Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series

by Elizabeth Briggs

  “We don’t have much time.” Doran said, as he approached my cage. He offered me a bar of soap and a wet wash cloth in one hand, with a bundle of fabric in the other. “Get clean and change into these clothes as quickly as you can.”

  I frowned as I took the items from him and watched his back as he left the room. After untold days in the same clothes I’d worn in the Earth Temple I was eager to change into something new and be moderately clean again, but the fact that Doran had brought me this now probably meant my time was up. They were getting me ready for my sacrifice, I was sure of it.

  The dress he'd given me only reinforced that theory. It was a long gown made of the finest velvet in a deep green, trimmed in silver and adorned with intricate designs across the bodice. A long, hooded cloak in dark gray completed the ensemble, and he'd even brought me some clean undergarments too. I supposed they wanted me to look beautiful for them when they drained my life.

  I sighed and washed myself as best I could before changing into the new clothes. Once I was done, some of the haze from the days spent in the cage seemed to lift. Being clean and wearing a fresh set of clothes made me feel like a human being again instead of an animal trapped in a cage. And if they thought I would go easily to my own sacrifice they were in for a surprise.

  Doran entered the room again and his gaze quickly swept over me. “Good, you're ready.” He unlocked the bone cage with a key I'd never seen before. “Now follow me and do everything I say. We'll need to hurry.”

  Why he thought I’d hurry to my own death was a mystery, but then again, the Dragons were all very odd. In the brief snippets of conversation I’d shared with the others they’d spoken as if I should be honored they were going to kill me.

  The cage opened and I stumbled out of it. The second I was past the bones, energy rushed through me, as if I’d taken a breath after being underwater too long. My magic filled me with power and reconnected me to my mates. I sensed Jasin and Auric immediately, like bright sparks in my consciousness, and relief made me nearly laugh out loud. Slade was there too, a cool, reassuring presence in my mind, but our connection was still new and not as strong.

  They were close. Were they coming to rescue me?

  For the first time in days I had hope, and I channeled it as I reached for Auric and Jasin's magic, combining it and gathering it in my palms. I turned toward Doran and with a bellow of rage I launched a lightning bolt at him. It struck his chest and threw him back against the wall, knocking him out with a sizzling sound.

  I'd never done that before. During training I'd been able to summon lightning for only a second and it had been little more than a spark, even though Jasin and Auric had been able to master it. But my determination to get out of here and find my mates again made me stronger, and nothing was getting in the way of my escape.

  I threw open the cell door and started to rush out, but a strong hand grasped my shoulder and yanked me back.

  “What do you think you're doing?” Doran asked, clutching his chest where I'd struck him.

  I jerked away and gathered fire around me like a shield. “I won't let you take me!”

  “Take you?” He stepped back from the flames and rolled his eyes. “I'm trying to help you escape!”

  “You...what?”

  “I'm here with your mates. They're waiting outside.” He held out his hand and offered me a small black mask covered in twirling dark green vines. “Put this on and we'll go to them.”

  I plucked the mask from his hand and stared at it. “Why would you help me?”

  “Kira, I'm your father.”

  The floor seemed to fall out from under me and I staggered back. My first thought was, thank the Gods it isn't Sark. The doubt came next, but as he held my eyes, I realized they were a mirror of my own. I took him in slowly and caught other similarities in our features too. He truly was my father.

  And not a very good one.

  Fire flared around me. “You knocked me out and kidnapped me!”

  “To protect you!” He sighed and dragged a hand through his long sandy hair. “I'll explain everything later, I promise. Right now we really need to get out of here before anyone notices us. We have a small window while Nysa and the others are busy, but it will only last so long, and we don’t have much time to meet your mates.”

  “Where are they? Are they all okay?”

  “Put on your mask and follow me. I’ll take you to them.”

  I donned the mask, snapping it over my head. “Why the mask?”

  “Today is the Spirit Festival. The entire city is wearing masks. It’s the perfect time to escape Soulspire.” Doran put his own mask on, which featured tiny brightly colored fish, before stepping out of the room into a dark corridor. He scanned the length of it before setting off, clutching his side where I’d injured him. I wasn’t sorry. He deserved it, even if he was helping me—which I wasn’t positive he was.

  I drew in a long breath, quickly weighed my options, and then followed him. If this was a trick, I’d fight back with everything I had, but I couldn’t stay in that prison one more second.

  The corridor was empty and had a musty smell with no windows, making me wonder if we were underground. I hadn’t realized we were in Soulspire, although I’d suspected it. I’d never been to the capital before, and I was beginning to realize that without Doran’s help I might never have made it out on my own. Assuming he was truly helping me now and not leading me to my death.

  We walked with quick purposeful strides and I fell in step beside him, although my limbs were stiff from being in a cage for so long and my muscles were weak from inactivity. As we continued through the long stone halls, we passed a few guards, who stood up straight and nodded at Doran. They completely ignored my presence, and I had a feeling it was only because I was at his side.

  “Where are we?” I asked in a low voice.

  “The lower levels of the palace,” Doran said. “Keep moving.”

  That burst of energy when I’d exited the cage had begun to fade, and now a bone-deep exhaustion was beginning to set in. I pushed past it and kept moving, fueled by the knowledge that I would see my mates again soon.

  Doran stopped at an unmarked door and opened it, then gestured for me to enter. All I saw was darkness and a putrid smell hit my nose. I gagged and stepped back, but Doran shoved me forward through the door. He slammed it shut behind us and I quickly summoned a flame to fight back the darkness.

  We were in a domed tunnel of some sort, with a thin trickle of water running down the center of it. Doran grabbed a torch off the wall and lit it with the fire in my palm, then gestured for me to follow him. “Your mates are waiting for us in these sewers. Once we find them, they’ll get you out of the city.”

  “You’re not coming?” I asked.

  “No, I still have work to do here, but I promise I’ll find you later. I’ve waited a long time to be reunited with you and we have a lot to talk about.”

  I gave him a skeptical look as we began walking down the dark tunnel. He’d had twenty years to find me, and Gods knew I could have used his advice and help during the last few months. Or after Sark killed my family. Or any of the other times I’d found myself on the run or in danger. It was difficult to believe he’d suddenly become a loving father now, when he’d been absent all these years. And why was I any different from my sisters, who he’d allowed to be murdered for centuries?

  I didn’t trust him one bit and I had a million questions for him, but I also recognized he was my only hope of getting out of here. I followed him down the tunnels despite my hesitations, but as soon as we had a chance to talk, I would need some answers.

  The moment I saw a familiar broad-shouldered frame ahead of me, I let out a loud cry and stumbled forward. “Slade!”

  He turned toward me, and his eyes widened. He crossed the distance between us with a few steps and swept me up into his arms. I laughed and sobbed at the same time, so relieved to be in his arms again.

  “Kira!” Jasin called out, but he wa
s busy holding off five shades with Auric at his side.

  Doran gestured idly and each of the shades turned to ice, then broke apart into a million pieces. Gods, he was powerful. It was a grim reminder that we still had a lot to learn to match the other Dragons’ strength.

  As the shades vanished, my other mates rushed forward to wrap me in their arms and sprinkle my face with kisses. I was overjoyed to be united with them again and to see with my own eyes they were safe.

  But then I realized one person was missing.

  “Where’s Reven?” I asked, suddenly worried.

  Each of their faces darkened. “He’s injured,” Auric said. “But now that you’re free, you can heal him.”

  “What?” My heart pounded and panic gripped my throat.

  “There’s no time to explain,” Doran said. “Take Kira and get her out of the city. I’ll meet you back at the Resistance base in a few days.”

  Wait, Doran knew about the Resistance base? My head spun as I tried to take everything in, realizing I’d missed a lot while I’d been captured. I was desperate to know what happened to Reven and how badly he was hurt, but I had to force my worries down., because we still weren’t safe yet.

  “Come on,” Jasin said, taking my elbow.

  “Thank you,” I told Doran. I had so many mixed feelings about my father, but he’d kept his word and brought me to my mates.

  I turned away to follow the others out of the tunnels, but then a cruel voice stopped me in my tracks.

  “I should have known you’d betray us, Doran.”

  7

  Kira

  Sark's broad frame filled the tunnel ahead of us, his black armor gleaming under the firelight. His hateful eyes fell on me. “I remember you now. Nysa sent me to find a girl in a small fishing village in the Water Realm and told me to kill her family and bring her back alive. I took care of the parents, but the girl wasn't there. When I went to look for her, Doran stopped me.” His cruel gaze snapped back to my father. “You told me she was your daughter, a product of a fling with another woman.”

  Doran stared the other Dragon down. “Yes, and I said if you told Nysa about her, I’d tell her about your own discretions, and if you touched one hair on Kira’s head, I'd kill your granddaughter too. The Fire God's priestess, isn't she?”

  My mouth fell open as they argued. Doran had saved my life back then and I'd never known it. Had he been looking out for me all this time without me realizing it? No, I couldn’t believe it.

  “But you lied,” Sark spat. “She's Nysa's daughter.”

  “Yes, but she's still mine.” Doran stepped in front of me. “And I won't let you hurt her.”

  “You fool! We need her. You know that.”

  “Maybe so, but I can't do this any longer.”

  “You think any of us want this?” Sark asked. “I've watched my own daughters die too. None of us likes it, but it has to be done.”

  “Not anymore. It's time this ends. Let her go, and she'll break the cycle. None of our children will have to die again.”

  Sark stepped forward, his voice menacing. “I can't do that.”

  Doran sighed. “I had a feeling you'd say that.”

  His body began to shift and grow, forming scales and wings. “Get Kira out of here,” his dragon voice growled, while his large body filled the tunnel. “I'll hold him off and find you later.”

  Sark had begun to change too, becoming the blood red dragon of my nightmares, while Slade grasped my hand and began to drag me forward.

  “No!” I struggled. I'd only just found my father and begun to realize he might not be the monster I'd thought he was. I had too many questions for him, and now they wanted me to leave him behind to fight the man who had haunted my memories for so long. “With all of us here we can take Sark down for good!”

  “I know you want to fight him, but this isn't the time,” Auric said. “Reven needs you.”

  I blinked at Auric as his words pierced my red veil of anger. Something about the way he said them made me realize things must be even worse than I'd imagined with Reven. And as much as I wanted to stop Sark, I was exhausted and could barely walk, let alone fight. The others looked weary too from fighting the shades. I sensed dull pain in Jasin as well, which meant he also needed healing. As Auric had said, this wasn't the time for this fight. I reluctantly nodded and began to move forward.

  Sark's large red tail slapped down in front of us, blocking our exit and making us jump back. Doran's dragon form wasn't as large but was more agile, and he pounced on top of Sark, knocking him down.

  “Go!” he roared, just before Sark rolled back on top and began to tear at my father with his claws.

  We took off at a run just as fire began to spew from Sark's mouth and an icy chill permeated the air as Doran fought back. As much as I wanted to stay and help my father, I had a duty to my mates and everyone else. I only prayed I would get a chance to speak with Doran again later.

  My mates led me through the dark, musty sewer tunnels, and by the time we emerged we were all drenched and smelling like rotten eggs...or worse. A cart with two horses waited outside, and we climbed into it.

  I made sure my mask was securely fastened as Slade urged the horses forward and the cart began to move through the city. I glanced back and saw the tall spires and black arches of the palace, where I'd been held all this time without even knowing it. The main tower rose high in the center, giving Soulspire its name. That was where the Black Dragon was said to live, at the top of that tower. I shuddered at the memory of the last time she came to see me, when I’d learned her true plan.

  Jasin wrapped an arm around me. “It's okay. You're free now.”

  Auric passed me a blanket, which Jasin helped wrap around me.

  “The things I learned...” My voice trailed off, and all I could do was shake my head. I had to tell them everything Nysa had said, but the horror was still too great to speak it out loud. In time I would be able to tell them, once we were safe and everyone was healed. But not yet. I was still coming to terms with it myself.

  Slade drove the cart through the streets of Soulspire and I gazed about in a daze, taking in the colorful decorations, lively music, and amorous couples. It was hard to believe I'd been trapped in a cage made of bones while all of this joy was going on outside the palace walls. Somewhere in the city Nysa and the other Dragons were making a speech. What would Nysa do when she learned I escaped? Would she hurt Doran?

  I leaned my head on Jasin's shoulder, the weariness finally taking its toll. At first, I worried someone would recognize us, but no one cared about a few dirty looking people in a cart, not with the festival going on all around us. Auric grabbed us a few pieces of meat on a stick, which I greedily ate along with some of the apples and oranges in our cart, and then we pulled up at the gate to exit the city. The guards barely even glanced our way as they waved us through. Slade urge the horses forward, and then we were free. I let out a relieved sigh as we left the city behind.

  8

  Kira

  We traveled by cart for the rest of the day, worried we would be spotted if any of my mates shifted into their Dragon forms. Isen’s golden body flew overhead at one point, but he passed us by without slowing. I watched the sky for the sight of dark blue wings, but never saw them. At least I never saw red ones either.

  While we traveled into the Earth Realm, the others filled me in on everything I’d missed while I’d been held captive. I healed Jasin while snacking on the apples and oranges in the cart to keep my energy high, then took a long nap between him and Auric. I avoided questions about what happened to me during the days I’d been in the bone cage. I wasn’t ready to talk about it yet and would rather wait until Reven could join us for that conversation anyway.

  By the time we stopped to rest for the night, we were all exhausted. Slade found us a cave that would offer us shelter and protection from the Dragons’ eyes, and we spread out inside it and prepared for bed. There was a smaller cave in the back of it, and I foll
owed Slade there once Auric and Jasin had settled down to sleep. I’d noticed that Slade had seemed especially quiet and distant today, and I wanted to make sure he was all right.

  I moved behind him and slid my arms around his strong chest, nuzzling my face against the back of his shoulders. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too,” he said, although his voice was gruffer than normal, and he pulled away from me.

  “What’s wrong?”

  His jaw clenched. “It’s my fault you were kidnapped, and my fault that Reven is injured.”

  “How could that be your fault? The Dragons attacked us, and you defended us the best you could.”

  He stared at the wall of the cave, which had a thin trickle of water running down it. “Reven stayed behind so I could go after you. He sacrificed himself for us, but I failed to save you. When I went after the Dragons, I couldn’t fly. I had to watch them take you away while I stood there, completely useless.”

  I moved beside him and slowly rubbed his back. “We’d just completed the bond only moments before. No one would expect you to be able to fly so soon. It took Jasin some time before he could fly as well.”

  “Only a day. And Auric could do it immediately.”

  “Auric can control wind. He doesn’t even need wings to fly. And Jasin was able to practice on our boat with the ocean around us in case he fell. You tried to fly off a mountain to rescue me the first time you shifted into your dragon form. That’s bravery, not failure.”

  “I doubt Reven would see it that way.”

  I grasped his hands with mine. “Reven would understand. If your places were switched, I know you would.”

  Slade let out a long sigh. “What if I can never fly? I’ll be useless to you as a Dragon.”