Beauty and the Dragon

by Melody Rose

  Astrid… my blood boiled as I regarded the battle maiden with unmistakable disdain.

  “Astrid,” I growled. “I thought you had moved on from entertaining the notion of the two of us. What else would have inspired you to act so ruthlessly? Our strength is not meant to punish the innocent as any of our elders would tell you.”

  I didn’t know why I even gave her the chance to speak. Perhaps old tribal loyalties compelled me, but it would likely be impossible to forgive her. Despite all the battles we shared in, she harmed the woman that I’d grown to love. Pure rage flickered in my stomach.

  “You should be thanking me,” Astrid responded, pressing the heel of her boot into Rosalind’s back. “I have rid you of a distraction. Now, you can focus on being the best Champion you can be with the most talented battle maiden by your side.”

  I advanced toward Astrid while a smile spread across her face. It was sinister and blood-curdling, and I wanted to slap the smugness off her. Instead, I flung her off of Rosalind with all my strength. She flew backward in a tumble, seemingly shocked that I didn’t immediately fall for her words, and rolled to her feet. Now that she realized I had no mercy for her, she firmly planted her feet on the ground. We both glared at each other, waiting to see who would move first.

  “Why are you so damned protective of her?” Astrid shrieked. “Perhaps you’ll accept reality when she’s finished.”

  Just then, I wished that I had my weapons. I always avoided taking them with me when I visited Rosalind. I didn’t wish for her to be startled or to see me as a savage. Though I had enough books to pummel Astrid, Rosalind would be sad to see them damaged, so I would have to approach this another way.

  “You’ve made your intent clear, Astrid,” I spoke calmly as I set down my satchels. “Now, I am well within my right to defend Rosalind and myself against you.” Gladly, the items didn’t strike her as valuable. Her eyes were still trained on my face, her expression that of a betrayed lover turned murderess.

  “Just like the traitor you are,” Astrid spat out and lunged at me. She reached for my throat, and I dodged her grasp.

  However, I was at a loss for how to respond. I wanted to disable Astrid, but I was hesitant to injure or maim a comrade. While I calculated my next action, she swiftly attacked me with a front kick. Her skill was as great as always, and I hissed in pain as her foot made contact with my jaw. Piercing pain shocked the side of my skull, but I fought through it. Before she could pull her foot back, I grabbed her leg and used it as a handle to flip her entire body over end. She crashed to the ground a foot away from Rosalind, and I resented how she was still conscious as the spellmistress lay unmoving.

  Still, Astrid seemed out of commission from the fall, the wind knocked out of her. I strode over to Astrid, about to carry her away from the room and to toss her into the dungeon. While I certainly wasn’t willing to kill a woman, I wouldn’t allow the lunatic to roam free. This was the quickest way to keep Astrid contained so that I could find help for Rosalind.

  That’s when Astrid surprised me with a sudden sweeping kick. Her motion was so precise that she bowled me over, and I fell hard onto my side. Before I could even retaliate, the battle maiden leapt on me with manic speed. She looked like a wild beast, ready to tear into me.

  Astrid no longer cared about our romance. She was now motivated by pure retribution and anger that I rejected her. She pummeled me with brutal punches and held nothing back of her impressive strength and technique. I was so dazed that I couldn’t defend myself. I felt that my skull would crack from the repeated pressure. As blood filled my eyes and my vision began to dim, I drew within myself, marshaling my strength for one last push to survive.

  What sprang into my mind’s eye was a white-hot sphere in my belly, ready to answer my will. I wasn’t one to believe in magic, not at first, utterly convinced that it was erased from our realm, but Rosalind opened my eyes to the possibilities. At this desperate moment, I was open to believing in our people’s ancestral powers. Whether I was channeling a sky god, a spirit, or my own latent abilities, I was determined to make Astrid pay.

  On pure instinct, I unhinged my jaw and growled loudly, releasing this pent-up power. It was no figment of the imagination. My body burst with a black light that filled the entire room. That… aura then condensed into a singular beam that shot forth from my open jaws, a shadowy equivalent of a true dragon’s breath, and pierced Astrid’s chest.

  Astrid spasmed but once as her skin washed with the paleness of death before she crumpled into an unconscious mess. Her chest still rose and fell shallowly, so I nudged her off and pulled myself over to Rosalind. I knew I had to be wise with my energy, now almost spent on abilities I’d never tapped into before.

  My heart pounded, and gratitude coursed through me as I reached my beloved. I rolled Rosalind around and watched the gentle breathing, transfixed. Though I needed to resolve the situation with Astrid before she awakened, I craved more evidence that Rosalind was alive. I placed my thumb on her wrist and was lightheaded with joy when I felt her pulse.

  Armed with the confidence that Rosalind wasn’t dead, I was able to piece together enough strength to stand up. Though I recoiled at the idea of touching Astrid again, it was necessary. I bent over, my muscles screaming with pain, and collected the battle maiden. Either I was severely weakened, or she was impressively muscular as carrying her demanded every iota of my strength.

  Within my heart, I said a small prayer that Rosalind would pull through this. I then slung Astrid over my shoulder with little care and opened the door with some struggle. This spiteful creature would be out of our lives soon enough.

  29

  Rose

  I woke up after dreaming of a glowing emerald, blinking back to reality. I rubbed my forehead, feeling how the pooled blood made a tender bruise. Thankfully, that was the worst of my worries, and Astrid hadn’t actually succeeded in dealing me a coma or death. I pet the carpet, glad that it was the surface that broke my fall. I then noticed that it began to radiate an odd warmth. Raising an eyebrow, I wondered if I was still delirious from being knocked unconscious.

  Once the entire rug began emanating a gentle light, I decided to investigate. For some reason, strength and will trickled back into my system even though my head was just bashed. I hopped up and grabbed hold of one corner, hauling the carpet aside to reveal the bare floor. A circle of runes was right under where I’d blacked out with eerie serendipity. I wondered if I was closer to death than I thought. Maybe it was Queen Zielona’s wards that saved me.

  I stepped over to the circle and crouched down, studying it. Again, I was able to make quick sense of the markings even though they weren’t in English. They told me to place my hand down to be reunited with my Fated Mate. I wasn’t completely clear on that concept, but it warmed my heart and made my blood go cold at the same time. I followed the instructions and laid my palm on the ground. This activated the runes, causing them to burn brightly with green and black hues.

  Just then, an emerald just like the one I’d pictured while asleep glimmered into view. I picked it up, and without even thinking, uttered, “Bring me to my Fated Mate at once.”

  I didn’t know what all this business was about my Fated Mate, but I finally felt that I realized my purpose. Though I had vowed to slaughter the Drikkende to avenge the Jörmungandr clan, I felt that I needed to meet this man who was promised to me. Was my encounter with Astrid a test, and was surviving it proof that I earned my companion? I noticed that she had suddenly disappeared and didn’t finish me off.

  While I tried to decipher why I was here at the Jörmungandr stronghold, in Queen Zielona’s bedroom, to find my Fated Mate, I was swallowed whole by a vortex right beneath my feet. I experienced the strangest vertigo, more disoriented than I was when I knocked my head. I clutched onto the emerald as I was pulled through a colorless tunnel, an unseen force deciding where I’d end up next. Finally, I was dropped into a dank underground lair, luckily upright. I didn’t think I could han
dle being banged up twice in one day. I scratched my head, taking in the flicker of torches and what sounded like the scudding of rats. I scrunched my nose at the whole place. Had I been set up with some creature of the deep?

  I felt the muscles in my back tense up as I walked through the winding paths until I heard a familiar voice, then the clink of metal.

  “Begone, you foul wretch,” the angry voice demanded. I could just barely make it out, but I was compelled to reach the speaker. When I heard a deafening thud resounding throughout the tunnels, I picked up my pace. My stomach twisted up when I saw what was waiting for me.

  Troy was a pitiful heap on the mildewy ground, blood pooling all around him. Just up ahead was Astrid slumped against the wall in a barred cell. I figured this wasn’t a test after all and that she really was out for my throat. I vaguely pieced together that Troy must have tried to rescue me. What mattered more to me was if he made it out alive. With a sad yelp like a wounded animal, I knelt by his side, shaking him. I wasn’t able to get a single response out of him, not even a groan. In fact, his body felt alarmingly limp. I dreaded what I had to do next.

  I dropped my emerald and let it fall upon his chest as I put two fingertips to his neck. My heart stopped as I felt absolute stillness. I searched for yet another sign, desperately kneading his wrist. Yet again, nothing. I took quick, ragged breaths, at a loss for what to do and worried I’d hyperventilate. Hot, salty tears rushed down my cheeks, and I pounded his torso in angry fear. I couldn’t believe that all he got in return for his courage was a grisly end. I refused to accept it.

  “Come back to me,” I repeatedly begged through sobs. “Come back to me!” That was all that I was capable of uttering. My cheeks were slick, and my voice nearly inaudible in my hysteria.

  Finally, beside myself in grief, I laid my head against his chest. “I can’t live without you,” I confessed. “We were bound for each other. Destined to defeat the Drikkende together. Don’t leave now, when we’ve finally found one another after all these centuries. I can’t bear another lifetime if my Champion is not by my side. Please, my love. Wake up. Just this once, believe we can make it.”

  From the periphery of my eye, I spotted the emerald blazing. It was as if the gem heard my sorrows and my wishes, absorbing all of them. It then melted, singing off Troy’s leather armor and searing into his skin. I gasped in awe, leaping back in shock. His entire body glowed briefly, then flashed with the same transparent black scales I’d seen when we were making love. The gashes in his head closed, and the darkness under his eyes faded. The only change in Troy was that there was a marking of a leaf where the emerald had been, and, mercifully, he was breathing again. I screamed in ecstatic relief as he sat up. His response was complete confusion, then concern.

  “Lady… ahem… Rosalind? No…” he mused, taking me in as though I’d lifted a mask. “My Queen. Zielona in one lifetime, disguised as a human in another. How coy of you. I see you properly now. Are you well? Shall I fetch a healer? I cannot bear to lose you again.”

  I shook my head softly, placing a palm on each of his cheeks. I looked deeply into his eyes, knowing he must have seen me in his death vision. Suddenly, I remembered taking my last breath eons ago, reliving each version of ourselves and all our memories. The battle had just begun, but we just conquered one of the greatest trials. Despite all that kept us apart, we had found one another yet again.

  “That will never happen, my Champion,” I promised. “As always, we’ve proven we can take on the impossible. Now, let’s leave. We have so much ahead of us, and we must carry out our destiny. Our clan and many more depend upon it.”

  30

  Rose

  “Is Astrid destined for the gallows?” Harlin asked as I stood in front of him.

  I shook my head softly and raised a hand. It was surreal, yet entirely expected, to be in the Chieftain’s quarters. I had been living as a human for so many years that I forgot the responsibility set on my shoulders. Even though Astrid was a prized battle maiden, she didn’t outrank me. I was a queen, after all. The Królowa, as proven by my powers of resurrection. I didn’t long for power, but I still needed to accept my role in the clan.

  “No,” I answered. With the veil lifted and my identity revealed to me, I was grounded by the patience of an ancient spirit. I felt no vengeance. I just wanted to move forward. I believed everyone was capable of redemption. The notable exception was, of course, the Drikkende.

  “I would prefer for her to have a long time to think about her actions,” I continued. “I won’t take a clan member’s life under any circumstances. I do hope, though, that she’s far away from everyone. She’s a liability right now.”

  Confusion crossed over the Chieftain’s face. He must’ve been surprised to hear a merciful sentence. I gave a gentle smile. The stern man gave a short nod, his elaborate braids bobbing slightly. He could see I was sincere in my intentions, fully aware of what I was asking for.

  “I shall make it so, my Królowa,” he responded with deep respect. “We shall keep her in the cellar until you agree upon her release. We will defer to your judgment.”

  He then shifted to a sunnier mood. “Between you and Kalen, you should have little trouble reinforcing the dungeon with the best wards. Your full powers should be within reach in mere hours. Have you prepared Troy for the ceremony?”

  “I haven’t,” I admitted. “I wanted to make sure this mess was taken care of first, and I didn’t want Astrid lingering on my mind before the vows. I’ll want to clear the energy, so our moment is special. It’s been centuries, after all.”

  Before I was ready to receive Troy, Kalen the Shaman met me at the martial temple. He carried a turquoise basin of water and a warm smile as he greeted me. I’d only seen him briefly in my unawakened human form, but he looked worlds better. Gone was the haggard man with leathery skin, cloudy eyes, and a broken spirit. His hair was now a light blond instead of grey, and his posture was upright. I bowed my head while he laughed. His joy rang through the haven, so infectious that I giggled too.

  “Kalen!” I exclaimed. “It’s so wonderful to see you again! And like this! You were able to hold on to your magic despite it all. The Drikkende. The curse. The painfully long years. How did you manage that?”

  “Faith, my child.” He then blushed, stammering to correct himself. “My Królowa! Ah, how funny the Fates are, yes? Placing the soul of a guardian more ancient than myself in a vessel from another dimension! It sure outsmarted our foes!”

  “That’s what I was counting on,” I said with a smirk. “Thank you for remaining strong in the most difficult times. Now, I know that we’ll be moving forward with the handfasting, but I am still… unsettled… with what happened with Astrid.”

  I rubbed my temple in exhaustion. “I was so glad to see Troy alive that I didn’t realize until now how much it took out of me. I don’t want to have a wedding when I’m worn out, but I also don’t want Astrid crashing it. Is there any way that you can help out with this?”

  “Yes, my dear.” He was as doting as ever. “I already have the mana to accomplish what you need from me. I can only imagine what we’ll all be capable of after our two greatest heroes bind spirits.”

  “For now,” he went on, “I will leave this cleansing basin here so that you and Troy may wash your hands of any ill will or luck before the wedding. Once you feel ready, you can set your intentions with the purified crystal.”

  As he set it down before my feet, I peered into the water. My heart leapt with excitement seeing the rose quartz. The nightmare of Astrid, and worse, several lifetimes without my Fated Mate had come to a close.

  Kalen must’ve sensed I was ready to be alone with Troy. He immediately took a step back and bowed. “With that, I’ll take my leave, blessed Queen. I look forward to officiating the long-awaited wedding.”

  He then glided out so quickly I could barely process his departure. I heaved a sigh of relief, then fussed over myself. I wanted Troy to be happy with what he saw and chose
a gleaming green robe for the occasion. We both had spent the night separately with clan clerics and attendants that made sure we were ready for this moment. I was pleased with how my outfit was cut from the finest silk, accentuating every curve. I smoothed it, busying myself with imaginary wrinkles.

  I looked up at the sound of footsteps. Heat immediately rose to my face as I laid eyes on Troy, perfectly regal and delectable in a similar formal robe. His was spun from such slick ebony fabric that I saw the temple reflected in it. I swallowed, hypnotized by how the folds were parted to expose his muscular chest. I moved forward and helped myself, stroking it shamelessly.

  “It has been too long, hasn’t it?” I smirked. “Let’s clear our minds and set aside our troubles, if only for a couple of days before we need to face our real challenges.”

  Troy grabbed my hand and kissed it. His eyes flashed with sheer bliss to see me. “Let’s prepare ourselves as soon as we can, my treasure.”

  We then knelt on either side of the basin, locking eyes before we dipped our hands into the cool water. My muscles went lax, and I almost felt as though I’d drift off to sleep. Any concerns I had that protecting the whole continent would be too large of a task melted away. Every hesitation was replaced with confidence. After we had purified ourselves, we grasped the crystal at the same time.

  Troy’s warm fingers closed over mine, and together we raised the rose quartz. Rivulets of water rolled off of us, and as our hearts opened to our new Fate, I felt a shiver course down my spine. I pictured us seated side by side on thrones, secure in our domain. Wings unfurled from our backs, a testament to what we’re capable of.