Chapter 2 Facing The Dragon King

Elara

I closed my eyes and clung to his scales as Magnus carried me through the night sky. Wind tore across my face, but I barely noticed it. He slowed down abruptly, and I opened my eyes to check. The landscape had changed drastically, beyond recognition. I was sure I had never been to this side of Jarbidge. Were we nearing the dragon realm? 

Then I noticed it for the first time in my life. It was a shimmering wall of blue light, almost invisible to the naked eye. If I hadn’t been so high up to see the moonlight reflected on it, I would have totally missed it. 

I knew what it was. The portal connecting the human and ‌dragon worlds. I had heard tales about it from my father when young. 

I closed my eyes and braced myself for something: crushing pressure on my lungs, dizziness, or perhaps a sensation of being torn apart. But strangely, I felt nothing. How was that possible? My father had taught me about humans feeling crushing pain and dying if they ever crossed the portal. 

I opened my eyes and blinked in disbelief. One moment I was in the human realm, and the next I was in a hidden world of dragons. Below us stretched a breathtaking landscape unlike anything I’d ever seen. Jagged mountains rose beneath a dark violet sky, their peaks glowing faintly with veins of molten red. Rivers of silver wound through forests filled with enormous trees, while distant towers shimmered as if carved from black crystal.

Magnus and his companions flew ahead until they hovered over the towers. I dared to look down, and I saw their city stretching for miles below us. I had no idea their world had modern cities!

Dragon warriors moved through its streets, some in human form, others carrying unmistakable traces of their dragon nature. Massive winged creatures soared between towering structures, their silhouettes disappearing into the darkness.

Magnus descended toward a wide stone platform outside a towering fortress. The moment my feet touched the ground, several warriors surrounded me.

They spoke to Magnus and Severin in Draconic while I gaped at them. What were they talking about? Magnus lowered himself and allowed me to get off his back. 

“Where are you taking me?” I stared at the gigantic fortress in front of me. I was an ant in comparison. 

Two warriors gestured toward a sleek black car waiting nearby. It had strange silver markings running along its sides. Before I could respond, a guard stepped forward and helped me into the car. The doors shut, and the car sped away. I watched the unfamiliar realm pass beyond the window. The farther we traveled, the more uneasy I became.

Eventually, the road climbed toward a colossal castle perched upon a mountain. Did their king live in that castle? Black stone towers pierced the clouds. Massive statues of dragons guarded the entrance, their glowing eyes following our approach.

The car stopped, and my jaw dropped at the sheer size. I had never been this close to a castle before. From a distance, it looked black, but as I neared, the stone shingles on the roof were a stunning blue-gray slate under the moonlight. If I hadn’t been so scared, I would have been fascinated. 

Severin and Magnus led me through the gaping maw of an arched stone entrance. The air felt cooler inside, and my eyes soon adjusted to the bluish indoor light. Soon we were in a large hall illuminated by blue flames. The ceiling stretched far above my head; the walls and floor were made of the same opulent white marble. Giant twenty-foot windows and large archways were carved into the walls, making my mouth hang open. The sheer magnitude of the place made me feel vulnerable. I was no match for them. 

What did they want from me? How did Zara survive here? One minute here had made me claustrophobic. 

Suddenly, a door at the far end flew open, and a warrior entered. I glanced over at him and immediately felt goosebumps form on my arms. Heat rose to my cheeks as I stared at him. He was the most strikingly handsome man I had ever seen in my twenty years of life. His long ebony hair framed a perfectly chiseled jaw. He was well over six feet tall, clad in a military uniform like Severin’s. 

He caught my gaze, his crystalline blue eyes sweeping over me. He seemed to strip me bare and read my soul. I felt frozen by the weight of his stare. Who was this man? Why did I feel this strange connection to him? 

“Long live our king! We’ve brought the prisoner, Your Majesty!” Commander Severin bowed to him.

Before I could process it, he walked away towards his throne. I blinked in surprise. Was he the dragon king, Viktor Zohrran?

He sat on his throne and looked at me, his expression ruthless, cold, and unforgiving. I had never met him before. Yet the moment his eyes landed on me, hatred flashed across his face.

My heart lurched as he continued staring at me. “Who are you? Are you related to Zara?” His voice was calculated and cold, carrying through the enormous chamber. 

“I’m Elara Ravenwood. Zara is my older sister.” I shuddered as I noticed his eyes beginning to glow, a white-hot heat growing where that clear blue-gray had been just moments ago. My father had explained it as a warning given before a dragon would strike. 

Would he strike me? Would he kill me for my sister’s folly? I hadn’t harmed him. Why would he take it out on me? 

“Where have you hidden your sister?” He slowly descended the stairs of his throne. Severin, Magnus, and the guards lowered their heads as he approached. He stopped directly in front of me and simply stared for minutes. 

I cowered, expecting him to strike. Instinctively, I used my arm to shield myself from what was to come. But he just stood there watching me in silence. “Where is your sister?” This time, his tone was harsher, colder, and full of hatred. 

I forced myself to meet his gaze, lowering my arm to my side. I would be brave and face my doom. With my father dead and my sister gone, I had nothing to lose. “Why are you asking me that? You should know better. I haven’t seen her in a year. She disappeared from our lives the night you took her away.” 

He glared at me, surprised by my defiance and my fury. His guards unsheathed their swords and stepped forward to silence me. He raised a hand to stop them. 

“I don’t believe you,” he spat. His face came closer to mine, and his scent hit me hard. It was strong and musky, like the woods after a storm. 

“That’s your problem. You killed my father, you abducted my sister, and now you want to kill me for everything gone wrong in your world. Kill me then if it solves your mistake.” I glared back at him, anger swirling within me. “I have nothing to live for.” 

Commander Severin dashed forward towards me with his unsheathed sword. “You insolent fool. Kneel before His Majesty!”

But the king raised his hand to stop Commander Severin. “Leave. I want a word with her, alone.” 

They bowed and left the room, closing the tall, ornate door at the far end. A shiver ran down my spine. I had talked back to the king, and he had let it slide. What if he changed his mind? 

Once they left, he stepped closer, his gaze traveling over me as though I were something he despised beyond words. The silence became unbearable. I could hear my heartbeat and I suddenly felt trapped beneath his gaze. 

Then he leaned slightly toward me. “Do you know why you’re here?”

My pulse hammered, and I nodded. “You want to kill me to avenge my sister’s betrayal.”

His eyes burned through mine. “I should do that for what your bloodline did to me.”

My heart began pounding faster. “My bloodline?”

Viktor’s eyes burned into mine. “Yes. You know what I mean. I hate traitors.”

“I’m not a traitor. If Zara escaped you, look for her or kill me and get this over and done with.” I glared back at him. 

He shook his head, his jaw tightening. “I won’t kill you.”

If he didn’t want to kill me, what did he plan to do with me? “Then why did you drag me here? What do you want?”