Claiming the Dragon King

2

Ciara laughed at Darynda’s lips as they pouted at the empty cribs. She’d felt the

same way; seeing them empty had been a hard blow. She’d offered to be in the

rotation for a chance to see them, to play their pretend nanny until they were

back. Everyone had a part to play here, and with the war with the Mages

looming on the horizon, she’d made sure to put her best foot forward.

Of course, at night, she was free to do as she wanted, which normally ended

up with her hanging at the two nightclubs she’d been approved to visit by the

king, her brother. Her hand absently touched the charm that hung around her

wrist on the platinum bracelet Ryder had given her.

She’d known it wasn’t just a regular bracelet, but today it itched. She pulled

on the beautiful charm until the bracelet snapped off. Holding it in her hand so

that whatever it did wouldn’t alert her brothers to the fact she’d removed it, she

bent over the crib and brought Zander’s blanket up to her nose, inhaling his

scent. She missed the little monsters; their perky smiles and endless laughter had

made her life here a little less challenging to endure lately.

The door opened, and she turned around, watching as the guards piled into

the room. Her eyes narrowed at them and waited for the charge guard to speak; when he didn’t, she did.

“What are you doing in here?” she asked, examining the physique of the

tallest one. “I asked you a question, you will answer it.” It wasn’t her brothers,

and most of the Elite Guard was made up of her brothers, or other kin. She

stepped a little closer and watched in horror as he withdrew his sword.

Instantly she summoned her own swords to her hands as Zahruk had trained

her to do. She body checked Darynda, who didn’t respond to the threat in the

room. Her mouth opened and closed even as she hit the ground, hard.

“You’re not Elite Guards,” Ciara seethed as she took in the differences in

their armor. It was close, but the actual armor of the guards contoured to their

bodies; it had iridescent fabric that made them able to move around undetected.

Ciara watched as he removed his hood, revealing piercing blue eyes that never

left hers. He had high chiseled cheekbones, with a full mouth that lifted in the

corners, giving her a dangerous smirk. His hair was a mixture of light brown

with dark tips that reached his shoulders. He was striking, almost beautiful. Yet

there was roughness in his face that spoke of harsh climates and sun. Not that it

took from the beauty; in fact, it added to it.

“No, we’re not, woman,” he said thickly with an accent Ciara couldn’t place.

She took another step back, giving herself enough room to fight him, them. Her

heart leapt to her throat, and her hands grew sweaty against the hilts of her

blades as fear crept up her spine. “Do you really think you can fight me?” he

asked and she smirked at his naiveté.

Ciara lunged, catching him off guard as she took an offensive attack against

him, ignoring Darynda’s scared cries as blade crashed against blade. He met her

attacks with skill, deflecting blow after blow as she continued to assault him.

Her arms burned from the blades she’d called to her, too heavy, not the slim ones

she’d been using to practice with only a few hours earlier. Today’s training had

been grueling, meant to drain her until she couldn’t fight anymore. It was how

every training course had gone in the last few weeks. It was how the Elite Guard

trained for war, and she’d begged Zahruk to push her past her limits. However,

she hadn’t planned on fighting off attackers that day, either.

He parried her attack and then slammed his blade hard against one of hers,

sending it crashing to the floor. Ciara looked at it as her lungs burned, her chest

heaved with exhaustion, and the reality of the situation took hold. Her eyes lowered to the bracelet on the floor, and then back up just as he forced her to

move into defensive attacks. He calculated each attack, carefully backing her up

to the wall and out of room to move.

She was slowing, her body exhausted from the rigorous workout she’d done

after training today. No doubt Zahruk had pushed her twice as hard today so no

one would be forced to trail her at the clubs tonight. Metal clashed against metal

until Ciara felt Darynda at her back where she’d risen to stand and watch the

fight. She shivered and tried to push forward again, only for him to force her

right back to where he wanted her. She thrust her blade at him with everything

she had, ignoring the pain that shot up her arms with each clash of their metal.

Sweat trickled down her spine as a sense of foreboding settled in.

Sweat dripped down her forehead as she realized the wards were not

responding, and her brothers weren’t coming. Somehow these men had known

the wards were down, and then she realized why they were. These men had

come to take the babes, and a sense of relief washed through her that Ryder and

Synthia had been smart enough to hide them.

“Put it down, little girl,” he ordered.

“You first, asshole,” she seethed.

“Put it down, and you won’t get hurt,” he amended.

“I’ll die before I put it down,” she growled. She’d heard horror tales of what

happened to women when the fighting ended. She’d been forced to endure

endless hours of screaming as her father took his women to bed. She had no

interest in what would happen if she stopped fighting.

“So be it,” he warned as he lunged, sending her blade sailing from her hands

before she knew what he intended to do. He raised his blade to strike again, and

Darynda screamed.

“She’s the princess! She’s worth more alive to you, please. Don’t kill her!”

Ciara’s blood ran cold as she turned horrified eyes on Darynda. Betrayal

stung, and her eyes watered as the reality of what Darynda had said registered.

She knew Darynda didn’t do it out of any malice; she was trying to save Ciara

from certain death.

“No, no…no,” she whispered as she turned wide, horrified eyes back to the

male. His sword was raised, his eyes narrowed. Ciara kicked him right between

the legs, landed an uppercut, and dropped, kicking out her foot in a move

Synthia taught her. He fell to his knees with a muffled growl as the female

behind him jumped in to take his place.

Ciara backed up, pushing Darynda with her. The blonde looked as if she’d

relish the kill. Ciara focused her mind, pushing away everything else, and

brought forth her reserved powers. Her brands ignited, giving proof to Darynda’s

claim of who she was. She pushed a burst of energy at the group and grabbed

Darynda’s hand, making a beeline towards the door. Something caught her foot,

and she stumbled, taking Darynda down with her.

She spun on her derriere and kicked out, hitting him square in the nose with

her booted foot. He ignored it as if he hadn’t felt the kick and pulled her to him.

His hand wrapped around her throat. He held her there, trapped beneath the

heavy weight of his body as her labored breathing forced her chest to rise and

fall.

“Open the f*****g portal,” he snarled.

“On it,” the girl said as she got to her feet, staring at Ciara with hatred. “Get

the babes,” he ordered. Ciara turned her head as the men rushed to the cribs,

tossing the blankets and toys about.

She laughed even though it came out choked and distorted from where his

hand held her throat. “You fool, you risked your lives for nothing,” she cried out

as his hand applied more pressure. “You’ll die for this.”

“I don’t think so,” he whispered as his eyes searched hers. “Where are they?”

he demanded icily.

“They’re with the Gods who they share blood with,” she snapped and

watched the color drained from his face. “The same ones that will hunt you

down and destroy you. You have no idea what you have done, do you?” she

laughed and then winced as he sat back, holding her down with the weight of his

body.

“Get that f*****g portal open now,” he snarled.

Darynda lunged, taking him off of Ciara long enough for her to gain her feet and rush towards the door. A sickening noise stopped her, and she turned, staring

at Darynda’s bloody head before lifting her chin as a blade was placed against

her throat.

Her eyes didn’t leave Darynda’s motionless body. Blood pooled around her

head, and Ciara screamed with anguish and anger, which caused the wards to

ripple. The hum of danger intensified, the wards began to glow, and Ciara closed

her eyes as her sense of hopelessness began to diminish as the wards alerted the

guard.

“Thirty seconds,” the female announced.

“Don’t try it,” the male said as Ciara turned to look at the door, and then

back at the bracelet that sat beside Darynda. The blade pierced her flesh as she

moved and she lifted her hands, pushing it away. Her lips parted as a hiss

expelled from her lungs and her palms burned with pain from being sliced open.

Blood pooled at her feet as they bled openly. “Stupid female,” he snapped as he

pushed his sword away and grabbed her hair. He tugged her with him as a portal

opened up inside the nursery.

“We have nothing to barter with,” a male with emerald green eyes said.

“On the contrary, we have the only daughter of Alazander in our possession,”

the male she’d been fighting replied as he pulled her body close to his and pulled

her through the portal.