Agni paced slowly, his footsteps echoing through the room. He finally stopped and stared into the glass chamber that held Prince Zane's body.

The Enforcers had destroyed what had been left of the abandoned military hospital, hoping to eliminate all evidence of the Dragon Prince along with it, but the magic that protected him was too strong. The glass hadn't even cracked. So, to avoid causing panic or a possible uprising, they had moved Zane to Cadmus Fortress in the dead of night, keeping him locked up in an empty chamber.

"I bet you think you're so clever," Agni said through clenched teeth, looking up into the lifeless eyes of the Dragon Prince. Then, he laughed. "It was a good attempt, trying to conceal yourself in the body of another... but not good enough."

The king stood there, as if he was waiting for a response. When he got none, he started to pace again. He had become increasingly restless lately, plagued by nightmares of losing his kingdom to the Dragon Prince and the rebels.

With a cry of rage, he struck the glass with all his might, causing a large crack to form. He shook his hand out, throbbing from the shock the protective magic had given him, and watched the glass repair itself.

"How dare you?" he shouted at the soulless body. "You've ruined everything! You and your stupid Dragons... I'll seek you out and destroy you all!"

Agni sat down in a chair, the only piece of furniture in the otherwise empty room, directly in front of the containment chamber. He had lost count of how many nights he'd spent just sitting there, glaring at the Draconian prince.

"You're not the only one with plans, you know," he said with a sinister grin. "I didn't blackmail the Dragons into staging my brother's death just to have everything fall out from under me. Draconia will be mine. And after that, the rest of the kingdoms will fall at my feet, begging for mercy, starting with Anzino. I'll rule this whole continent, and then I'll move on to the rest of the world."

He let out an exasperated sigh when there was a knock on the door. One of Agni's guards opened the door, and Soren entered, looking pale and tired. His grey eyes stood out harshly against the dark circles around them. Agni wasn't surprised though. He hadn't given Soren any healing magic in over a week.

"What do you want?" Agni asked, turning his focus back to Zane. "Can't you see we're busy?"

"Forgive me, Sire," Soren said, bowing to the king. "I only came to tell to that we finally found Experiment Number Seven."

Agni rolled his eyes and turned back to Soren. They had already found Experiment Number Seven once, and Soren had let him slip away with the rebel Dragons.

"And? Where is he?"

"Probably writhing on his back in an alley somewhere. I ran him through, giving him a heavy dose of the poison we developed. If he's not dead yet, he will be."

"It seems he put up a bit of a fight," Agni noted, seeing Soren's bloody arm. It was no wonder why the Enforcer had come to him. He was probably itching for some Draíocht—he rarely bothered Agni otherwise. "What about the rebels?"

"We killed three squads, and my Enforcers are planning to invade Draconia as we speak, You Highness."

"Do you remember why I hired you to lead the Enforcers?"

"Sire?"

"You were pathetic. Nothing but a Draconian rat, scouring the streets, doing anything for anyone, just to get a taste of some Draíocht."

Soren didn't say anything, but he swallowed hard and clenched his fists, and Agni knew he'd hit a nerve. Good. He got satisfaction out of knowing that this Dragon was at his mercy, and reminding Soren of his debt. It was an easy way to keep the Draconian in line.

"You were what, maybe twenty-three at the time? I found you in the bedchamber of one of my lieutenants. You were letting him torture you with small doses of the healing magic in exchange for... favors. Do you remember?"

Of course Soren remembered. How could he not? Agni had found him lying on the floor, naked and bleeding from the countless wounds on his body, where the lieutenant had stabbed him with a syringe. Once he'd gotten tired of the game, he'd intended to kill Soren, and Agni had walked in on the whole thing.

"I owe you my life, King Agni," Sore said curtly, bowing low. He averted his gaze, but Agni could see the angry tears in his eyes. Good. He knew who he was dealing with.

"You owe me your life for more than that," Agni said as he stood up in front of the Enforcer. He was taller and more muscular than Soren, and he knew he was intimidated by him. "As a Draconian, you would be Cleansed the moment you left my service. I am the only thing standing between you and a painful death."

"I'm already dying a painful death," Soren muttered under his breath. Agni narrowed his eyes and tapped his foot, thinking.

"Come with me," he said, passing Soren and heading out into the corridor.

It was much brighter and more cheerful than the dark, cold stone room where Zane was being kept. Their footsteps were muffled by thick, lush red carpets, and the entire corridor was lit by torches that lines the walls, keeping it warm and cozy. In the spaces on the walls between each torch, there were paintings of previous kings and queens... those who had come before Agni. Some places were bare—they had once help portraits of the Dragons who had ruled Draconia alongside Cadmus, and Agni had ordered them all to be removed, along with the portrait of his brother.

Soren followed in silence, his head hung down. He always got that way when Agni brought up his past and his addiction to Draíocht. Agni loved to use it against him... every dose of healing magic putting him deeper in debt to the king. As a Draconian, vowing his allegiance to the Human king to betray his own people was the lowest point in Soren's life, and Agni knew it.

He brought Soren to the infirmary, where a doctor was already waiting with Soren's scheduled doses of Draíocht. Agni couldn't afford to have soldiers who couldn't function, but he also couldn't afford to not have at least one Draconian on his side. So, they had spent years trying to slowly wean Soren off of the healing magic. He was finally down to two syringes of it, once a day, and Agni knew he'd need something else to keep him in line.

The king leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, watching Soren as he sat on the examination table. The doctor gave a quick bow to the king before attending to Soren's wounded arm.

The entire time, Agni could see Soren's eyes locked on the syringes of Draíocht.

"Tell me something," Agni said, narrowing his eyes at the Enforcer. "What were the terms upon which you entered my service?"

Soren eyed the doctor, who was working on stitching up his arm, then back to Agni.

"You're free to speak here," Agni told him, but Soren still hesitated. "It's perfectly fine. Doctor Acwel here was the one who pronounced my brother dead."

"I took over as the Lead Enforcer to stage the death of Anguis and initiate the Cleansing, to rid the kingdom of all Dragons. The priority was to locate and kill Queen Maeve and Prince Zane, the last of the royal family, so there would be no heir, allowing Draconia to be taken over as an extension of Cadmus. In return, I serve you until you no longer require my services. After that, I'll be allowed to live in Cadmus as long as I remain loyal to the kingdom and in Human form, protected from being Cleansed."

"And the Dragon Prince is dead?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Soren said, eyeing the Draíocht again. "I told you, I ran him through with my blade and poisoned him. If the injury doesn't kill him, the poison will."

Agni could see that he was becoming restless, letting his addiction control him. He thought about taking all the Draíocht away as punishment, but Agni had no use for Soren if he couldn't function. Soren, being an ex-soldier of Draconia, was a valuable asset to Cadmus and the Enforcers, but Agni still needed to be the one in control.

"Only one dose," Agni told the doctor. He took one of the syringes off the counter and pocketed it.

Soren's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped, but he said nothing. A smirk crept onto Agni's face as he left Soren there with only half of the Draíocht he'd expected.

"You can have the rest once you've destroyed what's left of Draconia," Agni called out as he left the infirmary.

Agni was restless all that week, tossing and turning and kicking his sheets away in frustration. Everything felt too hot and stifling. The only reason he even bothered to stay in bed, instead of sitting in the chamber that held Prince Zane, was because his doctors had begged him to get some rest and stay on a regular schedule for his health.

Giving up on his attempt to sleep one night, Agni got up and paced his room for a while. Soren and his Enforcers had left three days earlier to take over what was left of Castle Draconia.

With the Dragons' kingdom in his grasp, and Experiment Number Seven dead, Zane's body would be the trophy of his victory. Agni would become a legend... The Dragon Conquerer... the king who brought down the Dragons... King Agni, the Dragon Slayer... If he could take down the largest, most powerful creatures in the world, all others would kneel before him. Faeries, Vampires, Werewolves, Elves... all of them would belong to him.

***

"Hey," Ezekiel said, sitting beside Kenric on the stone staircase outside of the castle. He let out a long breath as he pulled his cloak tightly around his shoulders. "How long are you gonna sit out here in the snow? Are you all right?"

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"I'm fine," Kenric stated, staring out at Anzino. The streets were lined with bright lanterns, shining like stars in the night, especially against the dark stone that made up all the buildings.

"You're lying."

It was disconcerting to see Kenric in such a state. The cool and calm leader that Ezekiel knew seemed nowhere to be found, replaced by this impostor, full of despair and rage. He hadn't even gone to the infirmary, blood still covering the side of his face. Unsure of what could be said or done to bring back the Kenric he knew, Ezekiel just stayed there beside him, waiting.

"This is all my fault," Kenric said, after what seemed like hours. Ezekiel had used his power to keep the bitter wind and snow from biting at their skin, but he couldn't make the air around them any warmer. Kenric shivered. "I knew you were going to go into Cadmus as soon as I told you not to, and I let it happen anyway. I put you all in terrible danger, because I didn't think much would come of it. I allowed this to happen, and it cost us nine lives... two more if Theron and Blaise don't pull through."

Before Ezekiel could respond, a guard exited the castle. She had the crest of Anzino, a bright blue hand, carved by magic into the breastplate of her dark armor. The metal was almost as black as the rest of the kingdom.

As Ezekiel and Kenric stood to face her, she bowed to them. When she straightened her back, she opened the door she had just come through, gesturing for them to follow.

"King Nero will see you now."

They followed her through Arnaldo Castle in silence. It wasn't really what Ezekiel expected when he heard the word "castle," though. There were no rugs, no portraits of the royal family or their predecessors, no suits of armor or trophies of the king's triumphs... nothing but black stone, sparkling with bits of magic crystals embedded within. It was like walking through the night sky.

The throne room was also dark and bare, save for one thing. Bright blue magic was carved into the stone, outlining and creating elaborate designs on and around the king's throne. They found themselves being stared down by the king's bright silver eyes... two moons in the night sky that was Arnaldo Castle.

Kenric knelt before the king, but he didn't put his fist over his heart, as most royalty required. Instead, he held his hands up, his palms facing the king of Anzino.

"Do as I do," Kenric's voice echoed through Ezekiel's mind. He let out a small gasp of pain, clutching his forehead. Kenric's presence was unwanted... an invasion of his privacy. Was this how Blaise felt with Zane in his head? "The Arnaldo's have a long, dark history with magic, and those who abuse its power. So, it's customary for those with it to show their hands to the king, as proof that they mean no harm."

With a scowl, and a ball of frustrated reluctance in his chest, Ezekiel did as he was told, bowing with his palms to King Nero.

"Stay out of my head," he hissed at Kenric, who only hushed him. They stayed in their place, waiting for the king to address them. Ezekiel thought they must have been kneeling their for hours, his arms aching to be let down.

Finally, Nero sat up and snapped his fingers. As he did, torches all around them were lit, flooding the throne room with light before the king finally spoke.

"Anzino will gladly aid those from Draconia seeking refuge. My personal guard is caring for your comrades who have been injured, and others have been sent to Cadmus to care for your fallen."

Nero stood, moving down the steps to close the distance between himself and them. He was much bigger than Ezekiel had expected. Many magic users didn't bother with physical training, relying mostly on their powers... but the king clearly cared about his physical state as well as his spiritual one. He could feel the king's gaze on him, but he kept his head bowed.

"I do, however," the king said, "have one small question for you."

"What is it, King Nero?" Kenric asked, raising his head but keeping his palms exposed to the king. Nero stared him down with a hard expression, deep lines in his face around his frown.

"Why is my brother dead and buried in Draconia?"

"Sire?"

With a powerful wave of his arm, Nero conjured a powerful burst of strange orange magic that threw Kenric back.

Ezekiel winced at the sound of Kenric's back slamming onto the stone floor, but he didn't more from where he knelt before the king. Part of it was because he didn't want to cause a scene, but mostly he was just paralyzed with fear. Nero Arnaldo came from a long bloodline of powerful magic users. Ezekiel didn't dare to pick a fight with him.

"My brother!" Nero shouted, his fists clenched. He didn't go after Kenric again, but anger radiated off him like flames. "Daemon Arnaldo, the previous King of Anzino, and the founder and caretake of Cadmus Orphanage! Why is my twin brother dead in your kingdom?"

Kenric sat up with a groan, rubbing his back. Once he had recovered, he bowed to Nero again, keeping his hands exposed. The last thing anyone needed was to become enemies with the most powerful kingdom outside of Cadmus and Draconia.

"Forgive me, Your Highness," Kenric said quietly, bowing his head. "He was a victim of King Agni's league of Enforcers."

"Why was he involved with the Enforcers at all?"

Ezekiel, remembering a conversation he'd overheard between Blaise and Theron about Cadmus Orphanage, let out a small gasp.

"Blaise," he said under his breath.

"What was that?" Nero asked, leaning in to hear him better, and Ezekiel clamped his mouth shut. He hadn't meant to say anything at all.

"Your Majesty, please," Kenric said, pulling Nero's attention away from Ezekiel. "We tried to save him, but the Draconians have no cure for the Enforcers' poison. He succumbed to its effects in less than a day. I'm sorry, Sire. Had we known he was your brother, we would have—"

"I'm not concerned about where he's been buried," Nero interrupted, holding his hand up to silence Kenric. "I'm more interested in the matter of why he died at the hands of the Enforcers, seeing as my brother was not a Dragon."

"No, King Nero, but he was protecting a Dragon... one of the orphans."

"I see..."

Nero fell silent, pacing in front of them. But Ezekiel was growing restless—he wanted to be with his friends.

"When can we see Blaise and Theron?" he whispered to Kenric, who only hushed him again.

"I trust that my brother was well cared for, both leading up to and after his death?" Nero questioned. He was much calmer than before as he stopped pacing in front of them.

"Yes, Your Highness," Kenric replied. "We did what we could to make him comfortable in the hours before his death, and he was given a proper burial, in honor of so many who don't even have a grave."

"Good," Nero said with a nod, going back to his throne. "Please, leave me now. Noira will take you to the infirmary."

"This way," Noira said. She was the guard who had led them into King Nero's throne room before. "Please keep your hands up until we have left King Nero's presence."

Ezekiel bit his tongue as he followed Noira and Kenric out of the throne room. Why was Nero so afraid of magic? Weren't the Arnaldos the only magical people in Anzino? What had the Dragons ever done to him?

"You've got a lot to learn, kid," Kenric said when they were out in the corridor. He lowered his arms with a sigh, rubbing his shoulder. "King Nero's story is one of ultimate betrayal by magic users. You can't blame him for the way he feels. The Arnaldos aren't the only magic users in Anzino, just the only ones born with it. There are many other mages running loose in this kingdom... not all of them looking out for its best interests."

Ezekiel remained quiet, not that it mattered. His thoughts and feelings were easily accessible to Kenric, if he really wanted to know them. The silence between them was broken by the sound of shattering glass.

"Keep ya filthy hands off o' me! I ain't no lab rat!"

Kenric and Ezekiel shared a look of concern before rushing to the infirmary with Noira. Blaise was cornered in the room, surrounded by nurses and doctors who were carefully keeping their distance.

Blaise's torso was wrapped tightly with gauze that was stained with fresh blood, most likely from moving around too much with such a deep wound. Each time someone tried to get closer to him, he would grab an item off the counter and throw it at them.

Next to the bed where Blaise should have been resting, two nurses were attending to a doctor who lay unconscious on the floor, blood on his face from a gash in his brow. In another bed, Theron still lay unconscious, and Phoenyx was in a chair beside him, looking on in horror.

"I said stay away!" Blaise threw a microscope at the group, who all scattered out of its way as it hit the floor, smashing into pieces. The doctor who ran the infirmary looked to Kenric with wide, helpless eyes.

"We can't get your friend under control. He's destroying everything!"

"Let me handle it," Kenric said, putting a strong hand on Ezekiel's shoulder. "Go check on Phoenyx and Theron for me."

As Kenric approached cautiously, Blaise snarled at him, flashing sharp fangs that were stained red with his own blood. He was somewhere between his Human and Zane's Dragon form, but seemed either too wound up or too drugged up on Draíocht to control it or even notice. His fingers had extended into long, talon-like appendages, and dark smoke poured from his nose with each heavy breath.

"Just get away, ya hear me?" Blaise hurled a tray of medical tools at Kenric when he tried to move closer, and then he overturned an examination table, creating a barrier between himself and everyone else. "Don't none of ya be touchin' me with no needles or nothin'!"

"What's wrong with him?" Kenric asked one of the nurses. She was shaking terrible as on of the other nurses attended to her injury. She had a scalpel sticking out of her arm.

"He's got a terrible fever," one of the others answered. "As soon as he woke up, he went mad."

"Just leave me alone! I don't want nothin' to do with you or any more o' your experiments!"

"Blaise, hold on..." Kenric approached slowly, keeping his hands up in case he needed to protect himself. "You're not yourself—you're sick, and they're trying to help. Don't you remember what happened?"

"Of course I remember!" Blaise began digging through drawers and cabinets, presumably looking for more things to throw. "Y'all put this Dragon inside me!"

"We didn't do that. Blaise. That's not what happened."

"Oh, yeah? Then explain this!" Blaise tore off his bandages, revealing his bloody wound from the Enforcers blade, but he was talking about the long scar that ran from his throat all the way down to his navel. "I know what you're doin', and I ain't gonna have no part in it no more!"

"Blaise..." Kenric took a deep breath as he stepped around the overturned table. "That was a long time ago. Those people are never going to hurt you again. We're your friends."

"You ain't no friends of mine," Blaise snarled. He ripped a drawer right off it's tracks and tossed it at him. It was reduced to splinters as it collided with the wall behind Kenric. "Stay away from me!"

"No, Blaise. You're out of control."

"Just leave me be!"

"I didn't want to do this..." Kenric sighed, lifting his hand, palm facing Blaise, who pressed his back against the wall, baring his fangs.

"What're you doin'? You ain't able to read my mind!"

"I don't have to read it."

Kenric took a deep breath through his nose and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the green of his irises had changed into swirling pools of color.

As soon as they made eye contact, Blaise's eyes changed too, mirroring Kenric's. Blaise dug his claws into the counter and growled, struggling to break free of Kenric's power over his mind and body.

"Get outta my head!"

As Blaise shouted, his eyes started to glow bright red. Whatever power it was, it overwhelmed Kenric's—it was his turn to fall prey to mind control. A small gasp escaped Kenric's lips as his eyes reflected Blaise's instead, and they both collapsed.