by Juniper Hart
“Daisy—”
“I’m not listening to this,” she snapped a bit, anger churning her stomach.
Had she been making a fool of herself this entire time? Was this some sort of elaborate prank he was trying to pull on her by taking advantage of her emotions?
As she went to walk away from him, Nyle grabbed her wrist and spun her back around to look at him.
“Let me prove it to you,” he urged, staring her down.
Daisy’s brow rose again, wondering what kind of game he was trying to play.
“By all means,” she challenged, sitting back down in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest.
Nyle exhaled loudly before striding over to the other side of the pool. Then, peculiarly, he shrugged off his jacket and began unbuttoning his shirt.
What the hell was he doing?
Daisy watched as he kicked off his shoes and took off his pants and boxers. When he was completely nude, Nyle glanced over to Daisy out of the corner of his eye and stepped onto the diving board. The lit pool illuminated a blue hue onto his pale skin as he stood on the edge. Then, he bounced once before launching himself into the air. His hands came together above his head, nose diving into the pool perfectly.
Did he think his diving abilities were going to prove his ridiculous claims?
She stayed in her spot, watching the top of the water as she waited for him to get out, but a few moments went by, and Nyle hadn’t resurfaced the water. A few more seconds ticked by, and worry finally cut through her stubborn anger. Rising from her seat, she moved over to the edge of the pool. She peered down into the sparkling blue depths, squinting her eyes to try and see through the ripples in the water. Daisy started to make out a pale shape in the center of the pool, but before she could tell what was going on, the figure suddenly emerged from the water in a blur.
A creature, probably eight-and-a-half feet tall, with cream scales and a long neck flew in midair above the water. Illuminated from the lights in the pool, Daisy recognized the intricate pattern covering the creature as the same pattern that Nyle had tattooed all over his body.
The beast had angular facial features, with its cheekbones protruding from its face and its nose long and straight. Beige horns came out of its forehead and curved straight back. Its body was beefy with well-defined muscle lines. The wings on the beast were massive and bat-like rather than like a bird. It was an actual dragon.
Daisy’s eyes couldn’t have been wider as it flew over to her, delicately landing on the ground next to her. Smoldering honey-gold eyes locked with hers in an intense stare as the dragon towered over her, letting out a huff from its nostrils.
Her mind was unable to process it, sending her senses into overdrive as she desperately tried to make sense of it. Out of sheer shock, Daisy’s head grew light. In an instant, her eyes rolled back and she fell to the ground—and everything was black.
***
Daisy groaned as she came to, her head starting to throb before her eyes had the chance to open. Blinking back into existence, the first thing she saw were golden eyes leering down at her with worry and sorrow swarming them. For a moment, she didn’t recall what happened, a calm coming over her to see his face. As she regained consciousness, she became more aware of the situation. Nyle was naked, standing over her as she laid in a pool chair.
“Wha… wha…” she tried to get up, as she reached around to the sore spot on the back of her head and instantly winced at the sharp pain. There was definitely going to be a bruise there.
“You fainted,” Nyle frowned. “You need to take it easy. Maybe we should get you to a hospital.”
“I’m fine,” Daisy stubbornly groaned.
She despised going to the hospital in the city; it was always packed and would take hours and hours to even see a doctor. If she wasn’t puking or having memory problems, she wasn’t going. Then, her eyes were drawn to the intricate pattern that covered his skin. Those markings… Her eyes widened as she remembered why she had fainted in the first place.
He could shift into a dragon?
“So, do you believe me now?” Nyle asked, knowing by the look on her face that she recalled what just happened.
“How… how is that possible?” she said, shaking her head slowly. “Dragons are just myths…”
“No, we are real and always have been. Humans started believing we were mythical because my ancestors went into hiding. Man had always been afraid of us and had slaughtered our ancestors in mass numbers. So, some hid in plain sight, blending in with the humans. Others took to nature,” Nyle explained carefully; he was afraid of putting too much on her at once. “Are you sure you’re okay? I can get a doctor here if you need one.”
“If I don’t feel well, I’ll let you know,” she said. Daisy tried to sort through her thoughts, shaking her head side to side. “Okay, I’m sorry I doubted you… It’s just not every day you hear someone say they’re a dragon.”
The word ‘dragon’ was foreign to her tongue, feeling strange to say and to label the man sitting next to her.
“It’s all right. I didn’t expect you to believe me without proving it. I know how it sounds to humans,” he sighed, running a hand through his wet white locks.
“Well… Can you tell me the rest of what is going on? You’re a dragon, but what does that have to do with Mylora or the man who followed us?”
“I have to give a bit more of a history lesson to explain. So bear with me,” Nyle said with a weary smile. “So, I’m technically something called a Royal Dragon. We’re a breed of dragon that has a fire-bending ability, and the traditionalists still worship the sun to give thanks for their gift of fire.”
He paused to collect his thoughts.
“And then there are the Elementals, the other half of our original clan before it split up. They have water and air-bending abilities and worship Mother Nature. In ancient times, we were one big clan that interbred, no matter abilities or beliefs. But as humans began to populate and started attacking us, the fire-benders wanted to merge with the humans and rise above them. We wanted to control the humans from within their own culture—to protect our culture. Really, we don’t care what you guys do to one another; we just want to protect our people and our land. Whereas the Elementals want to fight back or seclude themselves from humans entirely. It caused a split in the clan and became today’s Royals and Elementals. Royals look a lot like me, white or blonde hair, pale, and some shade of gold for eyes. We also have similar markings, though everyone’s is unique. Whereas the Elementals have dark brown or black hair, tell-tale silver eyes, and tribal-like markings.”
“So now that you’re caught up to speed on that,” he grumbled, hating that he had to weigh her down with so much information at once just to get to the point. She wouldn’t understand the gravity of everything without it, though. “My family has been the ruling family of the Royals since the split. My father has been in power for about seventy years, and about fifty years ago, he conquered a large piece of the Elementals land in a siege of power. And since then, they’ve really been out for us. So it’s incredibly important for our family to remain strong. When my father passes away, I will have to be ready to take charge of the kingdom. My parents are afraid that if I were to take power while still unwed, it’ll make our family look weak. Our people highly value bonds… Which finally leads me to the second biggest lie I’ve told you.”
“Which is?” Daisy hesitantly asked, unsure how much more she could take in.
“I know why we feel the way we do about each other,” he explained. “Each dragon has a soulmate, and the bond between soulmates is kind of supernatural. We can feel each another’s energy and share it. In our culture, when you meet your soulmate—which could take decades since we have long lifespans—you normally marry right away because you’re inseparable. They, you spend your lives getting to know each other. That’s why everything has been so intense and passionate between us. I know this all must seem really fast to you, but I assure you, you aren’
t crazy. But see… there is a problem with it. It’s… that… you’re human. As far as I know, a dragon has never had a human soulmate, so I don’t understand how this is physically possible. Dragons don’t approve of mating with humans in the slightest. So, while Mylora doesn’t know you’re my soulmate, she’s trying to use my relationship with you to blackmail me into marrying her. That way she becomes Queen of the Royals and has all the power and money she could ever want. And if I don’t agree to her terms by tomorrow morning, she’s going to send rogue Elementals after us.”
Daisy stared at him. Her mind ran over every detail he shared, trying to comprehend the gravity of the situation. He put things rather bluntly, so it hadn’t been hard to follow, but it was hard to believe. After seeing Nyle in dragon form, she knew he had to be telling the truth, but she spent her whole life believing things like dragons were just make believe. To suddenly find out they were real and to be so involved with their culture… to call it overwhelming would be putting it lightly.
“I have a million questions, but I guess there’s not too much time for that since she gave you a deadline,” Daisy said confused. Her head was throbbing even more from crazy situation they faced. “So… what do we do? Do you just marry her?”
“I definitely don’t want to. It feels like going against nature to even think about it,” Nyle grumbled, pulling her into him. He let out a chuckle. “You know, I even tried to convince her to let you be my mistress. She wouldn’t go for it, of course.”
“I don’t really like the sound of that anyways…” Daisy interjected. “Then what are our options?”
“I don’t know. I’m going to call a friend. Maybe he can give us some answers,” Nyle informed her. Her brow creased in curiosity, wondering who it could be.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Nyle and Daisy moved back into the living room while they waited for the elder to arrive. She had changed into some comfortable clothes he had purchased for her and sat on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her. Her head was on Nyle’s chest, and he held her in a caring embrace.
Daisy was in a bit of shock after seeing him in his dragon form, so neither one of them spoke as they silently contemplated their circumstances. Was she imagining all this? Had she gone utterly insane?
Nothing about Nyle felt real. He was unbelievably handsome, his energy was palpable, he was interested in her, and he was a dragon prince. She was fairly sure she was awake, especially because the throbbing pain from her head hadn’t subsided. It all left Daisy’s nerves shot, her hands trembled slightly, and her pupils dilated. Nyle’s fingers gently guided through her long hair and soothed every woe in her mind with a hypnotic motion. No matter if it were real or not, it was her reality. And she had to trust him to keep her safe.
A rapid knock on the door made Nyle stand abruptly from the couch. Daisy turned her head to watch as he opened the door. In walked a tall, broad man. He was bald with thick, bushy white eyebrows and scruffy facial hair. His attire was a slate gray designer suit, and a black satchel. To Daisy, it didn’t look like the man was old enough to be called an elder; he looked like he was in his late fifties. His champagne-colored eyes took in Nyle before immediately flickering to Daisy.
Nyle introduced them. “Evryn, this is Daisy Maddow. Daisy, Evryn.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Maddow,” he called to her, his voice even deeper than Nyle’s.
The two men joined her in the sitting area. Nyle took a seat next to Daisy.
“I take it she is why you called me over,” Evryn said, eyeing Daisy. “Do tell me, Nyle, why is there a human in your apartment?” the man asked calmly, though there was an edge of skepticism in his voice.
“Because she’s my mate,” Nyle said boldly.
Evryn’s pale eyes widened at the notion. “I beg your pardon? I didn’t drive an hour for this nonsense. You told me you were in trouble.”
“I’m being serious, Evryn. You really think I, of all people, would joke about something like this? And at a time like this?” Nyle challenged, his eyes locked on the elder. “I don’t understand it either, believe me. She was in a meeting at the headquarters, and before I walked in the room, I could feel her. It was exactly as everyone had always described it to me. Opposites attracting like magnets. And when I touched her skin, it was like jolts of lightning. I know she’s the one. There isn’t a doubt in my mind, but her being human isn’t the only issue. Mylora threatened me.”
“Mylora?” Evryn snorted. “Mylora Firebloom? What does she have to do with this?”
“She came in this morning and saw Daisy. She doesn’t know Daisy’s my soulmate, but Mylora is still threatening to come after us if I don’t marry her. Somehow, she has a couple of Elementals at her disposal. One of them followed us this afternoon.”
“My god, Nylyrias,” Evryn said, blinking rapidly and looking to the floor as he tried to process all of it. He shook his head. “It’s not biologically possible. This woman can’t be your soulmate. She isn’t a dragon.”
“That’s why I called you here. I need help understanding it, because now that I’ve met her… I can’t just part with her and marry some random woman.” Nyle frowned, and his hold on Daisy tightened momentarily.
“You know she can’t be queen, Nyle. The entire kingdom won’t have it,” Evryn said in a grave tone.
“So, if you were me, and Daisy was Floresia,” Nyle mentioned Evryn’s beloved wife and soulmate, “you would just marry Mylora and leave Floresia?”
Evryn was quiet, knowing that Nyle was right. A low, continuous grumble of frustration came from the man. “Of course I wouldn’t, but, Nylyrias, this simply can’t be. The bond lies only with dragons. You have to be mistaken.”
“I’m not,” Nyle urged. “Is there any way to test it? Some way to prove she’s my mate?”
The older gentleman fell silent again, his fingers scratching at his beard. He studied Daisy long and hard.
“Yes, I suppose there is,” Evryn eventually announced. “Come here, child,” he called to Daisy.
Her gaze shifted to Nyle, who gave her a reassuring look and nodded at her to go over to Evryn. She stood, letting the blanket drop to the couch and reluctantly walked over to him.
“Sit here, my dear,” Evryn said, patting the edge of the coffee table in front of him.
Daisy hesitantly sat down, her wide eyes locked onto his pale irises. His gaze studied her closely, He reached for her chin and tilted it side to side to look closely at the details of her face. Evryn looked unconvinced and perhaps a little annoyed that he had to be there.
“Tell me, Miss Maddow, what are the color of your mother’s eyes?” he asked, grabbing the sides of her face and tipped her head to be at eye level with him.
“Dark blue,” Daisy answered hesitantly, not understanding why he was asking.
“And your father’s?”
“Gray, I think.”
“You think?” he reiterated, raising a brow at her.
“I’ve never met him, and I don’t have any pictures. But my mom said he had gray eyes,” Daisy explained, not exactly thrilled to be discussing her estranged father.
Evryn’s eyes widened, studying her with a different look in his eye. It was almost disgust, but it was twisted with fascination and disbelief. He flattened the look.
“I have just the test.” Eryn brought his satchel into is lap and dug into the bag. “Hold out your hand, Miss Maddow,” he instructed as he searched through the various items in his bag.
She slowly lifted her arm and extended her hand to him, her fingers twitching subtly from nerves. With one hand still in the bag, Evryn gently grasped her palm with his free hand and brought it to his mouth, pressing a single peck into the center of her hand.
“Forgive me for this.”
“For—” Daisy was cut off by her own scream as he sliced her forearm with a short, opal colored blade.
Her hand immediately went over the wound, tears bubbling from her eyes. The pain was hot and sharp. Daisy had never
having pain like it.
Nyle’s arms were instantly around her, picking her up from the table and holding her to his chest.
“What in the hell did you do that for?” he hissed at the elder as he reached down and helped Daisy apply pressure to the cut.
It wasn’t that deep, but it was long and thick.
“How does it feel?” Evryn asked, not having moved an inch from his spot.
“It hurts,” Daisy snapped at Evryn as Nyle helped her into the kitchen. He wrapped a towel around the wound and had her fold her arm up before he turned to search for the first aid kit.
The old man stood from his chair and leisurely made his way over to them. “I didn’t cut you very deep. The question isn’t if it hurts, it is how it hurts.”
“It burns,” Daisy clarified. “Why does it matter? Nyle, I want to go home,” she told him as he tended to her wound.
She didn’t want to be around that man anymore. The more she learned, the more frightened she was of what she didn’t know. Nyle’s face etched into a saddened look, clearly not wanting her to leave.
“It shouldn’t burn,” Evryn called over to them. “The knife I used is made of chamaline, a precious gem that our ancestors preserved for themselves. And while it can cut a human, it doesn’t burn them. It poisons dragons, though.”
Both Nyle’s and Daisy’s expressions were set in confusion for a few moments, but then Nyle blinked slowly and turned to look down at the woman in his arms.
“I don’t understand,” Daisy said.
“Are you sure about this, Evryn?” Nyle said a he studied her closely, brushing some of the hair from her face.
Evryn paced over to them; Daisy shuffled away from him and held onto Nyle.
“I’m not going to hurt you, child,” Evryn tried to assure her.
His words were returned with a doubtful look, but she stilled herself. He raised a hand to her eyes and flicked his fingers together, creating a flame. She flinched, but then opened her eyes.
“Do you see that?” he asked Nyle.
