Page 2 of Into the Dawn
Shortly after the Dragon Warriors had made it known they were now protecting their respective kingdoms with magic, several groups of rogues had attacked the Western Forest. Thankfully, the warriors had been able to strike them down before any citizens were killed. There had been some destruction of property that had been easily repaired, but the anxiety and fear the attacks had caused were more difficult to manage.
For a time, the attacks had seemed endless. It had gotten so bad that Ronan and Dominic had been forced to seek outside help. The Palace of the Sands had always been their friends and closest allies, so it hadn’t been difficult to persuade Princes Tynan, Cael, and Ryder Dracor to lend them a little magical aid.
Actually, they had been downright eager to help.
The Dracors had created magical wards that surrounded the forest, though it had taken several tries for them to make something workable. The protection wards allowed people to come and go but barred anyone harboring nefarious intentions from entering the forest. When anyone crossed the boundary, an alarm sounded in the city, and the warriors on duty were immediately alerted to their presence.
While invaders were an obvious problem, they weren’t the only ones who wanted to visit the Western Forest. As news spread about the Dragon Warriors and their magical abilities, warriors, merchants, and other honorable males had also started to travel to neighboring kingdoms in search of their own fated mates.
With so many new people seeking entrance, it meant allowing any newcomers to stay within the Western Forest was even more dangerous. But they couldn’t ban all outsiders without sparking even more curiosity and interest. Most rogues didn’t have the patience for subterfuge, but they had to be extra cautious. Because of that, all new males were required to live in specified housing outside of the city, where they were carefully monitored.
Besides the magical wards around the forest, the Dracors had also created additional protection around the palace as well as the grove of fruit trees and the sacred lake. Magical wards were an excellent deterrent, and those added layers of protection were definitely effective.
Unfortunately, the rogues were still getting through somehow.
Ronan wasn’t sure how they had figured out a way past the wards, but he concluded they must have dug a secret tunnel in the ground or tunneled through the mountain. Even with his magical friends’ help, they hadn’t been able to figure it out yet.But they would. Then, they would put an end to the rogues once and for all.
Until then, the threats needed to be eradicated as they came.
The light breeze rustled the leaves, but the sound did nothing to mask the heavy treads of the invaders. Those unaccustomed to living in the forest didn’t understand how easy it was to detect unfamiliar sounds in the quiet.
“Do you see them yet?”his brother asked through their bond, a hint of irritation in his tone. Patience was not a virtue Dominic had much of, especially when it came to dealing with rogues.
“Nay, but I can hear them. They are making more noise than a group of younglings on their first outing,”he explained.“They are close, but not within viewing range yet.”
“Stay where you are, and I will make my way toward you.”
Obeying his bossy brother’s command, Ronan crouched down near the trunk of a wide tree. The dark brown leather pants, vest, and boots he wore helped him blend into his surroundings, as did his long brown hair and bronzed skin.
Ronan listened for any signs of movement, keeping his glowing gold eyes trained on the ground, not wanting the dim light to give away his location. Instead of reaching for the sword strapped to his hip, he slid two black daggers from their sheaths built into his vest and flipped them around so the blades were parallel to his forearms. The weight of the hilts against his palms was familiar and oddly comforting to him. He could throw the weapons with deadly accuracy and knew just where to strike to cause maximum damage.
The wait seemed endless, even though only a few seconds had passed. When the sounds interrupting the natural rhythm of the forest drew closer, he crouched deeper into the shadows. The males were moving slowly, but their clumsy footsteps made it clear they were unfamiliar with the terrain.
Added to that, the stench of their body odor and sweat was an affront to his senses. It told him that they hadn’t bathed in days. That alone would have given their presence away if not for all the noise they were making.
When the rogues finally came into view, he barely held back a growl of anger.“I count over a dozen rogues over here,”he told his brother through their bond. “Far too many to make it past the sentries unnoticed. Especially considering how inept they are.”
“They must have killed some of our warriors to make it this far,”Dominic said darkly.
“Or traitors are working with them,”Ronan pointed out. He went silent as one of the rogues began to speak.
“How are we supposed to find them out here?”
“Shh, keep your voice down. If those demon princes hear you, then our whole plan will be ruined. We have to avoid running into them before we can find their brothers.”
That made Ronan freeze in fear. He and Dominic weren’t the targets.
Their younger brothers were.
Sheer rage surged through him, almost making him shake with the need to lash out at the bastards stalking his brothers. He immediately reached out to share the information with Dominic. Once he was done, he started to contact the guards who were in charge of their younger brothers’ safety, but Dominic stopped him.
“Nay, we cannot trust anyone at this point. Only family.”
That stark reminder was enough to make him change tactics. Instead, he reached out to Axis, the most rational of his younger brothers. Although that distinction wasn’t exactly accurate, the eldest of the trio could rein in his brothers when necessary.
Axis, Bastion, and Keo were still in their teens, which meant they were mere younglings amongst their people. While Ronan,Dominic, and Eron admittedly had a wild streak during their early years, their younger brothers were ten times worse. The youngling princes were mischievous little beasts who loved getting into trouble.
Although the trio was young, they were well on their way to becoming warriors already. After losing Eron, Ronan and Dominic made it a priority to train their younger brothers to make sure they could protect themselves. Even though Axis, Bastion, and Keo complained a lot, they were eager to learn whatever their older brothers were willing to teach them.
