Wrath of the Dragon 4, page 1
Chapter 1
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It had been two days since I’d saved the Crystal Lands from their demonic ruler, and I still wasn’t used to being hailed as a king. The people had insisted that I stay in the palace, and we had been sleeping in the most insanely luxurious bedroom until we decided what to do next.
Now, I was sipping a cup of tea out on my private balcony with my three Throne angels, and the view of the gleaming city was mind-blowing.
It was strange to think I had only been in this magical world for a few weeks. My old life as a Tucson city firefighter seemed like a million years ago, and I was completely at home as a dragon shifter in Dracoria.
But getting used to a world filled with magic, fantastical creatures, and terrifying demonic monarchs had certainly been a challenge. It wasn’t what I’d expected to wake up to after passing out during a firefighting mission, but my life had become more amazing than I ever could have dreamed.
“I don’t think I’ll ever tire of this view…” Cyra leaned against the railings as she sipped her own drink, and I grinned as I admired the fire angel’s beauty.
She had been the first person I’d met when I woke up in Dracoria, and our friendship had developed into a full-on fiery romance when she’d bound herself to me through sex. Her burgundy hair tumbled down over her ivory shoulders, and her amber eyes sparkled under the morning sun. Scarlet wings sat on her lean back as she adjusted her golden dress.
I had her to thank for the moment I’d become something more than a man. A Throne angel binding herself to me had resulted in powers I could never have dreamed of. I could shift into a fire dragon whenever I wanted now, and it had shocked her as much as it had me. Apparently that kind of power was the stuff of legends until I came along.
“Yes, I’m growing more and more fond of the daylight after seeing the way it glitters on the crystals here,” Nisha purred.
My night angel was curled up beside me in a throw-covered chair, and she smiled up at the glowing morning sky. She had been Cyra’s best friend for centuries, and the gothic beauty was the main reason the fire angel had stayed behind after the gods had left. I had helped track down and free Nisha from the clutches of Night Lands’ demons, and she had quickly joined in the steamy relationship I had with Cyra.
Her navy-blue skin sparkled with silver freckles, and her silver eyes shone out from her sculpted face. Dark blue hair fell onto her blue-toned wings, and a tiny silver top and skirt clung to her small body. She was a petite smokeshow who radiated sultry energy, and when she’d bound herself to me, she gave me a night dragon form which could blend in seamlessly with the dark skies and shadows. I could breathe clouds of darkness from my throat, too, and it was a powerful weapon to blind demons with.
My third angel was Brooke, and she hummed to herself happily as she arranged a blanket over her lean legs.
I was absolutely besotted with the water angel. Her golden-blonde curls framed her beautiful face, and turquoise skin covered every inch of her athletic body that was toned from years of swimming. Her deep blue eyes were wide and inviting, and cerulean feathers glimmered on her wings. She wore a tight blue dress that did a great job of highlighting her impressive cleavage.
Brooke’s bubbly personality along with her beauty had made it impossible not to fall for her. She became another one of my angels when she bound herself to me just as the others had, and I was given my most recent dragon form as a result. The water dragon I could shift into now didn’t have wings, but I was able to swim at an insane speed while also breathing underwater. Not to mention, spewing endless amounts of water from my gullet.
All these forms had helped me free each land from their demonic captors, and I had slain multiple demon kings and queens. But the Crystal Lands’ residents had gone all-out with their excitement.
I had quickly become King Ryan after freeing them from the clutches of the bloodstone queen. It was still hard to wrap my head around it, but I was starting to get used to the title.
Either way, it was clear how badly these people needed a leader, and I was happy to give them that. Helping people had always been my calling, and that hadn’t changed just because my world had.
But my day-to-day life had sure as hell changed.
We had been showered with luxury since the battle, and the women were meant to be receiving a whole new wardrobe that evening. The finest tailor in the city had insisted on it, and a little gnome with a green hat kept appearing at our door with a tray piled with fruit and herbal tea.
We really were living the high life.
The swords that had been given to us by the Amethyst Elves rested against the wall, and the gemstones in each of them caught the sunlight. We had each been given one that matched our personalities, and my golden blade was one of the most beautiful creations I had ever seen. I had come a hell of a long way since waking up confused as hell in a desert.
“Hey, Ryan,” Brooke said as she played with the necklace I had given her. “What should we do about Ruby? Are we going to wait until she wakes up to make our next move?”
“I checked on her an hour ago,” Nisha sighed. “She still looks completely out of it.”
“How ‘elite’ of her,” Cyra snorted under her breath, but we all pretended we hadn’t heard her.
Ruby was the crystal angel we’d just saved from the clutches of the bloodstone demons, and she hadn’t woken up for days. She had been trapped in a bloodstone prison that drained her magic, and it seemed to have weakened her completely. My other angels were also affected by the stones, but at least they could be charged up through sex with me whenever they felt weak.
That wasn’t an option for the angel I had just met.
She was said to be an Elite Throne angel, and she had whispered my name for the split second she had been awake after I’d saved her. But it didn’t make any sense for her to know who I was. We had never met before, and it was clear the various lands weren’t in contact with each other.
Still, her green eyes had met mine when she’d spoken my name, so I was inclined to believe she had some kind of future-seeing powers.
Regardless, she still hadn’t woken up, and I knew there was so much more of Dracoria that needed my help. This world was crawling with demons who had crafted special ways to torture Dracorians, and they had gone unchallenged for far too long.
“I’ve been wondering what to do about Ruby, too,” I sighed. “It feels wrong to just leave her without speaking with her. What if she has something important to tell us?”
“But she could be out for weeks,” Cyra said. “Maybe she’ll never wake up!”
“Don’t say that,” Nisha scolded. “You just don’t want to meet an Elite Throne angel.”
Cyra rolled her eyes, but she didn’t argue. It hadn’t exactly been a secret that she scoffed at the idea of Elite Throne angels.
“Where would we go next?” Nisha asked.
“Oooh,” Brooke squealed. “The whole of Dracoria waits for the great King Ryan! Where shall the powerful dragon man and his gorgeous angels fly off to next?”
“That’s where your expert knowledge comes in,” I chuckled. “I might be a dragon shifter, but I’m still coming to grips with the lay of the land. Which land is closest to here that we haven’t visited yet?”
“Let’s see,” Brooke said. “We’ve got the Ice Lands nearby! I bet that would be super fun! We could make cute little snowmen.”
“Then there’s the Storm Lands.” Nisha nodded. “I have a feeling that place will be even more chaotic than anything we’ve seen before.”
“That’s true,” Brooke said. “I visited there a few times because of all the rain, but they have sooo many tornadoes and wild weather! Then the other nearest land is…”
The water angel trailed off as she glanced at Cyra, and I knew what the answer was without another word.
“But the Fire Lands aren’t as close as the others,” Nisha said hurriedly. “The Ice Lands have my vote.”
“I think we can give Ruby one more day,” I said. “But then we’ll need to think about making a move. Seeing how happy these people are just reminds me that there are still so many others trapped out there. It’s not fair to leave people suffering.”
“You’re so noble,” Brooke sighed dreamily. “Our brave dragon man!”
“Dragon King.” Nisha grinned. “Complete with an amazing throne…”
“That part is pretty fucking cool,” I chuckled. “The whole king thing still feels weird, but the perks are unmatched.”
“Our own luxury suite,” Brooke said as she glanced back into the bathroom. “With a bed big enough for us all to have fun on!”
“An essential.” I smiled. “There’s no fun in being a king without my devoted angels to keep me warm.”
“Not to mention the food,” Nisha said. “I’ve never eaten so much mortal food before, but it’s too good to say no to.”
“And we’re getting new clothes tonight!” Brooke squealed. “I can’t wait to see what the tailors made for us!”
“Hopefully it’s all low-cut.” I winked, and the water angel gave me a little shimmy as she giggled.
Cyra tapped her mug of tea as she stared silently out into the distance, and I got to my feet to go and join her. Then I wrapped an arm around her waist as
“We have to go there eventually,” I said gently. “But if it’s too painful, then we can leave you here whenever we venture to the Fire Lands. The palace is huge, and you know the people here will take care of you.”
“You could look after Ruby!” Brooke said brightly. “She could be out for aaaaages, but when she wakes up, you can find out everything about being an Elite angel!”
“Ugh,” Cyra groaned. “I don’t know which sounds worse! But there’s no way I’m leaving you all to go and have an adventure without me, no matter where it is. You wouldn’t last two minutes.”
“Very true,” I chuckled. “We need our fire angel.”
“We’re a family,” Brooke said. “We’re strongest when we’re all together!”
“Besides,” Nisha purred. “I know Cyra wouldn’t want to miss out on Ryan charging us up with energy.”
“Damn right,” the fire angel said. “My place is with all of you. But maybe we can talk about visiting another land first?”
“We’ll decide before sundown,” I said. “One last day of this insane luxury before we head back into the real world.”
“I’m going to take, like, five baths,” Brooke said. “Aaand make the most of that perfect bed!”
“Agreed.” Cyra grinned. “Let’s enjoy this palace while we have the chance.”
I kissed her soft hair and stared out over the gleaming Crystal Lands. A vast, white void surrounded it which was how the gods had trapped everyone inside. Each land had its own sort of punishing prison, and I wondered if there would ever be a way to get rid of them. Would these traps just vanish if every land was saved by me? Or if every demon was killed?
I didn’t even want to think about how many of the vile creatures would still be left in Dracoria.
But for now, I had a glorious view beside my beautiful lovers. I grinned as I let my eyes trail across the glimmering skyline, and every jewel-encrusted palace and pathway was more beautiful than the last. The sky was practically glittering from the reflective dance of light taking place all across the Crystal lands, but then I noticed a bird flapping its wings far off in the distance, and I got an uneasy feeling as it flew closer and started to show its true size.
“What the fuck is that?” I asked as I pointed at the creature.
“Umm,” Brooke said as she squinted. “Like, a super big bat?”
“It’s not a bat.” Nisha frowned. “I would recognize it.”
The angels seemed to have an affinity with creatures that were related to their realms, so I knew the night angel was right.
Then a series of distant screams broke out from the lands beyond the palace, and my stomach dropped as I realized what was flying over the diamond studded roofs.
“It’s a demon,” I said. “Shit.”
“But they all ran off,” Cyra said. “When the queen here died, they flung themselves into the void!”
“This is not a demon from this realm,” Nisha said quietly. “Look at its skin.”
The creature flew closer to the palace, and I saw flashes of red and orange as if it was on fire. Its body was gangly and long, and the leathery wings were deep brown with tears and rips. The demon had a long snout protruding from its wide skull, and pointed ears stuck out beside curled horns. It was seriously fucking ugly, and I wasn’t going to let it cause any harm to the people of the Crystal Lands.
But the demon was gradually getting higher in the sky as if it wasn’t trying to attack at all. It flapped its wings in a frenzy like it was trying to sneak by unnoticed through the clouds.
“I’m going to bring this fucker down,” I said. “Let’s make sure it knows it’s not welcome here. Grab your swords!”
The angels hurried over to get their elven blades, but I was about to become more powerful than any sword I could hold. If this demon had flame powers like its skin suggested, then I figured my fire form wouldn’t do much good.
I focused hard on my night dragon form instead, and I felt the familiar prickle of heat run down my arms. A rush of power seared through my veins as my skin turned to midnight-black scales, and huge wings stretched out from my spine as I launched myself off the balcony. My massive form soared through the sky, and I felt the thrill of wind rushing against my snout.
Nothing could beat the feeling of flying.
The angels quickly followed with their swords by their sides, and we sped up toward the fire-skinned intruder.
It didn’t take long for the beast to notice us, and it screeched as its red eyes took in the sight of the approaching angels. I could see flecks of black through its orange flesh as if it was dusted with coal, and it gave off a strong smell of burned meat.
Then a sudden burst of black flames erupted from the demon’s clawed hands, and the fire shot directly toward Nisha.
I pushed the night angel out of the way with my tail right as I breathed a cloud of darkness out onto the demon. The tickling sensation ran up my throat as a dark mist descended onto the beast. Then It vanished into nothingness as it screeched, and black flames shot out as it tried to blindly attack.
The demon suddenly shot out of the black cloud, but Brooke was hovering right above. She slammed her blade down into its back just as Cyra shot up from underneath. Both of their swords broke through the skin and sent explosions of blood into the morning sky. Then Nisha slipped into her almost-invisible form as she swung her blade down into its tail, and the demon howled as thick blood oozed from the wound.
“Nice!” I yelled. “Give me some space to finish this fucker off!”
The angels scattered as I soared toward the weakened beast, and I grabbed its whole body in my talons. It shuddered and howled as I tightened my grip, and its body was so fiery hot that I almost dropped it. But I wasn’t going to let this bastard get away, and I grunted through the discomfort.
There was a loud crunch as I gave one almighty squeeze, and the demon’s body fell limp in my talons. The heat of its flesh died down immediately as if it had been a defense mechanism it could control. I glanced down at the limp beast just to make sure it wasn’t faking, but there was no light left in its red eyes.
“It’s dead!” I called. “Good work, everyone!”
“Eww,” Brooke said as she flew down to study the corpse. “It’s so gangly and gross.”
“The smell is terrible,” Nisha said.
“We should probably fly the body down,” Cyra said. “I don’t think raining a dead demon onto the Crystal Lands would be a great idea.”
“It would be rather messy,” Nisha said.
“Let’s just check that it was alone,” I said. “Can anyone see any more?”
We swung around as we carefully scanned the horizon, but the glowing golden sky appeared to be free of any more hellish creatures. This fucker had been a solo traveler.
“Look,” Nisha said. “We have an audience.”
I glanced down to see a huddle of crystal creatures had gathered around the palace doorway. We flew down to meet them, and I dropped the demon’s body on the hillside before I focused on my human form.
My wings retracted back into my back with a gentle crunch as my dark hair replaced midnight-black scales. I shook my legs out as my talons vanished, and my snout shrank down to a normal human face again.
I could see the worry etched onto the crystal beings’ faces. There were two Amethyst Elves among the Crystal Trolls, pixies, and a family of dwarves. They had only just had their home return to normal, and I knew that seeing a demon pass by would have shaken them up.
“King Ryan,” Ashryn said. “How did that get here?”
The purple-skinned elf was from a tribe of warrior women, and they had been vital to our victory in the recent war. They were the colony that had provided us with swords and given us a safe place to stay during our trip.
“I don’t think it was here to attack,” I said honestly. “It looked like it was trying to pass over as high up as possible.”
“Like it was trying to hide.” Cyra nodded.
“Why would it hide from us?” Ashryn asked as she glared at the sky. “What is the point of coming here if not to attack us?”
“I think it might have been a scout,” I said as I glanced back at the body. “The way it was trying to sneak over us makes me think it was looking for something.”
“But what?” Brooke asked.
