Draconess

Chyronex’s POV

I ‘escape’ through luck alone.

An hour into being restrained on the boulder, Onyx waltzed back into view, smug and silent. He released me without a word – and simply paced around as he waited for me to run.

I said nothing, as he would say nothing.

It was menacing to my senses, and I knew he had orders – but he would not tell me what the devil’s command was.

So I got up from the hound, I shifted to my Dragon and I got the hell out of hell.

I returned to Uldaya at dawn, 5am, as the sun was rising. I bathed quickly in the springs to wash away the hellish stank. I adorned a bright yellow dress that flowed to my ankles, then I sat on the balcony outside our bedchamber and I wrote a letter to my coven of witches.

A threat is steaming from hell, a new kind of demon will encroach on our realm and when he does, we must be prepared. Keep vigilant and do not enter the night without escort until the threat is passed. With love, Moon Priestess, Draconess of Uldaya, and your mother, Chyronex.

I send it off by crow, and then I peep into the chamber where Zarcar sleeps and Lixar is up, always most early of all, washing his face.

The handsome Mystifyer could read my mind, but no longer. I had a pendant for that. I always kept it around my ankle.

I wait by the open door off the balcony and he senses me staring.

Turning around, Lixar smiles and limps toward me.

His hazel eyes sparkle and he looks like he’s avoiding a cramp in his thigh.

“Good morning,” I wait for Lix to reach me, grabbing both my cheeks he kisses both.

“Why the special treatment last night?” Lixar asks, truly curious as he squeezes my cheeks together.

“It’s been a hundred years,” I tell him, putting my hands on his, “Since I won a century of peace from the devil. It’s over now, today is the anniversary, Lix. I’m scared we’ll find trouble soon enough and in case anything were to happen like last time–” Lix immediately shuts my mouth with his hand.

“We have safeguards,” Lixar explains, “Our Draconess will be safe. You will be safe from his mirages. You’re so powerful now anyway, he won’t be a bother. If anything, he will target a new Draconess. A younger more vulnerable toy he can manipulate – okay?”

“You know as well as I, there are no Draconess’ left…” I whisper.

“We don’t know that, your kind are loners in the forests and the mountains… there is plenty of you left, I am sure,” Lixar doesn’t sound very convinced. Because it wasn’t just my kind dwindling. We hadn’t met any new Mystifyers either; dark sorcerers who could also shift to a dragon demon, and they were the mates of my kind, a Draconess.

As far as we knew, since Torrent’s sudden disappearance with his own brood of Drraconess queens… we were the last Venatores.

“And if I am the last one born a Dragon? Maybe that is the bad omen,” I tell him, “Maybe the devil is done creating female divine power as strong as I.”

“Divine?” Lixar chuckles, “You’re not a goddess, sweetheart. Although your tits are divine.”

“I may as well be divine, I am your Aphrodite,” I grin and kiss him again, this time on the lips. Then I slip past him before he grabs my tits and won’t let go.

I duck around his prying hands to run up to the bed and jump onto Zarcar.

“Wake up, warlord!” I yell, “The matter is urgent!” I grab his shoulders and shake him awake. Zar peers open through his all-knowing black pitiless eyes.

“Your pussy is not a matter of urgency, whore,” Zarcar closes his eyes and I sigh.

“How do you always know,” I kiss his nose and slide off his front as he immediately snores, back into a deep sleep.

“I’m going to visit my witches,” I tell Lixar, “Tell Andoll I’ll meet her for lunch at the Korpis Inn.”

“We should all meet,” Lixar suggests, “Zarcar and I are going through town later, recruiting men for Auguzt, we’ll need a break with pretty wine and women.”

“Sure,” I pretend to sound inconvenienced, “See you there, slave to my desires.”

Lixar was always so pleasant in the morning, and now I see something else in his hazel eyes, as I stare a little too long across the bedchamber at his beautiful body, a tall sculpted dark sorcerer… mine… rare now… and as I am thinking about the pit in my stomach… the ache of urgency… a different kind… I worry.

I felt strange inside.

I felt… I had no words for it.

It was just the bad omen, festering away at my century of peace.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?” Lixar asks, his eyes dropping to my gold anklet… he is thinking of removing it to read my mind… I know him too well.

I swiftly gather my yellow dress and run for the door.

“Of course not.”

“Why the hurry?” Lixar calls out, without chasing me down.

“I forgot to feed my crows!” I yell back. I run down the immaculate hall covered in tapestries and laid out with a beautiful thick green rug. All bought from our combined riches. I past by Andoll and Asmodeus’ chamber, and they are also sound asleep.

I also pass Immortal Vampire Rey’s room, and he is lying under a pile of mortal corpses. I don’t have time to scold him about drinking all his whores to death, but he never listened to me anyway. Bloody demon.

I finally make it to the steps, before I descend, I look back down the hall, over my shoulder, I see Lix staring at me running in the opposite direction of my crows. He raises a black brow, knowing I lied.

Damn it.

I continue on my way, skipping down the steps.

I was so used to peace, I didn’t even know how to evade anymore.

I didn’t know how to keep secrets.

Blast. I was too generous with my lovers, always too open, too sweet.

I have to refine my craft in deviousness once more.

I’d think of an excuse later for Lix.

For now I wanted to see my favorite witches! For some reason I could not bare children, so I collected them. They were mine!

****

My witches are based on the second floor, in private rooms I bought for all of them. Our coven also had a club room. I expected the girls to be eating breakfast.

No. They’re doing something else entirely.

I stand next to the wooden sliding frames which have been pulled apart to show the club within.

A space for practicing magic and learning to use some weapons. It was mostly empty, except for the quiet spaces and large windows overlooking Uldaya itself. Like a library room without the books.

A place to meditate.

It’s… completely overhauled.

Already.

I watch as a distraught mother.

I look around the room, as every girl – mind you, they are all in their twenties – adorns warrior’s clothing, tying each other’s laces up, whether it be on their vests or their boots, with weapons in belts, or in their hands, their hair tied back – or some girls even cut theirs short for a battle.

What by the moon shine were they doing?

“We received your letter. We will fight him,” Uleya proclaims to me, holding up her sword and grinning, “Take us to the demon. We are ready.”

I blink multiple times.

T-this was… insane.

“Now hang on a minute, was this your idea?” I ask Uleya, the one of fair hair and green eyes. My first witch I recruited. My first daughter. She was leading them, I was sure.

“Mmm, so?” Uleya shrugs and beams with pride at all the coven quickly assembling for a war – when there was none currently. Yet.

“You can’t do anything,” I explain, still in shock, “I have nor briefed you, that with this threat, feminine power is rendered useless with this particular demon, his pheromones are a weapon against womanhood… his smell alone could lead you to your death, we cannot go in search of this problem. We must hunker down, that’s what I meant, not this!” even as I complain, the girls roll their eyes or ignore me.

“You taught us that women can fight too,” Uleya grits her teeth, “Is this not the perfect opponent simply because it is adverse to feminine power? Can one not say, any man will defeat a woman in war, not just this one demon… and Chyronex… do you forget, we are witches, we have our advantage. We are ready to fight,” her resolve worries me.

“This is the kind of enemy we’ve always wanted,” Gypsy steps forward, Uleya’s best friend, she’s grinning, and she’s cut her red hair short, “Priestess, mother, please.”

“Pleeeease,” others drop to their knees, begging me for my approval.

These women were like my children, all were abandoned at birth for marks on their skin. A time when mortals professed it was a tie to the underworld.

In truth they were just birthmarks, and while some were witches, some were also mortal with only some ability. The coven was a friendship group, a home, a safe place.

I did teach them magic, I did teach them how to fight – but I never wanted them to use it.

Of course now they were all of age now, wanting to fight.

“Absolutely not,” I shake my head, “No.”

They were my responsibility.

If something happened to them, it’d be equivalent to a mother sending her daughters to their death.

“Please,” Uleya lowers her weapon, looking so disappointed, “Chyronex… can we at least have a word to your Venatores.”

Ah – what?

I blink multiple times.

What a strange request.

“Why my Venatores?” I ask, skeptical. I kept them far away from those demons as well, who resided on the top floor of the Uldaya Palace. Dark sorcerers, an immortal vampire, a crazy witch and her Centaur who was the Prince of Lust, who could make you vomit just by saying his name, because the feeling of black magic in his presence itself was so devastating – what would they benefit talking to them? And if they meant my Mystifyers, Lixar and Zarcar, they were not even fond of my academy for orphaned girls.

So yes, this is a very, very strange request. They have me baffled.

“It’s for a second opinion,” Uleya murmurs, looking down, “Since they are experienced in war.”

“And I’m the Draconess, I command them, my opinion is the final one,” I look over the girls, as they all look down to their feet. What the hell are they planning?

“Does Zarcar know about this demon?” Uleya whispers, looking up at me slyly.

“You’ll do no such thing, Uleya,” I hiss, giving it away.

“I didn’t say anything – oh, but is that what you think I’ll do, tell father what you have found… what you did… he doesn’t know you went to the depths of Hell, does he?” Uleya smirks as I sneer.

“How do you know that?” I ask.

“Reflections tell all,” Uleya repeats what I taught her. They saw me… they saw me with the demon.

Damn it all to hell!

In a panic, I look around at the sheepish lot of these witches and I know they are going to do something stupid, whether I approve it or not.

Which left me with one option.

“I will tell your father,” I take a step toward her, now smiling, “And I will tell him your plan. My magic might not keep you safe in here, but his spells to keep you all safe, inside, until the threat is passed, will be unbreakable and you know it.”

“No,” Uleya realizes the plan has backfired, while I step out of the room.

Mother wins this round.

“Well. you’ve left me no choice, Uleya,” I turn and walk off, and I hear them all sigh together.

I didn’t want to be cruel, but now I know what it’s like to be a mother in war.

Responsibility was harsh.

Right now, I wasn’t worried about them sneaking off to drink ale, or elope with a warrior or two. To have fun. To explore Uldaya on their adventures.

But this was something they had not experienced.

War, a bad omen, a devil’s trick, was not a fun thing to prance around about, like they were making it out to be another adventure.

How could I teach them it wasn’t?

I never thought I’d be one to lock females away.

But I fear I have no choice.

I have to consult my Venatores.

Sigh… Uleya only had one thing going for her, my trip to hell was not going to go down well with my Venatores, since I did it secretly and put myself in jeopardy. I just hope honesty – and soon – keeps them all on side.