Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

“ W hat the fuck have you done?” Grazen asks as he scans the unfamiliar lands.

We’re surrounded by sand in every direction as far as the eye can see. I glance up at the blood-streaked skies, knowing it’ll be dark soon, and by the sounds of that thunder, it’ll rain any minute, too.

“I don’t know. I’m sorry. I’ll fix this.” I close my eyes and reach for my powers to open another portal, but it’s not working.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. It won’t work.” It’s as if my powers have been depleted. That, or something is messing with my ability to use them.

A loud screeching sounds overhead, and we both look at one another then glance up to the sky.

What in the gods is that?

“That didn’t sound good,” he says.

“No, it didn’t.”

He runs his hand through his rugged blond hair. It suits him better a little bit longer, I must admit. It’s a gorgeous contrast to his golden skin and blue eyes.

“We need to find shelter before this storm reaches us,” he says.

I nod in agreement, and he points to some mountains in the distance that shouldn’t take too long to reach.

“There,” he tells me, then he releases his wings.

My eyes grow wide. “Hold on. You want to fly there? Alongside whatever bloody creature is up there?”

He chuckles. “Zarla, it won’t be anything we can’t handle. Come on. Let’s go.”

I yank on his arm before he has a chance to take off, and then I catch movement in the corner of my eye. Something large flies above the clouds, and I have a feeling it knows we’re here.

He stares at me with wide eyes. “We need to go. Now.”

I release my wings, knowing he’s probably right. Whatever it is, it could attack us at any moment. Maybe we’ll have a better chance in the sky. After all, we can both fly fast enough. Maybe we can outfly whatever it is.

Just as I’m about to take off, an enormous black beast dives through the clouds toward us. It’s much larger than a Zelon, even from this distance, and as it nears us, I notice it’s covered in black scales that glisten in the sunlight. The creature’s red eyes zone in on us, and I realise Grazen is shaking me and calling my name.

I snap back to reality when he grabs hold of my wrist and takes off on foot, hauling me with him, just as the creature opens its mouth and blasts fire down where we were just standing.

“Run, Zarla!”

Knowing it’s a bad idea, I glance up anyway to find the beast is circling back to get us again.

Oh no. Not good. I stop running and will my powers to the surface, praying to the gods they’ll work this time.

Grazen takes a moment to realise I’ve stopped, then he’s sprinting back toward me.

I’m not about to be killed by whatever this creature is. No way. Not after everything I’ve been through. I’m going to get out of this hellhole and find Kyle.

I’m about to blast this beast when Grazen tackles me to the ground, just as another powerful stream of fire hits where I was just standing. We roll across the sandy ground and end up in a tangled mess with him on top.

He looks down at me with concern etched into his features. “What the fuck, Zarla! You can’t take on a dragon!”

Dragon? The word passes through my mind, and I try to understand it. No, they don’t exist, at least as far as I know. I’ve never seen one or heard of another angel who has, and they’re not written into our history, as far as I’m aware. How could they possibly exist?

And yet here I am, staring up at one.

Grazen hauls me to my feet, but I refuse to move. I stare at the creature, and for some reason, I am unafraid, like I know it can’t harm me.

It flies closer. Grazen is panicking at my side, but I’m not going to run from it. There’s nothing inside me telling me I should. It’s as if my soul knows it is not a threat.

“What are you doing?” Grazen shouts.

He braces for the next fiery blast, but it never comes. The dragon swoops at us and then lands with a thud that shakes the ground beneath our feet, cracking it slightly. Grazen still tries to get me to move, but my focus is on the dragon before me and the red eyes that I should have known were the same as the ones in my dream.

And then, in the blink of an eye, the dragon is replaced by a huge male, who is possibly even larger than Grazen.

Grazen stops shouting and stares along with me at the male standing before us, where the dragon just was. The male has broad, muscular shoulders, and markings cover his golden skin. The one covering his chest reminds me of Kyle’s. How odd. The markings snake down both of his arms, a combination of symbols I don’t understand as well as images.

“Who are you?” the male demands.

By the gods, he looks familiar, but I know for a fact I have never met this male before. I would most certainly remember it if I had. I keep my gaze on his as I try to understand what in the gods I’ve just seen.

“So dragon shifters do exist…” Grazen says.

Dragon shifters?

The male takes a step toward us, and Grazen repositions himself in front of me.

The male catches the movement, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Your male is protective of you. As he should be.”

“He’s… He’s not…” I stutter as I attempt to explain that Grazen isn’t my male, but I come up blank.

The male laughs, and he has the most perfect set of white teeth between full lips. He’s gorgeous.

“I am a friend of hers. But the real question here is who the fuck are you?”

I nudge Grazen in the back for being so rude to this male, although, to be fair, he did just try to burn us to ashes.

Grazen glances back at me. “What? It’s a fair question, and you know it.”

“Muzzar. And I am in charge of defending this Kingdom from outside threats. Something we haven’t had in over a century. Who are you, and how did you get in here?”

My eyes grow wide. Another Kingdom? How is that even possible?

“We are no threat to you or this Kingdom.” Grazen shuffles his weight to his other foot, and I can tell he’s doing his best to shield me from Muzzar’s view.

Muzzar narrows his eyes at him. “I’ll be the one to decide that. Now, I asked you a question. Do not make me ask again.”

A low growl sounds in Grazen’s chest at the male’s subtle threat. “I am Grazen, and this is Zarla. We portalled here by accident, wherever ‘here’ is. What is the name of this Kingdom?”

Muzzar leans to the side in an attempt to get a better look at me, and Grazen shadows his movement to prevent him. I roll my eyes, and Muzzar laughs. Bloody males.

Grazen’s jaw tenses. “Something funny?”

I step around Grazen, sick of this nonsense. “What is the name of this Kingdom that we had no idea even existed?”

Ignoring my question, he takes a step closer, rubbing his chin as he seems to mull something over in his head. “You are a watcher. But what are you ?” he asks me. “You’re not just an angel. That much I can tell. You are…something else.”

I bite my lip, unsure how to respond. Grazen grabs hold of my wrist, and the protective nature of his touch tells me to keep quiet. Muzzar follows the movement with his gaze.

Grazen leans down to whisper in my ear, “Do not tell him anything.”

I look up at him, worried about his concerns. What will Muzzar do if he knows who I really am or where I come from?

I keep my gaze on Grazen, grappling with just how much to tell this male. “I’m from Silanthia.”

Grazen gives me a subtle nod, and I look at Muzzar, who scratches his chin.

“And somehow you, an angel from Silanthia and a watcher, ended up here, in my Kingdom, a place you say you never knew existed?”

“Yes.” I gulp, sweat beading on the back of my neck.

Muzzar tilts his head slightly to the side as he stares at me, and his lips curl up at the sides. “I see. Regardless of this, you’re in the wrong place. You do not belong here.”

I take hold of Grazen’s arm and start to drag him away, thankful when he goes willingly. “We’ll go. We’re sorry to have come here. It was unintentional.”

Muzzar continues to smirk at us, and there’s something seriously disturbing about it. I frown at him before turning away. I’ve got to get a portal opened. Like now.

I stop walking to attempt it again. My powers are there. I can feel them. So why can’t I access them? I squeeze my eyes closed as I pour all of my concentration into opening a portal. It still won’t work.

“Having trouble?” Muzzar asks.

I spin around, startled to find Muzzar right behind me.

Grazen shoves the male, and he falls to the ground. “Stay the hell back!”

Muzzar chuckles, then slowly gets to his feet. “Do you really think I can just let you leave?”

I look at Grazen, and concern pools in his eyes. Not good. If he’s worried about this, then it must be bad.

I move forward. “Look. We didn’t mean to come here. We won’t tell anyone about it. Just let us go.”

Something shifts in Muzzar’s gaze, his eyes going from dark brown to red.

“And how are you planning to leave? Hmm? You can’t even access your powers.”

Grazen growls at the male and puts himself between me and him. “Whatever it is you’re doing, stop. She can open a portal, and we can leave. It’ll be as if we were never here.”

Muzzar claps his hands together several times in amusement. “Oh, but you are here.”

Screeches sound overhead. We’re not alone.

Muzzar tilts his head back to look up. “Ahh, right on time.”

Fear seeps into me like a rising river, and Grazen shoots me a look I can only describe as “we’re screwed.”

Great .

Four large dragons circle overhead before landing one by one around us, boxing us in. The already cracked ground rumbles in a way that makes me unsteady on my feet. Grazen takes my arm to support me and then links his fingers through mine.

I gulp as the four unbelievably huge dragons stare at us like we’re their next meal. Growls vibrate in their chests, and Muzzar holds his hand up. They stop. The air shifts around them, replacing the dragons with four large males.

“Perfect,” Grazen complains, and although his reaction is amusing, the situation isn’t.

One of the males points at us. “Who are they?”

The males are tan-skinned, their arms and chests covered in markings very similar to Muzzar’s, and they’re all wearing the same black pants. Some of their markings are symbols, and some are pictures. The markings are beautiful, as are the males who wear them. They all have the same dark-brown eyes as Muzzar with black hair, but they each wear it differently.

One has his clipped about as short as it could get before shaving it all off. Another wears his in a bun on the top of his head. The third male wears it down to his shoulders in loose waves, and the last one has his cut short, but styled in a purposeful way, as if he cares a lot about his appearance. They have me wondering if they’re related. Brothers, perhaps.

They stare at me with dark gazes, and I huddle closer to Grazen.

The fourth male grits his teeth. “They are outsiders who don’t belong here.”

Grazen growls. “Then let us leave.”

Muzzar clicks his fingers, and the males stride toward us. Panic swirls inside me, and I reach for my powers to find they still won’t work. Muzzar is somehow preventing me from accessing them. How can he do such a thing?

Two of the males grab hold of me as the other two take Grazen. We both struggle, but these males are immensely strong.

Muzzar steps forward to help the others contain Grazen. “You are not to leave this Kingdom. We will take you before the dragon King, and he will decide your fate.”

Grazen struggles against their grasp and shoots me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Zarla.”

I attempt to control my breathing. Don’t panic. It’s going to be fine. They can’t just kill us. Surely this dragon King will understand my error, and he will allow us to leave.

Muzzar releases Grazen once he knows the other males can contain him. “Take them to the castle.”

Before I get a chance to release my wings, one male steps back and shifts into his dragon. The dragon stares at me then leans down, and the other male pulls me toward it.

Oh no. What in the gods is happening?

“Climb up,” he demands.

I glance back to find Grazen has been forced atop one of the other dragons. I take a deep breath and climb up onto the dragon’s back, its rough scales scraping my palms as I position myself. The male with purposefully styled hair climbs on behind me, shuffles as close as he can get, and then wraps his arms around my waist.

“Ahh, a bit close, don’t you think?” I question.

He laughs. “If you’d prefer, I can move back a bit and just let you fall to your death?”

Right. Okay, then .

I don’t say another word, and he grips me tighter. I look over to Grazen, who is glaring at the male holding me, and I shrug. He presses his lips together and gives me an “I’m sorry” look. It’s not Grazen’s fault. I’m the idiot who portalled us into the dragon Kingdom. How in the gods did I do that when I didn’t even know this place existed?

“Hold on to those spikes,” the male instructs.

I hesitate as I stare at the sharp black spikes sticking out of the dragon’s back before me. They start at the base of its neck and lead all the way down to its tail in two parallel rows. We’re sitting between them. Reaching out, I take hold of two of them, surprised when they don’t prick me.

“I’m Baz, by the way,” he whispers in my ear.

His breath tickles my skin, and I shiver. “I’m Zarla.”

That’s the last conversation we have until we’re nearing the volcanos in the distance. As we draw closer, the heat rises, making it almost impossible to keep my eyes open. We’re still quite far from them, but how the heck are we to survive the heat if it’s this unbearable now?

As if sensing my concerns, Baz chants low under his breath. It’s a language I don’t understand, but once he stops, the heat is no longer an issue for me. How odd. It’s as if he’s coated me in some sort of protective magical layer.

“The heat will still be intense, but it will be bearable,” Baz explains.

I look over at Grazen and find he appears all right as well. His dragon shifter must have done the same for him.

A screech sounds overhead, and I glance up to find who I assume to be Muzzar leading us from above. His dragon flaps its huge black wings, blowing my hair around my face. I stare in awe at these fascinating creatures I never knew existed. What else is out there that we don’t know about?

The strong scent of sulphur fills the air, making it difficult, but not impossible, to breathe. We glide down toward the volcanos. I spot a large opening between two of them that seems to disappear into the third volcano. Is his castle inside a volcano?

Lava spurts from the top of the two volcanos on either side of the one we are about to fly into, and I attempt unsuccessfully to swallow the lump in my throat. Are we about to die? How can one live inside a volcano?

And then I realise there doesn’t appear to be any lava spurting from this one, so maybe it’s inactive.

Baz leans in close and whispers in my ear, “Are you afraid?”

Yes . I am freaking terrified. But I don’t want to give him the satisfaction.

“No,” I lie instead.

He chuckles as if sensing the lie. “You’re safe, I promise.”

Our dragon follows Muzzar through the opening in the middle volcano, and I’m surprised to find a castle entrance. He lands with a thud, and our two dragons do the same. Baz climbs off the dragon, then stretches his hand out to help me down. He keeps his eyes on mine the entire time, and it’s as if he can see into my soul. I break eye contact and look away to find Grazen, who has climbed off his dragon and is striding toward me.

He grabs hold of my hand when he reaches me, and it’s more comforting than he could ever know. The three dragons then shift back into their male form.

Muzzar approaches us with a wide grin. “Welcome to King Drakon’s castle. Unfortunately, he is unavailable to meet this evening. I will escort you to a room where you can get some rest until he is available.”

Muzzar doesn’t bother waiting for our response and walks into the castle.

I glance at Grazen, anxiety pooling inside me as the beads of sweat coating my neck trickle down my back.

His gaze shifts around the males surrounding us and then back to me, and he gently shakes his head as if to say there’s nothing we can do. He then gestures for me to lead the way.

I gulp and follow Muzzar into the castle. I must admit, there’s comfort in having Grazen behind me, and it eases my anxiety somewhat. I don’t know these dragon shifters yet, and I don’t trust them.

A rumble sounds, and I glance up to see the opening of the volcano above, which appears to be miles away in the sky.

Baz leans in toward me. “Not to worry. This volcano is no longer active. It’s the others surrounding it that still erupt from time to time.”

Muzzar leads us through a vast set of glass doors and into the castle, which is nestled inside the volcano. It’s surprisingly cool in here. The magic Baz used on me that has something to do with protecting me from the heat is probably responsible for this as well. What incredible magic.

I glance at Baz. “How many dragon shifters live here?”

He looks at Muzzar, who glares back at him in disapproval. Apparently it’s not okay to ask questions around here, nor is it okay to get any answers, it would seem. Baz doesn’t respond, which annoys me more than it should.

We walk the rest of the way in silence, and I focus on my surroundings, trying my best to mentally record the way in case we need to get out of this maze in a hurry.

The inside of this castle is very different from the other castles I have been inside. This one is built for dragon shifters, with impossibly high ceilings and wide corridors. I don’t know if they shift indoors, but if they do, they have the space. We pass by several rooms, and I don’t miss the deep cracks in the walls. Someone has either been in a fight or shifted in here and lost balance.

Baz leans in close to my ear and whispers, “Dragons can be very temperamental. Keep that in mind before you do or say anything to piss one off.”

Grazen clears his throat, and I glance back at him. He doesn’t seem to like Baz’s proximity, and I don’t blame him. These dragon shifters are foreign to us. We don’t know them, and until we do, they can’t be trusted. I know that just as much as Grazen does. I shoot him my best “I know” look, hoping he understands that we’re on the same page.

We finally reach a vast corridor lined with doors, and Muzzar opens one of them and gestures for us to go inside.

“After you,” he says.

I hesitate just a moment before walking through the doorway into the room. As soon as I’m through it, the door closes, and I spin around to find myself alone with Muzzar and Baz. Grazen bangs on the other side of the door, demanding for it to be opened, but they ignore him.

“What are you doing?” My voice cracks slightly as I back away from the males.

Muzzar strides toward me, grabs my throat, then slams me hard up against the wall. Baz lingers behind him, seemingly enjoying it.

“Now’s the time to cut the bullshit and tell me how the fuck you got into my Kingdom.”

I draw my brows together in confusion. I open my mouth to speak, but he’s constricting my throat to the point I’m unable to.

“Drakon, don’t kill her. We need her.”

Drakon…as in the dragon King?