CHAPTER 40 - BLAKE
The ballroom was a sparkling spectacle of brilliance—no expense spared, no surface left undecorated. The air was heavy with the mingled scents of blood wine and expensive perfumes.
It was torture.
I moved through a slow waltz, with Pendragon in my arms, her body close enough to drive me mad. All I could think about was getting her alone. Away from our friends, from the crowd, from the music. Away from the infernal layers of satin and silk that stood between us.
I wanted to peel her gown away and trace every inch of her body with my lips, hear her gasp my name in that breathless, unguarded way I craved.
But I knew it was hopeless. She wasn’t going to leave Florence. Not tonight.
The worst part was, I understood. I fucking got it. The old Blake might not have. But I did.
I knew Pendragon had to stay with her friend and maybe the weirdest thing of all was that I didn’t really want to abandon Florence either. She’d kind of grown on me. There was something about the dark-haired bookish girl that reminded me of Aenia a little. Something that filled me with that urge to protect.
So, we waltzed. I kept my hands steady on Pendragon’s satin-draped waist. Even as every fiber of me burned to rip the stuff off her.
The soft sway of the dance made the loose strands of her hair catch the light, shifting between fire and gold with every turn. It was wild in a way nothing else in this meticulously perfect room could ever be, rebellious in its very beauty.
Red was never a color I’d given much thought to before. It was one of the colors of my house. It was anger, danger, blood.
Then I saw Pendragon–her hair wild, untamed, burning like dragon fire. And suddenly red wasn’t any of those things. It was the scent of jasmine and vanilla, autumn leaves swirling in the wind, the crackle of a fire on a chilly night, the first light of dawn rising golden and rosy. All the things that made life sweet. All the things that made it worth living.
So, yeah, red was officially my favorite color now.
I thought of the red scales that had covered me just a few hours before. In some small way, Pendragon and I matched now. I wondered if I’d ever be able to tell her that.
As we pivoted slowly on the floor, I caught sight of Regan across the room. She stood alone near one of the refreshment tables, her blonde hair pulled into an elaborate twist, her white gown covered in tiny jewels that made it sparkle under the chandeliers. Objectively, I knew she looked very pretty. But she couldn’t hold a candle to the woman in my arms.
Our eyes met. I inclined my head. I meant it as a small gesture of acknowledgement, maybe even respect. But as I watched, her lips curved up into a cruel smile, her eyes glinting with that familiar malice, before she turned away.
So much for that. Regan wasn’t one to forgive or forget. I doubted she’d ever forgive me for rejecting her. Still, it had been worth a shot.
I glanced at her retreating figure, wondering what awaited her next. Was she really about to be betrothed to my uncle? Was that what she really wanted or had her father convinced her she had no other choice?
The music began to fade and I finally snapped.
“Come with me,” I murmured, looking down at Pendragon.
She looked up at me, her green eyes searching mine. “Where?”
“Just outside. Only for a moment,” I added quickly, already seeing her eyes dart to her friend.
But Florence seemed fine. The dark-haired girl was sitting at a table with Visha, Theo, Lace, and Vaughn, and laughing at something Visha had just said.
Pendragon nodded and I led her across the room, my hand holding hers.
We passed by the House Orphos tables. Briefly I saw Lysander. He was leaning across to speak to his sister. Lunaya’s head was down and she looked sullen as her brother tried to talk to her.
But I didn’t have time to wonder about any of that. The moment we stepped out onto the terrace, the cold hit us like a slap in the face. The winter air was sharp and biting. Above us, the sky stretched out, black and endless.
Pendragon shivered and I quickly shrugged out of my jacket, draping it over her shoulders.
Her lips parted in surprise but she pulled it around herself. “Blake, you’ll freeze. Let’s just go back inside.”
“No,” I said stubbornly. “I needed to get you alone.”
I stepped towards her, my hand sliding up to cup her cheek. Her skin was soft and as my thumb brushed against her jawline, her eyelashes fluttered. I leaned in, my lips finding hers in a kiss that was anything but gentle.
The kiss was heat and desperation. A clash of want and need that I couldn’t hold back. She responded instantly, her hands sliding over my chest, her mouth deepening the kiss.
And then it hit me.
A prickle along my back and neck. The telltale itch of scales threatening to erupt.
I pulled back, my chest heaving.
“Blake?” She reached out her hand, cupping my jaw. “What’s wrong?”
I forced a smile. “It’s nothing. Just...” I hesitated, the burden of Rodriguez’s plan hanging over me like a shroud. I hated what I was about to do. But I had no choice. Not if I wanted to keep her safe. I’d put this off too long as it was.
I took a deep breath and took the plunge. “Look, I’ve been meaning to ask you all evening. Are you in contact with Nyxaris?”
She grimaced. “If you can call it that. He doesn’t really want to talk much lately. But I know where he is, roughly. I know he’s safe.”
“Great. Good. Can you get him to come back to Bloodwing tonight? At midnight?” I blurted out. “To the Dragon Court.”
She frowned. “Why would I get him to do that?”
I’d rehearsed this in my mind. Thought of what I was going to say. But now that the moment was here, I felt myself scrambling for the right words.
“I want to apologize to him,” I said, stumbling a little. “For not treating him with the respect he deserved when we first met. Or his rider.” I met her gaze, willing her to believe me. To trust me. Feeling like a total asshole for what I was doing. But knowing it was the only thing I could possibly do if I wanted to keep her alive. “But also, because I have something important to tell you both. Something he needs to hear.”
She studied me for a long moment. “This feels...strange. Why can’t you just tell me instead? I’ll pass it on.”
I forced a smile, trying to reassure her. “Look, just trust me on this. Please. You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
I was giving her the ultimate guilt trip. I cringed internally, waiting for her to see through my bullshit and say no. This was awful. I hated lying to her like this. Hiding what I was going through from her was one thing. But getting her to lure her dragon back... It felt wrong. I felt utterly disgusted with myself for doing it.
But she was nodding reluctantly. “Fine. I’ll talk to him. If you have information for him, I know he’ll want to hear it.”
Relief and guilt warred inside me. “Thank you.”
The terrace door opened behind us. Theo stepped out, his expression grim.
“Blake,” he said, glancing between us. “Viktor wants to see you. Now.”
A chill that had nothing to do with the winter’s night settled over me. Of course, Viktor had to choose this exact moment.
But there was no avoiding it. Not if he’d sent word for me.
“Fine.” I looked back at Pendragon, already stepping towards the door. “I’ll be back for our meeting at midnight, I promise. Wait for me, all right?”
She nodded, her face so open and trusting for once that it made my heart hurt. I wondered if it was the last time I’d ever see it that way.
I pushed open the doors to Viktor’s chambers. He was already seated behind his desk. Even though he’d been the one to summon me, he didn’t look up immediately, just kept scribbling something on parchment, the scratch of the quill setting my teeth on edge as I waited for him to give me his full attention.
“Blake,” he said, finally, setting the quill down and leaning back in his chair. “I trust you’re enjoying the ball.”
I stared down at him. Right. The ball he’d purposely yanked me away from. “Why am I here?”
Viktor raised a brow. “Such impatience. I thought I taught you better manners.”
My parents had taught me everything good that I knew. Viktor had been the one to try to strip it all away.
But I kept my temper and didn’t reply. He was goading me but that was nothing new.
“Aenia is missing,” he said abruptly.
I stared at him, hoping I’d misheard. “What?”
“The foulblood girl,” he said, each word clipped. “She’s on the loose.”
“How?” I demanded, stepping towards the desk. “She was under guard, restricted to one suite in the castle. A healer was supposed to be supervising her at all times. I’d arranged everything. I...”
“Yes, yes,” Viktor interrupted. “You were very conscientious. I’m well-aware. Don’t expect a pat on the back for it. She was being moved to a different location when the incident occurred. My men are searching for her now.”
“Moved?” Fury was bubbling in my chest. “Who ordered her to be moved?”
“Who do you think?” Viktor asked lazily. “The castle you were using was no longer available.”
“What?” I stared. “Why? What happened to it?”
I half-expected him to say Aenia had burned it down. But instead he replied, “It’s been given away. To the Pansera family as part of Regan’s dowry. A suitable gift for a bride, wouldn’t you agree?”
“You moved my sister so you could give Regan a fucking wedding present?” My voice shook with rage. “And now she’s gone? If you’d told me I could have dealt with Aenia myself. I knew you were insane, but are you such a fucking idiot as that, Uncle?”
I’d crossed a line and I knew it. The trouble was, I couldn’t seem to make myself care.
Viktor’s expression hardened. “Watch yourself, Nephew. You forget who you’re speaking to.”
“Oh, I know exactly who I’m speaking to,” I shot back. “A man too concerned about his cock for the first time in a century to care when he’s fucked his family over.”
Viktor stood, the movement slow and deliberate. “You dare to speak to me in such a way? After everything I’ve done for you? For your mother?”
“Don’t,” I growled, stepping a little closer. “Don’t you dare bring Desdemona into this. You won’t like how that goes.”
“Oh, really? And you’ll do what?” Viktor snapped. “Kill me? Impossible. Overstep just once and I’ll make sure your mother dies screaming. As for Aenia, if she’s found, I’ll have her dealt with accordingly.”
“You wouldn’t.” But even as I spoke, I knew better. His men were already looking for my sister. I thought of Rodriguez and the plan for tonight. Fuck. Double fuck. I was trapped. I had to get back to Bloodwing—and soon.
I turned away. Tomorrow, I’d go searching for Aenia myself. I had my own people. I’d set them all looking. We’d find her before my uncle could. And this time, I’d learn my damned lesson and keep her somewhere Viktor would never think to look for her. She’d be out of his control completely. I’d never have to worry about this again.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I stopped in my tracks. “Aenia. I thought...”
“You thought I made you come out here simply to discuss your foulblood creation?”
“Don’t fucking call her that,” I snarled turning back to face him. “Well? What do you want? Why did you summon me?”
His lips curved. “The rider. I want her to be brought to me later tonight. When the ball ends, you will escort her to the Black Keep. She’ll be kept here for the foreseeable future. She and I need to have a conversation about her progress with Nyxaris.”
I stared. He wasn’t talking about progress. He was planning to do the soul-binding ritual. This couldn’t be happening. Not tonight.
“Tonight’s the ball. Or had you forgotten? She’s occupied. I’ll tell her but I doubt she’ll be able to meet tonight.” I started turning away again. “And have you forgotten? She’s in House Avari now.”
“You’ll bring her here tonight and that’s an order,” my uncle snapped, his tone laced with finality. “How many times do I need to remind you of the consequences of disobedience? Does your mother really mean so little to you?”
The second mention of my mother sent a spear of white-hot rage piercing through me. I was trying to hold it together, but my body was intent on rebelling. My breath caught as I felt the familiar prickle, the warning signs of something I couldn’t yet control taking shape inside. My skin itched. The heat in my veins began to build.
“Well, well,” my uncle murmured. “What’s this now?”
His eyes were on my hands. I yanked them behind my back, but it was too late. I’d already seen the crimson scales. I could feel them, spreading up my wrists like wildfire.
“Step forward,” Viktor commanded.
I stayed put.
“I said step forward.” His voice was like steel.
Before I could fully process the command, my legs moved of their own accord, dragging me closer. He was using thrallweave on me. I hadn’t even had a chance to try to block him out. But fortunately or unfortunately for me, he wasn’t interested in searching my mind. He was more interested in my body.
His presence was suffocating. His will was a cage I couldn’t seem to escape. My instincts were screaming at me to fight back, but the pressure he exuded was overwhelming.
As I moved closer, he reached out with preternatural speed, seizing my wrist in an iron grip. I winced as his fingers tightened, nearly crushing the bones beneath the spreading scales. He yanked my hand up into the light. “How long has this been happening?”
“Not long. It’s nothing,” I said, gritting my teeth and willing the scales to disappear. “Just a rash.”
There was no way I was bringing Pendragon to him. Not tonight. Not any night. We’d have to leave Bloodwing. Get away somewhere he couldn’t find us. But she’d never agree to leave Florence. And the thought of leaving Theo to Viktor’s evils filled me with trepidation.
“Don’t lie to me, boy,” he hissed, his grip still tightening like a vise. “How long?” His eyes glinted with something dark and hungry.
I suddenly understood. I jerked my hand free. “Why don’t you tell me?”
Viktor’s red eyes narrowed as his lips formed an infuriating smirk. “If you don’t understand by now, you never will.”
I stared at him, not wanting to ask the question, but knowing I had to. “How did my father die?”
He waved a hand. “You know the sad tale just as well as everyone else in this family.”
“Suicide,” I said coldly. “Only that was a lie.”
Viktor gave a sharp laugh. “Oh, Blake. So quick to jump to conclusions. If only your father had been so spirited. Perhaps he’d still be alive.”
For years I’d lived with the knowledge my father had intentionally left us. The truth had been covered over to protect our family name. No one could know that the great Peacebringer, as some had called him, had despised his highblood life so much that he’d chosen to end it.
“He didn’t kill himself, did he? That’s not what happened.”
Viktor’s smirk widened. “And what exactly do you think happened, boy?”
I leaned forward, resting my hands on the desk, not bothering to hide the scales. “He was like me, wasn’t he? He started to...change.”
More and more pieces fell into place as the words tumbled from my mouth.
“He killed himself because the strain of his monstrousness was too much for him to bear. Weakness runs in bloodlines, it seems,” my uncle drawled.
Weakness? No. If I knew one thing, it was that whatever was happening to me was strength. If I could only learn how to control it.
“No,” I growled. “That’s not what happened. My father was strong. Strong enough to try to fight you. He didn’t want to become your weapon. Did he kill himself to escape you, you evil old bastard? Or did you kill him?”
Viktor’s smile faltered for the briefest moment.
I clenched my fists, the itching in my skin intensifying as if the scales longed to burst free in response to my rage. “How did this happen to him? Why the hell is it happening to me now ?”
He leaned back, his expression becoming remote. “You’re so clever. You tell me.”
I thought back, combing my mind over every detail, every possibility. Then it hit me. My throat went dry. “Rider blood.”
Viktor gave a barking laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous. Your mother wasn’t a dragon rider.”
“She’s a halfborn,” I said slowly, piecing it together. Which was why my father’s family had been against the union in the first place. I could remember overhearing my parents talking about it when I was a child. “Rider blood seeped into blightborn bloodlines. You couldn’t extinguish it altogether, could you?” I didn’t even bother to hide the fact that I’d been in the archives. I watched his gaze sharpen. “My father must have fed from her. That’s what triggered his transformation.”
What Aenia had done–taking blood from another highblood without consent–was a crime. But highbloods feeding from one another was not strictly against the law. What happened in private, generally stayed in private. No one wanted to think about what their parents did in the bedroom. But feeding between highblood mates was said to be the height of, well, pleasure.
My chest heaved. “You wanted this. You gave me the rider because you hoped this would happen. You wanted to awaken this... this thing inside me.”
Viktor’s laugh was genuine. The warmest I’d ever heard it. “There’s a reason I didn’t feed from the girl myself when I had the chance. Though believe me, I was tempted. Very tempted.”
He moved around the desk towards me, shaking his head. “Look at you. You’re becoming something extraordinary.” For a moment, he seemed truly admiring. Then he lifted his shoulders and let them fall. “Or perhaps not. Perhaps you’ll die like your father did. Weak and pathetic. Writhing and screaming until the power consumes you. Experimentation has its price. But you already knew I’d be willing to pay any price for the sake of the greatness of our house, Nephew.”
My hands trembled. I could feel the scales creeping up the back of my neck, along the edge of my jaw, across my cheeks.
“There’s no escaping what’s in your blood,” my uncle murmured. If you’re changing, then you’re becoming exactly what you’re meant to be. And if you survive the transformation, you’ll be the greatest weapon our house has ever possessed.”
The fire in my blood erupted. Like nothing I’d ever felt before. And as the pain and rage started to spread, all I could think of was that I was going to make my uncle regret every moment he’d spent on this earth if it was the last thing I ever did. I staggered back, clutching at my chest as if I could hold my body together through sheer force of will.
But there was no stopping it. Whatever was happening, it was bigger than me.
And it was ripping me apart.
I fell to my knees, my hands clawing at the stone. Scales surged, spreading up my arms, curling around my neck. My skin burned, as if molten metal had replaced my blood. My muscles twisted and stretched, bones grinding with sickening cracks.
“Fascinating,” my uncle murmured. “To witness it firsthand...”
I could hardly hear him. The pain. It was too much. It felt as if I were being torn apart from the inside out.
I writhed and screamed on the ground, just like he’d predicted. My vision blurred, everything fracturing into disjointed shapes, shards of light and shadow.
As if from a distance, I heard guards rush in. Heard the sound of steel swords drawn.
A guard rushed towards me, his face tight with fear.
“A monster,” he shouted, his voice cracking. “My lord, we must get you out of here. We must destroy it...”
“No,” Viktor screamed, but the guard was too far gone, driven by his panic.
I saw the blade glint overhead, saw the arc it made as it swung down toward me. My reflexes were slowed, my body overwhelmed by the chaos erupting inside me. I turned my head just as the blade struck.
Blinding, searing agony exploded across my face. I roared as the blood rushed down my face, warm and sticky, my vision blurring.
“You fool!” Viktor’s voice thundered through the haze of pain.
I looked through a blur of red just in time to see my uncle reach the guard and rip his throat out with his fangs. The man gurgled, dropping to his knees before collapsing in a heap.
It had taken my becoming a fucking dragon but for once in my life, my uncle was standing up for me.
The other guards backed up.
“Let him be,” my uncle commanded, wiping the blood from his mouth. “I order you to remain where you are.”
“But my lord,” one guard foolishly tried to protest. “Surely, you...”
“Do as I say!” Viktor barked.
I wanted to scream, wanted to make it all stop. I opened my mouth to beg for help, but all that came out was a strangled roar. My vision swam, tinted red.
Dimly, I saw the guards stepping away, their backs to the walls. My back arched violently. I felt a horrifying, wet tear, as something burst free.
I collapsed forward, panting, trembling. I glanced back. Wings. Dark, crimson, slick with blood, unfolding from my back like some misshapen flower.
I caught Viktor’s expression. Triumph and awe. He was basking in this. My agony was his victory.
Was this how it had been for my father? At what point had he ended it? Had the transformation really killed him? Or had he attacked Viktor and failed? Been put down like a monster, an animal?
“Larger,” Viktor murmured, almost reverently. “Stronger. Perhaps this one will survive.”
I slammed my fists down against the ground, hearing the stone crack beneath them. My body convulsed again. I felt my jaw elongate, teeth sharpening, hands twisting into claws.
Suddenly, the room felt impossibly small.
The air pressed against my chest. Between spasm after spasm of pain, I felt panic. The walls closed in as my body twisted and stretched.
My bones cracked like thunder, shifting and reshaping themselves. The fire in my blood burned hotter.
But then... the agony began to shift. The pain receded. Replaced by something else—strength. Power. Possibility.
I grew. Bigger and bigger. My wings unfurling with a loud leathery snap.
Something was happening to Viktor’s face as he watched. It was transforming, too. Eager anticipation was bleeding away to something I’d never seen from him before.
Dread. Fear.
He stumbled back against his desk, his bravado faltering. “Guards!” He raised his arm, pointing at me, at whatever I was. “We’ve waited long enough. Bring this creature down. Now!”
The guards didn’t have to be asked twice. They lunged towards me. The first guard’s blade gleamed as he raised it. I swiped a massive claw. The man flew across the room, slamming into the far wall with a hideous crunch.
Another came at me from the side. My tail lashed out, sending him sprawling to the ground like a broken toy.
They kept coming and coming and I reacted as quickly as they came. I was no longer human. No longer highblood. No longer breakable.
Their weapons glanced off my scales. One by one, I tore through them, ripping and shredding.
The carnage was effortless. What was more, I craved it. I enjoyed it. The blood was beautiful to see. Splattering across walls. Pooling along the floor.
The fire within me surged and I let it, roaring so loudly the Black Keep seemed to tremble.
“Stop!” Viktor shouted. He looked so small standing down below me. How had I ever been afraid of him? “Blake, listen to me!”
I turned slowly, my massive frame towering over him. The heat of my breath steaming the air between us.
“Think about what you’re doing! Remember who you are!” Viktor’s voice was weak, cracked with panic. I’d never seen him like this before. And yet I’d always known this was who he really was. “Control yourself. Control your fears. You don’t have to do this. I can give you anything. Anything you want. Riches, power, women. Anyone you desire. The rider? You want her? She’s yours. Forever.”
She was already mine. Forever. Nothing would take her from me. Even through the haze of flames and blood, I knew that.
Our blood was bound.
But once she saw what her blood had done to me? What would she do then?
I shuddered, roaring again. I watched my uncle back up against the wall.
“Blake, you’re better than this. You’re the better man. I’ve always known it. I’ll make you my heir,” my uncle babbled. “All that I’ve built will be yours someday. Marcus–your brother will bow at your feet. Just think of it!”
All I could think of was how much he looked like prey. And of how his bones would crunch and shatter as his blood filled my mouth.
But something in me held back. I didn’t want the taste of Viktor Drakharrow in my throat. Sticking to my tongue like poison.
My vision was tinted red. Was this how my uncle saw the world? Through rims of blood? He looked so fragile now. He was just a man. A man who had controlled my life. Destroyed me, bent me, broken me in ways I hadn’t even realized until now.
Now? There was nothing left but what he’d made.
The fire in my blood demanded release.
A strange sensation was welling up in my chest. Coiling and burning. A living inferno. My throat ached. I gagged as the heat spiraled upward.
I thought of Nyxaris. Of the devastating beauty his flames unleashed.
My mouth opened. Viktor’s face changed. His calm veneer cracked, giving way to sheer panic.
He shielded his face with his arms, his voice desperate now and thick with thrallweave. But thrallweave didn’t work on dragons. “Blake! Stop! You need me. Think about what you’re doing. You’re better than this. Don’t let the beast control you.”
But I wasn’t better. Not anymore. Wasn’t this exactly what he’d wanted me to be?
I advanced, embers spewing from my maw with every exhale.
For once, Viktor Drakharrow looked exactly as he should have all along: small, weak, and utterly terrified.
He had ruled me through fear. Now that fear was gone.
The fire rose. And I let it.