Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series

The inside of the bar was only lit by a few candles around the room, illuminating dark wooden tables and chairs, plus a few booths with red leather in the back. A large man with a long moustache wiped down the bar from behind the counter while giving me an unfriendly look. The few patrons inside all had a rough edge to them—tattoos, muscles, scowls—and glared at me for daring to enter their pub. Not a friendly crowd.

‘I see the princess has come to play,” a female voice said to my side.

I turned toward the sound, where a striking woman with long black hair and gray eyes sat in the corner with her legs crossed, revealing thigh-high boots. Her sneer didn’t do anything to make me feel like I should stick around another minute.

My fists clenched at the word princess, but I stopped myself from responding. “I’m looking for Varek.”

“Of course you are.” She rose to her feet and I spotted a large dagger at her waist. “Follow me.”

She took me to a door beside the counter, past the scowling bartender, and led me down a dark hallway. We passed two doorways, only one of which was open. As I peered inside, I was shocked to see an enormous room, which must have been built into the hill behind the bar. This place didn’t look this big from the outside.

Dozens of people stood inside in a circle, surrounding two huge, sweaty, shirtless men who circled each other while everyone else cheered. One of their fists flew toward the other, but I didn’t see the blow land before the door slammed shut.

“That’s not for you,” the woman said.

‘Was that an underground fight club?’ I asked, unable to hide the shock in my voice. Such a thing was forbidden by the Silver Guard. Then again, Varek was a known criminal, so I shouldn’t have been surprised.

She shrugged and headed around the corner. ‘Didn’t see anything like that.’

“Of course not,” I muttered.

She stopped at another door and knocked sharply, then waited for the deep, “Come in,” on the other side before she opened it.

Varek was inside, sitting behind a large black desk. He looked up and met my eyes, and that little spark between us made me suck in a sharp breath. Why did the man have to be so damn handsome?

‘Oh.” Varek looked down at the open notebook on his desk. ‘It’s you.’

‘That’s the welcome I get?’ I asked, my blood boiling.

‘Better than I got earlier.” His eyes shifted to the other woman. “Thank you, Wrill.”

Wrill gave him a quick nod, then stepped out and shut the door behind her, after throwing me another sneer.

“She seems lovely,” I said.

“She’s my sister.”

“That explains it then.”

He slammed his notebook shut. “You’re bold to come walking through the front door of my pub. I thought you’d be a bit more discreet, princess.’

“I’m not a princess, and why should I be discreet? If I take you as a mate, everyone in the four Realms will know.’

He steepled his long fingers. “I will admit, I’m surprised you came to me so quickly. I thought you’d debate and dawdle for a few days, before finally realizing this is inevitable.”

I huffed. “I don’t dawdle.”

A slow grin spread across his face. “I do like a woman of action.”

Something about the way he said it made me flush. What was it about this man that had me so out of sorts? I steeled myself and said, “I’ve decided to take you as my mate.”

“Obviously.”

His arrogance only enraged me further. “On one condition.”

He arched a dark eyebrow. “Oh?”

“You have to give up your criminal lifestyle.”

He tilted his head back and let out a laugh that sounded a lot like a roar. Then he cut it off short and asked, “Anything else?”

“You’ll need to move into the palace, of course.”

He waved a dismissive hand. ‘Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass.’

‘Excuse me? If you are to be my mate, you’ll have to give up…’ I gestured vaguely to the room around me. ‘All this and join me at the palace.’

‘No, I really don’t.’

My jaw dropped, even though I wanted to remain cool and collected. Who would turn down living at the palace and becoming a Dragon? ‘What other choice do you have?’

He stood, giving me a good view of his strong arms covered in black ink. “I’ll be your mate, don’t you fear, but I’m not giving anything up. I’ll remain here in the city, while you stay in the palace with your other men.”

“Do you even want to be my mate?” I asked, completely flabbergasted.

His eyes narrowed. “The Death Goddess chose me and I will serve her however she commands.”

“And she commanded you to be my mate, with everything that involves!” Gods, why was he so damn frustrating?

‘Was that all you came for?’ He picked up the notebook on his desk and put it on a bookshelf behind him, then turned back to me. ‘I was hoping you wanted to sample the goods.’

“What? No! Why would you possibly think that?”

‘Too bad. I made the bed and everything.’ His eyes moved to something behind me, and I followed his gaze to a bed large enough for two. When I’d entered the room, I’d had nothing but eyes for him, and now I saw that this office also served as a bedchamber, probably a temporary one.

I was suddenly extremely aware that I was alone in a room with a criminal and a bed. I’d eventually need to have sex with this man, but he would not be my first. I’d kill him before that happened, Death Goddess be damned. I was more than capable of doing that.

“Go back to your palace.” He walked around the desk and slowly approached me. I held my ground, unwilling to give him an inch. ‘You may be the princess of this city, but I’m the king. One day, you’ll bow to me too.”

“Never.”

He was so close now I could smell him. Leather, mixed with something faint and spicy. Something dangerous. Our eyes were locked together, and I found myself breathing faster, my heart pounding. Even worse, his body called to mine. Heat from his chest ran across my breasts, making my nipples harden under my leather top. I wanted him to touch me, while at the same time I wanted to push him away.

His head tilted down and he seemed to breathe me in, and for a second I thought he would press his lips to mine. I held my breath, waiting to see what he would do. But then he stepped back and turned away.

“Run home, little princess, before your watchdogs realize you’re slumming it here with us criminals.”

Unbelievable. ‘If you won’t come to the palace, I don’t see how we can be mates.’

‘I’m sure we’ll figure something out.” He sat behind his desk again and leaned back in his chair, crossing his tattooed arms behind his head. “Come back when you’re ready to head to the Death Temple for our bonding.”

I grit my teeth, but I had nothing more to say to this awful man. I turned and stomped toward the door, ready to be far away from him.

As soon I touched the knob, he said, “Wait.”

I turned back and saw him stalking toward me, his long black hair flowing behind him, making my breath catch. “Yes?”

He brushed past me and opened the door. “I’ll show you out the back.”

I rolled my eyes and followed him down the hallway. “Why, don’t want me to see more of your illegal activities?”

“I think you’ve seen enough for one night.”

He opened a door at the far end and a cool rush of outdoor air flew inside, along with the sound of many voices. As I started forward, Varek threw a large, inked arm in front of me. “Stop.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“Something you should stay away from.”

“Why?” I craned my head, trying to see out. “What’s happening out there?”

I pushed past him and he sighed and let me go. I stepped outside and saw a large crowd gathered around a person in a featureless black mask standing on a crate beside a statue of my mother in dragon form. Other people in gray masks stood around in support, staring out at the people gathered there.

The person on the crate raised a fist. “For too long, humans have been powerless, while the elementals and the Dragons use their magic to control the world. We all know this peace with the elementals won’t last. There are reports every day of elementals and shades attacking human settlements in the outer reaches, and where are the Dragons? In their lofty tower, lording over us. We can’t rely on them to protect us any longer. They’ve sided with the enemy. We need to defend ourselves and rise up against the oppressors. It’s time to put humans first again!”

My jaw dropped as I stared at the leader, but then Varek grabbed my hood and yanked it down over my head. “It would be best if you weren’t seen.’

‘Why? Trying to protect me from them?’ I hadn’t expected that from him.

He gave me a dark glare. ‘I don’t want to lose my mate before claiming her.”

I shook my head at him and moved forward, trying to get a better look. I’d never heard this kind of talk before. The Dragons were the protectors of the Four Realms. Their while purpose was to keep humans safe. Did these people truly believe they were doing such a bad job of it?

“We are the Unseen, but we will not be ignored any longer!” The speaker on the crate spread their arms, and flames burst forth from their fingertips. I gasped and actually stumbled back. That wasn’t possible. I could count on one hand the number of people with fire magic, and none of them would be saying something like this. For a second I wondered if this was some kind of prank and it was Zain up there, or my father, but that didn’t make any sense.

Fists went up in the air with the chant, “Humans first!” I gazed around, shocked by the vehemence in their voices and the anger on their faces, as much as the leader’s fire display. Varek grabbed my arm as the crowd started throwing bottles and rocks at the statue of Kira. He had to drag me out of there, and I was too stunned and horrified to do anything but go along with him.

“That was a trick, right? That person didn’t really use magic?” I asked, as we turned a corner and went out of view of the crowd. I could still hear them in the distance, along with the sound of another bottle smashing. I cringed as I stumbled forward. “Do they really believe all that?”

Varek didn’t answer me, but kept leading me down alleys and dark streets I’d never visited before, until the gates of the palace came into view. Only then did he stop.

He released the grip on my arm, and I absently rubbed the spot where his hand had been. I looked up at him, realizing that he’d gotten me out of a dangerous situation and escorted me home. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as I’d thought.

“You know where to find me,” he said. “Try to be a little less obvious next time.”

My eyes narrowed. “I don’t need to hide or sneak around. I’m the Ascendant.”

His laugh mocked me. “Did you learn nothing from that rally? The streets of Soulspire are no longer safe for you.”

I could only gape at him as he slipped back into the shadows and left me alone with my dark thoughts.

The guards didn’t react as I walked through the gates. Nor did the guards at the door, or the two I passed going up the stairs to my wing of the palace.

When I walked into my chambers, though, my mates blinked several times at me. ‘Where have you been?’ Erroh asked. ‘We thought you were in bed.’

They sat around the living area, drinking what looked like ale. I shrugged off my cloak. ‘I couldn’t sleep, so I went to talk to Varek.’

‘What?’ Zain asked. ‘Why would you do that alone?’

I strode forward and took Erroh’s drink from his hand, gulping it down. I needed it, after what I’d just been through. “To take him as my mate, of course.”

“I thought you were going to make your decision in the morning,” Parin said.

“I didn’t want to delay our trip to the Air Temple, and besides, there was no real decision to make. I have to take him as my mate. Unleashing the Death Goddess upon the world is not an option.”

“But—” Erroh started.

I held up a hand. “It’s not just that. I feel it. The mate-bond. Just like I feel it with all of you. There’s no denying the Gods’ will. I have to do this.”

The men glanced at each other with wary expressions, before Carth finally cracked a grin and said, “Well, the more the merrier, in my opinion. I’m just eager to get started.”

“Is Varek even willing to be your mate?” Zain asked.

“He’s going to be difficult,” I said with a sigh. “He doesn’t want to leave the Quickblades or move into the palace. But there’s something else I need to tell you.”

“What is it?” Parin asked.

“When I left Varek’s pub, I encountered a crowd with all these people wearing gray masks that covered their entire faces. Their leader stood on a crate and gave a speech about how humans were oppressed by the elementals and the Dragons and it was time to put humans first again.”

‘Oh.’ Erroh nodded his head. ‘I’ve heard of them. The Unseen. They used to be a small human rights group, very anti-elemental, but otherwise harmless. They’ve recently been growing in numbers in Soulspire though and have become something more like a cult, so Jasin’s had some of the Silver Guard keeping an eye on them.”

“I didn’t see any Silver Guard tonight when they were throwing things at the statue of my mother,” I said, clenching my fists at the memory.

“They did that?” Zain asked.

“Yes, and there’s more too.’ I sank into the only empty chair. The room had been designed to hold five of us comfortably. We’d have to rethink it if Varek joined us. ‘I saw the leader controlling fire.’

Zain shook his head. ‘Not possible. Only Kira, Jasin, and I can control fire, along with the High Priestess of the Fire Temple. I strongly doubt any of them would be doing such a thing.”

‘He’s right,” Parin said. “Humans have never been able to control the elements. The Gods do not favor them that way.”

‘It could’ve been a trick,’ Erroh suggested. ‘They could’ve contrived something to make the crowd think they had magic to get a reaction from them.”

“That’s what I thought too, but it seemed so…real,” I said.

“It can’t be real.” Zain reached over and stroked my arm. “I’m sure the rally was upsetting to witness, but you must put it from your mind and focus on what is important—bonding with us so that you can become a Dragon.”

“He’s right,” Carth said. “Tomorrow you’ll start going to the temples and we’ll put all this from your mind.”

I nodded slowly. Between Varek and the demonstration, my stomach was all twisted up in knots. We had to leave first thing in the morning, and me brooding over Varek or the human wielding fire wouldn’t help me bond with my mates.

I said good night to my men and retreated to my bed alone, but no matter how I tried, I couldn’t get what I’d seen off my mind. Sleep was a long time coming.