Blaze (Dragon Warrior Series Book 4) Read online

  It was at that moment that Arena helped. She jumped on top of Dyson’s back and wrapped her arm around his neck, squeezing hard, cutting off his oxygen. It took a moment for Blaze to realize that this would be the best time to strike.

  As he raised the bone to plunge it into Dyson’s heart, a flash of flesh shot across his vision. The other male had leaped in front of Dyson and he took Blaze’s strike in his place. Dyson threw Arena off of him to the ground.

  “Go, my king!” the dying warrior said as his last breath left his body.

  Dyson ran toward the beachfront and shifted. Three steps later, he leapt into the air and flew away, leaving his dead warrior behind with Arena and Blaze.

  Chapter 4

  Blaze rushed over to Arena to assess her injuries. She had a few bruises and cuts, but she would be fine. He averted his gaze from her enticing parts the best he could. “Are you all right, my queen?”

  Arena stood up and pulled her long dark hair to the front to give her coverage. “I’m more pissed off than anything. They had this planned. They put clothes behind those trees.”

  So that was where the blade had come from. “How did they get past your security?” He walked over to look for the clothes she mentioned. He tugged on a pair of the pants. He knew the other set would be too big for her and wouldn’t stay up, so he grabbed a shirt and tossed it her way.

  “They didn’t. I come here sometimes by myself to think. I guess they had been watching me and waited.”

  “Why would you place yourself in danger like that?” Blaze was angry with her. It would devastate his father if anything happened to her.

  “I needed to think.”

  “About what? What could be so important that you had to leave the safety of the castle to come out here and get abducted?”

  “I need to decide…”

  “What? Decide what?”

  “Whether or not I will stay mated to Zocor.”

  That left him speechless for a moment. What was she saying? “Why would you even consider that? It’s not possible. Drakonians mate for life.”

  “I love Zocor. He is a good mate and a great king, but I’m not his true lifemate. My father arranged our union. The king needed someone who might bear him an heir, and I had royal blood lines.”

  “I thought you fell in love and mated.” Blaze knew he saw love in her eyes when she looked at his father. Could she have faked that?

  “I grew to love him but I’ve never been in love with anyone. My dragon accepted him but does not long for him. I tried to give him a child but... for whatever reason the gods have not blessed us with one. If I break our mate bond, he would be free to claim the one heir he already has.”

  “No,” Blaze shook his head in denial. “You can’t mean that. I’m not legitimate and the people will not accept me as the heir. I don’t even want that.”

  Arena approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Sometimes our destiny chooses us. Both you and I know that Zocor believes in you. He has told me many times when we are alone that he wishes he had known about you. He would have claimed you years ago.”

  “If he had an heir, he might not have sought you out as a mate,” Blaze commented.

  A sad smile appeared on her face. “I might have met my true mate. Zocor might have been able to meet his. Anyway, we can’t change the past, but there is something I can do about the future.”

  “Mating bonds cannot be broken unless through death.”

  “The Council of Kings could declare a union nullified if it has produced no heir.”

  He felt shocked yet again. It sounded as if she had researched this. He looked into her eyes, which were sparkling like jewels. His heart raced as it always did when she was near. Needing space, he stepped back and her hand fell away.

  “Does Zocor know what you plan to do?”

  “I’ve tried to talk to him about allowing him to claim you but he doesn’t want to hurt me. No matter what I say, he still feels it would cause strife and would push me aside. He’s a stubborn male.”

  Blaze smiled a small smile. His mother used to say that about him. Maybe that’s where he got it from. “He’s an honorable male who will uphold his promises.”

  “Yes, even when those promises hurt him.” Arena walked toward the beach.

  He followed her, trying not to notice the sway of her hips beneath the shirt. She had been in his fantasies over the years. No matter how many females he bedded, it was always her face, her body he imagined. Why did he have these unwanted feelings for her? His dragon even stirred whenever she came near. It was a constant battle to keep himself under control.

  “You can’t leave Zocor. It would break his heart.”

  Arena sighed. “I don’t want to do that. Have you noticed how his conversations have turned to…”

  “His impending death? Yeah, I’ve noticed.”

  “Zocor wants me to promise to seek my true mate after he takes his last flight.”

  “He made me promise to always keep you safe,” Blaze admitted.

  “The kingdom needs a king. Help me convince him to end our mating bond.”

  Her pleading eyes turned to him. Blaze wanted to give her anything she asked of him, but he couldn’t help her do this to his father. “No.”

  She turned away angrily. What a spitfire. Arena ripped off the shirt and shifted. He stood there helpless, watching as her dragon took to the sky. He would follow at a distance to ensure she returned to the castle. Why did she affect him like this? He couldn’t let her hurt Zocor. As soon as he returned, he would speak to him and let him know what Arena planned.

  That didn’t happen.

  Chapter 5

  Blaze walked into the receiving room later that evening and stiffened as he listened to the raised voices. It was regarding the alien threat to their people. Tensions were high, but it seemed as if things had escalated.

  “What would you have us do?” one of the high-ranking councilmen asked.

  King Zocor glanced around the room. He spotted Blaze and gave him a nod before turning his head to his right to look at Arena. The queen looked pale and worried. She shook her head but the king just narrowed his eyes and faced the rest of the room.

  “The Council of Kings will be meeting at King Reichardt’s territory to discuss the invaders and what we should do about them.”

  “We need to launch an attack, full on with everything we got!” the councilman yelled out.

  Soon the room erupted into loud voices, cries and shouting. The warrior guards kept the crowd from rushing toward the raised platform. The king stood and raised his hands in the air to calm everyone.

  “Everyone, calm yourselves. We will not start a battle at this point.”

  “Then what do you plan to do? Have discussions and eat a fancy meal while the rest of us sit on pins and needles with fear?” the councilman questioned.

  “I will go to the Council of Kings, and we will decide as a collective how our people will respond. This is too large a task for just one region to take on. We need to combine our efforts and our armies. While I am gone, I am leaving good people behind to help organize an escape plan in case the situation calls for it. I expect full cooperation. The mage leaders are also working on another alternative to a last resort. Now go back to your families and prepare to assist with our people’s safe exit.”

  The guards ushered the rest of the people out of the room, leaving Blaze, the king and Arena behind. Arena stood up and placed her hand on his arm.

  “I’m going with you, my king,” Arena told him.

  Zocor shook his head. “I want you here, where you will be safe.”

  “If these aliens mean to destroy Drakonia, I choose to be by your side,” Arena insisted.

  Blaze had to admit, Arena was loyal and protective of those she cared about. He may envy his father for the woman he mated, but he also was grateful that Zocor had someone who cared so much for him. Maybe one day Blaze would be lucky enough to find someone like Arena. Maybe…


  He stepped forward, moving up the platform to stand before his father. “I wish to also go with you to Reichardt’s region to protect you.”

  Zocor looked at Arena. “Leave us. I will meet you by the front entrance and then we’ll leave.”

  Arena nodded. When she walked by Blaze, her eyes were full of fear and determination. She gave Blaze a strange look before rushing past him.

  Zocor waited until she left. He shook his head. “I need you to stay here to oversee the mages’ alternate escape route.”

  “What do they plan?”

  “The mage leaders believe they can open the portal to send our people to another planet.”

  “I thought the portals could only be used to send people from one region to another. Interplanetary travel has never been done this way.”

  “It will be tricky, and they cannot guarantee that there won’t be a disturbance in time sequencing. However, if they can do it, it will be the best way to transport masses of our people to safety.”

  “And if it can’t be done?”

  “Then helping transport as many families to our battlecruisers as possible will also be an option. But the priority will be to get our people to the safety of the mountains. There are caves there than can provide shelter if the battle comes to the castle.”

  “You expect the worst, don’t you?” Blaze had a bad feeling that the worst was about to happen. Fear filled him he would not see his father again. “Let me go with you.”

  Zocor placed his hands on Blaze’s shoulders, a rare show of care. “My son, I am proud to be your father. When I return, I will claim you before all as my heir.”

  He choked a little as several emotions overwhelmed him. “Father…”

  “My son.”

  They embraced. His father patted him on the back. When they pulled away, both had tears in their eyes. His father cleared his throat. “Take great care of yourself.”

  “Safe travels, until we see each other again,” Blaze said. He feared it would be the last he saw of his father.

  Chapter 6

  Two Days Later

  “Right this way. Don’t push or shove. We’ll get to everyone.” Mage Ratter motioned for a group of people to enter the shrine where the portal had been set up as the alternative. Their plan B turned into plan A once the intentions of the alien attackers were revealed and they began attacking the Drakonians. The kings ordered the massive evacuation to begin.

  Blaze noticed a male knock an older female down as he tried to get past her.

  “Watch it!” He shoved the male back and helped the female back to her feet. He helped her up the steps.

  “Thank you, Blaze,” the female said, squeezing his hand before she headed inside.

  The citizens of the Zocorian region had become his people over the past few years. It had taken a long time for them to open up and accept him. At first, they were suspicious of him, but he never complained and took on every challenge thrown his way. The people grew to love him and he loved them in return.

  “Where will this take us?” another male asked of one mage standing nearby.

  “To a safe place,” the mage reassured him.

  “A safe place where?” the man demanded, but the crowd surging behind him forced him to keep moving.

  He heard it before he saw it. The shiny ship coming from the south. It blended in well with the clouds but when the sunlight reflected off of its hull, he realized what it was.

  “Incoming!” he yelled, leaving his post and running to a clearing to shift.

  Ripping his clothes off and tossing them to the ground, he let his dragon come forth. Bones rippled as his entire body grew larger. Scales sprouted out, covering his skin and his face contorted to reveal an elongated snout. It took mere seconds to complete the transformation. He walked three large steps, jumped, and spread his wings, taking to the air.

  His dragon thrummed with energy, ready to fight. The ship had a weapon that blasted energy at homes and made the structures collapse. He roared in fury when the weapon was turned on his people who were trying to seek shelter. One blast almost struck a child down.

  Blaze flew toward the ship and breathed his fire. The metal of the ship was resistant to fire. Other dragon warriors joined him as more ships appeared from the sky. Drakonians also had battlecruisers, but there had never been a need for smaller ships like this. Their dragon forms could fly in any atmosphere they faced. However, this was the first time they had engaged with smaller ships.

  His dragon dodged the rapid fire coming from the ship’s weapons. Growling in frustration, Blaze narrowed his eyes at the ship that now flew below him. He dove downward at full force and used his claws to rip open the top of the small ship.

  The alien creature, wearing a flight suit and helmet, panicked and tried to reach for a weapon. This time, when his dragon roared his stream of fire, the alien had no defense. He released his claws and let the ship fall to the surface to crash.

  Flying higher, he surveyed the battle and the devastation to the castle and all the buildings surrounding it. The volcanoes would likely erupt soon from damage the tectonic plates had sustained. Drakonia would not survive this deadly attack.

  He made his way back to where the portal was. As he landed, he shifted back to his two-footed form. His clothes were toast but one of the other warriors, who was cradling a wounded arm across his chest, tossed him a robe. As he pulled it on, he noticed the injured lying on the ground. He knelt down to offer help.

  An older male waved him off. “Too late for me. Help others.”

  Blaze realized the older male might feel it would be dishonorable to lend aid, but when he checked the male’s wounds consisting of burns and deep cuts, he realized they would kill him if he didn’t shift soon. “Shift.”

  “I can’t.” The old male shook his head.

  “I’ll carry you to the portal. One of the healing mages should be able to do something for you.”

  The older male tried to argue with him but Blaze lifted him up in his arms and made his way down the pathway. The dying dragons nearby sent out calls that brought tears to his eyes, but he pushed those feelings back to concentrate on helping the living.

  A ship crashed close to them, making the ground shake. Fire engulfed almost every building, and he glanced up just as part of the castle wall came tumbling down in grey smoke. His home, his world was crashing down around him. There were no words to describe the devastation he felt inside.

  The ground shook again and something that sounded like an explosion let him know one of the distant volcanoes was beginning to erupt. He rushed into the building where the portal was located. The lead mage stood before a closed portal. The look he gave Blaze was one of utter sadness.

  “Why is the portal closed?” he asked, setting the older male down.

  “I’m so sorry, Blaze. The king is dead. The queen closed the portal with her blood after she went through.”

  He shook his head, not believing what he heard. That couldn’t be right. “How do you know?”

  The mage touched the talisman he wore around his neck on a chain. “I know.”

  The building took a hit and part of the wall began to lean in. Blaze looked down at the older male he had carried. He was still alive. “Can you help him? He can’t shift.”

  The mage came over to look at the male’s wounds. Both elder males looked into each other’s eyes with knowledge, but no one spoke.

  “I’m sorry,” the mage finally said.

  The older man coughed blood. “It’s not your fault. Save our prince.”

  Blaze looked at them in surprise.

  The mage looked up at him. “Did you think we didn’t know who you were? You look like Zocor when he was younger. All except for…”

  “My hair. I have my mother’s hair.”

  The mage stood up, walked over to Blaze, and placed his hands on his shoulders. “You are our prince and with the king gone, our people will need you.”

  “But the portal is closed.”

/>   “I think I can reopen it for just a brief moment. The problem is, I can’t guarantee if you will end up in the same region or the same time.” He took the chain off and placed it over Blaze’s head. “Take the talisman. It will help guide you to find our people.”

  “We should all go,” Blaze said, motioning to the mage and the old male.

  “I cannot hold the portal open for more than one to enter. Once you enter the portal, it will close because of your blood. I must do it now or our time will run out.”

  He felt guilty for leaving the two males behind, but his people and his queen were out there somewhere. “Let’s do this,” Blaze said.

  The mage moved toward the portal and waved his hand in front of him, forming symbols in the air. He uttered words in a language that Blaze knew came from the elders, but only the mages could speak it. The portal, a tall oval framed mirror covered with swirling smoke and liquid glass, appeared.

  “Hurry, my prince!” the mage motioned for him to enter the portal.

  He looked at the old male who gave him a nod. He stepped up next to the mage. “Thank you.”

  “Safe travels.”

  “Until we meet again, in this world or the next,” Blaze responded.

  He took a deep breath before stepping through the swirling mass. He had no idea where this would lead, but he prayed it would take him to her… his queen.

  Chapter 7

  Drakonia - Last day

  The evacuation of their people through the mage-made portals continued. Buildings all around, including the one they stood inside, took heavy hits from the attack. Large pieces of brick and mortar fell around them as the building took more hits.

  A female shrieked when one major blast took part of the roof off exposing them to the outside. Another two portals were destroyed but luckily the kings went through them before they were destroyed.

  “Everyone through the portals now!” King Zocor yelled. Then he collapsed before his queen with a laser blast to his back. Warriors rushed to the attacker, keeping anyone else from a direct hit, but it was too late.