound that reminded me of the horses back in the stables.

  “She was a deal with Crullfed; a human female sacrificed to the drakens, and in return, I released a debt he owed me. I took you instead.”

  How did he do that, answering my questions only to create more?

  “But why?” I couldn’t put into words why this was so important; why it mattered that this man, this...draken had chosen me over a beautiful, young blonde who could likely fetch a small fortune at any auction.

  “You said yes.”

  He said with a finality that quelled any other questions I had. I tripped as he yanked me forward again, wondering if all drakens were this pushy, or just men in general. He gave me a second shove, and my temper snapped. I was not a dog or a cow, and I would be damned if I were led to my slaughter like one.

  He raised his hand over his head, and I instantly panicked, thinking he was going to strike me. My knife was free from its tie at my waist and buried in his shoulder a second later. I didn’t have time to regret my actions as he whirled around, hissing in pain. Stars exploded against my eyes as he threw me into the stone wall, more by reflex than intention, if the moment of panic on his face was anything to go by. I fell as my vision swam, stunned by the blow. He pulled the knife from his shoulder, his lips thinned in displeasure. The wound healed over and was gone before the knife clattered on the ground. If I’d done this at the breeding house, I would be dead without question.

  “Was that your grand plan to murder me? Crullfed put you up to it, didn’t he? This was his plan the whole time! That’s why you agreed to come with me!” He sounded genuinely upset, and I think that was what I found most bewildering. Benedict meant to intimidate by hauling me up roughly, his fangs glistening inches from my neck. The world kept spinning around me, so the effect was wasted.

  “Thought...you were gonna hit me.” The words were slurred, but I was proud I’d pushed them out. He froze, then his face went blank. I wasn’t sure if he believed me.

  “A bit of an extreme reaction,” he hissed mildly, and set me down roughly on my feet. “Walk, then. And just...know that no one here will strike you. No one.” His hand lingered on my face, brushing my lip with his thumb. I nodded furiously to appease him, but I didn’t believe him. He was one being in a sea of those who could easily hurt me. You shouldn’t make promises you couldn’t keep.

  I tried to walk; I really did. The first step went fine, but on the second I veered wildly to the side and almost collided with the wall again. He huffed in irritation and picked me up. Before I could protest, his nose was buried in my hair, sniffing.

  “I bathed,” I protested, my eyes crossing as my head continued to pound. Nausea curled its way up my stomach, and I fought against it.

  “Can you pull yourself together, or should I carry you
? You’re concussed.” He must have smelled something bad because his imperious tone held a sliver of worry. I wriggled and he set me down again. His heavy arm came around my shoulder, and carefully he helped guide me forward.

  “You’re the first one I’ve ever hit back, if it makes you feel better.” I was talking mostly to distract myself from the nausea, so I missed the expression of annoyance then shock on his face. His expression relaxed, and he let out an irritated sigh.

  “If you were truly afraid, then I am sorry."

  I almost fell over in shock as he gave me no time to respond, instead pushing me forward. The hallway ended, opening back up into the great hall. The men roared upon seeing us, and my heart dropped in my chest as I stared out over a sea of creatures. The men from before were gone, instead replaced with creatures like Benedict. Their odd, shimmering skin made sense as their scales glinted at me. The creatures all ranged in shape and color, from reds and yellows to greens and blues. Bright colors gathered at their wrists and neck, reaching down their backs and blending seamlessly with darker colors on their wings and lower body. Their hands ended in sharp, black claws, and hundreds of fangs flashed at me as I looked out from my vantage point on the raised dais. They stood spaced apart to give each other room from the spikes on their spines.

  “My people,” Benedict rumbled from his place beside me.

  I choked down my reaction as he shifted into his own draken form, his obsidian, purple-tipped wings lightly brushing my shoulder. A moment later D’Arcy was there, and the strange ceremony began.