The Blood of Dragons Read online

  The warlock had hurried to his side, then extended his staff toward me as if trying to smash my head, but I ducked and planted my foot against his knee. A crunching, painful sound came out of his leg. The warlock screamed, while his superior laughed.

  “She’s a fierce one. I like that. My blood boils.”

  “Good, I’m fired up, already.”

  Flames covered my entire body. I was ready to strike the bastard down.

  “Flare, stop it!” Simona’s shout gave me a pause. I looked back at her. She was serious.

  “Flare? I like your name!”

  “I’m Dramer.”

  Every dragon soldier gaped. What was weird about introducing to each other? Were they so backward with good manners that it evoked such a shocked reaction?

  “So, Dramer, are we good to go? I don’t mind our conversation, but we have a business to finish…”

  Simona crushed against me.

  “Please, forgive her this, she’s mentally impaired.”

  “Demi-dragon Dramer…” the warlock mumbled as he applied some liquid onto his knee. He looked pale, though he got the pain under control. “This is unprecedented.”

  “They’re the spawns of the darkness!” lieutenant Rox yelled, while some dragon soldiers were digging him out of the heap of rubbles.

  “Fuck off, everyone,” I snapped. “I’m not mentally impaired, Simona. And I won’t let any asshole threaten my friends.”

  Simona’s jaws snapped, then opened, but no sound came out. The warlock paled even further. The dragon soldiers froze. Rust tensed. Something was up.

  “Finish checking that orange kid with a dragon compass,” the demi-dragon said. His amusement was gone. “Then check the shapeshifter. I’ll check the red-haired Flare myself. I don’t need a dragon compass to know if someone possesses darkness within them.”

  I shivered for once. Simona’s hand fell on my shoulder and squeezed it gently. I appreciated the gesture, but we should be ready to cut through this party would their stupid device show more darkness than they could stomach. I didn’t give a fuck if my friends had sixty or more percent of darkness in them. Abandoning them seemed incomprehensible.

  “This one is fifty,” one of the soldiers exclaimed. Rust didn’t say anything. He simply stood watching the soldier taking the device away and heading toward Simona.

  “Interesting,” the warlock murmured. The grimace of pain was gone. Whatever the damage my kick had inflicted, now it was healed. “Perfect balance. That is rare.”

  I moved to intercept the soldier with a dragon compass, but Simona halted me.

  “Please, Flare. Let me do it.”

  I feared about her. She was like my older sister. I couldn’t let them kill her. My body tensed when the soldier with the weird device approached us.

  “Move aside,” the soldier commanded. If not Simona’s immediate reaction, I’d punch the asshole in the face. I didn’t care about his fancy helmet. The tip of the compass touched my friend’s solar plexus and the air grew hot. I didn’t even realize that the heat came out of me. I was so focused on getting us alive from here that I forgot how fierce my fire can be.

  “Forty-two,” the soldier exclaimed with a relief, which I shared.

  “That one walks in the Light,” lieutenant Rox yelled delighted.

  “Impressive,” the warlock added fascinated. “Living here outside the protection of the Holy Seal and stay in the Light. That takes true strength of will. We should take this one with us, sir.”

  The demi-dragon didn’t react to the measurement or his officers’ words. He stood watching me. His attention was all on me. What was wrong with this dude? If he fancied me then he’d better change his manners because, at the moment, all I wanted was to give him a proper kick in the balls. I found him handsome, true, but the appearance wasn’t everything.

  Dramer had taken the device and advanced toward me. I stepped back, my inner self-defense mechanisms already kicking into motion. I still got one ace up my sleeve. Unfortunately, Simona stood too close to me to pull this one off.

  Dramer extended his hand with the device so it touched the same spot as others. Hadn’t he said that he didn’t need it to measure me? I didn’t like his change of mind. He looked down on the result and frowned.

  “Soldier, what’s wrong with this?”

  The same soldier, who has measured Rust and Simona, checked the device and shook his head.

  “It doesn’t work.”

  The warlock had strolled to them, then glanced at it.

  This was bad. Hair all over my body stood straight up.

  “It’s never malfunctioned like this,” the warlock murmured. “We should take them all to the Great York City and put through controlled tests.”

  “Like hell, you’ll,” I jumped back preparing up another fire attack. Flames swirled between my fingers.

  “No use,” the warlock said coolly as he extinguished my powers once more.

  “This one hides in the darkness!” lieutenant Rox shouted heatedly. “We should execute this spawn of dark…”

  His words faded away as something powerful invaded my mind. I didn’t even know that such a thing was possible. The source of the power came from the demi-dragon, the self-called god.

  What are you? His voice sounded in my mind.

  Get out of my head! I countered him back. I didn’t invite you here.

  I don’t need your invitation. I do whatever I want. Now, open your soul. I must see what is there.

  His demand resonated inside me, but the fact that he couldn’t see my soul meant he wasn’t omnipotent. He wasn’t a god. He was only a demi-dragon, therefore he could be beaten. Or so, I believed.

  When his demand met no response from my side, Dramer’s decided to use force to tear through my mental defenses. Something snapped within me and outburst of unimaginable power shoved him out of my head.

  “WHAT WAS THAT?!” he bellowed sending everyone, except me, to their knees. Maybe a few minutes back, I’d awe at the display of his might, but no longer.

  “We must run,” I shouted to Simona, but she didn’t reply. I turned around and found her body sprawled on the ground. She was unconscious.

  “Bastard,” I growled. “What did you do to her?”

  Our eyes locked on each other. His were like liquid amber, mine looked like two emeralds, at least they were when the last time I’d checked them. The tension between us increased and something stirred between my legs. Heat unlike anything else I’ve experienced spread all over my thighs and abdomen. My heart missed a beat and my head suddenly felt dizzy. I didn’t remember my body to ever react this way to anyone. His amber eyes seemed to pull me in, and yet I found his lips attracting my attention with an unknown force. Was this some kind of mysterious dark art? I’ve never before wanted to taste anyone, but now my mind couldn’t steer off this course where I… and him. Stop this stupid. He’s using magic on you. Resist him. Deny him. Fight!

  Dramer steamed all over his body and a bulge in his crotch caused me to blush furiously. I couldn’t deny such a gorgeous man… My mind had gone haywire and I stumbled back, tearing my eyes from him.

  The demi-dragon had stepped back, then shook off his confusion. Was it really his spell? He didn’t look as if he was in control at all.

  “Now, this was strange,” he said. A smile returned to his face. It fitted there. “I want you to go with me to the Dragon Academy.”

  Lieutenant and the warlock were the first to regain consciousness.

  “What happened, sir?”

  “Hell, if I know,” the demi-dragon replied carelessly. “But I’m intrigued. I’ve never met an elemental that could fend off my mental assault.”

  “Impossible,” the warlock exclaimed. “You were trained by the demi-unicorns. Even they found your metal aptitude admirable, sir.”

  “I know, warlock.”

  Unicorns? This was becoming ugly. Dragons, Unicorns, elementals. All these creatures possessed nasty powers. And the Dragon Acad
emy was their nest. I didn’t want anything to do with them. Okay, I need a way out of this. I must try a different approach. It seems I can’t overpower them.

  “Look, guys. I think you got it all wrong. I’m no one. My friends and I are law-abiding citizens of the Wasteland. It’d be best for everyone involved if we split here…”

  “Nonsense,” the demi-dragon said. “We need to figure out what are you.”

  “I’m Flare, an twenty-year-old girl who can wield fire.”

  “And counter a demi-dragon’s mental assault?” the warlock snorted. “Sir, I’ll take the liberty of conjuring a portal to the battle station Section A. From there we could take helicopters to the city.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Wait a minute. Didn’t you hear what I’d said?”

  Lieutenant took off his helmet, his eyes drilled me with hatred, then he rushed away urging his soldiers to take a grip. It looked that the demi-dragon’s power didn’t choose between enemies and friends. It hit everyone. Why did it leave me intact? I didn’t need a spotlight.

  Simona climbed to her feet.

  “What’s going on?”

  “I have no idea, but they want to take us to the Dragon Academy.”

  I expected some sort of support from her, but Simona gasped with delighted shock. Come to think of this now, she’d confided to me that deep down she’s always dreamed of joining some academy. Was this the one? It didn’t fit her. Simona was one with nature. She loved freedom, didn’t she?

  “Really?” she asked with a thick naivety in her voice. Speaking of a responsible older sister.

  “Get a grip, Simona. We aren’t going anywhere.”

  “I’d give it a go,” spoke a voice I haven’t heard in some time. Rust approached us with two dragon soldiers flanking him. Bandits were already gone from the yard. They had no use for the forces of the Light.

  “Rust, don’t be naïve,” I said.

  But I lost the argument. It seemed that everyone wanted to avoid troubles. I thought of an escape plan, but then I realized that Simona looked happy. Even Rust decided to break his habit and spoke up. Maybe it was the time to cool down and go with the Dragon Soldiers? Rust and Simona wanted it. Why then all my instincts spiked with fear?

  Chapter 4

  The warlock Raspin needed ten minutes to conjure the portal strong enough to teleport us all to the destination. Dramer had vanished shortly before we entered the portal. No one seemed keen to answer my questions. And I had plenty. As it turned out our trio had no money. The life in the Wasteland was about survival, not wealth.

  My skin prickled as I walked into the translucent sheet of water-like substance. In an instant, the smell, noises and even pressure of the air changed. I blinked as my eyes widened in awe. On the horizon stood a gargantuan city studded with high skyscrapers made of glass and steel. But the source of my thrill didn’t come from the size or height of the Great York City. For the first time in my life, I saw a cloudless sky. It looked that the seal, which protected the city also affected the dark clouds. The sky was, actually, blue. I felt a tear in the corner of my eye but extinguished it when gasps of bewilderment sounded behind me. Simona and Rust haven’t seen this city as well.

  “That’s the might of the Light,” lieutenant said from my left. “It annihilates darkness. If you have more than sixty percent of it inside you, the Holy Seal will burn your body so thoroughly that even ash won’t remain.”

  “What?”

  Lieutenant smirked. He didn’t put the helmet back on his scarred head forcing me to see his ugliness. The warlock came through the last. The portal flicked out of existence a second later. They forgot about the demi-dragon!

  “Where is Dramer?” I asked panicked.

  “Blasphemy!” lieutenant hissed. “If not the last order of the demi-dragon, I’d cut you down as you stand, dark spawn.”

  My friends had tensed up, but I got only curious more. So, Dramer forbade them killing me? Good. I was going to push them to their limits, then. It was this asshole’s fault that I ended up here. Their fucking dragon compass that had malfunctioned, so they decided to test if the Holy Seal would allow me through. In truth, I had no idea what proportion of darkness was in my soul. What if I had sixty-one percent? I wasn’t a bad person.

  “Fuck off,” I said to lieutenant. Bloodlust raged in his eyes.

  “You should know that I have dragon blood in my veins,” he said coldly.

  My friends’ hands grabbed me from behind, not sure what they tried to achieve, but it didn’t work. I wasn’t going to stand down before this buffoon.

  “So what, asshole?”

  “You’ll kill us all,” Simona whispered into my ear.

  “Never,” I said. Liquid fire cursing through my veins, ready to lend me its might.

  “You dare to fight me, darkspawn?” lieutenant drew his sword, his face distorted by rage.

  “Stop!” the warlock bellowed butting the end of his staff into the concrete ground. It cracked. Though he lacked the strength of the demi-dragon, it was enough to halt our clash. “The demi-dragon’s command was clear. The elemental mustn’t be harmed.”

  I stuck out my tongue at him, but dark satisfaction bloomed on the lieutenant’s face. Shit, something wasn’t right. Where did I make a mistake?

  “You heard it? I’m free to cut down your companions, instead.”

  Despite my inner fire, my blood froze. I didn’t anticipate that this jerk was capable of going after my friends in my place.

  “Wait!” I raised my hands. “Warlock, do something!”

  “I’m not his superior,” he admitted, unconcerned.

  “I told you,” Simona said steeling herself for the confrontation. Even in her panther form, she might not be strong enough to defeat lieutenant, whose aura pulsed with a dire promise. He had daggers in his eyes.

  Despite the presence of two dozen dragon soldiers, who took the perimeter and watched me intently, I positioned myself in the lieutenant’s path.

  “You’ll have to kill me first to get to my friends, asshole!”

  “Flare,” Simona said, a tear appeared in her eye.

  An unexpected declaration halted Rox, but it didn’t extinguish the murder in his glare. Whatever he was considering, it didn’t bode well for us. I felt it in my guts.

  Lights reflected in a nearly mirror-like long sword.

  “A song of my ancestors sings in my blood,” lieutenant whispered as he readied to swing the long sword at us. Flames exploded all around me. Simona shifted into her panther form, growling warningly. Rust watched our backs.

  The Dragon Soldiers reacted faster than we anticipated, either they followed some protocol or just received a mental command from someone. I didn’t know. But in a flash, they were among us, edges of their spears and swords gently touching our necks. They were quick, I give them that. But I was only starting…

  “Enough!” the warlock smashed the butt of his staff again, further cracking the pavement. “This kind of behavior is not acceptable behind the walls of the city protected by the Holy Seal that destroys darkness. You’re wildlings, which can’t comprehend the notion of civilization. For now, the demi-dragon Dramer gave you a bit of leeway in regard to your behavior, but such manners won’t be accepted in the long run. The Dragon Academy isn’t open for supernaturals from outside of the city anymore. You should show gratitude for this opportunity.”

  Basically, we’d been kidnapped, and he spoke of gratitude? They should have let us go. Everyone would be better off.

  “We’re sorry,” Simona reverted back to her human form and kneeled. “Flare can be a true hothead. It might be that her elemental nature causes it.”

  Lieutenant pushed his soldiers aside. My skin turned into gooseflesh, though his sword was sheathed. He stopped before Simona, but his eyes didn’t leave me. I shivered.

  “Remember that dragon fire will burn everything. Even elemental’s puny flames,” he said coldly. “Back to the formation. We still have a mile to the ba
ttle station. Dark forces might try to get back this one.” He pointed at me.

  I growled at him, but Rust’s hand covered my mouth.

  “The next time, the old man won’t get a chance to stop this brute,” Rust’s words barely a whisper in the air.

  Obviously, my friend was right. Deep down, I knew it. Only my nature took a better of me and I wanted to fight. Compromises didn’t exist in the Wasteland. I’ve learned to survive by any means there were at my disposal. Excluding my friends, who were my treasure. I’d rather die than exploit them. When Sol had disappeared, I thought that my world would end. Being alone in the Wasteland meant a constant struggle. I’d never known if I’d survive until the night, or wake up in the morning. Simona and Rust have changed that. With these two next to me, once more I’ve regained my will to live. No asshole, no matter how scary, would take them from me.

  “Good,” the warlock said emotionlessly. He might not outrank lieutenant, but the Dragon Soldiers looked up to him more than to Rox. It could be a personality thing, too. “We’ll proceed to the battle station, where three helicopters await to take us to the Great York City. Our patrols reported no enemy activity between us and destination, none the less, exercise caution. Go.” Hearing that I’d be taken there, urged my feet to run. Though, I was curious about these helicopters. I couldn’t deny that.

  The walls of the city and skyscrapers behind them were visible from our location, but I knew we were miles from them.

  Chapter 5

  From afar the battle station had looked like a bump in the ground, but as we neared it, it turned out to be an extremely well-defended maze. Not everyone here belonged to the ranks of the Dragon Soldiers. Ordinary soldiers carried guns. So, they weren’t much different from the Wastelanders where supernaturals shrugged off firing arms. Of course, we still could be killed with a kinetic energy of a fired bullet, but it’d take time.

  I saw another way that led to the Great York City. A straight concrete road that cut through every obstacle. The warlock noticed my attention and turned to me.