The Lost Dragon (The Dragon Hunters Book 1) Read online

  Cassandra laughed. “Sure, let’s go.”

  From high atop the roof of the palace, Jarel stood and watched Andreas and Cassandra go back into the palace.

  “Hmn, it seems to me that you’re trying to do my job.”

  Jarel turned and as usual was struck by the indescribable beauty of the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. The blonde haired goddess stood dressed in a pale pink gown made specifically to show off the perfect, curved figure of the goddess, and showed off quite a bit of cleavage. Her crystal blue eyes sparked with amusement as she stood before him.

  “What are you talking about, Aphrodite?” Jarel asked, feigning ignorance.

  Aphrodite gave off a musical laugh. “Don’t play coy with me. Now I know why you haven’t been answering my summons lately.”

  Jarel inwardly rolled his eyes. Yeah, that’s why I’m not answering you. It has nothing to do with the fact that you irritate the living hell out of me. No, I’m ignoring you to set my son up with a woman, which would be a colossal waste of my time. This woman gives blondes everywhere a bad name.

  “Anyway,” Aphrodite continued. “I would say you made a good choice, but you and I both know the problem with this situation.”

  Jarel raised an eyebrow in question. “Oh? And what’s that?”

  “I may be blonde, but I’m far from stupid. Your son is still pining for his human lover. He could never give himself over to anyone else, not for anything serious. For most of his life, he has wandered while blindly following your orders. He’s had no meaningful relationships, never being with anyone for anything other than physical release. He’s a lost soul, missing his other half and happiness doesn’t await him in this life, it seems.”

  Jarel narrowed his eyes. “You’re beginning to grate on my nerves, woman.”

  Aphrodite waved him off. “What else is new? I’ve been doing that for ages, literally.”

  Jarel sighed. “Don’t you have anything better to do, like bother your husband?”

  Aphrodite laughed again. “Hephaestus is locked away in that forge banging on metal again. Besides, I’m here for the dinner party.”

  Jarel snorted. “Whatever. I need to get this party started now anyway. All of the guests have arrived. Do me a favor and try not to ruin the evening for me anymore than it already is.”

  “As if I could. But I’ll be on my best behavior. See ya!” She vanished.

  Jarel rubbed his eyes. “Why in the hell must I be cursed to deal with her?”

  Nine

  Andreas led Cassandra into Jarel's very large throne room. The room was crowded with guests, most servants of the Black Dragon God. On the throne, raised slightly above the rest of the room, sat Jarel. On the stairs to his right sat Aphrodite. On the left sat a dark haired woman and blond haired man.

  These two were no ordinary couple. At first look, Cassandra noticed only the unworldly beauty of both. Upon closer inspection, you could see the strong resemblance in the two, despite the contrast in hair and skin color. The woman was paler, and frankly looked a lot like Cassandra. There was animal fur lining her light purple chiton and around her neck was a silver necklace with a crescent moon shaped pendant hanging from it. Her eyes were a light hazel brown and her long hair was tied back into a ponytail. The blond haired man, on the other hand, had darker skin, obviously bronzed from the sun. His blond hair was cut short, and his eyes were a bright sky blue. His face was smooth and hairless, giving him a youthful appearance. There was no mistaking these infamous twins.

  "That's Artemis and Apollo," Cassandra stated.

  Andreas nodded. "We'd better make our way to them. They may wish to see you."

  "Oh, this should be loads of fun," she said sarcastically.

  Andreas patted her arm. "Do try not to offend them. They are still gods."

  "Yeah, yeah, let's just get it over with."

  Andreas lead her through the room and stopped just before the stairs to the throne. A smirk appeared on his father's face.

  "Apollo, meet Cassandra Odele, your latest descendant."

  Apollo turned those piercing blue eyes on Cassandra. "It was my understanding that the Odele children always came in pairs. Where is your brother?"

  Artemis hit Apollo on the shoulder. "You're an idiot, what kind of greeting is that?" She turned to Cassandra. "You'll have to forgive him. He's been a pompous ass since the day Zeus made him the god of the sun."

  Cassandra smiled while Aphrodite and Jarel laughed outright. Apollo rubbed his arm and glared at his sister.

  "Anyway," Artemis went on. "What he really meant to do was apologize for not coming to you personally. He was quite caught up with other matters. But if you don't mind me asking, where is your brother?"

  Cassandra's smile faded. "I haven't a clue. I assume he's dead."

  Artemis turned to Jarel. "Would you know?"

  Jarel shook his head. "I can tell you that Kalos took him, but as far as what he's done with him, I haven't the slightest. There's a god shielding him."

  "This means if you hadn’t intervened, she’d probably have been captured too." Artemis looked at Apollo. "Really, brother, you're a piece of work. You passed down only the art of healing."

  Apollo scowled. "Healers are always needed. And she is not completely defenseless."

  Artemis rolled her eyes. "What's she supposed to do in a head on attack, throw herbs at them? Maybe make them go into a fit of sneezing? Or maybe she can chant them to death?"

  "She has a vast knowledge of all herbs, not just healing ones," Apollo argued.

  "With no way to use them against her enemies. What's she supposed to do, invite Kalos in for tea laced with poison? I'm sure that'll work, seeing that Kalos only likes the taste of blood. Oh wait, maybe when Kalos comes for her, she should ingest some kind of poison that lingers in her blood so when he decides to sample her before offering her up to Cronus, he'll die too. Idiot." Artemis stood and walked down the few stairs to stand before Cassandra, or more accurately, tower over her. "Since he's got a brain the size of a flea, I will give you a gift." The goddess removed her necklace and placed it around Cassandra's neck.

  "Thank you." Cassandra touched the necklace with her hand. "I feel a strangely soothing energy coming from this."

  Artemis smiled. "That is no ordinary necklace. You are family, and despite what my brother thinks, I believe a girl should be able to defend herself. No offense to your striking bodyguard here, but I don't trust the male side of the species; testosterone clouds their judgment. So, this necklace is a weapon, dearest. When you're in need, you'll know how to use it."

  Cassandra's surprise was apparent, and she had no words to give the goddess. Artemis continued to smile as she returned to her seat beside her brother. Apollo, however, stood up and went down to Cassandra.

  "Perhaps I have made an error with your family. The male side may have my protective instincts towards their sisters, and my offensive abilities, but it would seem that leaving the healing all to the female side is not the best course. As such, I will change the tradition to give you more freedom to choose your strengths." Apollo touched the necklace and a sun pendant appeared beside the moon. "You are under my protection as well. This boosts the power of Artemis’ gift, and will also aid in your healing. The powers of these pendants can only be used by you and your children. I also impart this knowledge to you as well: I have not been as selfish as you've thought. I am normally not allowed to interact with your line directly by order of Hera. This is the first time since your line began that I have been allowed to speak with one of you.” Apollo gave Cassandra a rare smile before he turned to walk away.

  Jarel cleared his throat. "Now, I'd like to have a moment alone with Cassandra, please."

  The god and goddesses took the hint to join the other guests, though Apollo hesitated briefly before complying, giving her an unreadable glance.

  "Come find me when you're done," Andreas told Cassandra quietly before he, too, departed.

  Jarel waived her forward to sit b
eside his throne. "I gather that this was a surprise to you?"

  "Of course. I mean, I never thought of them as having feelings. This just leaves me--"

  "Confused?" Jarel finished for her. "The Olympians are vain, petty, and generally selfish, but every now and then, they show a hint of maturity. I was quite surprised to see them here myself."

  Cassandra remained silent.

  "Anyway, has my son informed you of Kalos' true goal?" Jarel asked.

  She nodded. "But even with the potency of Apollo's blood in my veins, can I truly be enough to resurrect Cronus?'

  "I'm afraid I must be blunt with this matter. You cannot be taken by Kalos."

  "I understand that."

  Jarel sighed. "This will be hard for you. You cannot trust anyone in the mortal world, save the protection I've given you. I have given you the best I can in Andreas and my two grandsons, but you must help in this."

  "But what can I do?" Cassandra asked. "I'm only a healer."

  "Knowledge is power, my dear, so allow me to impart a bit of it to you: Kalos loves to play mind games. He will use every tactic to get to you. If your brother is still alive, he'll use him too. You must face the possibility of your brother being a tool against you. He may be dead, or he may have been turned. If turned, it could have warped his mind, we can't know for sure. So if you see him, do not trust him. If you receive an offer to give yourself up in exchange for his safe return, assume that it is a lie. Even if your brother is alive, Kalos wouldn't give him up. I know you love your brother. I understand like few others the love between twins, for I have my own twin brother. But you cannot let that love blind you to reality. The reality is, Kalos needs you to achieve his goals."

  "I understand," Cassandra said quietly.

  "Good." Jarel looked out over the room. "It warms my heart to have people here together, without conflict in the room. It makes me happiest to see my children finally enjoying themselves. They've had so little time over the years to just sit here and enjoy the peace of their home."

  "Are their lives really that chaotic?" Cassandra asked.

  "Only because they choose for it to be so," Jarel replied. "My children have choices. Though always bound to my service, they are not kept from having lives. I encourage them to go out and find their soul mates and in some cases, they've already found them, but lost them. My children are all dragons, quite literally. They are fiercely loyal and honorable. And that generally affords them only one true mate. The quest to find that mate has been long and hard, and I fear they have given up hope. If they find their mate, they are free to settle down and start families. I will not require them to travel any more to do my work. If trouble brews in their chosen area, I expect them to react in accordance with my laws, but otherwise they may live in peace. They can choose to live here or in the mortal world. My ultimate goal for them all is to see them with their true soul mates. I want them happy and at peace."

  "So how many children do you have? All of these can't be your children. I see vampires and were-creatures."

  Jarel laughed. "No, few of these are my children. I have few children that are in my service. But I have had countless children over the centuries. Many chose a mortal life. I'm beyond old, so to give you the number of children I've produced is possible, but not a favorable idea at the moment."

  "But this does bring an interesting question. Why is it you are unable to settle down the way you desire your children to do?"

  A strange look passed through Jarel’s eyes. "I have only truly known love once, and she is now beyond my reach."

  Before the conversation could carry on further, the large doors to the throne room were suddenly thrown open. The guests of the room parted to reveal a lone woman standing in the doorway. She was tall and thin, but not so thin as to look sickly. Her hips were wider, giving her frame a nice and sensual curve. She had light brown skin and long flowing black hair that hung low in her back. On her head was a gold headdress, a crown almost, pinning up her hair into a coiled bun, so what hung down was obviously only what she left out. She was dressed in a long white gown with a gold bodice and a matching cape, the ends of which were tucked into the two gold bracelets on her wrist. She had a very regal quality to her and the guests seemed to be struck by her.

  "Who is that?" Cassandra asked.

  "That, my dear, is Deidre Devial, the mother of all vampires," Jarel answered.

  Deidre walked into the room, and the vampires in attendance bowed to her. She stood before the throne and bowed to Jarel.

  "Rise, child, and look into the eyes of your god," Jarel ordered.

  Deidre rose as she was told.

  "Where is your husband?" Jarel asked. "I called for you both."

  "I was hoping that you could tell me, my lord," Deidre responded.

  Jarel narrowed his eyes. "Explain yourself."

  "Vacker and I have slumbered for many years. Time has flown by much too rapidly in our hibernation. And at some point, my husband was moved. When I awoke, I was alone. I have called to him but I received no answer. I can find no trace of him."

  "For how long have you been asleep, therein neglecting your duties?" Jarel's voice held the undeniable signs of anger.

  Deidre lowered her head. "I last set foot in this palace two thousand years ago. When we left here, we delegated the task of governing our kind to our immediate children, the founders of the separate clans of vampires. I had no intention of sleeping so long, my lord, but something has held me under. I have only been able to watch the times fly by as if I were a ghost, and at all times without my husband. I'd thought I was dead, until tonight when your call reached me and drove me back into my body."

  "So, you went into hibernation intentionally, and were then held in a state of suspended animation until the power of my call reached you? Tell me, Deidre, did you not rise at the cry of pain your race gave in unison when I personally destroyed more than half of their population, in retaliation for the crimes committed by your son?"

  Deidre raised her head. "No, my lord, I was unable to rise at that time. I could hear the cries, and I saw the devastation, but I could not return to myself."

  Jarel stared at her for several seconds before speaking again. "All the same, you must face my judgment and being that I cannot find your husband, you must face it alone." He stood up, power as ancient as the earth itself emanating from him. "You went against my will when you left your post and took to the hibernation allowed to your kind. With your abandonment of your children, you have left them to their own devices. You left the new ones in a world in which they are unaware of my laws. This is your sacred duty to inform and enforce, but you needed the rest. As such, all of your children will pay for your crime. From this moment forth, all vampires, save you, Deidre, are hereby banished from the light of Apollo. You will be creatures of the night, as your relatives from the line of Kalos have become. None of you will see Apollo's light again without gaining the direct blessing of Apollo, or until all of Kalos' line has been extinguished. Furthermore, Deidre, you will now help my eldest son to do what you should have done millennia ago. You will assist Andreas Damone in the capture of your delinquent son, Kalos Devial and you will punish all of his descendants in accordance with my laws. You will reign as the mother and queen of all vampires as you were intended. If you should ever abandon your post again, you will be hunted down and killed without mercy. Furthermore, if you should abandon your post and therefore be sentenced to death, upon your death, all of your descendants will perish with you. You will determine the fate of all your children from here on out. One last thing, you will find Vacker and you will deliver him to me alive. The power you now hold over your children, I give you over your husband to be delivered to stand before his god and beg my forgiveness. My word is law, and is now binding as of this moment."

  Power emanated outward from Jarel and spread through the room. It could almost be seen as it surrounded everyone, and then spread out from the room and into the world. Deidre bowed and Jarel dismissed her wit
h a wave of his hand. As she left, her children all followed her. Jarel sat back on his throne and another wave of his hand told the others to continue on as they were. Cassandra stepped down to go find Andreas, pausing briefly to look back at the all-powerful being that sat on the throne, a weary, pained look in his eyes. She had the strangest desire to go back to him, but shrugged it off. She was a powerful healer, but healing a god in distress was far beyond her capabilities. Still, she couldn’t hold off the desire to do something to help him. It was just her nature to try to heal all in need, whether their wounds were physical or emotional.

  Ten

  Brandon stood with Demun in the throne room, listening as Jarel passed judgment on the entire race of vampires. He keenly felt his grandfather's power cast out, making his words into law, but he soon wanted to be away from the crowd. He turned and left the throne room, standing before a large window outside of it.

  "Do you mind if I join you?"

  Brandon turned to see Vic behind him. "I don't mind at all."

  Vic came up to stand beside him, looking out the window. "I know the past few days haven't been easy for you. I thought I'd come see how you're holding up."

  Brandon sighed. "I feel a strange range of emotions. I'm screaming inside because my mother is gone, but I feel so at peace here."

  "The dragon in you knows that ultimately, this is home. This is the one place that you can roam free in your true form."

  Brandon raised an eyebrow. "True form?"

  Vic looked down at him. "You don't turn?"

  "Turn into what?" Brandon asked.

  "A dragon. You didn't think the label was just a title, did you?" Vic smirked. "Jarel's children, at least, are actually were-creatures, were-dragons to be precise. Born in human appearance, they are all black dragons in true form. I merely assumed you would be too."

  "Nope. As far as I know, this is it. But then I also have human and demon blood blended in me. I do know the demon blood takes over every so often."