Scales and Flames

by Catherine Banks

  “Hungry?” Kian asked.

  “No, I’m just tired. I think I’m going to take a nap.”

  “Use my cabin,” he said.

  I looked at him. “Why?”

  “I’ll feel better knowing you’re in there. It’s the safest place for you.”

  I would have argued, but I was too tired. “Fine, lead the way.”

  He led me to his cabin, which turned out to be the one to the right of Dillon’s.

  Kian’s room was empty, like Dillon’s. Did they not own any personal items? Were they poor?

  “I’m the only one with a key, so feel free to lock the door,” Kian said.

  He started to leave, but I grabbed his forearm. “Would you mind sitting with me for a bit?”

  He nodded.

  I slipped off my shoes, climbed into the bed, then tensed as he pulled up the blankets to cover me. He sat cross-legged on the edge of the mattress, facing away from me.

  Normally, having a male I barely knew near me while I slept would have made me nervous. Kian made me feel protected, though.

  I closed my eyes and slept, knowing he would keep me safe.

  The ship docked at Dunham, and everyone, except Kian and I, walked down the ramp to the dock.

  When Quinn was preparing to leave, he turned and glared at me. “Stay on the ship,” he ordered me.

  I smiled sweetly and said, “Yes, sir.”

  His glared deepened and his left eye twitched before he finally left.

  “Asshole,” I muttered and stormed to the helm.

  “He’ll warm up to you,” Kian assured me.

  Not likely. Ever since that night, he’d treated me like I had the plague and even looking at me might spread it.

  Dillon had given me a few more books to read about dragons, and I ended up asking him to read them to me. His gaze had softened when I explained I couldn’t read and he had agreed to read them to me. I couldn’t believe how much Mom hadn’t told me. Dillon spent every night the past week answering all of my questions and trying to explain etiquette.

  “Did something happen between you and Quinn?” Kian asked.

  As my marked, I was supposed to share everything with him. But, I knew this was one thing I could not share.

  “Nothing important,” I answered. “But, I did hear two of your friends debating getting rid of me,” I admitted. “They seemed sure that you would get over it quickly.”

  “Who?” Kian asked, his nostrils flared and smoke spilled from them.

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. It was the first night I arrived, and since they didn’t do anything, I wasn’t going to mention it. But, since you asked…”

  He tilted his head back, staring at the sky and growled. “You need to tell me things like this.”

  “They’re your friends. I didn’t want to cause a rift when they were probably just venting.”

  Total lie, but he didn’t need to know I had really been scared he would side with them.

  “Maybe it would be best if I—”

  My words were cut off by a draconian’s roar.

  Kian and I looked up as a draconian dropped onto the boat. He looked familiar…

  Shit! It was Stian.

  I tried to move forward, but Kian pushed me back.

  “What do you want?” Kian asked.

  Stian shifted and looked at me. “Are you alright?”

  I couldn’t really answer that without explaining about my wings being cut.

  “She’s not your concern,” Kian growled. “You’re on my ship. Leave.”

  “Come,” Stian said. “I’ve been searching all over for you. What happened to you? The queen is worried sick.”

  “Why would the queen be worried about her?” Quinn asked as he came back onto the boat. What was he doing here? He’d left only a few moments before.

  Stian scowled. “Aideen, what is going on? Why are you with these pirates?”

  “You’re not taking her back. She shouldn’t be forced to sacrifice herself so the royals can be safe,” Kian growled.

  “I won’t let that happen,” Stian said.

  “You think you can disobey the royals?” Quinn asked and scoffed. “How brainwashed are you guards?”

  “Enough!” I snapped. I pushed around Kian and started to walk to Stian, but Kian grabbed my arm.

  “No,” he said.

  “I have to go. Or, the royals will target you and your crew,” I said, then looked at Quinn who met my eyes. I pleaded with him silently to understand and help me.

  “If she wants to return to them, let her,” Quinn sneered.

  Kian spun to him. “I’m hers. Don’t you get that? You should help me.”

  “She doesn’t belong here,” Quinn said.

  My chest constricted at his words, and I staggered forward. How could words cause such pain?

  Quinn grabbed Kian and nodded at me. “Go.”

  I nodded once, then ran to Stian. “I can’t fly.”

  He shifted and I leapt onto his back without hesitation.

  Kian shifted, but Quinn was stronger and held him back.

  Stian flew back towards Priok, while I lay on his back, fighting to hold in the tears over males I barely knew.

  Why? Why was it painful to leave them?

  Stian flew for most of the day, then dropped gently onto an island. After I climbed off, he shifted and before I could object, spun me and lifted my shirt to see the damage.

  “Who?” he demanded.

  “Some pirates. Not the ones you met, human ones.”

  “What happened?”

  I readjusted my shirt, then remembered I could shift clothes now, and gave myself a new set of pants and a snug shirt.

  “I was flying to clear my head. I was so preoccupied I didn’t see or hear the humans until they had a net around me. One touched my back and did that. The pirates you met rescued me from them.”

  “They don’t know you are a royal, do they?”

  I looked at him in disbelief. “Why do you ask that?”

  “Quinn hates royals. If he knew who you were, he would have killed you.”

  “You know them?”

  He nodded. “Quinn was a trainee with me.”

  “What? When? Why did he leave?”

  Stian sat, then lay on his back with his eyes closed. “When your mother disappeared and Queen Bera took over, he was certain Queen Bera had done something to your mother. And, his father died in the same battle yours did. Quinn said he realized after being in the training that the royals didn’t care for the guards. That we were just pawns, minions, and he refused to be at their disposal.”

  I could understand his feelings, but wouldn’t he be able to understand that I wasn’t the same as them?

  “Give me an hour to rest, and then I’ll fly us the rest of the way,” Stian said.

  I hid the mark on my hand and vowed not to show anyone in Priok.

  Queen Bera embraced me tightly with tears in the corners of her eyes. “I was so scared something had happened to you.”

  Her reaction and emotions seemed sincere. I felt bad for thinking she was a bad person. For letting the pirates jade me.

  “Thank you. I’m fine,” I assured her.

  “We must ensure you’re safe!” she said. “Lars.”

  Lars was her personal guard. He was a massive draconian in both forms.

  “Take her to her new quarters,” Queen Bera said.

  “I appreciate your worry, but I don’t think—”

  “Nonsense,” she snapped. “Lars, take her.”

  Stian started to approach, but King Afi stepped between us. “I need you to debrief me.”

  Stian and my gaze met, and we both knew something was wrong. Without my wings, I was unable to fight them, and Stian couldn’t take them all on.

  I motioned at him with my hand, discreetly, and he nodded.

  “Lead the way,” I told Lars with a warm smile.

  We wound our way through several passages I didn’t recognize, then Lars grab
bed my arms and snapped metal restraints on.

  “Sorry, but I serve Queen Bera,” he said.

  “Your fake queen seems a bit unstable if she’s forcing you to restrain a defenseless girl,” I said. “Or, she has no faith in your abilities.”

  He didn’t rise to my bait, and simply pushed me down to the dungeons. It smelled awful and was too dark for even my dragon eyes to make out much.

  He pushed me into a cell, released my hands, then slammed a stone door shut before I could grab him.

  “Coward!” I yelled, but my words echoed off of the empty walls of the dungeons.

  I crouched and leaned against the stone wall of my cell. Quinn had been right after all. If she had anything to do with my father’s death, I would kill them all and burn the castle to the ground.

  Hours later, Lars returned and slid a tray of food through a slot in the door, inside my cell.

  “Probably poisoned,” I scoffed.

  “If she wanted you dead, I would have killed you already,” Lars said. His tone wasn’t harsh or cruel, simply matter of fact.

  “Right, she needs me for when the demons return. Maybe we deserve to die. Let them eradicate draconians,” I growled.

  Despite being pretty sure Lars was right and Queen Bera wouldn’t poison me, I didn’t eat the food. I drank the water, then slid the tray back out of my cell.

  Several days later, Queen Bera stood outside my cell. I was lightheaded from lack of food and felt cold.

  “Have you figured out how to defeat the demons?” she asked.

  “No, I’ve been much more focused on figuring out exactly how I’m going to kill you. It has to be painful, long, and yet ensure no one has time to save you before I watch the light fade from your eyes.”

  Lars growled, but she silenced him.

  “This is for the benefit of the kingdom. Putting a new queen in power would cause unrest. We can’t afford that while the demons prepare to return.”

  “I told you. I don’t want to be queen!” I snapped.

  “You say that now, but you’re like your mother, too pure and good to do what’s truly good for the kingdom. Sometimes you must sacrifice a few for the masses.”

  “Is that what you told my father when you murdered him?” I asked.

  “It wasn’t me that murdered him,” she said.

  “No, just your minion doing your bidding,” I guessed.

  She laughed and walked away.

  Soon. I would kill her as soon as my wings were healed.

  “Quinn was right. Royals are trash,” I muttered.

  “I’m always right,” Quinn said.

  I leapt to my feet and gasped.

  Quinn walked forward from the back wall of my cell. He smiled, then when he was close enough to get a good look at me, said, “You look like crap.”

  I glared at him. “What are you doing here? You wanted me gone, so I left.”

  He sighed. “Well, Kian wouldn’t stop trying to head off on a suicide mission to try to save you. So, I told him I would come get you.”

  “Why not tell him you came too late and I’m dead? You seem to be a pretty great liar,” I said.

  He moved in one blink, standing before me in the next. I raised my hands in defense, but he grabbed my wrists and raised them above my head. “No touching, Princess.”

  “Stop calling me that,” I growled and felt my fangs elongate. I was so hungry. So cold.

  He searched my face, then stepped closer, leaning his body into mine.

  I gasped at how hot he was and tried to wiggle free.

  “Shit, you’re way too cold. How long has it been since you’ve eaten?” he asked.

  “Since I ate lunch on the ship before you docked at Dunham.”

  He growled. “That was a week ago.”

  I shrugged, which was an awkward movement with my hands still held above my head.

  “Leave me here, Quinn. I have a score to settle with these ‘royals,’” I snapped and tried to free myself, but he didn’t budge.

  “I can’t. Kian can still feel that you’re alive and he will kill himself to find you. It’s part of the curse of being marked.”

  “I didn’t do it on purpose!” I yelled at him. “I already apologized! What more do you want from me?”

  “Tell me who you are,” he said.

  “I’m no one. I’m an orphan who has an ability Queen Bera wants to use. She wants me to sacrifice myself for the kingdom. I’m just a pawn to her.”

  He knew I wasn’t answering his question, but something about my answer satisfied him.

  He nodded. “To them, we are all pawns. Come, we need to leave.”

  “I need to stay and—”

  “You’re dying. You’re colder than a human. If you stay here, you’ll die and accomplish nothing. Come with me and together we will bring them down.”

  “Together?” I asked softly.

  He smirked. “Someone can’t stop imagining me naked.”

  I scoffed. “I don’t have to imagine it. I saw it, remember?”

  His smirk stayed in place.

  “Fine, let’s go.”

  A noise caught our attention and he released me and disappeared into the shadows of the cell.

  “Eat,” Lars ordered and pushed the tray inside my cell.

  “Was it you?” I asked. “Did you kill my father?”

  I could guess Quinn was probably irritated I was talking to Lars instead of letting him leave so we could escape, but I needed to know.

  “No, King Afi killed your father,” Lars said, then left without another word.

  Quinn wrapped his hand around my wrist. “Come on.”

  I nodded and followed him through a hole in the cell big enough for us to crawl through, into a tunnel of dirt, and out onto a small beach.

  I felt numb. The sunlight blinded me and I threw my arms up over my face.

  “Get on,” Quinn ordered me.

  I opened my eyes slowly, and blinked a few times before recognizing Dillon. I climbed onto Dillon’s back and the three of us flew out over the ocean.

  Dillon must have heard the sound of the net launcher, because he swerved to avoid it.

  I hadn’t heard it, or been prepared for his maneuver, and fell off him.

  King Afi grabbed me and flew back towards the castle. “You’re not going anywhere,” he growled.

  Even without wings, I still had fists.

  I punched him in the throat as hard as I could. He dropped me to grasp his throat.

  I fell towards the beach and wondered if Kian would feel pain at my death.

  Quinn grabbed me and sighed. “You are way too much trouble. No one is worth this much trouble.”

  My cold body was now going numb. “Sh-shut up,” I managed to say through my barely movable lips.

  “Quinn!” King Afi called. “Give her back.”

  Quinn turned and glared at King Afi. “No. She’ll not be another pawn for you and the bitch you serve!”

  “You don’t understand. She’s—”

  “She’s under my protection!” Quinn yelled. “And I won’t let you kill another defenseless female for your own greed.”

  “Without her, we will all die,” King Afi said. “She’s the key to defeating the Demon King.”

  “That’s what you said about Queen Shelene, yet you killed her marked and weakened her while she was fighting the demons. All so your marked could steal the throne.”

  “You’ll have a price on your head,” King Afi said.

  Quinn smirked. “I already do.”

  Quinn and Dillon flew away, leaving King Afi dumbfounded.

  “Wh-why didn’t he f-fight you?” I asked.

  King Afi had just hovered and tried to convince Quinn to give me up.

  “Because he knows he couldn’t win,” Quinn said simply. “He couldn’t defeat my father and he wouldn’t be able to defeat me either.”

  I leaned my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. “Th-thank you.”

  He growled. “Stay a
wake. I need you alive when I deliver you to Kian.”

  My lips wouldn’t move this time. The sound of the wind against my ear drowned out all else, except one thing, Quinn’s heartbeat, as I faded into sleep.

  Something pinched my forearm, jolting my eyes open.

  Quinn’s eyes met mine. His lips moved, but I heard no noise.

  Kian rushed across the deck of the ship as we landed. His mouth moved too, but still there was no noise.

  Kian held my face between his hands and said something with a pinched expression. Was he in pain?

  There was some shuffling, then sleep took me again.

  Five

  I had always wanted a full body pillow but had never found one. The one I cuddled with now was not only comfortable, but also warm.

  I snuggled it closer and the pillow chuckled beneath my ear. Sitting up, I stared in horror at Kian lying, shirtless, on the bed with his arms behind his head. Even more embarrassing was turning to find Dillon, also shirtless, behind me.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  Kian sat up and rested his hand on my forehead. “She feels normal.”

  “Pity, I quite enjoyed this,” Dillon said and climbed out.

  “What happened?” I asked Kian.

  His eyes darkened and he lowered his hand to the bed. “When Quinn brought you back, you were dying. Your skin was as cold as ice. We had to rotate lying with you to warm you up.”

  “How long was I asleep?”

  “Three days.”

  My mouth dropped open.

  “We had to force you to drink nutrients and healing potions while you slept. We almost lost you,” he said.

  “Would it hurt you, physically, if I died?” I asked softly.

  He tilted my chin up until I met his eyes. “You’re not going to die.”

  “I need to know, Kian.”

  “Yes, it hurts when your marked dies. If I die, it will hurt you, but not as much as you dying would hurt me,” he answered.

  The more marked you had, the stronger your group. Was that the key to defeating the demons? If I could get enough power from having marked, maybe I could defeat them.

  “That’s it,” I whispered. I looked at Kian. “I need more marked.”

  His lip twitched. “What?”

  “In order to defeat the demons, I need more power. Unless I find more power from an external source, I’m going to end up using my soul.”