by Bianca D'Arc
Her hair would probably be a deep, blazing auburn if it were healthy. Even under her pallor and the sad state of her clothing, it shone with reddish highlights, very much like her sister’s. She was the same height as well and had similar bone structure, though this woman’s features stood out much too prominently, her body mere skin and bones.
She stirred in his arms as if she felt his close study and her eyes opened. Nico caught his breath, knowing this poor girl was the reason he’d come to Skithdron. When he thought his mission utterly failed, she’d come to him as if the Mother of All had brought them together.
And indeed, perhaps She had. Nico had no other explanation for the set of dire circumstances that had led him directly to the girl. She blinked and tried to move away but Nico held her firmly, though not harshly, his gaze gently questioning.
“Arikia?” He breathed her name, watching reaction jolt through her. She recognized the name, he felt it immediately from the tremor in her spine. His quest was at an end.
“How do you know my name?” Her whispered words tugged at Nico’s heart. This was the first time he’d heard her speak, and the sound of her quiet voice lanced through him.
“I came to Skithdron looking for you. Your sisters Alania and Belora, as well as your mother Adora, were recently found and reunited. They miss you, Riki.”
Tears flooded her eyes and he pulled her gently closer, raising one manacled hand to soothe the hair back from her face as he crooned to her. His hands were bound together with strong chains, but he wasn’t worried. The dragon inside him would break them easily enough.
“No one’s called me that since I was little. No one knows my name.”
“Except your family,” Nico said softly, “and those of us who have been searching for you. I’m glad I was the one who found you.”
Her beautiful eyes widened with hope, but then disillusionment shattered her expression. “But what good is it? We’re both prisoners here.”
Nico was glad to see some spirit still flared within her battered soul. She was of royal blood, after all—as was he. Nico knew firsthand how hard it was to keep one of their kind down for long.
“Did Lucan say when he’d come back?”
“Not ’til morning. We probably have only a few more hours of peace at most.”
“That’ll be more than enough.” Nico smiled at her confusion, a little hesitant about how to broach the next thing he must tell her. He decided to start off slowly. “Riki, your sister recently discovered she can, well…change. Do you know what I’m talking about?”
Riki shook her head. Nico didn’t know if she was merely protecting herself or if she truly wasn’t able to shift from human to dragon like her twin. But then, if she’d discovered how to shift, she would most likely have escaped long ago.
“All right. Promise not to scream. I’m going to shift just a little bit and it might frighten you, but I would never hurt you. Neither man nor dragon in my homeland would ever harm you, Riki. Do you believe me?”
“Dragon?” She paused. “My mother told us stories of a dragon she once knew.”
“Ah yes, the infamous Lady Kelzy.”
“Yes! Kelzy. That was her name.” Riki smiled with obvious delight at the small memory of her youth returned to her.
“My name is Nico, and if you sit tight, I’ll have us both out of these chains in a moment. Do you trust me enough to do that?”
Sitting up and hugging her knees, she nodded, though she was nibbling on her lips in worry. Unable to resist, Nico bent forward and kissed her forehead quickly. She jumped a little, but seemed encouraged by the small, comforting gesture. Moving back, Nico called forth the change and allowed the black mist to envelop his human form. He saw her eyes widen and then felt the manacles burst as his human hands changed to dragon scale, the iron of the chains unable to hold him. He heard Riki gasp, but overall, she was taking it well.
Sitting before her, he let her just look at him and tried to give her time to get used to his dragon form before he moved closer. He’d have to break her chains, leaving the cuffs intact for the moment. His talons were too sharp and too big to do such delicate work without hurting her, but he could definitely manage to snap the chains. The rest could be done once they were safely away.
“Nico?”
“I’m here.”
She clutched the sides of her head in confusion. “How’d you do that?”
“You can do it too. Follow the path back to me in your mind, Riki.”
She scrunched up her face so tight he had to try hard not to laugh.
“Like this? Can you hear me?”
“I hear you, sweetheart. Well done. Now, don’t be afraid. I’m going to move closer to break the chains, all right?”
Riki held up the closest chain eagerly. Oh, she was game all right. Even as weak and tired as she was, she had a spirit that just wouldn’t die. He admired that even as he guessed at the horrors she’d suffered at Lucan’s hands. The mad king would pay, but first Nico had to get Riki to safety.
Working quickly, but as quietly at possible, Nico broke the chains as close to Riki’s tender flesh as he could risk. Moving back, he shifted to human form once more.
“We can still talk silently, if you don’t mind. It would be safer while we make our escape.”
“Is that what you meant when you said Lana had learned to shift? Can she become a dragon?”
Nico headed toward the doorway as quietly as possible. They still had to get out of the palace and had little time left in the dark of night that would shield his black dragon form from eyes down below.
“Yes. It was under dire circumstances and she’s still a little awkward, but she can shift to dragon form. She’s the first woman in the kingdom in centuries to be able to do so. I believe if anyone else can, it would be you, Riki. You’re her twin, after all. But don’t worry if you can’t. It is a rare thing and we won’t be disappointed in you if you can’t shift. I promise you that.”
“I never knew such a thing was possible.”
“It’s a secret, even in my land. The dragons know, but few humans are trusted with the knowledge.”
“Then I’m honored.”
He liked the feel of her thoughts, so intimate in his mind. Rarely had he communicated with a human female in this fashion. There were so few women who could speak with dragons, they were each prized and protected by all knights and dragons in his land.
This woman would be doubly so. Not only could she hear and talk with dragons, she could probably heal them as well, or so their energy exchange led him to believe. Nico felt good, even after that dreadful torture session, and he knew he owed it all to Riki’s incredible abilities and kind heart.
“Did I thank you for healing me, sweetheart?” He sought to distract her while he dealt with the guards. Two quick strikes and the guards at the door were dispensed with. They would not wake for hours. “You’ve an amazing healing talent, milady.”
“It’s more like a curse. It’s what’s kept me a prisoner here.”
She didn’t even flinch as he led her past the unconscious guards. Nico admired her grit. She seemed to be ready for whatever might come. She looked fierce, but beneath the bravado he sensed a quaking fragility that touched his heart.
Nico took one of her hands in his as he led them up a narrow stair. She tugged hard on his hand, but he kept moving.
“The castle gates are the other way.” Her voice was a desperate whisper in his mind.
“I know, but we’ve no need of doors. A tower ledge would be good or even an open window. We’re flying out of here. They don’t know I can shift and will never look for us in the sky.”
“But I can’t fly!”
He felt the panic in her mind and paused to bring her into his arms, calming her with his warmth.
“You’ll ride on my back, Riki. I promise I won’t drop you or allow any harm to come to you. You’ll see. You’ll love flying once we’re out of danger. I can almost guarantee it.”
Sh
e calmed but seemed unconvinced. “How can you be so sure?”
He smiled down at her. “Because of your blood, my dear. Like me, you are part dragon.”
“Are we related?”
“Only very distantly. You are of the House of Kent. My line descends from the House of Draneth.”
“Draneth the Wise?”
“Yes. Did your mother tell you tales of him when you were a little girl?”
He kept her talking as they climbed higher and higher. He’d chosen this tower well. It was one of the highest in the castle and would provide a great launching point if they could reach the top without discovery.
“No. I don’t remember Mama talking about Draneth, but Lucan has all kinds of old manuscripts about him. He’s obsessed with him. He wants to be just like Draneth. That’s why he made the deal with Salomar and the North Witch to make him…what he is now.”
“An abomination.” Nico could not help the dark thunder in his thoughts, but to her credit, Riki didn’t flinch. He tried for a lighter tone as they kept moving upward. “Draneth had several children. The eldest continued his House and the younger ones founded great Houses of their own. Kent was the third son of Draneth, if I remember correctly. You are descended from him.”
“I never knew.”
He reached the top stair where it led out to a landing. Pushing her to the wall below the floor line, he scoped out two sentries standing guard. He should have realized this highest tower would be a lookout position.
“Stay here for a moment while I handle the guards.”
She nodded while he slipped stealthily onto the open landing. The two men stood at opposite sides of the tower room, looking out huge, open windows with magnifying lenses trained on the grounds below. It was still too dark to see anything in the skies or anywhere that was not lit by the fires and lamps that accompanied human habitation, but Nico knew this position was a good vantage point during daytime to see for miles around.
He took down the first guard, dropping him as quietly as he could, but it wasn’t quiet enough. The other sentry turned and reached for his horn to sound the alarm but he never got to it. Riki shot up the final few steps and tripped the soldier up so he fell partway down the stairwell, knocking himself out with a sharp crack to his skull on the stone treads.
“I thought I told you to stay put.” Nico smiled as he faced her. There was a becoming bloom on her face and he once more admired her bravery.
“You looked like you could use a hand.” She smiled back at him and it transformed her face, stilling his heart for a timeless moment. Nico wanted desperately to see her smile again and again and again. He could live for her smiles. He was disappointed when she turned away and surveyed the room and the open expanses of the giant spy windows.
“Dawn is coming soon. We don’t have much time left.” She faced him again, both serious and sad. “I want you to know, if we don’t make it out of here… I wanted to thank you. I haven’t been free in years and the last few months…” She sniffled delicately and it nearly broke his heart. “Well, it’s been worse than before. Thank you for helping me escape. Lucan would never have let me go.”
Crossing the room in two strides, Nico took her into his arms and kissed the crown of her head tenderly. He had to touch her, to hold her and give what reassurance he could.
“We’ll make it, Riki. All you have to do is trust me. I promise. I won’t let anything bad happen to you, now or ever again. You have my solemn vow.”
Riki leaned back to look up at him and Nico kissed her again. As he tasted her lips with his own, there was an instant, blinding conflagration within his dragon soul. Inside, where his dragon slept while in human form, the beast stirred, trumpeting one word over and over in the dark recesses of his being.
“Mine!”
A slight noise from below finally penetrated and brought Nico back to the moment. He let her go, moving the fallen soldiers away from the opening so they would not be so readily visible from below. That might give them an extra few moments before the alarm was raised.
Holding her gaze, Nico moved away to let the change take him. The black mist rose and a moment later, he looked at her through the jeweled tourmaline eyes of his dragon form.
“Climb on my back, sweetheart.” He offered a bent foreleg for her to use as a step. She scrambled up and immediately flattened herself to his neck, wrapping her little arms around him and hugging him tight. He loved the feel of her, the way she clung to him and the heat of the secret place between her thighs over the ridge of his back, but he could not let it distract him. Not now.
They were still in danger. “Hold tight now. We’ll fall for a bit at first until I can spread my wings fully, but don’t worry. I’ve been flying for many years and haven’t crashed yet.”
With a leap they were airborne and to her credit, Riki did not scream. Nico half-expected her to cry out in alarm, given the freefall required for him to launch from such a narrow opening. She clung tightly, but kept her mouth shut, which was all the better for their stealthy escape. There were other towers, he well knew, and other sentries who might notice the subtle beat of his wings. He skirted the towers as best he could but it was some moments before he breathed easier, flying out over open country.
Riki relaxed her death grip on his neck, obviously more comfortable with flying the farther away they got from the palace.
“How are you doing, my lovely?”
“Right now I’m praying that this all isn’t just a dream.”
“I can assure you, it’s quite real. You’re safe now. Or you will be as soon as we can get to the border.”
Nico gained altitude as the night wore on. He knew the cold at this level was difficult for Riki, but better that than risk being seen. A dragon over the skies of Skithdron—particularly a royal black dragon—would bring out their enemies in force. He poured on the speed, hoping to go as far as possible before the sun rose too high in the sky. It was a long way to the border, but black dragons were the fastest of all dragons and Nico had trained himself to fly faster and longer than any of his brethren. Such skills were important in his line of work.
“How are you doing, Riki?”
“I’m a little cold, but I’d rather be cold than dead.”
Nico admired her spirit. He knew the heat produced by his body kept her warm for the most part, but she was poorly dressed for the altitude and much too thin as well. He would have to find her something better to wear during the daylight hours when flying would be too dangerous.
“Snuggle in close to me, sweetheart. My body heat should help a bit.”
“Oh, it does. You’re like a furnace, Nico. My own personal hot water bottle, on a giant scale.”
“Any time, Riki.” Again, he found himself chuckling. “I’ll warm you any time. All you have to do is ask.”
Chapter Three
As they flew through the night, Nico thought back to the mating flight he’d witnessed between his oldest brother, Roland, and his new queen. Lana was the first female black dragon in centuries and although she’d come to her wings later in life than most royal blacks, she trained hard and was flying beautifully by the time she and Roland tried to mate in dragon form. Lana didn’t know it, but Roland had asked Nico to stand by in the shadows, watching in case Lana didn’t come out of freefall in time.
Roland had convinced him the pleasure of being with his wife in any form was enough to overwhelm his senses and he was afraid her new flying reflexes weren’t strong enough to save her should they wait too long to pull apart after climax. Roland wanted Nico there, as backup. So Nico watched as the first mated black dragon pair in centuries took their first mating flight, soaring to the stars together, joined in body and mind, then plummeting hard and fast to earth as they basked in the climax of their pleasure.
It had been beautiful. Wondrous. And it had sparked a tiny flame of jealousy in Nico’s heart, though he refused to acknowledge it. Nico wanted that. Oh, he didn’t think he’d ever find another female shapes
hifter—Lana was the first in many generations—but he wanted that kind of love, that kind of bond with a woman. He and Roland were closer than most brothers, and he knew the extent of the bond between Roland’s soul and his new wife’s. Nico envied that bond. Not in a malicious way, but in a wistful, wishing sort of way.
Lana was a special woman, and a wonderful wife to his often lonely eldest brother. She was also proving to be a magnificent queen. Her heart was open and giving, her soul pure and deep. The people loved her as she was coming to love them and the dragons revered her like no human woman in centuries.
And Riki was her twin.
If any woman could survive the deprecations of being in Lucan’s grasp, it was Riki. Though truthfully, Nico feared for her sanity. She seemed well enough, but he could only guess at the horrors she had seen and experienced as Lucan’s captive. His heart nearly broke just thinking of it, and his was not a soft heart to bleed for every poor creature. Nico was a compassionate man, but not overly demonstrative. He kept his generosity well hidden, lest people try to curry favor with him simply because he had the ear and trust of the king.
Second in line to the throne of Draconia was a strange position. Nico had learned over the years to play his cards very close to his vest. He aided his brother where he could as provider of information, Spymaster and staunch ally. Roland had gained the throne young after the brutal deaths of their parents. There was no question of Nico wanting such responsibility for himself. If, Mother forbid, something happened to Roland and Lana, Nico would step up to the challenge, but he didn’t want it. He would much rather support his brother’s reign.
Roland was a good and just king, surrounded by enemies in difficult times. Nico would use all his skill to see that Roland not only succeeded in protecting the lands, people and dragons of Draconia, but kept his family and loved ones as safe as possible while doing it.
Bringing Riki home to her family was just one of the tasks Nico had undertaken. It might prove to be the noblest thing he’d ever done, but only time would tell. He already knew it was the one thing he’d done, so far in his life, of which he felt proudest.
