Dragon’s Blood

Everyone thinks I am quiet. They probably don't realize that even though my mouth doesn't speak many words, my ears never stop hearing everyone else’s.

It’s such a plague on the senses, and a pain in the ass.

I hate people. I hate everyone. I don't like anyone’s company. I don't even like my mother.

I don’t know why I’m thinking about the concept of silence so much until I realize it’s the pause on the stage from the band.

I’m resting on my stomach, my chin on my hands, as I hide up on a ledge in Deep Cavern.

As far as I know, it was my Uncle Mason’s idea to educate the slaves of the Requiem Horde and give them a reason to work with more passion under my father’s rule.

Hael and Lochness are my dads. They’re twins but both mated to Madeline, my mother.

Argh…and great…I’m frowning again just thinking about her.

The crowd of slaves have the day off. They are dancing or quietly standing and listening.

You know what? I lied. I don’t hate everyone equally.

I prefer slaves over Dragons.

The slaves are still annoying, but they are…humble.

Unfortunately, they are my friends because they are all my age.

When I was born, there was a Dragon fledgling boom of little brats. We are all eighteen now, but I still fail to hear any mature thoughts.

I like music because it drowns out all the thoughts I can hear from everyone around me.

It helps me sleep.

My momentary peace doesn’t last long, however.

I’m jolted back to awareness when a spike of arrogance and a shiver of grace runs down my spine. How else can I describe how potent the intrusive feeling is?

One has cobalt blue hair. Thaddeus—or, as every doe-eyed female referred to him, “Thad.” He is arrogance.

The other has midnight blue hair. Sylvan. He doesn’t have a nickname because his name is already perfect. He is grace.

And they are both the bane of my existence.

Every girl here would die if I told them how those boys made me feel: odd, nervous even. But I would never tell a soul.

Because then I would be told I had a crush on them. And I’d be molded into a part of the fangirl club.

No, thank you.

I watch as the attention in the room is completely flipped from the band to the handsome boys. I hear multiple girly sighs and even a few squeals.

While the girls below me melt and the princes smile and gloat as they come in to “chat” with their loyal fans, I make my move to leave.

I scowl and turn on my heel as my prying mind seeps into theirs without my control.

Look! Luvenia is so weird. Sylvan is speaking to his brother.

She’s uncouth. Thaddeus’s tone is darker, and he is more serious.

They’re lucky I don’t.

Otherwise, I would have told Thad just how much I thought he was a huge lump of muscle with a very, very small brain. Uncouth… How the hell am I uncouth? You idiot!

Your temper is just like your mother, Luv, despite how much you think you hate her.

I stop in my tracks as I squeeze between the narrow cave exit off my secret ledge. I didn’t expect to hear from my father, Lochness.

What has displeased you?

I bite my lip as I think of a good response.

We’ll be eating dinner soon. Come up soon, all right, babygirl?

I roll my eyes as he calls me that. Dad. Don’t. It’s all I say back, and I keep squeezing my way through the narrow cave passage.

I am a Rogue like him. He doesn't like people either. But he is also terribly smart, which is why I avoid telling him too much.

He considers me his babygirl, his babyc akes. In other words, people tend to die if I told him who is pissing me off.

Tonight, I knew exactly who would be attending. Besides my parents and my brother, I knew Althor, the Dragon Lord of the Horde of Fortune, must be visiting.

Althor always brought Thaddeus and Sylvan over. They were his nephews.

Sorry to burst your bubble, sis, but there’s two more empty seats at this table. Hurry up—Dad’s waiting. Lex’s voice breaks past my thoughts, and I frown.

Thanks for the heads-up. Hey, don’t just say “Dad’s”—you always mean Hael, but Lochness is your dad too, I snap at him.

Shut up. You can’t get out of this dinner, Luvenia. You need to come—

Why? I snarl at him.

I always got angry when he tried to be bossy with me.

I’m nothing like her, I snarl back at him.

You’re exactly like her. Have you read her mind? Lex asks, sounding smug.

I try not to.

Well, whatever. Get your ass over here. Althor wants to ask you a favor.

Whatever Althor is up to, I may as well get this over and done with.

Now, walking my way up to the Royal Chambers where the Royal Dragons reside and dinner will be served, I’m already itching to explore the forest.

I preferred the outdoors.

Perhaps if I knew how to transform into a Dragon, I would be safer.

Half-bloods could only transform if their blood was a majority Dragon genes and magic. So it was potluck if you could gain the ability.

The walk is getting steeper, and I know I’m nearing the top of the mountain now.

It helped me keep cool, as the mountain could get stuffy sometimes. It also made it easier to maneuver. I wasn’t the biggest fan of dresses.

I round the last bend. The cave corridors are wider up here. I stop before I enter the dining room.

I walk forward and enter the room gracefully.

A huge wooden table laid out shows a feast of food and wine. Seated at that table are my parents. They sit at the head—Althor on one end, and Lex at the other.

“Greetings, darling.” Althor sees me and nods, smiling as I enter.

There was something about him that I never trusted.

I nod, coming in to sit by Lex.

He was the mini version of Hael. They shared emerald-green hair and eyes.

Which was fine with me, because I never wanted to look at people anyway.

“So, you decided to actually sit and join us for once, Luvenia?” Madeline asks me, looking pleased I’m here but also upset at the same time.

I just ignore her, and I hear Hael growl.

I couldn’t help but judge what Madeline was wearing. That damn collar and leash. Over her warriors’ outfit—similar to my own, except her top was a bra with dangling feathers.

I just couldn’t understand why you’d contrast a strong outfit with degrading accessories.

“Ow!” he swats my hand away, and I smile evilly, focusing my gaze on Althor.

I wanted to know what he wanted from me.

“When will Blue and Bluer arrive?” Lex asks Althor. “They’re keeping us from eating—”

I scowl at their leather pants, a common choice for male Dragons who transform often between forms and need something easy to carry around.

They were older than me by about seven months, but I still felt as if I was older and wiser.

Thaddeus and Sylvan smirk with confidence and stalk their way over to sit by their uncle. They don’t dare to sit next to me. I avoid their gazes and presence and look to my fathers instead.

As expected, they both look annoyed.

Young Dragon minds, barely developed, while their confidence and arrogance were through the roof.

“We can all eat now,” Hael growls through his teeth, glaring at Althor. “Ask Luvenia what you want. If my daughter doesn’t want to help you, you’ll have to find someone else.”

He meets my green eyes, and as he does so, I feel the stares of his nephews on me as well.

I already feel uncomfortable.

This was the closest they had ever been to me while in the same room.

“Yes,” I answer, although the one mind I could not crack was Althor’s. Not because he had a strong mental block, but because of something else.

His mind was fuzzy and unreadable. Magic leaked from his head like poison.

At Althor’s words, I look directly to my father, shocked.

“You weren’t able to read someone’s mind?” I ask Lochness, who has a knowing glint in his eye, but he shakes his head anyway.

He was up to something. He always was.

“What do I have to gain?” I ask Althor, trying to ignore the two popular Dragons either side of him who are both tilting their heads, clearly communicating to each other about me.

I didn’t bother reading their minds, however. I didn’t want to know what they were thinking.

Althor couldn’t sound anymore condescending.

“I’m not interested,” I reply coolly, now glaring at Thad who looks utterly offended as he sits back in his chair, eyes wide in disbelief at my refusal.

“And I’m not hungry either.” I get to my feet quickly, and the tension in the room rises.

“Luvenia.” Madeline narrows her eyes at me. “You need to eat something! You hardly eat.”

“No, Mother, I eat in the company of people I like.” I’m glaring at her now, and she looks hurt, and I feel like crying, but I don’t.

“What are you staring at?” I direct this to Thaddeus. His eyes have darkened, and he looks angry now.

“I’m looking at a horse that needs breaking.” He says this boldly—far too boldly.

I glare at Hael to do something.

“Manners, boys.” Unexpectedly, Lochness is the one to speak. He gets in before Hael can.

He blinks slowly, with humor, toward Thaddeus and Sylvan. “Don’t you know? Disrespect is for the bedroom.”

“Of course you had to humor yourself and say something like that,” Madeline hisses at her Nessy. He growls back at her before continuing to glare at me.

“Seriously? Now you stick up for yourself?” I snap at Madeline, hardly believing she actually just had a go at Lochness.

Go to your room, Luv. I’m sick of how much you backchat your mother. She does nothing but love you, Lochness snarls at me, and now I do feel tears well in the back of my eyes.

I couldn’t let anyone see me cry.

I turn from the room and walk away, sick of Dragons and the way they treat women.

I will never be like Mother, I whisper to both my fathers through our mental connection.

I then bring up a fiery wall of mental power that no one can break through.

My room was at the very top of the mountain. It used to be Hael’s old bedchamber before I was born, but they redecorated it for me.

My parents also knew it could keep me from going into the forest without their knowledge. After all, to them and everyone else, I couldn’t fly, and I couldn’t transform.

I reach my room in under a minute.

I slam my bedroom door and strip out of my clothes and chuck them on my bed.

I run to the ledge, and even as I go, I feel my blood and body loosening, dissipating into purity.

I become my magic.

It flows back together until black scales, sharp claws, lethal fangs, and a lithe body reappear.

I become my Dragon.