Song of Smoke: A Dragon Shifter Romance (The King's Series Book 1) Read online

  “Save me from one horrid situation and throw me into another? I cannot be chained to a husband inside of this hole, Celestra! I cannot do it! I will not barter my life to please Raimund or you.”

  “Wake up, my darling. Women have no power here. We have no influence and very few choices that count in this life. Do not waste this one.”

  “What about choosing to make a difference? Choosing to help those less fortunate? I choose to fight for better,” I said, frustration and anger boiling under my skin.

  Her expression turned sad and she shook her head, spreading her arms wide.

  “Really? Well, here it is. How are you making a difference? How is denying your gift and undermining your father - jeopardizing all he has built here - how is that better?”

  I didn’t answer as I held her gaze. She shook her head again and left me then. I fell back onto my bed, counting the soft drops of water as they hit the dirt floor.

  One. Two. Three. Four.

  What I did not tell Celestra then, and I refuse to confirm for my father now, is that while I have lived my whole life at Illburn- found safety and comfort and small pieces of happiness here - I fear that being locked too long below ground will kill me. The rare instances where we are allowed to go above ground and taste the fresh air and sun- it’s the only thing holding me together anymore.

  I yearn for the lives of the long-ago cities that sprawled under the sun and stars. I need access to those things like I need food and water and air to breath.

  As the magic swirling inside me has swelled and strengthened over the last few years, it has wrapped itself firmly around whatever lifeblood flows through me. Connection to the open air and blazing sun has become something I cannot live without. A few hours in isolation is nothing compared to a week sealed inside the city when patrols deem the risk of Dragon attack too great.

  So as I lay in this dark cell, with only mud and metal surrounding me, I think to myself that I have never hated anyone as much as I hate my father in this moment. Not even the beast that killed my mother.

  He has selected this punishment with particular precision and the pain of it chills me to the bone.

  Time doesn’t exist in true darkness. I lose track of my heartbeats and fade in and out of awareness. In between unconsciousness I sing lullabies to remind myself that I’m still breathing. There is no food between sleep or echo of footsteps in the hallway. Minutes feel like hours and days feel like weeks.

  I don’t know how long I’m out when the door is wrenched open and a single figure enters the cell to crouch down beside me. My fingers and toes are wet and cold, and my whole body stiff and achy so that I have to be carried out.

  “A bit of quiet does make you rather docile.” Alderon chuckles and shifts me in his arms. He smells like sour wine and horse sweat.

  My stomach sinks.

  His long stride carries us swiftly through the dark tunnels until we reach my bedchamber. A young Cradick woman in a severe black dress waits outside and opens the door as we approach.

  Alderon lays me on the bed before crouching down next to me so that we are eye to eye. I take in the puckered scars crisscrossing the swarthy skin of his face. The way they pull his features up or down in odd places. He smirks at my perusal.

  “There’s to be a celebration tonight in our honor. Tamryn here is going to get you cleaned up and you will present yourself to me in two hours. I want you there on my arm, bride.” His voice is low and rough, and his eyes flick up to the young woman standing nearby. “Dress her in something that shows off a bit of skin. I’d like a taste of what I’m purchasing tomorrow.”

  Tamryn dips a small curtsy in acknowledgment, and Alderon shows himself out.

  Two hours later, most of the feeling has returned to my fingers and I’ve reacclimated to the light and the sounds outside of the cell. Much to Tamryn’s dismay, I am dressed in the most modest and intricately laced gown I own. The echoes of a lively party ring through the great hall as we approach, and I take in the weapons piled up outside of the entrance - a show of trust and camaraderie that our two families have for this occasion. There is music and dancing and the smell of hot food and alcohol fills my nose.

  It’s hard to believe all this joyful celebration is meant for me. If I weren’t so numb with dread, I might find it morbidly funny that so much effort has been put into making one of the worst days of my life such a production.

  Alderon is waiting for me at the entrance of the great hall. His hair is pulled up into a knot at the top of his head and he looks slightly less dusty and grimy than usual. His shirt is dark green and sleeveless and highlights his muscular arms.

  As I walk slowly up to him, he rakes his gaze over me from head to toe, his mouth a hard line of disapproval.

  “Your ability to follow simple instructions leaves much to be desired.” He flicks the heavily draped fabric of my sleeve.

  “A personality fault with no hope of changing, I’m afraid,” I murmur.

  “Hmm. Well, fortunately I don’t shy away from a challenge.” His voice is gruff and hard.

  I turn my face from him and keep my expression neutral. He pulls my hand through his arm and turns us away from the hall.

  “What are you doing?” I ask and tamp down the alarm that’s rising in my chest.

  “I have a gift for you,” he says and leads me back past the entrance of Illburn and beyond my father’s quarters.

  I shoot an occasional questioning glance his way as we continue walking at a steady pace through the halls. He keeps his eyes ahead and pretends not to notice my concern. When the entrance of the prison comes into view, I dig my heels into the ground and attempt to extricate my arm until he finally stops and looks at me.

  “Something the matter?” His voice is light and mocking.

  “What are you-”

  “I said I had a gift for you, and I meant it. Now pick up your feet and keep moving.”

  I look at him with wide fearful eyes and I feel a hot, boiling panic rise in my chest. The torch next to us flickers wildly. Alderon’s smile is amused as he meets my gaze. We are alone back here, and I have nowhere to run.

  “Pick up your feet, Seda, or I will haul you down there myself.”

  “Are you going to hurt me?” I blurt.

  He tilts his head and studies me for a moment.

  “No. I’m not. You’re safe tonight.”

  His reassurance is not very comforting, but I nod once anyway and walk down into the prison with him. The cells are empty tonight and not even a guard is on duty with the merriment happening up in the hall. We walk farther back into the jail than I have ever been, passing the last cell and continuing down a long winding hallway that slopes down. There are no torches back here, and I reach out with my free arm to help guide me through the passageway.

  Alderon stops, and I hear the low groan of a heavy metal door swinging open. A single torch illuminates the stairwell in front of us, and he grips my hand tightly and leads me down. We walk for a long while and the air become steadily colder as we sink deep into the earth.

  We pass no doors.

  No other hallways.

  We descend for long enough that the muscles of my legs begin to burn with the strain and I finally see the faint glow of fire dancing on the earth below. We emerge in a vast cavernous space illuminated at sparse intervals by torches, and I realize where we are.

  The Pit is where the stone floor of the earth has crumbled away into nothing and the empty black abyss that is left yawns like a living, breathing entity before us. Tendrils of jet-black darkness seem to curl up around the edges seeking out every last bit of life and warmth that it can pull back into its gullet.

  This is where the worst of Illburn’s offenders end up. There is no exile or life sentence that leaves a burden or threat to the city. Traitors and the truly heinous criminals face their final moments at the edge of this darkness. They say you won’t even hear a body hit the bottom - not even an echo of their screams. Souls are swallowed by the bla
ckness into dark and endless nothing.

  My scalp prickles and my magic stirs in warning.

  “Here,” he says, and I snap my attention back to the present.

  Alderon keeps one hand locked around mine and indicates an enormous metal structure off to one side of the floor. I squint my eyes in the dim light and begin to make out the shape of an iron cage. Slid back into the stone with an iron gate at the front, it has to be at least fifty feet tall. A jangle of movement comes from the cage, and Alderon approaches the thick iron bars.

  I stay planted in place in complete disbelief. My hands come up to rest over my heart, and I force air in and out of my lungs.

  “Do you know what this is?” My eyes shoot to his. The cool, relaxed posture so at odds with the horrible sight in front of me.

  “A woman,” I say quietly.

  He chuckles.

  “Come closer.” Alderon extends a hand, and I force my feet to carry me forward.

  A young woman lies in the middle of the floor inside. A thick shackle is locked around her neck and secured by a long chain to the middle of the floor. Deep gashes mar her golden skin and her brown hair is matted with blood and dirt. Our eyes meet, and I suck in a sharp breath of horror.

  “Not just any woman. Look at the markings there on her chest. And around her wrists. See?” Alderon crouches low in front of the cage, looking up at me for confirmation. I nod.

  Yes. I see.

  “A Dragon. Freshly captured and brought in just last night. After your father and Celestra had their fun, I convinced them to sell her to me.”

  He rises slowly to his feet, towering over me, and brings his hand to my face, sweeping a thumb across my cheek.

  “Since when do we capture Dragons and hold them prisoner?” I ask shakily.

  “Since we found their weakness.” He glances over his shoulder at the injured female. “The last real predator out there and all it took was a bit of patience and ingenuity to drive the stake in where it hurts most. The hunters in Cradick prefer a swift, clean kill. Quick. Efficient. Your father has taken a different approach. It seems he likes to play with his food before he eats it.”

  My mouth gapes open in horrified shock as I process what he is telling me.

  “You torture and kill their females?” I croak.

  “We do. Yes. And even then, their males are rather difficult to provoke.”

  Alderon studies me with amusement and flashes a grin.

  “My gift to you. It’s obvious you have a preference for females of unfortunate circumstance – so here. Instead of being fed to the bowels of Hell back there, she’s yours. You can feed her, water her, clothe her - or don’t. You can name her, if you like.”

  He brings his hand back up to cup my cheek, those rough fingers chafing my skin and filling my nose with the reek of blood and dirt. My head swims at the barbaric cruelty of the whole thing.

  “Come now, bride. What do you say?” he chides.

  My gaze flicks back down to the Dragon woman beside me. Her brown eyes are shadowed and sad – full of pain and far too much awareness. My heart breaks for her.

  Alderon slides his hand lower and wraps his fingers gently around my neck - circling it completely.

  “Thank you,” I hiss, and he nods.

  “There we are. That wasn’t so hard.”

  I make a disgusted sound in my throat and pull my face away.

  Alderon snaps - his grip on my throat stops me and he gives my neck a solid shake before locking his gaze on mine again.

  “That’s enough! Whatever game you think to play with these small shows of distaste and disobedience,” he growls, “you cannot win.”

  His fingers tighten again just slightly, and I feel the pressure on my windpipe as I take another breath. My pulse drums against his thumb and he strokes the spot gently.

  “Tomorrow morning, you will belong to me – just as this pet belongs to you. Every bite of food, every item of clothing, every step you take outside of our bedroom will be a privilege granted by me.”

  My own hands come up to grip the one locked around my neck as he increases the pressure some more.

  “As added incentive, her well-being is now tied to your obedience. Do you understand me, Seda?”

  “Yes,” I whisper around his fist.

  “If you disobey me, you will watch me whip her before I whip you. Undermine me, you will both starve. Talk back and I will rip your tongues from your throats with my bare hands. And if you foolishly think to throw yourself off some cliff… you had best take her with you because I guarantee that her death at my hands will not be quick.”

  My knees wobble but I look him directly in the eye and choke out an acknowledgment.

  He exhales slowly and gradually releases my neck. I suck in a few deep lungful’s of air - my own hands coming up to my chest protectively. Alderon wraps me in an awkward, uncomfortable embrace. He presses his face to the top of my head and inhales deeply a few times before releasing me and extending a hand in invitation.

  “Come. Let’s go enjoy the party.”

  I clear my throat and wipe the tears from my eyes before nodding and taking his outstretched hand. His answering smile stretches from ear to ear.

  We climb the stairs and navigate through the dark empty tunnels back to the great hall where Illburn and Cradick citizens are finishing an extravagant meal and mingling over the up-tempo music being played. My father and Alderon shake hands and chat animatedly about something. Celestra sweeps me into a motherly hug and chatters into my ear about wedding night jitters. Soldiers and civilians approach and extend their well wishes before spinning off to talk and dance and drink some more.

  Eventually, when my face hurts from the smile I have pasted on it, I make my excuses and retire to my chamber. Alderon catches my eye before I leave and dips his head in acknowledgment. My behavior has pleased him. I smiled and thanked everyone and danced like my whole world had not just been shattered. I curtsied and sang like there was not an innocent young woman chained to the floor of my home - like all the most important people in my life had not just been exposed as the worst possible kind of villains.

  I walk back to my bed chamber and lock the door behind me. Finding a pair of sewing shears, I cut the dress from my body, not wanting to wait for or summon the help of a maid. I kick the navy strips of fabric and ribbon into a pile under my bed and re-dress in a warm, sturdy day dress in black. My mourning dress. It seems appropriate. Nervous energy courses through me and I have to talk myself down from a few waves of panic.

  Eventually, I steady my breathing. I re-braid my hair, tighten the laces of my walking boots and sit on the edge of my bed. I count the drops of water as they fall onto the floor.

  One. Two. Three. Four.

  I breathe and I wait.

  Escape

  An hour later, I pull my thickest cloak over my shoulders and peer out into the empty hallway. The party is in full swing and only the faintest vibrations from the music float through the air. I strain my hearing for any hint of footsteps or voices approaching, but all is quiet. Everyone who didn’t retire for the night after the feast is well and truly in their cups at this point and enjoying the festivities.

  I pull my bedroom door closed and slip silently down the familiar maze of hallways leading to the prison. It’s deserted and dark and my mind keeps flashing with the image of the Dragon woman tortured and chained to the floor of that cell. I try and focus on the present and keep my senses attuned for any sight or sound out of the ordinary, but I’m struggling.

  There is so little time to make the impossible happen tonight, and I know that everything will start with her. I’m falling without a net right now – there is no going back and there will be no room for mistakes.

  Celestra asked me how I’m making a difference here, and now I have an answer.

  I am getting out.

  The ultimate display of dissent as a parting gift to Raimund. I refuse to accept that my life is worth only what a man like Alderon will
pay for it. I refuse to accept that killing innocents is an acceptable means to an end. I refuse to accept that kindness and compassion mean less than cruelty and violence. So, I will get out and I will fight, and even if nothing goes as planned, I will not be snuffed out quietly – I will blaze hot and wild and burn each and every person who stands in my way.

  I inhale a calming breath as the stairwell opens and The Pit lays before me. I glance around and ensure that there is no one else here before I jog quickly to the iron cage and the woman within. The walls are lined with shelves and are filled with jars of sedative and other poisons and potions. On the opposite wall hangs other various weaponry – swords, whips, screws, and pokers.

  I kneel next to the bars, but the woman doesn’t move.

  Please don’t let it be too late.

  Her blue dress is torn and dirty, the skirt spread out around her.

  “Can you hear me?” I say in a low insistent voice.

  She stirs and tilts her head back to look up.

  “We don’t have much time. Can you move? Can you walk?” I ask.

  Her hands go under her and she pushes her body slowly up off the ground. The iron collar clanks and scrapes along the stone. Her face is pallid and gaunt apart from the purple shadows under her brown eyes. I send a silent prayer up to the Mother that she has enough strength left to save herself.

  “What’s your name?” I murmur.

  She looks at me suspiciously for a moment and cocks her head to the side while she studies me. Whatever she sees in my expression is enough that she opens her mouth to croak out an answer.

  “Eira.”

  “You’re a Dragon?”

  She nods once and narrows her eyes.

  “Did you attack the city? Did you come here to kill us?” I ask quickly and hold her gaze.

  “No,” she whispers, and I see the sadness in her eyes.

  I nod and move to the side of the cage where the large mechanism to open the gate sits. Pulling my skirts out of the way I step up on the foot of the gearbox and get a solid grip on the iron wheel. I use every ounce of strength and all my body weight to wrench the wheel to the left and lift the gate open. It protests with a squeal but eventually slides heavily upward.