Chapter 28

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

J axxon threw the covers back, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. He gripped his battle hammer, made purely of dark shadows, its razor-sharp edges aimed high.

“Show yourself,” he whispered hoarsely to the darkness—a command, a plea—he wasn’t sure which. But silence answered. He was alone.

His nightmare clung to him, refusing to let go. His heart pounded against his ribcage like a trapped beast desperate for escape. He blinked through the thick wall of shadows that enveloped his quarters, searching for what wasn’t there.

Breathing heavily, he forced himself to sit up, pulling himself awake. He planted his feet firmly on the floor, the sensation anchoring him to the present. You’re safe , he told himself. Safe in his quarters. Secure in the Villagio Mystic Mountains—the only sanctuary the Vralgari had never been able to penetrate. Yet the taste of dread lingered on his tongue, bitter and spoiled, a reminder that safety was an illusion.

He let out a shuddering breath, pulling his hand through his damp hair. The nightmare had felt so real. Images of bloodred eyes and clawed wings flashed through his mind, along with the sound of whispered words promising eternal torment, and the feel of claws raking across his skin. He blinked, trying to rid the terror from his mind. Focus.

But how can I when the Vralgari Red Fae have taken almost everything from me? When they haunt my dreams like hungry predators waiting for me to drop my guard? Squeezing his eyes shut, he let his rage anchor him. He wasn’t a coward. He’d faced death numerous times. But in that nightmare, he’d been a powerless child again.

The nightmare wasn’t just a nightmare. It was a warning, a shadow of something far worse than anything the Vralgari had done before. His instincts never lied, and every fiber of his being told him one thing. They’re coming.

He’d be ready for them. This was his territory. His stronghold. And he was a man who carried the weight of a thousand battles and a million scars that no one could see. He was Warlord Jaxxon Hammer, a Celestial dragon rider and a fearsome shadow raider. He was not the frightened prey in his nightmares.

A cold smile tugged at his lips for the first time since he’d woken. The only thing real was Destiny’s Hammer in his hand. The Vralgari think they know terror? They haven’t faced me yet!

Dawn was breaking across the horizon as he stood. He yanked on a pair of shorts and laced up his combat boots. Without a second thought, he strode out onto the terrace. The chill of the crisp air bit into his bare chest, but he welcomed the sensation. The morning breeze was just what he needed.

“Drak!” His eyes narrowed as he saw Zade coming over the water with Galan.

Galan banked, landing carefully on the terrace Jaxxon shared with Zade. Hopping off his dragon’s back, Zade bristled, looking at Jaxxon. Galan flew off as Zade walked over.

“You look like shit. One of your nightmares?” said Zade, his voice heavy as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

“So do you.” Jaxxon looked down at Zade’s skinned knuckles and the blue tinge beneath his left eye. “You smell like cheap perfume and—” He grimaced.

“Don’t start on me, Jaxx. We both have our ways of dealing with our shit! And neither of us has it under control!”

Jaxxon huffed, pulling his hand over his chin, realizing it had been a few days since he’d shaved. “No, we don’t. But we do this together, cuz! Or neither of us survives!” Anger fueled him for what he and Zade faced every day.

“The nightmares are getting worse. I think it’s a sign. I sense Prince Aeralis out there. Closer than ever.” He leaned over the terrace, looking beyond the valley and over the water to the faraway lands his people once ruled.

“That’s the reason I don’t dream!” Zade clasped him on the shoulder. “So, I do what I can to stay awake.” Guilt spread across his face as he looked down at the marks on his arm before his dragon scale tattoos swirled, covering them.

“Keeping our people safe is a heavy burden. But we will bear this burden together, as our fathers did.” Jaxxon stood tall.

“Fuck the Vralgari! They’ve taken too much.” Zade clenched his jaw, pacing the terrace.

Jaxxon knew how he felt. He wanted to kill something. Fight or fuck, anything to get his mind off the hell they had lived through—the hell they still lived in daily as they raided to stay alive.

“Things will only get worse,” said Jaxxon, eyeing Zade as he stopped before him. “I’ve reviewed the inventory several times, and it’s not pretty. We need to increase the rationing.”

“Drak! If Prince Aeralis doesn’t kill us, the men will when you tell them to survive off less.”

“Or the dragons will finally eat us!”

“ Don’t tempt us ,” rumbled Kylo. Kylo was always there in his mind when he had a rough night. And he knew Galan’s mind was open to Zade’s since he’d been out bingeing on things that left him unhinged and volatile. Zade was the most dangerous raider Jaxxon had ever encountered in that state .

“Let’s do this then. Let’s call a meeting,” said Zade, winking. Jaxxon cursed, giving Zade a high five.

“ We’re on our way ,” said Kylo. “ Given your state of mind and Zade’s, you’re likely to take off someone’s head! ”

“ Or finally roast you for dinner! ” Jaxxon chuckled, telling Zade what had been said.

Everyone met in the valley. Men, women, and dragons stood as Jaxxon announced the state of their supplies. He didn’t hold back, making it clear more rationing was needed to hold out a little longer. The reaction was immediate as people began complaining.

“More rationing? My stomach growls as we speak!” said Hassan, stepping onto the raised platform. His brown eyes were wild as the freckles on his sandy-hued face seemed to scrunch together like a firestorm ready to be unleashed. Some of the men laughed.

“Are we not the most feared raiders? Are we not Crelentians?” Hassan bellowed, raising his hands to rile the men up. The chains on his leather jacket swung back and forth as he walked. His steel-toe boots sounded like thunder with each step.

“We must replenish our supplies today!” Several men nodded as they moved to stand with Hassan.

Jaxxon gritted his teeth. Zade looked at him, a hint of a smile on his lips. Jaxxon shook his head, hoping to settle Zade before things got out of control. Hassan’s rhetoric was expected, and Jaxxon wanted to punch him from one end of the valley to the other.

“And we need more shampoo!” Maya called out, putting her hands on her hips. When Jaxxon looked her way, she rolled her eyes. “And more hair accessories, clothes, and a bunch of other stuff we didn’t have in the first place!”

A few of the younger dragons joined in the arguing. They wanted to fly beyond the mountain range to better hunting grounds. They made it clear the larger dragons were taking the best sources of meat for themselves. Kylo and Galan roared, sending them to the back.

But both dragons made it clear they wished to leave the mountains for a different reason. To find the dragon breeding grounds .

What had been a meeting to discuss stiffer rationing soon turned into a demand to leave the mountains to search for supplies and the dragon breeding grounds. The scene was getting out of control far faster than Jaxxon had expected.

Demands and complaints were taking their toll, and he anchored his anger to stop his shadows from unfurling. Looking over at Zade didn’t make things better. His cousin was nearly bursting with adrenaline from the night before.

Tiara came forward. Jaxxon hadn’t seen her, though she had been looking for him each day. He’d been busy fortifying their defenses in the command center and didn’t need the distraction. She’d been pretty terse with him the other day when he wouldn’t let her go on another run with him. She wasn’t willing to listen when he reminded her of the dangers outside.

“We’ve been practicing our magic with the dragons. We can even make weapons.” Several men agreed the women could help this time, an unwelcome surprise as Jaxxon shook his head.

Fury rose as Jaxxon tried to calm everyone, but no one would listen. Zade barked, telling everyone to settle down and listen to Jaxxon, but there continued to be a flurry of complaints flying at him. Both men looked at each other.

“If the crowd doesn’t see the storm brewing, it’ll be their damned fault when we unleash it!” he murmured to Zade, who agreed.

And damn if Tiara wasn’t the one to push his buttons.

“What’s out there? We demand to know what you’re so afraid of?” yelled Tiara. “What happened to the women of Crelentia?”

It was the last straw. Silence hit like a rocket as the men turned to her, then back to Jaxxon.

“She’s right, Warlord Jaxxon Hammer—our esteemed leader! Tell them how we hid. Tell them how we still hide today!” sneered Hassan.

Jaxxon’s shadows reached Hassan before he could say another word. Gripping him by the neck, he lifted him from his feet, strangling him. His fury unleashed like that in his dreams. The hate, the anger—it all flowed as he felt Hassan’s heartbeat slow. Releasing him, he let him fall to the ground, gagging for breath.

“You hate me, Hassan? Do others hate me? I’ll tell you what happened!” He let his shadows form a veil around him, then watched its tendrils wrap around the podium like a dark curtain rising on a stage.

“Twice a year, the Shadow Kings of the South and North met for a grand celebration. All males and their dragons congregated in the South Kingdom that year. Unaware that our beautiful females and their dragons were in imminent danger.” He shook, his shadows darkening as they rose higher in the air.

“The Light Queens of the South and North shared a beautiful kingdom in the center of our lands. A place of beauty where they were revered and worshipped with their dragons. The men, boys, and male dragons expected to join them in a united celebration the next day.”

“But the Vralgari attacked without warning. They poisoned the water that nurtured our females and their dragons. Killing every...single...one!”

Tiara and the women screamed out, “Oh my god!” They covered their mouths, but he continued.

“By the time the men realized what was happening, the Vralgari Red Fae and their ships were landing everywhere. We’d never seen this vampiric Fae or their demon horde in this galaxy before.”

“I was just a few days shy of my eleventh birthday! Jostling around with my friends in school, my dad burst in with others. They lined all the kids up, even those no more than two or three years old. They told us to hide in numerous underground containment areas around the kingdom.” He pointed to Zade and then to Hassan.

“None of us knew what was happening.” Jaxxon swallowed as Zade nodded, stepping forward.

Zade pointed at some of the youngest boys in the valley. “You were babies! They emptied the daycare centers, bringing all toddlers to us.”

Zade looked at his hands, seeing them shake as he looked back at the crowd of youngsters. “They put gas containers in my hands...and in Jaxxon’s hands. They told us to put you to sleep! To keep you quiet!”

Tiara and her friends cried out as the young boys looked at each other. Solemn looks filled their eyes.

“These tiny, fragile toddlers were crying as if they sensed their deaths! They were crying for their mothers who were dead ! And we were responsible for taking care of babies !” Zade looked at the sky, shaking back tears.

“Do you know how we felt?” yelled Zade, his voice breaking with emotion. “Do you know the pressure we were under trying to monitor your breathing and keep you alive? All the while wondering what the fuck was happening?”

“Do you want to hear more?” Jaxxon’s fury surged, his voice climbing to a crescendo so powerful his shadows blasted like a wave, rooting everyone in place, their breaths held, afraid even to blink.

“All the older boys went with our fathers and uncles. My father—Shadow King of the South—gave me one mission. One Mission! Stay…quiet!”

He let the words sink in as everyone shivered, their eyes wide with understanding and sadness.

Kylo’s magic joined Jaxxon’s as he stepped forward. “My father was the elder dragon. He flew fast with every male dragon in the region. I was still an adolescent, as was Galan. We were placed in the containment areas with Jaxxon and all of you.”

He looked at the young dragons. “We carried some of you in our talons. You were still hatchlings. The last hatchlings of the Celestial dragons. Hatchlings who would never see their mothers again.”

The dragons roared, the sound filled with sorrow and loss.

“An hour passed, and nothing happened. But then, I heard something.” Jaxxon narrowed his eyes, his brow furrowed as if he was reliving that day. “We all moved closer to the door, realizing a fight was happening very close to us.” He clenched his fists as he looked at Tiara and the young boys.

“Screams were followed by more screams.” His voice shook with anguish as his eyes darted back and forth, seeing that day before his eyes.

“And then we heard a gurgling sound. The Vralgari Red Fae were feeding off our fathers—our uncles—our brothers!” Jaxxon couldn’t go on. He yelled angrily toward the sky as his shadows unfurled like a giant storm.

“Their screams were horrific as their magic was drained from their bodies. With each scream, I could feel their pain. We heard them beg for mercy. We heard them beg for death!” Jaxxon looked at Hassan and the others. “But it didn’t come. The gurgling didn’t stop. Their screams didn’t stop. The Red Fae were in a feeding frenzy!”

Zade grabbed Jaxxon as he fell to his knees. “I got you, Jaxx,” he said, helping him back to his feet. Zade’s anger fueled the wall of shadows growing in size over the crowd.

“This went on and off for hours. We were so afraid we could barely breathe. We could barely move—frozen in place,” said Jaxxon, his voice raw with anguish.

“By the morning, our fear turned into rage. They were still feeding, draining every ounce of life from the men and dragons who loved us, taught us how to read, and how to fight.” He looked at his hands and then at the crowd who were crying.

“And here we were cowering. Fucking hiding! Our rage bubbled as we clenched our tiny fists. Finally, some of the boys spoke up.” He pointed to Hassan.

“You wanted to go out. And then a few more boys wanted to go and fight by your side.” Jaxxon slammed his fists together, yelling, “ I wanted to go and fight!”

“But...but I knew there was nothing we could do. I knew if we went out there, we would die alongside our fathers, our brothers, and our uncles. So, I stood up. I was the biggest. But I...I wouldn’t let you leave. I wouldn’t let anyone out.” He looked at Hassan and others.

“I had the key, and you couldn’t get it from me. Some of the kids begged me to use it. They begged me to let them out so they could fight! But I wouldn’t! ”

Jaxxon lifted the key he wore around his neck. “When I sleep, I hear my father’s screams. I...I wonder if I could have made a difference.”

“Jaxx, stop beating yourself up, man!” said Zade. “I was there with you. We were ten years old! And I know one thing above all else. We couldn’t make a difference. We couldn’t help. And we all would have fucking died if you opened that door!”

Zade looked at the crowd and then back at Jaxxon. “You followed the Shadow King’s orders. You saved us, Jaxx!”

“But there were over a hundred kids with us.” Jaxxon shook. “Maybe, maybe we could have made a difference. Even if it was holding my father’s hand as he took his last breath,” he screamed in agony, throwing the key across the podium.

“Jaxx, your father —all our fathers —died knowing that we would survive. The chapter ended for our parents. But their story continues in us.” Zade made the sign of Crelentia. Every man and dragon made the sign, even Hassan.

Zade picked up the key, placing it around Jaxxon’s neck.

The crowd cheered and the dragons roared.

Jaxxon looked at the crowd, his anguish replaced with his usual fierce stare.

“I’ve spent my life protecting every one of you! When you’re partying, I’m planning our next raid! When you’re asleep, I’m strategizing about our next move! And I’ll happily do it with my last dying breath!”

He thrust his finger at the crowd. “Now, you know what’s out there. You know what we face if we leave the safety of these mountains.”

Everyone nodded, making it clear they were willing to risk it all.

With a smile that promised hell, Jaxxon made the sign of Crelentia.

“We will restore our people and our dragons. Now let’s kick those motherfucking Red Fae off our planet!”