Let There Be Dragons (The Children of Ankh Book 3) Read online

  “They are prisoners,” Frost whispered back. “They’re all second tier, they can’t really die. I’d imagine they were offered a chance at freedom if they were willing to be a part of this evening’s festivities. The ones that survive, will be released. We are applauding, because we don’t have a choice. Play along Brighton.”

  Kayn tried to control her reaction to the knowledge that there was a whole society of immortals that thought of second tiers as nothing. She asked, “How many of them usually survive?”

  Frost chuckled and replied, “No one, they have to keep going until the King says dinner is finished. Nobody has the endurance to continue doing that bullshit for hours. One by one, they’ll all die.”

  Why were they even here? Kayn clarified, “So, in this realm you have to win the Summit to be treated with respect and other than that, the only second tiers that remain here are being held captive?”

  Frost took another drink from his goblet of wine, nodded and explained, “Second tiers can become entombed for many offences. Some are offered service roles and performing roles instead of entombment. Always chose entombment, at least when you’re set free you return to your clan. They can always find a reason to extend your term if you are in a service role. Try to stay under the radar while we’re here. The royal family can basically do whatever they want with you. I’m sure you’ve noticed that Lily’s sitting at the head table. There’s no option to say no and the King has been known to be a violent son of a bitch.”

  Kayn glanced at Lily. She was intently listening to the prince, feigning interest while drinking from her goblet.

  “What rights do we have?” Kayn enquired. She was already feeling what little wine she’d had. She’d been pacing herself, knowing she had to keep her wits about her this evening. Kayn reached for another piece of tortilla to lighten the effects.

  Frost saw what she was doing and replied, “Good idea, can you pass me one too?”

  She grabbed one and handed it to him.

  He began to speak again, “This realm is under monarchy rule and we’re not from here so we have no rights. To the third tiers, Earth is nothing but a farm. We are the harvest. We are here acting as the delegates for our planet. You made it through their immortal Testing so you’ve proved yourself in their eyes to some degree. Worthy of breaking bread with and sharing a bed, but in no way considered equal to that family at the head table. No third tier in this realm is considered close to equal.”

  Kayn asked the obvious question, “Why would we come if we might end up being held captive or mistreated?”

  Frost chuckled and replied as he grabbed for another piece of the tortilla on the plate in the middle of the table, “The only beings the royals in this realm fear are the three Guardians. We have a treaty and as long as we don’t break any of their rules we are reasonably safe. By reasonably safe I mean, they aren’t allowed to detain us and keep us here unless we murder a member of the royal family or attempt to stage a revolt.”

  She took another sip from her goblet and laughed a little on the inside before saying, “But they can’t be killed, they’re immortal.”

  Frost smirked as he replied, “Oh, they can kill us for shits and giggles but if one of us accidentally bumps into one of them and they so much as stub their toe we can be entombed. I never said any of this was fair. Just do what you’re told and you’ll get to go home tomorrow. Anything that happens to us while we’re here is the price we pay for being immortal.”

  The room gasped as another acrobat slipped and impaled themselves on the spikes. The man with the strange flashlight gadget strolled over and turned it on the girl. She turned to dust and disintegrated into another small pile on the floor. The lady with the broom swept up what was left of her and walked her out of the large sculptured archway. She’d just left when the final three exhausted acrobats plummeted to the marble floor with a splat. The man in red with the light swooped in and turned them into piles of dust. This time more than one lady in white swept up what was left and walked their remains through the majestic archway. The crowd continued their applause as they were swept out of the double doors. The blaring sound of trumpets startled her. She glanced over just as the spiked wall slid into the floor with no evidence that it had ever been there. With rather odd timing music began to play. Good music, easily comparable to what would be playing on the radio back home. The entire table stood up and she followed suit. What’s going to happen now? They partnered up and strolled out onto the open dance floor in front of the head table. She had a feeling dancing was also not a choice.

  Frost took her hand and whispered, “Try to have a good time but don’t piss anybody off.”

  He led her onto the dance floor and found somewhere that was difficult to see from the head table. She suspected he was trying to disguise her in the crowd. Frost pulled her against his chest and they began to sway to the music. She was relieved that nobody was attempting any kind of organized mass dance. She would have stood out for sure in that scenario.

  He whispered in her ear, “You look stunning this evening Froggy.”

  She sort of accidentally stomped on his foot and he began to laugh.

  Frost teased, “Alright…alright, I’ll stop calling you Froggy but there’s a condition.”

  Kayn whispered back, “You realize I could just make up an embarrassing nick name for you like snuggle butt or honey muffin cakes? I don’t have to play these games with you.” His breath against her hair made her shiver. She’d been doing a great job of ignoring the fact that Kevin was here and she knew Frost had been trying to distract her. He was doing an excellent job. She’d almost forgotten everything but the sensation of his breath against her hair and the rhythm of his heart against her chest. She allowed herself to become lost in the music as they drifted effortlessly around their slightly hidden area of the dance floor, with her eyes closed and her head resting on his shoulder.

  He was quiet for a while until he whispered against her hair, “Admit it. You love playing these little games.” She didn’t get the opportunity to answer him. Grey swooped in as per usual to steal her away.

  Frost let her go willingly, he quietly ordered, “Keep her on this side of the room.”

  Grey danced with her for a minute or two before he stopped moving, gave her an enormous brotherly bear hug and whispered, “You have no idea how happy I am that you all found your way out of the Testing.”

  All… found your way out of the Testing. Those words jogged her memory and reminded her of the one person she was actively trying to forget. Her heart tightened and she opened her eyes. Don’t look for him. No good can come from looking for him. It didn’t matter what she told herself because she could feel him close by. She peered over Grey’s shoulder as he skillfully spun her around. Kevin was only a few feet away, dancing with someone from the head table. Kayn closed her eyes again and willed the boy she used to love to just go away. Why in the hell couldn’t he go dance on the other side of the room? She opened her eyes with perfect timing. Their eyes met and it was like seeing a ghost, the essence of who they were still lingered in the space between them. This was the moment she’d been desperately trying to avoid. The look in his eyes was similar to the one he’d given her a second before she’d slit his throat. Disbelief, mixed with a flash of fear. He mouthed something to her, but Grey spun her around before she could decipher what he was attempting to say.

  Grey whispered in her ear, “Are you alright? Did you see him?”

  She quietly replied, “I think he was trying to tell me something, but it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m fine, forget about it. I already have.”

  He fluidly spun her around and elegantly dipped her, dangling her precariously for a second. It made her laugh. Grey was always good at changing someone’s mood. With her still suspended sideways, he stated, “You don’t have to be tough when you’re with me. We’re friends and break ups always suck.” The music changed to a fast song and he propped her back up on her feet while grasping both of her arms with
his hands.

  Kayn smiled as she assured, “I’m alright. He chose his road and I chose mine. We’re both exactly where we’re supposed to be. I’ll get over it.”

  He grinned at her as he affirmed, “You will get over it but that’s enough talk of drama for this evening. Let’s dance!” They began dancing and soon their entire clan joined in. The words were repetitive and song had a club vibe. They began singing along. For the first time in a long time Kayn felt capable of coordinated dance moves. Was it because she’d been Enlightened and taken on more of Chloe’s characteristics? She glanced at Kevin a few more times and it stung less than she’d thought it would. He was now talking to a seriously hot and somewhat familiar looking guy. Wait a minute…Where was Patrick? She scanned the writhing pack of dancing fools. Where was he? She hadn’t seen him all night. She danced her way over to Lexy and asked, “Have you seen that Patrick kid?”

  Lexy giggled as Grey grabbed her from behind. He kissed her neck while swaying her back and forth. She laughed, “Stop it Grey! I can’t even think!” Lexy smiled, struggled out of Grey’s grasp and said, “Picture him without the extra weight and then take another look around.”

  Kayn tried to inconspicuously dance her way closer to the one hot guy she didn’t recognize. Holy crap, it was him. It was Patrick. How had he changed that much? Zach took a page out of Grey’s handbook as he grabbed her from behind and startled her. She laughed aloud as she turned to face him. Her Handler took her hand, twirled her around and as they started dancing he whispered in her ear, “I think you look incredible tonight but this isn’t my favorite version of you. I think you look best as you normally are. A freckle faced girl with a ponytail with a streak of mud across your cheek. All of that stuff makes you the beautifully weird and flawed force of nature that you are.”

  She moved to the music in his arms as she teased, “That might have been the smoothest line I’ve ever heard. You should have absolutely no problem sealing the deal with Haley.”

  Zach kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, “You’re one of my best friends Kayn. That wasn’t a line. It was the truth.”

  “You’re one of my best friends too.” Kayn gave him a giant bear hug, rivalling Grey’s.

  Melody appeared behind them and joined in as she teased, “By the looks of things you won’t need that daily kiss I promised you in the Testing.”

  Zach grabbed Mel and forcibly planted a kiss square on her lips. “You’re not getting off that easy,” he teased.

  Their whole clan danced until they were breathless. After a little while, they began the joke dance moves. They did the lawn mower and the sprinkler. They began to make up new ones like the race car and the teacher. Kayn added the tiger lizard and spider rat to her repertoire. Grey included Frost driving. Frost didn’t find that one funny. It turned into a giant game of dance charades. They kept making up new ones until they were all doubled over laughing. Kayn snuck a few peaks at the table of Triad. They’d left the dance floor when things started getting weird. She was pretty sure she’d seen a few smiles from some unexpected Triad. One last slow song came on and everyone began to partner up. Kayn scanned the dance floor but she couldn’t find Frost. She was about to sneak away and take her seat at the table when Grey grabbed her and said, “I know you’re looking for Frost but will I do?”

  Kayn smiled at the friend she thought of as a brother and hugged him, agreeing to dance without saying a word. This night had done a lot to fill the empty spaces in her heart. It was funny how a few kind words, s bit of hysterical laughter and a giant hug could heal a soul. The song ended and there was silence. No more music began. The announcer asked them take their seats. They all wandered back. Grey pulled out her chair before he went to find his own seat. She didn’t want the dancing to end, she’d been having a great time. Markus kept looking down at their end of the table. Was he looking at her? Kayn turned around to see if anyone else was looking his way. Maybe, he was looking at her? She scanned the room for Frost and caught sight of him standing beside Jenna’s chair. She was whispering in his ear. He was visibly upset as he left her side. Lexy sat down beside her. Kayn smiled her way as she drank from her refilled glass of wine. Kayn grinned at Lexy and asked, “Do I have purple teeth?” A logical reason for feeling like everyone was staring at her.

  Lexy replied, “No, you’re fine. Fun fact, this makeup stays on for a whole month. It’s like a temporary tattoo. Kind of cool, isn’t it?”

  “I wish it was a permanent tattoo,” Kayn replied. “I’ll never be able to copy this masterpiece. I had no idea I could look like this. What’s going to happen now?”

  Lexy looked away from her as she answered, “Another sick and twisted show.”

  That was a little weird.

  Frost sat down beside her and kept staring straight ahead. He was furious. He was so angry that Kayn was afraid to ask him the reason. It wasn’t her problem. She didn’t need to go looking for drama, not today. She’d far surpassed her drama quota for at least twenty years and that was probably just this month. She began to watch Haley and Zach. They appeared to be quite into each other. That’s good. It was probably good for him to find something to do besides tame her. Kayn smiled across the table. She raised her eyebrows at Haley in response to their flirting, because it was more than a little bit adorable. Haley’s dress was like a frilly tutu. She looked like a naughty ballerina. Melody was staring across the table at Frost. She seemed sad but Grey was still grinning. Nothing could rain on his parade.

  Lexy touched Kayn’s arm and whispered, “I love seeing him like this.”

  Kayn grinned at her as she replied, “Me too.”

  Lexy took a drink of her wine and said, “I’m proud of you guys. You were amazing in there.”

  Kayn went to take a sip of her own and there was a yellow flower floating in it. Weird? She fished it out with one of her fingers as she asked, “Could you see us in the Testing?”

  Lexy was still staring at Grey’s beaming face across the table as she replied, “No, but Winnie kept Jenna informed. The Guardians were able to witness parts of the Testing.”

  She’d been certain she heard Winnie’s voice in the Testing. Had Winnie played a part in what Kevin had done to her? She knew Winnie had no part in her response. Her vengeance had been her own. She glanced down the table at Kevin. He wouldn’t look at her. She sucked at this pretending somebody wasn’t there game. She’d done so well, but she was curious. She wanted to know what he’d been trying to say to her. Had he been trying to apologize? What was she five years old? They weren’t kids anymore. He’d slit her throat, not pulled her pigtail. She took another drink from her glass of wine and shook her head at herself. Seriously Kayn, would it really make a difference if he said he was sorry? He’d defiled her trust in their friendship by slitting her throat and then solidified it by feeding her to demons. If he was being forced to kill her, there were quite a few less torturous ways in which to accomplish that feat. She looked over at Frost again. He was pensively staring into his goblet of wine and tracing the rim the glass with one of his fingers.

  The trumpet played again and a man dressed in some seriously flamboyant clothing marched to the center of the room. He cleared his throat and announced, “As decreed by pure blood immortal law. The unbroken Dragons shall surrender themselves to the King.”

  What did he say? Did the unbroken mean everyone that survived the Testing? She glanced at Frost. He was looking at her now. Everyone appeared to be staring at her. He wasn’t talking about her, was he? What in the hell was going on?

  Frost whispered, “Stand up and walk over there. You have to go, it’s not a choice.”

  Kayn spun around to look at Lexy. She recalled the strange visit with the Oracle while she was having a bath. The word unbroken registered in her mind. Was this about her virginity? You’ve got to be kidding me…She glanced at Lexy and whispered, “This isn’t seriously happening?”

  Lexy squeezed her hand under the table. She looked into her eyes and said,
“If you don’t go willingly they’ll take you by force. Do you trust me?”

  Kayn responded, “Of course I do.”

  Lexy squeezed her hand again and said, “Then stand up with all of the grace and dignity you can muster and walk to the center of the room.”

  Kayn could see the expressions of her panicked clan. It wasn’t just her own clan. She scanned the room as she rose to her feet, the entire table was furious. She met Kevin’s eyes. She knew that look, he was afraid for her. Their eyes met and he looked down at the table. Even Stephanie, who openly despised her appeared to be personally violated by what was about to happen.

  Markus mouthed the words, “You have to go.”

  Kayn walked around the table with her head held high. She began to recite a poem from her childhood in her mind as she stood in front of the man who’d summoned her, ‘with the grace of a woman and not the grief of a child.’ She looked back at the room. This wasn’t really happening? She had already been to hell and back. Could they not give her five minutes peace before forcing her to enter that vile realm of depravity once again? This was insanity. She was not used to feeling like the only sane person in the room. So much for holding on to her first time as though it could be something special. This was not special. This was humiliating. She decided in that moment that she would not allow this to change her. She had survived a simulation of the bowels of hell. She knew now that she could survive anything. She glanced at the head table and they were already gone. She glanced back at the table filled with both friends and sworn enemies as she mouthed the words, “I’ll be okay.”