by Unknown
The Dragon Chronicles:
Solana
By: Jasmine Brown
Copyright © 2020 Jasmine Brown
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical articles or in a review. Trademarked names appear throughout this book. Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, names are used in an editorial fashion, with no intention of infringement of the respective owner's trademark. The information in this book is distributed on an “as is” basis, without warranty. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this work, neither the author nor the publisher shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book.
Enjoy More Books By Jasmine
The Dragon Chronicles: Lunaria (Coming Soon!)
The Not Even If Series
Book O
ne: Not Even If: You Told Me I Was Chosen (Available Now)
Book
Two: Not Even If: The Gods Give Their Blessing (Available Now)
Book
Three: Not Even If: Danger Was Closer Than We Thought (Available Now)
Book F
our: Not Even If: We Meet Someone New (Available Now)
Book F
ive: Not Even If: We Have A Breakthrough (Available Now)
Book Six: Not Even If: We Go To A Wedding (Available Now)
Book Seven: Not Even If: We Meet the Predecessors (Available Now) Book Eight: Not Even If: Our Families Know (Coming Soon!)
Prologue
“Come along, little one. Don't fall behind.”
“Coming, Kuri!”
The little girl followed closely behind her protector, her yellow curls bouncing with every step she took. Her curious amber eyes took in everything she could, from the little bugs following a trail on a dead log beside her feet to the wide, vast sky above her head. There was a lot for a two-year-old to see on a five-mile trek.
Still, she could not lag. Kuri was kind but strict. She would leave her behind simply to teach her a lesson about staying focused on a task.
Kuri came to a stop, and she stopped behind her. The pause gave her time to trace Kuri's strong features. From her brown hair that blew in the wind, to her slightly toned muscles, to the subtle armor she wore as clothes. She did not know it, but for years to come, when she thought of strength, her mind would automatically think of this image of Kuri's back.
Kuri turned around and kneeled to her height. She searched Kuri's face for a sign as to what was happening. She knew Kuri was tired, but she was tired from their hike, too. Amber eyes met a duller brown, but they found nothing. She would just have to wait for Kuri to speak.
“Little one,” Kuri finally spoke. “Do you know who you are?”
“Princess Solana of Wizteria,” the little girl answered automatically. “The youngest daughter of King Rulland the First, the Dragon King and Queen Stellaria, the Sun Goddess. The Sun Dragon of the Dragon Union. The Wizterian Sun Rose of Grace.”
Kuri sighed and pressed a kiss to Solana's forehead. “Today, I add another title to your mouthful of a name, Princess. From now on, you are the Hope of Wizteria.”
Solana said nothing in response. She did not know what to say.
It did not matter. Kuri spoke again. “Princess, Wizteria is fated to fall tomorrow,” she said in a matter of fact way, gently stroking the little girl's hair. “I have been assigned to take you as far away as I can from this place and to keep you safe. You will live with me and my son, Rexajon. The people around you will not call you a princess. They will never speak of who you are and where you come from, but you can never forget who you are. You will not return here for a very long time, but so long as you are alive—so long as you are safe, all of Wizteria is safe.”
Solana was young. Dragons like her had a lifespan of tens of thousands of years. Her siblings were in their two thousands. She was merely two. She knew the basics of what was going on. She knew she would have to live with Kuri instead of her parents. She knew that they were leaving the only home she ever knew. She knew that everything they were doing was according to some prophecy, some legend that told them to.
She did not know, however, how she could be expected to save Wizteria when her family could not.
Still, she could not worry Kuri with such questions. She was the Sun Rose of Grace after all. "Yes, Kuri," she mumbled softly.
Kuri looked at her with sympathetic eyes. She brought her in for a hug. “I'm sorry, my Princess.
Your parents...your parents explored every option imaginable before coming to this conclusion.
They've been trying since before you were born. This is the hardest thing for them to do. They never wanted you to go. You are very loved. This, I swear.”
“It is okay,” Solana reassure in a small voice. “I know this must be done. For Wizteria.”
Kuri pulled away and smiled softly at the little girl. “Spoken like a true princess. I wish I had a fraction of your grace, your highness.” She stood and took Solana's little hands in hers. “Come. The portal is up ahead.”
Kuri guided Solana a little farther up the mountain until a blue and white swirling portal was in sight. A boy who Solana recognized as Rexajon stood beside it, using his magic to keep it strong.
"Very good, Rexajon," Kuri commended. "Hold it, as we practiced. Focus."
“I'm not a child, Mother. You promised if I came back, you would acknowledge that,” Rexajon protested with a huff. To prove his point, he poured more magic into the portal. It intensified in strength.
“Yes, yes, dear,” Kuri said, brushing off his offense.
Completely removed from their family scuffle, Solana turned her head towards the cliffside. She could see the entire kingdom from here. From the large palace she called home in the very center of the kingdom, to the little village outskirts her sister, Lunaria, use to sneak to when she wanted to play with children that lived too far from the castle to realize her lineage.
It was beautiful. It was her home, and she was never going to see it again. Even for a child, the reality of the situation was too much to handle once it sank in.
Although she tried to keep her graceful facade, Solana could not help herself. She cried. It started with a weak whimper, but the flood gates soon broke open and she sobbed fully.
She did not want to leave! She wanted to stay with her mother and father and sisters and brother. It was not fair. She did not care about being the Hope of Wizteria and whatever else her dumb title and stupid lineage commanded. Right now, she was just a little girl that wanted her father's hug and mother's kiss.
Kuri sighed, knowing just as much. It broke her heart to take this little child away from her family as much as it broke Solana's. It was a lot to ask of an infant, but the world would ask even more of her as she grew. It was Kuri's responsibility to teach her to pick herself up in the hard times and push through.
So, she led by example. She picked Solana up and rested the crying princess's face on her shoulder.
“I'm sorry, little one,” she whispered consolingly. With the princess in tow, she stepped through the portal. Rexajon followed and closed the portal behind them.
Chapter 1
The last bell of the day rang, releasing all the students of Price Sierra High School from class. Well, almost all of them.
The students of Mrs. Thomas's eighth-period physics class were not so lucky. Mrs. Th
omas was a firm believer in the mantra, "The bell does not release you, I do."
And so, the students impatiently waited for her to finish her lecture. “And according to that,” the teacher continued as though she did not hear the bell at all. “Energy cannot be created or destroyed. I hope you all are taking notes. I promise this will be on the test.”
The students were antsy, many of them thinking about all the other things they would rather do than listen to the lesson on the law of conservation of energy. Solana was no exception.
Solana restlessly shuffled in her chair. It was not the fact that she already knew everything the teacher was saying. It was not even the fact that she hated taking notes. No, the only note she wanted to focus on was the note she received in her locker earlier that day.
Ever since she opened her locker that morning and saw that little piece of paper float to the floor, it had been on her mind. She must have read it at least three hundred times throughout the school day, and still, it was not enough. She needed to read it again.
She flipped open her notebook to the page that she stuck the small piece of paper in and re-read it with a goofy grin.
I have a question for you. Your locker after school. -Tyler.
She knew it was not much. She knew the question could be anything, but it was enough to send her sixteen-year-old heart into overtime and make butterflies flutter in her stomach.
She sighed and closed her notebook before Mrs. Thomas could catch wind of what held Solana's
attention instead of the lesson.
Putting away the paper did not stop her from dreaming, though.
Tyler, her crush since middle school, had a question for her.
Solana was not very popular. She was fun and friendly to everyone she met. She was attractive, from her bright, round eyes to her button nose to her blonde curls. Still, save Rexajon, she had no one she could call a friend. She rarely captured the attention of boys. To be finally noticed by someone she liked seemed almost surreal, to have that someone finally have the courage to talk to her... She loved it.
Not only that, but she had a sneaking suspicion that she knew what that question was.
The Spring Fling was quickly approaching, and she knew that Tyler did not have a date.
She rested her head in her hands as she imagined exactly how she would answer once he inevitably asked.
Yes, Tyler, I would be honored to attend the Spring Fling with you.
Of course, Tyler! What took you so long?
Yes, yes, yes! I do!
Her smile faltered a little. Okay, maybe the last one was a little too much, but it did nothing to dull her excitement. Not even the homework assignment Mrs. Thomas just scribbled on the board could do that.
Wait, homework. Shoot.
"Read chapter thirteen: the law of conservation of energy," she mumbled as she quickly scribbled down the assignment.
Which was that again? Come on, Solana. You know this!
She smiled it herself when it hit her. Energy could not be created or destroyed. Perfect. She had this class in the bag. She had Spring Fling in the bag. All she needed now—.
As though someone actively listened to her prayers, Mrs. Thomas (finally!) released the class to go
home. Absolutely perfect.
Solana hurriedly shoved her belongings into her binder and rushed out of class. She weaved through the hallway traffic until she made it to her locker.
She scanned the crowd but saw no sign of Tyler. She deflated. Did she miss him? She huffed and cursed Mrs. Thomas's name. This was all her fault.
She sighed a defeated sigh. She opened her locker, shoved her binder inside, and slammed it closed.
Darn her luck. There always seemed to be obstacles between her and happiness. It is were not Mrs.
Thomas, it was—.
“Good,” A voice behind her made her jump a little and silenced her thoughts. “You're still here.” She blushed. She recognized that voice! She gave her brightest smile and turned around to face him.
“Tyler!”
Tyler smiled back at her in return. “Did you get my note?”
Solana nodded. “I did,” she replied. “You have a question for me?”
Tyler gave a cheery nod. “Solana, will you—.”
Before he could finish his question, a hand pushed between them and slammed against the lockers.
Solana took a step backward, reeling back from the sudden interruption. Her facial expression flashed from confusion to annoyance in a matter of seconds. "Rexajon," she muttered, irritation laced in her voice.
Rexajon paid no attention to her for the time being. Instead, he faced Tyler, towering over him by several inches. His aura was intense—enough to frighten hungry wolves away. Solana glowered and lift out a huff, knowing all too well how purposeful his actions were. Still, Tyler kept his focus. “Will she..?” he prompted with a growl.
Tyler gulped. He took a moment to scoured his brain for an excuse Rexajon may possibly find acceptable. When he finally thought of one, he spoke again, “Will she... will she give me the
homework assignment from English class?”
Solana's eyes widened. In that instant, she did not see her over-protective caretaker talking to her crush. She saw all her plans for a great time at the Spring Fling and the future relationship that was bound to happen as a result run out of reach. No, not again! She swatted Rexajon's back to get him to stop. “Rexajon!” she cried. She swatted him again. “Go away!”
If he felt her hits, they were not enough to phase him in the slightest. He kept his glare on Tyler.
"No," he growled Solana's answer for her. "Go get the assignment from the teacher."
“O-okay...”
“Go now.”
“O-okay!” Tyler said with a frantic nod. He scurried away past him. He turned to say goodbye to Solana, but another glare from Rexajon discouraged him.
Solana gave a long huff in frustration. And just like that, Rexajon's infamous over-protectiveness struck again.
He was good at it—he perfected it since middle school. At the first instant that Solana showed any interest in boys, he was there to make sure they stayed at arm's length. He even turned himself into a middle schooler to make sure of it. Now that she was in high school and old enough to blend with his natural appearance, he was even better at it. She was pretty sure he had a mental record of how quickly he frightened off people that tried to “weasel into the princess's life.” If anyone was looking for the reason that she was not popular, here he was standing in front of her, watching another potential suitor run away.
Solana crossed her arms in exasperation. “Seriously?!”
Rexajon visibly relaxed. He still looked intimidating, but at least it was not purposeful. He finally turned to face Solana. He took a moment to look her over, then spoke, “You are unhurt?”
“Of course I'm unhurt,” Solana snapped with crossed arms. “I'm also undateable, thanks to you!
Why do you do that?”
“He had poor intentions,” Rexajon said simply.
“He's a teenage boy!” Solana said in irritation. She ran her hands through her hair with frustration.
“Of course he has poor intentions! All teenage boys do! I was just hoping one of those intentions were to take me to the Spring Fling!”
Rexajon paused for a moment as if to analyze what Solana said. He shrugged. "Very well," he finally said. "I don't have poor intentions. I will take you to the Spring Fling. There. The problem's solved."
Solana shook her head and turned to walk away, pushing away all thoughts of Rexajon's suggestion.
“Oh, no. Not happening!” Rexajon followed her silently.
With his perfectly chiseled jaw, soft hair, and piercing brown eyes, Rexajon effortlessly gained female attention no matter where he went. (It probably also helped that he did not have a bodyguard following his every move to chase them away.) Even when they walked randomly, he gained an exorbitant amount of attention. So much so that w
hen they finally graduated to high school, Solana had him wear thick-rimmed glasses just to divert some of it. The last thing she wanted was to magnify their place in the spotlight again by going to the Spring Fling with him.
Still, she knew they would be the talk of the school tomorrow. When he pulled stunts like the one at her locker, it made girls swoon (for some strange reason). It also launched a plethora of rumors about their relationship. All of which were untrue. The kids at school did not know the half of it.
She did not expect them to. How could they possibly understand that Rexajon was a 1500-year-old dragon that used his everlasting youth to attend public school with his mother's charge? How could they know that his sole purpose was to guard Solana against any danger until she could return to her home kingdom to fulfill her destiny as the Hope of Wizteria as the prophecy commanded? If Kuri did not badger her every day with the same speech saying such, she would not know either.
Solana stepped out of the school and walked in the direction of home. Rexajon followed closely and
wordlessly behind. She bitterly glanced backward at him every so often. She finally let out a growl of annoyance and spun on her heel to face him. “Do you have to follow me around everywhere I go?”
She already knew the answer to that. She said it in unison with him, “It's to keep you safe, Princess.” “Yeah, yeah,” she said with a pout. “I've heard it all before. You know, if you and Kuri didn't suppress my magic, I could keep myself safe.”
“It is for your protection,” Rexajon explained patiently. Solana heard this before, too. “Your magical signature is too powerful and unique, Princess. If we did not suppress your magic, you would be an easy target for the enemy.”
“And that's another thing!” Solana said indignantly as she continued her walk (stomp) home. “It's always 'the enemy' this and 'the enemy' that? Who am I supposed to be afraid of? Give me a name! If I'm supposed to be the Hope of Wizteria, or whatever you two keep droning on about, why don't you just give me my magic and let me at them?”
Rexajon simply sighed at her angry questions. She did not understand Wizterian culture and history.
