Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Catherine
Page Ten. Dragons are like deities, but dragged down to a mortal form. They should be free.
M y dragon dives straight through another endlessly dark tunnel, taking the air from my lungs in a sharp snap. We lunge to the left and I grip her scales, clenching my thighs so I don’t fall straight off. The children cry out from the quick changing direction, and I can’t see the state of the wooden crate they are in. It’s heavy for my dragon; we’ve had to make so many stops along the way, hiding from the Silkvir in the night, making repairs to the crate with anything we could find along the way. Niko is a good fighter, and that has been needed more than once along the trip when the vampyres have found us. Their hesitation when seeing their prince is useful because they don’t suspect he will fight for me and not them. It only further proved to me that my gut feeling and my dragon are right. He is on our side. Now I have to convince my king and my friend. Story is going to take one look at Niko and see who he is, and King Ziven or King Daegan will attack him for his royal blood. Niko knows this, and yet he is here, flying with me into danger and never asking to stay behind.
There is a change in pressure that makes my ears pop, and I straighten, feeling the hum of the box tied to my back with straps. I don’t like having the box so close to my skin, but I don’t have a choice but to keep it close until I give it to Story. It’s hers, and I want to be as far away from it as possible. I don’t know if it is alive, but there is a hum that rattles in my blood, and it grows stronger the closer we get to the dragons. To the fae too. I don’t know what the book in this box wants, but it feels strangely agreeable to the flight.
It’s rare I’ve flown alone on my dragon in the last couple of weeks, but for this final trip of the tunnels, where he warned me last night we are close, Niko decided to stay with the children in the crate to calm them. We don’t usually fly more than two hours at a time, but today, we have flown for six hours straight to get here. Without flying high in the skies, it’s been a slow flight, and my body is aching, not just with the flight but the pressure of knowing what is coming. Story is my friend, and she trusts me. I remind myself of it a hundred times because, otherwise, fear of losing what I just found in the Decidere might tear me apart.
“The other dragons hear us, they sense the vampyre, and they’re not happy with me. They hunt us,” my dragon warns, and he speeds up. The children scream and I can’t do anything but hold on.
Command. I have to make a command. “Get us quickly to the kings. We need to plead our case before the dragons get involved in this.”
The tunnel finally ends, and we glide out into fresh air, a crater of sorts deep within the ground, and on a ledge is a town. The brightness of the light in here makes me squint as I take it all in, wondering how this old town is even possible, and a bigger part of me is relieved. My people could be alive down there…my parents. I know it’s so much to hope for with what happened, but I am hoping and praying it is true that they are down there, that they survived what happened at the mansion. I know I’m about to find out.
We land on a clearing outside of the town, dust blowing up a storm around us, and I cover my eyes as he gently drops the crate and lands next to it. His wing spreads out protectively over the crate, and I touch his neck. “Well done, and thank you. Those children and I owe you our lives.”
“The young must be protected at all costs,” he replies in my mind. The walls are like mirrors, the stone so smooth, and I wonder if dragons used fire to melt the rock like this, to make it so reflective. Roars echo in the air, and the ground shakes as dragons spill out of the tunnels, coming right for us. The crate door slams onto the ground, but the children don’t come out and neither does Niko. They are waiting for me. Shadows explode in the air, in the ground, like grey whispers of clouds that follow the command of their king. Niko is dragged out and held in the air, struggling with his mouth bound in shadows too. King Ziven walks towards us, his hands resting in his pockets and a calm yet confused look as he finds me.
“You bring our enemy to us, Catherine?” he demands. King Ziven scares me, and I am shaking as I slide down my dragon to the ground. “Stop!” I beg, running up to King Ziven, close to where Niko is being held in the air. “Wait, please don’t kill him and listen to me. I know I’m not from the Moon Dynasty, but you know I’m Story’s friend, and I’d never bring anyone here that could hurt her. Please.”
“Give me one good reason other than blind trust, Catherine,” Ziven demands.
“He’s my mate,” I answer, because it’s the very best of reasons why he can’t kill him and why we can trust him.
Story rushes over and throws herself at me, hugging me so tightly it almost hurts, and I squeeze her right back. “Did you just say you have a mate?” She steps back and looks up at him, her eyes widening, and she takes several steps closer to Ziven, who wordlessly wraps an arm around her waist. “He’s a vampyre prince, and I know him. We met once.”
“All the reason to kill him,” Ziven cooly suggests, and my heart nearly stops. No. Dragons fly around us with snarls and roars that rattle the ground, but the world stills for me as Ziven’s shadows tighten on Niko, and he screams in pain.
“Please, listen to me.” I drop to my knees. “Please, he is not a villain.”
King Daegan steps out of the crowd and walks to me. He offers me his hand. I take it, rising to my feet. “You don’t bow to the Moon; you are one of my people and so is the vampyre now. I claim him, Ziven, let him the fuck go. Catherine is one of your mate’s friends, and she has never not shown loyalty to our kind.” He nods at me. “You ask me every single day to listen in those meetings. Well, maybe you should take your own advice right now.”
King Ziven and King Daegan stare each other down, and I look at Story, pleading with her to trust me. She nods, even as pale as she looks, and whispers to Ziven something I can’t hear. He drops Niko like a rock.
I run to him, touching his face as he rises to his feet and takes my hand. King Ziven’s voice is chipped. “One warning, vampyre—make a move against anyone here, and you’re dead.”
“Noted for the future,” he coughs out, and his clothes are torn from the shadows. I stay at his side. “But for the record, Catherine is right. I’m only here to make an alliance with you, and I brought a peace offering that was no small feat and cost many lives, none taken by me.” He waves his hand behind him at the basket, and I leave him to head up to it.
“You can come out,” I gently coax, leaning in and holding out my hand. “These are your people. Fae. You’ll be safe here. I’m sure they have food and places to get warm.”
A little girl comes out first. She looks thin and too scared in a grey cloak. She has shiny, almost black hair, and she takes my hand. I lead them out one by one. All their little faces silence everyone—even the dragons flying around.
Story speaks first. “Where in the name of the deities did you get these children from, and are they well?”
“They’re from the breeding district, and they are well, just hungry and cold. We ran out of food yesterday, but we have tried to keep them all fed.” I look around at them all. “Niko kept them safe, took a sword to the stomach for them and nearly died. He sacrificed for the fae and has done many times before this. I’m asking you to listen.”
Despite clearly being outnumbered, and I suspect nervous, he stands straight to address them all. “I’m part of the building rebellion of both vampyre and fae alike. I got word that their parents had desperately tried to save them and hid them away, but they needed a guardian. I did everything I could, fought for them, protected them. Catherine found me in the forest when I was nearly dead from those efforts, and all I could think of was that if I didn’t live, I wouldn’t be able to help these children.” More of the children are coming out, some holding crying, weak babies. “Catherine and I were brought together by fate, by the legendary stories of entwined mates, and I will help you win the war. You’ll need my help to take down my father and brother and my other siblings, too, who will side with him.”
Story walks away from Ziven to pick up a baby from a young girl who is struggling to stand. “We need healers and help. Catherine, do you have a headcount? Can you and Niko identify each of these children if we send them out with these fae?” After I confirm that we can, she calls out, “Everyone take a child with them to help!” The crowd of fae moves with her, and we stand watching until all the children are gone with the fae, including the baby Story was holding. She comes over, looking around at the awkward group of us. The two kings are in quiet discussions, with Etena watching Niko closely, like if he moves wrong, she will attack him. Calix is a few feet away with Avaluna, who is holding a dark-haired baby, and he grins at me before walking off with her to hand the baby away.
“Do you have the book?” Story asks me, and both the kings turn to watch as I nod.
Ziven wraps his arm around Story. “We have agreed he can stay as long as he swears into one of our dynasty with blood, and we will head to the hall to continue this conversation.”
Niko steps up to Daegan. “I want to join the Sun Dynasty, the dynasty of my mate, and serve you.” He bows his head.
King Daegan watches for a second. “For the children. Push up your sleeve.” He does as he is told, and Daegan places his hand on his arm. “By the sun, by the deities, you will join the light until your death.”
“Repeat it,” I whisper, and he does. When Daegan removes his hand, there on his arm is a sun marking that matches the one I have.
Daegan pats his shoulder. “Welcome, and let’s win this war.”
Story stays close to me on the walk through the town, and I try to take in everything I can on the way. The people really love the colour green. The building is one of the few that is built with grey stone, and the walls look higher than the others, with big wooden doors at the front. We go in with the kings and Story, but Etena stays to guard the door.
“Do you trust him?” Story directly asks me when we have all sat down. “You’re my best friend and we have fought together, and I trust you. Even if you sit there and tell me a royal vampyre is trustworthy for more reasons than your feelings or bond. Do you trust this vampyre?”
I answer her directly because what she doesn’t say is that this vampyre is the brother of her tormentor, her old master, and there must be so many memories for her when she looks at him. “Yes. He is my mate, and nothing he’s done so far has done anything but help me and the fae. He feeds from animals. He’s never once tried to bite me, and he must have been part of the rebellion to save this many children. The children told me their parents knew that a good vampyre was coming to save them—they knew to trust this vampyre. I don’t think that many parents would have made that mistake. They trust him with their children. I feel like I can trust him, too.”
“And what happened to their parents?” King Daegan questions rather bluntly. “One day these babies and young children will ask, and I want to be able to tell them the truth.”
“Slaughtered by vampyres after getting them out. There was meant to be more children, but…” Niko drifts off. “I only found these, and any others…I pray to anyone in the skies for their safety. The breeding camps were burnt down. All of them.” A bitter silence enters the room. “I did meet you once, Story Dehana,” he speaks to her. “And did I have a blood slave? A favourite, or did you see me carting around a poor fae blood slave?”
She shakes her head. “No. But that doesn’t mean you couldn’t have found one.”
“No, I never had one.” He is firm. “I always fed from animals and made a point of only feeding in front of my family when they demanded it. I would try my very best to make sure that they weren’t in pain when I did feed on them, and I would drug their food with pain relief remedies. I don’t enjoy pain. Not every vampyre born does. Some of us do not want this life or the hunt for fae blood. There is a whole rebellion of vampyres out there who will turn against my family the minute they are given the chance and I call for the rebellion to start.”
He leans back in his seat. “I met a vampyre man called Griffin, who is high up in the cities. He is deeply in love with a fae woman called Helen, and he has built a secret army of vampyres to protect her every move. I believe they are mates; their bond is strong, and there are so many like them. I’ve been building the rebellion with them for over one hundred years.” He looks at King Ziven directly. “You have my information, my rebellion army, and my life if needed, but I have conditions.”
“You don’t get to ask anything other than your life,” King Ziven growls at him. Shadows prick the walls and make the candles flicker.
King Daegan waves a hand. “I will listen to those conditions. You don’t come across as someone unreasonable.”
Story leans into King Ziven. “I knew a kind vampyre too—remember my first master I told you about? He would have fought for us, and I think we need to give some of them a chance, Ziv.”
Niko carries on. “I have an younger sister and she’s too kind for this world, and she feeds on animals too. Her name is Caelina. She must be left alive when this war is over.” He clears his throat and looks at me. “And Catherine is given a formal place in the Sun Dynasty and a portion of land for her to live peacefully in when the war is over.”
King Daegan smiles and nods. “Catherine has proved herself continually since the Decidere, and I do not have a court yet. I will begin one today with you both, with titles of protectors of the king, and when the war is over, you can choose your own land and homes to rule a district under my command. As for your sister, I will not touch her.” My cheeks are burning. This is really happening.
“Neither will I,” King Ziven finally adds, his eyes on Story.
She kisses his cheek and looks at me. “Congratulations!” I almost grin, but the pressure of all their eyes makes me pause slightly. I take Niko’s hand under the table and squeeze.
“Now that is over, how much do you know about these cities?” King Daegan waves his hand, and in the middle of the table, protected by magic, is a map of our world with statues and markings for cites.
“Everything.” Niko grins. “I can tell you exactly where the weapons are held, where the soldiers will be stationed, and how to win.” The next few hours go quickly as Niko, King Daegan and King Ziven make adjustments to their war plan and to the city.
Only when it’s somewhat darker outside and a bell rings, does Story stand up and come over. She hugs me tightly. “That’s dinner. I have so much to tell you, and I get to introduce you to my mother.”
My eyes widen. “Your mother?”
Her smile is radiant. She is literally glowing and looks so happy. I’m about to ask about my parents when another voice stops me. “Catherine, you understand he’s a vampyre who will need to be watched continuously under someone’s guard?” I nearly jump at King Ziven, who steps around me to Story.
“Let me guard him,” I ask of the Moon king. “He’s my mate and I know he’s not an enemy.”
He crosses his arms and looks between us as Niko comes to my side from the table. King Daegan has wordlessly left, leaving the door wedged open. “Fine.”
I pull my bag off my back and tug out the box before handing it to Story. She looks reluctant to take it, so King Ziven does instead and tucks it under his arm. She looks paler somehow as she smiles my way. “Thank you for protecting it.”
“I’ll be glad to not have it near,” I admit, my eyes dragging to the box, to the hum of something held within. “It’s…” There aren’t words to explain the feeling from the box, and I don’t try either. I clear my throat. “I need to know if my parents are alive.”
“They are.” Story’s smile is as wide as mine. “I’ll show you to a spare hut, and then I’ll go get them for you. They might be coming this way if they heard, but since your mother is a healer, she might be busy with the children. We don’t have many healers.”
Relief nearly makes me collapse, and I lean into Niko, who seems to just know. Story and King Ziven show us to a small hut. It’s got two single beds in a room with a fireplace. “There aren’t many available, so you will need to share, I’m afraid.” Story winks at me. “Have fun. I’m so glad you’re alive, best friend.” I hug her one more time before she goes, leaving me alone with Niko in what feels like a very small box of a room. I open the only other door and find a tiny toilet in the ground but no shower.
Niko is sitting on one of the beds, tugging off his boots when I come back.
“How are you going to feed?”
He looks up. “I’ll find a way out of the caves and?—”
No. He can’t risk himself by going out there. “If you can bite me on my wrist and feed off me occasionally to keep yourself alive, you won’t break any rules because I’m agreeing to it.”
I know he is shocked silent when he barely moves. His look is instant and it sends shivers all across my body, building at my very core. “As much as I want to sink my teeth and other parts of me into your beautiful body, I won’t bite you. I’ll survive for a while, then I’ll figure out a way to get out.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s too risky for you to be leaving for food. You haven’t fed and hunted in days. I know that because we’ve been together all that time.” I hand him my wrist and step between his open legs. His eyes seem darker somehow as he looks up at me. “I’m stubborn and determined to keep you alive. I know you don’t want to hurt me, but this is my choice.”
“Catherine, are you sure?” I nod and he surprises me by gently kissing my wrist first before sinking his teeth in. Surprisingly, it doesn’t hurt that much. I hold on to his other arm as he feeds from me, his hand snaking around my back, holding me to him. It’s surprisingly intimate as he feeds, and I like it. Slowly, he pulls his teeth away and brushes his thumb across the marks. Our eyes lock, like they have so many times before. “You taste like…you taste like home.” I should hate seeing the blood on his lips, but a part of me likes it, likes knowing it’s me that is keeping him alive. Becoming a part of him. “Keep looking like that, Catherine, and I’m going to kiss you because you’re ravishingly stunning in every single way.”
My heart pounds at the compliment, at the way I feel how much he means it. He pulls me to him and slams his lips onto mine. There’s a metallic taste in my blood for a second, mixed in with how he tastes, and deities above, I love every second of him.
I don’t stop him, not as he carries me to the other bed, not as he marks me as his in every way that a mate can. The world could burn, and it wouldn’t matter to us. We’d burn forever as one.