Wings of Dragca Read online

  Wings of Dragca

  Protected by Dragons Series: Book Five

  G. Bailey

  Contents

  Description

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Author Note

  Stay in Touch

  Join Bailey’s Pack

  About the Author

  Description

  The Deadly Game

  Wings of Dragca Copyright © 2018 by G. Bailey

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  The author acknowledges the trademark owners of various products, brands, and/or stores referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  For more information about the author and her work, visit-

  www.gbaileyauthor.com

  Cover design by Christian Bentulan.

  Edited by Helayna Trask.

  Created with Vellum

  Description

  Death or the throne? Queen or survivor?

  Isola and her dragon guards are shaken after the events that forced them into hiding in Dragca Academy.

  With the queen of the supernaturals on Earth offering Isola and what is left of her people a permanent home...will Isola leave Dragca to save the dragons she loves?

  Or will the last dragon ice queen rise and kill her enemy, even if it means losing her heart?

  Death has always been a curse on Dragca, and someone has to pay the price of fate...

  18+ RH.

  This book is dedicated to one of my closest friends who I met this year in Texas (though it seems like we have always been friends). She has helped me so much, in ways I didn’t even know I needed help. I am certain I wouldn’t be the author/person I am today without her love and guidance.

  So, this book is for CJ.

  I will always be thankful to have met you.

  P.S. I’m also so, so thankful to The Cat’s Pajamas for being in my life.

  Prologue

  "I didn't expect to see you on your mating day, princess," Elias taunts as I get to the bottom step and see him resting on the side wall of the cage, crossing his arms. I run my eyes over his pale skin and dark eyes that match his black hair. This is now or never. I don’t have time or a choice anymore. Eli must remember, even if what I’m going to do might kill us both.

  "I had to do this. I'm tired of playing this cat and mouse game with you, Eli. You are mine, and you will remember me," I state, keeping my voice firm as I walk straight up to the cage. His eyes widen as I unlock the door, pulling it open and stepping inside. I leave the door open and chuck the key on the ground before standing right in front of Eli who watches me like the cat I know he is. Though he just doesn’t know I am his equal in every way, and I will never run from him again.

  "That was a bad move, naughty princess," he finally says and pushes up off the bars to walk closer to me. I stay very still as he places both his hands on my cheeks and moves his face inches away from mine.

  "Nothing I do to save you is a bad move, Eli," I reply, gulping as his hands slide down my face and to my neck. I'm not shocked when he spins us around, pushing me against the bars as he tightens his hands on my neck. It's a half-assed attempt to kill me, because deep down, I know he doesn't want to. He knows it too, but he is so lost in the darkness, he can't tell me that. He keeps tightening his hands until I feel like I can’t breathe anymore, but instead of panic, there is just acceptance that if he can kill me, he never truly loved me. I'd die to test what I am sure of.

  His hands tighten further, and I grab his arms as my dragon roars in my mind, begging me to fight for my life, but I won't. Just as black spots enter my vision, tears fall down his cheeks, and I know I have to say something, do something before I pass out and can’t. I call my light in the way I have practised, and it blasts out of me in swirls that twirl themselves around Eli. I see the light out of the corners of my eyes, but I can't look away from him as he lifts me off the ground, putting more pressure on my neck.

  "E-Eli...k-kill me if that is what you n-need to re-remember."

  Chapter 1

  Isola

  “Are you ever going to leave?” Elias asks, his face hidden in the shadows of the room, so I can't really see him as he speaks. His tone is unmistakeable though, so full of hate and disgust for me. It's been four days since I walked into this dungeon, not recognising the man I am in love with. Four days of him trying his best to get me to leave him alone…and none of it has worked, no matter how much it hurts.

  The first day, he didn't stop screaming at me, throwing himself against the bars to try and attack me. Dagan, Thorne and Korbin tried to make me leave, but I know I can't. Not yet. It's easier to face Elias down here than to go upstairs and pretend this isn’t happening. I made myself a vow to save Elias, to make him remember us. I won’t give up on that. The second and third day, he didn’t speak a word as he sat against the wall at the back of the cage, hidden in darkness. I felt like silence was my punishment on those days. I almost missed his screams because it was a sign he was at least paying attention to me. The dripping of water, the distant sounds of people moving around upstairs, and Elias's cold gaze on me were all that existed then. Again, my dragons brought me food and tried to make me leave, but I stayed. I will never give up on any of my mates, and even though Elias is not mated to me yet, he is mine.

  I almost jump when Elias speaks to me for the first time today. His voice is so familiar, so comforting even though the coldness in it is something Elias has never shown me until these last few days. Elias always used to be able to make me relax by simply being there. I hope the fact I’m staying here does the same for him. We soon figured out that Tatarina didn’t only turn Eli against me, she spent her time convincing him that Dagan, Thorne and Korbin are the enemies too. That anyone who sides with the Dragice name is an enemy to the throne, to Tatarina who he believes is his queen. Nothing they have said to him has made a difference in his opinion. Though he doesn’t react when they speak to him, he loses it when I do. I know I am the key to his memory…I just don’t know exactly how to jog it.

  "Never. Not until you remember who I am," I eventually reply, crossing my arms in the cold room. Eli leans forward, an evil smirk on his lips.

  "You are just a lost, forgotten princess who even her daddy didn’t want around. You are no queen, you are barely even a dragon, Isola,” he growls in anger, pulling at the collar on his neck.

  “More hateful words, Eli?” I ask, crossing my arms. “When are you going to learn I love you so much that I won’t ever give up no matter what you say?”

  “When I kill you. That is when you will finally realise how much I hate you.” His words are cruel, making my heart ache as he stands up and walks to the front of the cage. The darkness in his eyes seems to reflect off how pale his skin is. There are black lines crawling down his cheeks from his eyes now, and he looks so thin. The bruises haven't healed on his face and arms from the fight it took to get him here.

  "Do you remember Tatarina killing you?" I ask him, the words feeling painful to even ask him, but I need to ask the difficult questions, or we will get nowhere. She killed my Eli, and I want to hear every detail because I need to know how much pain she deserves when I kill her. He grips the cage bars tightly, locking his eyes on mine as I stand up off the floor. My hands itch to rush to the cage, to hold him because my heart and body doesn’t understand how Eli is different. My mind knows I can’t do that and survive it.

  "My queen would never do that to me," he replies, though his voice slightly wavers. "She told me all about you when I woke up from the magic you used to control me." I almost laugh at the crap Tatarina made up. Eli was never under any magic. He just loved me like I love him, even when curses and the entire world told us it was forbidden.

  "Tatarina would think love is magic...and it is in a way, but it doesn't control you. I never controlled you, Eli. You are Elias Fire. No one could control you, and you chose me," I say, rubbing my heart when I feel a sharp pain. In this moment, I can relate to every woman in all the romance books I’ve read when a guy is breaking her heart. It feels like Eli is destroying me, but I know I can’t give up on him. My Eli is hidden somewhere in the shell in front of me, I just need to find him. No matter what the price. It’s never been easy for us.

  "Lies!" he spits out. "You are nothing but a princess that wants a throne that isn't hers. Tatarina helped me, healed me, and I owe her my loyalty. When I get the chance, I will kill you to pay her back."

  "I don't believe you," I say, walking up to the cage and keeping a good distance away so he can't reach me.

  "Why don't you test it? Come in this cage with me, naughty princess," he taunts. My e
yes widen at the nickname, the one he used to call me. I don’t care that he is using it to call me to my death by his hand, I only care that he remembers it. He glares at me, scratching at his arms as I stand silent, watching him.

  "That isn't happening. Ever," Thorne's cold voice echoes around the dungeon as I turn to see him stood at the bottom of the steps. I was so lost in my shock over Eli’s nickname that I didn’t hear him come in. My dragon didn’t bother to warn me because she has been quiet since we got down here. Eli being like this hurts her too. She thinks of Eli as hers. "Isola, your people need to see you. You need food and decent clothing." I run my eyes over Thorne, his blond hair is brushed neatly to the side, he looks healthy and handsome. His new dragon uniform fits him like a glove, and his long dark blue cloak clipped around his neck with a Dragice crest pin makes him seem almost royal. His clear blue eyes meet mine just before he speaks privately into my mind so Elias cannot hear.

  There is nothing we can do for him right now. Dagan is searching the library for answers, and your uncle is planning the war with Essna. It's important you come and join the meetings. There is news. Come with me and let me help you.

  "I can't leave him, and I trust Essna to run meetings without me. I know nothing of war anyway," I say out loud. I know Thorne is right about me leaving the room, not so much about me attending meetings, though I'm scared if I walk away from Elias, he might try to escape or something.

  "Elias isn't going anywhere, I will make sure of that," Korbin says like he can hear my thoughts and walks around Thorne who briefly nods at him. Korbin looks different in the little time I've been down in this dungeon. His hair is shaved at the sides, the top part spiked up, and he has a dragon guard uniform on that is black with my family crest in the middle of it. Korbin comes up to me, placing his hands on my shoulders over my cloak. "Go and freshen up. Elias will remember, but until then, there is war going on outside of here, and you are the queen. They can't see you broken."

  I sigh, knowing he is right. There is no point to any of this if we don’t win the war, and I can’t win anything if I am lost down here. I need to breathe and be with my other dragons. I can lean on them for only a moment before lifting my head again.

  "Okay," I whisper, leaning up and gently kissing him, hearing Elias’s long growl from right behind me. I turn to see smoke coming off his hands, and the collar is burning his neck as he tries to use his powers. I know jealousy when I see it. My Eli is in there somewhere, fighting to get back to me.

  "Tatarina was right about you sharing your bed with more than one dragon. Why would I have ever been in love with someone like you?" Elias growls, harshly shaking the bars of the cage before giving up to walk back into the shadows of the cage. I know this isn’t my Elias, but his words still burn a hole in my heart that I don't know how to recover from. Korbin kisses my forehead, whispering words of love before I walk to Thorne's side, letting him hold me close as we walk out of here.

  Chapter 2

  Isola

  "My old room...it looks almost untouched since I left here," I say as Thorne opens the door, and I walk in first. Someone has made the bed up, lit three fire lanterns around the room, and placed a plate of mixed food on the end of the bed which has fresh white sheets on it. Bee's tree is gone, making me a little sad because I miss her, and two of the windows are boxed up with cardboard. There’s one window not covered, and I look out to see three dragons flying past, patrolling the academy. The sight of them makes me feel a little safer. I'm sure my uncle and Essna have the place under strict control and monitoring while we wait for Tatarina's attack. The room smells slightly of chicken from the sandwiches and slightly of lavender from a plant someone has put on the bedside table. Surprisingly, my dragon grumbles in my mind, her eyes locked on the food I know she likes the smell of.

  "I spent yesterday fixing it up as best I could. I had to take Bee's tree outside as it had rotted, but everything else was saveable," he tells me as he shuts the door. I turn and wrap my arms around his shoulders, pressing my body into his for the comfort I know Thorne can give me. He knows what it is like to be broken, to love someone who hates them. We were like that once, and we got past it because I knew the depth of my hatred matched the depth of my love for him.

  "Thank you. I needed a bit of home, a bit of something to make this all seem better, and this is perfect," I explain to him.

  I would do anything for you, Issy. Thorne gently whispers in my mind, and my dragon lets out a light purring noise in my head. She has been quiet the last few days, and the tiny amount of emotion I have gotten from her has been nothing but pain over Eli and indecision over what is best for the throne. Everything I am feeling too.

  "Now, eat while I run you a nice bath. Can you do that for me?" Thorne asks, sliding his hand onto my cheek as I smile at him.

  "Yeah, I am pretty hungry, now that you mention it...wait, do I smell that bad too?" I ask, and he laughs.

  "No," he says, but I know him well enough to see through that little white lie. I guess I must smell as I’ve been in a dungeon for four days, only leaving for moments to use a bathroom and go back. I’m still wearing the same shirt and cloak I had on four days ago. I’ve been just existing the last four days, not aware of anything but what Eli was doing.

  "You're lying," I reply, laughing when he winks at me before walking off to the bathroom. I walk over and sit on the bed, practically inhaling all the food as quickly as I can. I am starving because I refused to eat if Elias wouldn’t. The thought makes me pause with a sandwich in my hand and put it back down. I could lose him, and nothing has changed while I was down there with him, at all. He is still stubborn and unrelenting in believing a word I tell him. I used to love that stubbornness about him, whereas now it is nothing but a pain in the ass.

  "The bath is ready," Thorne says, coming out of the bathroom a few moments later. I put the rest of the food down and slowly drink some of the water before getting up.

  "Thank you," I say, stroking his arm as I walk past him to the bathroom, leaving the door slightly open. I turn before stepping in, looking over to see Thorne picking up the tray off the bed. "You won't go anywhere, will you?"

  "Never, Issy. I am just going to put this on the dresser and wait here for you," he tells me, and I feel his worry from our bond. I sense Dagan’s worry as well which, mixed with my own, is difficult. I doubt any of us will be feeling much more than that emotion until this war is over.

  "Thanks," I mutter, not liking how vulnerable I am at the moment, but I’m glad it’s Thorne that sees it rather than someone I don’t trust. I don't know when I started needing to have my mates around me, but everything with Elias and the war is making me want to hold them close.

  Save our mates… my dragon hisses in my mind before leaving once again, leaving me stood in the middle of the room with a tear streaming down my cheek. I close the bathroom door before Thorne can see the tear and I look over at the deep bath which has sprinkles of rose petals in the water. Smelling a sweet scent in the air from the steam rising off the bath, I wipe the tear away and sigh. After pulling off my cloak, I fold it and leave it on the sink. I pull the shirt and knickers I’m wearing off, piling them next to the cloak before getting into the bath. The dirt and blood on my skin are difficult to scrub off, but I manage before finally washing my hair. After I'm clean, I get out the bath and dry off before brushing my hair which falls to the middle of my chest now. It's so long now, and I think I like it this way. I keep one towel wrapped around me as I leave the bathroom, leaning on the door as I look at my mate on the bed. He is lying down, reading a book, and doesn’t notice me for a moment. When he does, his eyes widen, and he puts the book down.