Heart of the Dragon

by Rachel Jonas

  “I’m doing this,” I made clear. “With or without anyone’s blessing.”

  Baz passed me a knowing glance, understanding I couldn’t be swayed, and then spoke a few last words.

  “Then, if you cannot be reasoned with,” he began, “I hope you understand why I have to take matters into my own hands.”

  Confusion caused my brow to tense just before a prick in the side of my neck sent me staggering. My legs … they felt like jelly beneath me. The room turned dark, and within seconds, my eyes were fixed on the ceiling.

  Baz hovered above, as did one of his witches, and then … I succumbed to a deep well of darkness.

  *****

  No traces of dirt and blood. My skin and hair both felt clean as I touched my head, feeling the fog beginning to lift. Neither the clothes nor the shoes I wore were my own, but they fit. Being immune to magic, I guessed someone had actually taken the time to bathe me. Then, when they were done, dressed me in clothes that had been conjured. Just like Baz said they would.

  I sat up with a gasp, suddenly aware of my unfamiliar surroundings. The elegant room was decked from floor to ceiling with rich, mahogany wood and deep-crimson fabrics trimmed in gold. A large bed topped with a pillow-soft mattress swallowed me whole, making my already weak limbs nearly useless as I scooted to the edge.

  Where was I?

  How long had I been out?

  How long had I been out … that question made me frantic.

  Tick tock.

  Tick tock.

  I raced to the door and pulled it toward me. Stepping out into a dimly lit hallway, I pressed a palm to my head, trying to get my bearings. The stone walls, torches, and dark fabrics made it feel like I’d stepped back in time, into a Medieval castle.

  Stone walls … torches … the Elder’s chamber.

  I remembered.

  Faint voices murmured from the left. I took a step that way. I needed to find a way out of here without anyone seeing, without them knocking me out again, without them costing me more time.

  I pressed my ear to the door and listened harder, noting one of the voices was female.

  “According to our laws,” she declared, “any clan member can take it upon him or herself to bypass local sects of government to seek aid from the Sovereign should he or she feel justice is being obstructed, or if there’s suspicion that local government has been compromised.”

  “Please, Mrs. Stokes, enlighten us as to how, in your opinion, we have been compromised?” The one who asked wasn’t Baz, but his voice was similar in tone and depth.

  Mrs. Stokes … she was the informant Sebastian spoke of? She’d all but admitted it; however, I still couldn’t conceive anyone in this town doing such a thing. Seeing as how they all seemed so well aware of the Sovereign’s agenda.

  “I’ve got reason to believe the Elders, the Council as a whole, have all conspired to overthrow the Sovereign,” she rebutted. There was only false confidence in her tone, proving that not even she believed her excuse would hold up.

  “And—”

  When she tried to continue, the man interjected, his words dripping with disgust.

  “Oh, please, Mrs. Stokes. Save your lies,” he boomed. “No one here is ignorant enough to believe you actually support the views of Sebastian De Vincenzo. Just admit you willingly endangered your clan to spare the life of that disgraceful boy of yours.”

  “Disgraceful?” she seethed. “What’s disgraceful is your negligible plan to seat a dragon in the throne. As if their kind has ever been suitable to rule.”

  The sound of hollow wood scraping stone hit my ears—a chair being scooted back as someone stood.

  “Mind your tongue, woman,” Baz boomed. “I’ll not have you speak of your future queen in this manner.”

  “She’s got you all blind,” Mrs. Stokes said incredulously, sounding like a woman who believed the entire world had gone crazy around her.

  The echo of footsteps seeped through the door as I listened. She was coming closer, I could tell by how the volume and clarity of her voice increased when she spoke again.

  “I’ll have you know I took great pride sharing your plan with the Sovereign,” she said, spouting a sinister chuckle right after. “The moment I went to that girl’s parents and they had no clue who or what I was talking about … I knew you all and your witches had your hands all over this, knew I couldn’t trust any of you,” she added. “So, I did some digging myself, went through Nick’s things and found notebook upon notebook of research and information, most of which centered around her—this … child you’re reverencing as queen.”

  The Elders said nothing, just sat in silence while Mrs. Stokes’ divulged more.

  “My son may not have known who or what she was, but I did. Right away,” she added. “And I knew it would’ve taken restorative magic to bring her back.”

  The other lycan, a member of the Council who’d lingered after Nick’s trial I guessed, chuffed a long breath before asking a question. “And you truly believe our current ruler is more fit to meet the needs of our people than Evangeline?”

  Without hesitation, Mrs. Stokes replied. “I’d pledge my allegiance to a lycan over a dragon any day. Hybrid or not, she’s still one of them.”

  And there it was. Losing Nick, coupled with her prejudices against me, against dragons in general, had spearheaded a chain reaction. A chain reaction that resulted in Liam being taken.

  This was all her fault. It was clear to me now. She, in her ignorance, in her grief, had called that tyrant here and gave up all our secrets.

  “You foolish, foolish woman,” Baz murmured.

  I was done listening, done wasting time.

  I burst through the door, no longer content to wait until they ironed out their spat. To me, it mattered very little how we ended up here. What mattered was what we did next.

  The other lycan stood as I walked toward them. Baz sputtered, most likely searching for an explanation as to why he drugged me, but I wasn’t interested, accepting the impromptu plan that developed along the way.

  “I need Nick,” I blurted, fully aware of his mother’s eyes glued to me. “Since your guards can’t be trusted, and because I’ll be up against so many, I need his help.”

  Confusion crossed Baz’s face. I knew what he was thinking, knew what Liam would be thinking if he’d been present to hear. He’d think I was crazy to suggest I embark on this journey with Nick—nature’s kryptonite—but I think I made it clear how far I’d go. There were no limits when it came to Liam.

  When my request wasn’t immediately denied, Mrs. Stokes volleyed frantic glances back and forth between me and the two lycans. Her expression was riddled with desperation when she spoke, addressing me directly instead of the Council.

  “Are you really this selfish?” she seethed. “Do you realize what you’re asking? Do you have any idea the danger you’d be putting Nick in? He’s not some pawn in your halfcocked plan. You can’t just volunteer him at will simply because you don’t value his life.”

  My fists clenched at my sides, but I said nothing. She had no idea how wrong she was; no idea how much I did, in fact, value Nick’s life. Despite our differences, I’d willingly intervened when almost everyone else wanted him dead. It was on the tip of my tongue to share these thoughts and more, but I refrained.

  I couldn’t even look at her, knowing she would have loved having an excuse to launch a verbal attack. Doing so would’ve shifted the direction of the conversation and stall my effort to get to Liam. Nothing was worth that—not even the chance to put this woman in her place.

  Ignoring Mrs. Stokes’ protest, Baz glanced toward his comrade and stammered a few unintelligible syllables before speaking up.

  “We, myself and the Chancellor, will need to discuss this with the others,” he forced out, clearly stalling. I already sensed the hard ‘no’ on his lips, although he hadn’t said it. Stating that he needed to talk it over with the Council was merely to come up with a way to dismiss my idea, I was sure.


  The Chancellor began sizing me up, and then addressed me for the first time. “Are you suggesting that you and Nicholas set out to retrieve this … Liam that you speak of … on your own?”

  He doubted we were capable. That was clear. However, I didn’t care a whole lot about his opinion.

  So, with my shoulders squared, I nodded. “Absolutely.”

  There was a keen sense of Mrs. Stokes’ eyes boring a hole through me, but I didn’t shift my gaze, didn’t acknowledge her.

  Baz leaned in to whisper something to the Chancellor. Whatever he said, it brought a smile to the Chancellor’s face.

  “Is that so?” he crooned, offering Baz a surprised grin. “Reaper … ”

  The name Liam he didn’t recognize, but Reaper had definitely rung a bell. Hearing it seemed to have gotten Mrs. Stokes’ attention as well. I guessed she had a firmer grasp on supernatural history than the rest of this town seemed to.

  The Chancellor stared at me long and hard. I held his gaze, making sure he knew I wouldn’t back down on this. If they denied me Nick, I’d go on my own.

  Bottom Line.

  When a response didn’t come soon enough for her liking, Mrs. Stokes interjected. “You couldn’t possibly be considering the idea of sending my son to die beside this girl.”

  A thundering, “Silence, woman!” made my ears ring when the Chancellor yelled. His gaze lingered on her and it was clear his patience with her was running thin.

  “I’ll have you know,” he stated in a much calmer manner, “had it not been for ‘this girl’, your worthless son would be smeared on the sole of my boot! So, if I were you, I would be careful to show some respect.”

  After a lengthy stare-down, the Chancellor turned from Mrs. Stokes and came closer, the hint of a smirk set on his lips. Three words fell from them and I exhaled with relief.

  “I’ll allow it.”

  “But, sir,” Baz pleaded.

  “Stop sniveling,” the Chancellor barked back. “You and the rest of Seaton Falls ought to be embracing the fact that we’ve been graced with a future queen with such … poise, such … integrity.”

  With that same smirk, he walked a slow circle around me. “It’s been quite some time since our people have had a ruler so fearless, one willing to lay down their life for the sake of another.”

  I breathed deep when he faced me again.

  “Your bravery might just exceed your father’s,” the Chancellor added with a reserved smile as my expression went slack.

  “You … you knew my father?”

  His chin dipped with a nod. “We met on several occasions,” he shared. “King Noah was a true man of valor.”

  My heart warmed. “Thank you.”

  Behind him, Baz lowered his head, most likely thinking of all the reasons this was a terrible idea, thinking of all the things that could go wrong, including Nick being triggered while we were gone. I thought of these things, too, but … the difference was … none of the possible outcomes that came to mind were worse than losing Liam.

  Period.

  “Every kingdom is only as strong as its leader, its foundation. So, it is my belief that, when you return, our people will be all the stronger for it,” the Chancellor expressed. “Is there anything we can do to assist?”

  I smiled, appreciating the offer. “Do you have any idea where Sebastian might have taken him? Any suggestion where I should start?”

  He considered my words, locking his hands behind his back. I searched my brain for any hints, any morsel of information that might help.

  “Lake Superior!” I shouted when I remembered something Sebastian mentioned. “He threatened Liam, stated that, if he gave him trouble, Lake Superior would run red with his blood.”

  With Seaton falls being located on the eastern most part of Michigan, and Lake Superior being on the northern shore of the Upper Peninsula, the statement struck me as strange. And now, it might have been a bread crumb, someplace to start my search.

  To my surprise, the Chancellor smiled. “I might know where our dreadful Sovereign has gone.”

  I was anxious, chomping at the bit as he whispered to the witch, Gadreal, before she manifested a sheet of paper and a pen. The Chancellor turned to the table, and when he returned, had drawn a map. Tapping his finger near the shore of Lake Superior, he spoke.

  “Mount Arvon,” he stated. “A member of the High Council resides there and it’s quite possible Sebastian and his men decided to set up camp on the property.”

  For the first time in hours, I felt hope.

  “Thank you,” I breathed, thinking better of my next action after I stretched to lock my arms around the tall lycan’s neck. Certain it was not customary for someone of his caliber to accept hugs from teenage girls, I was surprised when his rigid body slowly submitted, giving in to my unconventional gesture. His thin arms returned my embrace.

  Yes, this was my first time meeting the Chancellor, but I believed he could be trusted. And right now, I was incredibly grateful for how he stood up for me.

  I released him, settling back on my heels. With the map in hand, I turned toward the door Baz had just opened, the one I assumed led to the cells where they held Nick.

  “Queen Evangeline.” At the sound of the Chancellor calling my name, I turned to receive his parting words. “You have our sincerest blessing.”

  —Chapter Sixteen—

  Nick

  Thump thump. Thump thump.

  I’d know that sound anywhere. Evie was nearby, somewhere in the Elder’s chamber, but I had no idea why. I chuckled as it crossed my mind that she may have come here to say she’d changed her mind about me, that she thought better of it and decided execution was a more fitting punishment.

  But then I heard footsteps that got me up off the dingy cot I’d been given to sleep on. Moving closer to the bars of my cell, I watched as two dark, oblong masses on the cement floor, shrank to something resembling human shadows, and then she came into view. There was a brief moment when her eyes flashed toward mine, and I sensed the hurt still behind them.

  Hurt I was responsible for.

  Hurt that made her gaze shift away almost the instant it landed on me.

  “Thank you,” she said softly to the guard as he placed a key in the lock and turned it.

  Confused, I watched as the door to my cell opened and the guard stepped aside. I wasn’t sure if I was being let out, or if she was being let in.

  “You’re free to go,” the guard grumbled.

  “I—But.”

  “I’ll explain,” Evie said quietly, gesturing with her hand for me to follow.

  We walked the dark, stone-covered hallway without words. I kept my eyes trained on the back of her head, wondering if I was dreaming this. The guard said I was free to go, but … I wasn’t supposed to step foot out of that cell until I was transferred to the island.

  We began ascending the staircase that led to the main level of the Elders’ chamber.

  “I need your help,” Evie whispered once we were clear of everyone. She spoke urgently, like every second counted as the sound of our feet echoed with each step. “I know none of this makes sense yet, but I came to the Elders, and once I told them what happened, they’ve agreed to lift your sentence in exchange for coming with me.”

  Confusion made my brow tense. “Come with you where?”

  A long sigh left her mouth and she stopped at the landing, facing me. Her gaze had warmed a bit and I was grateful for it—a sign she may have hated me a little less than I thought. She hadn’t yet spoken, but I knew already that, whatever it was, she was desperate.

  “He took Liam,” she breathed. “The Sovereign and his men have him. They intend to kill him, and…”

  The rest of the words seized in her throat, and of all the emotions I could have felt in the moment, I felt her sadness, her pain.

  Our relationship had gone through so many phases—from shy strangers, to friends, to love interests, to enemies. For a long stretch of time, I hated Liam
, hated what I thought he stole from me, hated that he somehow won Evie’s heart completely when I never could seem to. Now, maybe as time had passed, or because nearly losing my life put things into perspective, those feelings of hatred had dulled considerably.

  It didn’t sting to hear that it tore her up inside having him taken. There was no malice in my heart, no thoughts of letting her fend for herself. I only wanted to help, only wanted what was best for her.

  It wasn’t lost on me that it took extreme compassion for her to request the High Council have mercy on me. She lost her family because of me. So now, I saw this as an opportunity to make sure she didn’t lose anyone else.

  Without hesitation, I nodded. “Okay, I’m in. Tell me what you need me to do and I’ll do it.”

  She blinked with tears pooling in her eyes, maybe not expecting me to be so accommodating, but … I owed this girl my life.

  A distant smile tugged at the corner of her mouth and I returned the gesture. We hadn’t had a chance to talk through or work through our issues, but I could only imagine time and experiences had changed her like they changed me. For the first time in a while, I had hope that we’d be all right. Maybe even friends again someday.

  She breathed deep and those tears that pooled fell now. Swiping them away, she wrangled in her emotions, focusing on the task at hand again.

  “We have to get moving. He was taken hours ago and I’m sure they’ve covered a lot of ground.”

  “How many were there?” I asked, remembering she said it was the Sovereign and some of his men.

  As we approached the door to the assembly hall where I’d been sentenced to exile the night before, she paused, glancing over her shoulder before answering.

  “A hundred or more.”

  I swallowed hard, fighting the next thought that came to mind—that the Council only agreed to let me accompany her because they knew we wouldn’t survive it anyway. When I didn’t respond, Evie pushed through the door.

  Three sets of eyes met us when we entered. I hadn’t expected to see anyone, but we had the attention of an Elder, the Chancellor, and … my mother.

  Tension spread in my brow as she rushed over. Gripping the scruffy beard I hadn’t bothered shaving since Roz and I came out of hiding, she stared up at me with pleading eyes.