by K.N. Lee
Jaiza grabbed her bow, securing her quiver of arrows onto her back.
Risa drew her sword quietly and put the scabbard down. She rolled her shoulders as if loosening her muscles.
Lilae grinned, her teeth shining in the moonlight. She loved when the twins were like this.
Jaiza stepped beside Lilae, who was younger yet taller. Her keen eyes looked into the growing darkness. “I’ll go ahead and see how many there are.” She twisted her blonde hair into a knot at the top of her head to keep it from getting in the way.
“There are eight.”
“You know everything, don’t you?” Jaiza rolled her eyes. “Fine. I can take them out.”
Lilae’s grin widened. The thrill of a fight excited her. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Pirin continued to unpack their supplies, shaking out their wool blankets. “This will be good practice for you girls. It’s been awhile since you’ve had a real fight. Maybe you can practice working as a team this time…”
Risa lowered her sword. “Eight? What a waste of energy.”
Pirin gave her a stern look.
“What? I was hoping for at least ten,” she said as though it was a sport. “That would have been good practice. I can handle eight on my own.” She put her sword away and started to help Lhana prepare the salted pork and beans.
“Risa…”
“Father…” Risa said as she squatted down and pulled out an iron pot. “Lilae and Jaiza can take this one.”
“Don’t be so cocky. You’re not the best fighter in the realm by any stretch of the imagination, so stop acting like you know everything. Even your Evasion can be countered if someone has the right skill. Trust me, killing people isn’t a game and should not be taken lightly.”
Risa raised a brow. “I know it isn’t. But Lilae and Jaiza can handle it. We’ve done this how many times now? At least seven.”
“Never underestimate your enemy, Risa. You never know if those men are as trained as you or better.”
“You can’t be serious.” Risa huffed. “I doubt it. We both know that most bandits are nothing more than boys who can barely hold the weight of their own cheap sword.”
“You’re not listening, are you?”
“Yes, Father. I get what you’re saying. I will try not to be so cocky about it. That better?”
Pirin sighed. “You girls are impossible,” he said, though a small smile played across his lips.
“You didn’t train us to be warriors for nothing,” Risa said, as Jaiza slunk into the forest.
Without a sound, Jaiza climbed into a tall tree and disappeared into the branches and leaves.
Lilae stepped out of her cloak with her dagger sharpened and ready in one hand. It was warm on her palm and pulsed for action. She listened to The Winds as they led her to the men who approached her family’s camp, careful not to crunch any of the fallen branches beneath her feet.
As the sun’s last light faded, she peered silently at the bandits from her place behind a tall oak tree. Energy flowed within her body, and there was an anxiousness filling her throat and a fire within her veins.
The Winds warned her that the men were merciless. They preyed on innocent travelers, robbing and killing even defenseless women. In return, Lilae and Jaiza would show no mercy.
There was a sudden whistling sound as Jaiza’s arrow cut through the dark forest and slammed into the chest of the leader. He gasped loudly, clutching his chest as he was thrown back onto the ground with a solid thud. The arrow was made of the strongest wood and impaled him to the dirt so that he couldn’t lift himself.
Lilae noted the look of shock and pain on his face as he strained against the arrow. That look always interested her. It was the look of one surprised by death’s touch.
Shouts and frantic orders ensued from the other bandits as they drew their weapons and searched for the source of the arrow. They held their weapons but ducked and cowered toward the safety of the dense, dark forest.
Lilae watched them in silence. She could feel their fear, knowing their hearts were thumping with the terror of the unknown. She wanted them to feel that fear. It was the same fear countless others had felt when those men harmed them. Risa was right about one thing: their weapons were cheap. But these were not boys; they were men who had done this countless times, with success. This would be their last.
“Who's there?” someone shouted in a high-pitched voice that cracked with his words.
“Demons!” another wailed.
“Shut up, Gred. There ain’t no stupid demons in this forest!” Lilae heard someone reply, yet she could hear the fear in his voice as if he were uncertain about his own reassurances.
“I told you we shouldn’t tempt the Ancients! We’re too close to The Barrier!”
Lilae worked quickly, hoping to get some action before Jaiza killed them all with her skilled archery. She took a deep breath, and her vision changed. She could see their moves before they even did them. Everything stilled for her; all sounds muted, and Lilae activated her Focus.
Silence welcome Lilae as she raced into the battle, calculating their every action.
She darted into the mob with her dagger in her fist. She sliced Gred down before he even saw her coming. Lilae didn’t waste time making sure he was dead. Her dagger had cut his throat with such precision that there were no doubts.
She slammed into a tall, burly man who seemed more like a solid tree. His body was made of pure muscle, hard as stone. Lilae climbed his body and stabbed him in the neck. Blood spurted into the air.
As he fell backward, his hands racing to cover his wound, she hopped from his body and went on to the next. She didn’t need to look back; Lilae always struck true. She could hear him gasping for breath.
Someone grabbed Lilae by her hair from behind. She used her Evasion. Her image flickered before his eyes, and, in an instant, she yanked herself free from his grasp. She kicked him in the back with such force that she heard his spine crack.
His scream resonated throughout the woods, and Lilae put him out of his misery, pouncing onto his back. Her hands were secure against his thick, coarse beard as she snapped his neck.
She stood and turned around. The remaining men were lying on the ground, covered in blood and dirt. Jaiza’s arrows protruded from their bodies. Lilae calmed her breathing.
She stood at the center of the massacre. Her eyes closed as she listened to the last groans of pain and gurgles of blood coming from the bandits’ mouths. Her Focus subsided, and her vision of the world returned to normal.
Lilae waited until their sounds of dying ceased before making her way back to the camp. She emerged from the forest, her hands and clothes covered in blood splatters. She wiped her face free of a few speckles with a rag that Risa handed her.
Everyone stared at Lilae across the dancing flames as she warmed her bloodstained hands over the burning logs. Her pale face was streaked with blood, and her eyes watched the fire without a trace of emotion.
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An Exclusive Excerpt from Half-Blood Dragon
YOU’RE LUCKY TO be alive.
Those words resonated in Rowen’s mind as the noose was lowered over her head and secured around her throat, scratching her delicate flesh with its coarse banding.
Not so lucky now, she thought, noting that this was the third time she’d had this nightmare in a week.
Still, she couldn’t awaken. Not until she had more information. If she was going to suffer in her sleep, she was going to at least figure out the cause of the prophecy, and the result. It was all she had.
Her only gift.
Rowen coughed as her airway began to close against the ropes. Was it supposed to be so tight? It didn’t matter, the wooden floor would soon disappear from beneath her and she would either break her neck from the sudden fall or suffocate.
Neither option was appealing.
Rowen looked out to the crowd of blank faces. She ignited her second sight and dug deeper into the prophecy,
summoning energy from the deepest depths of her soul. She could tell the difference between a dream and a prophetic scene. It was harder to awaken from a prophecy, and for good reason. There was something she needed to see to survive, if only for a few years longer.
The people that filled the square around the gallows were nondescript. No features to their faces, and no sounds from their mouths. No movement, either. They just stood like stoic silhouettes and stared at her as she awaited her death.
A black shadow stretched across the sky, blocking the sun and dimming the courtyard. While everyone looked to the sky, Rowen’s gaze peered past them, to the gates.
But, wait. Something new was happening, something Rowen had never seen in the other dreams.
Someone stood at the far end of the yard, behind the crowd, cloaked in dark gray.
The mysterious figure lifted their hand and pointed a finger right at her.
Out of the silence that filled the crisp morning air, a whisper burned her ear.
“I’m coming for you.”
Then, the trap door in the floor opened and the snap of her neck woke Rowen up.
A screech erupted from her lips as she woke up, clutching at her neck. Rowen shot up from her bed. A sheen of sweat glistened on her face as she struggled to catch her breath.
The nightmares. They were relentless. But, this time, a new element had been added to her prophecy. The fates were warning her, and she needed a plan just in case the time came when she needed to escape.
Something or someone was coming for her, and she wracked her brain for who that could be.
“They know,” Rowen whispered into the darkness, as she struggled to catch her breath. Escape was the only way. Her plan to restore her mother’s honor would have to be abandoned.
Rowen crossed the small room and gave the sleeping girl in the bed across from hers a gentle shove.
“Brea. Wake up. I need that favor you owe me.”
A quick glance out the tiny window that looked out to the back of the palace showed that the path from the castle to the gates was clear.
“Really?” Brea yawned and sat up, her white bangs falling into dark almond-shaped eyes.
“Yes.” Rowen lowered herself to her knees before Brea’s bed. “Please tell me you will uphold your promise.”
Brea tilted her head. “I promised to help you escape if necessary. I will do what I can, Rowen.”
“But, what if we are caught?”
“No one will catch us. And, if they do, we are ladies-in-waiting for the princess. We can make something up. You’re a clever girl. I’m sure you can talk us out of any situation. I’ve seen you do it.”
“You are truly the best friend I’ve ever had,” Rowen said, giving Brea’s hand a squeeze.
“You as well, dear. I will miss you. We all will.”
“I’m ready,” Rowen said as she shoved on her traveling frock and boots. Once her cloak was secure around her shoulders and fastened at the neck, she strapped her money purse to her thigh. It would be unwise to leave with a bag. There could be no suspicion from the palace guards.
At first, becoming a lady-in-waiting for the princess seemed like a welcome escape from her stepfather’s constant scrutiny. With her new life came hope and an opportunity to restore honor to her mother’s family name.
Little did she know that Withraen Castle would be significantly worse. Since childhood her prophecies had been harmless. She’d always been one step ahead of whatever fate threw at her.
Now, a mysterious being haunted her. Remaining in the palace only led Rowen one step closer to the fate of her prophecy. She had to find a way to prevent that horrible death.
Ready, Rowen watched Brea dress herself. With a nod, they left the safety of their apartment adjacent to the princess’ room and entered the dark hallway of Withrae Castle’s east wing.
Macana, their chaperone, would be fast asleep in her room right beside theirs. If they were quiet, they could escape unnoticed. But, they had to be quick and confident.
Brea put a finger to her lips and nodded for Rowen to follow.
Rowen chose her accomplice wisely. Brea had a gift that could save them both if caught. They crept down the stone hallway, careful not to let the soles of their boots make any noise. Clutching her opal necklace, Rowen tried to keep her face free of fear as they walked past the princess’ royal guards.
Brea gave one a nod, knowing that he was sweet on her.
The stairway at the end of the hall led to the back corridors and a series of secret tunnels that they’d practiced using with the princess in case enemies stormed the castle.
“This way,” Brea whispered. She led Rowen down the stairs and to a large sitting room. She hurried across the carpeted floor to the paneled wall. Rowen chewed her bottom lip as she watched Brea feel around for the hidden door. With a push, it was opened, and freedom awaited on the other end of the tunnel.
“Come.”
Rowen couldn’t run fast enough. They slipped through the secret door and into the dark tunnel.
“Smells of old rainwater in here,” Brea said, running her hand along the slick stone.
“I don’t care, as long as we make it outside.”
“Do not worry, dear. You forget what I can do.”
Rowen hadn’t forgotten. She was just hopeful that they wouldn’t need Brea’s unique ability.
The large stone door at the end of the tunnel was a beacon of hope. It was so close, yet so far. They couldn’t help but quicken their speed to reach it. Reaching it was a small victory. Getting out of the castle’s fortified structure would be a more difficult feat.
The dark cloak of night wrapped around Rowen and Brea as they carefully wedged the door open and slipped outside. The air was humid, and the sky a dull purple shade. Soon, the sun would rise, and dragons from all over would take to the skies.
To fly. Rowen closed her eyes and wished she could do what everyone in the kingdom did without effort. To transform and outstretch her wings would be bliss. But, Rowen could not fly. No matter how hard she tried.
Rowen rubbed her arm where a dull ache lingered from a failed attempt only years ago. It was her last attempt—one where she’d nearly killed herself trying.
Together, Rowen and Brea ran across the yard for what felt like miles. Breathless, they stopped just at the bars of the gate that reached high above them and ended at the stone structure that encircled the entire castle grounds. Four gates, and this was the one with the least amount of guards as it faced the cliffs that led right into the Perilean Sea.
“The guards are about to change shifts,” Brea whispered. “I can carry you over the gate and land just beyond the main road. Then, we can walk to the Gatekeeper’s station. She can port you home or wherever you want to go.”
Rowen narrowed her eyes as she watched four guards leave their posts as four more walked toward the front post in their armor.
“Did you save enough coins for your trip with the Gatekeeper?”
Rowen nodded. “I saved everything.”
“Good,” Brea said, folding her arms across her chest. “You should be able to catch a port from Withrae to Harrow with four gold zullies.”
Harrow, the biggest sea port in all of Draconia, and on the border that separated the human realm from the Dragon realm.
Her home.
The wind blew at Rowen, whipping strawberry blonde hair around her face as she wrapped her pale hands around the dark bars of the gates of the palace. The cold brass was soothing, despite the nerves that burned in her belly.
Freedom.
She yearned for it above all things in the world. For as long as she could remember, she lived her life for others, with no regard for her own wishes or desires. Back at the palace, there was a silent battle she had no clue how to fight. But, beyond those gates was an even bigger battle she was too afraid to face.
The world was vast. How long before she was swallowed up by it? How long before she ended up dead?
“Are you
sure about this?”
“We can do it. The guards won’t even see us if you hold my hand. See?” She peeled Rowen’s left hand from around the bar and held it within her own.
A warm sensation filled Rowen’s body as Brea held onto her. Rowen looked from Brea’s dark brown eyes and down at her hand.
“Look, I can make you vanish as well. As long as we touch,” Brea said with a smile as she used her vanishing gift.
Rowen’s hand and arm disappeared before her eyes, and Brea was nowhere to be seen when she looked up again.
Clever gift. She wished she had a power as great as Brea’s. Still, the ability to vanish could only get them so far.
There was another world out there beyond the dragon kingdom she’d grown up in. She’d read of vast oceans and mountains, human villages and fairies. Beyond the tall brass gates was a worn path that led to the center of the kingdom of Withrae.
Once they reached the city, what then?
The free clothes, room, board, and prestige were highly coveted. Rowen’s mother would call her a fool if she showed up at home before her duties had been carried out.
Rowen chewed her bottom lip, her thick brows furrowing. This wasn’t the time for doubts, but her options were limited. She needed more than a few coins to make it in their world.
“What’s wrong?”
Rowen sighed and pressed her forehead to the gate. “I can’t go back home just yet. The Duke would just send me back by first light.”
The Duke of Harrow had always hated Rowen. She was a thorn in his side since the day he married her mother. For as long as she could remember, he sent her away for every training imaginable. Languages in Summae, dancing in Dubrick, embroidery at the School for Fine Arts in Luthwig. And at eighteen, he sent her away to be a lady-in-waiting for Princess Noemie of Withraen Castle. She was merely one out of seven ladies-in-waiting, yet she was singled out at every opportunity.
Brea put a hand on Rowen’s. The red shimmer of her skin reflected the moonlight. In seconds, they vanished.
