Drakkar ~ Beyond the Lie (A Dark Order of the Dragon Novel Book 3)

by Sandra Bischoff

  “Even you are no help. Thanks.”

  When she told her mother she would help, she never thought she’d be in any real danger. After meeting Absinthe face to face, she was having her doubts. The Princess’ agenda included Drakkar and she wasn’t about to let him renege on whatever scheme.

  Clearly, it wasn’t something he wanted to do, but she wasn’t giving him the option to back out. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

  “Serenity?”

  Her mother’s voice permeated the fog in her head. She continued to slowly move back and forth, no longer staring into space. “Right here.”

  Sheridan descended from the deck onto the pavestone path leading toward her. She carried two steaming mugs. Serenity hoped it was coffee and not hot chocolate. She needed the caffeine boost.

  When her mother finally made it to her side, she handed one of the mugs to her. Taking it, Nettie closed her eyes and inhaled the wonderful scent of hazelnut with a hint of cinnamon, just the way she liked her brew.

  “Baby, is everything alright? I don’t think I’ve seen you up this early since we moved here.” Sheridan frowned. “Did something happen last night?”

  Serenity took a big sip of the warm goodness. Something inside her wanted to tell her mother everything, including the interaction with the Princess, but she couldn’t. Telling her that would only make her mother to pull her from the mission.

  That was definitely something she didn’t want.

  No, Absinthe’s threat needed to stay a secret, at least for now.

  “I think Drakkar is just another pawn. He doesn’t think too highly of the Princess. It’s like there is no love lost between them.”

  “Oh?” Sheridan raised her brow. “Did he tell you this?”

  “Not directly. It was just implied in the way he spoke about her.” Whew, close one. She almost gave away that she saw it first-hand.

  “Do you think he would give her up?”

  Serenity nodded over her mug. “I think given the right motivation he could become an ally. In fact, I think she uses force to make him obey her.”

  “You think she hits him?”

  Nettie winced, remembering the way he hissed when she touched his back. “I think she does way more than that. If you give me more time, I can probably get him to open up more. Mom” -she met her mother’s gaze head on- “he doesn’t deserve to be treated like a monster. He’s scared and basically alone, no friends. I don’t want to see him hurt anymore.”

  Sheridan softened a little. “You really do like him, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I think I do, and not because you want me to get close to him. He’s a nice guy. No one gives him a chance, though. They just seem to think since he’s her son, he’s as evil as she is.”

  “Serenity, I don’t think either of them are evil. I think there were circumstances that forced Absinthe into protection mode and she never came out of it. My professional opinion is she is all about self-preservation without regards to anyone around her, even her own child.”

  “But that doesn’t make it right.”

  “No, it doesn’t. We are going to try and correct that, at least for him.”

  Nettie smiled. “Good. Then I think what we are doing is ultimately the right thing, now to convince him the same thing.”

  Her mother touched her shoulder lightly, giving it a squeeze. “I have no doubt you will.”

  The phone Serenity’s pocket buzzed, startling her. Her mother reached out and took the mug before it spilled as she struggled to pull out the phone. Looking at the ID, all it said was Private Caller. As she answered it, she took the mug back.

  “I’ll be inside.” Her mother winked and walked back up the path, vanishing into the house.

  “Uh, hello?”

  “Hey, Serenity. It’s Nick.”

  “Oh, hi. How did you get my number?” She couldn’t for the life of her remember giving it to him or Drakkar last night.

  “I actually broke down and called Britt. After about a thirty minute lecture on how awful a person I was, she finally gave it to me. How do you stand it?”

  She tried not to laugh. Of course Britt would give the poor guy an earful. But she would never admit she was actually waiting for him to call all the time. When would the two of them finally realize they should get back together? They were so hard-headed, it killed her.

  “If I told you the truth, I’d have to kill you.”

  “Wow, thanks a lot. Now I know why you and Drake are the perfect couple.” He laughed.

  “We are not a couple, Nick. But I know two other people who should be.”

  “Do. Not. Go. There. We are not doing that again. Besides, I’m much happier having my options open.”

  “You say that now. But I saw the two of you last night. Open your eyes, Montgomery. She still has feelings for you.” She took another sip of her rapidly cooling coffee.

  “Really? I mean -forget it. Not happening.”

  She rolled her eyes. “If you say so. Why did you call me anyway, if you didn’t want to talk about Britt?”

  Nick exhaled like he was gearing himself up to reveal something big.

  “You have to stay away from Drakkar. No contact. Period.”

  She couldn’t believe what he said. Was he really warning her off after telling her they were the perfect couple?

  “What are you talking about? Did Drakkar tell you to do this?”

  “Drake has no idea I’m calling you. In fact, he’s sound asleep downstairs where I left him.”

  “Then why-”

  “Look, I can’t tell you why. You just have to promise me you will. It’s safer that way. For both of you.”

  Serenity’s anger flared. “Nick, I don’t know why you feel you have to tell me this, but I don’t think it’s your place, so bug off! Whether Drakkar and I decide to be friends or be more than that is none of your damn business.”

  For the first time since she met him, Nick was silent. She thought he may have hung up until she heard him laugh.

  “I knew you would say something like that and I respect it. You’ll be good for him. He needs someone like you in his life.”

  “So, what? This was your little version of a test? You are one twisted individual.” She stood and paced the yard.

  “I needed to make sure you were going to stick around.”

  “Of course I am!” She paused mid-step. “Why?”

  “What do you mean why?” Nick was defensive. “He needs positive influences that are going to be constant right now. We have to make sure he doesn’t do something stupid.”

  “Such as?”

  “Such as something that could land him in really hot water because his mommy told him to do it.”

  Ah, finally getting down to the root of it. Nick knew what Absinthe wanted Drakkar to do, or that’s the way it sounded. Better to play like she understood the unspoken.

  “Yeah, she was trying to get him to leave last night and take care of it. But he told her about the complications.”

  “He did? Damn. That’s bad.”

  “Mhm, then she told him she would take me instead till he got it for her.”

  “Shit. Did you say something to your mother? Did she amp up security at the big house?”

  Serenity frowned. The big house? Did he mean her house or somewhere else? “No, I didn’t tell her. Not yet. I didn’t think it was that important.”

  “Oh, Nettie, this is really important. Tell your mother there needs to be more security at the Prince’s home. Something big is going to go down there and soon. Hopefully I can keep Drakkar’s nose out of it.”

  “Okay, I will. Nick?”

  “Yeah?”

  Her chest tightened. “Take care of him. Don’t let him get hurt again.”

  “I’ll do my best. You have my word.”

  The sincerity in his voice made her relax a little. Drakkar was lucky to have a friend like Nick. Anyone else would probably write him off and let him get into more trouble. Instead of saving his own tail
and walking away from whatever Drake got himself into, Nick stepped up and wanted to help him get out of it.

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem. I got your boy’s back. Not to worry.”

  Before she could deny that Drakkar was anything more than a friend, Nick ended the call.

  The rest of the weekend went by in a blur. While Nick insisted on breaking through the living firewall, Drakkar searched the dark web for a way to override the magic behind it. Neither had any luck. By the time Drake needed to head home, he and Nick were no closer to getting him back inside the Prince’s heavily protected home than they were two days prior.

  The whole thing was not only extremely frustrating, but it meant he would have to answer to his mother for yet another failure.

  After thanking Nick for his help, Drakkar climbed on his Harley and rode off. He should head home, but it was early –well, early in their world. He honestly didn’t feel like dealing with Absinthe and her crap. He just wanted some time to himself.

  Time to think.

  He rode down to the park on the bank of the Hudson River, parked his motorcycle, and sat staring at the decrepit castle in the middle of the river. How different would his life have been if Jared Bonatelli were never born? He and his mother would live in that damn castle with the king. Absinthe would still be the heir to the throne, and he, well, he most likely would have the freedom he so desperately longed for.

  But that wasn’t his life.

  His life consisted of a bitter mother who felt she’d been robbed of her perfect future. A future that didn’t include him. All she wanted was to rule the kingdom and feed off the humans. She didn’t care how many she killed in the process.

  They were cattle, after all. They were only allowed to breed to provide a food source for their kind.

  Drakkar hated that mindset. He felt more of a connection with the humans around him than he did with any vampire, even his family. He never met his grandfather. For all he knew, the king didn’t know he existed. Other than to complain about how the man treated her, Absinthe never talked about her father. She never mentioned growing up in the castle, what it was like before Drakkar was born, or even what made her hate him so much. He could only assume it included something about Drakkar’s father and his resulting birth.

  “So my existence is why she’ll never be happy.” Hearing it spoken aloud made his chest tighten. “Then why won’t she just let me go?”

  That was what baffled him. Absinthe wanted it both ways. She didn’t want him around, yet she wanted to control his every move. Changing that was his number one priority.

  No. Not his priority.

  His priority was to keep the humans he called friends safe from his mother’s anger. If it meant kidnapping the little princess, then that was what he would do. Their lives meant more to him than some kid who retained no connection to him.

  Nick attempted to convince him it was a bad idea, that there must be another way to accomplish gaining his freedom as well as their safety. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see the point in entertaining something that didn’t exist. With or without Nick’s help, he would get that baby and ensure he and Serenity remained unharmed.

  His skin tingled at the base of his skull. Dawn was approaching. Soon the sun would rise over the mountain across the river and where he sat would be bathed in the morning light. It would be so easy to ignore the warning and remain seated, allowing the sun to burn him beyond recognition.

  Then everyone would win.

  The baby would still be with its parents. Nick and Serenity would be safe and off Absinthe’s radar. Most of all, he’d be erased, dead to a world which didn’t know he existed anyway.

  He’d be free.

  The tingle resonated, and his teeth vibrated. It was difficult to ignore it any longer. Sighing, he stood, took last look out over the river, and headed back to where he parked. In no time, he was back on the road riding toward his personal Hell.

  Maybe she won’t be awake and I can slip in undetected.

  Wishful thinking.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Walking through the door from the garage, it was clear the Goddess blessed him with his wish. His mother already retired to her coffin. Well, not really a coffin, but that’s where she should be sleeping. Instead, she took over the room which used to be his and made him choose another. Selfish as always.

  He dropped his keys on the table in the foyer. The grinding from the metal shields lowering over the windows put the final note on his day. He didn’t realize just how close to dawn it was when he pulled into the driveway. No wonder no one else was awake.

  Exhaustion cloaked him like a blanket. His foot landed on the bottom step beginning the slow climb upstairs to his room when a shadow off to the left caught his eye. Drake turned around and walked to the archway connecting the foyer and living room. Stepping down, the silhouette of a woman sitting on the couch, fumbling with a TVremote intrigued him.

  “Do you need help with that?”

  The woman jumped off the couch at his voice. The remote clattered to the hardwood floor. Drakkar stepped forward, halting when she gasped.

  “Jared!” The woman stared at him. Her blue eyes filled with tears.

  “I, uh . . . I’m not Jared,” he said, disgust dripping from each syllable. He flipped on the light switch so she could see him better. “I’m Drakkar.”

  “Oh.” Her voice caught on a sob. “You looked so much like him standing there. I swore you were him. I’m Giovanna.”

  She lowered onto the couch again, fumbling for the remote which skidded under the couch and landed at his feet. Drakkar bent down, retrieving it. He held it out to her. She looked up, a disheartened smile on her lips.

  “Thank you.”

  Drake shoved his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. “You’re her, aren’t you?”

  The woman frowned. “Who might that be?”

  “You’re the one my mother has hidden upstairs. The woman who sings with the beautiful voice.” He looked at his feet. “You always sound so sad.”

  She laughed harshly. “You would be sad too if you were being kept prisoner by a psychopath. She thinks I’m nothing more than a pet to be kept in a cage.”

  “I understand more than you know” he said under his breath.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’re not the only one she treats like a prisoner. I’m her flesh and blood and I’m just as much one as you are.”

  “I find that hard to believe. You are able to leave here, aren’t you?” She patted the couch next to her.

  Drakkar accepted the invitation, joining her. “Only for school and when it suits her plans, which at the present time it does. Once that plan is over, I’ll go back to being locked in this house.” Hearing it from his own lips made the reality more vivid.

  Absinthe wasn’t going to let him go, ever.

  “I’m sure you’re exaggerating.” She turned on the TV, keeping the volume down so as not to wake his mother.

  “Nope. This is what she does. In fact, she threatened my friends to keep me in line. I can’t let her hurt them.”

  Her blue eyes pinned him. “Like she’s hurt you.”

  Drakkar nodded slowly. “How did you know about that?”

  “Being a prisoner here has both advantages and disadvantages. Hearing the way she treats you is a disadvantage.” She placed a hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry I can’t do anything to help you.”

  Drakkar pulled his right hand out of his pocket and covered her hand with it. A memory flashed in his mind of this woman with Bonatelli. They were riding in a horse drawn carriage in Central Park. Out of nowhere vampires attacked. One of them gazed toward Giovanna.

  Giovanna gripped Jared’s arm. “Jared, what’s going on? Who are these people?”

  He slipped his gun from the holster under his arm and pressed it into Giovanna’s shaking hands. "Whatever you do, shoot first and ask questions later. You hear me?”

  “You’re scaring me.” She tried to giv
e the gun back to him.

  “Just do what I’m telling you, G. Trust me.” At her nod, he removed two daggers from their sheaths at the small of his back and opened the carriage door.

  The second Jared’s feet hit the pavement, they began to circle. His eyes shifted, keeping them in his sights.

  “Do you honestly think you can take on all of us?” The driver scoffed.

  “I can damn well try. Did you think I’d sit there and let you get away with murder? Do what you want with me, but let her go. She knows nothing about this.”

  “Poor, delusional human. The three life forces here are exceptionally strong and will sustain all of us for weeks. We’re not about to let any of you go.”

  He met Giovanna’s terrified gaze. Her breath caught in her throat. This was not how she wanted him to find out. Yet her hand on her stomach told him all he needed to know.

  Drakkar broke contact, scooting away from her on the couch. “What the -how was I able to see that?”

  “You saw it too?” Giovanna was startled.

  “What happened after that?”

  She stared blankly at the flashing pictures on the screen. “I don’t really remember. They attacked me. I blacked out. When I woke, a year of my life was missing and I was Absinthe’s prisoner.”

  “And the baby you carried?”

  The tears welled again in her eyes. “I always assumed I lost it. How could a child survive me losing that much blood? It must have died.”

  Drakkar’s mind played over everything he knew. Giovanna and Jared were going to have a child. Absinthe orchestrated the perfect kidnapping of the woman sitting before him, keeping her a secret till Jared returned. The Goddess at Bonatelli’s home insisted he shouldn’t have been able to break the protection spell surrounding the home, a protection spell created from the blood of the occupants. Only those directly related to the family would be able to enter the home. Not only that, Absinthe never treated him like he was her own. He was more a pawn than her child, and his resemblance to Bonatelli was uncanny.

  What if-

  “Holy shit,” he whispered.

  Giovanna stared at him. “What?”