Dragon Born: Book I of the Tendaaren Chronicles
Chapter 39: Two Weeks Later

Cameron and Celeste arrived at Kaellen’s keep. Their journey was kept secret. Their mission was confidential. It was only Allabandar who greeted them. Dark circles rimmed his eyes. His heart was on his sleeve.

“She knows nothing.” His words were whispered and ominous. His sense of utter pain and dread was interlaced on every syllable.

“How far along?” Celeste asked. What was expected of her was risky on its own. Asking her to save the child as well was unheard of, and who was to say this child was worth saying. It was incubating in a demon poisoned womb.

“Does it matter?” His eyes were clouded.

“No,” Celeste said. As much as she wanted to save his emotions it was too costly to lie. “I am not even sure I can do this.”

The City of Tristitia

Baellnar, Alyenna, and Aagi road into the city under the cover of darkness. Their guerrilla warfare was about to begin. The city’s roads were lined with famished and struggling souls. Their threadbare clothes and saddened eyes gave the city its apt name. Indeed this was the heart of darkness and corruption. No one looked up to them. Why would they? There was nothing here to look up to.

Dark dragons hovered around the castle in the center of the city. Their scarlet eyes could be seen for miles. Aly’s heart churned at the unnatural sight. Dragons too could be controlled by Scelestra. These were special. These were born and raised by her hand. Her vision flashed back to Eleanor’s last moments. She could see that same dragon flying high above the keep. It’s back covered in deadly ebony spines. Its massive wingspan riddled with holes from dragon battles young and old.

She felt a gentle wind on her back pushing a strand of hair out of her face. She glanced at Baellnar and felt genuine warmth and hope that gently filled her soul. This time would be different. This time they would win. They had to. What else would this all be for? She felt another gentle breeze caress her lips. Ever since that one night, they could not stay away from each other. They had bared their souls to each other. There was no going back. If they, or anyone else, wanted any hope for happiness Scelestra would need to be destroyed. She took one last look at the castle and felt her own magic driving through her veins. Their only hope was to stay together. Scelestra was not going to be able to claim them if they stayed together. The success of her magic was reliant on deception.

The back door of the castle was remarkably unguarded and unlocked. All three of them looked at each other echoing each other’s thoughts wordlessly. “This is a trap.”

Kaellen’s Keep

Celeste and Cameron were standing just outside of Allabandar’s quarters. Celeste could feel an impending and oppressing sense of doom. Cameron echoed her emotions. She was not ready for this. How could she be? She was expected to exorcise the most powerful woman in the world from the heart of a young girl with no true of her own.

They creaked open the door to his room. Emily was busy working, as always. She froze mid-stroke. “Bandie?”

“Emily we need to talk.” Even a blind man could see the daggers that those words had sent to Emily’s heart. Instinctively she clutched her stomach. Fear interlaced into her deep brown eyes, which made way for a vicious red. It had begun.

Scelestra’s Castle

“Hello darling, I missed you.” The sound of swords and weaponry rung through the air. Paul stood at the entrance of the castle as they opened the door. Aly felt bile rise in her throat. She had to fight every one of her instincts. Every time she got separated she lost, and he knew it. Before she could react he grabbed her dragged her through the hallway. The walls flashed by her. She imagined herself as an elephant, but nothing happened. Cold bracers were on her wrists and Baellnar was nowhere in sight. The sounds of battle raged in the hallway behind her.

Paul pulled on her wrists. The cold metal burned her skin; but, she would not scream she would not give him the satisfaction.

“Not so strong now are you?” No lover boy here to protect you. “You are mine.” Those words ripped at her core. She knew those words. He had said them before. In the past those words made her skin crawl. Now that she knew love she knew the power of those words. They could be used for domination or surrender. Paul did not understand surrender. Paul did not understand love. How could he with such a black soul that it shone through his eyes?

Her memory flashed back to the night his friends assaulted her. She remembered now. She remembered everything. They were not human friends. They had dark and terrible eyes like him. Their souls were twisted with hatred and lust. She remembered their hands tearing at her limbs. She remembered how he suppressed her, and she remembered something else, she remembered why he feared her. Those rainbow eyes of hers whirled in anger and a different magic answered her call. Shapeshifting was not just for dyrklow. She felt her heart thunder and she felt something else writhe in anger. “I am always strong.” She said lifting her eyes to meet him. “It is your turn to cower in fear.”

Baellnar ran frantically after Alyenna. WHose body had disappeared into the dark shadows of Scelestra’s halls. A castle filled with terrifying red fire and demonic shadows. He called her and did not receive an answer. He searched aimlessly for her and found nothing. Fear sunk into his soul.

Then a familiar voice answered his call and he felt cascading relief. He spun to see the love of his life facing him. “Hello Darling, I missed you.”

He ran to her and kissed her deeply. He felt a terrible stabbing sensation at his side. He looked down to see a syringe leaving his body. It was held tightly in Alyenna’s hands. A dark smile crossed her lips. Fear coursed through him, and his last remaining thoughts that were his own acknowledged his mistake. His joy had become his undoing. He was filled with a terrible and dark sensation. He felt his soul become clouded by darkness. He screamed and stepped away. Alyenna had scarlet eyes and an ebony dress. It was too late.