Wings of Fate

G. BAILEY

Contents

Other Books by G. Bailey

Description

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Epilogue

About the Author

Wings of Fate Copyright © 2018 by G. Bailey

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

The author acknowledges the trademark owners of various products, brands, and/or stores referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Cover design by Kuro Ishi Covers.

Created with Vellum

HER GUARDIANS SERIES

HER FATE SERIES

PROTECTED BY DRAGONS SERIES

LOST TIME ACADEMY SERIES

THE DEMON ACADEMY SERIES

DARK ANGEL ACADEMY SERIES

SHADOWBORN ACADEMY SERIES

DARK FAE PARANORMAL PRISON SERIES

SAVED BY PIRATES SERIES

THE MARKED SERIES

HOLLY OAK ACADEMY SERIES

THE ALPHA BROTHERS SERIES

A DEMON’S FALL SERIES

THE FAMILIAR EMPIRE SERIES

FROM THE STARS SERIES

THE FOREST PACK SERIES

THE SECRET GODS PRISON SERIES

THE REJECTED MATE SERIES

FALL MOUNTAIN SHIFTERS SERIES

ROYAL REAPERS ACADEMY SERIES

THE EVERLASTING CURSE SERIES

THE MOON ALPHA SERIES

Description

Two worlds and only one light left to save them both…

With one of her dragon guards left in Dragca, and Isola trapped on Earth, everything is spinning out of control.

Isola fights to overcome her memories of Earth as she discovers more hidden secrets than she could have ever imagined.

Curses have been broken, but so have minds and hearts as the war for Dragca continues…

Prologue

HALLIE

“Hallie, dear, I didn’t expect to see you today,” Jules surprised voice greets me as I walk into the room. I close the door behind me before looking at Jules, who sits in a chair by her bed, a closed book in her lap. Jules smiles at me like nothing is wrong as she places the book on the side, but little does she know that everything is so wrong. The woman I love and her sister are in terrible danger…and I put them there. I carefully pull the small, green, doll-like creature out of my zipped up jacket. Isola, Melody and the other dragons came through the portal with it, and the last thing Melody told me in a dream was to protect this creature with my life. I risked everything to hide the creature in my jacket when none of the other hunters were looking. The creature has silky long hair, and very much looks like Tinkerbell but more green.

“Oh my…what is that?” Jules gasps.

“Melody told me her name is Bee, but I don’t know what she is,” I try to explain. “Melody said Bee needs plants to survive here, or she will die.” Jules slowly gets up off the chair with an awed expression aimed at Bee and walks over to me. She picks Bee out of my hands and looks around the room.

“I have a bonsai tree. It will have to do until I can get some more plants tomorrow morning,” Jules says. She carries Bee to the small tree in the corner of the room and places her so she is resting in the branches. Bee shines a bright green and smiles as she wraps her tiny hands around the branch near her face.

“She seems happy,” I say with a little sigh. I can’t mess this up. My Melody wouldn’t have told me to keep her safe if it wasn’t very important.

“But you are not, my Hallie,” Jules kindly mentions. “Where is Isola and this Melody you speak of?”

“My father has them, and I can’t do anything,” I say, lifting my hands to my face and rubbing my eyes. “I need a plan and maybe some help.”

“For those who listen…help can be found,” Jules cryptically tells me, walking over to her bedside cabinet and picking her phone up. “Dragons are not the only creatures that are magical in this world. I think it is time we told the supernaturals in this world about your father’s work…and how to destroy it.”

Chapter

One

ISOLA

Ilie on the cold floor, staring up at the rocky ceiling above me, listening to the sound of deadly silence. The room smells of damp and a lot of bleach, which makes my nose twitch. I stretch my fingers out, feeling nothing but cold, rough stone under my hands. I try to move my body on instinct, but nothing other than my fingers move. Panic starts to set in just before I hear his voice which instantly calms me.

“Isola, you’re okay. It’s just the drugs wearing off. I’m here.”

I know it was Dagan’s voice, but I’d like to see him and reassure myself, yet moving isn’t an option right now. As I lie in the dim light, staring at the ceiling and hearing Dagan’s deep breathing not far from me, I remember coming through the portal. I remember those people shooting us with darts, and Hallie being with them, looking so different from when we last saw each other. Hallie shot me. I wasn’t even fighting her, trying to run, or defending myself, and she didn’t hesitate for more than a moment before she pulled the trigger.

I try not to panic when I realize we have been gone from Dragca a lot longer than I thought, and that Eli needs me to get him back. Elias needs me, and all I can do is lie on the ground, wishing to move. I know some part of me is thinking this is all still some big mistake, and Hallie will save us somehow. Then I remember everything she said about Michael. Paris doesn’t sound good either as she clearly thinks dragons killed her mother. If I can get her alone, I can explain what happened with Michael; at least I might have a chance of getting her to understand. A million questions run through my head as I’m forced to lie still and remember everything. This is all so confusing, why would she let her father do this? What exactly does he want us here for?

After a while, I manage to pull my head with all my strength to the left, seeing thick bars right next to me as the feeling starts to come back to my body. I focus on the other side of the bars where Dagan is. He is lying on the floor, looking dazed as his blue eyes meet mine, filled with worry and as much pain as I am in. Dagan’s hair is messy, and he looks very pale but not much different from when we came through the portal. I notice he still has his dragon guard clothes on, and so do I, by the feel of it. I reach my arm up, feeling for the necklace on my neck and am relieved to know it’s still there. I promised never to take it off, and breaking a promise to a fate might not be the best idea. I’m hoping it hasn’t been too much time while we slept, and I hope I can move soon to find answers. Before getting the hell out of here.

“Are you okay?” I question Dagan, my voice sounding dry and cracked even to my ears. “Have you seen the others? Where are we?” The questions rapidly spew from my mouth; I know I’m mumbling them, and I doubt Dagan can understand me.

“I’m okay, princess,” Dagan whispers back, his voice sounding as bad as mine, but at least he understood that bit. I feel relieved, even if he doesn’t look as okay as I’d want him to be and free from here. I watch as he pulls himself into a sitting position, before slowly making his way to the bars, sweat pouring down his forehead from the struggle. He doesn’t say a word, just being there for me as I keep testing my body to see if I can move. I slowly start wriggling my legs after a long time. Even though I’m not strong enough to move like Dagan yet, my strength is coming back which is a relief. I reach for my dragon in my mind, feeling her presence, but she feels dazed and sleepy, before I focus back on Dagan.

“Was that your human friend with the people who knocked us out?” Dagan asks me, clearly remembering Hallie. “I didn’t know humans were so trigger happy.”

“Yes, it was. Hallie believes I killed Michael and four other teenagers. She thinks I’ve got something to do with her mother dying in Paris,” I mumble. “I don’t know if she is my friend anymore or if we can trust her. The look in her eyes when she shot me…it was empty of emotion.”

“I’m sorry, Isola. Losing a friend is never easy, but we can’t focus on her right now. What happened in Paris?” he asks me, and when I stare into his eyes, he reminds me of Elias for a second which makes this whole situation harder than I know how to deal with.

“I don’t know what’s going on any more than you do. We need to get out of whatever this is, because Eli needs us,” I whisper, my voice cracking when I speak his name. My Eli. My dragon guard is in danger, and I know I could never survive losing him.

“My brother is alone with that psychopath who hates us all. God knows what she is going to do to him, but we have to save him before she destroys him. The last time we were there wasn’t pretty, but at least he had us with him. Elias has a dark side, and being around a dark spirit won’t be good for him,” Dagan growls, getting angrier with every word before he slams his fist onto the ground. “Fuck’s sake, I can’t lose him.”

“Hey!” I shout getting his attention, and his now red eyes lock on mine. “We can’t lose it right now. We need to figure something out and keep calm.”

“I know that, princess. I don’t like being weak and defenceless. We can’t make our dragons come out with these around our necks,” he points at the metal collar strapped around his neck. It’s only then that I realize that I have one on as well, the cold metal is tightly pressed around my neck. It no doubt stops us from shifting, and I reach a hand, feeling the thick metal and the small box attached to the left side. I’m sure the collar is for more than just stopping us shifting.

“I’m going to look in the cell next to mine. Maybe Korbin, Thorne or Melody are in it,” Dagan states and pulls himself up with the bars as I watch silently. I call out for Thorne in my mind, feeling that he is okay, but his lack of response suggests he is sleeping still. Dagan comes back after a little while, sitting close to the bars and looking down at me, catching his breath back.

“Thorne is in the next cage, but he is still asleep. As I’m sure you already know, he is fine,” Dagan tells me, looking tense. I don’t need to ask what is wrong because I can see it in his eyes. He is upset about Thorne and me mating, and I don’t blame him one bit. I want to comfort him, explain things, but I know it is not the right time.

“Can you make any fire?” I ask, because I am too weak to make ice right now, but if Dagan could burn the bars, we could get out.

“No. I tried it when I woke up, and the collar electric-shocked me until I passed out. Either whoever knocked us out is clearly watching us, or these collars somehow have some kind of sensor in them. Whatever it is, don’t try to call your ice,” he warns me in a frustrated voice. Well, there goes that plan. I know he isn’t frustrated with me, just the situation, and he is right to be. It sucks. I take his advice for now, but the moment I can get this collar off, I am going to let my dragon free to do whatever she wants. It’s not like I can call my powers or my dragon at this moment anyway, but it is nice to look to the future.

“Isola, I need you to get up and try to move. The drugs wear off quicker when you move, I think. I know it hurts, but come to me.” I keep a brave face on as I focus on sitting up, every little movement sending pain throughout my body and making me want to just take a nap. Though I do notice it gets slightly easier and less painful after the first few movements. I manage to sit myself up slowly, every movement is still a little painful, and it takes me a long time to do anything. I move my arms a little when I’m sitting up, seeing the spear is still wrapped around my arm. The necklace and spear bracelet must be magically attached to me, because there is no doubt the people that took us here would have tried to take them off. I need to pretend it’s a piece of jewelry, as it would be a good way to defend myself when the time is right.

I feel around my two pockets, not finding anything useful. Dagan is silently watching me, and I know I need to get to him at least. I crawl myself over to the bars where Dagan is resting, even though every part of my body aches and protests against the movement. It reminds me of whatever Michael injected me with, but worse. Much, much worse. Even thinking back to what happened with Michael, and how familiar this drugged out feeling is, freaks me out. Michael must have had something to do with whatever Hallie’s father has gotten Hallie involved in here. I try not to feel terrified at the thought, but my hands shake, and my mouth goes dry. When I get to the bars, sliding down to the floor, Dagan reaches through and holds my clammy hand in his tightly.

“I will get us out of this, Isola,” he whispers to me, pressing his head on the bars, watching me like he can understand my every thought without me saying a word.

“How can we get out of something when we don’t know what’s going on?” I ask, resting my head on the cold bars next to Dagan’s, needing the brief closeness for the comfort he gives me. I stare at the door to the cell for a long time, which is the first in the corridor of cages, by the looks of it. After a long time, my legs finally feel like I’m strong enough to move. I stand up and walk around the room, shaking the bars to test them, but knowing it is pointless.

“They wouldn’t have put us in here if we could just get out. Come and sit with me,” Dagan softly suggests, and I sigh, knowing he is right, before going to sit back down next to him. I go to ask Dagan how Elias got caught by Tatarina, but the door to the corridor opens, flashing a bright light in. A moment later, someone turns on the lights in the room, which blasts against my eyes so I can’t see for a second. When I can see again, I briefly look across Dagan’s cage, seeing Thorne on the floor in another cell, still sleeping. The cages next to his are too far for me to see in, but I see shadows of people on the floor which gives me hope that they are Korbin and Melody. I look back to the door in time to see a man walk into the room, stopping right in front of my cage.

“It is lovely to finally meet you, princess Isola Dragice, sole heir to the world of Dragca,” the man smoothly says, confusing me a little with how he knows my title and name. “My daughter and your father told me so much about you that it’s a pleasure for us to finally meet,” the human man states. The human has familiar features, with short brown hair that matches his brown eyes. His expensive suit has a yellow dragon symbol embroidered into the breast pocket. I recognise him as Hallie’s father after a moment’s pause, though his cold eyes lack any human emotion like his daughter has. I freeze when I process his sentence, and the part where he claimed my father told him about me. That is impossible.

“My father told you what?” I demand, and he grins widely at me.

“Why don’t we go for walk, and I can explain everything to you as I give you a tour of your new home, Isola,” he suggests, though I don’t think for second he is asking me to walk with him as much as he is making a demand. The human holds all the power here, and from his tone and the look in his eyes, he knows it as well as I do.

“My Isola isn’t going anywhere,” Dagan sharply snaps. I shoot my eyes to him as he roars out in pain, his hands going to the collar, holding it as it electrocutes him as he falls to the floor. Dagan growls and screams as he tries to stay awake. The awful smell of the collar burning his neck floats over to me, making the whole situation terrifyingly real. My heart pounds in my chest, feeling like it’s breaking into pieces as I watch the dragon I love being tortured.

“STOP!” I scream, pleading with anyone to stop this. Nothing changes, and thankfully a few moments later, I watch in horror as Dagan passes out on the ground, his hands falling away from the collar. I have to watch his chest rise and fall in the silent room before I can even take a breath.

“That is just a taste of what I will do to him—and the others—if you don’t behave. Now, let’s have a talk like civilised people,” the man states coldly, like he didn’t just cause my dragon immense pain before he passed out from it. I pull myself up with the bars, keeping my expression neutral as I face the man, but I promise myself that he will be the first one I kill when I get the chance. No one touches my dragons without paying for it.

Chapter

Two

ISOLA

The man clicks his fingers in the air, and two men in black army-type uniforms come through the open door into the corridor. They are dressed similarly to how Hallie was when she shot me, all black army clothes, but these men look more serious with their shaved heads and scary expressions. I remind myself they are only humans, and even with this collar on, I could fight them. Or try. One of them unlocks the door to my cage and stands waiting, waving a hand, signaling me to walk out. I walk to the door, and the other man holds his hand in the air with a pair of handcuffs, stopping me from leaving.

“For safety. I am not stupid enough to allow you out here without your hands in those. Especially since we cannot get that thing off your arm, and I do not know what it is,” the man in charge says, flashing his eyes towards Dagan in the other cell. I know he is warning me that I have to do this or the others will pay for it. I grit my teeth, hating that I have no choice but to do as I am told. I put my arms out in front of me, and the man holding the cuffs quickly snaps them onto my wrists. I slowly walk out between them, towards the man in charge. I stop right in front of him, having to look up as he is a little taller than I am, and he grins widely like this is all a game. I highly doubt he will think this is funny when I kill him.

“My name is Mr. Graves. Though your father used to call me Graves, so you may, as well. I do wish for us to get along,” he says, referring again to the fact he apparently knew my father. I almost don’t want to reply, knowing that there is a very good chance my asshole of a father did something evil with this human. I already know he was not a good king, mate or person. If he had something to do with this human, I might as well call him evil and be done with it. I know it’s immature to want to cling to some hope that my father made one good decision in his life. That he did one pure, selfless thing that means I can remember him without hating him. The more I learn of the past, the more I know that will never happen.

“I don’t believe you. What was the king of the Dragons doing talking to a human like you,” I growl, and the man’s face tightens in anger. “Humans were nothing but slaves to a king like my father.”

“I have already warned you once to behave, and I will tell you now that I do not lie or give second chances. I want us to have an agreement, purely because I respected your father and had a good agreement with him,” he says, calming himself down as he speaks. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at his lie. This man used my father as much as my father likely used him. The only question is: what did my father want with humans?

“What kind of agreement are you talking about?” I ask, instinctually going to cross my arms but the handcuffs don’t let me. I lock my fingers together instead, feeling lucky the middle part to the handcuffs is a chain, so it’s possible.

“Come with me, and I will show you,” he simply replies, nodding his head towards the door before walking towards it. Again, I know he is demanding I follow him and not asking. The sound of the guards behind me unclipping their guns tells me as much. I walk just behind him, looking behind me once to see the two human guards staying close, with the guns once clipped to their belts now in their hands. Apparently, they don’t trust the collars all that much, and it gives me hope that I might be able to break them somehow.

The door opens out to a massive white room that is circular, and there is a banquet table in the middle, with empty metal trays where I assume food is served. There are doors littered around the room and tables with chairs pushed up to them in the middle. Graves walks straight across the room and opens the door directly opposite the door we came out of. This room is similar to the one that we woke up in. There are cages lining the sides of the corridor, and it is all made of stone except for the thick metal bars.

Graves stops next to the first cell, and I stare in at the little metal bed, a small desk and chair. A young boy dressed in white clothes sits on the chair with his back to us. He turns and faces us, and I step back in shock because he is the very image of Jace. The boy can’t be more than seven, but my god, he looks like Jace when I first met him as a child myself. They have the same white hair, blue eyes and even similar facial features. For a second, I make myself believe that he is a human that just looks familiar, but when I scent him, I know that he is an ice dragon even if he smells a little odd. I’m not the last ice dragon. The fact sends shock through me. The boy doesn’t say a word, he just goes back to whatever he was drawing, like he is used to people staring at him and that it is no surprise to see another dragon. I wonder how many of my people are in this place. Graves doesn’t say a word as I stare at the boy, feeling shocked to my core.

“Who is that?” I finally demand, but instead of my voice coming out strong, it is like a hushed whisper.

“Now you see my proof, let us go back and sit in the main hall as we have a talk. This conversation is not meant for little ears,” Graves states, and I run my eyes down the row of cages, seeing little flashes of other people, possibly children in the other cells.

“Fine,” I mutter, but Graves is already walking around me and back to the door we came out of. I follow him back into the massive room and he sits at one of the tables. I walk around the table and sit opposite him, folding my hands as I wait for him to speak.

“That child, like many here, is a dragon we bred,” he starts off, placing his hands together. He speaks about the boy in such an impersonal way, and it annoys me, but he doesn’t seem to notice as he keeps talking. “Though not many of his kind did survive. This boy, and the others which we mixed with different gene lines, did. Creating a pure ice dragon is a lot harder than we thought, but add in some different strands of DNA, and we have things that live.”

“Bred? Things? What the hell? They are people, not animals! They are just innocent children who didn’t want you to mess with them!” I shout, a long growl slipping from my lips, and he smiles.

“Do not lose your temper with me, little dragon princess. Remember you are not in Dragca, you are not a princess here, and you are in my world now,” he responds, flashing his eyes at his guards behind me before looking at me. The warning is clear enough.

“Are you claiming Earth belongs to you?” I muse. “I wasn’t aware they named you king of Earth.”

“Not king, but simply, yes, I claim to protect Earth. We are the only thing that stands between the Earth falling to ruin by creatures like you destroying it,” he explains, making us sound like emotionless monsters. “The Hunter’s Organisation is the last defence for mankind now.”

“We are not here to attack you,” I bite out, ignoring his statement on how he is some kind of protector of Earth. He is just a human with a big ego.

“Maybe you’re not. Maybe you are. It is my job to protect my people, my world; and your kind is a threat to that either way,” he states firmly. His mind made up.

“So, putting children you bred in cages is your way of dealing with dragons?” I ask. “Don’t you worry those dragons you capture are going to bite you in the ass one day for treating us like shit?”

“We give them—you—a home. We are being reasonable, rather than killing the creatures like every human wants,” he replies smoothly.

“Children. They are children, not creatures,” I spit out. “We are not creatures, we are people, but if you treat us like monsters and bring those children up thinking that’s all they are, you won’t be able to control them when they decide they want to be free.”

“Children that will grow into monsters will never be free. They are creatures that humans cannot stop on their own, therefore they must be controlled,” he says and lets out a long sigh. “Though this is wasting time. I am not here to convince you that my job is the right thing to do.”

“What are you here to convince me of then?” I ask.

“The Hunter’s Organisation has been around for almost one hundred years, and we were set up by your grandfather as a way to keep dragon prisoners he didn’t want to kill,” he points at the yellow dragon crest on his coat. “This shows our past and is our symbol. Your family designed it.”

“Excuse me? I don’t believe you!” I growl, shaking my head before looking away.

“Then your father took the throne, and we made a new deal. He wanted us to make more ice dragons and mix them with different supernatural gene lines. He wanted to see if we could make an ice dragon more powerful than ever before,” he pauses, fixing his coat. “So, your father sent us any ice dragons that he could make go missing, and the company got to work. We also made a deal that he could hide his daughter and another male ice dragon on Earth, and that we would watch over you. I loved my chats with your father as he checked in on you. Your father was a very smart man.”

“We can agree to disagree on that one,” I mutter to myself, trying to hold in my burning anger. My father was clearly a fucking disaster.

“All this was working out well for our company. Unfortunately, not many of the created dragons survived in the early years, but in the last twenty years since I took over, we have made amazing advances,” he says proudly, even though it just makes me feel sick.

“That child…is Jace’s brother?” I ask, almost not wanting him to tell me the answer, but I’m not stupid. He showed me that boy to rattle and upset me.

“Yes. Jacian’s mother was taken by us, and unfortunately died giving birth to the child in there. Jacian’s father died in early testing,” he says. “Such a shame.”

“You’re disgusting,” I spit out.

“It is work, nothing more or less,” he states. “Now we have a problem. I have spies in Dragca who claim you have lost the throne and you are meant to be dead. With your father dead, there is no one else to deal with Dragca, and we have decided, after the instance in Paris, to keep all supernaturals here until they pass away.”

“You’re keeping us here?” I ask.

“Simply, yes,” he says with a smile. “Though do not worry, we do not treat you badly. We plan to continue our testing for advances in medicines, which I’m sure you will not mind helping with to keep everyone you love safe.”

“You’re a terrible person and human. I will never help you or stay here!” I spit out and slam my hands on the table. “I am getting out of here, and I will kill you before I leave!”

“All you dragons are so uncivilised. I had hoped you would be different, being a princess brought up on Earth, but it seems not,” he sighs dramatically.

“You are treating us like monsters, so that is what you will get in return. Let us go, and I will walk out of here without killing you,” I suggest. “That is the only way you are getting out of this.”

“Isola, dear princess…you don’t have any power here. I could kill you with the snap of my fingers, but my daughter has convinced me it would be smart to keep you alive. The other dragons will listen to you, follow you, and you will listen to me. See, we all can win here. Don’t push me, this is your only warning,” he threatens and then changes his tone into a sickly sweet one, “Enjoy your time with your dragon guards and sister. We will talk next week when you have had time to settle in.”

“I will make sure you regret this. I am not some simple dragon that you can control,” I tell him as he stands up and looks down at me with a big, happy smile on his lips.

“But that is exactly what you are, Isola Dragice,” he responds and walks away, laughing. I grit my teeth as I watch Graves walk out of the room through one of the doors, knowing there isn’t anything I can do to fight him just yet. But there is always time.

Chapter

Three

ISOLA

The guards lead me back to the cage, taking off my handcuffs before pushing me into it with a harsh slam on my back. They laugh as I bounce across the floor, smacking my shoulder on the cold floor. I quickly turn over, glaring at them as they lock the door, and my dragon finally comes back from her sleep in my head. As I pull myself up off the floor, she pushes into my head for control on pure protective instinct until I can’t do anything but focus on her.

We can’t shift, I tell her, and she stops for a second, only sending waves of worry, panic and anger through me. It’s not emotions that aren’t already in my head anyways.

Mate. Sister. Mine all in trouble. We must fight. She pleads with me, and every part of me wants to go with her plan, if it weren’t for these damn collars around my neck. I ignore my dragon for a moment to walk to the bars and sit on the floor, reaching my hand through them to try and reach Dagan who is still passed out.

When it is time, we will fight. That time is not now. Rest. My dragon thankfully listens to my advice and settles down with a huff, and I look over the cages to see Thorne slowly starting to move. It takes a while before he is sitting up, looking dazed, and there is blood covering the one half of his face. A growl slips out of my lips before I can acknowledge it, and he turns to me, relief spreading across his handsome features.

“Isola, fuck, are you okay? Kor and Melody are in the cages next to mine, but they are passed out, by the looks of it,” he tells me, not needing to use our ability to talk into each other’s minds as he is close enough I can hear him. I’m filled with relief to not only see him awake, but to know Kor and Melody are okay and close. The only thing that panics me now is where the hell Bee is. I have to tell myself they wouldn’t kill her. That she must be somewhere safe, or I would know. Right? We are bonded, and I don’t feel like she is in danger. I know he can feel that I am not hurt, but I think he means if I’m okay emotionally.

“I don’t really know right now. This place, everything about it, is nothing like I expected,” I tell him, and he crawls as close as he can to the bars, as I try to think over everything that I have just learnt. I know I don’t want to believe what Graves said about my father, but it is hard to ignore the proof that he showed me. I have to admit, my father was a monster. That boy looks so much like Jace that there is no way he is not related to him, and it doesn’t make any sense how there are ice dragons here if my father didn’t help these humans. I thought I was the last ice dragon, but it is very clear that I’m not. Some part of me is relieved, but other parts of me worry. I am starting to think that something bad happened in Paris, and if it has to do with us, then humans are always going to hate us. I need to talk to Hallie. She is the only one who could make any sense of all this. I also need to talk to Melody. Considering that she and Hallie are meant to be together in the future, she might be able to knock some sense into my friend.

“What is going through your mind, Issy?” Thorne asks me, snapping me out of my own thoughts and back to the reality of the situation. I know we have to take one day at a time.

“The man that runs this place states that my father made a deal with him and my grandfather did before him also. He must have meant my grandfather who died shortly into his rein,” I reply, my voice sounding like it echoes when I wish I could keep it quiet.

“What kind of deal?” Thorne asks.

“My father and grandfather gave the humans dragons. They gave humans dragons like they weren’t people, like they were theirs to sell rather than protect. I saw an ice dragon boy that was the image of Jace. Jace’s parents went missing, and now I know they were brought here because my father must have betrayed them. Jace’s brother is here, and god knows who else,” I angrily reply.

“Isola…fucking hell. This is complete crazy,” Thorne gapes in shock.

“I know, right?” I reply, staring over at him as he looks at me with a desperate need to get to me, to hold me close. “We need to get out of here, but I don’t see any way of that happening unless Hallie decides to help us.”

“Isola!” Dagan grumbles, shaking his head and picking himself up off the ground quickly. When he looks over at me, there is relief on his face, and he comes closer, reaching through the bars to hold my hands for a brief moment before straightening up and turning to look at Thorne like he can sense he is watching.

“Good to see you awake, Dagan,” Thorne says.

“Do either of you want to explain how you ended up mated?” Dagan asks us but turns to stare at me. “And what I mean is: Thorne piss off for a second and leave us alone so Isola can explain.”

“Isola?” Thorne asks me, his tone telling me he just wants to know what I want to happen. I stare at Dagan for a moment, seeing the hurt in his eyes and how lost he seems. I need to explain everything and make sure Dagan and the others understand this wasn’t me picking Thorne over them. I have no doubt Dagan’s dragon is losing his mind right now.

“Give us some time. See if you can wake the others up,” I ask, and I’m happy to see he doesn’t look mad, just accepting.

“Others?” Dagan asks.

“Kor and Melody are in the cages near me. I can’t reach them, but I can see them. I will give you two space,” Thorne says, nodding once at me before walking off into the shadows of his own cell. Dagan moves closer to tightly hold onto my hand as we look at each for a second. This isn’t the place for romance. This isn’t the time for love and feelings when we need to fight to survive, but every part of me knows we need this moment.

“To break the dragon guard curse, I had to mate with a half fire and ice dragon guard. The curse was made out of love and honour, but it caused nothing but pain until right at the end when Thorne and I mated. That was happiness, and I know it upsets you, and you have every right to be mad at me for loving him—”

“You love him?” Dagan interrupts. I meet his blue eyes, knowing I need to be confident as I admit the truth.

“Yes. I tried to fight it, but it’s always been there with Thorne. Even when he betrayed me, part of me still loved him. There is just something between us. The same feeling I have for you, for Kor and for Elias. I love each of you more than I knew it was possible to love anyone,” I say. “I know the world we live in expects me to choose one of you, but I can’t do that. I will let any of you walk away if you want…but this is where I stand on all of us.”

“I will admit I’m fucking mad and jealous…but I think I can get used to this, and I will never make you choose. Thorne is in love with you, always has been, and he has proven it over and over. He made a mistake, a big fucking one, but he has earnt your love and trust back with his actions. Thorne has earnt my trust back. That is enough for me,” he says, lifting our hands through the bars and kissing my fingers. “But I want us to mate as soon as we get out of here. No more wasting time. I need to know you’re mine…if you’ll have me.”

“My answer has always been yes. I love you,” I whisper, and we kiss awkwardly through the bars, and I giggle as I pull away, holding him close. I nearly jump out of my skin when there is a loud buzzing noise just before the doors automatically open. I stand up, watching as the main door to the big room opens on its own too, just before a sweet female voice talks over a hidden loudspeaker.

“The cage doors are open from seven a.m. until five p.m. Please remember, we do not tolerate fighting or the breaking of anything inside the building. If anyone is not in a cage by five p.m., their collars will activate. Have a good day.”

Chapter

Four

ISOLA

Islowly walk out of my cage as Dagan does the same, I see out the corner of my eye. We both pause in the empty corridor, expecting to fight for a moment, but nothing attacks us. I’m not sure which one of us moves first, but the next second, I’m in Dagan’s arms, breathing in his smoky scent as we both hold each other as tightly as we can. Dagan holds me close and only lets go when I feel Thorne moving near us. Thorne pulls me into his arms, kissing the top of my head as I breathe in his scent for comfort much like Dagan. Having them both close to me gives me a second to breathe and get my emotions under control.

“What is going on?” Dagan questions, but it’s more rhetorical as he knows we don’t have any answers.

“I will get Melody, you two get Kor awake,” I suggest, and Thorne lets me slide out of his arms as Dagan nods at me. I quickly make my way down the cages, briefly stopping outside Kor’s cell, seeing him knocked out on the floor and wanting to go to him. I feel better when Thorne and Dagan lift him up and his eyes open, locking on mine for a second before I make myself walk to the next cage where Melody is awake, trying to stand up. I run to my sister, sliding an arm around her waist as she leans heavily on me. Melody looks okay, but some of her clothes are torn, and she is covered in dirt. I imagine it was from the fight in Dragca more than anything here. I don’t see her orb or her cloak anywhere around us.

“The drugs will wear off soon. Once you wake up and start moving, it gets easier,” I explain to her, and she rests her head on my shoulder as I walk her out of the cage and into Kor’s, sitting her next to him with Thorne’s help.

“Come here, doll,” Kor grumbles in a gravelly voice, and I don’t hesitate as I go to sit next to him, wrapping my arms around his waist, and he wraps his arm around my back, pulling me closer to his side.

“Eli will be okay, and we will get out of whatever trouble we are in now,” Kor whispers to me, trying to comfort me, but it isn’t working.

“Eli is with her, and the longer we are here, the more he and Dragca suffer. I don’t even know where Bee is, and I’m freaking out,” I admit. We don’t have time to be stuck here with these goddamn humans when I need to get back to Dragca.

“Bee is safe,” Melody randomly whispers, and I sit forward, meeting her eyes as she looks at me. “This is how it has to be.”

“Is Bee here?” I ask her, focusing on that part and not the “meant to be” thing. Seers and their riddles just confuse me.

“I can’t tell you anymore, only that Bee is safe. Maybe you should speak to a girl with green-tipped hair,” she cryptically states and closes her eyes, resting back against the bars.

“Melody, what do you know? And no bloody riddles, please!” I demand, shaking her arm.

“You know I can’t tell you anything, and I’m tired. Go and look around, and do something stupid,” she mutters in annoyance, not opening her eyes once, and I know she is done with the conversation when there is silence after her words until Kor speaks.

“Go and look around with Dagan. Thorne can watch us until the drugs wear off, right?” Kor suggests. “I feel like me and Thorne need a chat anyways.”

“Are you sure?” I ask quietly, not really wanting to leave any of them.

“Go. We woke up as they were driving us into this place, so they knocked us out again. It will be a while before we are back to normal,” Kor says, explaining why they are still dazed from the drugs.

“Alright. I think it’s best we look around anyway,” I say, being brave and lightly kissing Kor, before pulling myself to my feet. Dagan wraps an arm around my waist as we walk past Thorne out of the cage, and Thorne’s fingers brush against my own.

Call if there is any trouble. I’m always here. I smile at his overprotectiveness and the way he can make me feel safer now just by speaking to me in my mind.

I promise. Behave with Kor, I reply as we get closer to the door at the end of the corridor, and I start to feel a little nervous. I keep my expression as neutral as possible, knowing I can’t afford to show weakness in this place. They already know my dragons and sister mean everything to me, and I will do anything for them…they don’t need more ammunition.

Anything for you, Issy, Thorne replies, but I don’t think a single word back as we step through the door and into the massive room which is full of people. There must be at least fifty people in the room, and every single one of them slowly notices us and pauses in whatever they were doing. The room slowly goes silent as I stare around at the people. There is a mixture of children of all ages, men and women…and each one of them is a dragon. I’m surprised at how many of them look like ice dragons, and all their scents are so overwhelming that I can’t focus on what smells strange about them. Not human or dragon… it’s weird.

“Why are they staring?” I ask Dagan.

“Maybe they don’t get new people in here often,” he replies.

“Dragons turn up here every day, Dagan Fire…but not a royal that is meant to save us all,” my uncle Louis says, walking to the front of all the people. He slowly bows his head, and every other dragon in the room does the same. I’m happy to see him for a moment, but I am unsure of how to deal with him. My uncle was always cold with me, and I don’t know if it is a good thing having him here. I notice how his eyes go to Dagan’s arm around my waist.

“Uncle, what are you doing here?” I ask, noticing him slightly flinch as I call him “uncle” instead of his name. I walk over to him, trying to ignore how everyone in the room rises when my uncle lifts his hands as he stands. They listen to him, which is interesting.

“I came to Earth to find you, to tell you something very important, but then I got caught by the hunters,” he explains. “I had hoped they would never get you, but here we are.”

“Is that what they call themselves?” I ask. “Hunters?”

“A lot changed in this last year, you might want to sit as I tell you all of it and about this place,” he suggests. “Then you can explain what the hell has been going on in Dragca, and why you are here with your dragon guard’s arm wrapped around your waist, and why you’re not on the throne where you belong.”

Chapter

Five

ISOLA

Icarefully watch my uncle as we find an unoccupied table, which has empty food plates in the middle, piled up. My stomach rumbles, reminding me that I can’t remember when I last had something to eat. I know finding out what is going on is more important than my hunger, so I ignore it, but Dagan doesn’t.

“I will find us some food and take some to the others. Louis Pendragon, the legendary fighter, won’t let anyone hurt you. I’m sure of it. I will be close either way,” Dagan tells me, keeping his voice low enough for only us to hear him, but my uncle can clearly hear as he nods once at Dagan. He trusts my uncle, like I think I do, but not the other dragons in this room. I stare back at my uncle, seeing how he has a long beard now and his hair has grown to his shoulders. My uncle still has that cold, detached feeling to him as before, but I know something has changed. The uncle I remember as a child was a killing machine my father loved, and the uncle I met again at Dragca Academy was detached from life as he lost so much of it. He couldn’t even see me as his family back then. He could only see me as a reflection of my mother when she was younger. He only saw his sister, not his niece. This version of my uncle is strange to me…he is treating me like a queen, which I am not, and like family, which he has never done before.

“Alright. Thank you and be careful,” I tell Dagan, who squeezes my hip with his hand before walking off and leaving us alone.

“I am going to explain something to you…something hidden from Dragca and its people. Only your father and mother knew, and your mother told me,” he starts off, crossing his arms and resting back in his seat as I don’t respond. “Dragon shifters and seers are not the only type of magical beings in the worlds.”

“Fates are as well. I met one,” I respond, trying not to seem too shocked.

“Well, I’ve never heard of fates before, but considering Earth has more magic than any of us thought possible, hearing another creature exists isn’t surprising,” he says, muttering it under his breath, and I’m not sure if he is even talking to me.

“What magical beings were you talking about then?” I ask.

“Wolf shifters. Witches. Vampires and angels. I’ve even heard of fairies, demons and pixies being real,” he responds.

“That’s just human fairy tales,” I laugh, but I stop laughing when I see how serious my uncle is being.

“Like dragons are?” he retorts. “Don’t be so naive, Isola.” His scolding tone makes my dragon growl, and my lips itch with the need to say something snarky back, but I know that would be proving his point further. I take a deep breath instead, reminding myself about the collar and knowing I need to relax.

“Have you seen these supernaturals?” I ask him.

“Yes. There are five buildings here, and each one contains different supernaturals. This is clearly the dragons’ buildings. On Fridays, they let us go outside into a gated field, and you can meet these people yourself,” he tells me.

“What day is it?” I ask.

“Wednesday. There is a clock up there for the time,” he points at the giant clock on the wall that I don’t know how I missed. “Being observant clearly isn’t something you have learnt these past few years.”

“What happened to Paris?” I ask, ignoring his insult.

“There was a war between demons and the supernaturals. Paris and most the people inside it were destroyed…or worse. The supernaturals won, and humans declared war on them, and now they are in hiding—or caught and put in here,” he replies like that is nothing. Paris is a massive city, the capital of France and a place Hallie’s mum used to love to go on holiday to. I remember Hallie telling me she was spending the winter in Paris…and if that happened while she was there, no wonder Hallie hates me.

“Hallie’s mum was in Paris,” I whisper to myself, knowing that must have destroyed her, and I can see why she shot at me first before asking questions. I did constantly lie to her about who I was before disappearing, and she had to find out the truth from her father instead of me. I have no doubt Graves twisted everything.

“Millions of people were in Paris,” he responds. “Millions died. That doesn’t matter to us now.”

“What does?” I ask.

“The dragon curse is broken. We all felt it. What else is going on in Dragca, and why are you here?” he asks me. “Our home is important, not Earth.”

“I broke the curse just before we got here. That’s not the point though. Tatarina is on the throne, and she has Elias Fire. I need to get him back and kill her. She has a dark spirit, and she was doing something to the magic of Dragca as we fled,” I explain to him, and he doesn’t look one bit surprised.

“You are mated to a half?” he asks. “I wanted to tell you how to break the curse, but I never got a chance.”

“Thorne…” I say, drifting off as his eyes turn red, and he glares at me, huffing out smoke.

“You made her son your mate?!” he angrily questions. “Her son?!”

“Thorne is not like her, and yes, I did. It broke the curse, and I love him. Get over it as I’m not explaining myself to you,” I say.

“I see. Stubborn like your mother,” he responds rather calmly considering his eyes are still red. The mention of my mother does nothing but make me so angry. My uncle must have been around, known what my father was like. He lived in the castle for years, and yet he never helped my mother, as far as I know.

“Did you know that Tatarina was in love with my father? That all of this was for revenge and bred out of jealousy?” I demand. “Did you know how my father cheated on my mother throughout their entire relationship? Did you know how much of a fucking bastard he was because he did all that and allowed a place like this to exist?” I spit out in anger, knowing I’m mad at my father and taking it out on the only person alive that knew him well.

“I begged your mother not to marry him, and she knew from her wedding day exactly what he was, but she also knew that you were on the way. A seer told her if she didn’t marry him, if she didn’t attempt to love him, you would not exist. A queen that could save everything. My sister was too good, too kind to let the dream of you die. Dragca needed you, and she knew that. After you were born, my sister knew you needed the protection only he could give his daughter. My sister stayed with him because she loved you…even before you were born,” he solemnly replies, “and she died for you.”

“She stayed with that monster, that heartless bastard, to protect me,” I whisper back, gulping the ball of emotion stuck in my throat away and praying that I don’t cry right now. I don’t move from the shock, knowing that moving would give me the chance to break down. My uncle covers my hand, almost making me jump from the contact.

“I am not good with emotional things since I lost so much, but you still have family. We will get out of this and put you on the throne. Well, if there is anything left of Dragca when we get there,” he says. “You have a fate to finish and a war to win, Isola.”

“My people are in danger both on Dragca and here. The war she has made will destroy everything good in Dragca,” I whisper, looking around the room for a brief moment. I lock eyes on Jace’s brother, a boy I don’t even know the name of, as he eats his food with two little girls at his side. They both have white hair and look like ice dragons as well, but thankfully they don’t look like Jace or his brother one bit. I don’t know why it would be harder to cope with knowing that Jace’s mother had more children in here, but it would. “Everyone has lost a lot for the throne, for Dragca, but we still do not have peace. It has been war, secrets and a shit storm of wrong for too many years. We will get out of here, and we will build an army with what we can and go back home.”

“Yes, my queen. Luckily, there is quite an army here, if we can all get out, that is,” he suggests, nodding his head around the room. “They will follow you home. We all want a home and a queen to fight for.”

“A queen to believe in, to fight for, is something I can promise they will have when I take back my throne,” I state firmly, and he smiles, patting my hand before moving it away and resting back again.

“With more than one king at your side, it seems,” he suggests, finally bringing up the elephant in the room. I expect him to say it in disgust, but there is nothing in his voice that suggests he doesn’t like the idea of the queen having more than one king.

“Yes, there will be more than one king. Is that a problem?” I ask, following my uncle’s gaze to where Kor, Thorne and Dagan are walking over to us. They look powerful, determined, protective and every bit the men I want at my side. We have come a long way from where we met in Dragca Academy to here, yet the way each of them look at me hasn’t changed one bit. They always saw me as their queen. Theirs to protect. Just like Elias did too. Once I have Elias back, we will be complete.

“Not one bit, your highness. It seems the silly, innocent princess that stumbled in Dragca Academy is long gone,” my uncle muses, and I keep my eyes on my dragon guards, wishing that Elias was with us with every bit of my soul.

“I’m still that princess, but they have taught me how to be a queen.”

Chapter

Six

ISOLA

“Here you go,” Dagan says as he slides a tray of food on the table in front of me and sits down at my side. Kor sits next to him, and Thorne sits on my other side, pressed close to me. I can sense their protectiveness as much as their need to be close to me. I’m not complaining one bit, I want to be just as close to them. I look down at the bowl of creamy soup, the fried chicken and apple on my plate. It’s an odd breakfast, but looking at the trays Kor, Dagan and Thorne have for themselves, there wasn’t a good choice of food. Actually, it looks like they got me the best stuff. It’s super cute.

“Where is Melody?” I ask.

“We gave her food, but she didn’t want to come see you like Kor and Thorne wanted to,” Dagan answers.

“Melody is acting like we are taking a holiday rather than being captured. It is odd,” Thorne mutters. “She knows something.”

“Seers are usually wise,” my uncle states as I eat my food rather than replying. “One as powerful as a half royal ice dragon and half royal seer should be observed.” I briefly wonder how my uncle even knows of Melody, but then again, he did spend time with the seers’ army before coming here. There is no doubt Essna told him everything she knew. I hope Essna is still alive and her people are okay. I know it’s going to be a long shot if she is.

“Still, it would be useful if she told us what she knows,” Kor muses.

“The curse of any seer is knowledge, and anything they can tell you, they will. If Melody won’t tell you something, it means you are safer not knowing,” my uncle replies. We all sat in silence after my uncle’s strange statements on Melody, the whole situation feeling awkward as my uncle stares at Kor, Dagan and Thorne the entire time before he randomly speaks. “Food is served at that table every morning and at three p.m. I usually take food back to my cell for snacks, as the doors lock automatically at five. It gets tiresome,” my uncle points at the long table in the middle of the room where Dagan got the food from.

“Thanks for the tip,” Dagan replies.

“The shower rooms are through that door; the library and rec area are in that room, and the rest are cages except for that one.” I follow my uncle as he points at the doors around the room and commit them to memory. My dragons take in my uncle’s words, and all I think is “library” until I force myself to remember where we are. Though a book always makes any situation better. Even when you’re kidnapped.

“Thanks,” I reply when the guys don’t say a word and it gets beyond awkward. Uncle Louis seems to be giving them the “dad stare” I’ve seen other parents do to their kid’s new boyfriend or girlfriend in movies.

“The showers are good places to talk…alone,” my uncle suggests, meaning they don’t have cameras in there. I nod at him once, looking at Dagan who briefly glances at me with a look that suggests a shower talk later with no one around. When I see the heat in Dagan’s eyes, my cheeks go bright red with the thoughts of shower time with him.

“Do the hunters come around often?” I turn and ask my uncle. I need to talk to Hallie, and I hope she will come around here at some point, but I need to know when to look. I only need her to talk to me.

“Why?” he asks. “The hunters won’t be easy to make friends with. I only know of one who even talks to one of the dragons here.”

“I need to talk to one of them who is already my friend. A girl with green-tipped dyed hair,” I explain, and he looks at me curiously but answers anyway.

“The hunters are around from four p.m. to five p.m. to make sure we get back into our cages. They don’t like killing us for no reason,” he explains.

“Thanks for the information,” I reply with a tense smile.

“Though the hunters won’t speak to you while the cameras watch. It’s pointless,” my uncle states. “Unless you can somehow get them where the cameras don’t watch.”

“Maybe. It will be difficult, but I have to try,” I shrug.

“Can I have a moment alone with your dragon guards, Isola?” my uncle asks, and I pause, looking at them all who give me little nervous smiles.

“I don’t think it is safe for Isola to be wandering around alone,” Kor replies first.

“No one here will hurt Isola. The hunters won’t try to kill her because they clearly want her to control us all. Isola is the safest one here. You should be more concerned with them hurting you to control her,” he remarks, basically speaking my greatest fear of this place. I remember Graves’s cold eyes and how the human felt like he would do anything to control this place.

“As long as they don’t touch my Isola, it doesn’t matter,” Thorne replies, and a low growl escapes Dagan’s lips when Thorne says “my Isola”. I place my hand on Dagan’s knee, and it seems to calm him a little.

“Young love. I forgot how much I despise it,” my uncle scowls at Thorne’s answer and looks back at me, waiting for my choice. Dagan nods at me, making it clear he is back in control and okay with me leaving.

“I have someone I want to speak to anyway,” I say, standing up as the guys give me a worried expression. From the look on my uncle’s face, I wouldn’t want to be them either. I hold in my smirk as I walk away from them, hoping my uncle doesn’t scare them too much.

Making my way over to Jace’s brother, I know I need to speak to him for Jace’s memory, let alone anyone else’s. I won’t leave here without any of them, but this kid is different. Jace was my first love, my best friend and family to me. I thought I’d lost every part of him when he died, and I never thought I would be lucky enough to have some part of him in this world. This is Jace’s brother, and I will protect him. The boy looks up at me as I get to his table. He is alone now, his friends are playing and running around behind him.

“You again,” the boy drawls nervously, looking up at me with eyes just like Jace’s. My heart hurts as I stare down at him and pause, speechless, for a moment.

“May I sit here?” I ask.

“Sure,” he says cautiously, and I try to ignore how it’s not fair a child his age is so cautious and has so much fear in his young eyes.

“I won’t hurt you. You don’t need to look at me like that,” I tell him, wanting to comfort him and shut the boy away from the world he is in.

“They said that too, and they hurt me,” he replies, and I try not to show the heartbreaking emotion I feel at his words and instead remind myself that the people here will pay for what they have done.

“I am not them. We are not heartless humans like them, we are dragons,” I growl and regret it when he seems more scared. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m Isola.” I hold out my hand, and he stares at it for a while. I’m about to put my hand down when he reaches for my hand and shakes it.

“The people here called me number forty-two, but a friend of my mother told me she called me Jonas when I was in her tummy. You can choose,” he shrugs. I pause for a second before I answer, wondering why they would call him forty-two, but it dawns on me that Graves said the others didn’t survive. I bet he was number forty-two of the experiments. Forty-two dead dragon children before him. When I get my dragon free, Graves is going to pay for all of this. All the hunters are.

“You are not a number, and your name is Jonas LaDrac. Remember it. I knew your brother very well, and he told me stories about your parents. You are the only one of their line left. Wear that name proudly,” I tell him firmly before letting his hand go. It hurts to even say Jace’s last name after such a long time, but it’s important he knows it. Jonas stares at me like I’m crazy for a few moments before he speaks.

“My father is still alive, but they don’t keep him in here because he is a witch,” he tells me, shrugging his shoulders. “So, I can only see him on Fridays, but he doesn’t like to talk to me.”

“You’re a half witch?” I whisper, believing my uncle more now than before because the child seems too confused by my expression to be lying to me. I sit back in my chair, rubbing my face as Jonas nods his head. I look around me at the other children here and wonder if they are mixes of these other supernaturals and our kind. If they are, how dangerous could they be, and how will they ever know what world they belong in? I know that it’s impossible to know all these answers right now, and I guess it’s a problem for the future. If we have one, that is.

“I had a brother?” Jonas asks me, and I take a shaky breath as I try to speak about Jace.

“Yes. His name was Jace. I was going to be mated to him. We grew up together, and we were dating before he was killed,” I explain to him.

“Will you tell me about him? About my mother?” he asks, and I nod.

“I’d love to. It’s hard being the only one keeping his memory alive,” I whisper, more to myself than Jonas before starting to explain everything I can to Jace’s little brother, knowing it somehow helps to keep Jace’s memory alive.

Chapter

Seven

THORNE

Ilean back in my seat, taking my eyes off Isola’s uncle—Louis—to watch Isola walk over to a table where a young, familiar-looking boy is sat down. He looks at Isola with slight fear, and yet some part of him clearly trusts her, as he doesn’t walk away when she sits down. Though Isola isn’t easy to say no to. She has that quality every leader needs—respect. It doesn’t take me long to remember why he looks familiar to me. The boy looks like Jacian, Isola’s first love and the guy whose body I burnt because she asked me to when we first met.

With the amount of ice dragons here, even if all of them look like teenagers or children, something weird is going on. There are at least four fire dragons here, by the looks of it, and mostly men. If we can get them on our side, maybe we could have a chance of getting Elias back and stopping my mother. I think back to the last time I saw my mum, how she looked nothing like the mother I grew up visiting. That dark spirit has changed her too much, taken her soul and corrupted it further than what Isola’s father did once.

“Do you love her? Love her enough to die for her even if she wouldn’t want it?” her uncle suddenly asks us all, drawing my attention back to him. Isola’s uncle looks nothing like Isola at all, and his time on Earth hasn’t changed that. His dark red hair has grown much longer—and greyer—than when I saw him last. His burning red eyes lock onto me, and I know from the anger in them, he hasn’t forgotten how I betrayed Isola and his trust all that time ago.

“Yes,” Dagan, Korbin and I state confidently at the same time. Dagan takes a moment to glare at me before sighing loudly.

“We have all proven how much Isola means to us. She is Thorne’s mate, and soon to be mine,” Dagan tells him.

“Mine as well,” Korbin smoothly adds in. Part of me and my dragon want to tell them to fuck off, and my dragon briefly takes over in my mind, feeling possessive. I glance over at Isola again, staring at her long blonde hair which is somehow in perfect waves, the pale soft skin that glimmers in the bright lights of the room, and her slender body that I wish I could hold in my arms. I know I am not strong enough to protect her alone and love her as much as she needs. I know that she needs Korbin and Dagan in her life to be safe, to be complete and happy. She needs Elias too. There is something about how each of them seems to bring out a different side to her that is always content. Dagan makes her strong, Korbin makes her empathic, and Elias makes her a fighter. I don’t know what I make her, but she seems to want me in her life as much as I need her in mine.

“Your mother is on a war path, and I know she will destroy Dragca, and then she will come here,” Louis states, and I nod once at him, leaning back in my seat. “Either way, there will soon be nowhere to hide Isola that she won’t find.”

“I am aware of my mother’s plans,” I reply.

“If you love Isola, you will make a plan. When we escape here, which we will, you need to go to Dragca alone and face your mother,” Louis states.

“Why do you think I could stop her?” I ask, remembering the way my mother looked at me the last time I saw her.

“She loves you, and she will not kill you straight away. Dagan and Korbin, with my help, will make a distraction, and you must go back alone,” he explains. “You’re her son, and there is a reason you are still alive.”

“Tatarina will kill him,” Dagan practically growls, and I give him a surprised look at his protectiveness. He shrugs at me with a small smirk. “You mean a lot to Isola. If we helped you walk into your death, she would hate us. You might be an asshole, but you’re family now.” I suppose his logic makes sense, in a messed up way, and Korbin nods his agreement.

“Getting the closest people to Isola killed is not a good idea. Isola has lost enough, and any more…there won’t be a queen left for the throne. Just a broken woman,” Korbin retorts while I stay quiet.

“You all just told me you love her enough to die for her. Even if she wouldn’t want it,” Louis states. “Sometimes we have to make the hardest choices for the people we love.”

“There are hard choices, and there is sending her mate to his death bed,” Dagan replies, but Louis ignores him to look over at me.

“Isola needs you to kill your mother and give her the throne in the ashes. I know my niece’s plan is to escape here and go to save Elias. Tatarina wants exactly that, and it will get Isola killed,” he says. “At this point, it is your life or hers.”

“I will do it,” I say, ignoring Dagan and Korbin’s instant disagreement as I look at Isola as I speak. “Elias being taken was my mother’s only way of getting Isola to come back and fight her. I stand a chance…Isola does not, and I love her too much to risk it. If I die, don’t let Isola ever come back to Dragca, and keep her safe here.”

“I can’t do this to her,” Kor disagrees.

“Then you don’t love her as much as I thought you did, boy,” Louis snaps. “Did you think being in love with a royal was going to be easy? I do not want my only family to die for nothing! Tatarina has destroyed everything that means anything to me, and she will not stop until Isola is dead. I will not let her be killed for simply being my sister and the king’s daughter. I won’t let her be killed because of jealousy.”

“I didn’t know you care so deeply for Isola,” Dagan replies, leaning back in his seat, taking in Louis.

“I’ve always cared for Isola. I loved my sister and watched as her whole world lighted up because of Isola, her sweet little girl,” he replies. “I watched in secret as that child turned into a lost princess of a world she didn’t understand or want to be part of. Then the woman that walked into here today was every bit the queen her mother was. If Isola falls, so does Dragca. So, make your choice. Love…or her life,” Louis tells us before getting up and walking away as we all sit silently processing his words.

“Your mind is already made up, isn’t it?” Korbin asks me, leaning forward, and I glance towards him.

“She is my mate and my everything. If there is even a slight chance I can save her, isn’t that worth risking it all?” I ask, my mind made up. I owe Isola, and I know Louis is right. If I don’t stop my mother, no one can.

“We will help you leave, even if it costs us everything. Isola must live, because I know none of us can live without her,” Korbin replies, and Dagan still sits silently, clearly thinking it over.

“I don’t know. When the time comes, I will make my choice. If I can see another way to save Isola, my brother and you, I will take it,” he states.

“We should explore and talk to the dragons here. We need alliances,” Korbin interjects when none of us say a word. “And one of us is staying in the cage with Isola tonight. The collars say we need to be in a cage, not which one.”

“Good plan…but it might get one of us killed if the collars shock us for not being in the right cage,” I reply.

“It’s a possibility…that’s why I’m thinking you should take the first night,” Korbin says with a deep laugh as he gets up, and Dagan chuckles too. Maybe being killed might come sooner than I thought.

Chapter

Eight

ISOLA

“Isola,” Dagan says from just behind me as I laugh with Jonas. It’s taken a few funny stories of Jace to make him lighten up a little. I want to get him out of this place so much and let him have a real childhood. Jonas doesn’t even talk or act like a child, and it’s so sad he has to feel that he can’t be free. I hate that he was born in here, and when I get this damn collar off, I’m freezing the entire place and having my dragon guard burn the rest. They say we are the monsters they need to keep in here, but really, they are the monsters who cannot see themselves as what they truly are. Evil.

I look up to see Dagan smiling down at me, before introducing himself to Jonas. At least my uncle didn’t scare or hurt him. I remind myself to ask what they talked about later when we are alone. I look around the room quickly, spotting Thorne and Korbin together, talking with a group of five fire dragon men who seem entranced by whatever they are saying.

“I’m Dagan Fire. Anyone who makes my Isola laugh is my friend,” he says, and Jonas shyly smiles at him before reaching to shake his hand.

“Jonas LaDrac,” Jonas says, making me smile widely at the use of his name. “It is nice to meet you.”

“A LaDrac, huh? I heard your family were known as some of the fiercest ice dragon warriors Dragca has ever seen,” Dagan tells him, and it is true. The LaDrac fought alongside the Dragices in the ancient wars of Dragca. Our families were always close to each other, always fighting at each other’s sides.

“Really?” he asks in wonder, looking eager to learn more about his family history.

“Yes, really. I have to borrow Isola for a little while, but I will come to find you another day to tell you what I know,” Dagan promises, making Jonas’s whole face light up.

“I’d like that,” he replies and turns to me. “Are you going to talk to me again? Please?” he asks. I slide out of my seat, walking around the table and crouching down right in front of him, lowering my voice so only he and Dagan can hear me.

“I will be here every day to see you, and one of these days, I am going to free us all. I need you to be brave and be ready,” I tell him. “You need to be a strong boy for just a little longer like your brother and mother.”

“I can do that,” he replies with a nod of his head. “I promise.”

“Good,” I grin at Jonas before pulling him into a hug I know he doesn’t expect. He doesn’t push me away like I somewhat expected him to, but instead he wraps his arms around my neck. I eventually pull away, standing up and stepping into Dagan’s arms. He squeezes me gently before letting me go to lead me around the table.

“I thought we should look around. Korbin and Thorne are introducing themselves to the dragons here, so we have time to explore,” Dagan says, kissing the side of my head in a comforting way.

“Good plan. What did my uncle say?” I ask. I’m surprised to see Dagan seeming so calm after a talk with my uncle. I thought my uncle would drill into them all about how they will be kings once I take the throne and the important responsibilities they will bear. I know Thorne will be a good king because he has so much knowledge of Dragca. Dagan and Korbin might not know as much, but they have good hearts, experience of both the good and bad in people, and that gives them good judgement.

“Nothing more than you’d expect an overprotective uncle to say,” he replies, amused at my slightly confused grin back.

“I never knew he cared,” I reply, keeping my eyes on the seductive way Dagan rolls his lip ring between his lips and how tempting it is.

“None of us did, but for what it is worth, you have an uncle that cares deeply for you,” he tells me, leading me through the tables but holding me close. I meet the eyes of a few of the dragons as we walk past their tables, and each one of them bows their head in respect. I don’t expect them to bow, but it is good to know I have their support, even in a place like this. It makes me sure that I might have some chance of an army when we get out of here.

Going back to Dragca alone isn’t the best idea, but nothing will stop me from going back to Elias. Everyday I’m here, is another day Elias is with her, and I know we can’t stay here long in this collar because Elias will suffer for it. My dark dragon has always been lost in darkness, and he never wanted to be saved. I know he needs me to save him now. I don’t answer Dagan, I just lean my head on his shoulder as we get to the door my uncle said was the library and rec rooms, and Dagan opens it. I walk into the big room, which has three bookcases, sofas and some cabinets lying around.

“Why don’t we look through the books, so you have something to read tonight?” Dagan asks, and I smile up at him.

“We could pretend this is a date, and you, being all romantic, chose a library,” I say, and we both laugh.

“So, Isola, my soon-to-be mate, would you come on this date with me?” he asks, and I giggle out a “yes”. Dagan keeps his arm tightly around my waist as we walk to the bookcase. There are two other dragons in the room, two women with dark red hair, and their faces are locked into the books they are reading. They don’t even look our way. I move away from Dagan when we get to the bookcase and start looking through the books as he folds his arms and rests against the bookcase end, watching me. A lot of the books are history, geography and non-fiction, but when I get to the end near Dagan, I find the romance section. I pick up a book about a girl who gets sold at an auction to vampires. This sounds awesome. Dagan takes my hand and leads me to a sofa, sitting down first, and I sit next to him, resting on his shoulder as he wraps his arms around me. I start reading, engrossed in the story after page one.

“I love the way your eyes light up when you read. The way you seem to automatically relax with a book in your hands,” he whispers, putting his head next to my ear and kissing the tip.

“I like pretending I’m in another world sometimes. That I don’t have tons of pressure on my shoulders.”

“As long as you come back to me when the book is done, I’m happy,” Dagan whispers just for my ears, and I relax into his arms, letting him hold me tight as I drift off into the world this writer created.

Chapter

Nine

ISOLA

“Hello?” I shout into the room of dark smoke. The smoke swirls around my feet, and when I hold out my hand, it twirls around my hand in an almost beautiful way. I turn around slowly, looking for anything in the room other than smoke, and wondering how exactly I got here. I was just with Dagan, reading a book…right? I pause when I see something in the corner of the room, then I walk towards it, the smoke moving out of the way for me with every step. I stop right in front of a man I would recognise anywhere, his dark hair covering his face as he looks at the ground. His hands are wrapped around his knees, and he doesn’t move as I kneel down.

“Eli?” I whisper, reaching to touch his hand. Just as I’m about to touch him, his hand shoots out, roughly grabbing my wrist. Elias slowly lifts his head, and instead of his dark blue eyes I expect to see, there is nothing but darkness in his gaze as he stares at me.

“GUYS, it’s nearly four p.m., and the hunters are coming out to make sure everyone is back in their cages. We should all get back,” Korbin suggests in a quiet voice, but it still makes me jump because of the strange nightmare as I wake up on Dagan’s lap on the sofa, my book in my hands. Was that Elias or just a dream? Dagan kisses my forehead, making me push the strange dream away and wake up more. I stretch as I get up, wondering when I fell asleep in the first place. My heart hurts as I remember how much I miss Elias and how worried I am. That Elias in my dreams couldn’t have been my Eli, not with the way he looked at me. I must have been more tired than I thought. The drugs have probably worn me out and somehow made me have very realistic and scary dreams.

“Everyone back to your rooms. The boss wants an early night today,” a male voice shouts from behind us, and I look back to see two hunters come into the room, holding guns directed at the door to further their point. The hunters look around our age, but they don’t give us eye contact, instead looking around us like trained soldiers. Dagan and Kor stay close by my side as we walk to the door and go out where there are hunters in black uniforms walking dragons back to their cages. I briefly catch Jonas’s eyes, and he smiles at me before disappearing into the door where his room is.

“We will get him out,” Korbin whispers to me, and I smile at him, reaching over to grab his hand, and he links his fingers in mine, squeezing once. I search through all the hunters, looking for Hallie and not seeing her, which is damn annoying. It’s likely Graves will keep her away from me anyway, being that she is his daughter and he has been telling her a bunch of lies. I have to tell her the truth. We get to the door to the corridor of cages we have been given, and I look back once more, hoping to see her and feeling more annoyed that I don’t. Korbin tugs my hand, pulling me into the corridor after Dagan. We both look back as a hunter reaches in and shuts the door behind us, and we hear it being locked not long after.

“Thorne is staying in your cage tonight,” Korbin tells me, stepping in front of me and pushing some of my hair behind my ear. “You shouldn’t be alone, doll.”

“Is it safe to do that?” I ask, reaching a hand up and stroking his long fringe out of his eyes. Korbin needs a haircut, but it is kind of sexy like this. He grins at me, leaning down and briefly kissing my lips in a teasing way before stepping back. Dagan comes closer and answers my question when Korbin hasn’t said anything.

“We think it is safe,” Dagan shrugs, not really filling me with optimism as he leans down, kissing me on the lips gently before walking into his cage. Kor runs his finger across my bottom lip before letting me go and walking back to his own cell. I look over at Thorne, who watches me with a small tilt of his lips as he leans against the cage door.

“Are you sure you want to risk staying in the same cage with me?”

“I asked around, and it is perfectly safe to share cages. Everyone does it in here,” Thorne answers. “Besides, it is worth the risk.” I laugh and look down the row of cages to where Melody’s is still open, and the others are closed. Kor and Dagan are both eating snacks on the mattresses that are now in their cages, while I can’t see my sister from here. I sigh, knowing I should speak to her before going in the cage. We have time.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell Thorne, who is still leaning against the door to the cage, and he nods once.

“Don’t be long,” he lightly warns, referring to the warning we had about being in the cages by five p.m.

“I won’t be. Just a quick chat,” I reply, and quickly jog down the cages to my sister’s. Melody is sat on the edge of the mattress someone has thrown into here. By the looks of it, all the cages have a mattress, thin white sheets and one pillow in each. Melody looks up, sensing me staring at her, and she sadly smiles.

“You want to know if I can see his future? Eli’s?” she asks, knowing what I’m going to ask before I say it. “You want to know if your dream is real?”

“Yes. Is he going to be okay?” I ask, getting straight to the point it seems. “I also wanted to check that you are alright,” I tell her. She looks up at me, and I focus on the black swirls on her face that match her dark hair. I try not to stare at her blue eyes for too long. They aren’t exactly like my fathers, but they are very similar.

“I won’t tell you those answers, but I will explain this. Elias knew his future…he knew he had to be caught by Tatarina to make sure you live. That Dragca has a future,” she tells me, her voice lacking any emotion until it cracks at the end when she sees the betrayal and heartache on my face. I don’t move, don’t think for a few moments as shock rips through me. Elias let himself be captured by her? Why would he do that?

“What?” I whisper, stepping into the cage a little further, as the need to know more overpowers my anger at my sister for keeping this from me.

“I saw something. Something both bad and good,” she starts off, not looking at me as she speaks. “If Elias came to Earth with you and the others, we would never return. Isola, we would all grow old here on Earth. We would be happy. But then you would have a child, and that is where the happiness ends.”

“I don’t understand, why would a child end our happiness?” I ask. I understand that future in a way. As much as I love Dragca and want to save my throne, if I had a chance for a long and happy life on Earth without losing anyone, I don’t know if I could walk away from that. Even if it did make me a coward instead of a queen.

“The deal with the fate you made said you had to bring that child back to Dragca when she was older. To the memory cave. When you stepped back into Dragca, nothing but death waited for you, your dragons, me…and your child. No one would live…” she all but whispers, the vision clearly still horrifying her.

“So, he let himself be caught to make sure I would go back? To make sure any child we could have had a future?” I figure out and ask her. I need to hear her say it.

“Yes,” she replies.

“The self-sacrificing asshole! That was not his choice!” I shout at her, feeling frustrated. “He could die in her hands, and how would anyone be happy because of that?”

“It was his choice! Now we all have a chance of winning this war,” she replies. “That was Elias’s choice, that is why I told him.”

“Tatarina will kill him because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut!” I shout. “I love him, and she will destroy him!” I look away from her to the cages next to us where Dagan and Kor are stood, listening in with faces of stone that I can’t understand right now. They look a little shocked though, and it’s enough to let me know they didn’t know about this.

“Eli knew there was a chance she would kill him…or do worse. You are lucky to have someone love you that much, Isola. Now, go back to your cage and wait,” Melody says, clearly done with the conversation. When did she get so heartless?

“Wait for what Melody?” I spit out. “More secrets and lies? Is there anything else you want to admit to, sister?”

“Isola—”

“You are so much more of our father than I thought! He loved secrets, lies and being a heartless bastard!” I spit out, growling low. I don’t know if it’s more my dragon’s anger or mine, but I struggle to keep in control.

“I love you, Isola, but I also love Dragca. I want a good future for us all, so I am not like our father despite what you think. I know this isn’t easy, and I know what Eli means to you. I wouldn’t have told him anything if there were another way,” she says, clearly hurt by my words, but I won’t take them back. My sister reminds me of him right now.

“You best be right about this so called chance at a future. If Elias dies for nothing because of what you told him, I will never forgive you,” I state, my voice cold before I walk out of the cage, not able to look back at her. I catch Dagan’s and Kor’s eyes from their cages and shake my head at them as they look close to saying something. I don’t want to talk about it. I walk to my cage, and Thorne understands from one look, which makes me love him even more. Thorne simply holds the door open for me, wordlessly. I walk to the mattress, pulling the rough feeling sheet around me and lie down, curling up into a ball and closing my eyes. Even if I don’t sleep, I don’t want to see anything. I feel Thorne slide onto the mattress behind me and wrap an arm around my waist. We are both silent for a long time, just hearing his deep breathing and feeling his warm breath moving the hair on the top of my head. The simple comfort calms me down after a while, but it still feels too raw to talk.

How many more people do I need to lose before this is all over? I whisper to Thorne in my mind, never opening my eyes because I don’t want to let the tears fall.

I wish I knew what to tell you. I won’t lie to you and say no one else will be lost, but I know you’re strong enough to fight until the end. You’re Isola Dragice, my beautiful strong mate who is fated to be the best queen Dragca has ever had, he replies, kissing the back of my head. Fate be damned. I won’t lose anyone else to this goddamn war for Dragca.

Chapter

Ten

ISOLA

Ipush my head further into Thorne’s shoulder, and he squeezes my hip where his hand is resting.

“How long have you been awake?” I ask him, and he smiles, rolling me over on the bed and leaning over me. “Not long. I just didn’t want to wake you. Are you feeling any better?”

“Sort of, but I’m still angry at her,” I whisper, leaning a hand up to trace my finger down his cheek, feeling the rough hairs that are growing out. Thorne’s blue eyes stare down at me with more longing than I’ve ever seen him look at me before, and I quite like it.

“You know, you haven’t kissed me. Like really kissed me,” I whisper, moving my finger from his cheek to his soft lips. Thorne smirks as he kisses the tip of my finger.

“Like this?” he asks, reaching a hand behind my neck as I lower my hand to his shoulder, and he pulls me into a scorching kiss. I moan as the kisses become deeper, and his tongue battles with my own. I gasp as he pulls away, leaning up and kissing my forehead as he catches his breath.

“You taste like forbidden fruit, and if we don’t stop, there won’t be anything keeping me from devouring you,” he tells me, his words followed by a light growl that sends pleasurable shivers down me. I almost grumble out loud as Thorne climbs out of the bed and stretches. “You might want to wake Dagan up. The doors will open soon, I bet.”

“Yeah—I mean, yes. Good idea,” I stumble over my words which only seems to amuse him. I climb out of the bed and stretch out my sore muscles from the hard mattress before walking over to the other side of the cage.

“Morning,” I say, reaching through the bars to gently touch Dagan’s shoulder to wake him up. He rolls over on the mattress, smiling up at me before stretching his muscular arms above his head.

“I wish I could just grab you and pull you into bed with me,” he teases, and I laugh as he sits up. The doors automatically open the way they did yesterday, and Thorne comes over to me.

“I think we should take turns showering,” Thorne suggests, and I sniff my shirt, knowing I smell, so Thorne has a point. At least he said it nicely. I look to the door as Kor and Melody walk past, and Kor comes into the cage while Melody stands just outside, looking awkward, with her arms crossed.

“I want to go and talk to someone,” she explains. “I need to talk to someone here today because we are running out of time.”

“Kor, could you go with her? I don’t want any of us to be alone in this place,” I say, and Melody’s face lights up.

“You don’t hate me?”

“Elias is still alive, so no, I don’t hate you. I was shocked last night, and I’m still upset, but as long as Eli lives…we can get past this. You are not like our father. I am sorry for saying that,” I reply, looking away from the hurt and understanding on my sister’s face and to Kor, who smiles, looking more awkward than the room is suddenly feeling.

“Of course, I will watch your sister,” he answers and walks to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing me against him. “Though you’re sleeping in my bed—well, mattress—tonight. Have some relaxing time with Dagan and Thorne, doll.”

“Thank you, and I would love that,” I reply, leaning up and teasingly brushing my lips against his. “Can’t wait for tonight.”

“You’re going to be the end of me, doll,” he replies with a smirk before letting me go and walking out of the cage with Melody not far behind him, smiling back at me, but I can’t make myself smile back quite yet.

“Come on, we might as well go to the showers early, unless you want to get food first?” Dagan asks, and I think back to the bad, almost stale, food that was served yesterday morning and decide my stomach can wait.

“No. A shower sounds much better right now,” I admit, walking to the door. Thorne links his fingers with mine, and Dagan walks ahead of us in a protective manner as we leave. The other dragons in the room briefly pause to bow their heads when they see us, before going back to their food, their eyes still watching us closely. I see Jonas across the room, sitting with Melody, my uncle and Kor. He lifts his hand and waves at me, which I return with my own little wave. I will remember to ask Melody later about why she needed to talk to a child. Melody didn’t even know Jace.

We follow Dagan across the room to the doors with a shower sign on them. There are three doors, giving me hope that we might get a shower room alone. Dagan opens the door on the far right, and we go into the pretty, empty cave room. I was expecting white tiled rooms with shower curtains blocking the sections off like you see in the movies, but this is nothing like that. If anything, it looks like a rich person’s bathroom from those TV shows where they buy expensive houses. Jules always watched those shows, and I ended up just as addicted to watching humans buy homes. I shake my head from the memories and look around.

The walls are all smooth rocks. Drilled into the walls are four shower heads with faucet handles underneath them. There is a wall in the middle of the room made of more rock, with more shower heads in them. There are drains on the floors where the water clearly goes into, piles of white towels, and a basket for them by the door. The lights are dim in here, little spotlights in the ceiling. I reach for my collar on instinct and know from the lack of cameras in here that the collars must have sensors in them to make sure we don’t use magic. I bet I could freeze the collar off otherwise, or one of the guys could burn it into nothing. I look back as Thorne shuts the door.

“We can’t shower in here, what if someone comes in?” I ask them both as Dagan smirks at me while he starts to pull his shirt off. I have to close my gaping mouth as I trace my eyes over his six pack and the V-dip into his trousers that he starts taking off too.

“Thorne is going to stand in front of the door and make sure no one comes in. Aren’t you?” Dagan asks, his alpha demand sending shivers through me as he finishes taking off his clothes. Dragons have no problem with nudity…and at this moment, with the view, I like it. I look up at Thorne who doesn’t hesitate as he bows his head in agreement and takes up his stance in front of the door, crossing his arms.

“You can undress now, Isola,” Dagan suggests, and I widen my eyes at him as he stands completely naked, proud, with an amused grin on his lips. I don’t know whether to chuckle or be nervous with this version of Dagan, but I do smile. Dagan turns around, slowly walking to the shower heads, and my eyes drift down his muscular back to his tight ass.

“I won’t look if you don’t want me to, Issy,” Thorne quietly says behind me, and I look back at him, clearly seeing the desire for me in his eyes. Thorne is my mate…and I don’t want to hide from him. Not now. Not ever. This moment between us all is important, and I know that. It’s building trust…which is something Thorne desperately needs to gain with Dagan, Korbin and Elias. I never thought I’d find myself comfortable enough to even think about being naked with two guys…but right now I can’t think of anything I want more.

“No. Watch,” I find myself whispering, knowing I want Thorne to see all of me. He is my mate, even if we haven’t taken that final step yet to being complete. He smiles at me as I shakily pull my shirt off and unclasp my bra, watching how his eyes burn with desire, and his dragon briefly makes them flash silver. I turn around as I take my boots off, and then slowly push my leggings and panties down and step out of them. I look back at Thorne as I walk across the cold stone floor to Dagan and to the showers that are now on; desire floods through me at just the look on his face. Pure longing. When I look back to Dagan, there is a similar expression on his face as he stands under the steamy water. It drips over his wet hair, down his lickable chest that I just want to run my hands all over.

“Come here, princess,” Dagan suggests, rolling his lip ring between his lips in a seductive way that makes my own lips part. My legs are moving towards him at his suggestion before my mind has even caught up. My dragon is practically purring in happiness in my mind. I nearly get to Dagan when I trip on a stone, managing to stop myself falling but crying out a little in pain. Thorne and Dagan run to me as I turn around and lean down. I pick up the smooth white stone that is out of place in this room, and really shouldn’t be here.

“My mating stone,” I say in awe, wondering how the hell it got here. When I meet Thorne’s eyes, I’m pretty sure we are thinking the same thing. Fate playing games, I presume.

“What is it doing here? I didn’t know they could literally appear anywhere,” Thorne asks as I show it to Dagan, who steps up right behind me. I flash Thorne a worried look, wondering if anyone could just walk in now. “I’ve blocked the door for now, using the lock…which I’m surprised we didn’t see at first.”

“Thanks, and no clue,” I shrug. “The fate had it the last time we used it, so she must have put it here for us.” I suddenly become quite aware I’m completely naked, and so is Dagan, when Dagan presses his naked—and hard in some places—body against my back. I shiver from the contact and try to remember to focus when I realize Dagan is talking to me.

“Mate with me. Thorne can say the words, and we can cut our hands with the edge of the stone like they used to do before they realized daggers were easier. This is a gift from fate, and I don’t want to wait for some magical, perfect-planned moment when none of us knows if we are even promised tomorrow. Mate with me, be mine,” Dagan says, turning my head to make me look at him. I press my lips to his for his answer, and he grins against them before I pull back. I look up at his blue eyes as I whisper.

“Yes.”

Chapter

Eleven

ISOLA

“Ididn’t expect to be mating with anyone naked in a shower room, with my other mate doing the blessing,” I say nervously as Dagan steps in front of me and takes my hands in his. When I was a little girl, I always planned a big mating ceremony…wearing a big dress and all of Dragca watching. I also imagined it would be with Jace, and I would be queen, and that my father would be the one saying the words as he gave his daughter away. Now…I couldn’t think of anything worse. I don’t want the dress or the blessing from a father who I can’t even stand the thought of. This feels private and perfect in the oddest way. I only wish Korbin and Elias were here with us, but I have this feeling it should just be us for now. Korbin and Elias will be my mates at some point, there is no way that isn’t happening…but right now Dagan is right. Fate left this here for us…and the crazy old lady might be suggesting we take this time for ourselves. Who knows what will happen tomorrow or the day after. The future isn’t promised to us.

“Our ancestors always used to be naked at matings. It was tradition until the last hundred years or so,” Thorne reminds me, grinning at us as Dagan and I laugh.

“At least we are being traditional in one sense,” I reply as he holds the stone out, and his expression goes much more serious as the room fills with a nervous tension. Thorne winks at me before nodding to Dagan, who starts off the ancient words of the ceremony.

“Link to the heart, link to the soul. I pledge my heart to you, for you, for all the time I have left. My dragon is yours, my love is yours, and everything I am, belongs with you,” he says, and the mating stone glows brightly as I repeat the words, my voice catching in my throat with joy. Another blessed mating. This was always our fate.

Dagan was always meant to be mine, my dragon whispers in contentment, and I couldn’t agree with her more.

“Hold out your hands,” Thorne asks, and we both do, holding them next to each other. Thorne cuts my palm first with the sharp end of the stone, in the opposite direction of the scar on my hand from Thorne’s and my mating. I flinch from the pain but keep my eyes on Dagan, being strong. Dagan doesn’t even flinch as Thorne cuts his hand.

“Light and dark, good and evil, and everything that makes us dragons, please bless this mating. We bless you,” Thorne speaks the ancient words, and at the end, Dagan and I hold our hands together. A blast of white light blasts out from our hands, blinding me until I have to look away, but I don’t let go of Dagan.

My mate, Dagan whispers into my mind as the light from the stone fades away. Hearing his gravelly sounding voice in my mind is perfect.

“I will leave you—” Thorne starts to say, but Dagan reaches over, placing a hand on Thorne’s shoulder and cutting off his sentence.

“No. Watch me take my mate, learn your place in your new family, and then if Isola wishes, you could join in,” Dagan demands, his voice is almost a growl, and it sends shivers of desire through me. My heart beats loudly in my chest, my lips feel dry, but I couldn’t be more excited or happy right now. I always wondered if Dagan, Kor and Elias could truly accept Thorne into their group like they did me. There always has to be a ranking with dragons, like a pack of wolves. Dagan has always been the alpha, and Korbin comes across as his beta, in a way. Elias was always the defender of the pack, the one who was uncontrollable but loyal. I l slowly became part of their pack, a link between them all. I don’t know my place exactly, but I know wherever they are is where I belong. Thorne didn’t have a place until this moment, and I am interested to see how he reacts to Dagan making sure he knows who is in charge.

“Isola is the one in charge here. It is her choice,” Thorne contests, surprising me.

“True,” Dagan replies, looking pleased at Thorne’s answer. “We are nothing without Isola…and she will always be the one we follow. I’m glad you know it.” Thorne pats Dagan’s hand on his shoulder, and I feel like it was a test for Thorne in some macho man way. I pull my eyes away from Dagan to Thorne and beam up at him.

“Stay and watch, please, Thorne. Don’t leave,” I ask him, and he steps back a few times, leaning against the wall in the middle of the showers and nods once. I feel like he needs to be here, he needs to be okay with sharing every part of me for this work. Dagan pulls me into his arms before I can even blink or look back to him, his lips finding mine only a moment later. I moan into his mouth as he picks me up, his rough hands gripping my ass tightly as he walks back under the hot shower water and presses me against the cold stone.

“My mate,” he growls against my neck as he slowly kisses his way down to my chest. I’m not sure who is in charge, Dagan or his dragon, but I don’t care one bit. Dagan’s tongue circles around my nipple just as his right hand slides between my legs, pressing down on my clit and rubbing. I moan loudly as Dagan gets me right to the edge and stops, leaving me breathless as he lines us up and looks into my eyes as he slides deep inside of me. I gasp as he fills me completely, utterly and perfectly. Dagan’s eyes burn red as he slams his lips onto mine, as he starts thrusting until I can’t think of anything but him.

“I love you so much, Isola,” he whispers into my ear, before gently biting down on my neck as he thrusts into me harder. I meet Thorne’s silver glowing eyes over Dagan’s shoulder, the sight of him watching us turning me on even more. I moan loudly as I come around Dagan, and a few thrusts later, Dagan finishes, groaning my name like a prayer. A warm feeling spreads all over my body, flittering around me until I have to open my eyes as it disappears. I can feel and sense Dagan like he is part of me.

“Mating is more amazing than I thought,” Dagan whispers, pulling out of me and gently easing me to the floor. The hot water pours down us as I stare up at him in happiness. Dagan kisses me before pushing my wet hair behind my ear and whispering as I lock eyes with Thorne who remains still as he watches us.

“Go and claim your other mate. I will be right outside the door just in case the hunters are getting suspicious.” I stay still as Dagan walks away from us, towel drying himself before pulling his clothes on. I wait to say or do something until Dagan opens the door and walks out. The sound of the door shutting seems to shake me into stepping forward. I walk over to Thorne, stopping right in front of him.

“If I move, my dragon will take his mate,” Thorne warns as I place my hand on his cheek. “I don’t have much control left, Issy.”

“Then don’t move,” I whisper, feeling more confident than ever about who and what I want. Life is short, life is precious, and I’m tired of not taking the leap I want. I slowly slide my hands down Thorne’s chest, down his flat stomach to his trousers. I undo the button, before pushing them down and taking his long, hard length into my hand. Thorne groans as I stroke him before falling to my knees and not pausing or teasing as I take all of him into my mouth, stopping just before I choke.

“Fuckkk,” Thorne groans as I bob my head up and down, sucking and rolling my tongue around his length. Thorne suddenly pulls me away from him, laying me down on the ground with one smooth movement and lying on top of me. I kiss him harshly as he thrusts inside me, holding himself deep as he breaks the kiss.

“You and me. Nothing comes between us now,” I tell him. His silver eyes burn as he slowly moves, drawing each movement out until I feel like I might lose my mind with him deep inside of me.

“I’m yours. You are mine. I love you more than anything in any world, Issy.” He makes each statement between slow thrusts, making me moan out of control before he deeply kisses me. Thorne reaches between my legs with his thumb, only needing to rub me a few times before I release once again, and he shouts out my name as he finishes with me. The same warm feeling spreads over me, completing our mating, and Thorne holds me close the entire time, making me feel more content and complete than I have ever felt before.

Chapter

Twelve

ISOLA

Irun my fingers through my damp hair after pulling my clothes on, trying to get the knots out and failing as it is a mess. We found some soap, but no shampoo, so trying to clean my hair with that wasn’t good. I give up and put my damp towel in the washing basket.

“Here, I found a comb,” Thorne says from behind me, and I look over my shoulder to see him walking to me with a blue comb in his hand. He pauses right next to me, placing his hand on my arm to stop me turning around to face him. “Can I brush your hair?”

“Sure,” I whisper back. Even with the shower still pouring in the background, my voice sounds loud. We couldn’t figure out how to turn the showers off and concluded that it might be an automatic shut off. Thorne gently combs my hair; the repeating motion is soothing, and I resist the urge to lean back into him as I know it would stop him combing.

“I love having someone do my hair,” I admit, and he chuckles, turning me around with his hands after he finishes my hair. I look up at him, placing both my hands on his cheeks and leaning up to kiss him. The door opens to the shower room, and Dagan comes in, spotting us and walking over.

“Hallie is out there with some other hunters. I don’t think you should say anything to her, but I’d rather be by your side as you do, so let’s go,” he says, but I’m already walking to the door and hearing them both sigh behind me. I step out into the large main room and spot Hallie straight away. She is sliding a tray of food on the banquet table in the middle with a blond-haired male hunter at her side. Though she can’t sense me looking at her, she looks up and narrows her eyes on me as I storm over to her without a second thought. Hallie still looks like an army brat, but her green-tipped hair stands out like a sore thumb. Two other hunters are stood just to her right, both older men with gelled, short, brown hair and bulky bodies under their uniforms. They glare at me, and I stare for a second at one of them, wondering why he looks familiar to me.

“What do you want, Isola?” Hallie asks with a sigh when I get to her side, and she turns to look at me. The hunter next to her slides his gun out slowly, but it still catches my attention before I lock eyes with my best friend, though no part of her looks at me the way she used to. She looks at me like I am a stranger and nothing to her. I glance around the room, seeing all the dragons watching me, and Korbin is being held back by two hunters stood right in front of him. His eyes meet mine, and he shakes his head, clearly warning me to behave, but that isn’t going to happen until Hallie listens to me.

“You’re my best friend, Hallie. Won’t you even pause to listen to my side of the story?” I ask her and notice how the entire room is silent. The two hunter men come over to stand right at Dagan’s side next to me, and Thorne stands silently a little distance away. The tension is thick in the air as there is nothing but silence.

“You and your kind are murderers!” she spits out at me, seeming so angry, and her words are so hurtful. I know she lost her mother, and I know they were close.

“Should we take them back to their cages?” the blond hunter at Hallie’s side asks. Hallie shakes her head at him; clearly, she doesn’t want this conversation to end. I might have some chance of getting through to her.

“Is Jules okay?” I ask Hallie, needing to hear the answer first.

“Of course she is. Jules is human, and none of this is her fault,” Hallie replies, crossing her arms.

“Good…thank you,” I say, before clearing my throat as I start to explain. “I am so sorry about your mum. I don’t know everything about Paris or what happened to her, but I am so sorry. What happened with Michael wasn’t like you said. I didn’t kill him or the others, but I wish I could have. He drugged me, and then he tried to rape me. I won’t say sorry for my dragon guard ending his life, he deserved it.” Her eyes widen in shock, looking briefly away from me to the two hunters nearby. When she looks back, there is fear on her face.

“What did you just say about my son?” one of the male hunters demands, walking over to me, but Dagan slides between us before he can get close. Fear shakes through me as the man’s eyes meet mine, and they are the image of Michael’s.

“You heard,” I bravely reply. “Your son tried to rape me after drugging me with something he clearly stole from here. I will never apologise for your son’s death…he deserved it.”

“You’re a liar! My son would never do that! You killed him because you’re a monster and that is what your kind do!” the guard shouts, trying to push Dagan to the side to get to me. Dagan lifts Michael’s father by his jacket and throws him across the room, his body slamming into the wall, and there is a sickening crack as his head hits the wall before his body drops to the floor. I scream as Dagan and Thorne fall to the ground, each holding their collar as it electrocutes them. It’s only seconds before my own collar starts shocking me, sending incredible pain throughout my body, causing my legs to collapse underneath me. I slam onto the floor, my eyes still open to see Hallie’s pale face as she stares down at me.

“I’m sorry,” she mouths, before the pain sends everything into darkness.

Chapter

Thirteen

ISOLA

“Iwarned you not to test me. Yet here we are, and only the second day of you being here, and you cause chaos. I am very disappointed,” Graves’s voice drifts into my ear as I slowly come awake, feeling my face pressed against the cold floor. Every part of my body still hurts, and my neck feels worse than any of it. I can smell a slight burning and taste my own blood in my mouth as I blink my eyes open to see shiny black shoes behind bars. I roll on my back, looking up to see Graves standing outside the cage, his arms crossed with an expression suggesting he wants me dead.

“I only told the truth,” I gasp out, clearing my throat a few times to try and make my voice come back. I must have screamed to make my throat feel so raw, but I don’t remember anything past Hallie mouthing that she was sorry. Why would she be sorry? A little part of me hopes I might have gotten through to her, and she might help us escape. Though I need to remember it won’t be that easy. There is no doubt Dagan killed Michael’s father, and Graves will make us pay for that.

“Well, maybe you will learn to shut your mouth in the future. Don’t expect your dragons back anytime soon,” he threatens, grinning down at me as I start to panic at his words. Graves walks away as I pull myself up with a grunt and look into Dagan’s empty cage. I stare through the cages and only see Melody in the room with us. She stands in her cage and shakes her head.

“I’m sorry,” she says loudly, reminding me of what Hallie said for only a second, and I wonder if that means something. I search my mating bond, sensing Dagan and Thorne are alive, but I can’t hear them. I can’t feel them like I usually can either. My dragon roars to life, freaking out just as much as I am at Dagan and Thorne’s lack of response.

Get the collar off, my dragon demands.

If I could, I would, I growl back, and she huffs, letting me have control because there is no choice here. I pull myself up to stand shakily and look over at Melody in her cage through the bars.

“Where is Korbin?” I ask, pretty much hoping her answer isn’t what I am expecting her to say.

“They took him too,” she answers like I expect her to. I grab the bars, trying to shake them before resting my head against them in frustration. I was stupid to risk talking to Hallie, and now my dragons will pay for it.

“At least they didn’t take you,” I finally reply to Melody.

“No, they don’t need me to control you,” she replies emotionlessly. “It’s nearly time. You can save them.”

“Time for what?” I look up, meeting her eyes as I ask her.

“Fate,” she quietly replies and steps back, disappearing into the shadows of her cage.

“Come back! You can’t just say that!” I shout at her, but there is silence for a reply. Damn seers.

I pace around my cage for what feels like ages, knowing every moment, my dragons are in danger. I don’t know how long it has been, but suddenly the walls and ground shake, knocking me to the floor, and my head slams against the ground. The lights flicker before the room goes pitch black, and I hold my hands over my head as the ground shakes more. When I open my eyes, the lights are flashing and flickering, and there is a loud alarm blasting somewhere nearby.

“Melody? Are you okay?” I shout, worrying when I don’t hear her for a while as I pull myself up off the floor.

“I’m good. Just a little shaken,” she shouts back as I hold onto the bars, just in case. I look around, seeing that my door has come off the hinges a little in the shake. I go over to it and pull at the gap, making it a little bigger and bigger before I can climb out. I fall out the door just as the ground shakes again, and I hold my hands over my head as pieces of the ceiling fall. When the shaking subsides, I sit up, pushing my dusty hair out of my face, blinking as I look up to see a woman my age standing in the corridor entrance. She has long brown hair, glowing blue eyes and a leather outfit on that reminds me of some kind of assassin or something.

“Who are you?” I ask the woman, who tilts her head to the side and smiles.

“Winter—well, I’m kinda the queen—but it doesn’t matter right now as you don’t have to call me anything but Winter. Sorry, totally mumbling. We need to get going,” she pauses as we both hear a long growl that oddly sounds like a wolf. A very scary and unhappy wolf. A few screams follow after the growl which worry me a little while I still have this collar on.

“What was that?” I slowly ask her, feeling like the woman looks familiar somehow, and I’m not sure why. Why does her name sound familiar? The ground shakes again, and we both duck as more ceiling falls near us, the sharp rocks hitting my arm. Winter just gets up, shaking the dust off and answering my question like nothing happened.

“Jaxson, my mate, is dealing with the guards. Let’s just say they should be scared, he is pissed off since one of them tried to shoot me. Anyways, Dabriel and Wyatt are sorting out the other buildings since we got a tip about this place,” she says with a grin. “Let’s go, we have people to save, right?” she asks as she walks over to me and holds out a hand. I slide my hand into hers as she helps me stand up, and we both look behind us as Melody walks over, brushing off dust from her clothes.

“Time to go. Nice to meet you, Queen Winter. My sister’s soon-to-be close friend,” Melody says, walking around us like we aren’t even here and never stopping as she speaks. Winter frowns at her and looks back to me.

“How did she know my name?” Winter asks.

“My sister, Melody, is a seer. I’m Isola, by the way,” I say, figuring I might as well introduce myself before we walk to where Melody waits for us by the door. Winter slides two daggers out of her belt, looking between Melody and me like we are strange. If anything, Winter seems strange to me…or just very brave. I’m not sure which yet.

“Here, you need a weapon,” she offers one of the daggers to Melody, who waves a hand. “Give it to Isola. I don’t need it.” Winter shrugs and hands it to me, and I accept it. If a seer says you might need a weapon, you find a weapon.

“Is everyone in this building seers? My mates and army have got our people out, but you guys were the most protected, so it took longer. They really didn’t want to let us in here,” Winter explains as we walk into the war zone of the main room where most of the screaming is coming from. There are wolves everywhere of different colors and sizes, there are people shooting fire, and angels flying around the room, fighting with the hunters who are having no luck shooting them. A massive black wolf picks up a hunter in its mouth like it is nothing and throws the hunter across the room with his other paw. Damn. I jump back when a man appears right in front of us. The man looks like a Greek god with his long blond hair and his black cloak clipped at his neck. The man doesn’t even seem to notice us as he looks at Winter, assessing her in a loving way. I know that look because it is how Dagan, Kor, Elias and Thorne look at me when they are worried about me. Right before becoming all overprotective.

“Atti, did you work out how to get the collars off?” Winter asks the man, apparently called Atti, who grins at her in a cheeky way.

“Of course I did! What do you take me for, love? It only took me a few attempts to get it right,” he replies, laughing.

“Yes, I’m sure the ones you tested it on where not thankful for your attempts,” she replies, arching an eyebrow as he pulls her into his arms, and I look away as he kisses her. I spot my uncle as he snaps the neck of one of the hunters and picks up a little girl with white hair, before running out the room with her.

“It was only two of them, and these guys are stronger than they look,” he replies, laughing, and Winter shakes her head at him. They are in the middle of a war zone and making jokes. Whatever these people are, they are weird.

“Isola, do you want your collar off?” Winter asks me, pulling away from Atti and gently touching my arm to get my attention.

“Is it safe?” I ask Atti instead of answering her, and he nods.

“Perfectly,” he replies, and I nod, knowing I don’t really have a choice if I want this thing off me. Atti steps closer and holds his hand on the collar on my neck. It burns for a moment before it makes a loud beeping noise and unclicks. Atti pulls it off for me, and I rub my neck, loving the feeling of being free. Atti steps away from me as snow starts falling from my hands, and my eyes must be turning silver.

We find them and get revenge. I don’t have to reply to my dragon, knowing that we are on the same page. I close my eyes and try to sense my mates, knowing Kor is most likely with them. It takes me a few moments to realize that something is still blocking me from actually finding them, but I know they are near.

“Thank you,” I tell Atti and Winter. They look between each other and back to me like I’m a puzzle to figure out, but I ignore them and look to Melody. “Where are they? I know you can find them when I can’t.”

“This way,” Melody nods her head to a door, like she was waiting for me to ask. I grit my teeth and run after her, only looking back when I hear footsteps to see Winter and Atti following after us.

“We are coming with you, for back up. I don’t know why, but I think you might need us,” Winter replies, but I don’t have time to reply to her as I turn and run after Melody who is heading for a door. She stops, suddenly spinning around, and kicks the door open in one fluid movement that looks badass, before running in with me right behind her. The room is a long corridor, full of wooden white painted doors. Melody doesn’t pause, heading straight for the third door down and kicking it open. There are screams as I follow Melody in, and I watch as she punches one of the hunters in the face, and they fall to the floor with a smack. One of the other hunters tries to run past us, but I grab the back of his coat, calling my ice and freezing the hunter from top to bottom.

“Okay…that was freakin’ cool, Isola,” Winter says in awe, but my eyes widen as I look around the room. Dagan, Kor and Thorne are all in one cage, strapped to the wall by metal grips. There is various tubing taking blood from their arms and likely pumping some sedative into them to keep them half asleep. Each of them looks up when we walk in, their faces each covered in bruises and cuts. They look like someone has beat the shit out of them.

“Get them out. I have to find her,” Melody tells me, but I barely hear her or see the hunters running down the corridor behind us as I head for the cage. I grab the bars of the door, freezing the parts near the lock until they snap. I step back to copy my sister’s move, spinning and kicking the cage door which falls to the floor with a bang.

“I could have just found the key,” I hear Atti almost sarcastically say behind us as I get to Korbin first. “But that works too.” I pull the tubing out of his arm, holding my hand over the bleeding for a moment until it naturally heals. I pull the metal straps off his arms and then his legs, and he pulls me into an embrace the moment he is free. I breathe in his fire scent as I wrap my arms tightly around his neck and try not to break down just yet. We are so close to being free, and I can only let anger rule me right now.

“You okay, doll?” he asks me, and I nod. Kor follows my gaze over towards Atti and Winter who are pulling off Dagan’s and Thorne’s straps. “Who are your new friends?” he asks me quietly.

“Winter, who is apparently a queen, but I don’t know what of, and her friend, Atti. They saved me, so they are my friends now. I owe them,” I explain to Kor, and just like that, I can see any hostility towards them gone. They saved me, and dragons always respect those who they owe a debt.

“My mate, Atticus, actually. I am the queen of the supernaturals, but just call me Winter,” Winter chimes in as I get to Dagan who she has just undone. I wrap my arms around Dagan, silently seeking his comfort, and he squeezes me tightly in response. I meet Thorne’s eyes over Dagan’s shoulder as Atti undoes his collar.

Time to get out of here, Thorne speaks in my mind, and to my surprise, Dagan is the one that replies as he can apparently now hear us. I love how we are all bonded now.

Not before we kill the hunters that put us here.

Chapter

Fourteen

ISOLA

“So, blondie can make ice from her hands, what else can you guys do? What do you call yourselves?” Atti asks as he gets Kor’s collar off as we wait, and we are finally all free then. “I would suspect a version of witches, but you don’t seem like a witch like me.”

“Isola…” Hallie whispers, stepping through the door before I can answer Atti. Melody steps in behind her, and they are holding hands which surprises me into silence. Dagan doesn’t seem too surprised as he protectively wraps an arm around my waist. I always knew Melody and Hallie were meant to be together, but after everything Hallie has done, this is hard to swallow. I look between them, ignoring the gentle shake of the ground behind us and the distant screams, growls and scent of fire in the air.

“Seriously, Melody? We can’t trust her,” Dagan growls. “She was the one that put us in here in the first place! Her father runs this place and tortured us!”

“We can trust her! I love my sister, and I would never put her in danger if I had any choice!” Melody exclaims, wiping a tear away and looking over at Hallie. “Hallie, please explain everything while the witch king takes off my collar.” Melody leans over, kissing Hallie’s cheek before letting her go to walk to Atti.

“How did she know what and who I am?” Atti asks Winter as I stare at Hallie like she is the only one in the room.

“Apparently, she is a seer and knows stuff,” Winter replies as Hallie nervously puts her hands together and steps forward towards me. Dagan lightly growls, pulling me back, but I put my hand on his chest and shake my head at him.

“First, you should know Melody has been visiting me for months in a faded, almost ghost like form. She told me everything. I am so sorry for what Michael almost did. If I could bring that bastard back to life, I would, just to murder him more painfully next time. I fell in love with Melody, and I knew one day we would get to be together…just not like this. It was just an instant thing, a feeling of finally belonging and being happy with her. Melody is my world…and you have always been my best friend,” she whispers. “I hate my father, but after my mum died in Paris, he went insane. I didn’t have a choice but to pretend to be on his side. I couldn’t do anything but pretend.”

“I don’t remember you pretending anything when you shot me,” I reply, not knowing if I can trust Hallie or not.

“Yes, even then. I shot you to save you, funny enough,” she tells me, completely confusing me.

“I don’t feel like you saved me at all,” I retort. “All you did was get us stuck in here and my dragons tortured. You did nothing that saved me at all. Winter saved me.”

“I didn’t know you were going to come through that portal when you did. I wasn’t expecting it when you all came in and everyone saw you. There were hunters everywhere around that portal, and I knew we could never have fought them all off. I had to pretend I hated you, even when it broke my heart to see the betrayal in your eyes as I pulled the trigger,” she whispers. “You have to believe I didn’t want to shoot you. You’re my best friend.”

“You shot your best friend? That’s not cool,” Winter says, clearly only hearing the end part of the conversation as she steps to my other side. Melody—now free of her collar—goes to Hallie and they link hands. I glance at the bag on Melody’s shoulder, where her orb just sticks out, knowing she must have stopped off for that too. When Hallie and Melody look at each other for only a moment, I see the love and adoration on both their faces. I don’t doubt for a second they love each other, but it’s hard to swallow that Hallie did all this because she was trying to protect me.

“Hallie has protected you for a long time. She even hid Bee from them all, and took her somewhere safe,” Melody tells me, changing everything. If she really kept Bee safe all this time…I might actually believe everything. Why would she do that otherwise? I glance at Dagan, then Thorne and Kor who seem just as shocked as I feel.

“You saved Bee?” I whisper, looking back at Hallie, feeling tears prickling my eyes.

“Of course I did. My father couldn’t have seen Bee because who knows what he would have done to her. I took Bee to Jules at the nursing home. Jules and all the old people there love her,” Hallie explains. That sounds like my Bee. I miss the little spirit.

“She is okay?” I ask, remembering how weak she seemed when we came through the portal.

“Bee and Jules, both of them are okay, just weak for different reasons. I know it will take time for you to forgive me…but I am so sorry. I just did what I could to keep you safe, and Jules helped me call the supernaturals, because she clearly has her own secrets, to tell them about my father’s work,” Hallie says, looking down at the ground. I step away from everyone and go to Hallie, wrapping my arms around her as I wonder how Jules knows anything about supernaturals. She cries silently as we hug, and I pull away as I know we have other things to do. Hallie is right, it will take time for me to trust her again, but we are on the right track now.

“Sorry to interrupt, but my witches have got everyone out. We should go now so they can destroy the buildings,” Atti says to us all. “I can make us move outside if everyone holds hands.” I look at Winter, who nods her encouragement and holds a hand out to me as she holds Atti’s hand. I slide my hand into hers, and Dagan, Kor and Thorne place their hands on my back while Hallie and Melody hold my arm. A cold wash of magic, much like going through a portal, drifts over my skin, and I close my eyes. As I open them, we are stood in a forest, with five buildings in the distance, which I bet is where we were being kept. I let go of Winter’s hand as I see Graves getting into a car with some other hunters in the distance, a low growl slipping from my lips as my dragon locks onto her target. My hands drip with ice as anger burns throughout me.

“You want to see what we are?” I turn and ask Winter with a grin. She nods, looking a little confused. I run forward, letting my dragon take over after a few steps, everything turning white as I shift. I roar as I spread my wings out, knocking down trees and hearing gasps behind me.

“You’re a freakin’ dragon!” I hear Winter shout in amazement.

“We rescued dragons…that is cool. Where is Jaxson…the wolf isn’t the biggest creature on Earth anymore. He will fucking love that,” I hear Atticus say, followed by his loud laugh. My dragon focuses on the car as it speeds away down a path, ignoring anything else.

Graves will not escape. Let’s hunt, I tell my dragon and she takes off into the sky, heading straight for the car like there is nothing else in the world.

Human will die for touching my mates, my dragon growls as she swoops down, catching the car in her claws and flying up with it like her prey. My dragon looks down at the car as she hovers in the air, seeing Graves’s panicked face in the window as he tries to escape, and the driver jumps out of the car, falling to his death. My dragon looks over to see Dagan’s and Korbin’s dragons next to us, and they fly for the buildings. They shoot fire, setting the buildings alight and roaring proudly. My dragon doesn’t even need my instruction; she flies us over the biggest building, hovering with the car just above it.

Bye, asshole, I mutter, seeing Graves’s terror-filled eyes as my dragon lets the car go, and it falls into the fire. Some part of me feels bad for killing Hallie’s father in front of her, but when my dragon finds her, standing next to Melody, she nods with a firm gaze. He didn’t deserve to live or have a daughter like Hallie. My dragon roars loudly, the sound echoing around the forest, and we hear cheers from the people on the ground. I shoot a stream of ice all around me before my dragon lands us back in the forest on top of the ice and snow. I shift back and stretch as I stand up tall. Winter and Atticus run over as Dagan’s and Korbin’s dragons land behind me and then shift back. All the dragons and other supernaturals in the forest run out too, with my uncle not far behind them, his hand holding the little girl’s and Jonas’s hands. I nod at him, thankful that he got the children out safely, by the looks of it. I stare at all the ice dragon children in the crowd, knowing that when Dragca is safe, they will return to their home, and I won’t be the only ice dragon left. As I look around, taking in everyone’s smiling faces, I notice one missing.

“Where is Thorne?” I ask, not seeing him anywhere. I search for him in my mind, frowning when I can’t sense him near, and he keeps getting further away. Thorne?

I did this because I love you. I will get you the throne, he tells me. My mouth parts in shock when I realize he has gone back to Dragca alone. He is going back to see his mother.

No! Come back. We do this together. Your mother will kill you! I plead with him, but I know he won’t reply to me, because all I can feel from him is how certain he is. Everyone finally makes their way to me as I stare angrily at the ground, tears pricking my eyes that I can’t let fall.

Why would he do this? Why couldn’t he wait? my dragon whines in my head, making me not only deal with my emotions but hers as well. I won’t lose my mate because he is an idiot that thinks he can do this alone. I am the one that is meant to stop Tatarina. If Thorne kills her, he will never forgive himself. No matter what Tatarina is…she is still his mother.

“Isola…he had to do this,” my uncle says, coming to my side, and I glare at him as I lift my head.

“Did you tell him to do it? Tatarina won’t pause before she kills him, and I thought Thorne knew that,” I say, growling low.

“He is her son. He has a better chance than you do,” my uncle says, shrugging like it is a done deal and not important that Thorne might be killed. I ignore him to look back at Dagan’s guilty face, and to Korbin who seems just as guilty as he stares at the ground. I don’t even need to ask if they planned this, if they let him go while I was distracted. I know they would be behind a plan to save me fighting Tatarina…but nothing is going to stop that. Part of me understands the need to try and save the ones I love, but it doesn’t mean Thorne is right to fight her alone.

“We are going to Dragca now!” I growl out, and I look up when a snow flake falls on my nose. The dark clouds in the sky start letting it snow, and I stare at the white flakes falling from the sky, watching the way the wind moves them. They stick to the trees, making everything seem so alive. It somewhat seems perfect that it is snowing as we leave Earth, and I know I won’t be returning for a long time. Not until I am queen. Dragca is my home and where I want to spend the last of my days. Where I want to build a future, not only for myself and my mates, but for the people of Dragca.

“I’m sorry, Isola. Thorne is the only one that can get close to her,” I hear Dagan say to me as I continue staring up at the sky.

“No, he isn’t. Tatarina wants me the most because I am all that is left of her best friend and the man she was in love with. I am her enemy and the only thing left she feels she needs to destroy. That is why she hasn’t killed Elias, it is why she will hold Thorne hostage…to get me to come to her. Tatarina has my throne and she is destroying my home. I am going after her, with or without you all,” I tell them all and finally look away from the snowing sky to see not only Dagan, Korbin and my uncle watching me but dozens of other dragons. And other people.

“We are with you. Always,” Korbin agrees and Dagan nods.

“I’m sorry for letting Thorne go…you are right. We are with you, our queen,” Dagan tells me, bowing his head a little before meeting my eyes. I’m still mad at him for letting Thorne go, but I know he is only doing this to try and save me. I can tell him off later for being a know-it-all douchebag.

Jonas comes running over to me with snow-covered blond hair, pointing at his collar-free neck. Someone has given Jonas a big adult’s jacket, so he won’t get too cold.

“The witches are taking the collars off. I’m free,” he says, grinning up at me like it is Christmas. His happy, innocent face almost makes me forget everything and smile. Almost. I pull him into a hug, and he doesn’t resist, staying at my side when I let him go. “I’ve never been without this on unless they were testing me. You said we would be free, and you were right. Thank you.”

“Freedom isn’t something a child should have to be given. Children should always be free, Jonas,” I whisper to him. “You will always be free, from this point on. No more collars.” Jonas gives me a shaky nod, before resting his head on my arm as I look away from him to Dagan who smiles down at Jonas before glancing at me.

“We need the dragons that can fight free from the collars before we go back to Dragca, and also somehow get them weapons. I will go with your uncle to figure out who will come with us,” Dagan says, and I nod once to him. I love you, he whispers in my mind, making my lips tilt up for a second before I remember that both Thorne and Elias need me. Urgently.

“What is Dragca?” Winter asks, walking over from the trees and stopping right in front of me. She has a big cloak on now, the hood pulled up to protect her from the heavy falling snow. Though with a name like Winter, I doubt she minds the snow.

“The land of Dragons. We come to Earth from a portal, and our worlds are linked. I am the last ice dragon princess, but I will soon be queen when I take my throne back from the murderer sitting upon it,” I explain, and her eyes widen, taking it all in. I step back as a huge black wolf walks to Winter’s side, and she places her hand on his head. The wolf growls, baring its huge teeth, and Winter tuts.

“Jax behave,” she says and looks to me. “Wolf shifters can be a little territorial, but it seems your own dragons are just the same.” I follow her eye when she looks to my left, seeing Dagan and Korbin talking to Atti, but their eyes are constantly looking back to check if I am okay.

“We have a lot in common it seems, Queen Winter,” I reply.

“My friends don’t call me Queen. It’s just Winter,” she replies, winking at me, and I chuckle. “Do you need any help in your homeland? As queen of the supernaturals, I want an alliance between us. I want to help, but we have just been at war ourselves. I’m sure you heard about it, and we lost a lot of our people, but we can still send a small army with you and weapons.”

“We need to go in quiet and unseen, so we can not use your army this time, but thank you. Some weapons for the dragons here would be much appreciated. I will always owe you for getting us out of there and even offering to help us after your own war,” I say, and Winter nods, both of us standing quietly in the falling snow.

“That was nothing. If anything, we should be sorry we couldn’t stop the hunters and save you sooner. Are you sure there is nothing I can do for you other than the weapons? We have time; Atti and the witches will take at least half an hour to get all those awful collars off,” Winter offers, and I look over at Melody and Hallie, who are holding hands and quietly talking.

“There is one thing.”

Chapter

Fifteen

ISOLA

“Jules…” I whisper, letting go of my sister’s arm when we appear in her room, as I can’t help the smile on my lips from seeing her. I don’t know how to exactly define my relationship with Jules, but she is as close to a second mother as I have. She is family, and I missed her. Jules is sat in a chair by her bed, her very grey hair in a tight bun like usual on her head and a massive smile on her lips. Jules’s fashion sense hasn’t changed, and I somewhat love seeing the flower-covered dress she has on and the yellow knitted cardigan. I run to her as she opens her arms for me, her watery eyes looking so happy to see me.

“I knew we would see each other again, child,” Jules gently says to me as I pull back and pause in shock. I look to the left at the massive tree in her room, and a familiar pod hanging from it. The tree looks like a bonsai tree…but much bigger and brighter than normal. There are dozens of plant pots around the tree, filled with bright flowers that crawl half way up the tree’s trunk. Everything in the room is so bright and colorful; when I look back at Winter, Atti, Hallie and Melody, they look as surprised as I am. That is not what you expect to see in a regular nursing home. “Your little friend is quite the gardener.” I laugh at Jules’s unasked response.

“Seems so,” I mutter out as I still laugh, and Jules smiles up at me.

“You have changed in the time we spent apart. You seem older. Stronger. It is what I have always wanted to see you as,” Jules says, taking my hand in hers and squeezing it tightly. “I always knew this strong woman was inside of you, but you just had to grow into her.” Jules’s statement brings tears to my eyes, and I gently release her hand to wipe my cheeks. I go to reply when the pod flap opens, and Bee flies out. We both stare at each other, as I take in the rush of our bond coming back into place. I open my arms, needing to have her close, and she flies straight into them. I stroke her hair gently, happy to have her back near me. Pulling her off me a little, I take a closer look at her, seeing she isn’t as bright as she usually is, but she looks okay. We need to be back on Dragca. We need to go home so she can connect with the magic there.

“Miss you,” Bee mumbles, flying out of my hands and sitting on my shoulder. “Lady gave me food. Good food.” Jules laughs, smiling at Bee and me.

“I missed you too, Bee. We keep getting separated, but never again,” I whisper to her.

“That looks like a green less-troll-like female version of Milo,” Atti tells Winter, who nods staring at Bee. I turn, remembering that they are still here and I haven’t introduced them.

“Sorry, Jules. This is Winter and Atti, they are friends. You know Hallie, and this is my sister, Melody,” I introduce them all. They each say hello in an overly kind way, except for Hallie who just smirks at me, and my lips tilt up a little in response.

“I’m glad to know you have friends on your side,” Jules remarks. “Family and friends. That is all anyone ever needs.”

“Jules is a very wise woman it seems,” Winter comments.

“I like this one,” Jules replies, winking at Winter who laughs. “Come and let me see you, Melody. I see your sister a little in you.” Hallie tugs a nervous looking Melody over with her to Jules.

“I need a favor,” I quietly say to Winter, while I watch Jules fuss over Melody who is blushing.

“Anything,” Winter answers. “Well, anything I can offer you.”

“Hallie, Melody and Jules need to stay on Earth with you for a while. Dragca isn’t safe for them,” I tell Winter. “I wish for you to protect them until I can send someone back with good news. I am returning to Dragca because it is where I belong, and I will die or rule there. There is nothing in-between. As a queen, I’m sure you understand the hard decisions you have to make to do what is right for everyone…but I can’t lose them. They are my family.”

“You have my word that your family will be protected. After we are done at the hunters’ base, we will come back and move them into our home. The castle is the safest place on Earth,” Winter replies, and I place my hand on her arm.

“Thank you,” I tell her, before walking closer to Jules.

“Dragca is where you are from, right?” Jules asks me. She has always been smarter than anyone knows, or Hallie has been telling her a lot recently. I nod. “You must leave and save your world. Right?”

“Yes, I have to leave. Dragca needs me. The men I love need me, but I am leaving Melody and Hallie with you and Winter. They need time to recover and relax. Where we are going…well, it isn’t safe, and it is a dragon war,” I explain, and Jules’s eyes widen. I guess she didn’t know exactly what I was, but the cat—well, dragon—is out of the bag now.

“Can I have a quiet word, sis?” Melody asks me, and I nod at her before turning back to Jules.

“One day, I will come back and get you. I want to show you Dragca and explain everything,” I tell her, and she reaches for my hand. I slide my hand into hers, and she squeezes tight.

“One day, child. I do look forward to it,” she says with a big smile. I squeeze her frail hand once more before letting go and walking over to the door, pulling it open. Melody follows Bee and me out into the silent corridor of the nursing home, and she shuts the door, so we are alone.

“I wish I could come with you to Dragca, but I cannot,” she says solemnly. “I am not meant to be at your side in this fight. I just had to get you here and hope for the best. For all the futures I see…I do not know what will happen next.”

“I figured as much when you didn’t disagree when I asked Jules to have you here,” I say. “I wish I could have you at my side too…but what is left of Dragca needs to be won by dragons, and I cannot lose you in a dragon war.”

“The seers have not all been lost in the war, and I truly believe they will help you. I need to tell you something before you go back, something very important,” she says, and I cross my arms as Melody’s eyes leave my face and go to Bee on my shoulder, who is holding onto my hair, from what I can feel.

“Light and dark spirits are twins. Both are meant to be together, bonded with one dragon who becomes the balance. Nane—the dark spirit—can only be stopped if she bonds with you like Bee did. No one else could understand and control her. Too much light or dark in one world would destroy it. One dragon is meant to be the balance from the start,” she says, shocking me into silence. “I saw a vision just before Tatarina attacked us in Dragca and we had to leave. The vision was of the past, of the last time a light and dark spirit were born. They did both bond with the dragon they chose, but the dragon couldn’t handle the power and died from the bond.”

“How the hell do I even get close to Nane then? What if I die bonding with her?” I ask in disbelief. I can’t fight this whole battle for Dragca just to die at the end, trying to become some kind of balance between light and dark. I glance at Bee, and she smiles sadly at me. Bee already knows this, and I wonder how she feels about Nane. If they are family like Melody says, Bee must care.

“I don’t know. Nane has to choose to bond with you because she must understand you. Bee bonded to you because she saw your innocence, your compassion and love. Nane bonded with Tatarina because she saw her hate, anger, jealousy and mistook it for darkness. You have that darkness inside of you, that anger, and Nane would easily bond with you if she let you in. To be honest though, she has taken in so much darkness without Bee to balance her out that I don’t know if you could survive bonding with her now. Bee’s light might not survive it either,” she says sadly.

“What happens if I don’t bond with her?” I lightly ask, needing to hear the answer out loud, even if I have a sneaking suspicion of the answer.

“Dragca needs both light and dark at the same time. There cannot be one without the other. If Nane dies—”

“So do I,” Bee interrupts to explain, and I look to her, seeing the sadness on her little face. “My sister will destroy our bond. I chose you…she chose bad.”

“I won’t let that happen to you because Nane made a bad choice,” I tell Bee, and she shakes her head a little, before looking away.

“Then you need to get close to Nane once Tatarina is gone,” Melody states. “You must bond with her before anyone else does to save Bee. Nane can’t take any more darkness from anyone else…she will destroy every living thing as well as herself if she does.”

“Okay. I will sort it,” I say, reaching to hold her hand. “You will look after Hallie, alright? I may be mad at her still and you as well, but I love you both.”

“More like she will look after me,” she chuckles with a grin that soon disappears as the seriousness of the situation hits us once more. “Elias and Thorne need you. You must go,” she says, and I nod before walking to the door, and pausing with my hand on the handle.

“Am I going to lose Eli or Thorne?” I whisper, my voice cracking because I don’t even know how to ask the question or if I want to hear the answer.

“There are many futures I see…I just don’t know what will be left,” she quietly replies, and places her hand on my back. “I only see in every future that they love you more than life, and that makes you one of the lucky people in life. Sometimes just having one person love you that much is worth everything.”

“Be safe, sister,” I whisper, and open the door. It’s time to save my dragons before they destroy themselves.

Chapter

Sixteen

ISOLA

“That’s everyone free from those collars,” Atti exclaims proudly, coming over to us as he burns one in his hand. I stare, fascinated with how these witches can control fire just like dragons. We are more alike than we think. Except that I come with scales and wings…and they have more fur and disappearing acts. I clip the daggers to my new belt, thanks to Winter, and look back at my uncle who is quietly talking to Korbin and Dagan. They all have new weapons, as do all the dragons here who want to fight. Winter really came through with that promise, and we might have a slight chance of surprising Tatarina long enough for me to kill her and take the throne back. I can’t even think of Elias and Thorne right now. They would be a distraction when I need to focus on the right now.

“Do I have to stay with them? I want to come to Dragca with you,” Jonas says, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glance at him, seeing how nervous he seems as he stares at the group of children the witches are taking back to Winter’s home. They are all bundled together in the snow-covered forest, with thick coats on. Behind the children are groups of supernaturals and a few dragons that can’t fight bundled in groups with a witch in charge of each group. They are taking all of them to Winter’s castle where they will find homes for the ones that want to stay and temporary places for the dragons who wish to return to Dragca in the future. Either way, I know Winter and her kings will keep them safe.

“When the war in Dragca is over, and I am on the throne, I will send people back to Earth to find you. Anyone that wants to come to Dragca will have a home there,” I explain to Jonas, placing my hand on his shoulder in comfort. “Jace was my family, and I couldn’t save him. I wish I could have, and finding you feels like I have a chance to honor his memory. I will always be here to protect you, and you will have a home with me in the future. Jace was my family…so are you.” Jonas stares up at me with teary eyes, and I only look away as someone steps in front of me. Winter smiles at us, before tucking some of her long hair behind her ear.

“It’s true that you will always be protected from now on, not only by Isola. Plus, my home is pretty cool, and I have a stepson around your age you might get along with,” Winter says, smiling at Jonas who seems to relax a little as he wipes his eyes.

“You will see me again?” Jonas asks me, staring up at me with those eyes so much like Jace’s that it hurts. It only reminds me that Jace’s murderer is still alive, and I’m likely going to be fighting her soon.

“I promise you I will see you again, Jonas,” I tell him, knowing he needs to hear me say it, and I hope to god I can keep my promise and not die before I have the chance to fulfill it. Jonas nods, holding his head high before walking off to the group of children.

“Is he your child?” Winter asks me, watching Jonas like I do.

“Nope, but he is the brother of someone I lost,” I explain to her, and she nods in understanding. I look at her for a second and suddenly remember why her name was bothering me.

“I met your aunt. She said hello,” I say, and Winter laughs, before realizing I’m being serious.

“My relatives are all dead. You must be mistaken,” she replies sadly. “I don’t have an aunt alive anymore.”

“I’m not, though the old lady could have been lying to me. I met a fate, an old lady in looks, but she was much stronger than she would admit. The fate told me we would meet and to say hello to her niece,” I explain to her. “She seemed to know we would meet.”

“My mother was a half fate, and my grandmother was a fate. Maybe she had another sister I didn’t know about,” Winter whispers to herself, looking happy. “If there is another fate out there, then I hope I get to meet her at some point.”

“Perhaps you can come to Dragca to visit when I take the throne back,” I smile, and offer her my hand to shake. Winter knocks my hand away and pulls me into a tight hug, which I happily return. There is something about this woman that makes me trust her. I don’t know what it is, but she feels like my friend already.

“Good luck winning your throne back. The war is never easy, or without great loss, but trust me, peace is worth the fight. You get happiness within peace, I know this,” she whispers to me, and lets go. Winter walks away toward Atti, who holds a hand out to her, his other hand touching the head of the wolf shifter who is called Jaxson apparently, and his giant wolf wasn’t happy shifting back with dragons everywhere. I don’t blame him. They all disappear with the children until there are only dragons left in the forest, and the falling snow can almost be heard drifting in the silence.

I turn around, looking down at my arm at the spear, and I press the red jewel. The bracelet uncurls, snapping out into the deadly spear I remember. The spear feels like it was always meant to be in my hand, and I was always meant to fight with it. I place the end on the ground and look over at everyone staring at me. Dagan has Bee sat on his head, Korbin is sliding a sword into his belt, but he looks at me with a determined look. My uncle is ready for war, that is the only way to describe him as the tip of his sword rests in the snow, and he holds both hands on top of it. I have a feeling none of the dragons here have ever had something worth fighting for. Dagan and Korbin never wanted to fight for my father, they were forced by the curse. My uncle was much the same and lost everything, despite doing as he was told by my mother and father. All these dragons have been kept here like animals and caged…with nothing left to show now that they are free. I don’t know what inspires me to speak, but I know I have to.

“We return to Dragca today to save whatever is left of our home. I know most of you do not know me, and likely only remember my father or my grandfather…but I am not them. I am not weak, selfish or cruel. I will not keep secrets that will destroy my world, and I will not hide from who I am meant to be. If you support me as your queen, I will fight till my last breath for my people! I will rule with kindness, and I will win us this war! I know how to do what is right and how I want Dragca to be for our children. I want peace, true peace like we have never known it. Follow me to Dragca, let me lead you to a future we will be proud to leave behind!” I shout. Dagan kneels first, then Korbin and my uncle following. Then every single one of the dragons kneels down, lowering their heads with their hands on their swords. Snow falls on them as my skin shivers with goosebumps.

“We fight for our queen! We fight for Dragca!” my uncle shouts, raising his sword in the air as he stands up before walking over to me. “It’s time for you to lead us. Where should we enter Dragca?” I wait until Dagan and Korbin get to my side, with the other dragons right behind them.

“The castle. No messing around or hiding. We head straight in,” I say firmly, and my uncle nods in agreement.

“It’s going to be one hell of a fight,” he warns me, and I glance at Dagan and Korbin. Their determination and belief in me I can see in their eyes just reminds me what I have to fight for. I love them…and Thorne and Elias. Peace is worth the fight. I remind myself of Winter’s words, knowing that is all I need to believe in.

“Thorne and Elias need me. I will always fight for them and Dragca. I won’t hide here and die on a world that is not my home. Dragca needs someone to fight for it, and it will be me,” I say, firmly. Bee flies off Dagan’s head and to my shoulder.

“Then after you, Queen Isola of Dragca. The last ice queen and her kings,” my uncle states, using a title that I suppose is right. No matter what happens now, there will be no more ice queens on the throne. Any child of mine will be half fire dragon at least, and Tatarina can’t have any more children…so we are the last of the royal ice dragons. We will fight, and one of us will win. I turn, walking into the forest to a portal my uncle said is close. Time to go home.

Chapter

Seventeen

THORNE

My dragon lands on the balcony entrance to the castle, feeling a little surprised that no dragon tried to stop me flying up here from the forest and landing. I shift back, knowing if my mother was going to attack me, she would have by now, and I need to talk to her. I try to keep any thoughts of Isola out of my mind as my body comes back and I stand up straight, but I can’t stop thinking of her. If my mother kills me, Isola would be devasted. Isola is the only person in the world that cares for me, loves me, and if I didn’t have to do this, I wouldn’t. Just imagining her sleeping on my chest, and how I was lucky to spend the night watching her…Isola is everything good in my—no, everyone’s—world.

The cold air blows against me as I watch the three dragons in their human forms standing like statues outside the entrance door. The wind moves their hair and cloaks around, but other than that, they could be statues. They have black lines crawling all over their faces, matching their new black and white uniforms with a white, dragon-shaped, metal clip holding their cloaks to them. Seems mother wanted a new royal crest. The ice blue royal symbol of the Dragice line is gone. They don’t seem to even notice I am here as they stare ahead, only the movement of their cloaks making them even seem alive.

I walk down the stone pathway to the giant doors, every one of my footsteps echoing on the stone. I stare at the burning pots of fire by the doors, and there are more in the corridor ahead, that light everything up. The fire casts daunting shadows over everything, making even the normal dragon statues on the walls seem dark. I walk through the open stone archway, into the silent corridor full of more dragon guards who stand by the walls, with pots of fire between them.

This time, they are much closer, so I can see their dead looking black eyes as they stand still as statues. The black eyes match the black lines crawling over their faces, and the strange uniforms. I glance at how each of them has a hand on the dragonglass swords clipped to their sides. What the hell has happened to them? I wonder if they were dragon guards once, before they became these dead looking people…but the curse is broken, so they should have left. I doubt a single one of the old dragon guard would have wanted to fight for my mother.

I keep walking down the corridor, trying not to feel creeped out by how silent and still these dragons are, before arriving at the entrance to the throne room. The doors are open for me once again, and I walk straight in with my head held high, seeing my mother sat on the throne at the top of the room. She doesn’t even move when she sees me, not even a twitch. My mother looks darker than ever before, almost unrecognizable with her now black hair, black veins crawling all over her skin that I can see, and her thin frail-looking body. She has a white leather outfit on, and that dark spirit sits on the seatback of the throne, watching me with clear interest. I meet my mother’s dark blue eyes for a second before she looks away again, and I still have some hope there is something left of my mother inside of her.

I stop right in the middle of the room, crossing my arms as I look at her. All the way here, I came up with a million things to say. A million things to ask her, yet when I actually see her, I don’t know how to speak. I should hate her for everything, and part of me will always hate her, but she is my mother after all. Isola taught me that the greatest gift is to truly forgive someone, with hope they can change their ways.

“Mother,” I say coldly, my voice slightly echoing around the room, and she twitches a little at the sound of my voice before her eyes finally seem to focus on me. I try not to look at the throne she sits on, remembering how she killed Isola’s father on it.

“Son. Where is your sweet Isola?” my mother asks, and I tighten my hands into fists, hating that she had to bring Isola up already. From the way my mother said her name, she is still so bitter about Isola’s father and so determined to destroy Isola for simply being born and loving me.

“Isola is clearly not here. You will never get to touch her,” I warn, and she laughs. A cold, cruel laugh.

“The ice princess must die. How can you not understand this, son?” she enquires. “We kill her together and you can inherit the throne from me. Dragca will be happy…everything will be right for the first time in hundreds of years! Dragices have only brought Dragca pain and destruction.”

“Isola has never done anything but fight for Dragca. She isn’t her father or even her mother,” I exclaim in frustration.

“Don’t speak of those betrayers!” my mother snaps, showing real emotion for the first time since I got here. Seems speaking of the people she killed out of jealousy gets her attention.

“I can’t understand why you gave birth to me when you clearly only ever loved Isola’s father. I saw everything…I know everything you have done and what he did to you,” I say, and she briefly seems shaken for a second.

“I didn’t love him. He loved her,” she growls, ice spreading from her hands down the throne.

“Yes, he did love Isola’s mother…but Isola’s mother was your best friend, and she loved you. Then you killed her,” I say, and she shakes her head.

“I asked her not to marry him, but she told me she had no choice. That Dragca needed a real, true queen,” she angrily says. “My best friend and the love of my life betrayed me and had a child they thought deserved to be queen. I will prove she is no queen.”

“I wish things were different for you back then…but did you ever love my father? Why did you have me if you only cared about revenge on Isola’s parents?” I ask her these questions, knowing I need to hear her answer. I suspect it was because she needed me to get the throne…but part of me wants to know the truth rather than a guess. My mother stands up off her throne, closing her hands together in front of her and looking away from me at the glass mirrors on the one side of the wall. I doubt she even recognizes herself anymore. The sweet little girl I saw in the memory cave is long gone.

“I loved your father…make no mistake of that. But he betrayed me when he died and left me alone. Having you…well, I hoped you would be the first man never to betray me, and yet you did,” she almost whispers, not wanting to admit it. “Your father loved the dark side of me and helped me remember there was more to life than death and revenge. Yet he is gone because life doesn’t give you what you want.”

“I loved you though. I am your son, and I should have been enough! Yet you hid me with adoptive parents, made my adoptive father kill your best friend, and then married her grieving husband. Life didn’t give you what you want because you never fought for the things you were given! Like a son that loved you so much, and yet you abused that love!” I shout at her, losing my temper in frustration at her innocent, the-world-wronged-me act. My mother finally looks at me, her eyes filled with tears. “I did everything you asked me to, and you only lied to me. You used me. The sad thing is, I wouldn’t have betrayed you if you could have only forgotten your need for vengeance.”

“All men betray you in the end. You lie,” she says, yet her voice cracks, and I bet she doesn’t even believe her own words. I watch as she keeps shaking her head in disbelief, stepping back and then rubbing her face with her hands.

“You are my mother, and I wouldn’t have. You only had to believe and love me. In the end, you chose revenge and darkness over your child and still expected that child to fight on your side,” I say gently, walking over to her until I’m close enough to touch her. I still pause, not knowing how far I can push my mother now. I know she is lost to the darkness, but I am unsure how lost. My mother doesn’t stop me as I place my hand on her shoulder, and she looks up at me with tear-streaked cheeks. There is so much emotion in her eyes that I can’t look away, I can’t even move. Somehow, I see love in her eyes too. I don’t know how long it has been since I’ve seen her look at me like I am her child and not some massive disappointment. I know it is way too late for my mother and me to have a normal relationship because I could never trust her around Isola, but I want to give her some kind of chance to live a life.

“I love you as well, my sweet son. The day you were born, I cried because I was so happy. I held you in my arms, singing sweet songs of fire and ice to you, knowing that one day you would be something special. That is why it hurts so much to let you die,” she whispers, lifting a hand and placing it on my cheek. “If Isola weren’t around, you would have been king.”

“I will be king when Isola has the throne…but I will support her fully. I know she is meant to be Queen of Dragca, and I wish you could see that,” I whisper to her.

“I will never support a child of his…He was evil, and Isola looks so much like her father,” she replies.

“That isn’t her fault, mother. You could change all of this. All you would have to do is give the throne to Isola and walk away,” I tell her, hoping that I can talk some sense into her, but from the look on her face, I know it is too late.

“It is a little late for a happy ending for me now, son,” she says and moves her hand, stepping away from me. “I only have the throne, and I will protect it until I die. I know you can’t kill your mother, and I cannot kill my son…but there are other ways to deal with the problem here.”

I watch her as she goes back to her throne and clicks her fingers in the air, her face back to one of zero emotion. The door behind the throne room opens, and Esmeralda walks out, looking, well, disgusting. Her once beautiful features have faded into dead grey skin, and her red eyes and hair are the only bits of color that make her even seem alive, yet they look close to death as well. She wears painted-on red lipstick and a red leather outfit that is dotted with old and new blood. I don’t look at my aunt for long as Elias walks out of the door after her, wearing an all-black leather outfit. His hair is cut short, and his once blue eyes are completely black. I hold my ground as Elias looks towards my mother, bowing his head.

“Elias…” I whisper in shock at his appearance, and his whole body goes rigid at my voice. This is going to break Isola to see Elias like this.

“Kill the traitor and anyone that tries to stop you, Elias Fire,” my mother’s cold voice demands, and I finally know how she plans to deal with the problem of me. I ignore the sharp pain in my chest that my own mother is sending him to try and kill me as Elias walks towards me, and I have to focus. Elias doesn’t even look like himself, his cold and aggressive demeanor is much like my mother’s, and his body is thin, the muscles he once possessed faded away. The black eyes are just strange on his pale face, as is the all leather black dragon uniform I’ve never seen him wear before.

“Elias! What the fuck are you doing?” I shout at him as he keeps walking closer, and I step back a little.

“Killing the enemy for my queen,” he replies unemotionally, robotically almost.

“I fight for Isola. She is your queen! I am not your enemy!” I shout, stepping back again as he spreads his arms out, and I know he is going to shift. I could fight him, but my ice dragon side would kill him easily, and Isola would never forgive me. This is why my mother sent him to do this. She knows I won’t really fight Elias, and that means he has a chance of killing me. This is a game and a big fucking trap for Isola. I consider sending a message to her, but we are so far apart that she would never hear me.

“I don’t know who this Isola is, but you are a threat to the throne,” Elias growls, his eyes glowing red as black smoke covers him. “I am here to deal with any threat.” The way he speaks is so sure, and I know straight away that my mother has made him forget Isola somehow. How the fuck am I going to get Elias to remember?

“Shit,” I mutter, turning and running down the corridor, as I know I don’t have a choice in this fight. I call my own dragon, knowing I have to hold Elias off and try not to hurt him until Isola gets here. If anyone can make Elias remember, it is her.

Chapter

Eighteen

ISOLA

The portal comes out in the forest just under the castle, and I stand still, waiting for my army to step through behind me. The trees move in the breeze, and I step closer to one, seeing that the bark is covered in black vines that stretch up the tree. The only light comes from the castle, and I can see all the trees look the same. Dragca feels different. I don’t dare touch the trees, not unless I plan to use light magic to get rid of the black vines covering them.

I look up as I hear a dragon roar and the sound of fire crackling in the air, but I can’t see what is above us through the tight bunched trees. I’m guessing dragons are fighting, which means we need to be careful or they could see us. I glance at Bee, who seems brighter from just stepping out into Dragca, but her eyes stay on the trees, looking worried. She glances at me, and I sigh, knowing there is nothing we can do about this right now. Using light magic would make too much noise, and everyone would hear us.

“Maybe you should hide, Bee; it will be a war zone in there, and I cannot lose you,” I whisper to her. “There is darkness everywhere…and you are not strong yet from your time on Earth.”

“No, we together. Dark must be fought,” she says firmly, and I sigh in agreement. I don’t want her away from me, and I guess I can’t shield her from everything. Dagan and Korbin came through first to scout the area before returning to give us the all clear, but they indicated that there was no safe place nearby. So I don’t even know where I could hide Bee that would be safe anyway. Dagan and Korbin come out of the portal, both of them walking to my side, staring at the tree like me.

“Seems Tatarina has been busy,” Korbin states.

“Hopefully too busy to have time to hurt Elias. I kill her, and then we find him,” I repeat the plan we discussed again. “Thorne is still alive, I can feel that. Hopefully she has just locked him up somewhere.”

“His mother won’t kill him, I’m sure of that. I’ve grown to like the bastard, so I wouldn’t have let him walk to his death,” Dagan states.

“Tatarina is bat shit crazy, Dagan. I hope your trust in her not wanting him dead plays out, because I don’t believe it. She killed her childhood best friend, and then married her husband. Then killed him, despite apparently being in love with him…those aren’t the actions of a sane person,” I mutter. “She has to die for everything she has done.”

“We love you and follow you, no matter what you choose, Isola,” Korbin says, leaning over and kissing the side of my head.

“We are all here,” my uncle interrupts, and I turn around to see him standing right behind me, his arms crossed. “If anything—and I mean anything—goes wrong, we meet at Dragca Academy. It’s a safe haven against her.” I nod once, understanding how Dragca Academy would be the safest place to run from evil to. Part of me misses the academy anyway. Hopefully nothing will go wrong.

“I am going to stay in human form, but everyone else should shift,” I say, raising my voice so the dragons behind my uncle can hear. I frown at the sound of more roars, wondering why they feel familiar. When I realize why, I run out of the tree line, hearing Korbin and Dagan shouting for me to stop, but I can’t stop. Those roars…they feel like a lost memory. When I get out the tree line, I stare up at the two dragons I love, fighting each other. Elias’s and Thorne’s dragons are throwing mouthfuls of fire at each other, before flying and slamming into each other in the air. Everything below them is on fire, and now that we are out of the tree line, I can smell and see it. The fight is nasty, but there is no ice anywhere, Thorne isn’t truly fighting Elias. He could have killed him by now.

“Why are they fighting?” Korbin asks, his voice full of horror and worry, as my mouth feels dry and I stare in confusion. Elias and Thorne don’t pause in their fight, clawing and burning each other every few moments. It is so painful to watch two men I love trying to kill each other and feel completely powerless. I try to reach Thorne’s mind to tell him I’m here, but he is too distracted to hear me, and I don’t want to become a distraction that lets Elias win.

“We have to stop them before they kill each other!” I cry out, pacing as I watch the fight. If I shift and go to stop them, I won’t be able to finish this war and kill Tatarina. Though the more I watch them, the less I care about anything other than stopping them from killing each other.

“Isola, you must kill Tatarina and take the throne. Nothing else can matter at this moment,” my uncle says, placing his hand on my back, but I shrug him away, stepping forward with my eyes still locked on the dragons fighting in the sky. I look back at the castle briefly and wonder why Tatarina hasn’t sent people out to fight them both. Neither of them can be on her side, surely.

“I will stop them. Kor, you protect Isola,” Dagan states and nods at me. I love you. I can’t help but smile at his words whispered in my mind before he steps away from us all and shifts. The worry sets in as Kor wraps an arm around my waist, and we watch Dagan’s dragon take off into the sky. The moment Dagan gets close, Elias goes to attack him like he doesn’t even recognize his own brother. Dagan avoids the blast of fire, and Thorne charges into Elias’s side.

Isola, Dagan…Elias doesn’t remember who you are. He doesn’t remember anything, Thorne warns both Dagan and me as we can all hear each other now. Elias doesn’t remember me. Tatarina has taken him from me.

Then we knock his ass out and make him remember. Team work time, Thorne, Dagan tells him, sounding strong even though I can feel his emotions and how fearful he is of losing his brother. There must be a way to save Elias’s memory, and if I kill Tatarina, we could spend years getting my Elias back.

Got it, Thorne replies just as I watch Elias’s dragon slam into him, but Dagan pulls him off Thorne with his claws. I never thought I’d have to watch three people I love more than anything fight with each other. I never knew how much it could hurt deep in my heart to see.

I love you both, be careful. It’s all I can think to say, knowing it’s only words, but that is better than nothing. When I finally look away and meet Kor’s eyes, he doesn’t need to say anything for me to know how he feels. The panic, the worry and protectiveness are written all over his face.

“Everyone, shift into dragon form and carry your weapons. We protect the princess at all costs. For Dragca!” my uncle shouts in a war cry, and nods once at me before stepping back and shifting himself. The dragons all move to their own space before shifting, until the whole forest is full of dragons, and I know we have a small chance of winning this. Or of them holding off anyone that supports Tatarina until I can kill her. The dragons pick up their weapons in their claws as I wait for Kor to shift for me. He steps back, his dragon wordlessly taking over in a puff of black smoke until his massive dragon stretches out. I climb up his back as he lowers himself down, and I slide myself between the spikes on his back. I keep my spear tightly in my hand, and Bee moves to sit in front of me, holding the spikes with her little arms.

“To the castle!” I shout, and Kor waits for my uncle and more of the dragons to fly out of the tree line first because I doubt he would want us in the target line first. I lower my head, holding an arm around the spikes and keeping Bee between the spike and me, as Kor flies up with a massive gust of wind nearly knocking me off him. The cold breeze blasts against my skin as I lift my head through the pressure, seeing Dagan and Elias fighting, and Thorne’s dragon spiraling away from them after taking a hit. I feel Thorne’s and Dagan’s pain from the fight, and the fear of losing them threatens to swallow me just as Elias’s dragon seems to lock eyes on me. Instead of the blazing red eyes I’m used to seeing, Elias’s dragon’s eyes are black and cold, vacant of anything. He doesn’t recognize me…and the pain from that hurts my chest. There is a moment where it feels like my whole heart breaks as Elias’s dragon shoots a blast of fire straight at us, and Kor swoops down low, making the fire miss us before carrying on his flight to the castle.

He didn’t mean that, Dagan tells me in my head, feeling my pain, and I realize I need to swallow my emotions because it will affect their fight. I don’t want to tell Dagan that I’m sure Elias did mean to try and kill me, and that I’m sure he doesn’t even know who I am anymore. When I can look back, Dagan, Thorne and Elias are still fighting, this time crashing into the trees below that are on fire from their fight. I take some relief that they have Elias on the ground now and he can’t escape. If Dagan and Thorne can knock him out, then we can talk to him, make him remember who we are. They have all forgotten me once before, and I won’t let them forget me again.

I have to force my gaze and mind away from them as Kor lands on the entrance to the castle, and I slide off his back. I’m slightly confused why the towers of the castle and the giant catapults on them aren’t being used to defend the castle. We shouldn’t have been able to just land here. I look away from the heat as Korbin’s dragon shoots a blast of fire at four dragons in white and black uniforms that run towards us with their swords raised high. Two dragons run to our back, but my uncle’s dragon swoops low, picking them up in his giant mouth like a snack and dropping them off the edge of the castle before flying back up. I ignore their screams as I hear a loud horn, and then dozens of dragons fly over the top of the castle, heading straight for my army. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Korbin’s dragon shift back into his human form and then quickly pick up the sword his dragon carried here.

“Stay low,” Korbin demands, pushing me down to hide behind a bit of the castle wall as we see the dozens of dragons aiming straight for my army, and the fight begins. One of them is killed straight away and falls with a thud on the stone floor right in front of us. It’s only when we straighten up and step a little closer to the dead dragon that I see how strange it looks. The dragon has black lines all over its red and brown scales, and when I look up, I see that the fire they are shooting is redder than is natural. What the hell?

“Looks like we enter this hell hole together, doll,” Korbin says to me, and I nod, lifting my spear as I straighten my spine. This is the end game…the end of Dragca being at war. I only have to kill her and take the throne.

“Let’s go,” I say, knowing we can’t put this off any longer, and the dragons above us are fighting to give us this short amount of time. We have a slim chance of killing Tatarina because she wants me here, and the fact she isn’t out here fighting means she is waiting for me to come to her. Kor and I run into the main building, which is empty, to our shock, and we get to the end of the corridor, walking into the throne room.

I scream as Kor is blasted across the room with a ball of fire as soon as we enter, and he slams into the wall, falling to the floor, knocked out. I watch his chest moving for a moment, needing to know he is alive before I can calm myself. I angrily turn to look at Esmeralda as she lowers her hand, a smirk on her dead-looking, red-painted lips as she leans against the throne. Esmeralda looks awful. Clearly, being undead doesn’t work for her.

“Where is your sister?” I ask, knowing Esmeralda is not the one I want to deal with tonight. I will fight her if I have to, but killing her won’t get me the throne.

“My sister is busy waking up her army…so we have time to catch up. Why don’t we start by me killing your little dragon lover like I did Jacian? He seems just as weak. Though you seem to collect the weak ones, like my nephew, for example,” she remarks, her red eyes going to where Kor is lying on the floor, and I growl low, making her laugh. I don’t collect weak anything, and if the bitch keeps talking, then I will let my dragon show her how strong we all are.

Kill her. Save mine, my dragon growls, and my powers make it slowly snow in the room from my unspoken agreement with her.

“What army? The dragon guard curse is broken; no army serves your sister anymore. I’m surprised there are even a dozen dragons fighting for her outside,” I say, and she stops laughing, turning her head to the side in an almost twitchy movement.

“You will soon see how wrong you are,” she says, just before sliding a sword out of the holder on her back. “Death is all that belongs to you in Dragca. Like every one of your family and your mates.”

“Bee, go to Kor and protect him,” I whisper to her without taking my eyes off Esmeralda, knowing she will do as I say and feeling her let go of my hair. Esmeralda runs at me, her sword held high at her side, and there is no doubt she will fight until one of us is dead. I keep still until the last moment and block her sword with my spear, managing to push her away. She swings straight back, this time blasting fire down the sword until it tingles against my skin, but it won’t—can’t—burn me. I call my ice as I slam my spear against her sword, and to my surprise, ice blasts out of the end of the spear. I scream as Esmeralda pulls a dagger out I didn’t see in her belt and slams it into my thigh. I push her away again as dizziness fills me, and whack the spear into her arm, knocking the sword out of it as I try to ignore the pain from my leg which threatens to overwhelm me. Taking advantage of her surprise, I call for my powers as I shove the spear through Esmeralda’s heart, and ice slowly crawls all over her skin as her mouth parts in shock. When the ice crawls all over her face making her look like an ice sculpture for a moment, I pull my spear out. It seems like slow motion as her body falls, shattering into millions of shards of ice on the ground, the red and white ice mixing together almost beautifully.

“NO!” I hear Tatarina wail from behind me, her voice echoing around the room in her despair. I turn, holding my spear high as I turn to face her, and bite my lip as the pain in my leg is terrible. I can feel hot blood pouring down my leg, and every tiny movement shifts the dagger a little. If I didn’t have the spear to lean on, I wouldn’t be able to stand like this. Tatarina falls to her knees, staring at the pile of ice shards as tears silently fall from her face onto the floor. I don’t pause as I limp over to her, looking around for Nane and not seeing the dark spirit anywhere, which worries me because I need to see her when I do this. Sweat gathers on my forehead, every step hurting me more than imaginable. It doesn’t matter about Nane, I can kill Tatarina and then find her later. All that matters is killing Tatarina and taking that white crown off her head. Though it isn’t my father’s or mother’s crown…she made her own which hasn’t been done in hundreds of years. The crowns my parents had were inherited.

I stop right next to Tatarina and move my spear right under her neck as I make myself stand tall. Tatarina finally looks away from the leftovers of her sister and gives me a look that suggests I better run from her or feel sorry for her somehow. I don’t know exactly how to read her emotions.

“This is for my mother. She never deserved to die because of your jealousy. Rot in hell, you total bitch,” I say, going to push the spear through her neck when she grabs the spear. She laughs even as I apply pressure, so it cuts her neck, and I know if I call my ice, she would be dead. Or if I just push a little more, it will go straight through her neck, and either way I win this.

“If you kill me, you kill Elias,” she says, still laughing loudly as my hand shakes with the spear. I shake my head, knowing she must be lying.

“You’re lying,” I spit out. “Lying won’t save you now. I want what belongs to me.”

“No, I am not. I killed Elias the first night he was here and brought him back with my dark magic like I did my sister. If you kill me, you kill him,” I step back in shock as I gasp out. My hand shakes with the spear, and my mouth feels like there is a giant ball of sadness that I just can’t swallow. “He even whispered your name as he died. It was almost sweet how much he hoped you would save him.”

“You’re lying!” I scream, not wanting to believe it as she stands up, and deep down inside of me, I know she isn’t lying to me. She killed Elias. My Elias, and then turned him into a monster.

Isola, are you okay? I hear Thorne’s worried voice ask me, and I gasp from the shock and pain. My Eli was killed by this crazy bitch.

“I want you to suffer like I did. You stole my son from me, so I stole the man you love from you. Your dear parents must be suffering so much as they watch you walk away from the throne to save a dragon guard,” she remarks, laughing loudly like this is all just a joke. I shake my head, feeling the tears streaming down my cheeks as I fight what she is telling me even now. My body shakes from the shock, from the realization that the price of this war would be Elias, and I won’t take it. Elias can’t be dead…he just can’t be.

“I will save him somehow. You aren’t the only one with magic,” I growl, hoping that somehow Bee and I could save him.

“Elias wasn’t the only one I brought back…maybe you should run, princess, because we both know you won’t kill me. You can’t do it, and you are never going to be a true queen,” she says, smirking as she walks back to the throne she killed my father on and sits down. I shake with anger as I watch her, knowing she is right and there is nothing I can do about it. I won’t sacrifice Elias…I just can’t.

There are thousands of them…we must leave, and you have less than a few minutes. Get the hell out of there or kill Tatarina, Dagan growls through the bond, sounding panicked.

I can’t kill her. Elias will die, I whisper back through the bond, not even bothering to hide my emotions from them. The despair and heartbreak are too much to hide.

What? Run, Isola! Thorne growls into my mind. We have Elias, but we can’t save him without you.

“Dragca or love? A smart queen would kill me now, but you won’t do that. I will let you leave this once, but the next time we meet, I will kill you, princess. It will be fun,” she says with a long laugh, and I don’t even respond to her. I am no princess…I will never be a queen. I will always choose to love even if it breaks me to do so. I let my dragon take over, shifting quickly with a pain filled roar at the dagger in our leg. My dragon picks up Kor with Bee, holding him tight with her good leg before flying through a wall of the throne room and out into the sky, hearing Tatarina’s laugh right behind us as we head straight into a war zone.

There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of dragons in human form on the ground around the castle, and the sky is full of them as they kill what is left of my army. I manage to stay low and go left, avoiding the fight until I’m well into the forest and free. We keep flying, ignoring everything and knowing that there is only once place I want to go to. There is only one place safe in Dragca for a dragon like me now.

Chapter

Nineteen

ISOLA

Iland right outside the academy castle, carefully putting Kor and Bee down on the ground before shifting back and collapsing. My dragon doesn’t even speak to me, and I can feel her uncertainty of the situation coming from her. Part of her wants to avenge everyone Tatarina has taken from us, but the other part won’t let Elias die without a fight. Elias is hers. He is mine…and I can’t lose him. Elias was killed though…and what is left of him, I don’t know if I can save. I cry silently as I think of how alone he must have been.

I don’t feel the pain in my leg or anything until a warm hand on my shoulder shakes me from my misery. Kor sits me up carefully, pulling me into a tight embrace as I breathe in his smoky scent and try to calm myself down. I love how Korbin doesn’t need to ask what happened or what is wrong, at first. He just knows I need him close, and that is all that is important. I watch past Korbin’s chest as Bee flies into the trees, no doubt trying to find something light, but from the looks of it, the whole of Dragca is in darkness with a queen who found the perfect way to make sure I never kill her.

“What happened, doll? Where are we?” Kor asks after a while of complete, comforting silence. It’s too dark to see where we are, and the castle doesn’t have any lights on outside. I don’t know why I chose to come here when I should have run further, because I don’t know how to face my uncle, but it is the only place where Elias, Thorne, Dagan, Kor and I were happy. Since then, something has always been wrong, and now I don’t even know if I can fix it.

“We’re at Dragca Academy…I was a coward and ran from Tatarina as she sat on the throne. I let her live…” I whisper to him, and he tenses but doesn’t say anything for a moment. Rain falls from the sky as I press myself against Korbin’s chest, hearing his beating heart, and not knowing if Elias’s heart even beats anymore.

We are coming to the academy. Many of us survived. We killed enough to escape, Dagan’s worried, tired voice comes into my head, but I can’t even make myself reply to him.

“You aren’t a coward. I know that for a fact, Isola,” Kor finally tells me, kissing the top of my head. “Whatever made you run…I know you wouldn’t have had any choice about.”

“Tatarina killed Elias,” I whisper, bursting into tears again at even saying it out loud. Kor soothes me, holding me tight as he whispers words of comfort until I stop crying and gain some kind of control.

“Elias was alive and fighting Thorne…he isn’t dead, doll,” Kor says, not understanding anything about what I just said, and I don’t blame him. It is crazy.

“Tatarina brought him back to life like she did Esmeralda. She said if I kill her, I kill Elias, and I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t do it,” I keep repeating the same sentence throughout my cries, feeling like a massive coward for putting Elias’s life before the whole of Dragca.

“Look at me,” Kor demands with a growl, lifting my head with both his hands and wiping my tears away with his thumbs as he forces me to look into his eyes.

“Elias is still alive, and we will find a way to save him. You are no coward for choosing love over duty to a throne. We don’t want a heartless queen on the throne anyway, and if you did that, there would be nothing left of Isola Dragice. Somehow, we will figure out how to save both Dragca and Elias, I promise you that,” he tells me, I nod, agreeing somewhat, even as guilt chokes me still. “Now let me look at that leg.”

“Okay,” I shakily reply before he kisses me on my tear-covered lips and lets my face go. I flinch when Kor moves me gently off his lap, and he follows my gaze to my thigh where Esmeralda’s dagger is still in, and there is blood everywhere.

“I need to pull it out. You ready for this? I don’t need to tell you this is going to really hurt, doll,” Kor asks me, looking at me for an answer for when I am ready. I nod, resting my head on his shoulder as he places his hand on the dagger, the slight movement killing me. I scream loudly as he pulls the dagger out, chucking it away as everything goes blurry and placing his hand on the wound for pressure which is extremely painful.

“Me help,” Bee says from my left, surprising us as I didn’t hear her, and she flies out from the trees. Bee floats over my leg, and Kor moves his hand away, letting Bee sprinkle familiar looking powder into the cut. It stings, making me feel dizzy, but I manage to stay awake even as darkness gets into the corners of my eyes.

“Thank you, Bee,” I crackle out, not even recognizing my own voice.

“No sad,” she says, moving to sit on my shoulder, and her tiny hand wipes at the tears on my cheek as I look at her.

“Sometimes you have to be sad,” I tell her, and she doesn’t say anything as she hides in my hair and rests against my neck.

“We will fix this all, Isola. Come on, you are stronger than her. Tatarina can’t win,” Korbin tells me.

“She already has,” I choke out, lifting my teary eyes to his worried eyes as I hear the distant sound of wings and feel my mates getting closer to me. “Help me stand up?” I ask Korbin, and he kisses my forehead before jumping up and then helping me stand. I wobble a little, and Kor keeps his arm wrapped around my waist to make sure I don’t fall over. I look at my arm, amazed for a moment how the spear transformed with my shift into dragon form and is spiraled around my arm. I soon look away as dozens of dragons land around us, but I focus on the one carrying a dragon in his claws, like there isn’t anyone else around. Dagan’s dragon drops Elias’s knocked out dragon on the ground before landing in front of it and shifting back. Dagan is covered in cuts, bruises and blood, and I worry for a second until I hear his comforting, gentle voice inside my head.

I am okay. Are you? I feel nothing but pain from you. I don’t respond to Dagan, only because I don’t know what to tell him. I am not okay.

“What happened? Why isn’t Tatarina and her army dead?” my uncle growls, stepping in front of me with his hands on his hips. Blood drips down his forehead, and he is covered in dirt, claw marks and more blood than I thought was possible to see on someone’s clothes.

“I couldn’t kill her,” I whisper, not wanting to admit it, but I know I have to. I expect to see disappointment, confusion and hate in his expression, but there is nothing but burning anger.

“Why the fuck not? I thought you had long lost the stupid young princess routine and become a queen!” he growls loudly, shaking his head.

“Don’t speak to my mate like that,” Thorne snaps, moving to my side. “You forget who she is. If Isola didn’t kill my mother, there is a reason.” They all look to me for an answer, my uncle clearly getting more frustrated with every second I don’t reply as I glance at Elias’s dragon.

“If I kill her, Elias dies too…” I whisper, and my uncle growls, shaking his head in utter disbelief. I knew he wouldn’t understand this, and he is too angry to be reasoned with now. I made my choice, and I have to accept the consequences.

“Stupid child! One dragon is not worth the whole of Dragca!” he growls out, his hands setting on fire in his anger. “Millions of people will suffer because you put a boy before them!”

“Elias is worth Dragca to me! Elias is worth every world to me, and if I can find a way to save him, I will!” I scream at him in reply, my voice echoing around the trees. There is silence as my uncle shakes his head in disgust before walking away from me like he can’t bear to be around me. My gaze drifts back to Elias’s dragon who shifts back into his human form, still knocked out and looking so different from the Elias I know. I stare at the man I am in love with, barely recognizing his thin, pale and short-haired body. Elias is still him, he just looks ill and close to death. I know better. I go to step closer, just as his eyes pop open, and those once beautiful dark blue eyes are now black. I don’t know if it’s the pain from my leg or the shock of seeing my Eli like this, but my body falls to the floor as my world fades into a deep, anything-but-peaceful sleep.

Chapter

Twenty

ISOLA

Igrumble as I wake up, my eyes and lips feeling dry like I have slept for ages, and some deep part of me just wants to go back to sleep and pretend the world isn’t so cruel. So harsh. I know I could stay here, pretending to sleep and be more of a coward than I already am, or get up and fight. Though every part of me doesn’t want to, I keep my eyes open. I stare up at the white painted ceiling, wondering where exactly I am, before I sit myself up slowly as my whole body feels exhausted. The room I’m in is plain with white walls and two other beds. I feel my thigh, only feeling a simple scar where the dagger went through and a small amount of pain. I slide myself off the side of the bed, looking down at the oversized men’s shirt and long boxer shorts I have on. My hair is plaited when I feel it, and there is no blood or dirt on me, so someone must have cleaned me. I glance around the room, looking for my leather dragon clothes and not seeing them anywhere.

I suddenly remember passing out and the reason why—Elias’s cold stare—and I try not to cry. I need to fix him, not cry about it. Not yet. He isn’t lost…yet. I walk to the door, only limping a little bit which is impressive, and crack the door open. I go to step out when I hear talking and pause instead, wanting to listen.

“That boy is lost,” my uncle’s demanding voice states in annoyance. “Seeing him in that cage proves to me he is better off dead.”

“Elias is my brother, be careful what you say next, Louis,” Dagan growls out. “If anyone can save him, it is Isola. Dark magic ruined him, light magic surely can fix it.”

“You can’t let Isola see him like this. There isn’t anything left of the dragon she loves, and Isola needs to focus on the war that will be coming. Tatarina let her go for now, but only so she will suffer about Elias before she kills her. Letting Isola near that boy will destroy her,” my uncle demands, annoying me because I know he is right. Tatarina wouldn’t have let us go with Elias if she thought there was any way I could save him. No, Elias is here to hurt me, but I won’t let him. Tatarina doesn’t know everything…and I will save him.

“Elias loves Isola, and some part of him is still alive in there. No matter what that bitch did to him,” Dagan replies.

“It still stands that Tatarina and Elias are linked by dark magic. Killing her kills him, and we both know Isola won’t let anyone hurt Elias. We also know Tatarina has done this on purpose. Elias is the perfect protection against the only dragon that truly threatens her,” my uncle states. “I will speak to Isola. Go and see the seers, make sure the academy is protected. This is where we make our stand and the final fight, with the seer army at our side. If Isola won’t kill Tatarina, then I will. One way or another, Elias will die, and as her mate, you must prepare her for that,” my uncle says, and Dagan doesn’t reply as I hear the sound of footsteps walking away.

“You can come out now, princess,” Dagan affectionately says, and I step out of the door to see him stood waiting for me with his arms crossed. Dagan looks much better now, cleaned up with a black shirt and jeans on, and a sword on his back clipped by a hold around his chest. Dagan and I only stare at each other for a moment before he is walking to me and pulling me tightly into his arms, his fear for his brother and me slamming into my own emotions. Though it’s not like I don’t feel the same way.

“Take me to him, Dagan,” I whisper into his chest, and he holds me tighter for a moment like he doesn’t want to let me go and face reality.

“Elias isn’t the same…don’t listen to anything he says because he doesn’t mean it,” Dagan warns me, and I feel him pull away from me a little. “Wait here.” I nod, watching as he goes back into the room I came out from and brings out a cloak. He covers me with the cloak and clips it at the front.

“There, covered up. There are a lot of people in the castle,” he explains and drops some flat shoes onto the floor for me. I slide my feet into them and flash him a thankful smile. “We could go and get you some food first—”

“I need to see him now, Dagan,” I reply, interrupting his idea of distracting me, because I couldn’t even think about eating or doing anything until I have seen him. “I have to figure out how to save him. Is Bee around? I want to ask her if light magic can help.”

“No one has seen her in days. She went into the forest and didn’t come back,” Dagan tells me, and I go still in surprise. Bee wouldn’t just go off when I was hurt after she healed me. I don’t understand that one at all.

“What? She wouldn’t leave me, us,” I whisper in shock, trying not to feel upset that she would do that.

“I’m sure she will come back. Bee wouldn’t have left you without a good reason,” Dagan states, and I know he is right, though it is hard to think of Bee being out there alone and so far from me again. I thought we agreed not to leave each other. Maybe she is disappointed in me for choosing Elias?

“Let’s go,” I whisper, not wanting to focus on Bee right now when I need to see Elias. Even if I know he is going to break my heart.

Chapter

Twenty-One

ISOLA

We walk silently down the empty corridors of Dragca Academy until we get to the stairs, which have gaps in from broken stone and burned black walls. The once grand academy is in ruins now, but surprisingly full of people when we walk down the stairs. They have set up lights, tables with food on them, and there are even children running around laughing. I don’t know who they are, but they all pause whatever they were doing when they see me, bowing their heads. Even seeing them bow makes me feel sick with guilt. I chose Elias over all of them, over the whole of Dragca. I shouldn’t be bowed to.

A familiar face walks through the people. Essna. She now has a massive scar down her one cheek, and little cuts next to it which have healed but are still red. Her hair is cut very short and shaved on the one side, and she is dressed for war. The black marks are so striking on her pale skin, though that seems like the only thing the same about her.

“I heard you gave up the throne for one of your lovers,” Essna states, and I nod, waiting for her to tell me how stupid I am or how disappointing, but instead she smiles. “It seems like something a true queen would have done. Any queen that is willing to kill those she loves for the throne isn’t a queen anyone should support.” Her statement is somewhat humbling, considering my uncle and likely everyone else thinks I made a mistake.

“Are you here to support me?” I ask her, watching her reaction closely. I’d certainly be shocked if she was.

“Yes. While you were on Earth, I gathered an army for you. Dragca Academy is protected by seer wards, and we can hold off Tatarina for a little while.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I had a vision which I believe the last of the magic in Dragca sent me. If there is going to be a future here for any of us…you are our last hope, Isola Dragice,” she tells me.

“What did you see?”

“Didn’t your sister explain how you should never tell someone what you see? Where is Melody?” she asks me. Seers and their rules.

“On Earth,” I reply, and she crosses her arms.

“Good. The seers need a leader when this is over, and I doubt I will be alive to be one…or I’m retiring if I am,” she laughs, almost making me smile before she turns more serious.

“If the war is won, I’m sure you can retire in peace,” I respond.

“Perhaps I might. Do try to save your lover…but know one thing, Isola,” she says, and lowers her voice so only Dagan and I can hear her. “When Tatarina finally comes here, I will kill her to save everyone, and if I don’t, there will be a line right behind me to finish the job. It is best you kill her though, and then no one will doubt your rule. Or your children’s in time to come.” My eyes tear at her truthful words, knowing that she is right. I may have walked away from killing Tatarina, but if anyone else gets the chance, they won’t pause like I did. If someone else kills her, they have a claim to the throne even if it is decided to be given to me. Then my children could pay the price if one of the killer’s children decided to go for the throne.

“Thank you for your advice,” I respond, clearing my throat, and she bows her head with a look of understanding before Dagan leads me away.

“We have time to save him,” Dagan whispers to me, and I can’t reply as we walk through the people to a door on the other side. Whatever time we have, won’t be long. Tatarina will give me time to suffer, not time to save him. I need a miracle.

Dagan opens the door and waves me in, closing the door behind us. There are steps going down, with a light from a fire at the bottom, lighting the steps so I can see where I am walking. I try to connect with my dragon as I walk down, but she seems tired or simply doesn’t want to speak to me right now. I don’t even blame her, though I sense her pain mixed in with mine. I keep walking down the steps, my heart beating loudly in my chest with every step. I almost don’t want to look as I get to the bottom of the steps and see Thorne and Korbin sitting on chairs outside a row of cages. They smile nervously at me, their eyes flashing between me and the cage. I step further into the room, my every step feeling forced as I want nothing more than to run out this room and pretend everything is okay. I have already run from Tatarina…I won’t run from Elias. I smile back at them, before looking into the cage where Elias sits on the ground, a collar around his neck that I recognize.

“Your uncle kept one of the collars just in case we needed it one day…and Elias keeps attacking everyone, so we used it on him to control him for now,” Thorne explains, but I can’t reply as Elias finally lifts his head to look at me. His black eyes are empty of anything but darkness, and I feel nothing but pain as I watch him. The collar was a smart idea, even if I hate the idea of him wearing one.

“Eli?” I question, and he growls in response, standing up slowly. Elias’s clothes just hang off him now, and his skin is so deadly pale that it reminds me he really did die. I am so out of my comfort zone here with how I am meant to save him. I need Bee…or a lot of research on light and dark magic.

“Who are you?” Elias asks, his tone horrible and sinister.

“Isola…you know me, Eli,” I whisper to him, stepping that little bit closer to the cage, but I know I can’t get too close with how Elias is looking at me. He wants me dead. He doesn’t know me, let alone love me.

“Princess Isola. An enemy of my queen,” he muses with a growing smirk. “Queen Tatarina will be happy when I kill you.”

“No. Isola, the woman you are in love with,” Dagan snaps from just behind me. “Like I have told you many times, Tatarina is not your queen. She is a monster.”

“I don’t love anyone, and I serve the true queen,” Elias spits out and suddenly runs to the cage door, holding the bars so tightly his knuckles are white. “I will escape and kill you. I will wrap my hands around your neck and break it, pretty princess!” The words are said so cruelly and so loudly that it makes me flinch. Dagan comes to my side, placing his hand on my lower back. I know he expects me to break down…but I won’t. I made my choice to save Elias, and I will.

I step closer to the cage, and keep my eyes locked on his as I speak.

“I will save you, Elias Fire, because nothing is impossible.”

Epilogue

MELODY

Isola stands in the middle of the throne room, covered in blood, with a dagger in her hand as she watches Elias hold a sword to Tatarina’s neck. Bee and Nane float near her, both of them fighting with light and dark blasts of magic that are hard to look at.

“Don’t kill her! You can’t,” Isola sobs out, stepping closer with every word, and Elias looks over at her with so much love in his eyes.

“I’d do anything to save you. Anything. Including this,” he says, lifting his sword to make the final blow as Isola runs towards them both, screaming in horror. Tatarina shoots a bolt of ice right into Isola’s chest before ducking out of the way of Elias’s sword and running away. Elias roars as I watch my sister die, and the vision turns into blackness.

Igasp as the vision leaves me, and I sit up off the floor where I collapsed in the empty room, rubbing my face. Isola is going to die. No! I stand up and quickly go to the wardrobe in our room, pulling out my orb and grabbing some daggers which I place into the small rucksack. I can grab some more things downstairs before going.

“Melody? Are you okay?” Hallie asks right behind me as she walks through the open doorway, and I tense, knowing she won’t like what I have to tell her. I could stay here and be a coward, letting my only family die, or take a massive risk and go to Dragca to save Isola.

“I’m going back to Dragca. I had a vision,” I explain to her.

“No…you told me if you went to Dragca again, you would die,” she gasps, her panicked voice is hard to hear.

“I know that,” I reply.

“I love you, you can’t do this,” Hallie cries out, walking to me to place her hand on my shoulder. I rest my head on her hand, taking the little comfort she can give me.

“Isola will die if I don’t warn her, Hallie. I love you too, but I won’t stay here while she dies when I could warn her,” I say, turning to face the devastated face of my girlfriend. To my surprise, she wipes her tears away and walks to me, picking up the dagger from my collection in my bag, before pulling the zipper up.

“Then let’s go. We will tell Queen Winter, and she will help. Both you and Isola think you have to do everything alone, and that isn’t happening anymore,” she says, being the strong human I know she is.

“Hallie, this is a world of dragons,” I warn her so she knows what she is waking into. “Not all dragons are like Isola, and they don’t respect humans. This is a war we will be walking into, and one I don’t think I will walk out of alive.”

“And like it or not, I’m a hunter. Let’s go, because we do this together,” she replies, being the strong woman I fell in love with. Dragca will fall with Isola…so I must save her, even if it means she loses me.

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G. Bailey is a USA Today and international bestselling author of books that are filled with everything from dragons to pirates. Plus, fantasy worlds and breath-taking adventures.

G. Bailey is from the very rainy U.K. where she lives with her husband, two children, three cheeky dogs and one cat who rules them all.

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