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Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

T here’s a battle ensuing in Pyrrhus, and somehow I know it’s a glimpse into the future. A large, powerful male is there, ruling the Kingdom.

And he’s wearing the gold dragon skull helmet.

I don’t know who he is, but there’s something familiar about him. His expression twists in a cruel way while he watches his people being slaughtered, as if he’s enjoying it. As if it’s his own doing.

Dragons soar high above, swooping down and blasting fire at males and females who, for whatever reason, have not yet shifted into their dragons. They scream as they attempt to run with their young in tow, but they don’t make it and are burnt to ashes that float away in the breeze, as if they never existed.

The cruel male ruling this Kingdom shifts into his own dragon, and he flies down to Earth, where he unleashes his fury upon the humans, destroying their cities and claiming their land.

The dragon lands atop a hill, shifting back into the male, the helmet atop his head as he surveys the damage he has caused. Another, larger dragon lands behind the male, and he shifts back into his male form, too.

It’s Kyle.

Kyle charges at the male, crashing into him with brute force. They fight, slamming their fists into one another until they’re barely recognisable. The other male has the upper hand. Kyle is down, and before he can right himself, the male thrusts a sword deep into Kyle’s chest.

I leap back, knocking the pillar over, and the glass box containing the dragon skull helmet smashes onto the marble floor, shattering into a thousand pieces.

“No!” I scream, my hands violently shaking.

Grazen grabs hold of my upper arms. “Zarla, calm down! It’s okay!”

I frantically scan the room while my mind settles back into the present.

It wasn’t real. It’s not real.

Grazen shakes me. “What did you see?”

A cool sweat beads across my forehead, and I attempt to control my breathing. By the gods, it can’t be real. I won’t allow it.

“Zarla!”

I stare into Grazen’s worry-filled eyes. “A battle. Here, in Pyrrhus. And on Earth.”

His eyes search mine for answers to the many questions he no doubt has buzzing around his mind. “When?”

I blink, trying to hold on to the vision, but I can feel it slipping away. “In the future, maybe. I don’t know.”

“What else did you see?”

I gulp and meet Grazen’s gaze. “A male, a dragon shifter. And he… He killed Kyle.”

I don’t know for sure what I saw, and it doesn’t mean it is the future. There is no way that can be the future because I am not going to allow it to happen. Ever.

Who is this male from my vision?

Grazen pulls me into his chest. “It’s okay. It wasn’t real.”

Screeches sound outside the room, and Grazen takes a step back. The screeches are followed by several large thuds that shake the ground outside this room.

Crap. Dragons.

“How do we explain this?” Panic surges through me as I gesture to the mess.

Three huge dragons walk out front of the room and then shift into males. One is Baz, and his focus zeros in on the broken glass before he storms into the room.

“What have you done?”

I look down at the golden dragon skull helmet lying amongst the shattered glass. “It was an accident. I tripped.”

Baz opens a drawer beneath a shelf on the side of the room and pulls on a pair of thick, brown leather gloves, then proceeds to pick up the helmet. I stare wide-eyed, waiting for him to experience something similar to what I did, but nothing happens. He places it down on top of another glass box on the other side of the room that contains another ancient heirloom.

It's the gloves. They’re creating some sort of barrier to the helmet’s magic.

Baz snaps his fingers at the other two males outside the room. “Clean this up.”

The two males hurry into the room, find a dustpan and a shovel each, and start tidying up the broken glass.

“I’m sorry,” I tell them.

“Did you touch it?” Baz asks, his tone somewhat desperate, as if it would be a bad thing if we did.

Whoops.

Grazen shifts out of the way of the males. “No, we didn’t.”

Thank the gods someone knows how to lie so well.

“Good. Perhaps I should have escorted you around the castle, after all. You shouldn’t be in here. These are ancient heirlooms, and they are none of your business nor concern. Now leave.”

Grazen steps right up to Baz, who is surprisingly taller than he is, and stares at the male. “If only we could.”

Baz inches closer still. “I mean leave this room. You don’t get to leave the Kingdom until my King allows it.”

Although Grazen is strong, he’s no match for a dragon. The last thing we need is for Baz or these other dragon shifters to shift.

I gently take hold of Grazen’s arm. “Come on. Let’s explore the Kingdom a little.”

He glances down at me. “Fine.”

Baz smirks and then clears his throat. “You don’t think I’m about to let you explore the Kingdom alone after this, do you?”

I narrow my gaze at him. He’s clearly enjoying the fact that we are powerless in this godforsaken Kingdom. Cocky bastard.

Grazen takes my hand then shoves past Baz as we leave the room. I glance back at Baz, who’s following us, his jaw tense, and I know the male would enjoy nothing more than to put Grazen in his place.

“This place is fucked,” Grazen whispers, and I couldn’t agree more.

“Yup.” I stare up at the endless and potentially non-existent ceiling.

“I know what you’re thinking, and it’s a terrible idea,” Grazen says.

I bite my bottom lip, and he laughs. “What? You can’t tell me you aren’t curious about what’s up there.”

Baz folds his arms, not saying a word, just observing us.

I roll my eyes, sick of this male already. “What is it?”

“If you want to explore, then do it. Don’t mind me. I’ll just be following behind, keeping an eye on you and ensuring you aren’t eaten by the dragons up there.” He directs his gaze up to the endless ceiling.

Grazen releases his wings and winks at me. “It’s settled, then. And for the record, terrible ideas can be a lot of fun.”

He shoots up off the ground.

I gulp, more than a little anxious at what Baz said about the dragons, and somewhat relieved that he’s with us after all. Then I release my wings and take off after Grazen. I look down just as Baz shifts into his enormous black dragon and kicks off the ground, swooping his vast wings. It’s a sight I don’t think I’ll ever get used to.

As we fly higher, I see that I was right. There is no ceiling. When I look down, it feels like we’re a couple of miles above the ground, maybe more.

“Stay close to me,” Grazen calls out.

I focus on him and then spot the opening above. We both fly out the top of the castle and find ourselves inside the inactive volcano. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s absolutely enormous, almost like a giant cave, with black, charcoal walls, likely burnt from a time long ago when this volcano was active.

Grazen continues upward, and we both fly out the top with Baz trailing somewhere below. I immediately shift my focus to the many dragons flying around us, and my pulse kicks up a notch when several of them change course and head our way.

“What do we do?” I call out.

“Just stay calm. We won’t be able to outfly them,” he says, his attention locked on the four dragons speeding toward us.

Baz shoots up in front of us, his dragon larger than all of the others, and he opens his jaws and lets out a roar that vibrates deep into my eardrums. It’s a warning to the other dragons—that much is clear—and it works. They turn and fly away.

Baz circles us, his red eyes wide, and then he swoops his vast wings and flies ahead. I follow his movements and notice the city in the distance. He’s leading us there.

“Come on. Follow me,” Grazen calls out.

We glide along with the air currents high above the Kingdom, following Baz, and it’s magnificent. I spread my wings and allow the wind to carry me as I relax and go with it. It’s incredibly freeing. The sun kisses my skin, and I close my eyes as the breeze passes through my hair, whipping it back from my face.

When I open my eyes, Grazen is watching me. He mirrors my movements, taking this moment to enjoy being free, or as free as we can be while trapped within this foreign Kingdom. The moment is short-lived though, as Baz makes his descent toward the city, and we do the same. I follow Grazen, and we both land near Baz on a dirt path on the outskirts of the city.

Baz shifts back into his male form, his jaw tense. “Enjoy the thrill of almost being eaten?”

I clench my fists, ignoring the obnoxious male.

He laughs and gestures to the city. “After you, then.”

The city is breath-taking and not what I expected. The streets are wide and beautifully paved with coloured bricks in intricate patterns. Apartment buildings line one side of the street, and houses line the other. There is an order in the way this city is laid out, and I can tell a lot of thought and planning has gone into it.

Grazen pushes his hair back in an attempt to tame his wild mane. “Not what I expected.”

I stifle a giggle as we walk through the streets. “You need a haircut. I know that mop of yours is starting to bother you.”

We walk by a small cafe with square wooden tables and chairs spilling out onto the sidewalk. Bulky males fill the tables dressed head to toe in leathers, their faces stern as they stare at us with curious expressions.

I only spot a few females seated amongst them who glance up as we pass by before quickly averting their gazes down again. It’s obvious the males dominate this Kingdom, and I already feel bad for the few females who seem to live here.

I’m thankful to have Baz here with us, whose presence seems to keep the dragon shifters from approaching us.

We continue down the sidewalk, my heart thudding faster at just how out of place I feel. Is it that obvious we’re foreigners? How many dragon shifters live in this Kingdom? By the size of this city, I would have to guess a few hundred thousand, at least. We’re yet to understand their rules and the way in which they live their lives here.

Every Kingdom seems to have its own systems, which can vary quite a lot from Kingdom to Kingdom. It will take time to learn how they operate here in Pyrrhus, although I’m hoping we won’t be here long enough to find out.

“You thirsty?” Grazen asks, nudging me gently in the arm.

I glance up and see we’re approaching what looks to be a bar. It reminds me of our last experience together in a bar when I accidently drank a little too much and drew the unwanted attention of a group of male watchers, and I can’t help but laugh.

Baz moves to my side. “I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“You reckon they have those blue drinks?” I ask, suddenly desperate for something to take the edge off.

Grazen opens the door and gestures for me to go first. “Only one way to find out.”

Baz rolls his eyes, and I ignore him and step inside, surprised how busy the place is for the middle of the day. It’s warm, just like everywhere else in this Kingdom, and the decor is incredible, decorated how you may expect a volcano-themed bar to be with deep-red walls and a black marble bar top with red streaks through it. A row of males occupies the orange barstools, and Grazen and I sink onto the two empty stools on the end.

Baz grumbles something low under his breath then heads over to an empty table in the corner where he can keep an eye on us, no doubt.

The wall behind the bar glows, made from volcanic rock with small red and orange lights embedded into it to give off the subtle glow. The older male behind the bar snatches up two glasses and sets them down. He wears his grey hair pulled back into a ponytail, and he has a you-don’t-wanna-mess-with-me attitude about him. He refills two empty glasses for the males next to us before his attention settles on us.

“What’ll it be?” His brown eyes widen when he looks us over. “Who are you?”

“We don’t want any trouble, just a drink. The King is aware of our presence,” Grazen says, jerking his head toward Baz.

The bartender follows the movement, and understanding crosses his features.

He studies us a moment then nods. “Well, it’s nice to see some fresh faces ‘round here. What’ll it be?”

Grazen taps the bar top. “Can you do a blue beetle?”

I side-eye Grazen and stifle a laugh.

The bartender rests his hands on the bar and leans closer. “A what?”

Grazen clears his throat. “Never mind. Two whiskeys, please.”

The male pours our drinks and slides them to us. Grazen throws his back and slams his empty glass down, and I follow his lead and do the same, coughing as the liquid burns my throat on the way down.

“I prefer the blue beetles,” I say, still coughing.

Something bangs behind us, and Grazen and I spin around as the male from my vision strides into the bar, followed by a short female. Her black curtain of hair with red streaks through it hangs to her shoulders, and she follows close behind him.

The male scans the room and heads for the bar, his gaze finding mine. “Well, well, well…if it isn’t the two outsiders everyone’s been talking about.”

I stare at the male, picturing his cruelty from my vision. The way he allowed his people to suffer. Who the hell is this male? He shares an uncanny resemblance to Drakon.

His green eyes bore into mine, expecting a response. What did he say?

Grazen stands. “Can we help you?”

The male darts his gaze between Grazen and me. “I doubt that. Unless you’ve been given the okay to get the fuck out of my Kingdom. That would be helpful.”

I wish I could tell Grazen that this is the male from my vision. Whether there’s any truth to it, I’m unsure, but it’s him. And that can’t possibly be just a coincidence. I replay the part of my vision where he thrusts his sword into Kyle’s chest, and I grit my teeth.

I don’t know this male, but I already hate him.

A low growl rumbles in Grazen’s chest. “If we could leave, we would.”

The male laughs, and Baz finally stands and slowly joins us.

“Easy, Atlas. Drakon knows of their presence.”

Atlas rakes a hand through his dark-brown, messy hair. “Very well, then. Where are my manners? This is Rhea,” he says, gesturing to the female standing behind him. “I’m Atlas. And you are?”

I slip off my stool. “I’m Zarla. And this is Grazen.”

Atlas shakes my hand, followed by Grazen’s, and when I reach out to Rhea, she scoffs and folds her arms tight across her chest. Seems she won’t be shaking my hand.

Atlas narrows his gaze as he stares at me, curiosity etched into his features.

“Who let you into our Kingdom?” Rhea asks, her focus homed in on me.

I glance at Grazen and back to her. “No one let us in. It was an accident.”

She steps forward and shoves me. “Then leave.”

“Excuse me?” I say, shoving her back.

Perhaps not the smartest move on my part to shove a dragon shifter, but it was my natural reaction.

Grazen moves himself between us, which is just as well, because I was about to hit her. “Do not speak to her like that.”

Atlas gets in Grazen’s face. “Careful, watcher. You have no idea who I am.”

Grazen laughs. “No, I don’t. And I don’t give a fuck. Control your female.”

Atlas steps closer, his chest almost touching Grazen’s. “You do not give me, the King’s son, orders.”

The King’s son. Interesting. Now the resemblance to Drakon makes sense.

Baz rolls his eyes and steps between the two males, pulling them apart. Damn, he’s strong.

I finally allow the air to whoosh from my lungs and relax my shoulders, until the door to the bar bursts open, and the three male dragon shifters from when we first arrived in Pyrrhus storm inside. They scan the bar, and their focus locks on us before they head our way.

“What the fuck is going on here?” one of the male’s asks.

Atlas moves away from Grazen. “These outsiders were causing trouble.”

Baz looks at me as my mouth gapes open. “What happened here?”

I glance at the males then back to Baz. “I’m not even sure. I don’t know what their problem is.”

Baz gets in Atlas’s face. “Pull your damn head in. The future leader of the dragon guard needs to hold more restraint than this.”

Atlas shoves him. “You mean the future King of Pyrrhus.”

“Only if you win the trials. You know that.”

Trials? What trials?

Grazen touches my shoulder. “We should go.”

Atlas smirks. “Wise idea.”

Grazen and I leave the bar, and Baz strides out after us.

“You two!” he calls out. “I’ve saved you twice now. Better not make it a third time. I’m not your fucking babysitter. Get back to the castle.”

I open my mouth to say that he is, in fact, our babysitter, but decide against it, release my wings, and follow Grazen back toward the castle. We don’t get far before we’re flanked by several dragons, one I am sure is Drakon. That one swoops down toward a lava river below, and we follow and land beside him. The other two circle above before landing.

Drakon shifts back into his male. “I hear you met my son, Atlas. One day he will rule this Kingdom.”

Gosh, news travels fast around here.

I swipe my hand over my forehead. “Only if he wins the trials. What are the trials?”

He eyes me for a moment as if deciding whether to tell me. “The trials are an endurance test to determine new rulers for our Kingdom. Ten pairs of males and females enter. They must complete three separate, deadly tasks. The last pair standing wins. Of course, when the time comes, Atlas will win.”

I wander to the edge of the lava river, mesmerised by the bright-orange liquid as it moves, thick and powerful, like some sort of living being with a mind of its own.

Grazen pulls me back. “Don’t get too close. You don’t wanna fall in.”

Drakon throws a stick into the lava river, and it sizzles and turns to ash. “Long ago, I forged this Kingdom. There were disagreements among our kind and the other angels. We could not see eye to eye, and I feared for my kind. I knew there was a better way. I knew we needed to leave, to create our own home, separate from those who refused our ways.

“But not all dragons wanted this life. Some chose to remain behind in the original Kingdom, vowing to keep their dragon abilities a secret. We cut ties with the other angels to protect our kind, and we relocated here to our own Kingdom, Pyrrhus.”

Drakon stares out into space, as if deep in thought, remembering his past. He crouches down near the river’s edge, and I gasp when he dips his hand into the lava, as if it’s merely water.

And it doesn’t harm him.

Grazen and I look at one another, and then watch in amazement while Drakon glides his hand up and down the lava river’s current. Completely unharmed and unfazed by the immense heat.

He glances up at us, and sadness pools in his eyes. “I only wanted what was best for my kind. It’s all I have ever wanted. Some have become bitter toward me for being trapped within this Kingdom. Their home. But it’s only for their own good. And most of them chose it. Others were born into it. The outside world is full of evil, and up until yesterday, I managed to keep the outside world out.”

I gulp. “I didn’t mean to disrupt your ways.”

He stands, brushing the lava from his hands like it’s nothing but mud. “I must ask you this once more, as there is no other explanation for it. Did you dream of Pyrrhus? Because it’s either that, or you know a dragon shifter.”

By the gods, he knows. How can I continue to deny it? Considering we don’t have an audience like we had earlier this morning, I feel comfortable telling him the truth.

“Yes, I dreamt of it. At least, I think I did.”

Drakon slips his hands into his pockets and glances down at his feet. He’s about to answer when there’s a shift in the air behind him. We all notice it. I stare at the spot where the air seems to morph and move in an unusual way.

Just as I understand what’s happening, a portal opens about thirty feet away from us.

And Amaros steps through it.

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