Page 11 of The Uncrowned King (The Bastard Duology #2)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Every step that led Derek away from Ash was a step closer to the truth. At least, he hoped that was the case. He had found a certain kinship with the tomte, and it was difficult to walk away from it. Especially since Derek didn’t know what—if anything—awaited him.

Would it be death? Was there someone he had shared his life with? Was it the woman he kept seeing in his dreams? Did he have other family? Siblings, perhaps? Friends?

Enemies?

Ash’s words came back to him then.

“You’ve been given a second chance. For some, that means starting fresh. You could live among mortals without them ever knowing who you really are. No one would blame you if you wanted to forget about the dragons, war, and the Star People.”

It was tempting to set aside all the questions, but he wouldn’t be able to do it for long. He had an itch within him. Like scratching at a scab. He had to find the answers. Even if he didn’t like what he uncovered.

So, he kept walking east, all the while hoping he would one day return to share another cup of tea with Ash.

During his trek, Derek skirted villages and homes and kept his pace quick. Once the sun set, he shifted and spread his wings. He loved the feeling of the wind as it caressed his scales. He soared high to blend into the inky night, scanning the horizon. But he saw no sign of other dragons. He scanned the ground, mapping out the terrain and location of the cities in his mind. Just in case.

Maybe it was something he had always done. It certainly felt like an action a warrior would take. What did being a warrior feel like? He couldn’t answer that. Hopefully, he knew since he was potentially about to face off against enemies.

As he flew toward the dragons’ land, a feeling of unease grew. Nothing felt right. But it was where he belonged. Ash had said he could blend in with the mortals, but he couldn’t. Not really. Derek couldn’t imagine spending the rest of his life in his human form, foregoing the shape of his true self. And that was exactly what he would have to do to blend in.

There was only one place for him. One place he could be who he was without judgment or condemnation. If they let him return.

Derek covered five times as much ground in the air as he had on foot. It was an hour before dawn when he soared over a mountain range. He spotted a city built into the side of the mountain. He barely spared the forest a glance once he sensed the wall of magic up ahead. There was no denying the dragon magic. He had found the border.

He didn’t get close. Not yet. Derek dipped a wing and turned south. He kept the border to his left until he sailed over a great body of water. He swung around once more. This time, he flew closer to the barrier. His journey took him over a canyon the border divided in two. The chasm eventually gave way to another forest and then another mountain range. After that, it was wild grassland that eventually turned into hills of sand.

Was one place better than another to cross over? Derek turned to fly back over ground he had already covered. He hadn’t gone far when he looked to his left and spotted a dragon. Nay, many dragons. Some were perched on the mountains while others flew around and between the peaks. The first rays of sunlight broke the horizon and lit their scales. He stared in awe at the various colors. One of them could be a friend.

Or an enemy.

He almost went to them but changed his mind when he spotted a much larger dragon ahead, flying alone beside the border. Unlike the group he’d just seen, this one was only one color. The sea green scales contrasted starkly with the gray morning sky.

For reasons Derek didn’t understand, he immediately dove into the forest. He tucked his wings to get beneath the cover of the canopy before the dragon spotted him. The trees were heavy with branches that scraped against his scales. Limbs tore off with a groan, followed by snapping and popping noises. Derek shifted in midair. There was no elegant landing this time. He plummeted to the ground, slamming into branches that twisted and flipped him. His hands groped for purchase and finally managed to grab hold of a smaller branch. Derek found himself dangling above the ground by one hand.

He let go and landed with bent knees, then looked back at the damage he’d done. He winced. His crash had been deafening to his ears. Had the sea green dragon heard it? Derek waited to see if anyone approached, but there was no sign of anyone.

The bark of the tree bit into Derek’s bare back as he leaned against it. It bothered him that he had hidden at the sight of the lone dragon. Had Derek subconsciously recognized him? Remaining hidden wouldn’t uncover any of the answers he yearned for. But did he want to immediately tangle with a potential opponent?

“This isn’t where I thought I’d find you.”

Derek stiffened at the sound of Miena’s voice behind him. She came around the tree, plucking petals off a yellow flower. Her dark hair was parted down the middle and hung around her in a thick curtain. This time, she had chosen a peach gown. The long-sleeved top was sheer lace, showing her dark nipples. The plunging neckline emphasized her full breasts as the V tapered to just above her navel. The flowy, white skirt had a peach floral pattern and stopped at her calves to show black boots. Dark green fabric matching the leaves on the skirt wrapped around her waist several times and tied at the side so the ends fell against the skirt.

“Do you like?” she asked as she held out her arms and turned in a circle.

Derek shrugged. “Sure.”

She huffed, her arms dropping against her legs. “Not exactly what I was going for.”

He became acutely aware of her gaze centered on his groin. Derek immediately clothed himself.

Her brows raised, and her lips tightened. “You hurt my feelings.”

“Your dress is fine. What is it you want?”

She flicked her fingers to the side, and Derek flew through the air, slamming into a tree before being jerked back, only to crash into another. He hit the ground, and pain radiated through him. His body promptly began to heal. He rose up on his forearm and scowled at Miena.

“That’s the last warning you’ll get,” she informed him, her attention back on plucking the flower’s petals. “I deserve respect. I saved you, after all.”

Derek had detected her power and suspected he had only gotten a taste of what she could dole out. If that was a taste, he didn’t want to feel the full force of her magic. He climbed to his feet and dusted himself off.

“I assume you found what you needed since you’re finally here,” she said as if she hadn’t tossed him around like a leaf.

He scrutinized her in the silence. When she pinned him with her green eyes, he dipped his chin in affirmation.

“Good.” She tossed what was left of the flower aside. “Just what I wanted to hear. What’s your plan?”

“Cross the border.”

“And then?” She made a sound at the back of her throat when he didn’t answer right away. “Surely, you have more of a plan than that.”

Derek raked his hands through his hair, pulling out a broken stick. “You’ve not given me much.”

“I gave you all you needed to know. Go after the Kings.”

“How many are there?”

She sighed loudly, irritation crossing her face. “It doesn’t matter. You can take all of them.”

“I couldn’t before.”

“Trust me. You can now.”

He glanced through the trees toward the border. “Why are you sending me? You could easily remove them.”

“You’re right. I could,” she stated with a haughty grin. “The Kings didn’t wrong me. They wronged you . And while I enjoy…meddling with subordinates, I refrain.”

Derek didn’t buy a single word of it. If she was all she claimed to be, nothing would stand in the way of her doing whatever she wanted. There was more to the story.

“You aren’t going to take my word for it, are you?” she asked in a flat tone.

“Nay.”

She briefly turned her head away and blew out a breath. “I’d hoped I wouldn’t have to tell you this part, but it seems you aren’t going to leave things alone.”

“Tell me what?” he pushed.

A pained expression tightened her face. “You were…with someone. A female you loved. Your…mate.”

An image of the faceless woman who haunted his dreams filled his mind.

“She was protecting her eggs when a hellhound came upon her. They fought. The hellhound destroyed the eggs. And when your mate went after her, the Kings stopped her, choosing to protect the hellhound.”

Derek’s legs were unsteady beneath him. He grabbed the tree to hold himself upright. He waffled between outrage and disbelief.

“Your mate didn’t relent. That’s when…well, that’s when the Kings killed her.”

The world began to spin. Derek opened his mouth to suck in air, but his lungs refused to let any in. Miena was suddenly beside him. He saw her lips moving but no longer heard her. His mate had been killed. The eggs… He dug his fingers into the bark and felt talons sprout, sinking deep into the wood.

The moment Miena had mentioned the eggs, something snapped in him. He knew she spoke the truth. He had helped guard them. He had run his hands over them. That, combined with the woman he kept seeing, meant it was real.

“Do you understand why I told you to kill any hellhound you come across? It could be the one who murdered your children.”

If he did find a hellhound, he would kill it. The entire species would pay for taking his family from him. He turned toward the dragons’ land. And the Kings? They would get what they deserved.

He shook off Miena’s hands and started toward the border. She called his name, but he ignored her and kept walking. Derek shifted before reaching the barrier and striding through it. His gaze lifted, waiting for the sea green dragon to appear. None came. Derek launched himself into the air and happened to glance back at Miena to find her standing within the forest, a smile on her face.

That probably should have bothered him more than it did, but he was being ripped in half by grief. Anguish this deep and painful had to be real. He had lost more than his memories. He had lost his mate and family.

Derek flew along the border, looking for another patrol. He grinned when he saw the morning sun glinting off sea green scales ahead of him. He flew faster, his focus locked on his target as he soared higher. When he was directly over the dragon, Derek tucked his wings and dove, talons at the ready.

The dragon jerked away at the last second. Derek spread his wings and beat them furiously to gain height once more. He turned to look for his foe when something slammed into him. Derek found himself staring into his opponent’s eyes. They each grabbed hold of each other, clawing and ripping as they hovered in the air.

Until something barreled into them.

The sea green dragon let out a roar of pain. Derek couldn’t even manage that. His body had gone stiff. Wind howled around him as he plummeted, scanning the sky for what had attacked him. The only thing he saw before he hit the ground was the sea green dragon falling with him.