Rivals (Dragon Reign Book 1) Page 2

  She laughed, a deep sound that warmed me and made me smile. “Come along, Kate. You could use a good strong cup of tea this morning to chase away those nasty dreams you’ve been having.”

  “I never said my dreams were nasty,” I mumbled as I followed her into the greenhouse.

  It was humid like always, but comfortably so and the air smelled of fresh herbs that tickled my nose and instantly made me feel better. Whatever happened in the garden, it had to all be in my head. Otherwise, it didn’t make sense, and I had enough things in my past that didn’t make sense to have any issues with the present.

  Mama Lucy bustled around picking leaves from various pots and dropping them in the ancient stone bowl. “I wondered how long you would be able to keep them at bay on your own,” she mused, watching me wander towards the crimson roses at the far end of the greenhouse.

  “Keep what at bay?”

  “Memories of whatever happened to you.”

  “Mama Lucy, I—”

  She held up her hand to stop me, a gentle smile on her face. “You don’t need to share with me. They are yours to keep, or yours to speak of when you’re ready, if you ever are.”

  She turned the pestle, smashing down the herbs and mixing them together. I watched transfixed as she took a pot of water and heated it over a tiny Bunsen burner. When it was bubbling, she filled a metal steeper with the herbs, poured the water into a handless mug, and dunked them in.

  “What will it do?” I asked as she handed it to me.

  “Calm your mind and let you put your past behind you.”

  “I’ll forget what happened?” I didn’t want that, did I?

  “No, child. It will merely clear your mind and let you sleep in peace. For weeks now, I’ve noticed a change in you. This will soothe you until you are ready to face whatever haunts you.” She nodded, and I took a sip. “And remember, if you ever wish to speak with me, I’m right here.”

  I sighed as the warm tea slid down my throat and within seconds, did calm my racing thoughts. “I don’t think you’d believe me,” I whispered.

  Just as quietly, I heard Mama Lucy reply, “You would be surprised what I know.”

  We stayed in the greenhouse until the tea was gone. She tended to the herbs I hadn’t been able to, and when I felt ready to face the day, we headed back inside.

  Everyone was at the table, ready for their lessons, talking or reading as they waited. When they saw Mama Lucy, they grinned, and I took my seat near the head of the table.

  “Alright, kiddies,” she said with a bright grin, “today we get to learn about the stars.”

  I settled into my advanced work, letting her lesson of the stars and constellations keep me grounded in this moment in time.

  I was safe here with Mama Lucy, had been over nearly ten years.

  I would be safe for another ten if I wished.

  2

  Craig

  The security guard grunted, and I gently rested his head on the desk, careful not to make too much noise. I stared at the array of monitors before me and tapped in a few keys to create a loop in the system.

  I scoffed again at my family’s reluctance to learn all they could about humans and their technology instead of always relying on their magic to do the work for them.

  Once the loop was in place, I had ten minutes to get into the exhibit, snatch what I came for, and get out again before the guard woke up.

  The alarms were dismantled, and I was fairly certain there was no other staff on duty tonight. I watched the museum for two weeks, checking everyone’s comings and goings so there would be no surprises.

  I hated surprises. That I knew was the demon side of me. My human half was more prone to showing emotion and giving in to my doubts about every plan I came up with. The curse I was stuck with for being Craig, the bastard son of Raghnall, Demon King.

  The clan hated me from the moment I was born, saw me as weak and needing to be cast out, but Raghnall tried to raise me as his own and bring me up as he would any true-born demon son.

  Too bad I was the only son ever born to Raghnall, which only made my situation that much more perilous.

  But my human half always slowed me down and nearly killed me in my earlier years. I had to learn to adapt, to use my head more than my brawn, which I don’t have anyway.

  I taught himself magic that was forbidden for demons to know, and I found better ways of fighting.

  Well, I wouldn’t call them fighting methods really. I cheated, constantly, and I was damned good at it.

  I smirked as I pulled the black mask over my face and crept from the security office into the depths of the museum. Exhibits of artifacts surrounded me, paintings and sculptures, but I wasn’t here for art. There was only one item I wanted from this museum, and it was in the exhibit near the back of the first floor.

  My head remained on a constant swivel as I moved from one room to the next, keeping a close eye on the time. Eight minutes left. I picked up the pace and rounded the corner to finally come face to face with what I was after.

  “Hello, beautiful,” I whispered.

  The room was filled with weapons from across the globe and various eras. Humans assumed they were created by them, but the sword that was currently the star of the exhibit had not been crafted by any human hand.

  Executioner.

  That was the name of the long sword with its obsidian encrusted handle and rubies embedded in the hilt. The metal was darker than iron and much heavier, but a demon could easily hold such a blade without difficulty.

  Centuries ago it was lost during one of the many great wars between demons and the other races. I spent the last year tracking it down for a buyer who was willing to pay me in more than just gold for finding it.

  I didn’t care about wealth. The buyer claimed to have an item that would lead me to my true prize, the only item that could aid me in the fight to come.

  With only six minutes left of the loop for the security tapes, I hurried about my work, lifting off the glass case and removing the powerful relic of my kin.

  I grunted as I hefted it over my shoulder and sensed the power running through it. Only a full-blood demon would benefit from it; for me, it was merely a means to an end. With the sword in hand, I exited the museum through the bay doors, the same way I entered earlier, with two minutes to spare.

  Removing my mask, I sucked in a breath of fresh night air, chilly from being up in the mountains, and grinned at the sword.

  “Another night and another prize.”

  I was meeting the buyer at midnight, in a park on the outskirts of the town. I unfolded the leather sheath tucked in the bag on my back, sheathed the sword carefully, and once it was safely hidden under my long, leather coat, I trudged towards the park.

  A full moon lit my path, and I tried to keep my spirits high about tonight, but it was hard to do when I bore knowledge of what was out there. Not just out there tonight, but what was coming for me and all my kin.

  No one listened to me. They thought I was crazy and maybe on some level I was. My own father cast me out when he caught me cheating my way through the trials that would have given me a much-cherished place in the palace, as I should’ve had anyway.

  Instead, I’d been relegated to being nothing more than a foot soldier. It was a joke and a cruel one at that. The trials would’ve given me a mark at the end, telling any demon I met I was nothing important. That royal blood didn’t run through my veins, when in fact it did. I cheated in my last fight against my opponent, used magic to curse his weapon so it would never hit me, and I’d been caught.

  Raghnall had been furious, but I hadn’t stuck around to deal with his wraith.

  That was nearly four years ago. Since then, I’d been on my own, trying to study and understand the darkness spreading within the demon realm, but I sensed it would not remain there.

  I reached the park a few minutes early and scoped out the empty playground and trees surrounding it. As far as I could tell, I was alone.

  T
he heavy sword hurt my back, but I learned never to reveal an item until the buyer showed the payment agreed upon. At the beginning of my thieving career, I lost out on several deals. No longer.

  Leaves crunched nearby, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I sniffed the air, thankful I had slightly higher senses than a regular human, though not on par with a demon.

  On the bright side, I didn’t have to lug around horns all the time. I waited, hands tensed at my sides where my two daggers rested, words of power on my lips just in case, but the four beings that crept cloaked by the shadows were familiar figures, and I relaxed.

  Slightly.

  The temperature dropped as the four sorcerers stopped at the edge of the grass, unwilling to step onto the asphalt. Superstitious idiots really. I sighed and met them on the grass.

  “It’s not going to swallow you whole,” I muttered under my breath.

  The sorcerer with long grey hair down to his waist threw back his hood and glared at me, eyes blacker than the night sky overhead. “Careful, Craig. You may embrace humans and their technology, but do not expect us to.”

  “It’s asphalt,” I said, turning around to stare at it. “It’s not really technology.”

  “Do you have the item or not?” he snapped.

  “Depends if you brought what was promised or not,” I countered patiently, crossing my arms and tapping my booted toe as if I had all night long for a standoff.

  In reality, I was anxious as hell to snatch the damned thing from his robes and be gone. I needed to find a way to track down the only item that might be able to explain what was happening. A treasure lost in time, and nothing more than a rumor, until they contacted me.

  The sorcerer’s eyes darkened even more, and I sensed his power rising, but he reached into his robes and produced a broken piece of glass, colored, and with bits of a design etched on it.

  “That’s it?” I snapped, more of a growl as my anger rose. “Seriously?”

  “It is what we promised.”

  “No, no you said you would give me the item! Not a broken piece of crap!”

  The sorcerer’s hand moved before I realized it and was around my throat, squeezing. He didn’t look strong, and in truth, he physically wasn’t. But his power flared out and wrapped around my neck and slithered down my body, pinning my limbs together until I couldn’t move.

  He hissed in my face, and I cringed at the rotting stench coming from his mouth. I should’ve known better than to sink to dealing with these filthy men.

  “Insult me again, boy, and it will be the last thing you do.”

  Just as suddenly as he grabbed me, he let go.

  I managed to keep my feet as I choked and gasped for air. “Where’s the rest of it?” I demanded as nicely as possible.

  “We never claimed to have the entire piece. In fact, no one does. The pieces have been scattered. This is the piece we have held onto, and it is yours in exchange for the sword.”

  “And how am I supposed to find the other pieces?”

  “With patience.”

  I glared at him fiercely, but he wasn’t going to tell me anything else. Reluctantly, I started to reach behind my back for the sword when a new scent slammed into me, and I stopped.

  “You let demons follow you here?” I hissed, whirling around in time to see them shimmering into view all over the park. “Great, that’s just great.”

  “We did not bring them. Hand me the sword. We had a deal!”

  “Well, well,” a voice I never wanted to hear again echoed across the park, and I cursed vividly under my breath. “Craig. Fancy seeing you here.”

  “Reginald.” I stared at the six demons moving in behind him. “Do you often enjoy nightly strolls in random parks? I thought Raghnall would’ve kept you busy these days dealing with the other issues in our realm, or does he still not believe demons are disappearing.”

  “No demons have disappeared,” he growled. “And you will address our King with respect the next time you speak of him.”

  I laughed. “Right, because he’s always shown his son respect.”

  “You’re not his true son. You’re nothing more than a bastard… a bastard with a hefty price on his head,” he added, and the demons moved in even closer, grinning darkly as one let manacles fall from his hands, the chains clinking together.

  I swallowed hard even as I forced a grin to stay planted on my face. Couldn’t show fear. That was a bad idea. “A price, huh? Placed on me by my own father. He should get a Father of the Year award.”

  I heard the sorcerers shuffling behind me before one of them snapped, “Our deal still stands. Hand me the sword, or you lose this piece forever.”

  “I’m a little busy at the moment. Can you just wait a bleeding second?” I responded over my shoulder. I didn’t want to have to reveal the sword, or use magic that would only piss them off more, but as Reginald stalked closer, I knew I was running out of options. “I need that glass shard.”

  “Then give us what we require!”

  “What are you doing with those sorcerers?” Reginald was only a few yards away now, his black horns gleaming in the moonlight. He was tall and strong, the perfect demon and the son my father should’ve had. Too bad he was born to the king’s younger brother and not him. He flashed his fangs at me with a grin. “I heard you sunk low these past few years, but I never imagined you’d sink this low.”

  “Not like I could turn to family for aid, cousin,” I snarled.

  Reginald technically had every right to be angry with me. He was the demon I fought in the last round of the trials, the one I cheated against and nearly killed when I lost control of the magic. He bore a scar from my blade that ran down the stretch of his chest. He’d been unable to defend himself, which I hadn’t intended. Magic was tricky, and I’d been young and desperate.

  Now I was merely desperate to get out of this situation with the glass shard and my head still firmly attached to my shoulders.

  “Just come with us,” Reginald said, but his voice was far from reassuring I would last longer than a few hours back home. “Father just wants you returned safely to us.”

  “And what, thrown in a cell for the rest of my days? I’ll pass, thanks.”

  “I never said you had a choice in the matter.”

  My eyes darted around the park for an escape. Six demons. Six demons armed to the teeth who could easily overpower me… but not if they thought I wielded the Executioner and the power of the sorcerers behind me.

  Knowing how badly this could go, I reached around my back and drew out the Executioner blade. It flashed before them as I whispered words of light under my breath, making the blade glow as if possessed by some incredible power.

  Reginald flinched, but he didn’t step away as I hoped. Hating to use more power in case this went really wrong and left me defenseless, I summoned fire and let it wash over the blade in vibrant, hungry flames. That got their attention and Reginald cursed as he realized what I held in my hands.

  “Executioner… what are you doing with that?” he snarled.

  “Using it, clearly,” I stated. Now I had to get the shard and get out of there before I had to fight anyone with a blade I could barely hold in my hands.

  “The sword,” the sorcerer demanded behind me.

  My hands fidgeted around the hilt as I watched Reginald’s eyes narrow and he took a step back towards me.

  Crap.

  He wasn’t buying it.

  Time for plan B. From my pocket, I pulled smoke bombs that packed an extra kick and threw them down at my feet. Black smoke enveloped me and everyone in the park.

  I lunged backward as they coughed and hacked, Reginald gasping and screaming for them to grab me. The sorcerers hadn’t fled yet, and I reached out blindly, but luck was with me at least for a few seconds tonight.

  I snatched the glass shard from the sorcerer’s hands and took off across the parking lot.

  “Where is he?” Reginald bellowed, and I ran faster. “Find him!”r />
  “The sword! He took the sword!” the sorcerer screamed, but I knew they wouldn’t follow, not if I stuck to the pavement.

  The sword weighed me down, and I should’ve dropped it, but I could use it to sell to another interested buyer. I had to get away, get far enough away and cloak myself until Reginald and the rest of his hunting party gave up and went back home.

  I hefted it over my shoulder, cringing every time it bounced and threatened to slice through my leather coat, but the smoke wouldn’t last forever.

  I turned off the main road and sprinted down a side road, not sure where it would lead. All I needed was a chance to hide, collect myself, and I could cloak my scent and my body from their senses.

  Just a bit further—

  “Gah!” I yelled at the pain blooming at my side and crumbled to the ground.

  I reached around to find a dagger sticking out of my body. Sucking in a deep breath and biting my lip to stop myself from yelling in pain again, I left it there and took off at a weird, sideways hobbling gait through the trees.

  Reginald. I hated him, hated him for being the best damned hunter we had in our clan. Hated him for always wanting to take me down for simply being born.

  My vision blurred and I had to stop to catch my breath against a tree.

  “Craig! Just stop running now, Craig, you’ll only make it worse!”

  I grunted at his words. I had no idea what would happen to me if I gave in and went back with him; no, no I guess that wasn’t entirely true. The darkness and plague spreading through our realm would continue to spread and kill everyone we knew because they’d lock me up, or kill me, and no one would try to stop it.

  Ensuring the glass shard was safe in my coat, wrapped in a handkerchief, I pushed even deeper into the grove and sank to my knees.

  “Craig!” Reginald’s voice was closer now, and their heavy footsteps surrounded me.

  I dug my hands into the ground and whispered the words for cloaking me from those who would wish to do me harm.

  The wound at my side throbbed, and with every shift of my body, I felt the dagger still stuck in the wound. If I pulled it out now, I’d bleed everywhere, and that would draw them faster to me. I had to finish this spell… had to finish it… had to keep the shard safe…