Chapter 42

 The Dragons 

~Nye~

This feeling disgusted him. Never had he cared about humanity, but this human child got under his skin. Nye had given him his coin, and when he left, the boy still carried on the duty he asked of him. But in doing it, the boy lost his life. And Nye hated that it bothered him. He glared down at the Pyre of the boy. Nye had grabbed the toy when they turned their backs. Still, he had it in his hand. 

Nye wanted to feel Browen's flesh burn under his hand. He didn't care who saw him or what alarms he'd set off; the boy worked hard and earned what he had given him. Nye enters the castle, and two guards see him; they point their spears at him, "Halt!"

"Move." Nye grabs their spears and stabs them with a massive amount of pressure. The blunt edge skewers them. And he continues; others try to block his way, but as always, it's futile. Nye tracks Browen's scent, and he knows he's found him when it overwhelms him near a door. Before he can put his hand on it, Nye is thrown back against the wall by a force unseen; pain shoots up his side. Nye gets to his feet and sees the one known as Javall, "Stupid move lizard. Where's your gang–"

*Crash*

A window shatters, followed by his brother Koa; he tackles Javall to the floor. Nye gets to his feet and strides, but Javall throws Koa back into him, and they fall to the floor. The door opens, and Nye sees Browen's eyes widen and shuts the door closed. Nye snarls, gets up, and kicks the door in before Javall hits him with a spell that causes pain. Unknowing, that's what Nye thrived on. Nye glares at Javall with a devilish smile. "Your so-called King hides like a rat," Nye says through his teeth. Javall leered down at him, "Your time has ended here; where is Kamari?"

Nye chuckles and doesn't answer. Javall shakes his head, "You are nothing against my magic; your little friend can't even get up." Nye notices Koa struggle to stand, and it angers him more. Nye stands up; withstanding the pain, Javall sends out another pulse, and this one hits Nye as he tries to lunge at Javall and throws him against the wall. Javall relentlessly slams Nye against the wall over and over. Nye can withstand the blows but tastes blood.

"You and your kind are not welcome!" Javall shouts with Vemon as he grabs Nye by the throat. But I have always wanted the prized head of the dragon." Javall says as he pulls back one hand that swirls with black magic—something Nye knew he couldn't fight against. 

"Nye!" He hears Koa cry as he tries to get up, "No!" Nye knew when he was beaten, but he was happier with death, knowing Kamari would be taken care of and would his unborn whelp. He'd lived so long, and nothing felt more right or gave him more reason to live than her, but he couldn't win against dark magic.

Javall slams his hand into Nye's chest, "Ah!" Instant agony. "Dragon souls are much more satisfying than humans…" Javall says in a demonic voice. Nye suddenly couldn't breathe. His lungs burn. He could hear Koa's screams, And just as Javall threw back his other hand, someone grabbed it, a slight crack to Javall's wrist, and threw Javall like a rag doll over his shoulder. Nye thuds to the floor, the agony dissipates, and he can breathe. 

"Nye!" Kamari's shrill voice is like music to his ears; he gets on his knees. You stupid idiot! I could snap your wings off!" Kamari starts to kick and slap him, but he chuckles, loving his mate's fire. You selfish, Drake!" Kamari puts her hands on his chest, tears flowing from her eyes. He smiles at her, "I love you too, darling."

Behind Kamari, he sees Aneth, whose eyes blaze at him. He ignored his brother's call for him to wait. Nye sits up and looks up at him, "Am I going to be punished?" Nye asks playfully despite his situation. Aneth gives him a pressed smile, but he can see the grin Aneth is repressing; he points at Nye, "I will kill you myself if you are ever to die on me."

Nye turns to Javall and sees Koa wailing at him. Javall puts his hands up, "Wait! If you kill me, you kill Calea!" Nye furrows his brow, and he watches as Kamari's face blanches; she turns to him, "What did you do to her?" 

Aneth stays by Kamari's side as she walks up to him, a hand on her shoulder. "It was her choice; she married me and accepted the blood bind," he coughs. Nye gets up, and his attention draws to the empty room Browen had been in.

 It seems his prey has escaped. He lets Aneth know by a sharp hiss, and Aneth's head slightly turns, acknowledging it. Koa rushes towards Nye, helping him stand, but Nye shoves him off. "I am not weak." Koa lets out a shuddered breath, then grabs Nye's forearm. "Then do not take death so willingly." Koa snarls.

Nye locks eyes with him; he hears Koa's cries for him. He didn't imagine Koa would be the one defending him. The sly water serpent, Nye's lips curl into a smile, "You surprise me, little worm," Nye ruffles his hair, and Koa playfully lunges at him. 

"Ah! Let me go!" Nye watches Aneth grab Javall like a kitten, "Your King hides. Where is he?"

"How should I know?!" Nye looks to Kamari, who rolls her eyes. "Where is Calea?" she asks, urgency in her voice. Javall presses his lips tight. Kamari's fists clench, and she punches Javall square in the jaw. "Tell me, or I'll make you serve the same fate as your brother," she says with venom.

"Fuck you, Kamari," Javall growls out.

Nye focuses on Browen's trial. Koa follows him into the room, where the trail is weak. Once they get to the open window, a thread of sheets falls down the side of the wall.

"I didn't know rats could fly," Koa snarks. Nye and Koa come out, letting Aneth know they have a trial. And with Javall pacified by Aneth, he gives them directions to find and kill Browen. Nye's hands itched to maul the man to pieces. Nye jumps out the two-story window, landing gracefully, and follows the thick musk of Browen. 

A thought occurs to Nye, "Where is your whelp?" 

"I told him to stay in the waters, not to intervene."

Smart, Nye thinks to himself. Browen's trail leads them down to a dungeon. The scent is heavy with fear and comes from multiple frail-like bodies in the cells before them. "Nye! Koa!" 

The sound of the witch's voice echoes down the hall, and when Nye peers down, he sees Browen dragging the witch down the hall. They both dash towards Browen. Browen takes one glance back, his eyes stretching his face, and he turns Calea around, using her as a shield and holding a knife to her throat. 

Nye and Koa stop a yard from him. "Kamari won't let you near me," Browen shakes his head, "Not if I have your beloved witch." Koa takes a step, testing the man's will. Browen holds the blade tight to Calea's throat, "Well, go on then. Kill her." Nye says with his arms crossed.

The witch pinches her eyes closed. "It would also take care of Javall, so please, do the honors." Nye smiles like a snake, "Or does your fear consume you, like those of the child you burned." Nye makes sure Browen hears the grit in his voice. Browen stares at Nye in disbelief, "He was a traitor; he would have grown up to betray me—"

"He was my boy!" A man from a nearby cage shouts, an everlasting ache in his voice, "I hope you die being skinned alive!"

Nye liked the sound of that, "That is quite appealing." 

"Browen, you've gone mad! Just give up the throne–Ah!" Browen nicks Calea's neck. Shut up, you dim-witted mage." Nye ponders for a second, wondering if he should take the witch's life as well, although Kamari would throw a fit at a decision like that. Nye sighs internally at his mate's complexity of Human and Shade emotions. "I know better than to provoke my darling's wrath; she likes her little playmate."

"Unfortunately," Koa adds with distaste. 

"Good. Then back off," Browen drags Calea backward; Nye tilts his head, "Why aren't you using your magic, witch?"

"They suppressed it! I'm linked to Javall!" Calea shouts.

Ah, so it was true. Nye sighs, then looks to Koa and says, "I'm quite bored, aren't you?" Koa smirked; Nye turned to Browen, whose eyes suddenly widened again, and Nye felt the presence of Aneth behind him. 

"Calea!" Javall's voice rings out. "Don't you dare touch her, you withered fool!" 

Browen's nose crinkles, "You have magic! Subdue the Dragons!" Browen demands.

While everyone else rambles, Nye notices his little mate walking towards Browen with a torch. Suddenly, everything goes quiet. Browen stares down at her. "You just won't accept defeat, will you? I'm a King!" Browen's voice echoes, then falls silent. 

"You execute the innocent. You made my land barren and unhospitable; you made my people suffer!" Kamari's rage makes Nye wear a devious smile. "You play pretend on my throne, and you're an old fool who thought wise to challenge me." Kamari holds the torch over herself, Nye's gut clenches, "Kamari–"

She sets herself on fire.