Page 10 of The Dragon King's Curse
I cast a glance around at my fellow prisoners. The vampire sat alone against one wall, a wary expression on his face. Our eyes locked, and he held my gaze. Typical vampire. Bold in the face of certain death. Should he give me a reason, I would dig his heart from his chest with my bare hands.
There was no point trying to communicate with the human. Or the fae for that matter. They were useless to me. That only left the two elven women.
The elves and I shared an ugly history. None of that mattered right now. The only thing that mattered was getting the hell out of there.
Not wanting to scare them, I stayed where I was and called over to them instead. “Are we in the fae realm?”
The woman with red hair and pinched features nodded. “We are.”
“How long have you been here?” I asked. I doubted they would have anything useful to share with me.
“A few days I think. Long enough that it’s been difficult to tell the passing of time.” The woman moved closer to her friend, angling her body in a protective manner.
My gaze fell upon the second woman. Long silver blonde hair fell in a tousled braid over her shoulder to her waist. No doubt it shone with a brilliance in the light of day. She regarded me with eyes a pale violet. Absolutely unique and beautiful. Her lips were pressed tight together, her forehead furrowed. She stared right back at me, defiance in those eyes.
The vampire bite on her neck drew my attention. It seemed to be almost healed. Elves tended to heal quickly, as did any being that wasn’t human. I looked to the lone vampire. Was he responsible for the bite?
Both women were dressed like warriors. Like they’d been seized during a fight. Despite the unrest between our people, I respected that they’d been fighting to protect their own. Loyalty was a dying trait.
“Have you spoken to the king yet?” I assumed it wouldn’t be long until Atlas summoned me to appear before him. Arrogant bastard.
There was a moment of hesitation before the red-haired woman nodded. “Yes. He questioned the princess about her father. When she would not share her family’s secrets, he threatened to give her to his son. He’s an awful man. No doubt he will ask you about your clan as well.”
Princess? This silver haired beauty was the Elf King’s daughter? His one and only child.
I stared at her until she grew obviously uncomfortable. She shifted uneasily, crossing and uncrossing her legs. I couldn’t believe I was in the presence of the one woman able to break my godsforsaken curse.
The elven princess herself.
According to the elven practitioner who’d cursed me, only the King’s daughter had the power to set me free. Every curse had to have a loophole. A way to break it. Although I did not know how, I only knew that she was the one.
An unexpected surge of wild fury, and a touch of madness, propelled me across the room. Knocking the other woman aside, I grabbed hold of the princess. She let out a surprised shriek as I shook her.
“How can the curse be broken?” I shouted. “Tell me how it’s done. You’re the one. You’re the one who can finally end my torment.”
The other elf gasped as she realized who I was. Had they not known? They sure knew now.
The princess fought to escape me. She twisted in my grasp, doing her best to loosen my hold as my clawed fingers dug deep into her arms. As strong as she was, she was not nearly as strong as me.
“Stop it,” she begged. “Let me go.”
The dragon locked within me was angered. I wasn’t thinking when I wrapped my hands tight around her throat and began to squeeze.
Killing the only person capable of breaking my curse would have been absolutely beyond stupid. However, in that moment, I wasn’t able to think of anything other than how badly I wanted her people to suffer for what they’d done to me. Who better to start with than the princess herself?
She clutched at my hands, trying her best to pry my fingers off her throat, one by one. Her friend quickly came to her aid. Snatching up a food tray, she beat me over the head with it. I felt nothing. Engulfed by blind rage, I watched the princess’s face turn red.
I wasn’t aware of the door opening or the guards arriving with their weapons held ready. A heavy club smashed across my skull, knocking me to the floor. The princess scurried backwards out of reach as she gasped for breath.
One guard used magick to fling me against the wall, holding me there while the other beat me with a metal club. I got my arms up in time to protect my face from a deadly blow.
“As long as the king wishes for the princess to remain alive, you will not touch her. Is that understood? Try that again and you’ll end up down below. In a solitary cell alone in the darkness with only your own thoughts for company.”
The guards flung me to the floor where they took turns kicking and hitting me. They didn’t use all that much magick, seeming to enjoy inflicting pain with their violent actions. Since they’d been delegated to watching over prisoners, they may not have been as powerful as those higher up in the ranks of the kingdom. Regardless, I hurt like hell when they finished with me.
It was just as well. I also needed the princess alive. If my irrational rage had led me to kill her, there would be no hope left of breaking this curse.
When the guards left the cell, I remained on the floor where they left me. I didn’t think I had any broken bones. Rolling onto my back, I stared at the ceiling. I wanted to curse the fates for bringing me here. For taking me from my men.
