Chapter 7
Drakonia - Last day
The evacuation of their people through the mage-made portals continued. Buildings all around, including the one they stood inside, took heavy hits from the attack. Large pieces of brick and mortar fell around them as the building took more hits.
A female shrieked when one major blast took part of the roof off exposing them to the outside. Another two portals were destroyed but luckily the kings went through them before they were destroyed.
“Everyone through the portals now!” King Zocor yelled. Then he collapsed before his queen with a laser blast to his back. Warriors rushed to the attacker, keeping anyone else from a direct hit, but it was too late.
“No Zocor!” Queen Arena held her king in her arms. “You can’t leave me!”
“You must go now, to safety.”
“I can’t leave you. Someone help him!” Arena screamed in desperation.
A mage knelt down to inspect the mortal wound. “There is nothing I can do for him. He must go through the portal to close it with his blood.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks and blurred her vision. He had not been a true mate for her and her dragon but he had been good to her.
Zocor coughed and blood came out. He took her hand. “Go now.”
She shook her head. “I’ll put some blood on a blade and toss it through the portal and stay with you.”
He motioned for her to lean closer to him, unable to lift his head. “Our people need a leader.”
She shook her head in refusal. “Blaze can lead them.”
“Arena, we don’t know if Blaze made it to a portal. Even if he did, he will need someone to help him move into that role.”
“I can’t leave you.”
“It’s all right. You have been a wonderful mate even thought our union was not a true mating. You deserve that and so much more. I believe in destiny. If the gods meant for you to have a true mate, they will ensure that you find each other again. You must survive for that to happen.”
“I have no regrets,” Arena told him.
“Neither do I. Now, drag my body through the portal and close it. Do it for me, my queen.”
Arena didn’t know where the strength came from, but she locked her arms under his and dragged her king through the portal, and closed it behind them.May the gods watch over you, Blaze, she thought as the swirling mist sucked them through.
Earth - Dragon Snow Mountain, China – 100 years post Drakonian evacuation
Arena walked down the dirt path leading to the Temple of the Jade Summit. It was a human-built temple dating to the Qing dynasty. It was one of her favorite places to go for the view of the hillside and its beautiful abundance of camellias. Her people liked to come here ever few decades. The air was chilled and would only be getting more and more so. She pulled her robes tighter.
“My queen, are you ready to head back to the campsite?”
She looked to her side at her second in command, Dax. He had been very supportive since they had arrived to this strange primitive planet through the mage portal. He wanted to mate with her but she knew they weren’t true mates. She refused to settle for anything less.
“You go ahead. I won’t be far behind you.”
“I don’t like leaving you alone. It’s not safe.”
She snorted. “I’m a dragon shifter. I have nothing to fear from the humans.”
“I will stay and protect you,” Dax insisted.
Arena had to grit her teeth at his treatment. It had been difficult taking command of her people. A Queen had never before in Drakonian history ruled a land without a King. When they first arrived to this new world through the portal, her people urged her to take a mate but she refused.
Her father had pushed her into the arranged marriage with King Zocor and, at the time, she was too young to fight against it. She had been blessed and lucky that Zocor was a kind and gentle male, but there was no real connection between them. Their inner dragons only tolerated each other. The only male her dragon stirred for was the one male she could never have — Blaze.
Blaze was Zocor’s illegitimate son, but he had not come into Zocor’s life until his teen years. She watched him grow into a strong and fierce warrior — not to mention handsome. He easily reached six foot five and had wide shoulders, muscles everywhere and the blackest hair. It was his eyes that pulled her in the most, though similar to Zocor, they sparked with intensity that seemed to see right through her.
Once he had reached adulthood, she knew she had to keep her distance from him. Her dragon recognized him as a potential mate and she feared she would dishonor her vows to Zocor. Now, both of the males who had become her whole world were gone. This time, she refused to allow anyone else to dictate to whom she would mate.
Arena stood up for herself and the other kings backed her up. That didn’t mean that she still wasn’t presented every year with “potential” suitors. She could never pick someone within her own village to mate so she made every effort to have rare intimate encounters with those outside her village, with other dragon shifters.
Tonight, she had plans with King Reichardt. He was arriving with a few of his warriors at midnight. They would stay a few days, mingling among her people to see if any matings could be found. She had been with Reichardt before over the past decade and enjoyed his company, but her dragon didn’t stir for him. Her dragon hadn’t stirred for anyone since Blaze.
She still dreamed of him every night, his broad shoulders and sparkling eyes. The deep rumble when he laughed. He never backed down from a challenge and even if he failed at his first attempt, he didn’t give up. There were times in her dreams she felt him touching her, whispering her name as his lips skimmed her skin. She would wake in need of him only to find her bed empty and her heart aching. Maybe if she took a mate and had a family, she might forget what she lost. Maybe. But she feared that because she had not been able to have dragonlets with Zocor, the gods did not intend her to have any at all. That thought ate at her heart.
