The stone chamber reeked of smoke and desperation. Zarek could hear them, two voices echoing through the holding pens where they kept creatures like him.
“My daughter deserves the best, and I won’t settle for anything less.”
“There is one more,” Mordren’s voice dropped lower. “Exquisite, truly. He’s… special.”
“Show me.”
The pen door creaked open.
Zarek lifted his head, meeting the lord’s gaze with molten gold eyes that held nothing but venom. Even starved and chained, he was devastating.
“A dragon shifter. But not just any shifter, my lord. Pure bloodline. Ancient stock.” Mordren’s eyes gleamed. “This one is khelvaros. Shadowfire born. I’ve only seen one other in thirty years of trade. They’re myth made flesh. Rarer than diamonds.”
The lord stepped closer. “Feral. An untamed beast.”
Before he could take another step, Zarek surged forward as far as his chains allowed, lips pulling back to reveal teeth too sharp to be human. A sound ripped from his chest, half snarl, half roar. “Touch me and I’ll rip your throat out.”
The crack of the whip cut through his threat like thunder.
Pain exploded across Zarek’s back, white-hot and blinding. The enchanted leather bit through rags and into skin.
“DOWN,” Mordren commanded coldly. “On your knees, beast.”
Another crack. Another line of fire. Zarek’s knees hit the stone, jaw clenched so hard he tasted blood.
“Apologies, my lord. As I said, feral. But manageable. Shadowfire dragons bond deeper than any other bloodline. Your daughter would become the most powerful rider in five generations.”
The lord gripped Zarek’s chin, rough, forcing his face up. Zarek couldn’t fight. The whip’s magic still burned through his veins.
I’ll kill you. I swear I’ll…
The lord’s expression shifted into something satisfied. “He’s perfect. She’ll love him. I’ll take him.”
The training grounds behind the estate were massive. Open sky, reinforced stone barriers on the ground. Zarek was dragged there in chains. Guards flanked him on either side.
“Sweetheart!” The lord’s voice rang out, warm and affectionate. “Come here, my darling. Happy birthday. I have something very special for you.”
Birthday gift. I’m a fucking birthday gift.
The lord’s expression was pure pride as footsteps approached. “This, my darling, is your birthday gift. A dragon shifter. Shadowfire born, pure ancient bloodline. The rarest creature I could find for you.” His voice swelled with satisfaction. “I’ve already secured his admission to the Academy alongside yours. You’ll both take the entrance exam together as a bonded pair.”
What? He enrolled me? Like I’m her fucking pet?
“The Academy’s entrance exam is rigorous. You’ll need to demonstrate a bond with him, prove you can command him in both forms, show unity in combat. Three weeks, sweetheart. Three weeks to prepare.”
Then the lord moved toward the observation tower, his path taking him directly past Zarek. As he walked by, he leaned in just slightly, voice dropping to a whisper meant only for Zarek’s ears. “I will be watching you.”
The words were ice. A promise. A threat.
Zarek’s entire body went rigid, but he didn’t move. Couldn’t. The chains held.
The lord straightened, warmth flooding back as he continued toward the tower. “Take your time with him, my darling. Remember everything you’ve been taught.”
And then it was just the two of them.
Zarek stood there in his chains and rags, blood still seeping through fabric, molten gold eyes fixed on the ground. His hair whipped around his face in the breeze, wild and tangled. Even like this, battered and bound, he radiated danger.
So this is it. Daddy’s precious little princess is supposed to make me her perfect bonded dragon for her academy. And I’m already enrolled like I had a fucking choice.
Slowly, he lifted his head. Those gold eyes found the space where she stood, pupils slitted, reflecting the light.
His voice came out rough, laced with mockery that barely concealed the rage underneath. “So. Happy birthday, princess.” His lips curved into something too sharp to be a smile. “Daddy got you a dragon. How sweet.”