The Cursed Queen (Dragon’s Curse #1)

Sera

The teasing continued as Andriel and Drayce guided me to the den's hunting ground. The downside of hearing their thoughts was being unable to tune them out when they were laughing at me.

Fuckers.

Strangely enough, my sexual escapade with Drayce and Ryu seemed to arouse Andriel. Maybe after the coronation, I could talk him into joining us? By the gods, having three dicks to lick, suck, and stroke at once would be interesting. Would they rotate on pounding my wet pussy? What would the other two be doing while one was inside me?

"You know your fantasies are loud, my darling." Andriel's voice purred.

"Stupid mate bonds," I grumbled, which had both my men laughing again.

The den's hunting ground was on the other side of the mountain, a deep-green forest pavilion with a canopy of trees blocking out the sun and sky. Drayce and Andriel had to maneuver through the trees, disrupting their flight pattern, whereas I, a much smaller being, had no difficulties at all. We spent a good hour hunting and killing larger animals like Elk, Deer, and a few wolves. Never hunted before, Andriel had to coach me on approaching my prey quietly, and without being noticed, before going in for a kill.

Admittedly, my first few attempts weren't successful, but my men were patient with me. They instructed me on how to improve, and didn't reprimand me when I got it wrong. After about the fifth attempt, I successfully tackled a mountain lion I found lurking near Wadon Heights. Remembering what Andriel taught me, I flew higher up the canopy, landing on a branch, and crouching low to hide.

I watched the giant cat warily, eyes narrowed, waiting for the moment to strike. As soon as its furry back was to me, I lept forward. The mountain lion's head rose as it heard me approach. It took off seconds before I could grab it with my claws.

Not this time.

I crashed into the mountain on all fours, the stone surface beneath me exploding into a crater, then thrust to the left where the mountain lion took off, tackling its side. It let out a shrieked roar as we toppled on the grass. Pinning it under me, I grabbed it by the head and twisted it, hearing the snap of its neck as its body grew limp. I huffed out a breath, feeling triumphant in my first catch.

"Nicely done," Andriel's voice echoed through our bond as he broke through the canopy to land a few feet from me. He shifted back into his human form before pulling me into his warm embrace and taking my lips into his. I melted against his body, my arms wrapping around his neck and my wings folding over us.

The warmth of flames licked my back before a hard, naked body pressed against me. Drayce had me sandwiched between him and Andriel; both deliciously naked, and had me wondering how pissed the rest of the den would be if we wasted another hour to have my men ravish me from head to toe.

Already aware he was reading my thoughts, Andriel smirked through the kiss before pulling back. "As enticing as it would be to have these pretty lips of yours around my cock, while Drayce has his buried between your legs, we really should get our catches back to the den. Otherwise, Lord Igneel will probably send a search party after us."

I pouted, then shivered as Drayce's lips trailed up my neck before reaching my ears, licking the ridge and breathing on my heated skin. That did not help to quell the raging lust building inside me.

"No need to pout, your majesty. There will be plenty of time after your coronation to lose yourself to the feel of all our cocks," Drayce whispered.

I gulped. "Promises, promises."

"Indeed. A promise we intend to keep," Andriel said.

"Come on, we should return our future queen to the den, and get these fresh kills to the cooks," Drayce announced, swatting my ass before grabbing the dead mountain lion and carrying it back to the forest.

Unfolding my wings from around us, I gave Andriel one last peck on the lips before intending to follow Drayce. I would've gone had I not frozen at the uneasy feeling in the atmosphere.

"? Is something wrong?" Andriel asked with a quirked brow.

I stayed perfectly still, feeling the energy of the wind, the grass, and the surrounding trees, the sudden shift alerting me of danger.

"Something doesn't feel right," I said.

Andriel looked around, his guard raising. "What is it?"

"I don't know."

Neither I nor Andriel could spot anything amiss, but realized everything had gone perfectly fine until now. For a moment, I forgot Baxus was the one who sent us out here, and nothing had happened.

As if he was waiting for us to drop our guard.

Andriel looked from me to the forest where Drayce had disappeared. "We should find Drayce and get back befo—" his words were cut off by a cry of pain as an arrow pierced through his right pectoral.

I gasped, rushing toward him as he dropped to his knees, his shaking hands gripping the arrow and pulling it out of him. Blood pooled from the gaping hole in his body. His dragon healing kicked in, but was moving too slow for my liking. Thinking fast, I pressed my hand to the wound and recited a healing enchantment I learned from my studies.

"Are you okay?" I asked frantically, my magic working to heal him.

"F-Fine," Andriel said through gritted teeth. "I... think that arrow was coated in Dragonsbane."

I thought so too, which was why his healing was so slow.

Sensing danger toward my left, I looked in time to see another arrow coming toward us. Reacting fast, I used my wing to swipe it away before it could penetrate us.

"We need to hide in the forest. We're sitting ducks in the open," I ordered, helping Andriel to his feet and running toward the trees.

Before we could conceal ourselves behind the wall of trees, the ground shook as thick vines sprouted out of the dirt and blocked our path. I cursed under my breath as we skidded to a halt. Druid magic. The dragon riders found us.

"Not so fast, traitor." I whipped my head around and spotted one flying above us, his hands outstretched and coated in the translucent fog of magic. More dragon riders made themselves visible, canceling out what I now knew was their cloaking enchantment. No wonder we couldn't spot them, and since dragons hunted these lands, they were able to camouflage their scents to remain undetected.

But how did they know where I'd be?

I did a mental count, finding five dragon riders in total. The odds weren't good, but it wasn't impossible.

"Are you able to shift?" I muttered softly to Andriel.

Grunting, he nodded. "I think so. The wound is closed, but my magic took a hit from that dose of Dragonsbane."

Which didn't bode well for us.

"The odds are stacked against you, princess. I'm sure even you are smart enough to realize that," the squadron leader declared. "Why don't you make it easier on yourself and surrender? Maybe then we'll spare your beloveds."

My worry for Drayce grew, knowing he was alone and likely in danger, too. We had to get to him.

" Andriel. " I sent a telepathic message to him. " I'll lure them as far from here as possible. You break through the vines and get to Drayce. "

Andriel's eyes widened. " No, that's a suicide mission. You can't take them all by yourself. "

" I don't plan to. Just help Drayce, then find me. I'd say get back to the den for reinforcements, but I don't want to risk them following you. "

" I— "

" We don't have a choice ," I mentally growled. " As your princess and future queen, do as I say. "

I hated being authoritative with him, but we needed to act fast. He needed to help Drayce. Reluctantly, he obliged.

"Well?" the leader questioned. "What's it going to be? Are you going to come quietly, or do we have to do this the hard way?"

"As enticing as that offer sounds, I'll have to pass. You want me, come and get me." I lept into the air and took off, flying away from the mountain and my mates, expecting them to follow me. They did. If there were a time to put my training to the test, it would be now. The dragon riders were hot on my tail, spewing flames in my direction, but I swerved around to avoid getting hit. My reflexes had improved since the last ambush. Even with multiple streams of fire coming at me, I managed to dodge them without losing too much altitude.

This game of cat and mouse couldn't last forever. Building up my dragon's flame, I spun around, whipping my arm out to create a ripple of fire in their direction. The dragon riders scattered to avoid my attack, but that made it easier for me to decide who to go after first. I charged for the one closest to my left, getting close enough that he couldn't order his dragon to incinerate me. the knight raised his shield to block my incoming kick, but I pushed myself up and flipped over him, landing behind the knight. Before he could turn around, I blasted him with a torrent of amethyst flames that engulfed him in seconds.

I felt the second he died, and the magic that was controlling the dragon faded. Now that I was part of the den, I felt a mental connection to every dragon, even the ones recently freed from their magic imprisonment.

"If you want revenge on the druid knights who captured you, then please help me," I mentally pleaded to the freed dragon.

The dragon wasted no time in assisting me. I hopped off his back, going after one dragon rider while he went for another. I dove low to avoid the dragon's breath of fire, sailing under him before whirling around his tail and landing on his back. The druid knight already had his sword out, expecting my approach. He let out a cry as he charged for me, whipping his sword out to slice at me. I jumped back to avoid his attack, then swiped at him with my claws. The knight blocked it with his shield, whipping around and going for another slash.

I avoided most of his sword, but the bastard managed to slice an inch of my shoulder. The wound stung, but I could still move my arm, so I ignored the pain.

The knight smirked. "You don't think we only coated the arrow heads in Dragonsbane, did you?"

My eyes widened as my body registered the all-too-familiar chill of the Dragonsbane filling up my arm and shoulder. I cursed under my breath.

The knight laughed. "I wonder how many more doses your dragon can take before it finally dies. You know a shifter can't survive without both halves of their souls, right? Or did your little playmates forget to tell you that?"

It didn't matter if I knew that or not. I wouldn't let my dragon die. Not when we were this close to regaining our bond. Commotion up ahead had me looking over the knight's shoulder. The dragon I rescued was busy fighting off another dragon rider when the other two riders started tackling him from all directions. The dragon tried escaping but was soon hit with three streams of fire.

"No!" I screamed and was about to help him, but the knight blocked my path with his sword.

"Nuh, uh, uh, not so fast, little princess," the knight taunted.

I growled at the asshole while I watched helplessly as the dragon, who barely had a taste of freedom, plummeted into the ocean. I couldn't tell if he was still alive or not. If he was, then barely. I needed to save him before it was too late.

"Typical," the knight spat. "You're as useless as a dragon as you were a druid. How does it feel knowing you'll always be a failure, no matter what species you align with?"

Things were not looking good for me. Drayce and Andriel hadn't found me yet, and here I was, facing four dragon riders with no backup. I could try to have them chase me again, but I also needed to save that dragon before it was too late. What could I do?

"For the honor of the Zeffari Kingdom!" The knight shouted as the other three dragon riders prepared their dragons to breathe fire on me. I looked at the knight in front of me in horror. Was he mad? If they hit me with that many flames, he'd be burned alive, too. Looking into that stone-cold expression of his, I saw the resolve in his eyes. He knew he'd be collateral damage and was ready to die if it meant taking me with him. Strangely, I felt a sense of admiration for his sacrifice, but it was for the wrong reason. He'd die a warrior, but there was no honor in what he was doing.

A wave of crimson flames came for me. The knight closed his eyes and embraced his fiery demise as he was soon lost in the inferno. I was not ready to die without a fight. I pushed back against the flames with my own—crimson against amethyst. The combined force of three dragons was proving to be too much for me. I held on for dear life, but I knew I wouldn't last.

My dragon stirred in the hidden depths of my subconscious, sensing that I was in danger. I felt her agitation, her desire to assist me, but the remaining two chains were holding her down. Feeling my muscles ache, and my energy draining, I feared for the end. I feared it, but I wouldn't give up until the end. Screaming at the top of my lungs, I pushed back against the inferno, calling on every last ounce of strength I had left.

My dragon was fighting her own battle, finding enough strength to break through the remaining confines of her form. She let out a fierce roar that caused my bones to shake, pulling herself up, the chains trying their hardest to keep her down, but she wouldn't stay down. She was fighting back. She was fighting to get to me.

The chains snapped; the first one... then the second.

She was free, and her roar of triumph rang.

My body erupted in a tornado of amethyst flames, breaking through the crimson torrential flames threatening to incinerate me. My body grew. What remained of my soft flesh morphed into dark scales. My hair receded and spikes protruded along my back. I was shifting. My dragon reached the surface of our bond and was taking over. I let her.

I hopped off the newly freed dragon as I shifted into my dragon form, breaking through my violet flames and letting out an apex roar. The knights stared in shock, surprised by my transformation. So was I, but I also felt delighted. Our bond was mended. My dragon was free, and her thoughts and emotions were as clear to me as crystals. I felt love. I felt longing. Most of all, I felt relief.

We were united as one and were ready for round two.

One of the dragon riders prepared another blast of fire, but I matched it with my own. Our flames collided, but the blend of my dragon and druid magic proved too strong for the pure-blooded dragon to fend off. My flames broke through his and blasted the dragon out of the sky, incinerating his rider instantly.

"Dammit, shoot her! Take her down!" The leader yelled in frustration as he and his remaining soldier prepared a joint fire attack.

Before it could reach me, another burst of crimson flame collided with theirs. I looked up in time to see Andriel and Drayce finally making their way toward us. The dragon rider subordinate charged after my mates while I dealt with the leader. I collided with his dragon, whirling around in midair while trying to overpower the other.

"Fucking useless cunt. Just die already!" The leader spat as he unsheathed his sword. Right as he jumped onto his dragon's head, I opened my massive jaw and pushed him into my mouth with my tail. He screamed as he fell toward me, dropping into my throat as I closed my mouth and swallowed him whole. He died instantly.

The leader's dragon regained his self-awareness and loosened his grip on me. As for the remaining knight, he perished easily, thanks to the combined strength of Andriel and Drayce. They were all gone.

"? Is that you?" Andriel's voice rang through our bond.

"No time for explanations. Help the freed dragons, now," I ordered while I dove for the water.

Fire-breathing dragons couldn't survive long in water, meaning I had very little time to rescue our fallen brethren before I drowned. I sank deeper and deeper into the ocean's depth, hoping I could spot him. Just when I'd given up hope, I spotted what looked to have been a dragon's tail. I swam further down, finding the brave dragon who fought beside me. Grabbing hold of him, I swam back up to the surface. I took in my first lungful of air as soon as my head submerged. Spotting us, my men assisted in pulling the fallen dragon out of the water, leading it to a flat, grassy surface near the forest. As soon as I landed, I wasted no time shifting back to my in-between stage.

Dropping to my hands and knees, I panted heavily, exhaustion, chill, and the shift weighing me down, but I refrained from passing out.

"!" Andriel shifted and rushed to my side; Drayce close behind. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," I breathed, then shifted my blurry eyes to the dragon I fished out. "Is he... Can he be healed?"

Both my men frowned, which told me all I needed to know. Forcing myself back to my feet, I limped around the dragon until I made eye contact with him. The dragon's eyes were barely open, and I could feel his inner fire dying. I failed him. He was dying, and it was my fault.

"Forgive me," I whispered, reaching out and rubbing his snout. "I can't thank you enough for helping me, but I'm sorry you had to die this way."

I felt the stirring heat in the back of my mind seconds before a weak, masculine voice echoed. "A-At least... I'm dying... a free dragon. N-No... regrets."

With that last statement, the dragon closed his eyes, and his inner fire died.

I cried for him, for my failure to bring him home alive. For not getting his name beforehand. I would remember this dragon for the rest of my life. I would free the remaining dragons in his honor. His sacrifice would not be in vain.

"We should have a memorial for him," I said weakly.

Andriel and Drayce knelt on either side of me, one of them rubbing my back in smooth circles.

"We will, my love," Andriel said solemnly.

"The remaining dragons you freed are alive. This is still a victory," Drayce said.

I shook my head. "No. It will never be a victory until every single dragon is free from Queen Verania's influence. Only then will I consider this a win."

It was a victory I would fight to attain. I would free the dragons and the Atheynia Region of the true curse that was Queen Verania. I would. For now, I had unfinished business back at Dragon's Peak Den.