He had the warmest and kindest face. His eyes and hair were like mine.
He ruled with a kind heart and a powerful mind. Whatever he put his heart, mind and soul to, he got it done.
He claimed his dragon, which was a Night-Villain without being born with the mark. His dragon looked vicious. He was black as night and two huge horns curved forward like a mean bull. His skin looked slightly burned, as if he was busy decomposing. Wick told me it had to do with the acid that they carried. They were acid breathers.
My dad claimed him even if it wasn’t his abilities. I get what the queen meant when she said that Lucian reminded her so much about my father.
My mother was the complete opposite. I saw her side profile, but it was nothing compared to what she looked from the front. She was stunning, with dark brown hair. She was tall too, with long limbs. When her hair didn’t cascade down her shoulders, she tied it up into a ponytail, like me. She had kind gray doe eyes, and the most beautiful thick lips and high cheekbones. I got nothing from her. That was my mom. I wished I knew them, could remember them. They sounded like amazing people. She loved her charities, which always involved children and people suffering. She was a saint.
They both fought in war, even when the women weren’t allowed to fight. She changed her appearance through magic as women weren’t supposed to fight wars. During this she’d found her Green-Vapor, Tanya Le Frey. Mom had saved her life, and the dragon was smitten with her after that.
I was too. I had to keep reminding myself it was my mom. She wanted me so badly.
The first week it was only the three of them, but the second week, Dad came to fetch me around three.
We walked to a building that almost looked like royal stables. I begged that there weren’t any beasties in there. I wasn’t ready to face one yet. Emanual was enough.
Dad opened the one side of the double door, and we entered an oval arena. They lay the floor out with black training mats. Seating steps lined half the one side of the arena. Next to that were rows and rows of armor. On the other side, sun streamed through the windows and paintings of knights in medieval times straight through modern times lined the walls. There was one of Lucian too, staring into the crowd. He wore black pants, with a black long sleeve vest, hugging his arms. Some sort of kevlar vest, that was a modern version of a shielded breast plate, covered his body. With a gladiator skirt and boots on.
He stood in a similar arena, but it had no roof, filled with flags of all the dragons and abilities. Thousands of human figures surrounded him in the crowd.
My eyes flickered to a guy that fought with a sai weapon in the middle of the arena. The guy was fast and wore black pants and a shirt with bare feet.
Dad walked toward him, and he stopped.
“Bear, I want you to meet Devon Lockendor.”
First leaf, now lock and door.
I held out my hand. The guy was about a few years older than me, had black hair tied up in a ponytail and was about the same length as me.
He shook my hand. “Princess.”
“Elena, please,” I begged, and he nodded.
“Devon is part of King Caleb’s fleet. I knew his grandfather well. He’s fast, and that is what I want you to learn from him. Become fast as him in your reflexes and work on that balance of yours.”
I nodded.
“Tomorrow you will start your training with him. For the next month, you need to learn as much as you can from Devon. Okay? So listen to everything he says.”
I nodded.
We said goodbye after Dad told him my training hours, which was going to be 5am in the mornings to 7am. Then from 3pm to 5pm and again from 7pm to 9pm.
I could foresee my life for the next month. Train, school, eat and sleep.
26
BLAKE
On Friday I was like a bear with an aching tooth. Sam wanted me to fight again.
I didn’t want to, and I didn’t know what to do. I kept staring at his golden tooth as he spoke. His lips turned into a snarl as his threats reached my ears.
“Ruby, don’t force my hand. Dimitri is fast, in and out. Nobody will even see him if he goes to a certain castle. Be here tomorrow at three.” His holograph disappeared as I swallowed hard. Worries spooled into my thoughts and turned my gut into a ball of nerves.
“Blake,” Lucian said from behind me. I jumped as I thought he already left for the weekend.
