The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

MIRA

It’s been two days since the moment when we run out of food completely, walking on an empty stomach up to now wasn’t much of a challenge. But soon it will be. And there are no signs of anything edible within this damn cave! I am starting to feel like everything was a big mistake and I just brought my friends into a deadly trap for no good reason at all.

At least water is not a problem for us. Most of us can summon the water element so we get as much as we need even in this kind of circumstances.

“Let’s talk,” Dereck throws his bag to the grounds and sits next to it. The rest of us slowly follow his example, looking at each other secretly and making sure that we are all still alright.

“So,” Der sighs, “We cannot go on like this. This tunnel is never-ending and our resources are very limited. Some of us wouldn’t be able to walk soon.”

He throws a significant gaze at Isidore, clearly implying that she is the weak link in our chain. The beautiful blonde, who still looks amazing against all odds just gives out a loud snort.

“Oh, please!” she rolls her eyes, “I am a lady of house Vierne! I can go without barely any food for at least a weak! And dance at a ball in high heels at the same time! This is not even a challenge for me yet! But if you are ready to give up, just tell us!”

And she gives him a very fake smile, full of confidence and superiority. House Vierne made a big mistake when they didn’t let her attend any academy of magic! She is a natural battlemage!

“Listen,” Dereck snaps at her, “Your bravado is very tiring! We all know that you are here out of pity and are of absolutely no help, so if you could at least be quiet during serious conversations – THAT would be the best help you could provide!”

My jaw drops to the floor to hear Dereck say such rude things and Isidore just stands up and walks away.

“As you wish!” she throws an angry gaze at my friend before leaving with her head held high.

We all look at Dereck with reproach in our eyes and he just rolls his.

“It’s true and you know it!” he mutters, “So what do we do next?”

“Continue,” Nort says, “It’s too late to come back anyway…”

“Rien can transport whoever wants to leave,” I say quickly, we already discussed it with him before, “But that may potentially ruin our test.”

“If it’s a test,” Derrien adds, “For now we’ve only seen the fire traps and they could have been set up here thousands of years ago. It means nothing.”

“It means something!” I look at him in disbelief, “Besides, we’ve seen another Agnegard sign recently! We are close to the next test!”

“But if you want to leave,” Rien interjects, “We will understand.”

“No,” Rick says firmly, “If even Isidore is ready to stay, then so are we! Besides, if you are ready to transport us anytime, we’d better leave it to later than go away now.”

“Agreed,” says Nort and I notice that Dereck is looking in the direction where Isidore disappeared.

Her loud scream makes us all spring to our feet and run as fast as we can to the sounds.

But to our surprise, we find her in no danger, intact and even jumping from joy.

“Look what I just found!” she waves her hands, her fingers pointing up and we all lift our heads… to see something …oddly looking.

“What is it?” Dereck sounds more worried than annoyed.

“Can’t you see?” she babbles, “Mushrooms! Paletonets!”

But when we all still look questioningly at her, she adds, “They are e-di-ble!”

I look carefully and notice little clusters of something purple on the upper walls of the cave.

“Are you sure?” I look closer, but do not recognize the type, “I haven’t seen these before. And the name paletonets doesn’t tell me anything.”

“It’s because they are rare!” Isidore shines, “A delicacy even. We have them on our land sometimes, they grow on rocky surfaces and ta-da!”

I can’t help but smile and throwing a quick glance at Dereck, he smiles too.

‘Ok, and what do we do with them?” Nort asks, “It’s good that they are edible but there isn’t much… Not even sure that it’s going to be enough for all of us…”

“Well, it’s better than nothing!” Isidore defends her find, “We can grill them on fire!”

Our team quickly arranges everything and in less than half another the mushrooms are all ready for the first taster. The problem is – no one volunteers.

“Seriously?”, Isidore looks at us, clearly disappointed, “Fine, I’ll it first and…”

She doesn’t get to finish the sentence as Dereck grabs his portion and sends it to his mouth, chewing quickly and swallowing.

“Seems fine,” he reports and I want to start eating mine, but Derrien catches my hand and pulls me closer to himself.

“Give it a few minutes,” he chuckles, “If he survives then you can try.”

“Rien!” I hiss at him, embarrassed, but he holds me in place for as long as he needs. Then, after a while, when others started eating as well, he lets me have my portion and swallows his in one large gulp.

It’s getting late again and we do our usual sleeping arrangements. I snuggle in my fiancé’s arms and surprisingly he is fast asleep, his hot breathing on my forehead. I could lie next to him forever…

I close my eyes for what seems like a few seconds, but the next moment someone forcefully grabs me and gets me out of our improvised tent. And when I see who it is I want to scream, but for some reason, I am not able to.

“Missed me?”, Dargen’s smirk is terrifying as he jerks me in his direction. I look around in panic, but Rien is nowhere to be seen. Dereck, Rick, and Nort are on their knees with gerdian soldiers holding knives at their throats. I almost forget how to breathe at the sight.

A loud piercing scream makes me shrug and I turn to see Isidore in some gerdian’s hands. He is laughing and trying to grope her, while she is kicking and screaming.

Dargen laughs right into my ear, licking it at the same time and I want to throw up at the sensation. But what worries me more is that I still see no sign of Rien.

“Don’t look,” the Crown Prince of Gerdian Empire says, “I had to take him out first.”

“What did you do?” I grit through my teeth and he bursts out laughing again, “What do you think I did? Killed him of course.”

“No!” I shout at him, finding my voice, “Not possible! You couldn’t!”

“Of course I could!” he snorts, “He was much weaker than usual. It was a perfect opportunity! And I don’t miss perfect opportunities!”

“I don’t believe you!” I try to hit him, but he blocks me. He is a gerdian after all and our strengths are not equal.

“Then I’ll just have to show you!” he grabs me by my hair and pulls me further into the tunnel of the cave. I struggle, trying to stall for some time. He doesn’t have Rien! Rien will come to save me! He always does!

But what I see next, I do not expect. On the dirty floor, a few feet away lies Derrien… My Derrien! My Rien! His face is all white, and dark, almost black, b***d forms a pool around him. He doesn’t move and his eyes look… glassy. Just like Bella’s when I found her body.

“Rien!” I call for him, but he doesn’t respond. No! It can’t be! It is not possible!

Dargen pushes me in his direction and I fall to my knees, b***d quickly soaks into my pants. Rien’s b***d! I try to shake him, but he doesn’t react. Tears are strolling down my face and a loud sob escapes me.

“Rien, please,” I take his face into my hands but there is no reaction. And also – he is icy-cold! “No, please, Rien! Look at me! Stand up!”

My loud sobs fill the space and I don’t know for how long they let me cry, my whole body shaking. But when Dargen has enough, he pulls me back by my hair, throwing me at the feet of my four friends. The boys look badly bitten and Isidore is all in tears as well, trembling like a leaf in the wind.

Ryden walks in a circle around me, watching my every move and enjoying the process of tormenting us.

“Just kill me already!” I grit through my teeth and he gives out a chuckle again.

“Mira, Mira, Mira,” he cups my chin and makes me look at him, smirking, “Don’t you know that I have better plans for you?”

“You must be kidding!” I say, “You still want me to be your queen?!”

The expression on his face changes, “Oh, no. That carriage is already gone, Miradora. You failed me way too many times to trust you with this position! Although who knows! Maybe one day… if you are a good enough girl for me…”

He brushes his thumb over my lips, making them part, and chuckles.

“But for now you can only become my slave,” he announces and my b***d boils, “My official concubine that is. I will need you to please me and…”

“No,” I say firmly, looking him straight into his eyes, “Not happening. You can kill me, but I would never…”

“Who says anything about killing you?” the prince sneers, “When I have so many of your friends to play with first? Who should I start with? Is it the captain of your little team? Or maybe that useless but incredibly pretty girl? She for sure would make a great toy for me. Again. And maybe even more this time…”

I look at him with horror in my heart. I should have guessed that there will not be an easy way out! I look at the guys and Isidore and notice how tense their faces are. No wonder! Such a situation…

“So, Mira,” Dargen squats next to me and takes away a lock of hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear, “What is it going to be?”

“Please!” I look at him and he starts to laugh, but there is no emotion in it. It is dark and empty.

“You have five seconds to decide!” he says firmly, looking at me as if he is amused with everything that is going on, “You or them. Become my slave and save them, or they all die today in tortures. Five!”

Oh, gods! Only the thought of this makes me sick!

“Four!”

Death is so much better than the destiny of Dargen’s plaything.

“Three!”

But my friends! I lost Rien, I can’t lose them too! More tears are rolling down my face and another sob escapes me.

“Two!”

I need to at least give them a chance…

“One!”

“I agree!” I almost scream, closing my eyes.

“The test passed!” a cold voice announces and I open my eyes in shock.