Fire Heart: A Dragon Fantasy Romance (The Dragon of Umbra Book 1)

by Emma Hamm

  The last thing she needed was an idiot mortal changing his mind and deciding that the King gave him more than the rebellion could offer. The best way to control a man was through the power of desire. If she could hold his attention long enough, then he would keep his mouth shut and the King would die at the end of all this.

  She looked at herself in the mirror and met her own gaze. The billowing white gown had slits up to her thighs on either side of her legs. They were supposed to allow her movement while hunting, but of course, that was foolish. A dress was a stupid thing to wear while hunting. The leather chest plate held onto her body with only a few ties, and if a boar attacked her, then it would go right through the chest plate. Easily.

  The King didn’t care if they were safe, though. All he cared about was that they looked pretty. And she did. She looked like a warrior woman out of a storybook. Some figurehead of a fairytale who led her people into battle.

  “And then tragically dies,” she muttered before sweeping out of her room and down the hall.

  Predictably, she was the first one ready and spent a long time waiting in the hallway with the Umbral Knights staring at her. It gave Lore too much time to think about the poor man, who now thought she was likely head over heels for him.

  The thing was, she did like Abraxas. He was funny and light-hearted and surprisingly thoughtful for someone who worked in the castle. He made her want to know more about him, and she hadn’t anticipated that. She hadn’t expected meeting Beauty either, so all of this was getting awfully complicated for someone who had been sent on an assassination mission.

  Unfortunately, she couldn’t change any of it. She had to get the men in this castle under her thumb one way or another, and the only way she knew how to do that was through their own weakness.

  Damn it, she still couldn’t control the guilt that turned her cheeks bright red.

  Beauty stumbled out of her pale pink door, struggling with the straps for her chest. They didn’t quite fit.

  Lore planned to kill that horrible housekeeper when she saw her next. “Agatha obviously had something to do with this,” she growled as she walked up to her new friend.

  “She said there weren’t a lot of dresses in my size, let alone leather armor.” Beauty shrugged, but the tears in her eyes betrayed her false bravery. “She said if I wanted to stay safe on the hunt, then I should probably figure out how to put the armor on.”

  Giving it a look over, Lore found a few inches that could give on some of the straps. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough. She pulled, tugged, and shifted, jerking the girl this way and that before she patted the buckles into place. “It’s not the best, I’ll admit. Should keep you alive, though.”

  “I can breathe now, at least.” Beauty inhaled a deep, long breath, then let it out through her teeth. “I was worried I’d faint on the horse and get trampled by the rest of them.”

  A stunning beauty swept by them, her shining dark hair neatly braided in twin ropes. She was the girl who’d originally warned Lore off from the King, back in the first forest meeting. “And we would trample you if only to ensure the King never picks such an ugly bride.”

  Lore lunged forward without a thought. That little brat of a child had no idea what it felt like to be ugly, but that could easily be remedied. She knew how badly a broken nose hurt, and how horrible it was to fix.

  She didn’t get very far.

  Beauty clutched her arm and tugged her back, surprisingly strong for someone so short. “It’s not worth it, Lore. They all tease each other like that. She didn’t mean anything by it.”

  Still, Lore eyed the other woman, who clearly thought her face would get her farther than anyone else in this competition. “I think she meant everything by it, Beauty. I think she wants to hurt anyone she can.”

  “Maybe. She’d step on the rest of us if it meant getting the King to look at her. Unfortunately, she’s never caught his eye no matter how pretty she is.” Beauty squared her shoulders and grinned. “But I have. And that must make her feel horrible about herself when every success in her entire life has been based on how pretty she is.”

  Lore wanted to remind Beauty that the King hadn’t actually noticed her. After all, she had been the one to point Beauty out to the man. No one should be proud of catching his eye, especially considering what a horrible man he was.

  But she didn’t want to ruin the moment. Beauty had stood up for herself, and that was a success.

  Lore looped an arm around Beauty’s shoulders and waltzed them toward the head of the pack. “That’s exactly it, my dear. Now, have you ever been hunting before?”

  “Never.”

  “Stay close to me, then. I’ll make sure a boar doesn’t catch you. Or worse, a stag that’s angry we’d hunt it.”

  Beauty’s eyes widened as they all followed the Umbral Knight down the hall. “I didn’t think stags were that mean?”

  “They’ve got bigger bodies, faster reflexes, and they all have horns larger than you or I am tall! Of course you have to worry about stags.” She winked. “Besides, they are by far the most beautiful creatures in the forest, and hunting them is a privilege. They know that.”

  She remembered a time when only the elves could hunt the stags. The King’s father had put an end to all that with his own hunting parties. He’d all but killed their entire species, like he wanted to do to the magical creatures as well. No one could ever take away the memory of the silver stags and their glimmering coats, however. How they had raced through the oak trees with moonlight catching on the tips of their antlers and sparkling in the distance.

  Lore had been too young to hunt them back then. She hadn’t been properly trained, and by the time she was, no one but the King’s men could hunt the stags. Not without risking their lives.

  The group of potential brides gathered in the courtyard. Servants had already prepared horses for them to ride into the hunt, each great beast laden with bells and silver fabric. Lore had no idea why they were dressed like that. Yet another confusing part of the King’s entertainment.

  Beauty tugged on her arm and pointed to a large draft horse with a dappled white and grey hide. “Do you think I could ride that one if I asked? It’s so beautiful.”

  “I think we’ll be able to ride whatever creatures we want. But you don’t want to be on a draft horse.” She pointed to a leaner creature, mixed breed with short legs and a stocky frame. “Those are the real hunting horses. They run through the forest faster than you could imagine.”

  Untamed beasts were the ones that called out to her. She had never wanted to ride something that was only useful for its looks.

  Lore could already feel her blood rising. The hunt called out to her, as it always did to elves. She’d ride with the best of his hunters, crack the reins, and let the moonlight fall from her skin into her steed. The horse would feel the forest calling to it, and as one, they would complete the hunt with the best kill of the day.

  The King’s grand entrance interrupted her thoughts. He wore an equally outrageous white suit with armor molded to make it look like he had muscles. Never once did the leader of the Umbral Kingdom look like he had a hair out of place. She wondered if the wind from the hunt might blow at least a single strand free from his oiled head.

  Abraxas walked behind him. Carefully, always a few steps behind the King even when their leader slowed down. It was the practiced gait of a man who had worked a long time to ensure he never once stepped out of line.

  She wished their circumstances were different. If only she could find the time to be with him without fearing that he might tell the King what she was. Why she was here.

  She needed him to help her. That much was true. But when he caught her eye from across the courtyard and the tops of his cheekbones turned bright red, Lore wished she could convince herself that feeling was truthful. Honorable. That she’d actually made him feel as though she were important to him.

  Not that she’d deceived him into believing her feelings were passionate and
sincere. The lie stung in her chest, burning all the way to her heart until she knew without question that she would regret yesterday.

  Of course she would. Abraxas was a good man. A handsome man. He had captivated her soul, and she had lied.

  You’re an assassin, she told herself. You were not sent here to make friends, or to fall under the spell of a foolish mortal.

  Lore straightened her back and let her lips quirk into a little half smile. Anything that would make him think she was mildly embarrassed to see him, too. At least then he’d believe she felt something. That their afternoon in the gardens, hidden away from the rest of the world, was more than just a tool for her to finish this.

  She was in so deep now she couldn’t stop. Stopping would only get her in even more trouble than she already found herself.

  The King stopped next to a midnight dark horse that shook its head as soon as he touched it. “My flowers! Each of you is more lovely than I have ever seen you. Thank you for joining me on the hunt.”

  So many of the young women preened around her. They were all dressed in exactly the same outfits. Lore refused to believe they thought any one of them looked better than the others. They were a sea of the same woman, and yet, they all seemed to think he was talking about them as an individual.

  The King eyed a few of the women standing closest to him, then smiled at them so brightly that the women fanned themselves. “As you know, we’re going on a hunt today. I have many plans for my future bride, and one of them is that we will live a life of adventure.”

  One of the girl’s next to her leaned over to her friend. “That sounds a lot better than getting married to the local butcher.”

  “Adventure?” the other hissed. “We have no idea what he considers adventure, Lily. What if that means we’ll be riding into his next war? Best to keep our heads down with this one.”

  The King wasn’t starting another war any time soon, she wanted to correct them. He couldn’t afford to lose any more of his army and the Umbral Knights weren’t very good in a warlike setting. If they were released from their armor, then the smoke disappeared forever.

  Still, she was glad at least some of the young women here had good heads on their shoulders.

  “But! Do not let that strike fear into your hearts, my flowers.” The King struck his chest hard. “For I am here to protect you. It is my wish that a few of the more... prominent women ride beside me. Though you are all stunning in your own way, I will admit, a few of you have caught my eye more than the others.”

  There it was.

  Lore would have been surprised if he hadn’t already picked out his favorites. If she had more time to focus on the other brides, she might have seen the front runners herself. But realistically, she’d been struggling to get any time alone with the King. He was more interested in putting her in his dungeon than having her to his rooms for wine and cheese.

  The King called out the names of a few women. One of them was the brunette who’d insulted Beauty, shockingly. She hadn’t really thought the woman would get chosen, but there she was. Right at the top of his list. Even Beauty was called, and Lore had the satisfying moment of seeing the nasty woman’s eyes narrow in distaste. Good for her friend, though she still hoped Beauty ended up with a kinder man in the end. Someone who would actually love her.

  “And Lorelei of Tenebrous!” the King shouted. “That will be the end of it all, my dears. I promise, you’ll all get your time with me soon.”

  Had he said her name?

  Oh, well. That was good, but she hadn’t prepared herself for this. The King thought she was part of the rebellion and the last time she’d seen him, he had revealed the darker side of himself.

  She took her time walking to the front with all the other women. A servant handed her the reins to a tame looking horse with deep chestnut eyes and withers that said it would rather be in a meadow than on a hunt.

  The King paused beside her and said under his breath, “I am not one for apologies, Lady of Tenebrous. I was wrong about you, however, and that was inexcusable. If you’ll allow me to make it up to you on this hunt, I would appreciate a few moments alone.”

  Perfect.

  She plastered a fake smile on her face and tried to force herself to blush. “I would like nothing more, my King.”

  He walked away from her, but she noticed that Abraxas paused beside her as well. The shadow of the King already furrowed his brow in worry, and she knew that was because of her. He knew what she was thinking.

  Now was the time. He couldn’t change her mind.

  The moment the King and his guard were gone, the servant next to her strapped on a bow and set of arrows to her saddle. It wasn’t a lot, and she’d prefer a knife, but it was a start. An arrow could still pierce a man’s heart if she used enough force to hide it in his chest cavity. Then she’d have to run.

  Lore patted the horse’s flanks. “You and I are going on an adventure today,” she whispered. “I hope you’re up for it.”

  The King mounted his dark steed and all the brides followed his lead. He had the strongest army in the world at his beck and call right now, and Lore couldn’t help but look out over the sea of at least thirty women. So many were left, and yet, he’d already chosen his favorites.

  Today would be the day the King died. She would put an arrow through his heart, and another through his throat for good measure. The kingdom would fall into turmoil, but she would escape.

  The King lifted his voice again and called out, “I will repeat myself only once, my flowers! A hunt is dangerous, but you have no reason to fear. For we have the most formidable creature on our side! A dragon!”

  Abraxas stiffened, but the brides let out shocked gasps. They were ready to see the beast up close again.

  Her stomach churned. She didn’t want to see the monstrous beast who’d killed her mother, even though she knew she had no choice but to endure.

  Yet, the beast didn’t fly over their heads.

  As if living in a dream, she watched the King frown and look at Abraxas. His lips moved, and she swore he said, “Well? Get on with it.”

  Abraxas looked over his shoulder at her apologetically and a blast of air struck her in the face. The women beside her gasped, lifting their arms to cover their faces. But she didn’t. She stared in horror as the man before her turned into the dragon she hated with every ounce of her soul.

  Chapter 21

  Abraxas

  He’d known this was the plan. Abraxas was meant to turn into a dragon before all the potential brides, so they could see that he was the monster. Zander had heard a rumor that some of the brides considered his personal guard to be rather handsome, and that was the end of all that.

  No one could be more handsome than their king, and if they thought he was, then that had to change.

  He didn’t want Lorelei to see him like this, though. He hadn’t expected their afternoon to affect him so thoroughly and yet; it had. She’d made a lasting impression, and he’d planned on telling her the truth sooner rather than later. The King, however, had rushed that.

  The change rolled over him, blasting dust out of the courtyard and into small dervishes that terrified the horses. He watched Lorelei the whole time. She was the only woman in the entire group that never once covered her eyes or averted her gaze.

  She watched him intently with an emotion that bordered on hate.

  He hadn’t expected that.

  Abraxas had seen many reactions to his change in form. Fear. Horror. Sadness. But no one had ever hated him so much as this woman.

  What had he done? He’d only been himself, and the thought that she couldn’t accept that made him angry. Angrier than he’d ever been in his life. She was an elf, and he’d accepted that without looking at her like she was a monster. Yet here she was, giving him a much different glare that made him feel as though he were wrong for being what he was.

  He’d thought she was against all that. Apparently, he’d been wrong.

  Zander tossed his
arms up and laughed with glee. “You see, my flowers? You should never be afraid in this castle when my beast protects you!”

  Beast. Even now, the King had to throw insults just to make himself feel bigger than the dragon who stood among them. Abraxas shook his heavy head, getting used to this body as his mind stretched to fill the cavity of scales. Yet... Those eyes still followed his every move.

  Lorelei wasn’t going to let him off the hook. He already could tell that she was too angry to speak. Her hands tightened on the reins and her back was so stiff, he feared she’d pull a muscle. And she watched him with a gaze that was far too intense.

  “We’re hunting boar today, my flowers! The first one to bring the beast down will win a private dinner with me!” Zander struck his mount on the sides, hard, and they raced from the courtyard.

  The other horses pursued the black steed, who had led the herd since they were all very young. The brides didn’t stand a chance at killing a boar before Zander. He would be in the front the entire time, and Abraxas would fly overhead. Any boar in the forest would end up running straight toward the horses to get away from the dragon.

  He waited until all the horses were far from the courtyard before he flapped his wings. The leathery appendages snapped in the wind, cracking hard multiple times before he finally took off into the air.

  The wind might be too strong today. He had to fight with every heavy wing beat to get enough speed to keep up with the smaller horses, even though they were running through the forest. The King had created a path long ago through the woods, none of the steeds would lose their footing.

  He followed them for what felt like hours. Soaring through the sky and dodging clouds so he could still see the entire group of women and his king. They moved quickly, the King continually shouting a direction. A few of the women fell behind, then more of them. Soon, there were only six horses keeping up with Zander. The same women he’d chosen as his favorites, with Lorelei in the lead.

  Abraxas knew her horse. That creature had stayed in the pasture for most of its life and had little enjoyment of running or even being outside its pen. Abraxas thought it was a sweetheart, but obviously not the kind of horse anyone wanted to ride. It was a pet, not a biddable beast.