Clara Drake

“There weren't always dragons in the valley,” Nyx sneered at me. Her fury reigned down on us like a dark cloud. She took another step closer; her face twisted into a smile. Her aura smelled like death and grief. I could feel the stench of blood drip around her like a thick curtain. Nyx pointed to the black marble seat behind her.

“I should’ve been the one to sit there. Not you,” her breathing was uneven and heavy. Her gaze grew cold and empty. She stepped even closer to my family, sword in hand. My mind was racing. We needed to flee. The world grew silent, and I couldn’t hear her thoughts.

I winced when I heard a sword hit flesh. My sister gasped at my father’s head rolling onto the ground. Dune began to move as if to save him. No, I told him. Dune looked at me. He is my family. Was his reply. We can’t afford another Royal Dragon to die by her hands. Dune immediately understood and backed down. Nyx wanted a reaction out of us.

“I helped bring dragons into this world. I can make them leave this world too,” Nyx screeched. The throne room echoed with the sound of her agonizing voice. Turning around Nyx reached out her hand to touch Reese, her Royal Dragon. Nyx’s usual misty blue eyes were gone. In place were black ones. The warmth was no longer there.

How did I not see it? I thought to myself, staring at who Nyx became. Reese looked at me. I couldn’t risk sending a message to her. I needed the dragons to stay alive. They were right. Everyone was right. My aunt did go insane.

“You think you deserve to be Queen, Clara?” my aunt went on. “What did you do? You just happened to be born. I was the one to help our idiotic grandparents create these god-forsaken creatures.” She pointed her sword at my mom. “My sister did nothing! You sat there dumbfounded while I did all the work. You promised me I would be next in line.”

My mom opened her mouth to speak but then closed it. My aunt was right. She was next in line. But everything changed once they found out I had the Voice.

Even in the Kingdom of Marena, dragons used to be unheard-of mystical beings. When I was young, my mom read me tales of the lives of humans when dragons were non-existent. I always found it preposterous. I couldn’t imagine a world without dragons.

“Humans used to ride in metal boxes to get around,” she would say when my sister and I took our lives for granted. My mom has always been like that. She believed that our family needed to know our history to provide a better future for our people. It is especially important for our family because we are the reason why dragons exist in our world.

I was always told my great-grandma, Helen was special. For centuries the Drake bloodline was kept sacred. But everything changed once Helen Drake was born. With each new generation, the Drake bloodline became more powerful. But Helen had powers, unlike her sisters. She could hear things no one else could hear. Feel things no one else could feel. This is what lead her to find the reason why our bloodline was so important. She found the answer and built the dynasty we live in today. She already had grandkids at this point. But none of Helen’s daughters had the Voice nor did my mom or aunt.

Helen Drake is believed to be the only one. In hopes, that the Drake family passed down her gift she made a pact with the dragons she helped bring into this world.

Nyx always believed she would one day have the Voice. But she never did. She thought her children would have the gift as well, but that wasn’t to be.

My head was spinning attempting to come up with a plan that would not end with someone dead. Every calculation I made so far wouldn’t save everyone. And just one misstep we were all dead.

“You can have the throne,” I breathed. My hands were shaking miserably. I casually put them behind me so she couldn’t see them.

I sent a message to every royal dragon in the room. Be. Ready. My Voice was no longer a secret to them. They knew. But I needed to have faith in them. Nyx is 200 years older than me, but I was hoping my gift would surpass the age for the Royal Dragons this time.

I have only heard through storytelling what Helen was able to do with her gift. As the next inline, I should be stronger, but I am a complete amateur.

I slowly took the crown previously placed on my head and held it out.

“I mean no harm. You can have it,” I said, taking a step towards her. Nyx squinted in hesitation. If she let greed consume her, we would have a chance.

She reached for the crown and I smiled. That was all I needed. In a flash, the dragons swept my mom, sister, and me up into the air. I imagined the glass ceiling vanishing for me. And for a second it did. Enough to let us out.

Nyx screamed. “I don’t care how long it takes, but I will find you, Clara Drake. I’ll kill anyone that gets in my way.”

Where to? Dune asked.

“The West,” I whispered.