Hidden Flame: Bound to the Triplet Dragon Kings

Avery

I don't remember much of my childhood which, in and of itself, could be a blessing in disguise. From what I do recall, a patrol found me, barely clinging to life, lying unconscious in the remains of what was once my parents. I was three then, and now that I’m turning eighteen, I can barely remember their faces. I can, however, remember songs that my mother would sing, about a fierce princess who would save us all. Growing up, I wished that I was that princess; but that was a destiny not meant for me.

As for me now, I grew up an orphan, like many others. I was always picked last for everything and never got adopted. I was an outcast among outcasts. However, one day, five years ago, I was hiding from a group of kids who teased and bullied me, because I was so thin and pale. They called me a leech, a vampire, and a corpse. No matter how hard I tried to hide the hurt, every word pierced my soul. Riddled with invisible scars that will never heal, I sought refuge in a fallen tree. Much to my dismay, the group of tormentors found me. Just as they were ripping my clothes off, two dragons blasted the treetops with their flames.

Everyone ran, including me. After all, based on what I was taught at the orphanage, dragons are known to be one of the most powerful beings in existence, and the most menacing too. I ran as hard as I could, but I was exhausted and tripped. I rolled down a hill, landing at the feet of a woman who was patting down a few embers that were smoldering on her dark green dress. Her eyes were kind and her touch was warm and soft as she helped me to my feet. Her husband came over and healed my scrapes the best he could. He carried me to their modest home in the heart of the Naga Tribe.

June and Anton, the dragon shifters who saved me, officially adopted me a few weeks later, after they obtained approval from the nobles. My new parents were farmers for the tribe and the nobles were whom the tribe served. The lands weren't always plentiful but I was fortunate enough to get a job in the tribe. I didn’t want to be a burden to the two people who kindly raised me as their own. However, I let fear get the better of me and tried to run away. Luckily, the tribe took pity on me and gave me a job working for the nobles. At first, I started out as a maid assigned to clean the common areas, soon I was promoted to be the Royal Concierge. I am basically a cook exclusively for The Trio, but they often force me to do other things including their homework. Having the title of Royal Concierge sounds far better than being called a servant or kitchen bitch too.

“Avery! Why isn't my shirt pressed,” Clint roared.

“Where is my phone? Avery, get in here now,” Conner bellowed from his room.

Then there was banging on the wall, “Avery, get your pathetic ass out of your room and make my fucking breakfast. You had better not make me late. You know how angry Asher gets,” Cassius threatened.

I often regret accepting my newest position as their exclusive cook in the palace but it pays better and allows me more places to hide than at my old home with my adoptive parents. Unfortunately, it means that I am in contact with the Royal Trio of Clint, Conner, and Cassius Draco all the more. They have always made my life difficult, but now even more so, as graduation approaches and their Grand Ceremony along with it.

All young dragons fantasize about their Grand Ceremony. The ceremony is the gateway to a dragon’s destiny whether it is to ascend to the throne or find their fated mate. I have no dragon, so I have no delusions that some ceremony will determine my destiny. I am just a poor, pathetic human counting down the days until I graduate and then I can run away forever. I don't belong in this land of dragons. Maybe I don't belong anywhere. There have been many times that I thought about giving up and taking my own life, but something always happened to prevent me from succeeding. I either was summoned to go cook for The Trio, a teacher messaged me, or someone asked for my help. Either it is just dumb luck or maybe it is the spirits of my parents looking out for me. But maybe I am just too inept to kill myself.

I sigh as I drag myself out of bed. I don't bother fixing my sheets. Instead, I pull the comforter over the crumpled mess. I rarely get a good night’s sleep because I always seem to wake up in a cold sweat entangled in my sheets. I never remember what I dream of though. Perhaps, that's a good thing. I quickly pull on a plain white dress and my tattered flats before I try to brush my knotted brown hair. I don't bother with makeup because nothing could change my porcelain paper-thin skin just as nothing could enhance my flat chest. I do look like a living skeleton because I can never gain weight despite how much I eat. My skin never tans no matter how much sunlight I expose myself to. Over the years, I have given up trying to blend in. I haven’t been accepted in this world and perhaps I never will.

Conner Draco is the most docile of the triplets, so I decided to tackle his request first. As I suspected, his phone is on the charger and not on his bedside table. Without a word, I approached him with the phone in my hand. I keep my eyes down as I extend my hand out to him. He snatches it up before he shoves me out of the door. At least he didn't ridicule me as he has done since the day I was brought into the palace.

I decided to accomplish Clint’s and Cassius’s requests simultaneously. I might be weak and pathetic without a dragon but I have learned to multitask and be resourceful. When you are a lamb among wolves, you quickly learn to survive. I just need to hold out until the end of my senior year and my eighteenth birthday. Then I can leave Momma June and Papa Anton with a nice nest egg and I can retreat far from here and never see a dragon again. I just have to endure one hundred and eighty more days of school which means twenty-five more Mondays of hell. I roll my eyes as I let out a sigh, I hate Mondays.