Scorned: Book 3 (Valkyrie Academy Dragon Alliance)

by Katrina Cope

  Contents

  Valkyrie Academy Dragon Alliance Books

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Free Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Acknowledgments

  Newsletter & Updates

  Your Thoughts

  Books by Katrina Cope

  About the Author

  VALKYRIE ACADEMY DRAGON ALLIANCE

  BOOKS

  Marked (Prequel-Newsletter exclusive)

  Chosen

  Vanished

  Scorned

  Inflicted

  Empowered

  Ambushed

  Cosy Burrow Books

  VALKYRIE ACADEMY DRAGON ALLIANCE

  Book Three

  SCORNED

  KATRINA COPE

  Copyright

  Scorned

  Ebook first published in USA in September 2019 by Cosy Burrow Books

  Ebook first published in Great Britain in September 2019 by Cosy Burrow Books

  www.katrinacopebooks.com

  Text Copyright © 2019 by Katrina Cope

  Cover Design Copyright © art4artists.com.au/

  The moral right of Katrina Cope to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted

  All rights reserved

  No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references or suggestions herein to actual historical events, real people or actual locations are fictitious. All names, characterisations, locations, incidents, and fabrications are solely the product of the author’s imagination, and any, and all, resemblance to actual persons alive or dead or locations or events is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Cosy Burrow Books

  All rights reserved

  ASIN: B07VR7MDX5

  ISBN: 978-0-6486613-2-0

  Colin & Glenys ~ Thank you for the peace you supplied (with a view)

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  - CHAPTER ONE -

  Wind thrums against my face, and I twist my head to the side to relieve my eardrums from the consistent pressure and noise. A frustrated groan carries across the void of land. Gazing over my shoulder and down the golden scales on the back of the dragon, I focus on the point we left behind. Even in the distance, I can see Odin’s open mouth as he yells his disapproval. I’ve really done it this time.

  I look back to Eir, and guilt rocks me to my core. I hope I haven’t doomed her as well. I hadn’t been thinking when I grabbed her arm to leave with me—it was a-spur-of-the-moment decision. My thoughts were only on removing everyone I cared about from the immediate threat.

  I face front, and the wind blows noisily against my eardrums again. Goose bumps prickle down my arms and back as Elan takes us higher. The mountains shrink below, and crisp air fills my lungs as we rise and fall with the rhythm of Elan’s wings.

  On the left, far into the distance, Hildr rides her dragon. I hope that her actions and the timing of Odin’s visit haven’t endangered her too. She was only supposed to be going for a short flight then returning Drogon to his enclosure. The timing of Odin’s appearance had spoiled the sneaky first flight. No one was meant to know that the dragon had left his stall. This could jeopardize the alliance with the dragons if Odin decides to rule it a breakaway. I contemplate what our next move should be.

  The monotonous drone of the flapping wings calms my nerves, and I breathe in the crisp air only to have the calmness ripped away when Elan suddenly nosedives toward the ground. Eir presses her head into my back and clasps her arms around my waist more securely as I bring my legs forward and hook them around Elan’s neck.

  “What are you doing, Elan?” My words fall slightly short of a scream.

  She peers over her shoulder at me, and I glimpse amusement in her eye. Stop stressing! I've got you.

  My eyes are leaking tears from the pressure of the wind. “Yeah, but a little warning would be nice. And besides, there are two of us. It’s a little harder to catch two of us if you fling us off your back,” I retort.

  She rolls her eyes. Then you will just have to get working on the saddle, won’t you? I'm not going to let you fall. You should have more faith in me. I'm great at catching. She swerves off her path as if to prove a point. You should know that. I have caught you a few times.

  “It still doesn’t put me at ease,” I say through clenched teeth.

  You stress way too much. Have a little faith in your dragon. Elan sounds upbeat as usual—at times, it borders on annoying, and at the moment, it’s leaning that way. My future—and possibly my friends’ future—at the academy is at stake, all because I rescued Elan. If I had to relive my actions, I wouldn’t have done anything differently. It doesn’t stop me worrying, though.

  I glance over my shoulder but can no longer see the stalls or the academy through the mountains that stand in the way. A small jolt rocks through Elan’s body as she softly lands on the ground. Hildr’s dragon circles a few moments later then lands next to us. I kick my leg over Elan’s neck and slide down from her side, hearing a thump behind me as Eir follows.

  Hildr’s face beams from her flight, yet traces of worry crease her expression. “Odin’s timing stinks!” she says. She pets Drogon gently on the nose, and the dragon nestles his chin into her hand—their bond grew stronger during the short flight. He sits on his haunches, and I notice that the swelling and redness of his injury is clearing, and the weeping has reduced. “What are we going to do?” Hildr’s face puckers into a frown. “Eir and I had nothing to do with helping Elan escape. Although I completely support you in your actions. And I wasn’t taking Drogon. I was only borrowing him for a quick flight before returning him until I needed him again.” She crosses her arms. “Odin couldn’t have chosen a more inconvenient time to come.”

  “I know. I’m sorry that you’ve been dragged into this. They were quick to chase me. They must’ve discovered Elan’s absence in no time at all. I didn’t think they would miss one dragon from the dungeon that quickly.” I move back and prop myself against Elan’s side. Her scales warm my back.

  Perhaps it was that unconscious guard. Maybe he woke up and saw that he was alone in the dragon cell, and he alerted everyone else, Elan says. Maybe I should’ve knocked him harder.

  I gasp. “Elan!”

  Oh, don’t get your tail all twisted. I’m kidding. You saw how I reacted to hurting him. I don’t like hurting people. Besides, he ran into my tail, remember?

  “Aha,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. “You seemed to be having a lot of fun back there, acting like a big bad dragon.”

  Oh, I was. Her front feet shuffle with excitement.

  I glance at Eir and notice that she looks pale. “Are you okay, Eir?”

  She nods with a vacant expression, staring over the wastelands. “Yeah. I’m just worried about what to do next.” She pauses and twists one of her wavy light-brown locks. “Actually, I’m more worried about what Odin will do to you.” Her brow pushes together in a frown, and she looks at me. “Hildr and I can go back at any time. We had nothing to do with Elan’s breakout. And Odin’s
reasonable, right?”

  I can’t help but laugh. “Um, not that I’ve seen. I would be more likely to class him as unreasonable unless you can somehow manage to get him to see your way. It’s something I haven’t yet achieved.”

  “It’s not like Hildr and I have done anything wrong. She took a dragon for a flight, but she was going to return him.”

  “Odin is not a peacemaker like you are,” I say, “although the dragon does have to go back to the stall.”

  Drogon stomps his foot and shakes his horn-covered head. I don't want to go back to my stall.

  “But you have to.” I push off Elan’s back and stand in front of him.

  But I don't want to. He stomps the other foot. The food in there is disgusting, and I shouldn't be held captive.

  “How is the food disgusting?” I raise an eyebrow at him.

  They give us meat that is already dead and cut up. It’s not fresh and running around.

  Eir screws up her nose in disgust then turns the other way.

  You have to return, Drogon. Elan pushes her shoulders back and uncoils her wings, giving off the impression that she is larger.

  Drogon plunks himself on his backside, and a deep frown sets on his face. Why?

  Because it is part of the alliance. If you don’t go back, then you can disrupt the treaty, and it could cause a war between the Valkyries and the dragons again. We could lose many. You don’t want that on your conscience for the rest of your life, Elan says, her golden-brown eyes flooding with compassion and sympathy.

  But I don't want to. Drogon’s bottom lip protrudes and droops slightly.

  Elan stands on all four feet and towers over him. She huffs, and tendrils of smoke escape her nostrils. You made a promise to me that you would go back. You have had your fun, and now you will go back. That is an order. Elan’s voice booms with authority, and I almost mistake her for her mother again.

  Drogon’s large brown head tilts forward, and his gaze falls to the ground as his front legs crumple in an act of submission. Yes, Elan. I will go back.

  Elan sits back down and folds her wings. Good.

  I am dumbfounded. It is the first serious act of aggression and authority that I have seen from Elan, and this time, there was no bluffing. It’s as though she is the commander of her soldiers. I know she is a higher ranked dragon, but it’s strange to see, given that she is usually cheerful and happy.

  Hildr looks from dragon to dragon and scratches her fingers through her spiky red hair. “Clearly, I have to take Drogon back to the stalls and tie him up again. This will risk exposure to Odin, anyway.” She turns to Eir. “I think you should come with me. We’ll try and talk our way out of this. Perhaps we can convince Odin that you were on my dragon, not Elan.”

  “That’s going to be dangerous, Hildr,” I say.

  She touches her hand to the hilt of her sword. “It’s a challenge that I am willing to take. I could never cower from danger. We will work this out. After all, I am returning the dragon. The most punishment I expect is a slap on the wrist. As for you, I don’t know what they would do. I don’t think it will be safe for you to return until things settle down. When that happens, I’ll come and find you.”

  “Where will you go?” Eir asks me with a strange mixture of worry and contentment.

  You can come with me to the wastelands.

  I never thought I would hear that said in such a cheerful voice. Then again, I didn’t expect anything else from Elan.

  “The dragon wastelands?” I ask.

  Of course. Where else would I take you?

  “Will I be safe there?” I fiddle with the strap of my quiver that lies across my chest.

  Elan pushes her mouth to one side, looking thoughtful. To be honest, I have no idea. But I will protect you.

  “But you’re only one dragon in how many?”

  A lot. But don't worry. I'm tough. She pulls back her lips, exposes her teeth, and growls.

  My mouth twitches up at the side. “For some reason, that doesn’t put me at ease.”

  - CHAPTER TWO -

  A knot twists deep in my stomach as I watch Hildr and Eir take off on the back of Drogon. The dragon has managed to hone his flying skills most of the time, although occasionally, he still tosses his passengers. I grit my teeth as Eir flops from one side to the other, but eventually, Drogon learns to correct himself and catches her. Eir wraps her arms around Hildr and straightens her back. A deep sadness fills her face as she glances over her shoulder at me, causing the strings to pull tighter on the knot in my stomach. I can tell she is concerned about my safety more than her own.

  I don’t know what my future holds. I hope that I can work my way out of this and back into the Valkyrie world, where I can prove the worth of all the wingless Valkyries. As I watch my friends disappear over the horizon, the urgency overwhelms me, but first, I have to learn how to survive in the wastelands.

  I hope that Hildr and Eir are accepted back to the academy, even if it is not with open arms.

  Elan dips down, and I climb on her back, encircling her neck, yanking my legs over the top of her, then hooking my heels into her sides. As I do this, the arrows knock around in their quiver, reminding me of their existence. In all the hurry and excitement, I’d forgotten that I had slung them over my back before I raced to see if I could get to Midgard. The reaction is so ingrained in me from my training that I don’t need to think about it. I reach around the back of my neck with one hand. My fingers brush the hilt of my sword, and I breathe a sigh of relief. It is secured between the quiver and my back. They may not be much, but at least I’m not entirely defenseless.

  I hook my arms around Elan’s neck again. “Let’s do this.”

  Elan pushes off the ground and takes to the air. The chilliness of the air stirs up my anxiety. I haven’t been to the dragon wastelands since the day I rescued Elan’s egg. I had run so far that day purely by coincidence, and I’m glad I did—I saved the eggs of that nest. I survived that day in the wastelands dominated by the dragons, but that was only against one dragon. Elan’s mother had made it clear that she would not spare me if she found me out there again.

  We fly in silence. The wind blows against my ears, blocking out the consistent beat of Elan’s flapping wings. The chill of the air raises goose bumps on my skin. I didn’t realize that dragons could reach such a high altitude when they fly.

  I can hear your brain ticking over. What are you think and about? Elan’s cheerful voice, in stark contrast to how I am feeling, pierces my head, distracting me from the thrumming in my ears.

  I expel a breath. “How can you be so lighthearted? So much is weighing on my shoulders right now. I don’t have a home to go to, and I have to stay among dragons who may eat me. I’m worried.”

  So you should be. She peers over her shoulders, and I spot humor in her eyes.

  “That’s not funny. It is quite serious.” I glower at Elan.

  I know. But you can't worry about everything. Just take it one step at a time. She remains frustratingly cheerful.

  I poke her under her scales, trying to find some softer skin. I know that she is right, but it doesn’t make it any less irritating. “Since when did you get so wise? You’re not even a fraction of my age, and you seem to know so much.”

  Ah. So we’re trying sarcasm now, are we? That's okay. I know I'm smart for my age. She smirks.

  I roll my eyes. A deep chill encases my arms, and I shiver.

  Are you cold? The smirk has left her face.

  “Freezing, actually. This Valkyrie uniform is sleeveless.” I look down at my leather pants. “At least my pants are long.”

  She tilts her head and looks at me again. Your goose bumps are bigger than your eyes.

  “I know. I’m the one experiencing them.”

  She shakes her head. You’ll have to do something about that.

  “And a saddle, remember? I’m only just hanging on here. I’m surprised I’m not warm from the effort.” I pull myself forward and hook my legs
around her neck. “My arms are exhausted.”

  Elan dips, pulling us out of the clouds. On the ground below, I recognize the small spot where I had stood that day when I faced the creature who was trying to steal Elan’s egg, who had scratched me in the process and left me with the large scar on my shoulder. This is the place where I had saved Elan and her siblings and stopped Elan’s egg rolling off the cliff.

  See anything familiar?

  “Yes, I do. How close is your nest to the other dragons?”

  It’s not too far. I’ll show you when we land. She tilts up her wings, and we drop elevation quickly. As her feet hit the earth, her body rocks with a small thud, and she kneels close to the ground. I don’t see any other dragons, and I flick my legs to one side and slide down her scales off her back. It’s incredible how different the ground is here in comparison to the area around the academy, even though we’re not that far away. I move around Elan, searching the area and taking in the scenery. Dragon eggshells are scattered across the ground, and they crunch under my feet.

  I look at Elan. “Are these your dragon eggshells? I would have thought that your eggshells would have disintegrated by now.”

  Oh, mine has. These are from my younger siblings.

  My mouth drops open. “You have more siblings?”

  Well, yeah. Dragons lay eggs at least once a year. Mother's been busy trying to repopulate our kind. She's been doing a good job too.

  “Except it has captured Odin’s attention, now that she is producing more than one egg a year, and that’s why he’s demanding that he has one of your breed every year.”

  He can stick it where the scales don’t grow! He’s not getting me or any of my siblings. There aren't many female dragons at reproducing age, and it isn’t in the alliance contract. She thumps her tail against the ground. And Mother would never approve it.