She raised her head, her voice as cold as stone.
"Get out of my kingdom, dragon. Before I make you sorry you were ever born."
Draeven's eyes flashed with a dangerous light.
"You think I want to be here?" he said, his voice low and threatening. "You think I want to be stuck with a bloodsucker like you?"
The words hurt more than she wanted to admit.
Noctara's fangs dropped on their own. Her red eyes grew brighter.
"How dare you," she said, stepping forward. "I am the Princess of Sanguinara. My mother is Queen Scarlett Bloodveil. I am a warrior and the heir to the vampire throne. I am NOT a parasite."
Her voice trembled with anger.
"You're a vampire," Draeven said, taking a step toward her. "Your kind are parasites. You feed on others because you can't survive on your own."
Scales flickered on his arms. His eyes glowed hot.
"You killed my mother. You started this war. Your kind deserves to be wiped out."
Every word was meant to cut deep.
And it did.
Noctara's hands balled into fists. Dark energy sparked around her fingers like electricity.
"And your kind are murderers!" Her voice cracked. She felt tears coming but forced them back. "You burn down villages full of innocent people and call it a victory!"
"We burn our enemies."
"You burned my FATHER!" The shout tore from her throat. "I was ten years old! I watched you burn him alive! I heard him scream! I saw him turn to ash!"
She was shaking now and couldn't stop.
"And you don't even remember!"
Something shifted in Draeven's eyes. It wasn't quite guilt, but it was close.
He looked away for a moment.
"I've killed many vampires," he said flatly. "I don't remember your father."
That casual reply hurt worse than if he'd been cruel.
"Of course you don't remember," Noctara laughed, the sound bitter and broken. "Why would you? He was just another vampire to you. Just another life you took without a thought!"
She moved with vampire speed.
Her hand shot toward his face fast enough to break rock.
But Draeven caught her wrist mid-air.
His dragon reflexes were just as quick.
His fingers closed around her arm like iron.
The moment their skin touched, the bond between them exploded.
They both gasped.
Power rushed through the connection. Dragon fire met vampire ice. Two opposite forces that should destroy each other, but instead created something new.
Something neither had ever felt.
Noctara tried to pull away.
Draeven's grip was too strong.
"Let me go!"
"I can't!" His voice was strained. "The bond won't let me—I can't let go!"
His other hand rose. Dragon fire sparked around his palm, white-hot and deadly.
"If I kill you, the bond dies with you," he said, his eyes locked on hers. "I go back to my life. I marry Seraphyx. I forget any of this happened."
Fear and fury mixed in Noctara's chest.
Her fangs were fully out. Her free hand glowed with vampire magic—dark shadows wrapped her fingers like claws, cold as winter.
"Try it, dragon," she said, her voice like ice. "Kill me. But my death will be the last thing you ever see. I'll take you with me."
They were stuck together. Both ready to fight to the death. Both held by a bond neither wanted.
Draeven pulled her closer.
The bond demanded it, even though his mind fought against it.
They were inches apart now.
Close enough that she could see gold specks in his eyes. Could feel his breath. Could smell smoke and fire and something wild.
"I hate you," she whispered.
"I hate you more."
Heavy footsteps pounded in the hallway outside.
"PRINCESS NOCTARA!" guards shouted.
The door burst open.
Crimson Nightshade stood there, backed by a dozen royal guards. All carried weapons made with blood magic.
His black eyes with red centers took in the scene.
Draeven in Noctara's wrecked room, holding her wrist, both of them glowing with power.
Crimson's face twisted in rage.
"DRAGON!"
He threw out his hand. Dark magic shot toward Draeven.
Draeven let go of Noctara and blocked the magic with dragon fire.
The two powers hit each other in mid-air and exploded.
Everyone was thrown back. Walls cracked. The tower shook.
"KILL HIM!" Crimson ordered.
Guards rushed forward, weapons ready.
Crimson summoned more dark magic. Blood-red symbols appeared in the air around him.
Draeven felt his dragon rising inside him, ready to burn them all. Ready to destroy this whole palace to defend—
To defend what?
His mate?
The vampire he wanted dead?
The bond was screaming at him to protect her, and he hated it.
"Stay behind me," he growled at Noctara without thinking.
"What?"
"I said stay—"
"I don't need your protection!"
"NOCTARA, GET AWAY FROM THAT MONSTER!" Crimson's voice cut through the room. "NOW!"
But Noctara didn't move.
She couldn't.
The bond wouldn't let her leave Draeven's side.
Guards moved closer. Weapons raised.
Crimson's dark magic grew stronger, more dangerous.
And without thinking, Noctara moved.
She stepped between Draeven and Crimson, arms spread wide.
"STOP!"
Everyone froze.
Shocked that the vampire princess was protecting the dragon prince.
"Noctara," Crimson said, his voice low and dangerous. "What are you doing?"
"Don't hurt him."
"Don't—" Crimson laughed, a sharp, cruel sound. "He's a dragon. He broke into our palace. He destroyed your room. And you're protecting him?"
"It's not what you think—"
"Then TELL ME!" Crimson lost his calm. "TELL ME WHY YOU'RE DEFENDING OUR ENEMY!"
Before Noctara could answer, Draeven grabbed her hand.
Not to attack this time.
But because the bond was too strong. Because his dragon wouldn't let guards pull them apart from their mate.
"Don't touch her!" Crimson snarled.
But it was too late.
The second their hands clasped together willingly, skin to skin with no fight between them, the mate bond reached its breaking point.
Power exploded from both of them like a star going supernova.
A shockwave of mixed dragon and vampire magic blasted outward in all directions, pure and raw and unstoppable.
Crimson was thrown against the wall.
Guards were scattered like paper.
The tower cracked from bottom to top.
Windows shattered throughout the palace.
And in the center of it all, Noctara and Draeven screamed at the same time as the bond locked into place.
Like being struck by lightning.
Their eyes met one last time before everything went dark.
His eyes molten gold. Hers deep red.
Both showing the same fear, confusion, and unwanted bond.
The last thing Noctara saw was gold.
The last thing Draeven saw was red.
Then they fell together. Hands still locked.
Knocked out by the bond's overwhelming power.
When Noctara opened her eyes again, everything was different.
She wasn't in her destroyed room.
She was lying on cold stone. In a small room lit by glowing symbols on the walls.
Ancient magic hung in the air, pulsing like a heartbeat.
She tried to sit up.
She realized Draeven was lying right beside her.
Just starting to wake up.
His hand was still holding hers, even while unconscious.
She pulled away quickly. Scrambled to her feet.
Looked around in a panic.
Four stone walls. No windows.
A single door with no handle. No lock. No way to open it from inside.
Old runes glowed with silver and gold light. Humming with power older than their kingdoms.
"What—where—" She turned in a circle. "Where are we?"
Draeven groaned. Sat up slowly. Looked around just as confused.
"What is this place?"
"I don't know!"
He stood. Went to the door. Tried to push it open.
It didn't move.
He tried again, harder. Using his dragon strength.
Nothing.
"It won't open," he said, his voice tense.
"Try harder!"
"I AM trying!" He slammed his fist against the door. Once. Twice. "It's sealed with magic. Old magic."
Noctara went to the walls. Touched the glowing runes.
They pu
lsed under her fingers. Warm. Alive.
"These are mate bond symbols," she whispered. "Ancient ones."
"What does that mean?"
Before she could answer, a voice echoed from the walls.
It didn't sound like a man or a woman.
It was filled with old magic and total authority.