Rebels and Realms: A Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection

by Heather Marie Adkins

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Your honesty is something to be admired, young one.”

  I elbowed the guys and glared at them. “At least someone appreciates it.”

  “Drake and Ladon, you’re welcome to your usual rooms here or you can join us in the morning. Which is better?” Yelah asked her dragon friends.

  Since he hadn’t spoken yet, it surprised me when Ladon answered first. “We’ll stay here, just in case. With the sword present, we all need to be ready at a moment’s notice.” The tenor of his voice was deep and rough, making me wonder if his vocal cords had been damaged in a fight at one point.

  “I agree. Be ready at first light, then.”

  The massive beasts pounded their way toward the enormous doorway leading toward the tunnels opposite of where I had first arrived. Once they were out of sight, Yelah turned back to the three of us. “Who’s ready for a tour?”

  I grinned widely and nodded my head with excitement, while Lucas tried to stifle a groan. I was going to make these boys live more dangerously if it was the last thing I did.

  “Right this way.” Yelah swung her body around, her tail missing us by mere inches.

  Oliver and Lucas flinched, glaring at me. “She’s leading us to our deaths,” Lucas complained.

  I promptly ignored him and skipped after my new favorite friend. Lucas and Oliver had just been demoted.

  7

  Morning came way too soon. The beds Yelah had provided us were made from animal pelts, but on a much smaller scale than the ones I had seen when I first arrived in the lair. The bed was warm and comfortable, ensuring I slept like a baby. Lucas and Oliver shared the bed with me, both having been too afraid to have us separated in the slightest. Big babies. I didn’t mind, though. We used to have sleepovers like this when we were younger, and I had forgotten how fun they could be.

  “You still snore when you sleep,” Lucas complained as we got up for the day.

  “You still annoy me on a daily basis, so I guess we’re even.” I stuck my tongue out at him and went to the makeshift bathroom. There was a hole on a rock seat that was supposed to be the toilet and a small water feature opposite the toilet where I could wash up a little. I laughed at myself as I hovered over the toilet and attempted to pee without actually touching the seat.

  I finished washing up and changed into my clothes. Once I was back in the room, I unhooked my sword from my bag and strapped it to my back. Anything we didn’t absolutely need would be left here. There was no sense in having anything extra to hold us back. I snagged my knife at the last minute and shoved it into my boot. One could never have too many sharp objects.

  “Who’s ready to go slay some dragons?” I grinned wickedly at my best friends.

  “Some days, I really worry about your sanity,” Oliver said very seriously, causing my grin to expand even more.

  “Let’s go meet Yelah and see if the others are ready to go as well,” Lucas suggested.

  The guys finished strapping their own weapons to themselves and we headed down the hallway. The closer we got to the dragons, the more tension rolled off my friends. I tried my usual joking, but nothing was lightening their sour moods. Getting annoyed by my lack of success, I stopped trying, in case they succeeded in bringing me down with them.

  “Good morning, young one,” Yelah spoke as we came around the corner.

  “Good morning!” My grin returned. “Glad to see someone else is cheerful. Normally I’m the grump in the mornings, but tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum over there decided to take that role today.”

  Yelah tossed her head from side to side, but said nothing else. Ladon and Drake were already in the cavernous room, observing us.

  We were offered breakfast, which included an assortment of fruits and greens. I was curious about how they appeared and asked as much.

  “Dragon magic.” Yelah used the same answer she had used yesterday. I pondered what else her dragon magic could do. There was so much unknown with these beasts. Their clans didn’t socialize with other species in the Otherworld, so they were often labeled a danger. People feared the unknown, but in this case, I believed the people had been wrong. Had the dragons not been feared for so long, we might not be in the situation we were in today.

  After we were fed, Yelah opened up the ceiling to her lair once more and glanced at me with a twinkle in her eyes. “Ready to hop on?”

  “Hell, yeah!” I fist-pumped and ran for her tail. Before I made it two steps, my body was yanked back.

  “Are you sure about this?” Lucas whispered. The look of worry in his creased face had mine softening.

  “Yes, I’m very sure. Trust me, okay?”

  Lucas nodded and let go. I resumed my sprint toward Yelah and climbed up her tail. Her scales were coarse and sharp, so I had to be careful. Once I was settled, my legs found a comfortable spot at the base of Yelah’s neck and I held on to the small horns that crept up her neck.

  I peeked over at Lucas and Oliver. They were each mounting their designated dragon, but much less enthusiastically than I had. Lucas went with Drake and Oliver with Ladon.

  Once everyone was situated, Yelah led the way as she flapped her powerful wings up and down. Her pace remained steady until we cleared the ceiling and then we soared. I was flying with a dragon. Holy shit-balls. Best. Day. Ever.

  The wind blew across my face and I closed my eyes briefly, sighing at the happiness I felt. When I reopened my eyes, I took in the sights. We were several hundred feet above Mineral Valley. I watched in amazement as the final pieces of rock came back together that led to Yelah’s lair. Dragon magic was pure and astonishing. I could see Web Valley behind us. It looked quiet and peaceful, but I knew otherwise. I would never be venturing through there again if I could help it.

  Inferno Valley was soon upon us. Heat from the eternal flames grazed us. I pulled my legs up a little higher just to be safe. I had no desire to find out how far of a reach those flames had.

  “How are you doing back there?” Yelah called to me.

  “Better than I thought I would be.” I laughed. “You’ve got some steady wings, my friend.”

  Yelah snorted, then went back to flying. Lucas and Oliver were next to me, finally looking more relaxed. The creases from Lucas’s forehead seemed to have smoothed out for the time being. The man was going to age quicker than all of us if he didn’t learn how to live a little. Oliver, on the other hand, switched from Team Jordan to Team Lucas and back again almost as often as the sky went from day to night. He evened out our trio nicely, though I’d never tell him that. My boys didn’t need me to inflate their egos any more by telling them how awesome they were.

  Drake and Lucas soared a little closer, so we were within talking distance. “How you doing, old man?” I asked.

  Lucas gave me the middle finger and whispered something to Drake. Before I knew it, they took off like a bat out of hell, which made me giggle-snort, considering he was riding a dragon over Inferno Valley.

  “Yelah. Do. Not. Let. Them. Win!” I punctuated each word, making sure my point was made.

  “You got it.” I could hear the grin in the timbre of her voice, thankful I couldn’t see all her pointy teeth this time.

  I held on tighter and pressed my legs more firmly into her scales. Out here in the sun, they appeared more aqua than teal as the light reflected off of them. The faster she went, the cooler the scales became against my skin. So cold, in fact, that I began to shiver.

  “Why is it so cold?” I asked.

  “Oops. Dragon magic.”

  “No way. That’s not working anymore. Spill it, sister.” I was giving the back of her massive head the ‘don’t mess with me’ look, but it was wasted. She didn’t look back, which made me pout in return.

  “Our bodies change with the elements and with how much magic we use or what we’re using it for. Like right now, we’re having fun and I’m using dragon magic to accelerate my speed. Since I’m in no danger, my body is cooling. If I was in danger, my body would heat up sign
ificantly. The elements also affect the coloring of my scales. You likely noticed I appeared more teal to you in my home, yet now my scales are deep blue. The sun changes them, but if I was lower to the terrain, then my surroundings could influence the color, as well, allowing me to camouflage.”

  “That is badass, Yelah. I have to admit, I’m slightly jealous. Now, back to the task at hand. Oliver is gaining on us and Lucas is still ahead. Let’s kick these boys’ asses and show them who’s boss!”

  Yelah roared and surprisingly, her speed kicked up another few notches. I laughed and grinned the entire time. Once we passed Lucas and the outer limits of Inferno Valley, Yelah began our descent back to the ground. We were going to follow the Serpentine River on foot for a while and see if we could pick up anything new while on the ground.

  Surprisingly enough, with as massive as the dragons were, their landings were graceful and smooth. Yelah lowered herself to the ground, so I could slide off her easier.

  Lucas and Oliver were right behind us and dismounted just as quickly, giving their dragon escorts manly pats on the back. “We never had a chance, but it was fun to try anyway,” Oliver joked.

  “That it was,” Ladon nodded his colossal head.

  I smiled as I realized that my two friends seemed to have bonded a little with our new friends. I was worried their hesitation would make this whole situation harder than it already was. We already had an evil, psycho Dragon to contend with. I didn’t want to add anything else to the agenda.

  “We didn’t get to cover the entire plan earlier,” I said once everyone was together. “I know we’re on foot for a while, but what next?”

  “The canopy of trees is really thick through this part of the river. Zendar and anyone working with him could be anywhere between here and the seventh bend of the river. Until our view isn’t restricted, we need to be on the ground,” Yelah answered.

  “What happens when we get to the seventh bend?” Lucas asked before I could.

  Ladon answered this time, grinning even creepier than Yelah. “Then, we fight.”

  “I like your attitude. I’m all for a good fight, but please leave the grinning for people you want to scare.” I shuddered once more as each of the three dragons snorted out in amusement. “Am I the only one who quakes at the sight of all those killer teeth?”

  “Yes, I think you are,” Lucas teased.

  “Well then, let’s get moving,” I said after giving Lucas a quick glare and deciding to change the subject. “I’m ready to be back in the sky.”

  “Addicting, isn’t it?” Drake asked.

  I nodded enthusiastically before catching up to Lucas and Oliver, who had already moved several feet ahead of me. “You guys feeling better about our new friends now?”

  “Yeah,” Oliver answered first. “The flight time gave me a chance to drill Ladon. They’re good dragons, and I’m glad we’re here to help them.”

  Lucas nodded in agreement. “We’ll take care of Zendar and make sure the good dragons don’t take the blame for this idiot and his minions.”

  I loved my boys. They really were the best.

  After the first mile, Yelah froze, halting the rest of us without a word. I strained to hear whatever she might have, but I heard nothing. I looked to Lucas and Oliver, but they each shrugged their shoulders. I inched closer to Yelah, but she was intently focused on whatever was up ahead.

  I waited not so patiently for her to acknowledge me and tell us what was going on. I was seconds from tapping my foot and clearing my throat when she lowered her head toward me. “There are two dragons up ahead. They’re young, maybe a century old. I can’t quite make out their conversation, but I can sense Zendar’s magic on them.”

  “So, what do we do? Go in breathing fire and swinging swords?” I asked, eager to finally be doing something.

  “No, we don’t know they’re a danger. Zendar has forced a lot of good dragons to do things they normally wouldn’t. Let’s get closer and see what we can learn first.”

  I let out a disappointed sigh and Lucas patted me on the back. “Always so eager for bloodshed.”

  “Only when we’re stopping evil beings from wreaking havoc on the goodness of the worlds.” I smirked. “I dream of these opportunities.”

  “Only you, my friend.”

  “That’s why you love me.”

  Ladon shushed us and brought our attention back to the matter at hand. I mouthed sorry, realizing if Yelah had heard the dragons, there was a good chance they could hear us.

  Each corner we came around, I expected to come upon the dragons, but it was another ten or so minutes before Yelah stopped us again. How she had heard anything from that far away earlier amazed me, but I wasn’t going to ask, already knowing her answer would be the same as it had been each time we asked about her awesome abilities. Dragon magic.

  “Come on, dude. Why are we even doing this? You know what he’s doing is wrong,” a young male voice said. Dragon years were way different than Guardian years. Even though Yelah thought they were around a century old, technically, they were still teenagers mentally.

  “Don’t be such a wuss. If you want to survive, you need to shut your mouth and do as you’re told.”

  “Is it so wrong that I don’t want to hurt innocent beings?” This time, the tone of his voice was sad and hopeless.

  “Yes, it is.” The hardness of the second dragon’s voice gave me shivers. I was ready to slice this ass-gobbler’s head off. I reached for my sword, but rough scales rubbed against my arm. Drake shook his head at me and once again, disappointment crashed into me. When am I going to get to draw blood?

  Yelah let out a melody so hypnotic my eyes began to droop. My knees grew weak and I leaned against Oliver, who didn’t seem any better off than I was. Ladon noticed and immediately blew in our faces with an icy blast. Holy Dragon Magic!

  “What the hell was that for?” I screeched.

  Ladon shrugged. “Only way to keep you out of the trance.”

  Damn dragon magic.

  “Neo! Wake up!” the young dragon shrieked.

  Yelah, Drake, and Ladon moved through the trees and appeared before the young dragon. I heard his intake of breath before the begging began. He thought we were here to kill him.

  “Calm down, young one. What is your name?” Drake asked.

  “Kort. What did you do to my brother?” he snapped.

  “He’s in a deep sleep, but he’ll be just fine, I promise,” Yelah said softly. “We heard your conversation and we mean you no harm as long as you agree to stay here with your brother.”

  Kort swung his head around, finally noticing us. “Why are you here?” he asked, suspiciously.

  “We’re here to stop Zendar,” Ladon stated matter-of-factly. “From the conversation we overheard, it didn’t sound like you would have a problem with that.”

  “What will become of Neo?”

  Yelah stepped closer. “The sleep will only last for two moon cycles. If when he wakes, he sees reason, then you’ll likely never see us again.”

  I was certain I could actually see the lump move slowly down Kort’s long neck as he took in this information. “There are more of us and Zendar has his claws in deep on many of them. How do you plan to stop him?”

  “That’s none of your concern, young one. Watch over your brother and take care. Don’t make us come back here.” Yelah narrowed her gaze at the young dragon, seemingly large and in charge. She was my kind of people. Or dragon. Whatever.

  Kort nodded eagerly, lowering his gaze respectfully. Our three dragons seemed satisfied with this and we continued down the path. Well, that was anti-climactic.

  “After the next bend, we’ll take to the skies again,” Yelah said. “Kort was untrained with no handle on his magic. His thoughts projected loudly to me and Zendar only has those he deems insignificant on the outskirts. The ones we need to worry about are with him at the seventh bend.”

  “Should I even ask how you heard his thoughts?” She was full of wonder. I l
oved it.

  The three dragons shared a look as if they were communicating telepathically, which wouldn’t surprise me one bit.

  “I think it’s time you learned a little more about me,” Yelah said excitedly.

  “Well, spit it out, woman.”

  “I’m supposed to be the next Queen of our dragon clan.”

  8

  “What does ‘supposed to be’ mean?” I asked. “And why are you helping us fight? Aren’t you supposed to be locked away somewhere being protected?”

  Yelah sighed and shook her head. “We are a monarch-led clan. There was a prophecy that a young male dragon would be born who would cause corruption within our ranks. The clan thought we locked away the dragon from the prophecy two centuries ago, but we took Zendar’s dad. He was a baby when this happened, but he grew to resent us and became very powerful. By the time we realized our mistake, it was too late.

  “When Zendar reached his full power, he killed my mother, who was Queen at the time. In our quest to stop him, my crowning has been overlooked. Queens in our clan do not stand on the sidelines during times of war. We fight alongside our people.”

  Holy dragon babies! I did not see that coming. “Where is Zendar’s dad now?”

  Yelah lowered her head in sorrow. “He poisoned himself and died a week before we realized our mistake. I believe that is what set Zendar off. He killed my mother right afterward.”

  “Is this why you can do things I’ve never heard of other dragons doing before?” Lucas asked.

  “Yes. Certain abilities are passed down from Queen to Queen. Each new matriarch receives their own special gift as well as all the gifts given before them.”

  “What is your special gift?” Oliver asked eagerly.

  Yelah grinned and I cringed. Damn dragon doesn’t listen. “Land manipulation. It’s how I was able to summon all of you to me.”

  Lucas let out a low whistle. “That’s impressive.”

  We made it to the next bend and it was time to fly again. I was equal parts excited and nervous. I enjoyed flying and I was anxious to stop Zendar, but after what we just learned, my guard was up even more and my nerves were going a little haywire. This fight was personal for Zendar, which meant he was going to be reckless. This could go either way for us.