Queen Witch Read online

  I stepped forward. “What are you going to do to him?”

  “Kill him, of course.”

  “But you can’t,” I protested, acutely aware of the fact I was arguing on behalf of a mythical creature.

  His three buddies approached and threw him a spear and shield.

  “Let’s go, Chief,” one of them said. “Before we lose him again.”

  They tore off through the woods, but I refused to wait around and do nothing while they murdered an innocent creature. I kicked my heels off and ran after them.

  The thought suddenly occurred to me that, if the creature really was a dragon, perhaps he might not be entirely innocent. Maybe he had done something awful enough to merit their wrath? Maybe he had killed half their tribe? Or eaten all their food, or stolen all their valuables?

  My mind hesitated, but my feet didn’t. They carried me swiftly through the trees and ever closer to the roaring beast. When the tree line ended and the clifftops rose higher, there was no longer any doubt in my mind. A massive, dragon-like creature clung to the stone side of a cliff up ahead.

  I eyed the midnight-blue scales and jagged plates that lined its spine and tail. Its teeth and claws were long and black, but its eyes were crystal-blue, and the inside of his jowls glowed white. When his wings moved, they were a shimmering blend of plum, azure, and turquoise, and somehow, rather than frightening me it lured me in. The dragon’s roars seemed less dangerous now and more desperate. Was he stuck? Was he hurt?

  The tribal men charged, racing across the clearing, but they were forced to stop and draw their shields as the dragon spewed a powerful gust of electric-blue flames. At first I thought it might’ve been ice, but as their shields caught fire, I knew I was mistaken.

  The urge to act washed over me. I couldn’t just stand by and let the dragon kill them, either. In fact, there would be no killing of any sort. This was my dreamlike thing, and damn it, I was going to take some control.

  I marched into the clearing, past the men as they hid behind their burning shields, past the smoldering patches of crisped earth, and straight up to the majestic beast. His glowing eyes followed me warily but also curiously.

  That’s when I saw the blood on the rocks and a broken spear wedged painfully between his toes and a crack in the cliff. He was pinned to the ledge and couldn’t reach the spear to remove it.

  I licked my lips, knowing exactly what I had to do.

  It was a damn shame that I couldn’t use magic. The flora here was already pretty rough, so I probably wouldn’t have felt too bad about killing it. It would have been simple to maneuver the energy over to the spear and break him free that way. But no....

  “It’s okay, handsome,” I sang to the creature, approaching him slowly. I held out my palms as a sign of peace and placidity. “I only want to help you.”

  He cocked his head, as if he understood me and was surprised that he had.

  I smiled warmly. “That’s right, sweet boy, I’m going to get you out of there.”

  Leaning forward, I eyed the cliff calculatingly. There were footholds galore, but I’d never be able to scale them in a tight-ass dress. So I tore a crude line up each side of the silken material and used it as a kind of loin cloth.

  Jane to the rescue, I thought with a grin, which immediately faltered when I realized how high up we were. The cliffs rose far above the clouds, and God only knew how far down it was beyond those. My stomach sank like a rock to my feet.

  “It’s only a dream,” I whispered to myself, over and over on repeat, as I grabbed on and shuffled carefully along the cliff edge.

  The dragon snorted softly, as if warning me to be careful.

  “Oh, I will,” I assured him with a shaky smile as my fingers gripped the rocks tighter.

  I didn’t have far to go, thank God. The spear was only a few feet away. But I didn’t dare reach for it until I was close enough not to fall. I might’ve had a ridiculous soft spot for animals, but I wasn’t stupid. At least, I used to think I wasn’t.... Glancing down yet again at the clouds beneath me, I was no longer quite so sure.

  When the spear was within reach, I leaned over slowly and grasped the hilt with a clammy palm. As I tugged it softly to test its strength, my fingers slipped on the wood. Quickly I slammed my chest into the rocks in an instinctual move to survive.

  Blood whooshed through my veins and hammered through my ears as fear swept over me in a sickening wave.

  What the hell was I doing? My only objective was supposed to be choosing a prince, not risking my life to save a vicious, fire-breathing dragon! But it was too late for that now. My mind had been made up long ago, and I’d already come too far to turn back.

  Sliding closer, I saw that the spear was jammed under a ledge. When the dragon had tried to take flight and escape, it had only trapped itself further. The spear would need to be knocked downward, not yanked on.

  I made a fist and half-heartedly pounded on it. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t budge.

  I licked my lips and rustled up some courage and determination. The next time I pounded on it harder, but it still didn’t move.

  So I shuffled even closer and bravely bridged the crack of the cliff with an arm and a leg on each side.

  The dragon let out a low growl. Another warning, I felt sure.

  “Trust me, I know how stupid this is.” I cocked my head and took a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.”

  My bare foot met the neck of the spear with a thud, but it did nothing.

  I raised my knee and jabbed down again with my heel. A scrape of rock sounded as the spear head moved by a fraction. I smiled wide, proud of my progress. Kicking again and again, I watched as the spear scraped bit by bit further down the crack. When it got beyond my reach, I lowered myself down like a spider.

  My fear was slowly ebbing.

  The longer you did a scary thing, the less scary it eventually became. Like the longer you survived, the more your confidence grew. I’d learned that a long time ago with swimming—and nearly drowning—in the sea behind the palace.

  My arms were shaking with the exertion of holding my weight, though. I wouldn’t be able to keep this up much longer.

  Locking my elbows, I kicked down at the spear again. But as I did so, the wooden hilt cracked. I wasn’t prepared for the sudden give, and I lost my hold as momentum and gravity pulled me downward.

  A scream tore from my lips as I fell, and the mighty blue dragon broke free. He rose into the air, then tucked his wings and dove like a meteor straight toward me.

  He’s saving me! Relief swam through me.

  As soon as he was close enough, I latched on to his neck and squeezed for dear life, knowing I’d need an iron grip if I had any chance of not slipping away when he spread those wings back open.

  But it never happened.

  Even as we plummeted through the air, I could tell the world had started wobbling. The clouds wavered and quickly turned into sand. The sensation of falling eased, then disappeared entirely, and I realized...

  I was sitting on my ass in the Dry Salt Sea, wearing a tattered gown, staring into the horror-struck faces of princesses and future princes and clutching the neck of a very real, very terrifying dragon.

  Quickly, I let go and scrambled back.

  Something was wrong. I’d somehow run out of time. I was supposed to get dropped back to the ground by the dragon, and then choose one of those hot tribal guys as my prince. How could the test be over if I hadn’t chosen my prince?

  Realization dawned on me. I’d failed. I must’ve been on the verge of dying in my dream, and that’s why my brain kicked me out. Before the trials had even truly begun, I’d ruined any chance I had of defeating Nerissa and becoming Queen Witch.

  I swallowed hard and fought the urge to cry.

  And that’s when I noticed a shimmering in the corner of my eye.

  The dragon was shrinking, his joints and bones cracking and rearranging in a sight I could only describe as magical. His scales shifted into skin, t
he tone fading from blackish-blue to deep tan, but his clear blue eyes remained the same. His hair was dark brown and matched the shadowy stubble across his jaw. Every line of his body was hard, from his straight nose and sharp jawline to his cut abs and rippling arms.

  I lost my breath in an instant. He was the most gorgeous creature I’d ever seen.

  And holy fucking shit... he was my prince.

  Chapter 3

  He looked around with suspicion in his eyes, until his gaze fell on me.

  “You said you wanted to help me, not kidnap me.”

  My eyes went wide and I immediately shook my head. “I swear, I didn’t know this would happen.”

  He glared at the crowd again and crossed his arms. “Then why is everyone paired up? Sure as hell looks intentional to me.”

  I wrung my hands. “Yes, but I thought I was supposed to end up with one of the tribal men trying to kill you.”

  He raised a brow, and it was sexy as hell.

  “You thought you’d end up with a murderer?” he asked. “And you were okay with that?”

  How could I explain to him how this process worked, when I wasn’t even certain myself? I shot a pleading look to the ancient witch. If anyone could make sense of this, it would be her.

  She nodded and hobbled over to us, her white hair blowing in the desert breeze.

  “The fates have spoken,” she said. “Your bond has transcended time and realm. It cannot be broken.”

  And that was it.

  Apparently she wouldn’t be making sense of this.

  We glanced at each other, more confused now than we were a few seconds ago. But at least the confusion was something we shared. It was a tiny tendril of hope holding us together.

  I forced a sweet smile and held out my hand. “My name is Eliza Strand. What’s yours?”

  He pursed his lips, as if contemplating me, then uncrossed his arms and took my hand. “Gage Smith.”

  “Smith?”

  “You don’t like it?”

  I shook my head, acutely aware of the heat in our grasp. “No, no! It’s just so.... I figured it’d be something more obvious, like Dragonstone or something.”

  He smiled, and it practically lit the desert on fire. “That’s the point.”

  He let my fingers go, and I instantly felt hollow. I could hardly believe how affected I was by him. I’d never experienced lust so potent.

  “Princesses and future princes,” the ancient witch began, raising her voice for all to hear. “Tonight there will be a formal dinner and dance in honor of you all. Please enjoy yourselves while you can. It is imperative that you get to know your new partner as quickly and intimately as possible. There will be future trials that require you to work together, so the faster you bond, the better.”

  She nodded to show she was finished, then hobbled over to one of the awaiting limousines. Everyone followed her lead, heading for their respective rides.

  A few people sneered at they passed us, eyeing my prince with disdain. “Way to go, Eliza,” one of them huffed. “A shifter was seriously the best you could do?”

  I glanced at Gage, hoping he hadn’t heard the asshole, and we began walking too.

  “What does the old lady mean, ‘future princes’?” he asked cautiously, ignoring the shifter comment.

  I realized the not-so-elegant gown and fancy hairdo meant virtually nothing to him. In his world, those things didn’t seem to exist.

  “I’m a princess,” I said with a smile. “My mother and father rule a whole kingdom of people.”

  His gaze narrowed. “Why do you rule them? Why aren’t they free?”

  “They are free,” I assured him. “But every kingdom needs rules, or chaos would break loose. There needs to be fairness and a system of justice. My family makes sure that happens.”

  “And we’re to be married?” he asked, but it sounded more like a solemn resolution of fact.

  I didn’t have the heart to answer him. He seemed so... hopeless and dissatisfied. I merely nodded and attempted to push the ache in my chest away.

  He nodded too, and remained quiet the rest of the way to the car.

  We got in, sat down, and Catfish immediately leapt up into my lap.

  “I missed you, Eliza. I thought you were never coming back. Midnight tried to peck my head, and I’m starving half to death.”

  Talk about an interesting string of information.

  I scratched his head and stroked his fur. “I missed you too, Catfish.”

  Suddenly he noticed Gage sitting beside me. “Is this your prince? He’s really attractive. Are you sure you’re in his league?”

  “Shut up, Cat.”

  Gage’s eyebrow quirked. “You can hear the cat talk?”

  “Yes, he’s my familiar,” I said, as Catfish hopped into Gage’s lap and purred. “My most loyal companion who’s supposed to do my bidding, but who mostly just lazes about and demands fish.”

  Catfish looked at Gage, and then me. “Why isn’t he petting me?”

  I sighed. “If you stroke his fur, he’ll love you forever.”

  Gage half smiled, a curious spreading of the lips. But to my surprise, he stroked the cat with the gentlest hands I’d ever seen. It made me long to feel that touch on my own skin.

  Stop it, I scolded myself. He doesn’t want you.

  “He seems to like me though,” Catfish bragged, spinning in a circle on Gage’s lap.

  I glanced over at Laken and noticed her new prince was hot, tall, and dirty-blond—just how she liked them. She probably did exactly as she’d said she would and picked the sexiest guy in the room.

  She made a subtle fanning motion and pointed at him from her lap.

  I grinned and nodded as discreetly as possible. At least her man seemed to desire her back.

  Maren’s prince was young, like her, and a little quirky with light brown hair like a hedgehog. I had a feeling he’d one day grow into a very handsome prince, but today was not that day.

  Nerissa’s prince was tall, muscular, and eerily quiet. Hair buzzed short, he looked more like a bodyguard or henchman than a partner, which was just fine, because that’s probably what she’d use him for most. She never seemed to be interested in relationships.

  “You smell like wet dog,” Gage said to Laken’s future prince, who merely blinked.

  “I think he smells fantastic,” she objected, crossing her legs and folding her hands across a knee. Her face brightened. “So! What’s everyone doing for the rest of the day until the party?”

  Nerissa smiled. “Julian and I have plans outside the city.”

  My heart dipped. We weren’t allowed outside the city. Whatever those plans were, I had a suspicion they were dark.

  Maren took a deep breath, which made me glance over. Her cheeks were pink. I could tell she didn’t want to be alone with her prince. It would be far too awkward.

  Glancing at Laken, I knew she’d be unavailable for the next few hours....

  Which only left Gage and me.

  I sighed. “Maren, why don’t you and...?” I gestured to the teen boy.

  “Elijah,” he said, with a cheeky grin. He had silver braces on his teeth.

  “Nice to meet you, Elijah. I’m Eliza, Maren’s sister. Why don’t you two join Gage and me today? We could”—I wracked my brain for something innocent and fun that the four of us could do together—“take a walk around the capital?”

  “Yes!” Maren said, relieved. “That sounds really fun, actually.”

  And I believed her. She always was one for exercise. Of the four of us, Maren was the most athletic. The least graceful in a pair of heels, too.

  I glanced at Gage and raised a brow, waiting on his response.

  He raised his brow right back, blue eyes twinkling. “I suppose I ought to learn where the exit routes are,” he teased, though I suspected there was at least a kernel of truth to his words.

  I took a deep breath and tried not to feel nervous. “Okay, then it’s settled. We’ll grab lunch beforeh
and at one of the seaside cafés in town.” Just to be sure, I added, “Laken? Would you and your good-looking guy like to tag along?”

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Gage turn away at “good-looking.” There was an ever so slight tic in his jaw. It was ridiculous, but I wondered anyway: was it possible that he might be a bit jealous? For some reason, the thought warmed my blood.

  Laken bit her lip, and she and her new prince shared a smoldering glance. “I think Nathan and I will pass.”

  I knew that’d be the case. And honestly, I was jealous as hell that I wasn’t in her shoes. My prince didn’t seem to want all that much to do with me. Though he was at least being friendly, which, for a man who’d originally thought he’d been kidnapped, was more than I could hope for.

  When we arrived back at the palace, we ladies let our hair down and changed from our evening gowns into something lighter, airier, and much more suited to the Mediterranean climate we lived in. As soon as I said goodbye to Catfish and slayed a few azaleas to revitalize my features, we strolled back outside.

  As the four of us made our way to the gateway out front, I noticed Nerissa and her stone-faced prince slinking through a side door. The reckless urge to follow her and see what she was up to overwhelmed me.

  What could it hurt? I argued with myself. Probably quite a lot, actually. Who knew what sort of shady dealings she’d be having with people who resided outside the wall? The Outlands were a dangerous place.

  But still, I couldn’t shake the compulsion to find out.

  At the gate, I hesitated, glancing down the street in the direction they’d gone. I couldn’t see them up ahead; they were probably sticking to alleyways and side streets to avoid detection.

  Gaged studied me thoughtfully, as if he were trying to read my mind.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, eventually following my gaze to the right.

  I took a deep breath. “Nothing. I just thought we could start with the eastern side of the capital first.”

  Maren frowned slightly. “But all the best cafés are on the west coast.”

  Come on, Eliza, think! Why were good witches so bad at lying?