Breath of Fire (Rena Drake)

by Liliana Hart

  “There’s no need to quote the law to me. I helped write it.” He glided closer to me as if he controlled gravity itself. His body flowed with the ethereal grace only the Ancients could achieve. “You’re right, of course. I have been quite remiss in my duties, Rena, daughter of Alasdair. I apologize.”

  His voice slid across my skin like liquid silk. His power nipped erotically at the pulse points throughout my body. I shouldn’t have let him use his powers on me like this, but I couldn’t seem to help it. Were my own powers really so much less than what I’d always thought?

  “I am Julian, and I welcome you openly to my lands.” He took my hand and bowed formally before me, kissing the back of my hand lightly. “And never doubt yourself, little one, for your powers are great indeed. You only need the proper guidance.”

  “I told you to stay out of my head.” I jerked my hand away from his, and the moment our skin separated it was as if I could breathe on my own again. I couldn’t seem to find my focus anywhere.

  Julian laughed at the turmoil I was in, and I had a feeling he knew exactly what was happening to me. “Stop it.” The words came out as a growl, and my fire brought everything back into focus. I embraced my anger. It was the only thing in my entire life that had never failed me. His eyes flared in response to the rush of my power, but he shut down his reaction almost as soon as it had begun.

  “I apologize, but it’s almost impossible not to hear them.”

  “Try harder.”

  “As you wish. Have you dined this evening?” He changed the subject so quickly I had trouble following along. “I’d be pleased if you’d join me. We have much to discuss.”

  I didn’t want to go anywhere with Julian. It was as if I was losing a piece of myself with every minute I spent in his presence. But I needed to follow protocol and accept his graciousness, such as it was. It would make things go smoother once the Council moved in to take over. I looked down at my ragged clothes and wished for nothing more than a hot bath and bed, but it would have to wait.

  “If you’ll give me a moment to change, I’ll meet you in the dining room.”

  “I think you look lovely as you are. Blood looks good on you, but there’s no need for you to change.”

  Something whispered across my skin, delicate and soft, and it felt like heaven. I looked down, and my travel-worn clothes were gone, replaced by a sheer gown the color of rubies. Thin satin straps barely held up the soft material. It was gathered at the bodice and flowed softly all the way to the floor. Other than the color, it reminded me of the dresses of long ago. But it didn’t seem at all appropriate now.

  “That’s much better,” Julian said huskily.

  I ignored his offered hand, afraid of what his touch did to me. We walked side by side to the dining room. “Forgive me if I’m insulting you,” I said, “but I find your change of heart on my arrival insincere. I was under the impression there would be no peace between us, since you sent your Bellator to greet me.”

  “Complete peace would make life quite boring. The Drakán have never been at peace. It’s not in our nature. Besides, I already know why you’ve come. I know why you’re here better than you do.”

  “I had a feeling you might,” I said sarcastically.

  “But I think we will speak of it later. Much later. Unpleasant talk disrupts the digestion.”

  He spoke as if that was the end of the conversation, but I wasn’t ready to let my questions go unanswered. “You must understand my skepticism. There’s no way I would trust you after the way I was treated at my arrival. I’ve heard you are a most—unaccommodating man.” It was the nicest word I could think of to describe him.

  “You speak the truth. My people learn quickly that I do not believe in forgiveness. My wrath is a powerful thing, but this is my right as Archos. My people do their best to never make mistakes, and my land flourishes because of it. We are stronger than all the others. Can you say the same of your people?”

  The troubling thing was, I couldn’t say the same about our clan. My father ruled with vengeance, much like Julian. But he ruled only when he was forced to—when a problem grew so out of hand extreme measures had to be taken. He usually called me in to handle those cases. He chose to spend most of his time in seclusion, in his dragon form, ignoring the basic needs of his people and forcing them to make do on their own. If they weren’t powerful, they were meaningless to him. If they were too powerful, he had me mind rape them and make them malleable to his wishes.

  In all honesty, our clan wasn’t flourishing at all. We were slowly withering to death. My people had businesses and families, and once a year they came to our home and pledged their loyalty to my father at the gathering. But there were plenty of our people who didn’t have families or businesses, who were forced to live on the streets and scrounge for food. These were usually the Drakán who hardly had any power at all, but whose savage beast was just prominent enough that they still had to feed their need to hunt and kill. My father ignored these Drakán and left them to their own devices until they started drawing attention to themselves and I had to kill them. I hated doing it, so I’d started making it a point to seek them out and use my powers of mind control to help them find jobs and lodging.

  Julian interrupted my thoughts with his silver-tongued words. “There is a saying I’m sure you’ve heard, Rena. One that someone very wise once told me.”

  “What is it?”

  “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”

  Julian touched my hand and pushed his power into my body, and my inner dragon answered his call. She recognized his strength and wanted him. Lusted for him. The human in me wanted to run screaming out the door.

  I understood my position perfectly. I was trapped in the enemy’s hands with no way out but death.

  Chapter Eleven

  The dining room was decorated much like the room I’d just left. Black surrounded us on all sides. A black lacquered table dominated almost the entire room. Yards of red velvet fabric ran down the length of it and pooled to the floor like blood. Heavy gold candlesticks sat at even intervals down the length of the table, and each one held slender white tapers.

  Julian and I sat at each end of the long table, fully aware of each other and every little movement that was made, despite the distance that separated us. The silence was filled with tension.

  I’d been brought a plate with a large cut of medium rare veal, topped with melted butter and garnished with parsley for color. Only good manners kept me from shoveling it in like an animal. The last time I’d eaten had been with Noah, and I’d hardly touched it. I was surprised to see Julian had the same thing on his plate. I’d never seen an Ancient who was satisfied with animal meat.

  “My clan doesn’t feast on human flesh,” he said, reading my mind again. “We never have. Why would we take the chance of eating a potential mate?”

  Good question, I thought. Suddenly many of the things I’d thought normal about my clan seemed wrong in so many ways.

  “Are there other Bellators besides Xana?” I asked.

  “Xana is the only Bellator born of our people since the Banishment.”

  “You’ve done a good job hiding her.” He didn’t try to dispute the fact that he had, in fact, been hiding her all these centuries. “How could she control my mind? She’s not an Enforcer.”

  His lips quirked in a smile. “That is a secret of my clan. But just know that Xana is under my protection. She is my sister.”

  I choked on a piece of veal, and took a long drink of wine to clear my throat. “Sorry, I missed the family resemblance.”

  Amusement crossed his face and he nodded. “Xana was the first of Dimitris’ children. I was the last. There are hundreds who came between us. My father was quite proficient at populating our clan.”

  “What happened to the rest of them?”

  “Most of them are still living. They are thriving members of my clan. Those I would call on if we faced war.”

  “You have that many An
cients in your clan?” I put down my fork in surprise. There were only four in my own. I couldn’t imagine what Alasdair would have done if faced with that many other dragons of such significant power. “Do they challenge you for power often?”

  “No, they all know they cannot defeat me. I’ve never had to fight for my position. When my father died, I stepped into his place without difficulty. The others sensed my power. And they feared it. You would be wise to follow in their footsteps.”

  He didn’t have to worry about that. I had plenty of fear of his power. Julian was the son of Dimitris—one of the five Drakán survivors after our world was destroyed, and the Archos who masterminded my own grandfather’s defeat at a human woman’s hands. I couldn’t help but wonder if Julian had also succeeded in populating his clan. The ability to procreate was considered a great gift from the gods, since it happened so infrequently.

  “No, I have no children of my own,” Julian said, reading my mind again. “Though I’ve certainly tried. But there is always the possibility it will happen someday soon.”

  The look he gave me was so blatantly full of desire I felt my own need rise up before I could control it. This was not happening. I didn’t know what games Julian was playing, but I wanted no part of it. Anything that happened with Julian would just be a calculated maneuver in our own battle.

  I deliberately slowed my heartbeat. I didn’t like what was happening to my body. To my dragon. She recognized Julian for what he was—an alpha male—and she wanted him. To hell with any consequences or the fact we barely knew each other. It was at times like these when my human body and inner dragon fought the most.

  Dessert was brought out by a well-dressed servant, his uniform black like everything else in the palace I’d seen so far. His skin was pale and his demeanor subservient as he bowed low before leaving. I was glad to see the diamond shaped pupils in his amber eyes. I wouldn’t think even Julian could stand the temptation of having a human living with him.

  Dessert was a delicate chocolate mousse served in a crystal goblet that melted on the tongue and succeeded in soothing my dragon. I’d done everything but pick up the goblet and lick the last dregs of chocolate from the bottom of the glass when Xana slammed into the room, knocking the heavy double doors against the walls with a crash.

  She held a struggling young Drakán in her grasp. His nose was broken, and dried blood covered his mouth and down to his neck. One of his eyes was swollen completely shut. Xana picked him up and threw him onto the middle of the table. The table runner and candlesticks crashed to the floor, along with the crystal dessert goblets. Xana bowed before Julian then left the room.

  Tension and the threat of violence filled the air as I waited for Julian to say something.

  “What do you have to say for yourself, Petyr?” Julian asked.

  Petyr spat at Julian and stared at him defiantly. He was a tall, gangly man with thick, sandy blond hair. He probably would have been handsome if his face wasn’t so swollen. I gauged his age to be no more than a couple of centuries old at most, but I could sense his power and the hate that fed it. Petyr was strong—as strong as one of the Ancients in my own clan.

  The silence was filled with energy, and I made sure to sit perfectly still so as not to draw any attention to myself. It would be interesting to observe how Julian handled his clan, and if he was really as powerful as he felt. Taking on Petyr wouldn’t be a walk in the park.

  Everything in the room was completely still. It didn’t even seem as if we were breathing. Petyr’s body suddenly flew across the room and hit with a painful thud against the black granite wall. The stone cracked behind him, but Petyr just grinned as blood stained his teeth and dripped from the corner of his mouth. His feet didn’t touch the ground, and he was held spread eagle against the wall. Hate shone like madness behind the green of his eyes.

  Julian relaxed in his chair and stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankles. It was as if he were lounging by the pool instead of holding a man’s life in his hands. It didn’t seem as if it took him any effort at all to control Petyr’s body. I couldn’t believe his indifference to what was happening.

  Julian repeated his earlier statement. “I asked you a question, Petyr. I expect it to be answered.”

  “It doesn’t matter what I say.” Petyr hissed with pain. “My sentence is death either way.”

  “Yes, I know. But I like to give everyone a chance for redemption before facing the afterlife. I’d hate to travel to the Realm of the Dead with guilt on my shoulders. Nothing I can do to you here will compare with what you face there. It’s best to clear your conscience.”

  Petyr’s laugh was maniacal, but there was no repentance in his words. “She deserved everything she got from me—the human bitch and the whelps that didn’t have an ounce of power. I don’t even think they were mine. You’ll get everything you deserve one day. I curse you with my dying breath, Julian of the Belgae, for your time in power will soon end. I’ll see you in the Realm of the Dead, Archos.”

  “Yes, you will,” Julian said.

  Petyr’s body fell to the floor like a rag doll. There was a moment of silence before a great whoosh filled the room. Fire engulfed Petyr’s body, and he turned to ashes in front of my eyes.

  All I could do was stare in disbelief. I’d been witness to some horrible things in my line of work, but I’d never seen another Drakán with the ability to kill with just a thought. Dragon fire had to come from a dragon’s breath. Didn’t it?

  Icy claws of terror scraped at my belly, and I stood up quickly, only thinking of the need to escape. To survive. I couldn’t take my eyes from Petyr’s ashes.

  “I’m tired. I think I’ll go to my room now,” I said, backing slowly toward the doors.

  “Come now, Rena, surely you’re not so squeamish. I know your father, after all.”

  The way he’d said, “your father” was rather snide, and I wondered if there was something personal between Alasdair and Julian that I wasn’t aware of.

  “No, I’m not squeamish. I just wasn’t expecting your methods. How do you manifest fire without your dragon form?”

  He smiled but didn’t answer my question. “I don’t delay justice when it is needed. A swift punishment is the best way to keep things in order.”

  “Unless he was innocent. But you only asked for his repentance, not if he was actually guilty.”

  “Your sense of fair play is very—human,” Julian said with distaste.

  I almost made a comment about how human blood also ran through his veins, but I remembered it didn’t. Not really. His mother had been a descendant from another clan and his father was one of the banished warriors, so Julian had very little human blood in him at all.

  “What about the Council? You didn’t ask their permission to kill.”

  “I don’t need permission from the Council. As my power has grown, I’ve become my own Council. They can no longer defeat me and they know it.”

  Which meant Alasdair had known Julian couldn’t be defeated, and he’d sent me to find him anyway. The evidence was stacking against Julian. He was the descendant of two different lines of Drakán and his power was unmatched by even the Council. I couldn’t imagine anyone else being more suited to the title of Destroyer.

  I could tell he’d chosen that moment to read my mind again because his eyes turned to blue ice, and he stood slowly from his chair. I made a conscious effort not to take a step in retreat, but it was hard. Really hard.

  “This is my clan, Rena Drake. And anyone who questions my authority is welcome to challenge me. My word is law and my decisions final.”

  “All societies thrive when there is true justice,” I said, much more bravely than I felt. “For you to dole it out as you see fit simply makes you a tyrant, no better than the other Archos who mistreat their clans.”

  “There is a difference in how I provide for my people and how your father abuses yours. Do not get our ways confused because you were witness to the event. I could have tortured him,
prolonged his pain. That’s what your father would have done.”

  “And he listens no better than you do. No one wishes to live their lives in fear of being condemned to death before they ever have a chance to live. I know the people who live with this fear. And making them live that way is its own cruelty.”

  “You know nothing, Enforcer. Petyr brutally murdered his human mate and left their two children to starve—twin boys nearing puberty who have shown great promise in their powers. There were witnesses to her murder, but it doesn’t matter. I am linked to all my people, even the human mates, through a blood oath. I know every thought and deed that crosses their minds. I know when they feel joy. And I know when they suffer. Does a man like Petyr deserve for me to draw out his death just so I can hear his endless excuses? I would never show such weakness.”

  His explanation caught me by surprise. When he put things in that perspective I could understand his reasoning. I’d never heard of an Archos tying himself to his people through a blood oath. And I wondered why Alasdair didn’t do it with our people. I wondered if he even knew he could.

  “What happens when someone in your clan merely disagrees with your methods or your rules? Is it instant death or are they allowed to voice their opinions? All of our people should have a choice in how they live. And if they make the wrong choice there should be consequences, but the choice should be theirs.”

  “But we aren’t people, are we, Rena? We’re monsters with the instincts of animals, even though we have many human traits. And what you might think are simple choices could possibly affect our entire race. I am their executioner, just as you have come to be mine, but I am also their greatest protector.”

  He looked at me with an intensity I couldn’t decipher, as if he wanted me to understand something I wasn’t quite grasping. I couldn’t think of anything to say. It was a rare moment for me to be rendered speechless.

  “Xana,” he called out.

  Xana appeared once again in the doorway of the dining room in her black leather, only this time there was a whip coiled at her side. She stood silently, waiting for instructions.