Dragon's Treasure (Dragons Awaken Book 1)

by Maya Starling

  “We’re staying for now, but... I don’t think I’ll be able to kill that dragon. It’s all so fucked up,” Theo said, shaking his head as he walked over to their horses.

  “It’s not like our arrows do much damage, we’ll just… miss accidentally if a fight breaks out again.” Damien gathered the reins as Theo herded the horses together. He tied the reins in three groups, so each of them could lead one group back to Magnus. “We really don’t have much choice; it’s not like we can do anything against Magnus, as you’ve said yourself. It’s a bad moment to leave anyways, with him as unstable as he currently is. Maybe we’ll leave after this whole deal with the dragon is over. I don’t want him to send people after us.”

  “That would be bad,” Charlie confirmed as she took the reins of her horse, two more following behind in a line.

  “What’s going to happen to the girl? The way you described what happened, she seems oblivious… innocent, even. From what you said, she’s obviously been living with him. Maybe they grew up together or something. Why else would she be here living in a cave with a dragon? She might not know any better.” Charlie voiced her thoughts as she followed behind Theo and Damien, who each led four horses.

  “What did you say?” Theo looked over his shoulder towards Charlie, four horses separating them.

  Charlie just shook her head at him letting him know it didn’t matter. Magnus would do whatever he wanted to anyway.

  Back at the camp, Magnus paced outside the cave, running scenarios in his head, trying to come up with the best strategy to get rid of the monster and “save” its victim. Yes! His poor Olivia was the dragon’s victim, under the monster’s spell and he needed to save her. And protect her. The tales and songs that were going to be sung about how he saved a fair maiden from a vicious dragon would be glorious. Not to mention, women would swoon over the fact that he fell in love with the maiden and took her as his wife. The perfect fairytale story. They were definitely going to love that. His father would have to be proud of him, Magnus would finally earn the respect that went with his title, and his people would fall before him on their knees reverently. He would be the king, also known as the Dragon Slayer.

  King Magnus, the Dragon Slayer and a hero to his people.

  Magnus smiled as he stopped pacing and sat on a nearby boulder, scanning the faces of his men. He knew some of them were restless.

  He kept his eye on Lance, who seemed to fancy their little whore. Maybe he needed a reminder of who his priority was. His scout and hunter were away from the group a lot; he should probably rein them in, too. They also seemed to have developed a connection with Charlie, but otherwise kept quiet and to themselves. He needed to work on that, get to know them better, but it seemed that as long as he paid them, they would do whatever was needed. He didn’t really care about developing any sort of rapport with them. He was their prince, after all, and they were bound to do as he demanded.

  Donovan and Reed, he had no need to worry about. Neither the twins, or Lance… Cassiel though… even though the man was soft, as long as he held up to his oath, Magnus would heed his good advice.

  Oh, and Colin, but he was dead now, so he didn’t matter anymore.

  None of that mattered at the moment. He needed to figure out how to deal with the dragon. He had already planned for Theo and Damien to scout and find any other entrances to the cave. Hopefully, they would find none. The dragon and the woman would have to come out sooner or later and Magnus and his men would be ready, with Theo and Damien in the back with their arrows. They were quite good, and would at least provide a distraction to the beast. The twins and Lance, he was going to post on the other side of the cave. They would flank the beast when it came out. But what to do about the fire? Magnus wished he could have anticipated that. He should have anticipated it. Would it have made a difference? The boulders and the trees would have to do for protection. Reed… he trusted Reed and he would be the one to keep an eye on the girl. Yes, it was all coming together. Cassiel, a special task awaited him, an opportunity to prove his loyalty and—

  The sound of approaching footsteps and horses neighing brought Magnus out of his plotting. He looked up and saw Damien and Theo return with the horses and Charlie. Lance approached her immediately, helping her, evoking a frown on Magnus’ face. The prince really needed to put Lance in his place.

  Once the horses were settled, Theo and Damien each went their way and Charlie settled a short distance from the cave, sitting behind a low boulder, seeking shelter from any possible fight.

  Magnus stood up, sword in hand as he walked up to his men; three of them were just finishing covering Colin’s fresh grave with dirt. He was ready to bring his quest to an end, to kill the monster and bring its head back to show it to his father whose words still haunted him.

  “If you could kill your own mother without even lifting a sword, a dragon should be an easy challenge for you.”

  It was then and there he had promised himself that he would have a dragon’s head in his palace. If not to spite his father, then to honor his mother, because in the end, his birth caused her death.

  “Alright. Cathal, Galor and Lance, you will be positioned on the other side of the cave’s entrance. Reed, Cassiel, Donovan and I will be on this side. If they decide to make a run for it, we will ambush them. If Theo and Damien don’t find any other exits, we will wait them out, make them come to us. Those two will then stick to ranged weapons; their arrows might create a distraction. The woman is not to be harmed, though. Reed – ” the prince’s eyes landed on the man he trusted the most, “ – you’ll be taking care of her. I don’t want her running away. She’s now a part of my plan. We still have plenty of daylight so stay alert and be ready. Anyone have any questions?”

  They all knew better than to doubt his judgment if they didn’t have anything better to propose. Only Cassiel had the privilege of questioning Magnus’ actions.

  “Cass…” Magnus turned to his dark knight.

  “Yes, Your Highness?” Cassiel took a step forward and bowed his head in acknowledgment.

  “I will need you to take a look into the cave and check if they’re still there, maybe see how far back it goes. It’s been too quiet. I trust you can handle that.” Magnus raised his eyebrows, daring Cassiel to dispute.

  “Of course, Your Highness.” Cassiel was the only one who always addressed Magnus officially. Right now, hearing his title and being reminded of the dignity that went with it, the burdens of the crown he hoped one day to wear, helped focus Magnus’ thoughts and kept his temper in check. This was about the dragon, and his kingdom. Do not make this personal. Do not fail. Do not make a mistake.

  The girl could wait.

  “Good. Take your positions.”

  Galor quickly stole a look into the cave, and seeing nothing, he dashed to the other side of it, Cathal and Lance following the same way. They settled, not too far from the opening, ready for action whenever needed, talking in hushed voices.

  Before Cassiel ventured into the cave, Magnus approached Charlie. When she spotted him coming her way, she quickly got up and bowed her head.

  “Do you need to be bound and gagged again?” Magnus inquired of her, tilting her head up with his finger under her chin so he could look into her eyes.

  “No, my prince. I’ll stay out of the way, keep quiet and won’t try to run away,” she said meekly, finding it easy to cooperate with him, especially when he was on edge like this. She didn’t want to suffer the consequences of being cheeky with him. She was usually feisty and quite a firecracker, but Magnus somehow managed to suck the fire out of her whenever he was near.

  “Good girl. You have learned your lesson,” Magnus smirked but still didn’t release her chin. “You will be off today or for however long it takes us to kill that dragon. I want my men ready and not distracted. Understood?”

  Charlie nodded.

  “I like you submissive like this.” He licked his lips as his eyes landed on her tempting mouth. He bit down on his own lip.
He hadn’t sampled her flesh in a while now and he decided to make sure he would be her next bedding companion. For now, though, he would have to settle for a kiss.

  Magnus leaned closer and placed a soft and gentle kiss on her lips. “I need that for good luck.” He smiled, winked and sauntered away, leaving a confused Charlie behind him.

  She would never understand him. He had so many moods and personalities that she wasn’t sure who the real Magnus was. This soft side of him was so rare that she had witnessed it only a few times, mostly in the beginning of their journey together. When he was in his softer moods, he was a gentle and attentive lover. She had even found herself enjoying his body as well. He could make her forget. But not anymore; she would never be able to relax around him ever again. She would always be waiting for the switch to click off, for him to turn back to the ruthless bastard he usually was.

  Charlie sat back on the ground as Magnus approached Cassiel.

  “Alright,” Magnus said, “You are to go inside. You make enough noise so the dragon won’t think you’re sneaking in. You may even announce your presence and your wish to talk. If you can handle me, you can surely handle a dragon and try to reason with it... make it come out where it’ll be ambushed.” Magnus patted Cassiel’s shoulder; in return the knight gave a curt nod, his face expressionless despite his soft features.

  “Mostly, check that they are still in there,” Magnus added. “See how far the passage goes, where the cave starts. Maybe even coax the girl out. Just give me some results.”

  “Yes, Your Highness.”

  Cassiel grasped his weapons, a short sword and a war-axe, as he peered in. Nothing moved and no fire flew towards him. He took a step in front of the entrance and waited again, ready to jump back. Still nothing. He took slow and careful steps inside. He knew there was no point in sneaking. Moving in his armor always made sufficient noise that stealth was wasted on him. In the end, it might even be better for him not to sneak up on the dragon on his own. The beast might lash out at him without giving it a moment’s thought.

  He kept his approach cautious but brave. He had taught himself to always expect the unexpected and not to worry about things he could not influence; the worry would only cloud his judgment. But now, as he moved deeper into the cave his heart pounded hard and fast, the pulse resounding in his ears. His eyes darted around, searching the shadows for any sign of danger. His grip on his weapons was tight, but the sword tip was quivering. His usual coolheadedness didn’t make facing a dragon any easier. And what was he to say? How to address the dragon?

  “Greetings, dragon,” he said in a steady voice as he continued forward. “I wish you no harm.”

  He held his breath, afraid of being deafened by his own sharp intakes of air as he waited for an answer.

  Ahead of him, only darkness loomed; the daylight behind him was his only illumination. Soon enough, the dark would prevail, completely taking over the light and he would be forced to take out his torch.

  With his next step, his eyes darted left, and then… he froze.

  A warm gust of air brushed against his neck. Ever so slowly, the dark knight turned his head toward the source of the sudden change in the air.

  He found himself eye to eye with the dragon himself. Amber and slitted, the dragon’s gaze bore into him, unwavering. All the air he had been holding in left his lungs in a gut-punching rush.

  The dragon’s eyes were narrowed at him, assessing, smoke billowing out of his nostrils, enveloping them in a cocoon of privacy.

  Cassiel stood frozen, afraid to provoke the dragon’s wrath, his eyes never wavering as he studied the dragon’s features. Neither made any aggressive moves towards the other.

  For the first time in Cassiel’s life, fear held him firmly in place. His father would be proud, though, serving his prince so bravely.

  The dragon tilted its head. Waiting. It was hard to understand the dragon’s expression. Was it waiting for Cassiel to make the first move so it could burn him? Cassiel didn’t want to be burned to death like Colin, such a horrible end. But… he did understand the dragon’s actions. If he were protecting the ones he loved, he would have done the same. He would have done anything for his family; even serve a prince like Magnus. And it seemed, the dragon wouldn’t attack him unprovoked, so he wouldn’t draw blood first… not like this.

  Reaching an unspoken understanding, Cassiel bowed his head in respect of the dragon’s honor as he took an unthreatening step back, keeping his weapons away.

  “Kaden?” They both heard the tentative, quiet female voice.

  Cassiel kept his eyes focused on the dragon, knowing how it was very protective of the girl. He didn’t want to appear as a threat to her; his own life depended on it.

  Kaden showed the dark-skinned knight the same respect as he allowed him to retreat further, never breaking eye contact.

  When Cassiel got closer to the cave’s mouth, Kaden gave him a nod of permission to turn around and run away. Cassiel obliged more than willingly as he spun around and picked up his pace, heading for the light.

  He heard the dragon’s deep intake of breath and in the next moment the heat of the fire rushed up to meet him, without harming him. It was just a cover, a precaution, a sign of power.

  The dragon had spared his life, a very humbling experience indeed.

  Kaden watched the knight run out into the daylight.

  “Kaden? I’m afraid. Are you still there?” The soft, quiet voice of the woman he loved reached him.

  “Coming,” he said as he walked back to Olivia.

  The knight had surprised him; his honorable behavior was refreshing. It was so rare in these times, and he was glad to know that honorable men were still out there, even though he himself hadn’t been honorable when he was younger.

  “I’m here, Love.” He lowered himself next to Olivia. She was now sitting with her back against the cave’s stone walls with a blanket underneath her, so Kaden settled his snout on her lap.

  Olivia was relieved when she felt his presence once again. He had doused the fire earlier because he didn’t want to give the men who were after them any advantage, but the darkness shrouding them brought her a sense of unease.

  “What happened?” Olivia lifted her hands from the wolf pup lying at her side and brought them down gently on Kaden’s snout.

  “They sent someone in to check on us and I sent him out,” Kaden replied simply.

  “You killed him?”

  “No, I just sent him out. I let him go. He didn’t do anything. I would not kill anyone unprovoked. That is just not who I am.”

  “Who are you, then?” Olivia softly stroked the rough features of his face.

  “Your dragon?”

  She could hear the smirk in his voice. “Now, that is a very good answer.”

  Kaden summoned from his memories her smile, the one that probably graced her face at that moment. It only made his decision harder, his heart aching even more.

  He sighed, the smell of his smoke reaching Olivia’s nose. “What’s wrong?” she said.

  “I know what I have to do.”

  “And what is that?” She wished she hadn’t asked that question, because she knew that as long as she didn’t know his plan, they would be here together.

  “What I should have done in the first place.”

  Chapter 21

  “Absolutely not!” Olivia’s voice rang out through the cave, startling the men outside as well.

  “Liv, keep your voice down. It is the only way. I cannot think of anything else,” Kaden said, exasperated with himself for not having created any emergency exits from the cave, but back when he had taken it as his home, he hadn’t had a need for them.

  “Are you sure there are absolutely no other ways out?” Olivia asked, a little quieter this time.

  “No… and I am beating myself up about it now. There are a few cracks in the stone walls of the cave leading outside, but they are too small even for you to squeeze through. I have never had the need for a b
ack exit. I never had people like that coming after me and I never had anyone to look after. If you weren’t here I would have just charged out there, fending them off until I reached a place with enough room to fly away.” Kaden paced back and forth.

  Olivia stood up, pressed against the wall as Pup retreated a bit further, staying out of the way but still alert. She lowered her head. “I’m sorry,” she said; a quiver in her voice didn’t escape Kaden’s notice.

  He stopped his pacing and turned to look at Olivia through the darkness. He couldn’t distinguish the color of her dress from the soft tones of her hair, but he could see her tiny form slouched with her head lowered. His heart constricted at the sight. Not long ago she had been laughing happily, running around with the pup, and now… So much had happened.

  “What are you sorry for?” The dragon moved closer to her.

  “For holding you back… you could have been safe by now.” Olivia bit her lip, picking at the hem of her sleeve as she heard him shuffle closer.

  “Liv.” Kaden reprimanded gently. “Do not even start that trail of thought.”

  “But—”

  “No Liv, nothing is your fault… no what ifs. We cannot influence what has already passed and most of those things we didn’t have any power over anyway. We cannot change the past, so what’s the point in worrying over it? We need to adapt and move on. Think about what’s to come and how we can make it work to our advantage.” He was much closer to Olivia now, his warm breath brushing over the top of her head.

  Olivia tilted her head up and blindly reached out so she could place her hands on each side of his face. “You should take your own advice, then, and stop beating yourself up about the things you cannot change now.”

  A chuckle escaped Kaden. “You’re right.” He pulled back slightly. “But I still think my plan is the only way to go.”

  Olivia sighed. “But –“

  “It’s the only way. I would have handled it that way regardless. I will just need to hold them off a bit longer so you can have a chance for a head start. As I said, I will charge out, providing distraction and giving you an opportunity to slip past the fight. You just keep on running. They will be slow thanks to their armor, so you should be able outrun them. Once you are far enough away, I will go to the fly-off place and then I will come and find you once you leave the forest. I will come for you. I will find you. I promise.” Kaden hoped his words would come true. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy, fighting all of them off, but because it was the only way to get Olivia to safety, he would gladly make the sacrifice.