The Lost Alliance (Rise of the Drakens Book 2) by Raven Storm (free ebook reader .txt) 📗

who came to the edge of their tent to see me. They were fascinated by my scales and wings, told all their lives I was some sort of fantastic creature, like a unicorn. It was hard not to preen under their praise.

“Wren!”

I turned, just in time for Becca to plough into me. My arms wrapped around hers, squeezing tightly. It was wonderful to have a female friend again.

“You’re a draken! You sneaky devil! You said you grew up in a breeding manor!”

Her eyes took in my form, lingering on my wings.

“To be fair, I’ve only been a draken for a few months. I just recently came into my inheritance. Before then, I did live as a human in a breeding manor.”

Her eyes nearly went cross-eyed in confusion.

“I thought drakens were born, not made.”

I laughed as Thad stepped out from a tent, a frown marring his strong features.

“I suppose I was an exception,” I offered, but Becca was already backing away, bowing slightly to Thad. “Later,” she mumbled, and was gone.

“Drakens can be made? I suppose the history books left that out.”

I raised an eyebrow

“Indeed, since they all proclaim Cantradian royalty dead and gone.”

He stopped short, then made an amused sound in the back of his throat.

“Will you walk with me? I have wanted to ask the drakens a few questions, but the large one is…”

“Prickly and sour?” I added helpfully, struggling not to laugh. Thad put a hand to his face, rubbing it. I shifted into my human form he and seemed immediately more at ease. Well, until he noticed the lack of clothing.

“My eyes are up here.”

Thad blushed.

“Apologies.”

I waved them away. “What questions do you have?”

“You are with the large draken, Benedict?”

I scoffed. “That cannot be your question. And it’s King Benedict, actually.”

His eyes bugged out, and he went silent as he considered this. I noted how the eyes of the refugees followed us, judging and wondering if we were up for the task of freeing them—if dreaming of a better life was even a possibility.

“King Benedict is one of my mates,” I admitted, relishing the drop of his jaw. I could feel his mind spinning next

“And the redhead, Kieran?

“Yes, him too. As well as my third mate who is back on Lyoness.

Thad frowned, then shook his head

“The books I read on drakens did not mention this."

He looked so politely befuddled that I took pity on him.

“If it comforts you, I believe I’m a special circumstance as the last female. Benedict hinted as much when I first came to him.”

“It seems quite the fantastical story. Does that make you a queen then?” He snagged a ripe fruit from an open bowl, biting into it. My eyes pricked in interest as the juice ran down his chin.

“Get me a bowl of that, and I’ll tell you anything you want to know. Provided you tell me your story, as well.”

He lifted an eyebrow, and flicked a gold piece towards the woman who had been scowling at him after his thievery. Her scowl vanished when the gold appeared, and she offered the entire bowl on one knee. His lips tightened, but he took it. I snatched the bowl from him, digging in immediately.

“Come sit by my fire, and we’ll trade stories.”

I continued to eat as we walked, coming upon a tent that looked more worn than most. Calling it a tent was generous—it was barely more than a tattered piece of cloth stretched and nailed down between a crack in the stone wall and tied to the tent next door.

“I have no need for privacy; those with families need it more. Couples.” He offered as an explanation, shrugging as he sat in front of a small, dwindling fire. I sat and polished off the fruit as he threw a few more logs on, patiently encouraging the embers to be stoked into a proper flame. By the time he was ready, so was I.

“You grew up as a human?”

I liked my fingers clean, then ran them through my hair. I pretended not to notice how his gaze lingered on my lips.

“There was a complicated sacrificial ritual involved but yes. I’m told I have lived many lives at the breeding manor. Part of the black magick, I suppose.”

He blinked, and I resisted the urge to laugh.

“But now you are not human.”

I looked around, wondering if there was any more fruit to be had.

“Benedict broke the protection, curse, whatever you want to call it. Lied to me to get it done, but I suppose it was all for the best.”

Thad opened his mouth, but I cut him off.

“So you’re royalty, I hear?”

His mouth closed, a storm gathering in his eyes.

“Hardly. Just because someone says I am doesn’t make me feel like I’ve earned anything.”

I sighed. “We are similar in that, then: the unlikely queen and the forgotten king. It has a nice ring to it.”

Thad added another log to the fire.

“You act like you don’t deserve your lineage,” I observed. He sat back down heavily, poking at the fire with his sword to get the logs in the position he wanted. “It won’t help men to follow you.”

“And you talk too much,” he retorted.

“I’ve found that grumpy men and annoying, talkative females are a good match.”

He tossed his sword angrily to the ground.

“Yes, that’s the sort of reaction my grumpy man had at first.”

I set down my bowl, giving him my full attention.

“Why do you doubt yourself? If you are of royal bloodline, act like it and lead your people!”

“It’s none of your business!” He shot back, standing up and leering over me. I couldn’t help it—the position he took, his dark hair and eyes, and the anger. For a split second I was back in the breeding manor, cringing in front of Crullfed’s cane. The small trill of distress escaped my lips before I could help it, and Benedict and Kieran were there an agonizing five seconds later, claws scrabbling on stone. Kieran grabbed me even as Benedict crashed through the fire, mindless of