“I need your help to kill a man.” Tanis watched as the black unicorn she’d captured stopped struggling against the net that had caught it mid-run.
She had a bit of guilt over that. When she’d set the trap, she hadn’t realized how hard the unicorn would hit it. Nor did she think it’d cause the poor thing to spin and land so hard on its side.
That had to hurt.
I’m so sorry.
She’d fallen into traps herself and knew firsthand how awful it was to be snared unawares, but she was desperate.
And, unlike the ones who’d trapped her, she’d meant no harm to the beautiful, majestic creature. Not really.
With a jet black coat that shimmered blue in the fading light, the unicorn’s silken mane begged to be stroked and brushed. Its eyes were an unholy shade of green that glowed with fury and told her just how much it wanted to pierce her heart with the deadly, black, spiral horn that jutted from the center of its forehead.
Unicorns were known to be every bit as lethal as as as dragons.
Even more vindictive and savage. They took no prisoners and never negotiated.
Yes, the unicorn High King had brought peace to the Thirteen Kingdoms. But he’d done so by slaughtering any and everyone who’d challenged him. It was said that the unicorn king was evil incarnate.
Worst of the worst. The very beast who had single-handedly hunted her species, and others, to the brink of extinction.
He reigned by exterminating anyone who questioned him. And not just that one person, either. Their family. Their friends. Their pets.
Anyone they were even remotely fond of.
So why are you trying to negotiate with one?
Because I’m a desperate idiot.
This was the dumbest idea she’d ever conceived in her life, but desperation rode her with spurs. She had no choice. Not if she was to claim the revenge that burned through her soul like lava.
As bad as she hated the unicorn race that had once preyed on hers, she hated one particular human even more. And nothing would stop her from feeling his blood on her claws.
Tasting his heart on her lips.
And this unicorn was the key to her greatest wish. So, if she had to trip him and bruise his ego a bit … small price to pay for what she needed.
If he killed her for it, that, too, was a price she was willing to pay.
Blinking slowly, the unicorn pinned a viciously cold stare on her. “You want what?”
Stunned he would deign speak to her, she crept closer while still keeping a respectable distance. “I need your help to kill a man.”
His laughter filled the air. “You’re a dragon. Is that not what you do for fun?”
Well … some of her brethren did. But there was a big difference between killing for survival and committing wholesale homicide. Being a unicorn, he might not understand that, but she certainly did.
“I refuse to kill an entire village of innocent people because I want one man dead. It seems rather harsh, if you ask me.” Maybe not to the unicorn, given what she knew of them.
But the equity of that just didn’t sit right with her.
“Why?”
Confused by his angry question, she stepped closer to the net that held him. “Why what?”
“Why do you want this one man dead so badly that you’d risk your life to trap me?”
That was easy enough to answer. “He killed my brother … while my brother slept. Coward snuck in as if my brother were a monster and not the best brother who’d ever lived. Best father and husband, too. Then, the real monster took my brother’s head. I want him to pay for his crime!”
The unicorn tried to untangle its horn from the loop that held it. “Dragon slayer, you say?”
“Aye. A putrid, vile beast I have to find. I know you have the magick to make me human. And I need that.” Unicorns were born of magick the likes of which no other species could match, except for one, and it wasn’t hers.
It was said they could do anything they wanted, even live forever. And there was only one thing she craved. “I want to look him in the eyes when I take his life and reclaim my brother’s head from him. Please. Help me save my brother’s honor.”
Dash eyed the vengeful dragon curiously. With ombre scales of red to orange, she held a pair of dark brown eyes that smoldered from her passion for vengeance.
Hell, she could blast him with fire right now. While it wouldn’t kill him, it would take him centuries to heal.
Ruin his day most definitely.
Piss him off to absolutely no end.
Yet she refrained, and that restraint impressed him. And impressing him was a hard feat for any creature to accomplish.
He also understood her hatred for a human. They were treacherous, cutthroat bastards, first and foremost. Especially since he had one in particular he needed to spear with his horn. But then, dragons weren’t much better than a human. Most days, they weren’t better than maggots. Dragons, too, were known for their treachery.
And their treasure hunting. Before peace had been brokered between the reigning monarchs of the Thirteen Kingdoms, dragons had laid waste to entire nations for no other reason than to take their gold and jewels. No one knew exactly how wealthy the dragons were, but they were said to be richer than all the other Twelve Kingdoms combined.
Given his own experience with them, he could easily believe their riches were beyond measure.
Not to mention dragons and unicorns were natural enemies. Back in the day, dragons had helped wizards enslave his kind. Until unicorns had learned to command the same power those wizards had …
His horn itched as a reminder of what he had to lose.
And what he was desperate to find.
It’d been why he was rushing in such a state that he’d missed the lure the dragon had used to snare him. In his normal frame of mind, he’d have never fallen for such a trick.
Damn me.
And damn her as well.
“If I say no?”
She let out a tired sigh. “I don’t like to hurt things.”
Weird comment for a dragon, especially given their natural tendency to set things that annoyed them on fire. Not to mention, she’d be hard-pressed to harm him, given his powers. “But?”
“I need this. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get to the man who killed my brother. Please don’t make me into something I’d rather not be. I just want justice.”
How simple she made it sound. But life was never easy. Nor was it that simple. “If you kill this man, you’ll become a killer, Madam Dragon.”
“I know. But this is one life to appease my soul that craves equity for the life he took. And to keep that … that … murderer,” she spat the word as if she could taste it like bitter fruit, “from killing more innocents. If I don’t stop him, his future killings are on me. I won’t have that, either. Someone has to stop him from taking someone else’s father from them.”
That made perfect sense. He’d done worse to protect those he cared about.
And he intended to make his past sins look petty once he caught up to the man he was currently seeking.
As he looked into her clear, dark eyes and saw the depth of her grief and determination, it touched him. How could he deny her the very thing he was out to claim for himself? No one should lose a loved one. Not needlessly.
Especially not to cruelty.
And he wasn’t hypocrite enough to deny her the very thing he wanted most in his life. The very thing he was out here, trying to claim.
Maybe if the death of his beloved sister wasn’t so fresh, he would be hardened against the dragon’s request. But Renata’s loss was too recent.
Too painful.
And if there was anything in life he understood, it was justice. He’d dedicated his entire life to establishing law and order. To making sure that those who preyed on innocent lives paid for it.
The time of warlords and brutality had ended.
She would have her vengeance. It was her right to claim it.
“Very well. Free me and I’ll grant you this favor.” He would free himself, but he didn’t want to expose his powers to her or risk her learning his real identity. The less anyone knew about him, the better.
She hesitated. “How do I know this isn’t a trick?”
“I’ve given you my word. And, because I’m not human.” Or a centaur or dragon.
“I’ve heard unicorns can be even trickier.”
Well, that was true. His brethren had their moments as much as anyone else, he supposed. “Do you have a choice?”
Tanis cringed at his honest question. No, she didn’t. She’d been lucky to trap one unicorn. Who knew if or when she’d be lucky enough to capture another. Her sisters had called her all kinds of stupid for even thinking of going after her brother’s killer, and Ragna had forbidden it.
Never mind the fact that the next unicorn might not be so agreeable.
Given what she knew about their abilities, she was really at his mercy. Most likely, he could turn her into a toad or some other poor creature. She was lucky he hadn’t already done so.
All she could do was hope he was a unicorn of his word.
“Very well.” She used her powers to dissolve the net.
He shook himself free and snorted as he came to his feet.
Wow … he truly was a magnificent beast. While he was small compared to her dragon form, he was still powerful, and it was evident. His muscles rippled beneath that shiny coat. And though his shiny hooves weren’t pointed or sharp, she was quite sure they were just as capable of doing as much damage as her black claws.
When he pawed at the ground and shook his head, Tanis tensed, expecting him to run for the trees or turn her into anything other than what she’d requested.
He didn’t.
Instead, he stood steady as he eyed her with those piercing, vivid eyes. That horn in the center of his forehead held her attention … black as pitch, it looked even sharper than before. Longer. Deadlier.
“So, little dragon, what will you give me for this favor you ask?”
She blinked. “What?”
“Magick has a price. As such, it’s seldom freely given. The spell you’re asking for isn’t easy to do. How badly do you want to become human?”
She hadn’t thought of that. But he was right. Magick always took something from the one who commanded it. The wrong or right spell could even take the spellcaster’s life. It was what made spellcasters so sought after.
And rich.
Every wizard she knew wanted to be reimbursed for the pain of the spell. For the mental and physical toll it took. That price was either paid by the one asking for it or the one the spell was being cast upon. Most of the time, they were one and the same person.
Sometimes, as she knew better than she wanted to, they weren’t the same person the victim had no idea they were being enchanted until it was too late. Sometimes, they were just hapless and at the mercy of the wizard and the one who’d paid them for their services.
Thankfully, that wasn’t her case today.
“Whatever you want, I’ll pay it.”
He snorted at her answer. “You don’t have a lot of experience negotiating, do you?”
Not really. As the youngest female born into the noble court of her Dragomir ancestors, she’d been surrounded by those out to build their reputations by tearing hers down. Backbiting sisters who lied about her to their father and mother. Courtiers who were jealous and out to rip her to shreds.
Opponents who wanted her dead and gone for no real reason. There was no negotiating with any of them as they wouldn’t be deterred from their goals. They were too determined to destroy her for their own petty greed and wants.
As a dragon, she didn’t require much and wanted even less. Most of the time, she just wanted to be left alone.
Because of all that, she didn’t like others as a rule. The handful she’d put her faith in had betrayed her, thinking to advance themselves with her family or other nobles.
Or they’d actively plotted against her for no reason, other than entertainment. Only her brother and his wife had ever been kind to her. Davin had done his best to protect her and shelter her from their father’s wrath, and their sisters’ viciousness.
She didn’t like the games that others played with dragons’ lives. So she’d avoided those snares and the dramatics that went with them. “I’ve never had to negotiate before.”
“It shows. I should warn you before you traipse through the human world, humans will not play fairly with you. They’ll destroy your innocence. Think long and hard before you agree to this, because the knowledge of being human cannot be undone. Not even by magick.”
Tanis knew he was right. Humans preyed on weakness and innocence, even more so than unicorns. She’d only been in their world once and it still fed her nightmares.
She loathed them all and had vowed to never go near their world again. Not for anything.
But that old grudge no longer mattered. She had to see this through.
For Davin.
No matter what her father said or what punishment he’d deal to her later, she couldn’t allow Davin’s head to be some man’s trophy. To be paraded around and mocked. It sickened her all the way to her soul every time she thought about how they were treating Davin’s remains.
When she’d fought her way back home after she’d been taken and abused, and her father had wanted to banish her again, Davin, alone, had made sure that she wasn’t a complete outcast.
Now, it was time for her to return that favor. She just wished he was alive to see it.
Pushing down memories she’d give anything to purge, she forced herself to do what was right. “I don’t care so long as I kill that human beast. Painfully. With relish. Lots and lots of relish. And even more bloodshed.”
“Are you’re sure you don’t care? Because the price for magick of this magnitude is always the one thing you value most.”
There was a note in his voice that warned her against this. One that told her to run as far away as she could. But she was set on her course.
Besides, what could he demand from her that hadn’t already been taken? Brutally.
At least this time, she had a choice.
There was nothing left in her life that she valued. Davin had been it.
“Name your price, Unicorn.”
The unicorn stared into her eyes for a moment as if he could see all the way into her battered and weary soul. “Then the price is your freedom.”
You’ve got to be kidding me …
Tears caught in her throat as she realized that there had been one last shred of something she valued. One last semblance she’d managed to hold on to, even though they’d taken it from her for a while.
Of course, he wanted to own her. What had she been thinking? He was a unicorn. They were soulless animals, just like the humans they worked with and sheltered.
Why would this one be any different?
Just set fire to him and to the village. Kill them all and be done with it.
That was the sanest course of action. Safest, too. And why not?
Haven’t I suffered enough?
But Davin deserved honor. He’d been a true hero, and he’d taught her better. She would never shame his memory. He deserved to be buried whole. To have a sanctified funeral, surrounded by those who’d loved him, and placed in the catacombs with their noble ancestors.
His children deserved to bury their father with that honor. How could she deprive them of that?
Davin had been a royal prince who’d given mercy even when it’d cost him to give it. Shown her love even when he’d been mocked for that kindness. He would be with their ancestors where he belonged if it was the last thing she did. Not in the hands of those who thought him an animal.
Besides, she couldn’t kill innocent children in the village, no matter how much she might hate humans. They didn’t deserve to die because their parents were horrible people without conscience. Granted, those kids would most likely grow up to be the same awful, horrible monsters their parents were. But she wanted to believe some of them might be better. That they might do better.
I will not pass judgement on all of them because one of their kind did my brother wrong. Or me wrong.
Most of all, she deserved to have her one moment of vengeance in this world. In a life marked by misery, she wanted that pure second of bliss where she accomplished the one thing she wanted most.
Kill the bastard. Bathe in his blood. Devour his heart.
I could die happy with that.
After all, she wasn’t just a princess. Thanks to an unconscionable beast, she’d been trained as a warrior. One who’d been forced to fight for food.
For her life.
No one would ever defeat her. Just like she’d done as a scared teen, she would find a way out of captivity. No matter what it took.
At least this time, she wasn’t a scared child with no knowledge of their world. She knew how to survive among humans.
How to kill, if needed.
“Fine. Your terms are acceptable.”
Her answer seemed to surprise him. “You understand what I’m saying. Your life will belong to me once you kill your dragon slayer. You won’t be able to go home again to your family.”
“I understand.” Without Davin, she had no home or family to return to. No one there would welcome her.
He turned his head to give her a haunted stare. “Make sure you think this through. Being a human woman isn’t an easy thing in this world, and once you’re a dragon again, I will own you and you will live in Licordia, not Indara.”
“I’m willing to risk it.”
Dash inclined his head to her. If that didn’t dissuade her, nothing he could think of would.
Damn. Being human was hard for those who were used to it. He couldn’t imagine being a dragon turned human. Worse was being forced to live among others you didn’t understand. His own memories of that nightmare were never far away.
But she was determined, and as such, he knew she wouldn’t give this up. The next unicorn or wizard she trapped might not be so accommodating.
Or forgiving.
There was no telling what the wrong one might do to her.
How he wished he could make her reconsider, but far be it from him to deny her, her stupidity.
“Very well.” There were worse things in the world than a pet dragon, he supposed. To his deepest chagrin, he actually knew a number of them.
Closing his eyes, he felt his horn heat up. This wasn’t an easy spell, nor was it the first time he’d performed it.
For whatever reason, magickal creatures wanted to be human and humans wanted to be wizards. None of it had ever made any real sense to him. He loved being what he was and had no wish to be anything else.
Sadly, others weren’t so content.
And the last time he’d cast this spell hadn’t turned out so well for the man who’d craved a similar vengeance.
He was sure there was still a bitter old man in the world who wanted to gut him. But as with the dragon, Dash had done his best to talk Thomas Drake out of his folly. Just like her, the gryphon had refused, swearing he couldn’t live without having his revenge, even if it meant being human.
Desperate beings do desperate things.
He should know, given all he’d done in his wretched life.
“Brace yourself, Dragon.”
