by Aria Winter
A forceful gust of wind blows through my cell as I watch a pair of wind dragons fly by outside. That’s when it hits me—this cell is exposed to the elements. I could freeze to death in here if the temperature drops any lower.
How did I go from burning up in the desert to freezing in a cell all in one day? I hate this planet. I mean, I really, really hate it.
A soft noise draws my attention back to the force field. The guard has returned. As if reading my mind, he lowers the barrier just far enough to hand me a thick, furry white robe with an apologetic look on his face.
“Thank you.” I manage a small smile. “Please, can you at least tell Raidyn when he wakes up that it wasn’t my choice to leave him?” I shake my head softly. “He might have brought me here against my will, but he seems like a good guy. He saved me, you know. From one of my own kind.”
Oh, here I go, rambling again. I really need to stop.
The guard’s gaze holds mine for a moment before he bows. He turns and walks out, leaving me alone again.
Chapter 7
Raidyn
Awareness slowly trickles back into my mind as warm air whispers across my scales, soothing away the deep ache in my side. A state of pure warmth and bliss suffuses me. All is right in the world. I have found my fated one and I cannot wait to hold her in my arms.
Extending my arm, I reach for Skye. When the tips of my fingers skate across silken scales, my brow furrows deeply. My mate does not have scales.
I open my eyes, jerking awake to find my personal guard, Tai, leaning over me. I pull my hand back from the dark-gray scales of his forearm.
Blue-green flames lick the surface of my wound as Healer Vonar breathes his healing fire across my injured flesh. I watch in wonder as the torn tissue slowly begins to knit back together. The healing abilities of my Earth Clan brethren are always a sight to behold.
He pauses, his eyes full of concern. “How are you feeling?”
I sit up, twisting slightly to test my wound, satisfied when the movement causes no pain. “Better,” I reply. “Where is my mate?”
I glance around the med center, searching for Skye. I’m troubled when I do not see her.
“Who?” Vonar asks.
Tai seems hesitant.
“Where is the human, Skye? My mate?”
Tai mumbles under his breath, “She was telling the truth after all.”
“What did you say?”
His eyes snap to mine and he quickly bows. When his gaze meets mine again, I read the panic etched into his features. “I—”
“Where is my fated one?” I growl low in my throat.
“We found her standing over you, covered in your blood, my prince. We didn’t know what to do. When we questioned her, she did not understand and—”
“She does not have a translator chip,” I snap. “Where is she?”
“Your father asked us to retrieve her—”
Alarm bursts through me. “My father?”
“Yes, my prince. He inspected her and believed she was lying about how you were injured. He ordered her locked in one of the cells.”
My mouth drifts open in horror. The cells are dangerous for her. The nights have begun to turn colder here lately. Her skin is soft and fragile compared to the scales of my people. I doubt they offer much protection against the cold and the wind.
Panic spikes my blood and I jump up. I hiss as the sudden movement shoots a twinge of pain through my side.
“Take me to her,” I command. “Now!”
Tai immediately turns and leads me toward the cells.
Behind us, Healer Vonar calls, “My prince, your wound is still—”
The rest of his words are lost in the wind as I follow Tai to my mate, praying to the Gods that no harm has befallen her.
“I’m sorry, my prince,” Tai speaks hurriedly over his shoulder. “We did not know what to think when we found her beside your unconscious form.”
“She is my fated one,” I growl. “A gift from the Gods themselves. Besides, females are never to be treated so harshly. They are precious. Even if you’d found her drinking my blood like a cursed Mernin, you should not have thrown her in a cell like a criminal.”
Worry mars his expression as we pause before the door to a long row of cells while he punches in the access code. “Forgive me, my prince.”
I level him with a hard glare. “You should never have listened to my father. You know he hasn’t been the same since my mother died.”
He swallows thickly but says nothing.
Even as the accusation needles him, I realize this is as much my fault as his. Mother’s death broke my father’s mind and I should have challenged his rule long ago, taken my place as King to ensure peace and stability in the Wind Clan. But I did not have the heart to take anything more from my father. Not after all that he lost.
I curl my hands into fists at my side. “Pray she still lives.”
For my sake, as well, I leave unspoken. I will never forgive myself if my mate suffers because I could not be the ruler my Clan needs. We all follow the rule of a broken leader even though I know it is wrong.
Tai shifts nervously, reentering the code to unlock the hallway of cells. A sharp beep and red flashing light draws my attention to the panel as he frowns. “The code is not working.”
Clenching my jaw, I turn my gaze in the direction of the throne room. My father is behind this, I know he is. A rumbling growl escapes my throat as I turn and start down the hallway. My father will pay for mistreating my mate. My vow.
“Where are you going?” Tai calls after me.
“To speak with my father.” I flex my wings as I reach the prison’s exit. I will reach him much faster by flying.
“But your injury, my prince—”
“I am not a fledgling!” I snarl. And it is time my father stopped treating me as such.
As I rush toward the throne room, the two guards stationed on either side of the doors barely have time to throw them open before I push my way inside.
Father’s eyes snap up to meet mine, relief softening his features as he stands. He extends his arms and steps forward as if to embrace me. “Raidyn, my son. Thank the Gods you are well.”
Although it pains me, I move away from his touch. My father loves me more than anything—he always has—but he has become overprotective since I am his only child and last connection to my mother. He loves me to the point of madness. I understand because I miss her too. But I cannot allow his all-consuming obsession with my health and safety to jeopardize my mate.
“Give me the code to the cells.”
His gaze hardens. “No. That female claims one of her kind injured you. They are dangerous.”
“She is my fated one, Father.” I meet his eyes evenly. “You cannot keep her from me.”
His mouth drifts open, dumbstruck. “Your fated one?”
I point to my chest. The glowing fate mark pattern swirls over my scales between my two hearts. “Yes. Now, give me the code.”
He leans forward, his eyes wide and locked on the fated mark. “That fragile creature cannot be your mate.”
I clench my jaw. “First, she is dangerous, and now, she is fragile. Which is it?”
Frustration burns through my veins as I read the indecision in his expression. My father was once a strong leader, decisive and confident. I see now that he is lost beyond recovery.
My gaze darts briefly to Tai, who has caught up to stand beside me. The warriors know my father’s leadership is unreliable and secretly look to me for guidance. I finally realize that we cannot continue in this way. Only one male can be King, and it cannot be the one who occupies the throne in front of me now. Not when we have so much to lose to the Fire Clan if we do not act swiftly.
Instead of answering, he poses another question. “How were you injured? What kind of weapon could pierce your scales?”
“I was in the desert,” I admit. “In Fire Clan territory when I rescued her.”
His brows shoot up to
his forehead. “You broke the treaty?”
I ignore his question. “I believe her people crashed in the desert. I saw a strange light falling from the sky not long ago. That is why I crossed into the Fire Clan lands to investigate. And when I found her, my mate was under attack by one of her kind—a male. I rescued her, but he shot me with an energy discharge weapon, similar to what the Elveron use. He thought I was trying to harm her.”
“There are more?”
I nod. “Prince Varus of the Fire Clan had one with him. He claimed she was his linaya as well. It was my mate’s friend. She claimed this female was taken while scouting an area away from their crash site. We must find the rest of them before the Fire Clan does.”
I point again to the mark on my chest. “This proves she is mine. And this also proves they are compatible with our people. The Gods would not have fated us if it were not so. Others might be blessed to find their fated among her kind, but we must reach them before the Fire Clan does. If they take them, our warriors will never have a chance to find out if they are fated to any other human females.”
He shoots up from his chair. “Then we must free your mate so we can locate the rest. Before the Fire Clan do.”
I blink several times. His moods and his decisions change so quickly, it is hard to keep up. At least for now, he is making sense. “Then, you approve of my mate?”
“I suppose I have no choice,” he says grimly. “She does not appear to be strong, but the Gods do not make mistakes. They would not have paired her to you if she were as weak as she appears.” He looks to Tai and the rest of our guards in the throne room. “We will organize a wing to find the rest of her kind in the desert. We will pair them with our strongest males.”
My brow furrows deeply. “Pair them? You cannot force them to accept a male they do not choose.”
My cousin, Durzain, steps from out of the shadows. “Is that not what the Fire Clan would do if they found the rest of the females first?”
I shake my head. Varus may be many things, but dishonorable is not one of them. “Prince Varus would never do this, nor would his parents, the King and Queen.”
Durzain moves closer to my father and whispers in his ear.
I narrow my eyes. Durzain has always been favored by my father because he is all that is left of my aunt—father’s sister—after she died of the plague. But Durzain, unfortunately, is not an honorable male. I’ve told Father this, but he refuses to believe it.
And now, I wonder what Durzain is whispering in Father’s ear.
Father’s eyes turn to me. “Your cousin agrees with me. We should find the females and pair them with our strongest males. Who knows? If you have found your fated among them, there may be many others as you’ve suggested.”
Durzain looks to me. “We will, of course, have to kill their males since they are so aggressive they are a danger even to their own kind, as you have witnessed for yourself.”
With an imperceptible clench of my jaw, I address him firmly. “We cannot hold the rest accountable for the actions of one.”
“No.” Father slashes his arm in front of his chest. “They are dangerous. One of their males tried to kill you. I will not allow them to live if they are so dangerous. I won’t risk your life, my son.”
Frustration burns through me. “You think their females will be eager to bond with us if we start killing their people? If we force them to choose a mate before they are ready to even decide such a thing?”
Father and Durzain look at me but say nothing. They know I am right.
I continue. “We would never force a Drakarian female to make a choice. In our culture, the females choose when they are ready. They are not presented with several males and told they have to choose one right then. That is never how it is done, so why would we think it all right to do such a thing to the humans?”
Durzain scoffs. “I have seen your female. Unfortunately, their kind are weak. They should be grateful that our warriors are even willing to bond with them and offer them protection. Why would they refuse something that is so obviously in their favor?”
I level an icy glare at him. “I will not stand by and allow this to happen. It is dishonorable and you know it.” I turn to my father. “That you would even consider this shows me that you are no longer fit to rule our Clan.”
A deep rumble rises in my father’s chest. “I am King! You do not tell me what I can and cannot do. Now, go and retrieve your female. Bring her before me and we will organize a wing to locate the rest of the humans and bring them back here.”
Durzain whispers in his ear again and Father looks to me. “Are you loyal to me or not?” he asks. “You are my son, and if you are to become heir, I must be able to trust you.”
His words are a blade in my heart. Never has my father questioned my loyalty. Before this moment, I always knew without a doubt that he loved me above all else. Now, I realize that his madness has damaged not only his mind but his hearts as well. Durzain has taken advantage of this and poisoned him against me.
“I will bring my mate to you in the morning,” I bow. “But first, I must make certain she is well rested and fed. Now, give me the code to the cells.”
With a heavy sigh, Father gives me the sequence to free my mate.
Without another word, I turn and leave. I can hardly wait to free Skye from her cell. Anger fills me that she was even there in the first place, but I do not mention it now. No, I must make it seem as though I am going along with Father and Durzain’s plans.
I will try to speak with Father alone later on, when Durzain is not around. If we are to bring the females here, it must be with the understanding that they have the same rights as our people. The females choose in their own time who they wish to take as mates. We should not present them with “eligible” males and then tell them that they must choose right then and there. That is simply not done and it should never be this way.
Chapter 8
Skye
Desperate for warmth, I tuck my nose under the blanket. With my back to the wall and my legs pulled up to my chest, I’m wrapped in a cocoon of fabric, but I still feel ice cold in here. And the temperature is dropping now that the sun has set.
Who knew I’d be missing the desert after complaining all week about the blistering heat?
I wonder morosely what happened to Raidyn. To think I started to fall for his romantic words and near-poetic declarations. For a moment, I felt like I was living through a fantasy romance in real life. Except in this one, the prince and the dragon are one and the same.
Raidyn insisted that women were worshipped and treasured in his Clan, but as my gaze sweeps over what passes for my accommodations here, I’m pretty sure he was loopy from blood loss when he said so.
I’m reminded of the time Travis took me on a date and got drunk at dinner. He started spouting romantic lines about undying love. Luckily, I didn’t sleep with him, because the next day, he didn’t remember any of it. It had just been the alcohol talking.
My heart is heavy as my thoughts turn to my best friend. How could I have let Lilly go off on her own? I’d been so lost in grief over my brother that I wasn’t thinking straight. I’ve been numb to the world since we crashed.
Part of me wished I had died with my brother, though I realize now, that was a product of the grief trying to take hold of me. I became lost in my sadness and that cost me my best friend. She’s like a sister to me and I’ll die if anything happens to her. I have to find her. I can’t give up yet.
“Let me out of here!” I cry, my voice echoing through the cell. “Please!”
The only answer is the wind howling outside.
Talons scrape the floor behind me, followed by a low growl. I turn to find three dragon guys stomping toward me. I’m so cold, I can barely speak as I peel the blanket away from my frozen face. Although I can barely see anything through the darkness, I muster an indignant glare.
“If you’re here to kill me, you should know I won’t go down easily. So, do your worst,�
�� I grind out. I’m sure I would sound more convincing if my teeth weren’t chattering so loudly.
One of the alien men rushes into the cells and drops to his knees before me. These guys have lethal claws and fangs. Despite my bravado only a second ago, I close my eyes, waiting for the death blow that I just know is coming.
He grasps my chin in a firm grip and my eyes fly open, finally recognizing Raidyn. Panic and concern are written across his features. “Are you hurt?” He pulls the blanket off my form. “Tell me.”
I’m surprised at how happy I am to see that he’s all right. But I can barely stand the cold. I grip the edge of the blanket tightly, trying to pull the fabric back around me. “I’m freezing to death.” I smack at his hand, still angry that he brought me here in the first place and I’m about to die of hypothermia. “No thanks to you!”
He seems distraught as he wraps his arms around me. Tugging me close to his chest, he runs his hand over my hair. “You will not die, my mate. I will keep you warm. My vow.” He spreads his wings to wrap them around me as well. He’s so large that his massive form practically swallows mine.
And just like that, the romantic in me melts, both at his declaration and at the tenderness of his actions as he embraces me like I’m the most precious thing in the world to him.
At first, I consider struggling, but he’s so warm and I’ve been so cold for the past few hours that I can’t stop myself from nestling into his chest. He rests his chin on the top of my head and runs a hand reassuringly down my back. Almost immediately, I stop shivering as I curl into him.
“You’re not going to let anyone kill me?” I whisper.
“No one will hurt you. I will not allow anyone to cause you harm.” His voice is a low, soft rumble, comforting like a soothing balm over my panicked nerves. For some reason, I believe him. Though I don’t understand why, he makes me feel safe, and right now I’m too exhausted to question the impulse.
He stands, lifting me against his chest. He carries me, bridal style, out of the cell and down the hallway as if I weigh nothing. It’s only now that I notice one of the guards from earlier who brought me the blanket. The one with the dark gray scales. I look over at him. “Thanks for the blanket, but I still don’t forgive you for locking me up.”
