Dragon Heat Book One
By Ella J. Phoenix
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are prod...
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Dragon Heat Book One
By Ella J. Phoenix
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Dragon Heat: Book One Copyright© 2012 Ella J. Phoenix ISBN: 978-1-60088-743-7 Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde Editor: Jana Hanson All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. Cobblestone Press, LLC www.cobblestone-press.com
Dedication To my amazing mother, who is my catalyst, my fantastic husband, who is my inspiration, and all my dearests—Aluisia, Margaret, Tiffany, Kate, Sarah, and Helen—for their support and constructive feedback. Love you all, Ella
Glossary Apa Dobrý group of five gods, creators of life on Earth and the universe Apa Sâmbetei the land of the souls; the afterlife calathor someone who can cross to the land of the souls and return unharmed draco a dragon in human form Hiad the Underworld inimă the soul razbians lizard people known for their lack of intelligence Soartas the three witches of Destiny sujha a non-pure being; offspring of the union between two different races Terhem Viahta the land of the living; Earth Ucidhere god of death, lord of Apa Sâmbetei Zmyzel goddess of life
Prologue Romania, 1800 Tardieh realized he must have passed out as he could feel that the sun was in a different position now. It was almost sundown. I must not lose myself to panic. He opened his senses to his surroundings. He heard the faint sound of water dripping and someone breathing a few feet away to his left. They had left him with only one razbian to guard him. Hmm, interesting. They must have thought he was very weak to have done it so. Not that they were mistaken. He had lost a lot of blood, and his body ached all over. Breathe, breathe, he thought. He decided to open his eyes but just a fraction. He didn’t want the guard to know he had awakened. The first thing he noticed were the dancing shadows on the walls casted by the dim light of a single candle placed somewhere to his right on the ceiling. On the ceiling? No, he realized, the candle was on the floor. He was the one on the ceiling—hung upside down. The dripping sound had not been from water; it was his own blood dribbling onto the floor. He was suspended by his ankles with thick silver chains. His hands were bound behind him in the same fashion. His head pounded from being upside down for so long. Inhale, exhale.
He could smell piss, excrement, and something else, something worse. Fear. He could smell the fear of previous prisoners who had suffered in that room before him. Their terror had been so tangible it had tainted the air, the walls, the floor. ‚So yer awake, then.‛ The razbian guard stood up and placed himself in front of Tardieh. He could see the guard’s sharp blackened teeth and smell his putrid breath. ‚We thought yer was gone. But yer a mulish one, ain’t yer?‛ The razbian was of average height, much smaller than a draco or a vampire, but one would consider him bulky. The green leathery skin and bulging far-apart yellow eyes were the only things preventing them from walking among humans like vampires and dracos did. Thank Apa Dobrý for that otherwise the pricks would have turned the world upside down by now. Tardieh felt the air change around his face before the blow hit him. He was so weak, he didn't even try to duck or defy the guard. All he could do was close his eyes and welcome the pain. He heard the bastard’s high-pitched laugh. How long had he been in this piss-smelling prison? Another blow. This one hit his stomach with such force that Tardieh’s body swung back and forth. ‚Hey, I’m talkin’ ter ye!‛ More of the high-pitched laughter. Tardieh tried to say something, but he couldn’t make the words come out. He tried again. ‚Water.‛ This time the guard, taken by curiosity, bent down to try to hear what he was saying. The warrior inside Tardieh took over. His fangs extended smoothly, and with the last ounce of energy he had, he bit the motherfucker’s ear. His brain registered the razbian’s screams as if from afar, but fresh blood had already hit Tardieh’s lips. The delectable warm liquid oozed into his mouth. He forgot where he was or that his body was aching. There was only the metallic taste and the life energy spreading inside him. Razbian blood was a far cry from a humans’. It was more leaden and colder—razbians were distant descendents of the lizard people from the east. But at that moment, it was the best elixir Tardieh had ever tasted. ‚Yer sunufa bitch! Yer ripped off my ear!‛ If Tardieh had had the
energy, he would have laughed. His ecstasy was cut short, however, by another series of punches to his face. The door opened, and another guard stepped in the room. He was taller and leaner than the razbian guard. While the later had obvious evidence of his race, the former could have easily passed for a human. Tardieh recognized who it was by the strong odor of decaying meat. Vrajitor was his name, so-called the ‚magician.‛ He had politely introduced himself when Tardieh had been brought to that cell weeks before—or maybe it had been months already; he had lost track of time long ago. ‚Not that I have more magic than the others,‛ Vrajitor had explained on their first encounter. ‚It is just that I am known for magically making my guests speak.‛ Despite human folklore, dragons could unleash their magic when in human form, although it was never as powerful as when they were in their true nature. So Tardieh had not been surprised by the remark. ‚Has he awakened?‛ the draco asked the razbian guard, not wavering his glare from Tardieh. That was not a good sign. ‚Da, sire, the leech bit my ear!‛ the guard said, still holding what remained of his left ear. His ugly long scaled hands shook. A faint twitch that could have been mistaken for a smile appeared on Vrajitor’s face. ‚May that serve you well for underestimating your enemy.‛ He took a few more steps into the room. Tardieh noticed the bastard’s eyes scrutinizing his naked body. Tardieh held his gaze, trying to show no fear of what was coming. ‚You are either stronger than I have anticipated or more stupid, bloodsucker. But you will tell me what I want to know sooner or later.‛ And there it was again, the face twitch. But this time it came with a slight show of his shark-like teeth. ‚Bring me the scula,‛ Vrajitor barked to the razbian. The guard hurried out of the room and came back with a trolley covered by a long, stained cloth. Tardieh was now well acquainted with what they called the scula. The instruments were made of pure silver, of course, so as to enhance the prisoners’ pain. Tardieh tried to suck in a gulp of air, but his lungs ached too much. He must have had a few ribs broken in the never-ending punching sessions. He didn’t mind the punches,
though. They had always kept him awake. Throughout his years of training to become the leader of his people, he endured endless sessions of ruthless practice. His father, the vampire king, had made it clear that just because he was his heir, he was not to receive any special treatment. More so, Tardieh’s training had been even more callous than the other warriors. He was the prince and needed to be stronger than the others, more prepared to deal with any battles that the Soartas imposed on him. Such as this one. Vrajitor lifted the sheet to reveal his most loved torture apparatus. ‚Which one should we use today, leech? Would you like another session with my gheara?‛ He raised a blood-stained silver device that looked like a claw with four sharp fingers attached to a short handle. Tardieh swallowed dry. He could not stop the dread which came with the memories of that claw ripping his flesh open. Vrajitor had used it on his abdomen, his legs, and his back. In the beginning, he had healed immediately, but in the last couple of visits from the magician, Tardieh had noticed that his healing abilities had been slower. The wounds from their previous session were still bleeding. ‚Or maybe you would like to meet my newest invention, the para.‛ With the now familiar twitch on his face, Vrajitor raised a strange, long device. It had the shape of an oversized pear with an extensive handle on its narrowest end and a pointed prong at the other, where the bottom part of the pear would have been. Vrajitor’s grin got broader as he twisted the device’s handle. The bottom part opened up in three slices revealing a lengthy, thick screw. The more he twisted the handle, the more the slices opened up and the broad rivet was drawn out in the middle. ‚You see, my stubborn guest, my first para was developed to punish the ones who dared lie to me. These wedges can do quite a damage when inserted down someone’s throat.‛ Tardieh could imagine the pain such a thing would cause. Expanded by the force of the screw, the maximum aperture of the segments would mutilate the victim’s esophagus while the elongated middle section would continue ripping through the gullet’s channel. ‚But since you have not exactly lied to me—you refused to utter a word, and that’s not technically lying—I think I will apply my para in
another cavity in a lower part of your beautiful body.‛ Taking his time, Vrajitor positioned himself behind Tardieh. With a sickening dread, Tardieh noticed the bastard was aroused. ‚Tell me where your coward king hides and I will spare you.‛ Tardieh knew that was a lie. The fucker enjoyed his torture sessions too much to deprive himself of a good one. Tardieh felt the deceivingly smooth touch of the silver device burning his left gluteus. It was making its way down his buttocks. The strong smell of burned flesh invaded his nostrils. He had to fight the bile rising in his throat, but he would not fail his people. He would endure trials, torture, and suffering, till the Soartas decided it was time for him to meet his maker, but he would not betray his father’s location. ‚Tell me where your armies hide, bloodsucker!‛ Vrajitor bellowed, tracing another painful path down Tardieh’s lower body, dangerously close to his anal orifice. Tardieh could not contain the yelp; it came out like a bark. Struggling to keep his sanity, he gathered some strength. ‚Fuck you,‛ he said in a dark, low voice. It was all he could muster. He saw Vrajitor’s eyes narrow and become even more yellow. The fanatic look on his torturer’s face was so intense Tardieh thought it would expel fire at anytime and burn him to death right there and then. Death would have been most welcomed. Vrajitor raised his hand and leveled the device to its intended destiny. ‚Let’s see who is going to fuck whom tonight, bloodsucker.‛ Tardieh braced himself for the pain. ‚Excuse me, sire?‛ A female voice came from the open door. Probably in his obsessive state of mind, Vrajitor had forgotten to lock it up when he came in. ‚I have an urgent message from the dragon lord,‛ the female carried on. Tardieh could sense the uneasiness in her voice. Time stood still. After what it felt like decades, but it must have been just a couple of seconds, Vrajitor roared, ‚How dare you interrupt my session?‛ Tardieh heard the girl gulp in terror. ‚I-I have an urg-urgent message from the lord for you, sire.‛ Breathing with difficulty, she
continued, ‚He requests your presence at once.‛ Vrajitor’s anger was palpable in the air. He would probably make the poor girl pay for interfering in his work. ‚Stay here,‛ he barked at the guard, who looked as frustrated as Vrajitor, then left the room mumbling obscenities. ‚Would you like some water?‛ Tardieh heard the girl say to the guard. Her voice sounded much stronger now. ‚You look thirsty. Here, I brought some water.‛ Tardieh focused his eyes and saw the girl step into the room holding a clay jug and a cup. The guard looked her up and down with hungry eyes. Tardieh could smell the razbian’s arousal. The girl seemed to also be interested because she gave him a coy but very open smile. ‚I doesn’t know if I want water, lass. But I sure gonna have some of what other yer offerin’.‛ The guard took a few steps toward her. She poured the water in the cup and handed it over to him. The guard brought the cup to his lips without taking his eyes off her. Once finished, he threw it on the floor. ‚Now, let’s have a bit more of what yer have, hein?‛ He grabbed her by the hips, pulling her toward him. The girl turned her head to avoid his ugly lips and saw Tardieh for what he thought was the first time. She had dark honey-colored eyes, not like the other dracos whose eyes glowed yellow. Tardieh tried to take advantage of the guard’s distraction and free himself but only managed to increase the cut caused by the silver chain on his ankles and wrists. Unbearable pain shot down his arms and reverberated throughout his body. The sound of gurgles caught his attention. He could not believe his eyes. The guard who was minutes from having his way with the girl now crouched on the floor holding his throat as if he was choking on something. Brown foam started to pour out of his mouth. Shaking, the guard looked up at the girl, trying to understand what had just happened, but she was already moving toward Tardieh. ‚Shh, don’t say a word,‛ she said. ‚We have to get you out of here before Vrajitor realizes he was set up.‛ With the strength of a full-grown soldier, the girl released Tardieh from the silver chains and held him so he wouldn't fall flat on the floor. She took off the dead guard’s trousers and threw them on Tardieh’s naked lap. ‚Put these on, quick. Can you walk?‛
Tardieh tried to stand up but failed. She wrapped her arms around his waist and helped him put the trousers on. They were a bit too big for him, but they would have to do. Despite him being of above average height for a vampire, he had lost quite a bit of weight during this ordeal. He felt her hands lifting him up. With the girl’s help, Tardieh managed to get out of the torture chamber, leaving the guard’s lifeless body behind. The door led to a dim corridor that had another door at the end. The girl dragged Tardieh toward it as fast as she could. ‚Why-why are you helping me?‛ Tardieh’s voice was so hoarse he could barely hear his own words. ‚Shh, don’t waste your energy with stupid questions. We need to move faster.‛ The door at the end of the passage led to a long, descending stairway. Tardieh could feel his body giving in to tiredness. Blackness was enveloping his eyesight, but he found enough energy to take each step without falling down. They finally reached the bottom which then led to another dark hallway with a few doors alongside it. They were below the fortress, Tardieh realized, because the air was thicker and damper here. ‚Come, we’re not far now,‛ she whispered, pulling Tardieh toward the far end of the hall. When they were almost at the end, he heard a door open behind them. Immediately the smell of rotting meat permeated the stale air in the tunnel. ‚Well, what have we here? A little kitten stealing my feast?‛ Vrajitor was a few feet behind them. He was slowly advancing like a predator sure of his dinner. The girl moved so that she stood between him and Tardieh. Tardieh did not like it a bit. If someone was to face Vrajitor, it would be him not a fragile female. He tried to stand up, but she stopped him with unexpected force. ‚Oh no, sire. Please forgive me. The prisoner looked so weak. I pitied him. Please don’t hurt me, sire.‛ She bowed low almost touching the floor, the way a plaintive would. Vrajitor did not seem convinced but closed the gap between them with four long strides. ‚What of the guard? Where is that imbecile?‛ ‚He’s met his fate.‛ With that, the girl stood up with a speed and grace only known to vampires and stabbed Vrajitor in the right eye. While
he was trying to recover from the girl’s surprise attack, she was already striking him on the throat, a draco’s most vulnerable spot. Vrajitor fell on the floor, trying to stop the gush of blood coming out of his neck. Without wasting any more time, the girl grabbed Tardieh by the waist and ran out the door, and then Tardieh felt the floor vanish from underneath him. It wasn’t a door, he realized; it was a gate, and they were free falling. His body hit the icy water with a loud splash. When he opened his eyes, he saw the girl pulling him even lower toward the bottom of the lake. Vampires did not need air to survive, but he did not know that dracos shared the same talent. Who the hell was that girl? After a few minutes, he saw what she was heading toward. There was an opening on the base of the lake that looked like an underwater passageway. She led them through it, and they immerged on the other side of a cave. Tardieh could barely get out by himself. She helped him out of the water, and they collapsed on the cold cave floor. They both remained there for a few moments, catching their breath. ‚Who are you? Why are you helping me?‛ he asked between shallow intakes of air. His mind was working overtime. He had to find out who she was, where they were, and how to get out of there. The dragon lord was not the only enemy he had in this war. If she was working for another draconian sect trying to capture him for their side, he would be in deeper trouble than before. After all, the war had started when his father had been betrayed by one of his own councilors. The councilor in question was scheming with the dragon lord, who had ensured the councilor that he would be the vampire king once the dragons took over Romania. ‚Not yet. We can’t stop now. There’s still a long way to cover before we’re safely out of their reach.‛ She stood up and started toward the inner part of the cave. After what felt like hours of walking, they reached an opening that led to a very familiar forest. So he was still on vampire soil, Tardieh realized with relief. They had not taken him out of his father’s domain. Such arrogance. The sight of his land gave him extra strength to carry on. But the newly found energy deserted him after a while. He stumbled and fell by a large tree. ‚We can’t stop now. We have to keep on going,‛ the girl insisted.
‚They will reach us in no time.‛ She was panting as well, Tardieh noticed. ‚I can’t. I have to stop to regain some energy.‛ He closed his eyes and opened his senses to his surroundings. He had to find an animal, preferably a big one, to drink from. But he couldn’t sense anything close by. Vampires could survive off animal blood but not for a long period of time. Animal blood was not as fortifying as human or dragon blood; however, it would have given him enough strength to dematerialize out of there. ‚You are still bleeding. How come?‛ Her voice was closer now. ‚You’re a vampire. You should have healed a long time ago.‛ Tardieh opened his eyes and met hers. She was crouched in front of him, studying him. Her voice had been sharp, but her eyes showed more worry than annoyance. ‚I’ve lost a lot of blood.‛ He took a deep breath and closed his eyes again. Inhale, exhale. A strong smell of blue mist flowers hit his nostrils—blue mist and blood. Her blood. He could hear her heart beat and the blood flowing through her veins. Strong, plenty. Tardieh opened his eyes and asked in low tones, ‚Who are you?‛ She opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again but closed it once more, as if undecided of what to do. That’s it; he’d had enough. He had to know what she was up to before it was too late. ‚I will not take another step before you tell me who you are and why you are helping me.‛ ‚It does not matter who I am. What matters is that you need to go back to your people and end this bloody war,‛ she retorted, leaning back on her heels. Tardieh could see her properly now. She was wearing a dark brown woolen kirtle over a loose-fitting shirt with long bell sleeves. The kirtle was topped by a dark green apron that complemented her eyes. Her long, black wavy hair, which had been pulled back by a plain headscarf, now cascaded down her shoulders in front of her full breasts. The combination of her striking almond-shaped, hazel-honey eyes with her thick lips gave her an exotic, mesmerizing appearance.
‚End the war? I thought you dracos wanted this bloody war,‛ Tardieh countered, trying to wake up from the trance of having her so near. ‚We? No, not we. That dragon lord and his bunch of ignorant followers. Who do you think has suffered the most from this war? The draconian people had never wanted to invade Wallachia. We were happy with our crops and our own land in the eastern mountains. We did not need more land. And now, it’s all gone, devastated, burned to the ground.‛ She stood up and turned her back to him. Tardieh could smell her anger mixed with fresh tears. ‚So what do you want me to do? Go back to my people and tell them to stop because the draconians have asked me to?‛ That was ridiculous. How could he, the vampire prince, go against his father’s commands? Yes, he would be king one day but not now, not soon enough to make a difference in the near future. ‚Yes. That’s exactly what I want you to do. I have risked my life to show you that not every draco agrees with this war. Actually, only the aristocratic minority supports that stupid dragon lord. The others who opposed him were hunted down, and their fate was worse than that of the war slaves. You have to go back and stop the attacks.‛ ‚I don’t have to do anything. And even if I could convince my father to stop the attacks, your dragon lord would continue. He would keep on trying to take not only Wallachia but the whole of Romania.‛ She was insane! She truly believed he had the power to stop this war. She stared back at him for a couple of seconds. ‚He won’t be around for much longer.‛ A cold chill ran up Tardieh’s spine. ‚What exactly are you talking about?‛ She raised her chin and looked at him with narrow eyes. It was then that Tardieh understood it fully. She and whomever was working with her were going to assassinate the dragon lord. Or at least they were going to try. And if she could get him to commit to stop the attacks from the vampires, the war could actually come to a halt. Until the next dragon lord decided he wanted a bigger backyard. She took a step closer and crouched in front of him again. ‚I know
what you’re thinking. You think you are just the prince, just another pawn in this game. But you are mistaken, Tardieh. You have more power than you realize. Your people look up to you. They admire you despite your young age.‛ That was true. The vampire community esteemed him despite him being just under two hundred years old. ‚Promise me you will end the attacks on my people upon your return,‛ she continued. Her voice carried a confidence that clashed with her fragile-looking figure. ‚I can’t promise you that. I am sorry,‛ Tardieh said with true sadness in his heart. ‚My father is the king, and he was betrayed. He will not stop until he gets his revenge.‛ But he saw her point now. His beloved Romania had suffered greatly from that war between the dragons of the east and the vampires. She turned away from him and said, ‚If the circumstances were different, if your father were