“I was just thinking that myself, Merrick,” I respond. “You’ve truly shown your colors with this. Thank you so much for making it so special for us.”
He bows slightly. “It was the least I could do, Your Majesty.”
I try to smile but I’m sure it comes off as more of a grimace. I’d just gotten used to the highness thing. Majesty will probably take my entire life. I’ve had to fight the urge all day to touch the beautiful gold crown Zale had made for me as it is.
A rumble hits the place hard enough to vibrate the stained glass windows right before a cloud of black smoke pillars up from the middle of the floor. People scatter to the side, and a few of them scream and trip over their feet to get away. I frantically search for my mates where I last saw them standing with Dain and a fully healed Ladon. All four have drawn weapons with twice as many guards surrounding them in the same fashion.
Returning my focus back to disturbance, I notice the smoke beginning to take the shape of a man. One with a face so similar to my own it takes me aback and has fear spiking in my chest. Guards have jumped between us a couple steps down from the thrones, leaving me a good view over their heads as my father’s figure comes into full focus.
He ignores the mer between us as he stretches out his arms to the room. “My only daughter. Imagine my surprise to hear you were to wed today, yet I received no invitation. Quite rude.”
“You’re not welcome here, Bruinen,” Zanthus replies, voice low in warning.
Continuing as though my mate said nothing, Bruinen says, “It’s time for you to come home where you belong, child.”
“She’ll be going nowhere,” Zephyr snarls.
The guards on the steps back up until they’re close enough for me to touch. With Merrick on one side and Easton on the other, I know without a doubt every single one of them would die to protect me.
Bruinen simply smirks before shifting his attention toward my mates, though, it’s not them who he speaks to.
“Ah, the bastard child is now a king and has stolen two of my most prized possessions at that,” he announces loudly. “Don’t you two worry! When I’m done claiming this realm for myself, I’ll be making my way to the rest. It’s time the dragons had a new master.”
This is apparently the wrong thing to say because another rumble rocks the floors, but it has nothing to do with Bruinen and his darkness this time. It comes from Ladon who shifts in front of our eyes. Thankfully, the throne room is large enough to hold his giant form, which I must admit is fearfully impressive. However, it’s going to be a disaster if he loses his temper. He’ll rip the entire palace down.
Mer are already clogging the entrances to retreat from both darkness and dragon, but mainly the latter.
Ladon’s neck arches right before it comes down with a teeth snap right on top of Bruinen. For a moment I’m sure that he’s taken care of the problem and eaten him. Unfortunately, we aren’t that lucky.
He disappears in the same puff of smoke that he’d arrived in, and it trickles right through Ladon’s nostrils, forcing a blackness to take over his eyes.
Staking claims wasn’t the point he was trying to make today. He simply wanted to get into Ladon’s head. Too late to come to this understanding, the dragon rears its head and smashes into the ceiling, raining huge stone bricks onto the floor. Panic hits me square in the chest until I see guards pushing my mates back against the wall out of harm’s way. The only one brave, or stupid, enough to risk being close is Dain. He holds his hands up in front of him while speaking gently.
Behind them both I see guards readying their weapons to take him down.
“NO!” I yell, jumping between two of my guards before they can stop me. Ladon has done so well after the first couple weeks of being here. We can’t kill him for something that isn’t his fault.
My mates yell as they and some of the guards rush toward me only to be stopped with a roar from the giant green dragon in control of the room. Slowly walking toward Dain, I clasp his hand in mine when I’m close enough and hold the other out to Ladon.
“You have to fight it,” I tell him. “Bruinen was wrong. He won’t take over this realm or any of the others because we won’t let him. But we can’t do it without you. Fight it, Ladon. He doesn’t own you any longer.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dain’s eyes flicking back and forth between me and the dragon in surprise. Yeah, me too, fae. Me too.
Ladon shakes his head full of giant teeth like he’s trying to shake off water, and I can tell the moment Bruinen’s influence wears off. His eyes go back to normal before he shifts back down to human size.
“Swear me an oath,” he demands with a voice sounding like he just finished swallowing a cup of nails.
My mate’s go ballistic, but I hold up the same hand to them that was just directed at Ladon. If they want me to be their queen, they’re going to have to learn to trust my decisions at some point. Might as well be today.
Letting go of Dain, I walk over to Ladon with an outstretched hand, trying my best to ignore his nakedness. As soon as I’m near, he reaches out to grasp my forearm.
I do the same as I tell him, “I swear that I will do everything within my power to stop Bruinen both in my realm and yours.”
The oath wraps around us both like a key working a lock, and even though my mates look ready to wring my neck, I know I’m doing the right thing for us all.
Do you guys read these things? I sure hope so. Keep scrolling for your exclusive sneak peek into the Dragon Realm with Owan’s story.
I want to say a huge thanks to my Weird Sister for being my motivator every day.
Another big thank you to the hubs for always allowing me to follow my dreams.
And for Michelle Ann at Inked Imagination. You are an effing Rockstar! Thank you!
Last but not least, XOXO to all of you readers who take the time to read my stories. I hope you love them as much as I do when I share them with you.
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My bow brushes against the strings drawing their last breath. As my violin becomes quiet, so do the colors. When I open my eyes, the stage lights are almost blinding after the soft tones that have been my companion while I played. The audience is on their feet as their hands move together in applause that only they can hear. Doing as I’ve practiced, I count to ten before lowering my torso in a quick gratuitous bow.
Colors mix together from the crowd as some of them let out soft cheers and others chat with their partners. Standing up straight again, a vibrant blue weaving through the bodies in the first couple rows catches my attention. I try not to be obvious while searching for the source. Smiling and nodding to a few of the people, my eyes finally lock onto one of my favorites in the mass.
Emilio. His tan skin stands out underneath his silver hair, making him easy to spot. The familiar face settles the nervous energy I’d felt at the first sight of blue moments ago. With his lips moving as he speaks to his dark-haired companion, his eyes never leave me.