Dragon's Treasure (Dragons Awaken Book 1)

by Maya Starling

  Olivia stepped up under his head, snuggling into his draconic chest. “I am frightened, Kaden. I do not want to lose you.”

  Kaden rested his big head gently atop of hers. “You won’t.” Olivia decided to trust his words; it was easier that way.

  “What about Puppy?” Olivia asked, her voice quivering as she held back the tears, trying to stay strong.

  “We will tie him up in the back cave,” Kaden said as he drew back from her.

  Using the sleeve of her dress, Olivia wiped away the stray tears. “What do you mean tie him up?” Her brows furrowed in confusion.

  “If I don’t, he will charge out after me and get himself killed. This way, if I draw their attention away, he will be safe. And if we don’t manage to come back for him, he can easily chew through the rope and run free. We will use a thin rope. It is safer that way for him.” The dragon’s eyes landed on the wolf pup huddled in the corner.

  “Makes sense.” Olivia nodded. “Alright, we can do this. Even though I still do not understand how someone can be like this prince and these knights. Why won’t they let us be? We have done nothing wrong.”

  “Greed? Fame? Conceit? I think the list could go on. And when you take into consideration that he is a prince, then pride as well. I have learned over the years that those things really don’t matter in the end, but he has not had the years that I have had to realize that.”

  “Shouldn’t he be taking care of his people, helping his father run the kingdom?” Olivia smoothed out her dress, keeping her hands busy, trying to soothe her nerves.

  “He should, but he isn’t. What does that tell you about him?” Kaden padded toward the back cave. “Wait here, I will be right back.” He left Olivia with the pup and her own scrambled thoughts.

  Olivia crouched down and reached her hand out to where she thought the wolf pup was. “Come here, Pup,” she called gently and a few moments later he licked her outstretched hand and then rubbed his face into her palm. “There you are.” Olivia managed a smile as she huddled next to the little wolf again, finding comfort in the heat that radiated from his little body and the softness of his baby fur.

  She heard Kaden coming back, then some shuffling before he came closer to her again.

  “Here,” he said, and a whoosh of air brushed her, followed by a thud. “It’s your mattress with another blanket on it.”

  Kaden settled around it as he usually did before they went to sleep, though this time shielding Olivia. She crawled over and lay down in between the wall and his warm body. Pup followed her and settled at her feet.

  Before Olivia snuggled in closer to Kaden, he placed something in her hand, cold and metallic. “Be careful, don’t hurt yourself.”

  Olivia felt the item in her hands and found that it had a sharp point on one end and a handle on the other. It was longer than a dagger, but shorter than a sword.

  “It’s a dirk.” Kaden answered her unspoken question. “I want you to take it with you, a safety measure of sorts. It is easy to wield if needed. You will take it with you, and if someone tries to take you away, you just stab them with the pointed end.”

  Olivia simply nodded, knowing that Kaden could see her in the dark. She put the dirk within her reach before snuggling up to him.

  “Now what?” She pressed the whole length of her body against him, and gently ran her palms over his silky scales. She loved doing that, and if anything were to happen, one of the things she would miss about him would be the feel of him under her fingers.

  “We rest and wait a bit. Give them some time to relax and lull them into a false sense of peace, make them think we are biding our time and then… then we will make our attempt. I don’t want to wait until tomorrow; we will both be hungry and tired by then so this will be our best chance.” Kaden’s eyes drifted shut as the delight of her fingers caressing him spread over his scales. He loved how affectionate she was and that she wasn’t afraid to show it through her actions, being honest in her declaration of love.

  “Do you think maybe I could try and reason with him?” Her brain couldn’t stop thinking of possible ways of getting out of their predicament unharmed. She shivered at the thought of Kaden getting hurt for the sake of her safety, and he most definitely would if he went through with his strategy. Even though she didn’t approve of his plan, they had no other choice so she appreciated his sacrifice. She knew he wanted to do this for her and there was no point in arguing about it with him. He would only get upset, they would argue, and Olivia didn’t want that; what they had was beyond that. And the main reason, of course: she didn’t want him distracted when they made a run for it; she wanted him safe as soon as possible.

  She would accept his sacrifice, despite it going against her every instinct and desire.

  “It would be in vain, trying to reason with the prince,” Kaden said. “I have seen men like him before. When he wants something, he will not stop until he gets it or he is dead. If you try and talk to him, he will just try to entice you, lure you out with false promises and once you are within his grasp, those promises would be long forgotten,” Kaden explained as he settled his head above her, the tip of his snout resting on the mattress, his breath brushing over the mess of her wavy dark hair.

  Olivia inhaled his breath as if it were the air sustaining her life, the scent of it unique to Kaden. It probably would have bothered others, the smell of burning, but to her, it was comforting because it was all him.

  Her dragon.

  She had never heard him sound so serious. Sure, in the beginning he was a bit rough and gruff, serious too, but it was a different kind of serious, the wary kind, not as mature as now. All the years of his life finally showing through a bit. He had been more lighthearted and young around her, making her forget that he was probably over a hundred years old.

  “I trust your judgment.” Olivia said.

  Kaden reveled in that part of her, the simplicity and her acceptance of him. It was one of the reasons he loved her, for she took him the way he was. She snuggled even closer, reaching for him tighter as she pressed her lips softly against his scales. He wished those soft pink lips could be pressed against his. Maybe one day it would be possible. If they lived through today.

  Her lips were replaced by her soft cheek.

  “Wake up, love. It is time,” Kaden whispered and Olivia stirred. He moved away, taking the warmth with him. She frowned, wanting him back so they would never have to part. With a heavy sigh, she sat up and rubbed her eyes with the heel of her palms.

  “So it was not all a dream? With the prince, I mean,” Olivia whispered back.

  “No.” Kaden’s clipped answer disturbed her.

  “Kaden?”

  “I am sorry, it is just—”

  “I know.” Olivia rose to her feet.

  “I will need your help with Pup.”

  “Alright,” Olivia said as she touched the wall and followed it to the opening leading back. “Where is he?”

  “Following you, just keep going.”

  “Good puppy,” Olivia praised in the darkness, and she gulped down the nerves fluttering up from her belly.

  Olivia stepped closer to Kaden, who had his head bowed so his eyes were level with hers. Tentatively, she raised her hands and put her palms on each side of his face. Kaden closed his eyes and soaked up her soft caress. She then slowly touched her forehead against the bridge of his snout and closed her eyes as well. The quiet sounds of the pup’s whimpers, whines and protests cracked her aching heart even more. She had a bad feeling about it all but was afraid to voice her thoughts and give them life.

  “I love you, Kaden. Please survive and come for me. I need you,” Olivia pleaded softly. Her need for him was much stronger than her love. She loved him, yes, but needed him like she needed the air and it scared her. Her feelings for him frightened her; the emotions had blossomed so fast that they hadn’t had a chance to settle in her heart. Maybe it was his mysteriousness or her unattainable and forbidden love for him, she couldn’t be sure,
but she knew her feelings were true, however she tried to rationalize them. She never shied away from her emotions.

  Kaden sighed and a soft cloud of smoke surrounded them, enveloping Olivia and him in their little private cocoon, creating an intimate ambience.

  “I need you too, Liv.” His deep voice sent shivers down her spine and the gentleness in it brought tears to her eyes. “I promise I will come for you. Even death itself could not stop me.” The oath rang true in his voice; he meant it with every fiber of his being. “When I tell you to run, you run as fast as you can. Don’t turn back to try and help if you think I need it. You know I can handle it. But I need you safe, otherwise the whole purpose of me holding them off would be defeated, not to mention that having you around would keep me distracted so I would worry more about your safety than anything else. So please promise me, Liv. Promise you will run.”

  Olivia knew there was no point in arguing with him and she didn’t want to ruin what could possibly be their last moment together. But she hoped and believed that he would be back for her.

  She laid a gentle kiss where her forehead had been pressed and whispered softly, “I promise.” And she meant it.

  Taking a step back, Olivia opened her eyes and looked up at her dragon. They were closer to the entrance of the cave so some light managed to reach them, providing her with a little bit of illumination, her sight once again getting used to the light.

  Kaden was looking her over, trying to commit everything about her to his memory. The soft curls in her unruly hair, the love shining through her bright blue eyes. Her soft skin, the few tiny freckles dancing across her cheeks. His eyes lingered on her lips. He wished he were able to kiss her back just as gently and reassuringly. He just needed to be able to remember her face and he knew that he would be alright, whatever his outcome. As long as she was safe.

  Olivia, on the other hand, just watched his eyes roam her face. She would never forget his eyes and the way he looked at her, the way they smiled like she was his whole world. And the way his scales felt under her touch. She would cherish that forever.

  Their eyes met. Neither dared say goodbye, only maybe see you soon. Kaden inhaled deeply and she knew what that meant. He was ready.

  With one last glance at her tear-stained face, Kaden charged out.

  The dragon spewed his fiery breath in a long exhale, curving it from his right to his left. The knights were caught off guard; they hadn’t expected him. They had heard his approach but there wasn’t enough time to react. Galor and Cathal managed to jump back out of range but Lance wasn’t that lucky, being burned to crisp on the spot.

  As Kaden’s fire traveled to the other side, Cassiel managed to push Donovan back to safety while Reed and Magnus ducked behind a boulder, narrowly avoiding getting caught in the blaze of the dragon’s fire.

  In the distance, Charlie’s screams of fear and panic pierced the otherwise peaceful sunset.

  The arrows flew by Kaden’s head but it didn’t escape his notice that they weren’t as precise as the first time. He didn’t have the time to ponder that now and search out his friendly foes.

  His head snapped back around toward Cathal and Galor when he felt the thrust of their swords into his side. The sight of their burning brother at arms panicked them and their grip on their weapons shook, preventing them from digging their swords in properly. Kaden narrowed his gaze at Cathal. He needed to get rid of one pest at a time. He bit hard on Cathal’s shoulder, fangs sinking through skin and flesh, breaking bone, and he lifted him up off the ground then slung him away. That would keep him down and out of the fight.

  Seeing his bloodied brother soaring through the air fed Galor’s anger and he swung his sword with new fervor.

  He had to go next. Kaden needed the opening for Olivia to slip through unharmed.

  On his other side, the men recuperated and threw themselves into the fray. Reed jumped, soaring through the air, ready to sink his sword into the dragon’s back. Kaden swung his tail out of the cave and sent Reed crashing into Cassiel.

  A sword pierced his side, under his armpit where his scales were softer. An angry roar escaped him, adrenalin pumping through his veins, and a primal instinct woke inside him. He had never felt that rush before, as if a caged animal had been set free.

  As he turned towards his new offender, another swish of his tail made Galor fly back as well. The man landed on the ground with a thud and all the air left his lungs.

  Kaden’s eyes clashed with Magnus as he pulled the now bloody sword out with a wicked smile on his face.

  “Now, Olivia!” Kaden bellowed, his eyes filled with rage. He achieved the effect he was hoping for, because his attackers paused for a moment to see what would happen. He used their moment of distraction to send Reed stumbling back again with the swipe of his hand, claws scraping the knight’s armor.

  Olivia ran out of the cave and to the right of Kaden where she had seen him make an opening for her. She ducked under his wing and jumped over a now charred corpse, clutching the dirk tightly in her hands. She looked back for a moment and saw a man stumble back as others continued their attack on her dragon. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the redheaded woman in the background, holding her hands up to her mouth in fear. Their eyes met.

  Charlie shook her head no to Olivia, removed her hands from her lips and mouthed, “Run.”

  Olivia didn’t need any other incentive, as she quickly turned around so she could mind her footing, pumping her legs harder, her muscles burning. The sounds of battle faded but the clambering of metal armor followed her.

  She glanced over her shoulder again and spotted the man she had seen stumbling backward, now chasing after her. He had a predator’s look in his eyes; she shivered and gripped the dirk even tighter.

  Behind the man, Kaden followed, trying to reach her pursuer while ignoring the pain piercing through his body as the others continued their onslaught on the dragon. Slowing down from her sprint because she couldn’t take her eyes off of Kaden, Olivia narrowly avoided tripping and stumbling.

  Since Kaden couldn’t reach the man following her fast enough and the others slashing at him were slowing him down, he inhaled and with a quick, sharp exhale spat a ball of fire toward the man.

  The inferno hit a nearby tree but not without scorching the back of Reed’s head as it flew by, heating up his armor. His screams rent the air as he stumbled and dropped to his knees. He quickly threw away his gauntlets and snatched off the chainmail hood before it melded with his skin. He then desperately tried to put out the fire burning his head with his bare hands.

  Olivia met Kaden’s eyes for one last time.

  “Kaden!” she yelled, skidding to a halt as Magnus swung his sword down, piercing through the dragon’s wing and pinning him to the earth.

  Kaden’s roar of pain and fury echoed over the mountain, and Olivia saw his eyes turn completely black as he switched his attention back to Magnus and his men.

  As hard as it was for her, Olivia turned away and forced her legs to move again. She had promised him. She had now witnessed what a distraction she could be for him and what she might cost him. She dared not turn back around as she picked up speed, because she wouldn’t be able to keep from going back to help him.

  It was the hardest thing she had ever had done in her life.

  She ran as fast as she could, jumping over tree roots and dodging branches as she ignored all the scratches that painted random patterns on her exposed skin. It was like history repeating itself, closing a circle, but this time she was not running away of her own volition.

  She didn’t know how long she ran but her lungs and muscles were on fire when the familiar bang reached her ears. Her heart stopped for a moment… Did that mean? No, it cannot! Her eyes welled up with tears and her vision blurred. She let her feet carry her on. No longer watching where she was running, she stumbled down a decline.

  The dirk slipped out of her hands as she braced herself with her palms, but the momentum kept her rolling, as she
tried to grab onto a wooden limb or a root or just to slow her tumble with her arms. She was glad the dirk had fallen from her grasp. It would be too ironic if she had managed to stab herself. As she rolled to a stop at the bottom, her head made sharp contact with a stone and she didn’t fight the darkness that came upon her.

  Chapter 22

  Pain.

  It seared Olivia’s head when consciousness drifted back to her mind. Her temples throbbed; so did her right hand. Her whole body ached and her ribs were tender. Her eyes were glued together and her throat dry and scratchy, lips chapped.

  She tried to raise her hand to rub away the sleep from her eyes, but regretted the action as soon as she did it. The pain shot through her like a lightning bolt. Consequently, her head throbbed even more. She willed the pounding away, hammering to the rhythm of her heartbeat.

  A groan, she managed.

  “Livvie? My sweet?” A soft, familiar female voice reached her ears, the sound of footsteps following promptly.

  “Livvie?” A soft hand touched Olivia’s cheek.

  “Mother?” Olivia fought through the fog in her brain and managed to flutter her eyes open.

  The first thing she saw was her mother’s warm but tired smile and her brown eyes filled with tears. “Oh Livvie!” Lady Caroline said as she wrapped her arms around Olivia in a gentle embrace.

  Olivia returned the hug with the hand that she could move without any pain and comforted her mother with an awkward pat on the back. She was confused. Her eyes scanned her surroundings blearily and she noticed that she was in her room, lying on her soft bed, in her mother’s warm embrace. The light shone softly through the crack in the heavy velvet curtains, which she was grateful for. The brightness hurt her eyes.