Chapter 5 The Kingdom of Lies

Evan's POV

We've been flying for twenty minutes, and Maya hasn't said a word to me.

Not through our bond. Not out loud. Nothing.

She's sitting in the guard dragon's claws, staring at the mountains ahead with empty eyes. Through our connection, I feel her emotions churning—betrayal, fear, anger, confusion—but she's built a wall between us. Trying to block me out even though the bond won't let her succeed completely.

It's killing me.

For twelve years, I've imagined this moment. The day she'd find out what I really am. In my head, I always pictured it differently. I'd tell her gently. Explain everything. Make her understand why I had to lie.

Instead, she accidentally enslaved me while trying to save her sister, saw my dragon form ripped out of my mind, and now she's being kidnapped by my father to a kingdom she didn't know existed.

Yeah. This is definitely not how I wanted our first date to go.

My father banks left, leading us toward a massive mountain with a peak that disappears into clouds. As we get closer, I feel the wards—ancient dragon magic that hides our kingdom from human eyes. The air shimmers, and suddenly the mountain isn't empty anymore.

It's covered in dragons.

Hundreds of them. Maybe thousands. Perched on ledges, flying between peaks, living in caves that glow with inner fire. Three hundred years of hiding, and our entire surviving population is right here.

We never went extinct. We just got very, very good at pretending.

Through our bond, I feel Maya's shock as she sees them. So many dragons. All sizes, all colors. Hatchlings playing on lower ledges. Elders basking in the sun. Families that survived the Purge by becoming human and never looking back.

My people. My home. The secret I've been protecting since I was fifty years old.

We land on a massive platform carved into the mountain. My father shifts into his human form—a tall man with crimson hair and golden eyes that look too old for his face. The guard dragons follow his lead, releasing Maya gently before transforming.

She stumbles when her feet hit stone. I move to steady her, but she jerks away from my touch.

That hurts worse than the compulsion ever did.

"Welcome to Drakonis," my father says, spreading his arms. "The last free dragon kingdom. Hidden from humanity for three centuries. And now, thanks to my son's carelessness, potentially exposed to the Guild."

"Father—" I start, but he holds up a hand.

"Save it, Evan. We'll discuss your punishment later." His eyes shift to Maya. "First, we deal with the Dragon Tamer."

Maya lifts her chin, trying to look brave even though I can feel her terror through our bond. "If you're going to kill me, just do it. I'm tired of the threats."

My father laughs. Actually laughs. "Kill you? Child, you're the first Dragon Tamer born in two hundred years. You're far too valuable to kill."

"Then what do you want?"

"I want you to understand what you are." He starts walking toward the cave entrance. "Come. Both of you. It's time Maya learned the real history of Dragon Tamers. Not the sanitized version the Guild teaches."

We follow him into the mountain. The tunnels are lit by glowing crystals embedded in the walls. Other dragons watch us pass—some curious, some hostile. A few bare their teeth at Maya.

Through our bond, I feel her fear spike. I move closer without thinking, my dragon instincts screaming to protect her even though she's the one who enslaved me.

She notices. Of course she notices.

"Stop doing that," she mutters.

"Doing what?"

"Acting like you want to protect me. I can feel it through the bond, Evan. You're furious at me. Terrified. But you keep moving between me and danger anyway." Her voice cracks. "I hate knowing I'm making you do this."

"You're not making me," I say quietly. "Not entirely."

She looks at me with those brown eyes I've been memorizing for twelve years. "The bond is making you. I can feel the compulsion. Every time I'm scared, it forces you to protect me."

"The compulsion amplifies what's already there." I keep my voice low so the other dragons can't hear. "Maya, I've been protecting you since we were kids. Long before any bond. The magic just makes it impossible to stop, even when stopping would be smarter."

Through our connection, I feel her confusion. She wants to believe me. But she also knows I've been lying to her for over a decade.

How can she trust anything I say?

My father leads us into a massive chamber. The walls are covered in murals—ancient paintings showing the history of our people. And there, taking up an entire wall, is the image that makes Maya gasp.

Dragon Tamers enslaving dragons. Hundreds of them. The chains are painted in gold, wrapped around dragon necks, wings, souls. And the Tamers are laughing.

"This is what your bloodline did," my father says coldly. "For fifty years, Dragon Tamers enslaved our people. Used us as weapons. Forced us to fight each other for entertainment. We were the most powerful species on Earth, and humans turned us into pets."

Maya's face has gone pale. "The Guild said Dragon Tamers were protectors. That they bonded with dragons to defend humanity from—Lies."