When Fire Meets Ice

Very few humans had ever seen Leilani’s uncloaked human form as they did this instance, and even fewer humans witnessed her dragon body.  However, none of that mattered the moment Damocles’ eyes locked onto Jura, recognition glowing in his twisted smile.  Leilani knew she could not let Damocles reveal Jura’s heritage in front of all these humans, not with the slayer taking what appeared to be a serious interest.  Her arrow never wavered in its aim toward the broad man’s throat, the only part of his body not riddled with armor, while her eyes trailed to meet her sister’s.

 

“I applaud you, Princess, for your act of stupidity.”  Damocles stepped toward her, drawing her attention back to him.  “We both know that arrow will not fly tonight.”

 

“Not while the innocent are present; shall we venture out into the night and test this game of chance you have started.”  Her voice drained of all emotion.  How could her father promise the self-entitled Fotiά Clan anything, let alone what he claimed to be his most precious treasure?

 

“As if she understands innocence,” the slayer whispered.  The crowd mumbled similar insults.  Jura’s fists clinched around the silk of her skirts.

 

“I have come to fetch you,” Damocles growled.  “Your father has returned to find you have abandoned your post, and he is not pleased.”  A scowl moved across his sharp cheekbones while his eyes scanned the human faces watching their exchange.  Silence filled the room as his eyes returned to Leilani.  “What shall he think when he finds this is where you have run to?”  She lowered her bow, and replaced her arrow in her quiver.

 

“I have no post, remember; I am not…”

 

“Your home, Leilani, is your post!”  Damocles’ eyes glowed with his fury.

 

“How dare you?!”  She spat on his boot before storming toward the door.  “You will not speak to me in such a manner.  I shan’t stand for it, nor will I stand for your unnecessary anger.  My father wants me home; I will obey.  You want me home, and I will remain here, amongst these…” she scanned the crowd, not coming up with the word she wanted.

 

Murmers filled the background.  “She can’t stay here?”  “What horrors does this thing have planned for us?”  “We will kill our own dragon tonight!”

 

Jura watched in horror as the broad man, who made an even broader dragon, marched after her sister.  His shoulders stiffened with each word she threw at his ego.  She could not stay here amongst this mob, nor could she leave with him either.  “Lei…?” Jura started to speak as she stood up from her table, but Leilani’s white blonde hair fell around her shoulders as she shook her head.  Her trek toward the door stopped as she turned to face her younger sister.

 

“You got to me safely; you will find your way home.”  She glanced at Jura’s new friend.  “Be wary of your company.”

 

“Be afraid, she means.” Damocles laughed cruelly.  “Though, I see no threat.”

 

“Let him believe the rumors he has spread, Jura.”  Leilani glared daggers at Damocles before she glanced back at her sister.  “He amuses himself by thinking he slayed the last of the Págos, but the dragons will survive.”

 

“You will all perish as that ice queen did,” The Slayer half growled from behind a shaking Jura.  Leilani’s fingers curled into her palms as her veins burned with the ice that longed to freeze this man’s tongue.  She grinned at him through her fury, a grin full of dark, angry, mischief.

 

“You may have killed my…” she trailed off with glistening eyes.  After a moment she began again, “…the ice queen, but you will not destroy me.”  Her eyes locked onto his, boring into the darkest corners of his soul.  “You killed my mother, Slayer; take care before I decide revenge is a greater quality to possess than forgiveness.”  She stepped away from him, heading toward the door again. 

 

“Come, Fotiά.  Father loathes waiting, and I would prefer to be out of your company as quickly as possible.”  She growled at Damocles as she passed him.

 

The fire breather smiled one last time at his future sister-in-law.  “Do you think me the luckiest of dragons, to be promised such a creature?”  He sent a grandeur wave toward Leilani, whose glare grew stronger.

 

Jura laughed her own cruel laugh this time.  “I think she will chew you up and spit you out before you have the chance to wed her.”  The humans gasped around her.  None of them would have dared speak to a monster, let alone use such venomous language.  Leilani couldn’t help the smile that crossed her pale features.

 

“I said move, Fotiά!”  She growled, hiding her smile.

 

“I have a name, Leilani!”  He barked.

 

“Who said I cared?”

 

~~~

 

Jura did not wait to follow Leilani and Damocles out of the tavern.  Afraid to sit next to the handsome slayer again, she forced herself into the cool night air.  The pale blue dress seemed frail against her skin now that she wanted to disappear.  Drunken scoundrels gave her sloppy grins as they tried to take steps toward her, but stumbled back against the tavern posts and walls. 

 

‘You got to me safely; you will find your way home,’ Leilani had spoken with such faith in her sister, such assuredness, but Jura wondered how she could avoid getting into trouble on her journey through the poverty-stricken areas of the village.  Luck was on her side this instance with the drunken men, but what would happen when the thieves in the alleyways decided she looked like she had more than just a sparkly dress on her person?  Jura walked quickly, keeping her head ducked low.  She nearly screamed as clammy fingers wrapped around her upper arm, pulling her to a halt.

 

“Why did you say that thing was your sister?” The dark haired slayer’s voice was gruff.  Anger colored his cheeks bright red.  Jura snatched her arm away from him.

 

“Why did you tell my sister her entire family was doomed to death?”  She threw back.  Her voice grew shrill in the night.  “She has feelings too, you know!”  Jura crossed her arms over her chest.

 

“She is a monster; they all are!”  He hissed.  His fingers pushed his dark hair away from his eyes as he turned his back on her.  His eyes met those of a man who was sober enough to begin lumbering toward them, but not sober enough to have good intentions.  He blocked the man’s line of sight as he turned back toward the small, almost-human girl.  “Why did you say I told her that her family was doomed?  Are your families not the same?”

 

Jura stamped her foot, not bothering to take notice of the hiccupping man coming toward them.  “I told you once, Slayer,” she said, poison dripping from her lips, “my sister and I share a bloodline, nothing more.  Our father summoned her, not me.”

 

“Are you?”  The Slayer asked quickly.

 

She shook her head, walking around him and into the arms of the half-drunken man.  “For a price,” he whispered in her ear, “I can get this boy to leave you be.”  His brow shifted suggestively.

 

“I have nothing you want, Sir.  Now, let me go!”  Jura gritted her teeth and yanked her arm.  He dug his fingers into her flesh.

 

“You are exactly what I want.”  He laughed.  She felt his warm breath on her ear; it made her stomach retch. 

 

The slayer hissed under his breath before he took the man by the shoulder.  “The lady said leave her be.”  He spat at the drunkard.  A lumbering fist missed the slayer’s head by a mile before his own fist blooded a nose.

 

Jura fell back with the force of the drunkard’s release before he stumbled to the ground.  His hands cupped around his nose as if he could hold the blood pouring from his face in place.  Muffled curses sprang from his lips.  “Come,” the slayer ordered.  “I can’t leave you here with these buffoons.”

 

“Are you any better than them?”  Jura said.  She automatically regretted her words because he had just saved her from an unfortunate fate, but she could not yet forgive him for the way he spoke to Leilani.

 

“You can tell me the answer when we arrive on your door step without a scratch,” he said.  She thought she heard a little pain in his voice, but she agreed to let him walk with her.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

I love how you describe every situation. You have create a wonderful world and the characters tempting and wonderful. The story is getting more wonderful and better with each new chapter. Thank you Nikki for sharing the outstanding chapter.
Coyote