Warring of Fire (Dragon Born, #3)

by Holly Hook

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Thank You!

  Warring of Fire

  Dragon Born, #3

  By Holly Hook

  Copyright 2018 Holly Hook

  Chapter One

  "Um, new guy?" Dirk asked my boyfriend. "Once Felicia gets back to human form, she's, um, going to need clothes from the storage room." His voice echoed off the walls of the cave.

  I wanted to face palm at the awkwardness of the whole situation as I stared down at them. Dirk stood there in that rusty armor he'd pulled out of a random treasure pile while Sven faced him, dressed in new armor. Behind Dirk, the dark green dragon lay on the stone floor, guarding Sven's twin sister, Sofia. The two of them watched the exchange in silence, but at least Sofia had stopped trying to get free of the plastic blue rope that bound her wrists and ankles together. She sat up, watching us. Steve, the green dragon, did the same. His red gem-like eyes reflected the light of all the braziers in the huge chamber.

  But the firelight didn't hide Dirk's blush. My friend couldn't hide his embarrassment from my boyfriend. And I had no way to conceal mine unless I wanted to puncture my eyes with my claws which I'd never get used to.

  Sven looked up at me and at my new form that dwarfed him. The implications of this crashed down on me. His father had raised this amazing, intelligent, blue-eyed boy to be a ruthless dragon Slayer and a thief of treasure. He had the job of killing me. I'd matured and sat before him in a form he'd trained all his life to shoot with arrows and stab with swords.

  And he almost had killed me, not realizing who I was. The guilt burned in his eyes. I wanted to tell him that Adler using her mind powers on him was at fault. Not him. Sven had only been trying to protect his sister.

  I shifted.

  Sven looked down and then back up at me in wonder for a second. But then he looked away, closing his eyes with a sigh. I wanted to tell him I forgave him. My anger could get intense, but not at him. Sven calmed the monster inside that wanted vengeance. Now the guilt might be too much and he'd leave.

  "Did you hear me?" Dirk asked him. "I need to get her clothes once she figures out how to shift back into human form."

  "Can you leave Felicia alone?" Sven asked. "She's had a long day. I wish I'd listened to her before."

  I shook my head, ignoring Dirk's attempts to draw closer than Sven. It wasn't his fault Adler had blocked his memories of us meeting and that for a while, he hadn't known what I was. But until I figured out how this magic would work to allow me to shape shift back, I had to sit here.

  "I'm not leaving Felicia," Dirk said. "You're a Slayer."

  "I'm not one," Sven insisted. "I came dressed this way to protect myself. If you were in my position, wouldn't you?"

  "Well, yeah. But your sister tried to kill Felicia and she almost killed this other guy!"

  Steve grunted. He didn't like being called this other guy. But I had the sense that Dirk was trying to keep his name away from the Olsens. Smart.

  Sofia pulled against her binds. "Felicia almost killed me."

  "You struck first," Sven told her. His voice quaked with rage. "She has a right to defend herself. And look. The dragons aren't even trying to hurt us."

  Silence fell except for the crackling of the braziers and the eternal fire within them. I looked from Sofia to Sven with what I was sure was a terrifying gaze. Everyone was studying me. I meant something different to each person in the room. A love to Sven, a prize to Sofia, a warrior to Steve, and a lost chance to Dirk.

  I wanted to get back to human form, to be smaller. The huge chamber felt as if it were shrinking. And besides, I didn't want to meet Adler and see how glad she was that I'd matured. I closed my eyes on darkness and focused on the tingling magic flowing through me. I'd used it once to take away the block in Sven's mind. Now I had to use it for something more difficult. I thought of the pain that the first shift had inflicted and I knew shrinking back down was likely to feel the same but I didn't care. I'd endure the pain to tell Sven that I still loved him and forgave him.

  The magic had a mind of its own...until I focused.

  It flowed through my body, rising into my feet and through my limbs. It came right from the Earth itself and the surrounding treasure seemed to amplify it, just as Dirk had done to get me here. With each breath, I could draw more of it into myself. Already I was getting a better handle on this power.

  "Felicia, are you going to try turning back?" Dirk asked, keeping his voice low so that Steve couldn't hear..

  I nodded without opening my eyes.

  "Leave her be," Sven said. And then he placed his hand on my arm (or leg.) His touch warmed me despite the heat in the chamber, making it stand out. The tingles intensified and raced up my limb, joining the rest. Sven's touch was still as magical as my surroundings, perhaps even more so. I felt as if we could complement each other.

  "You want to see her naked."

  I opened my eyes and glared at Dirk. He backed off and Steve snorted. He had a point. I didn't want to change back in front of everyone with nothing to hide myself. Dirk could read my expression enough, right? He must know I was telling him that the last thing I wanted was for him and Sven to fight. It was inevitable, but we had bigger problems.

  And that was the Wiglaf Society getting ready to bust down here and slaughter every dragon they saw before stealing this entire hoard. If that happened, they'd grow more powerful than ever.

  Sven said nothing to that. "Felicia will want clothes," he said, glancing in Steve's direction. "I don't know where this storage room is, but if you could find some for her, or even a blanket, that would be great."

  Dirk hesitated before stalking off in that uncomfortable armor. Sven smiled up at me. "Better?"

  I nodded, which was one thing I knew he'd understand.

  "Do you want me with you or would you rather change back alone?"

  The thought of changing back in front of Sven didn't bother me. He'd already seen me like this. But then I thought of the pain I'd experienced and how much Dirk had freaked out while my body changed shape. My friend screaming my name rushed back. I had no way of explaining to Sven that I might come back screaming with him wondering if I'd survive.

  "Felicia? You're giving me a confused look. I think you're conflicted." Sven kept his voice to a whisper.

  I nodded to that.

  Sven took off his helmet, leaving his dark hair stuck to his head. "If you want to think about it, I understand." His accent returned. He was nervous. My boyfriend looked around the cavern, peeking around nearby stone columns to check for any newcomers. He feared Adler striding in here and attacking him and rightly so. If she found him and Sofia down here, she'd eat them both. The red glow around him—his body heat—tightened as if all the blood were leaving the surface of his body, preparing for a fight.

  And I got the sense that it was hard for him to look at me, knowing what he'd almost done.

  I had to decide and then we all needed to leave. Steve was focused on Sofia. I sensed he wouldn't want Sven with me. We'd have to slip away.

 
I'd try to shift back with Sven, then. He wouldn't want to leave me alone.

  "Yes to me staying with you, or—"

  I nodded, expecting to see Sven's face explode into a smile at the thought. But he remained warm and comforting. His presence helped me to stay calm and feel brave in the face of the coming pain. It would not be peaceful.

  Dirk returned with a large blanket tucked under his arm and handed it to Sven. He also held a pair of shorts and a tank top that looked as if they might be in my size once I changed back. No one spoke. Steve continued to watch Sofia. I backed out of Steve's view and towards a distant corner of the cave. Walking backwards wasn't as easy as walking forward and I stumbled twice, but kept my balance. Sven showed no signs of laughing and neither did Dirk.

  "Dirk," Sven said. "Thanks. I think Felicia will want privacy as she tries to change back. And keep an eye on my sister. Don't annoy her too much." He smiled at that last sentence.

  We still had to figure out what to do with Sofia. Dirk hesitated again, then backed away and stalked off. While Dirk and I still got along, he and Sven never would. And that reason was me.

  "Ready to try?" Sven asked. "If anyone can master the shape changing thing, I think it's you. And silver is your color." His accent faded. With Dirk gone, he wasn't as nervous.

  He now knew Dirk was a dragon. That explained it.

  I nodded. Sven got the blanket which was big enough to serve as a tent. He fanned it, showing that I was to lie down. I did, placing my face right next to a silver, clawed foot I still couldn't believe was mine. Soon, I'd be back to my normal form and I could forget this. My parents would walk free and return to the farm they loved. Then perhaps I could get out of Olivia soon and travel the world with Sven. It was all I wanted. I could defend myself now and the dragons didn't have to worry about me anymore.

  Sven flapped the blanket again and tried to get it over my back, but he wasn't tall enough, nor could he balance on a nearby pile of coins. They kept toppling out from under him, making him slip. At last, after a jump, he got the blanket to settle most of the way over my back. "I think that's as good as it will get," Sven said. "Dirk dropped clothes over here along with your necklace. The chain's broken, though."

  I had forgotten about the sword pendant Sven had given me. It lay on the small pile of clothes, chain snapped. It made me sad to see that, but someone could replace the chain. I lay down as flat as I could while Sven sat nearby. With him there, I felt secure and less afraid. Perhaps he felt the same with me there.

  "Can't wait to talk with you," he said, resting his head on the space between my arm and neck. He wasn't afraid. Sven should fear me—I even feared myself—but he didn't.

  I closed my eyes and focused on the magic. This time, I got a sense of its flow right away. With each breath, I focused on pulling more of the surrounding magic into my body. Once I got that down, I moved on to focusing on shrinking, compressing, and taking my human form again. It was hard to keep my thoughts calm at first because so many of them raced through my head along with a horde of worries. But Sven, as if sensing I needed to calm down more, remained silent and hugged my neck the best he could. The blanket hung off one wing and tried to distract me, but focusing on Sven's touch helped me to drown it out.

  And at last, I felt the magic grip each of my limbs and pull. I took another breath with the new, jarring sensation. Instead of exploding outward as it had when I took this form the first time, the magic started on the outside and pulled in.

  I took a breath. Sven jumped.

  "Is it happening?"

  There was no stopping it now. The tingling grasped at my fingers, which cramped as they retracted.

  "It is," Sven said. "You're doing it!"

  But then a roar started in my head as everything compressed. Tendons popped. Bones snapped. Pain explosions filled my body as I took my former form.

  Why did it feel like I was dying?

  Sven screamed my name as the horror of the situation hit him. But I was too far gone. Trying to scream, I prayed for the blackout to come. And as if obeying my command, another blanket, one made of pure night, swept over my awareness and took me away.

  Chapter Two

  I sucked in a breath, aware of cold ground and a warm blanket over my form. Sore ribs expanded, protested, and settled again. With a second breath, the soreness faded to a dull ache. Fire crackled somewhere.

  "Felicia," Sven said. "You're back. Say something."

  "I forgive you." I moved an arm over my now human form, sensing familiar skin rather than silver scales. My shoulder blades burned where wings once stood. My fingernails did the same.

  Then my stomach rumbled. A tremor overtook my body. Weakness. I had burned through a lot of energy.

  "You forgive me? And then you growl?" Sven asked, innocent.

  "That was my stomach." I opened my eyes to see him sitting next to me, looking down. I had shrunk back to ordinary Felicia. My heart swelled at the sight of him. Now that I was my normal size, I could see every line and subtle color in Sven's eyes. In this light, they had a faint green ring around the center. The color made me think of a vast meadow under a perfect blue sky.

  He smiled. "I know. You needed humor after that. How was it?"

  "Strange." Already it felt like a dream.

  Sven had seen my true nature now. Nothing got left out.

  The guilt returned, darkening his eyes. "Felicia, I forgot almost everything when Adler came after me. She meant to kill me, but you chased her away and she blocked my memories instead," he said. "It was terrible, what she did. She's no better than my father. The two of them want war. But it's destroyed many dragons and Slayers."

  "I don't want war," I said, trying to push myself up. True to his word, Sven had placed the blanket over me as I lay here, unconscious. "Why don't the two of them fight if they want it? The rest of us shouldn't have to."

  "That's how war works," Sven said with sadness. "If two people decide they want to fight, then the rest must if they are the leaders. You've showed me that." He leaned down and kissed me.

  Sven opened my mouth with his lips and wrapped his hand around my back, pressing my blanket to my bare skin. My heart raced as the realization that I had nothing but this sheet between me and him. Tingles spread through my entire body. A hungry heat built. I wanted Sven's forbidden touch. Craved it. He moved his hand down my arm and grasped my elbow.

  We came up for air.

  "Guys, I think Steve says we need to hurry," Dirk shouted from somewhere. "He went somewhere to change back. Sofia's still tied up good. I said I'd keep an eye on things."

  War. We had things to do. The thoughts invaded, not caring what my body wanted. "We can't go any further here," I warned. "It's too dangerous." And it was as if Dirk sensed what was happening from a distance.

  "You're right," Sven said, frowning. His pulse raced through his hand, matching mine. "I shouldn't have done that after we almost fought. Your parents are down here and we have to get them out."

  At the mention of my parents, all the tingles fled in terror. They slept in another cave with no door on it. I wanted Sven with all my being, but things still stood in the way. He followed my gaze back toward their small chamber.

  "They're that way," I said. "Sleeping. They're okay, but my dad's snoring."

  Every tingle left me as I thought of that. Sven released my arm and scrambled away. Something had gripped him, too, and I knew what.

  He remembered what he'd almost done.

  It wouldn't leave him for a while.

  I got up, keeping the blanket in case Dirk returned, and dressed. All the clothes he'd brought me were perfect fits. I wondered if my parents had told the dragons my sizes, or if Adler had extracted the right numbers from them. Either way, the clothes fit and I found myself in a black tank top with jeans.

  "Better?" Sven asked.

  "Well, sort of," I said.

  "Whoa, Felicia," he said, eyeing the way the clothes hugged my body.

  Now wasn't the time for
love. My face flushed. I'd grown bold. As Sven and I walked to the others, I noticed that my stride felt stronger. More confident. The magical feeling returned, pulsing through me and waiting for use. I felt like a walking energy rod. As I neared Dirk, who stood near another stone pillar, the magic feeling intensified. He was amplifying me without even trying. Dirk looked at our hands, but we weren't touching. Without speaking, we both knew it wasn't a good idea to hold hands in front of Sofia and Steve. And it wouldn't help matters to upset Dirk any further.

  At least, I hoped. Sven was still keeping distance. I wished he would forgive himself.

  "Steve was giving me a look," Dirk said, not sounding honest. "We need to talk about stuff."

  "Obviously," I said. "We've had a great week."

  But my attempt to defuse the tension in the air didn't help. Dirk stalked beside us. The guy had a raw deal. He'd found himself with a tiny dating pool—me—and now I'd gone with Sven.

  We found Sofia glaring at her brother as we neared. Steve had vanished. I could assume he was changing back somewhere, judging from the pops in the distance. It seemed none of the dragons wanted witnesses for that. Sven cringed at the painful sounds. This was his second time listening to a dragon shifter changing back.

  Sofia said nothing to Sven. Her bright blue eyes locked on him and she refused to look away. She sat on the ground, ankles bound. The blue rope connected her wrists to her ankles, preventing her from standing.

  "Yes, I know," I said. "Your horrible brother took your honor away."

  "Could you stop?" Sofia asked. "You don't know what it's like to work for something only to have someone take it away."

  "Please stop talking," Sven said. "I know it's hard to face the truth, but Father wants to hunt these dragons because of what you see around you. These dragons have done nothing to the people of this town. Let me explain."

  "You're only saying that because you're in love with one. Do you know what the Society will do to you if they find out?"

  Sven straightened and spoke without emotion. "They would kill me."