Prologue

500 A.D.

The people fought, Saxons versus Britons, at Mount Badon in Dorset, England. The Brits were trying to deter the Saxons from conquering the land. The man who led the Brits, Arthur, would come to be known as Arthur the Great in history. It is said he carried a Cross of Jesus Christ for three days and three nights upon his shoulders. Historians have said he was the reason why the Brits were the victors of this battle.

But during this fight between the humans, there was another history-making event occurring at what is now called Lulworth Cove, between species considered mythical. The vampires fought the dragon-shifters with all their might as they used the moon to light their battlefield. It all started when the heirs to the thrones of both species ran away together, just a few short months before the battle began...

Ten of the most respected kingdoms' best fighters had come to the cliffs to receive the heirs to the thrones. It was a wonder a fight didn’t immediately break out when they saw each other.

Iulius of Tarragon, prince of the dragon shifters, hid his beloved behind him as the growling, snarling guards came closer to them. Aemiliana of Talabeith, princess of the vampires, held his jerkin tightly in her hands. They had thought that by traveling to a different dimension it would make it harder for the guards to find them. Or would have at least delayed them more than the few hours it took them to find the couple.

The guards were currently snarling at each other, unable to stand each other. All of the mythical races had been against one another for the longest time. It seemed that the magical forces controlling the world wanted a war no one had before seen. The dragon guards, the Jewel guard as they were known, had been specifically created by the ancestor dragons to protect the lineage of the dragon-shifters. The vampire's highest rank guard team was made of vampires who had been encouraged to drink the blood of demons for a solid century, something that increased their strength and speed. It also gave the guard the ability to stand in the sunlight with no spells or enchanted objects.

Aemiliana hated that her father wouldn’t be open to her being with a man from a different species, just as Iulius’ mother hadn’t wanted him to go outside of their sect. It had been fate that they had met, however, as they had both been looking for a peace that they hadn’t found within their own people. The Fates had literally tied them together with the deepest bond either of them could find - true soul mates. The strength of the bond between them wouldn’t allow them to stay apart from one another.

“I care not for your words, Illiam. Take your prince and be gone so that I may take m’lady home,” Jereck, captain of the vampire guard, snarled at the captain of the dragons. His fangs dripped with poison, anger making the demonic blood within him stir. “Tis not safe for the lady to be out in the day.”

Iulius drew his sword from the scabbard at his side, holding it loosely and confidently. Aemiliana put a hand on his sword arm, fearing he would be hurt by the guard. He sent her a small smile before stepping slightly in front of her to bring the men’s attention to him. “I understand who sent you, but I believe you should leave. Aemiliana and I are fine. We do not need to be guarded, and we refuse to go with you. You’re officially relieved of your duty to take us back. In other words, you are dismissed.”

Illiam and Jereck both were shocked, although Jereck also hissed at Iulius to show his displeasure. Aemiliana stepped forward to stand with her love, her own sword at her side. They stood united against the guards, who seemed to start thinking they may be unable to get them back to their homes without injury. A particular demand that both of their kingdoms requested of them. Illiam growled, his eyes on his prince, trying to pick the right choice as he saw the unwavering decision in his price’s eyes. He grit his teeth, nodded, and swung around, motioning to his team to leave with him. Jereck stood staring, slightly shocked that his quiet princess would dare defy her father’s wishes. Aemiliana had never dared to before, being the one princess who had followed the king’s wishes with no inquiry. Staring now at the determination in her eyes and the fact that she stood proudly beside the dragon, he knew it would do no good to make a grab for her. He lowered his head for a moment, wishing the heirs could live in one of the kingdoms peacefully, but knowing neither would accept it. Without looking up, he turned and strode back towards the portal. His men followed dutifully.

Once both guards disappeared through the veil to the other dimensions, Iulius turned to Aemiliana with a grin. She giggled, which caused Iulius to laugh with her. They sheathed their swords and grabbed ahold of one another’s hands. They continued their way up the path, determined to find a place to sleep before nightfall. Iulius’ magic that helped the sun not burn Aemiliana where she stood would need rest before too long as well. Vampires didn’t go into the sun unless they wished to die, or had a spell strong enough to cast the rays away from their bodies. Thankfully, one of Iulius’ strengths was fire magic, which helped shield her from dying a fiery death as they ran away from their homes.

They found a place in a small village near the cliffs, and they decided they would make their home amongst the humans. They would wait to live together until a home was built, sleeping in separate places. A couple of the villager men helped Iulius build the small shack as the women helped Ameliana learn to cook their traditional recipes. The third day they were there, a priest came through the village and they married under human laws, then later on they mated as they would in their worlds. Aemiliana would now no longer be able to drink blood from any other but her love’s. Dragons, on the other hand, when they mated they marked themselves and their mate. It represented their claim on that person, and could easily be traced back to that specific dragon.

Within the first fortnight in their village, Aemiliana’s mother had written to her, telling her that she was free to live as she pleased but that her father had banned her from coming back to Talabeith in his rage. The pain of never seeing her mother and father hurt, but Iulius’ presence and love meant more as it would be with her forever. Iulius never got a letter, but he knew his mother would be beyond furious and heartbroken. She wouldn’t take him back. Good thing he didn’t want to go back.

A month passed, and they were settling into where they had made their home. One day, a fire started in the village. Iulius could sense the heat in the air and left quickly to help as much as he could. Aemiliana stayed in the shack, worrying as she fixed up lunch for when her love came home.

Within the hour there came a knock on the door, startling her. She wiped her floured hands on her apron and went to the door, thinking it was a villager to ask for more help. A demon immediately grabbed her by the throat, laughing as he forced his way in. Aemiliana bared her fangs, scratching at the hand around her throat. He flung her across the room into the wall, causing her to fall to her knees, coughing.

“Aemil..ia…run..”

She gasped, head snapping up to watch as Iulius was drug inside by a vampire, with a cackling harpy following. Iulius was hurt, his face so swollen there was no way he could see, blood flowing from wounds that would have killed a mortal man. Aemiliana screamed when they threw him towards her, and crawled to hold his head in her lap. She glared at the three evil creatures standing around her.

“Why are you doing this?! What evil is in your heart?”

The vampire grinned, blood around his mouth as he let his fangs shine in the light. By scent, Aemiliana knew the blood was Iulius’. The harpy ignored them, starting to root through the cupboards, and the demon crouched to stare directly at Aemiliana with a crazed look in his eye. It was the vampire who ended up speaking.

“Ah, sweet Princess of Talabeith. You have greatly wronged our people, and we have come as your executioners,” the vampire spread his hands out in front of him, terrifying glee on his face. “We’ve just decided to be the judge and jury of those who have become outlaws in their species. The most common law between all species is for the royal lines to keep their lines pure. No intermixing of the species, Princess. You and our lovely Prince here have performed the ultimate deed of distrust to your kind!”

The demon chortled, raking his claws through the floor’s planks. His voice was deep, terrifying. “The start of our journey to control starts with ending your lives.”

Aemiliana sobbed, dread filling her soul. Iulius growled, low and loud, his fingers curving into sharp claws as he tried to transform into his dragon. But the harpy was suddenly there, shoving knives completely through his thighs and into the floor, staking him into place. Aemiliana screamed as Iulius roared. His change stopped, his hands falling limp on the floor as human hands. Aemiliana felt a wrench in her soul that meant he was wounded much worse than she had thought, a wrench that meant his tenuous immortality had been broken. He had already lost too much, been banged around too much. Her mate would be leaving this world soon. She snarled, her emotions raging as she stood, laying his head down carefully. She would protect her love until the last of her breath left her body. The vampire laughed, undeterred, which got the demon and harpy ready to strike as well.

She snarled, fangs and claws out, as she lashed out at the closest enemy, the harpy. The topless wretch shrieked as she fell back, blood flowing down her naked chest from the deep cuts. The demon darted forward, claws raking over her calves. She hissed, lunging towards him with fangs bared. She was able to sink her fangs in halfway before she was being swung up into the air. It was the vampire, yanking both of her arms behind her, wrenching so hard one was pulled from the socket. A scream was ripped from her throat, and then the man was sinking his own fangs into her shoulder. She sobbed, watching the life she was planning with Iulius flash before her eyes. As she started to sense the major force of her life being depleted, she used her good arm to turn her hand and squeeze her claws into his side. The vampire grunted but didn’t stop sucking down her blood. The demon and harpy watched a moment longer, then started to chant words that felt dark and evil. Aemiliana felt the dark magic wrap around her body and then it stabbed deep into her, through her very soul. That was how they must have broken Iulius’ immortality. The harpy was the one who finished the chant, coming forward and stabbing one of her long blades through Aemiliana’s stomach as she said the last line of whatever spell they had made. Her breath left in a rush as what felt like fire consumed her belly.

The vampire dropped her, knowing she wouldn’t be able to stand on her own as her strength left her completely. She landed on top of Iulius. His breath was barely there, and she cried softly at their untimely demise. They had just started their lives together! It wasn’t right, it wasn’t fair.

As the three evil conspired together on how they would end Iulius’ and Aemiliana’s lives completely, Aemiliana pulled all the magic she could to her, using some of Iulius’ waning strength as well. She would decide how they would leave the world, not anybody else.

She thought of the blood from the demon, harpy, and vampire mixing in her hand, letting the few drops she got from the demon drip into her hand with the harpy’s and vampire’s. As they mixed, she formed them into one, causing them to shine as the magic started to close in and work as she wished it to. The blood formed into a ruby, shining brightly in her hand as she pushed what remaining strength she and Iulius had into it.

She closed her eyes, becoming utterly tired as she laid her head on her love’s chest, and spoke as loudly as she could manage:

“Zrodzony ze smoka,

Z walka i moca.

Jeden zrodzony z wampira,

Nocy i sily.

Związani znakiem.

Beda milosci.

Razem zwycięża,

Zło zrodzone w tym dniu.”

The creatures quieted, shocked at the flow of magic in the air from the female vampire. The air thickened, filled with tension after the words were spoken. They stared at the two beings on the floor, the eerie red glow emanating from the hand of the woman worrying them all. The male vampire stepped forward, intending to halt the magic that was being weaved within the hand of the dying woman.

Magic filled the room quickly, terrifying and magnificent in its magnitude as it contracted with the dying wish of the female. With both Iulius’ and Aemiliana’s last breath, the magic burst from the home, tossing the intruders out with it as it wrapped the couple and the home in its beauty. As the magic pulled back in, the home slowly collapsed into itself, onto the lovers, and immediately was covered with grass and flowers.