Shattered Destiny (Reclaiming The Throne Book 1) Read online

  There weren’t any storm clouds that I could see, and as I looked over at the horizon I saw three distinctive blurs coming in fast. My first thought was that villagers had shifted and were planning to hunt for the evening. There was no way I would leave the goats behind to be eaten by barbarians. At least when the butcher took a life, it was quick, easy, and provided the animals with the least painful option.

  The blurred shapes grew closer, and I noticed something out of the ordinary. The three dragons were each different colors. Purple, gold, and what looked to be blue. I couldn’t figure out how on earth there was a blue dragon. As far as I was aware, there were only three clans. What was worse, the three dragons were being attacked by two from my clan.

  I shook my head, disgusted that they were attacking each other, but there was nothing I could do. I herded the goats into their shelter for the night and locked them in, knowing that the fight could spread to the paddocks. I didn’t want any unnecessary casualties if it could be avoided.

  I watched in disgust as they fought each other until the blue dragon fell from the sky. A huge crack resounded as the blue dragon landed in the middle of the paddock, right in front of my eyes.

  From the dying light, I saw blood gleaming off its neck as it remained motionless on the ground. The gold and purple dragons fought the two reds, and my heart raced with a primal urge to help. After another moment of stillness, I leaped over the paddock fence and ran straight for the injured dragon, unsure what I could do, but I knew I had to do something.

  The gold and purple dragons managed to chase off the two reds as I made it to the blue dragon’s side. Blood pooled on the ground underneath it, and I wasn’t sure there was anything left I could do to help.

  That much blood would have meant a human’s death. I wasn’t sure what this meant for a dragon, since this was my first up close interaction with one. How was I supposed to know what to do?

  I reached out a gentle hand and stroked along its snout. It let loose a growl, making me leap back. I held my hands up in a placating gesture, hoping it knew I meant it no harm. Its crystal-blue eyes stared at me, and I felt something inside me urge me to move closer.

  “Easy there. I just want to help, I swear,” I coaxed, slowly inching forward. The dragon stopped growling when I spoke. Instead it watched me carefully as if waiting for an attack.

  All I could think was how sad it was that a creature was so used to pain that it wouldn’t let someone offer it kindness.

  Convinced it wouldn’t hurt me, I reached out, gently stroking the scales on his snout when a roar split the air. I looked up to see the gold and purple dragons as they landed on either side of the blue dragon, both growling ferociously. I rolled my eyes at their show of dominance; I knew, they couldn’t help the blue dragon unless they shifted.

  “Calm your farm. I’m trying to help.”

  The dragons snorted. I assumed they were laughing, at my obviously stupid retort, despite the dangerous situation.

  I let go of the dragon’s snout to go around and assess the wound on its throat. The blood that flowed from it was slowing, so either the dragon’s heart had calmed or maybe it had the ability to regenerate? As far as I knew though, only the originals had that power. Maybe he was from the original line? It could explain his color.

  I put my hands over the worst of the wounds, closing my eyes. The moment the blood touched my skin, something snapped inside me.

  It could only be described as power, pure unfiltered power. It battled within me, and I groaned as it tried to take control.

  My eyes flew open and focused in on my hands, an iridescent glow emanating from them. I looked down and noticed every inch of me had the same kind of shine, and I swore if I moved my head at the right angle, it looked like I had scales. That couldn’t be possible, could it? Maybe it was the blue dragon using some kind of magic on me.

  As soon as I met its shocked eyes, I knew it wasn’t his magic, but my own. He looked as alarmed as I felt.

  The energy swirled within me, begging to be released. I did the only thing I could. I unleashed it, letting the power go into his wound, watching in awe as his skin and scales healed before my eyes.

  Pain echoed in my neck where the wound would have been on his human form, and I wondered had I somehow managed to transfer the pain from him to me?

  When the wound had healed fully, I pulled my hands away, slumping to the grass in exhaustion. My knees hit the ground, pain radiating all the way up to my hips.

  I panted, feeling absolutely exhausted. The blue dragon moved, and the other two no longer guarded him. Instead, they all surrounded me protectively. The blue dragon nudged his snout toward me and I gladly reached out to stroke my hand along it affectionately. The gold dragon did the same, offering me his snout so I could give it a rub. I smiled, feeling accepted. That was until I reached the purple dragon. He looked like he was inviting me to reach out and trust him, and I wanted to. The moment I reached up though, he blew a gust of wind that pushed me back and landed me on my ass.

  His purple jewel-like eyes, much like the amethysts the purple clan mined, glittered down at me and I swear he was laughing at me. “You know, it’s rude to hurt the person who just saved your friend,” I huffed, crossing my arms and turning away.

  I felt a nudge on my shoulder and looked back to see a gleam of gold. I reached up, letting my hand stroke leisurely over the gold dragon’s snout, feeling a connection rising within me.

  Bells rang in the distance, and my heart raced with panic. Those bells only meant one thing. I faced the three dragons, a grim look on my face. “Quick! You have to go! If they find you, they will kill you.”

  The blue and purple dragons didn’t hesitate to launch into the sky, but the gold remained on the ground.

  “You have to go!” I begged, trying to push him away. It didn’t do any good. It was impossible to move a dragon by mere human strength.

  He moved around to stand in front of me, and I stomped my foot in frustration. I knew what the Chief of my village was capable of, and it wasn’t something anyone deserved.

  “Please! You must go! If my clan sees you here, they will kill you and also me for being seen with you.”

  At the threat of my possible death, the gold dragon stared into my eyes and nodded his head once. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll see you again,” I promised, knowing it was very likely a lie.

  I didn’t understand why, but if something were to happen to him or the other two, I knew it would hurt me.

  They were such beautiful creatures that deserved to be worshipped, not killed in pointless wars. The gold dragon took a few steps back as I heard the sound of the villagers getting closer. As they came into view, he leaped into the air, flapping his wings to propel himself forward.

  I watched as over a dozen of my clan’s dragons took off after them and could only pray they made it to safety.

  ~GOLD~

  WE HAVE TO GO BACK! We can't just abandon her!" I snarled, anger vibrating through my body.

  I didn't know why I felt so eager to return, to save the innocent woman in the fields. But the way my body grew hot and my anxiety shot up and down like a wave, I knew something bad would happen to her. I felt it was my duty to stop it.

  "We don't even know her."

  "So what if we don't fucking know her! It's thanks to her Co—"

  "Code names, idiot."

  "Fuck you, Purple arse!"

  "You're letting your cock influence your thinking," Purple huffed.

  "I'm not letting anything influence me! If it wasn't for that woman, Blue would be fucking dead!" I snarled, taking a step forward into his personal space.

  His purple eyes narrowed on my gold ones.

  I may have been the gentle and quiet one in our group, but he knew not to tempt me with my anger. He was a hot head all the time, but push me past my limit and I'd show you true anger.

  "Gold, get out of my fucking space."

  "Make me," I dared.

  We heard a g
roan; both of us turned our heads to Blue who had been asleep moments ago. He opened his weary eyes, looking confused for a moment. I rushed over to his side, ensuring he didn't try to sit up or move. He needed to rest and recover if we planned to make it back to the village at a decent pace.

  "Easy there, Blue. Don't move," I ordered.

  "You guys are loud," he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

  "Sorry. We'll take it outside. Just don't move, understand?"

  "Ya...the girl...is she okay?" Blue asked.

  I frowned, looking over to glare at Purple who rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance.

  "Purple doesn't want us going back. I don't know if she's okay." I confessed.

  "Go...check...please?" he asked.

  "We shouldn't leave you in this state," Purple argued.

  "But...she...danger..." Blue struggled, his eyes already beginning to close.

  "I'll talk with Purple. Just rest. We’ll be outside if you need anything," I reassured him.

  He closed his eyes and his body relaxed. Within seconds, he was fast asleep.

  I placed my hand on his forehead, making sure his fever hadn't spiked again. I stood up and walked over and grabbed a white face cloth. I was glad we'd hidden some supplies during our journey here, just in case anything occurred.

  I soaked the cloth in a bowl of water, squeezing the excess out and walked back over to Blue. I went down on one knee, placing the cloth on his forehead. He sighed, stirring for a moment before he relaxed once more.

  I hated seeing my comrades in pain, especially Blue and Purple Arse. The woman in the fields flashed through my mind; her beautiful brown locks flowed with the passing wind. Her heart-shaped face, pink lips, and curvy figure made my body tingle with desire. Finally, her eyes; those beautiful blue-green eyes flickered with curiosity and worry. She didn't need to heal us. In fact, she looked as though she was unsure how she even helped Blue.

  I could sense her confusion, fear and a hint of happiness at our presence. As if our arrival had made her feel a sense of purpose. But I abandoned her; we had left her to face the consequences of her interference. We needed to go back. I needed to confirm with my own eyes that she truly was okay and not receiving some type of punishment from that ruthless man who called himself a king.

  I rose back up, turned, and ushered Purple to leave the tent. We walked into the cool breeze of the night, the tall thick trees providing shelter and shielding us from the watchful dragons that were scouting for us.

  "We can't go while Blue's in that condition. He'll need at least three days to recover. Not to mention the fact the sky is filled with those arrogant red dragons. We'd be putting ourselves at a higher risk than we were before," Purple explained, lowering his voice so we wouldn't disturb Blue.

  "Then answer me this. You didn't feel ANYTHING when you saw her? Not a tingle or your heart skipping a beat? You felt nothing for her?" I questioned, crossing my arms as I narrowed my eyes at him.

  He was silent, matching my gaze with his own— his sour expression proved to me he was hiding something. He looked away, before walking toward the forest. I groaned, following him.

  "Stop running away, you fucking arse!" I shouted, speed walking to meet his pace.

  "I felt nothing."

  "Look me in the fucking eyes and tell me you felt nothing for her," I commanded.

  He came to a stop, and took a deep breath. He turned to face me, looking straight into my eyes. "I felt nothing," he repeated.

  I held back a growl, wanting to punch some common sense into his head. If Blue recovered and Purple was still insisting on acting like the arse he was now, I'd go by my bloody self. I was ready to drop the subject when I noticed a flicker in his purple eyes that continued to hold my intense gaze.

  Regret...

  "You're lying."

  "Why do you care so much about this strange girl! Because you felt something? What could possibly cause you to be so lost in this newly blossomed ambition to save this blue-eyed damsel in distress? She's probably home sleeping by now," Purple huffed.

  "You know as well as I what the rules have been in that village. He kills the same shifters who devote their life to him. I couldn't sense a dragon in her. Maybe she was hiding it or something, but to me she felt human, meaning she's helpless against the King!"

  "That's an assumption and you have no evidence to support those rumors," he mumbled.

  "Don't turn a blind eye to what's going on in these parts, Purple. You should know better. You’ve travelled to the other villages. You, out of all of us, should know about his ways. The endless amount of cruelty in his very being and his self-centered ways. Loyalty? Dedication? Those don't mean shit to him. Once you've pissed him off, you’re dead," I stressed, recalling the multiple rumors and stories that had been filtering throughout the kingdom for years.

  "You didn't answer my other question," Purple reminded.

  I rolled my eyes. "She's the one...I can feel it," I confessed.

  He frowned, his expression going blank. "You can't be sure."

  "She's connected to me, Purple! I...dammit, just seeing her from afar, I knew she would have a purpose in my life. That WE have a purpose to fulfill together. I want to be by her side. To protect her from whatever challenges that she will have to face. Yet, I left her. I abandoned her for the sake of us not being caught. You’re right. Maybe she is in her bed, sound asleep. But my body isn't giving me such reassurance. I know she's in danger, Purple. I know in here." I pointed to my heart, patting it twice to emphasize my words.

  He sighed, ruffling his black locks. I knew he could see the fear in my eyes. The fear that this woman I felt connected to would be taken away from me before I even got a chance to know her.

  I wanted to learn her name and feel the soft touch of her pink lips. I wouldn't get to enjoy her, all because I fled instead of fighting to save her. I should have taken her with us.

  Even if she wasn't what I thought she was, I would still protect her from whatever punishment the King gave her.

  "Please, Purple," I begged.

  His eyes widened at my pleading voice. We had our differences, but rarely did I ask for help and he knew that.

  "When Blue recovers, we'll do a quick check. They may be heavily guarded so we won't be able to do anything until they think we've escaped, which could take up to a week. Is that okay with you?" he explained, asking for my confirmation.

  "Yes," I replied. As much as I wanted to rush over and search, I had to think logically.

  "Fine. I'm going to survey the area and make sure our traps are in place. We shouldn't be discovered this deep in the forest, but better to be safe than sorry. If I find any wildlife for food, I'll hunt it and we can prepare it before we sleep. Keep an eye on Blue," Purple ordered.

  "Understood."

  He turned to walk away, but stopped.

  "Gold…"

  "Yes?"

  "She'll be okay," he whispered.

  I didn't get why his words calmed the nerves that had been troubling me for hours, but they did.

  "Thanks, Purple."

  He nodded, glancing up at the sky before he began to walk away, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.

  I sighed, crouching down and ruffling my golden locks. I stared at the small patch of flowers below, noticing a unique flower among the lilac purple, pale yellow, and dark blue flowers.

  I reached out to feel the soft texture of the exotic flower in the center— the silver blossoms a rarity in our lands. Again, I was reminded of the girl and her words.

  “You have to go!” she begged, trying to push me away.

  I wouldn't budge; my body didn't want me to separate from her. Of course, her being human contributed to her failed attempt to try and move my large dragon form, but just the thought of her wanting to protect us warmed my heart.

  I had moved to stand in front of her, stomping my foot in frustration. I needed to tell her that she was mine to protect. Not the other way aroun
d.

  “Please! You must go! If my clan sees you here, they will kill you and also me for being seen with you,” she declared.

  At the mention of her risk of being killed, my resolve flickered. I would never want to put her in danger, nor contribute to her early death. That was never my intention.

  I stared into her turquoise blue eyes, forcing myself to nod in agreement.

  “Don’t worry about me, I’ll see you again,” she promised.

  I knew her words were untrue, that the opportunity for us to meet again would be close to impossible, but when they flowed in her angelic voice, the sound made my ears tingle and heart flutter with joy; I vowed I would find her again.

  I could hear the sound of the other people, the villagers making their approach. I took a few steps away, stealing one final glance at our savior, the one who helped us escape and maybe...just maybe...my mate.

  I leapt into the air, flapping my wings as I soared higher and higher into the sky, heading to our secret hideout deep within the forest. I knew I was being followed, but as I increased my speed, there was no doubt in my mind that I'd lose them.

  Now I was here, staring at this silver flower in the midst of the night. My finger brushed lightly against the fragile petals, giving me a sense of reassurance. I rose to my feet, glancing up to try and get a glimpse of the starry sky above.

  I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath as I prayed with all my might.

  Please, sweet angel. Stay safe for me until we meet again.

  ~ABIGAIL~

  “WHO ARE THEY?”

  The king’s men restrained me and dragged me back to the Chief’s home. They chained me in the dungeon below the house. I knew it was used for prisoners, but I never dreamed I’d be in there.

  I shuddered in the corner, wishing the chains that bound me could shield me from the punishment ahead. How could one act of kindness have led me to this moment? My ankles were restrained with rusty old copper chains; the King stood before me. His dark eyes portrayed an evil I couldn’t understand. He was supposed to be our King. The one who took care of each clan and each person within our clans, not someone who would continuously torture me when I had done nothing wrong. We’d been at it for days, at least that’s what it felt like. The reality of the situation was I had no idea how much time had passed since meeting those mysterious dragons and being captured.