Draconess

Blast this light! I roll to my side and I puke my guts out on someone’s polished perfect floor, “Argh,” I choke on my own breakfast and crawl away from the mess I’ve made.

I eventually sit against the back post of a single bed, glancing around the room.

It’s a small boarding room, for the students of the Uldaya palace. There is an empty bookcase to hold scripts from the famous Viridi Library the citizens of Uldaya often raved about.

I had never been, but had always wanted to, yet avoided it for fear of bumping into the King himself; Torrent.

Well, three years after arriving at this city on the other side of the land – I was back in the palace.

Some maids must have washed my naked unconscious form, dressed me in a white gown and tucked me into bed.

In thanks, I graced the floor with my throw-up.

I was off to a great start.

I stumble to my feet and I glance out the window, where the setting sun is falling, it had been blinding me awake from my deep slumber. My locket around my neck was closed, which meant Andoll was resting in the oasis I created for her.

I clutch it in my palm and I turn to the door.

Beyond this door would be the Uldaya Meeting Hall.

I can’t stand the smell of the puke, so I head to the door and open it up, listening to the echo of high handed tones from below.

Four balcony floors above the Meeting Hall, an open space stretches down and highlights the dull coloured marble, polished to the point of perfect reflection.

I fall to my knees by the twirling twisting railing and I grab the bars, leaning my forehead against them as I spy down from my corner.

Directly below me, Torrent sits on a throne, speaking to some important leading figures of Uldaya who clearly had to report to him when summoned.

It’s nothing of importance to me.

However, as I watch the King, dressed in beautiful deep grey and navy blue garments, with a robe the same colour as his metallic hair, I witness his eyes widen from bored and lonely to interested and proud by the newest entrants.

I follow his gaze and almost shrink with what I see and the power I feel emanating from this family.

Torrent watches without standing, as a beautiful female with braided blonde hair, waltzes in with two tall men and two tall younger girls at her sides.

A family. One of Torrent’s conquests.

“Varkinya,” Torrent drawls her name with a hidden smile on his lips, he leans forward, truly joyed to see her, “What is it you require?”

“I’m fed up. You know the Uldaya Valley Forest is my patrol ground,” she starts off, clearly furious, “There is a pest causing my villagers to fear for their safety at night. I cannot find the rogue Draconess causing such disturbances, but she’s young and bold and stupid. Playing games, scaring the children at night. Perhaps you can teach whoever this idiot is, some damn manners,” Varkinya lets out a long sigh and then takes the last step to close the distance as Torrent stands.

They embrace and he kisses her forehead while nodding, waving off the kids.

“Go explore while I entertain your mother,” Torrent drawls, at peace.

“Yes, father,” one of the girls speaks with a pointed glare before turning and walking off, grabbing her sister’s younger arm. The two boys chat together and spin, running off.

I watch them with narrowed eyes, before turning back to Torrent and Varkinya.

Our demon selves never aged, and I knew Torrent sowed spawn with multiple Draconesses. Clearly, he was a choice mate to many.

Pfft.

I watch as Varkinya steps aside and straightens her awful blood red gown.

I don’t like it because it’s so damn pretty, her back is straight and proud and she’s the kind of successful, well rounded Draconess I would dream of becoming.

Instead… I was plagued by… problems…

And I had a habit of making matters worse while letting out my frustration.

Torrent murmurs something quietly to her, “A feast in your honour?” I believe he rumbles, my ears straining to pick up on every word.

“Oh, please, I don’t need food to feel better. What I need, is a guarantee that no demons will be baited to the ground while sniffing out a lone and vulnerable Draconess. I don’t know who she is, but if it’s that whore with a reputation in the Onyx Tower, I want her thrown out of Uldaya if even she is immune to your strict ways. She will taint my reputation.”

My temper gets the better of me. I jump up and over the railing. I use fire and smoke to soften my landing but I also make the effort to appear dramatic, showing my provoked anger as I land a few feet from her.

Varkinya stands back, glaring at me in both shock and outrage.

I can’t look at Torrent, who I already know is glaring daggers at me.

“I believe you speak of I,” I mock bow, “Queen. Would you like to spit those words out again, this time, to my face? I am all ears.”

“My, how very young you are,” Varkinya’s snarl manages to shock my inner core, though I do not show it on my face. Her tone is deeply menacing and I understand in this moment she must be a much older Draconess, despite her ageless features, “You are a nuisance to this city and my humble life, only such young witless demoness’ like yourself, cause such a scene because you have not met a real Mystifyer, or had the privilege of leading a Venatores. Idiot. You think you know arrogance, you do not even know how to breed.”

“Say that again,” I hiss and raise a brow as I step forward, which causes Torrent to tense, ready to intervene.

However, Varkinya holds up a palm to Torrent’s chest and nods to his throne, “Take a seat, my love,” she smiles at Tor and he rolls his eyes, sitting down and delighting her.

“Be quiet, Chyronex. Listen to your elders,” Torrent growls anyway, while impatiently waiting for Varkinya to have her say.

I know the King of Uldaya does not want a fight to break out between one of his loved mates and I, but I am simply sticking up for my image.

I knew it was trash, I knew I wasn’t practicing what I preached. But I didn’t care.

I raise my head as Varkinya sweeps forward to confront me, taller than I, she slowly runs a mocking finger under my chin, “Listen to me, little demoness,” she licks her lips, confident I cannot match her, “Until you become aware of your power, you should close your legs and read. One day, a Mystifyer to your liking will stumble upon you and you will swoon. All your matches will fall into your lap and you will be expected to lead and win wars over the underworld with a fated Venatores. Do you understand the significance of that?”

“You know nothing about me,” I reply coldly, feeling prideful because she is wrong on so many planes.

“I am surprised you have not succumbed to Torrent’s whims yet,” Varkinya slowly shakes her head, now turning to Torrent in disgust, “…you have mellowed…”

“She is already mated to my younger brother; Zarcar,” Torrent growls out, showing a hint of frustration in that statement. Interesting.

“Oh, so she has met a Mystifying sorcerer, on your level of potential power?” Varkinya slowly smiles as she faces me again, “And where is he?”

“Swendula,” Torrent growls out for me, snapping and clearly on edge. Perhaps he too, was annoyed that Zarcar had not shown himself sooner to come after me.

“Oh, really?” the Queen faces me with a smirk, “Sweety, what a disgrace. You must have real problems with your sex life if you can’t keep one Mystifyer in your grasp, did you disgust him to the point of willingly straying from you?” now Varkinya is simply being cruel to be cruel.

I understood it because I had been so needlessly cruel with Andoll while allowing my arrogance to get the better of me these past years.

My lip curls.

One look at Torrent and he is watching me closely, his features seemingly coming alive with recognition at the innate need within me to snap and fight. Oh, yes, he knows well enough. He knows I’m going to start trouble.

“Separate,” Torrent orders, “Now.”

Varkinya almost starts to obey, but decides at the last second to wait for me to move first. She does not want to submit in front of me.

“You heard your King,” Varkinya whispers over me, “Little slut. Do as your told,” her drawl hits a tone of victory, as if she is about to win with the support of Torrent on her side.

No.

My Draconess has been challenged.

I raise my hand, striking Varkinya across the face.

It’s not a light slap, it’s so violent her head is thrown sideways.

Torrent stands and Varkinya readjusts her head, unfazed and rather… amused?!

“Treasonous, little whore,” Varkinya chuckles and steps backwards. However, her amusement is not shared by Torrent.

I turn to him now with a stony look in my eye.

I would not back down.

He would not conquer the both of us.

King or no King; I roamed free of such hierarchy.

“What is the crime, Legendary Mystifyer and King of Uldaya?” I ask, sass poisoning every word, “Or should I ask, what is the punishment… for striking one of your precious Demoness Breeders?” I shouldn’t sound so smug while I insulted someone of such inherent and ingrained power.

Let along a King renown for showing no mercy to such foolish behaviours. Yet I push him. Perhaps I do it, to relive how I used to push and provoke Zarcar, because Torrent’s movements, his voice… everything about him… it was so similar… and now…

I simply watch and await my judgement.

Torrent is not calmed by my action or my follow up.

“Guards,” Torrent drawls to the soldiers by the walls, “Take this Demoness to a cell in the dungeons, set her for execution, tomorrow; dawn,” Um. Wait. Torrent turns to see me spellbound into a totally shocked silence, “Obey the sentence or die a day sooner. Chyronex, the Viperae.”

“…a viper… it’s an insult,” Varkinya holds a palm to her mouth, whispering the meaning loudly to me, “Now stay still or I’ll rip you limb from limb for my King and my reputation. Little Viperae.”

I stand my ground, genuinely infuriated, shocked, confused and strangely determined all at once.

I do not fight the guards who grab my arms and haul me away.

I watch Torrent as I’m dragged backwards, so I cannot turn my back on him in disrespect as I leave the Meeting Hall.

Torrent is glaring after me, while his hand trails down Varkinya’s cheek, healing the pain of my hand.

Torrent listens to advice from Varkinya as she, too, watches me with a coy look in her eye.

Whatever she says, has Torrent’s glare lighting up with a new kind of fire.

I can imagine her words are along the lines of ‘you should tame her, I want to see her bend’

I hate her. Yet the coy Queen saves me inadvertently.

The moon shines on my head through a ceiling moon panel, and my instincts hone in on her suggestion as truth.

Varkinya’s amusing idea may just save my life.

If that look in Torrent’s eye suggested anything less…

Oh, I once knew that look oh so well in Zarcar’s black pitiless eyes. I knew it well enough. And Torrent harboured an identical gaze, from the exact same blood, which meant I had an innate warning and knowledge for what was to come.

A new kind of trouble was brewing.

Which meant an execution would become the least of my problems.