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  “Oh, Prince Kapono!” She jumped up immediately, nearly spilling her tea. She bowed hastily.

  “Be easy,” Kapono told her, holding his hands up.

  “Is there anything I can get for you?! You should have rung the bell! The prince shouldn’t have to shuffle around the kitchen for what he needs,” she insisted.

  “Please. Miss Bell I am fine. Plus, I am not shuffling around here for my own needs. Ashbel is craving ice cream, and her needs are my responsibility,” Kapono said.

  “Ah! I will never forget the days when I used to crave the craziest things! Now my young man is grown up and traveling the world,” she beamed. Kapono went to the fridge.

  “Might I suggest something? I baked some sweet treats for the king’s dinner this evening. I think, a warm sweet treat topped with ice cream and drizzled with syrup will drive lady Ashbel crazy with goodness. She’ll love it.”

  “Well now, that does sound quite good,” Kapono nodded.

  “Here. Let me help you.” Even though Kapono could have done it himself, and wanted to do it himself for his wife, he knew Miss Bell wouldn’t just sit there and allow him to do it. She’d worked at the castle ever since he was a baby, claiming that servicing the king and queen was her passion. She was over a century year old and finally, the creases in her forehead were beginning to show that age. Her dragon power was not built for wars and fights, but she could defend and protect herself well. She trained all the new young servants that came into the castle, ensuring that they mastered the ways of the kitchen and serving the royal family.

  Kapono watched as she warmed one of the sweet treats she was talking about, something that looked like blocks of chocolate and fudge. The steam rising from the sweets wafted to his nose. He had to admit, it did smell very delicious. Ashbel would severely enjoy it. Amongst the fudge and chocolate, a scent Kapono was not familiar with raked his nose. His body straightened immediately. Tilting his head up to the ceiling, he inhaled.

  “Miss Bell. Do you smell something off?” he questioned. She looked up from the container of ice cream, her nose scrunched.

  “No sir, I don’t. But your sense of smell far outmatches mine,” she said. She was right. Kapono kept inhaling. He had recognized the scent of every person that lived and worked in the castle and the new scent that just embarked on him didn’t fit into any of those categories.

  “Is something the matter?” Maribel asked him.

  “Something just entered the castle that doesn’t belong.” Kapono walked to the door of the kitchen. He swung it open. The scent of rich copper and iron overtook him. Blood.

  “Miss Bell! Go to your quarters right now and hide!” The urgency of his voice put Bell into a state of panic, but she heeded his warning. She used the side door of the kitchen, running down the stairs it led to, to get to the servant’s quarters where she could lock herself away for protection.

  After seeing to it that Bell had indeed fled, Kapono left the kitchen himself, running towards the smell of blood. The sound of a glass breaking echoed throughout the long silent hall. A scream followed next, shrieking and shrill.

  “Mother?” Kapono knew the sound of the voice well. His mother was screaming. Running harder, Kapono used the speed inherited from his dragon power. His parents’ quarters were not far from the kitchen, residing in the main section of the castle. The door to their suite was ajar, something that would never be the case. The door was either shut, or open. The strong coppery scent of blood smack Kapono so fiercely it sent chills down his spine. Slamming the door to their suite open, Kapono was frozen for a moment. Blood painted the walls and the floor as if 100 people were murdered in that very same spot.

  “Mother!” Kapono screamed, his feet sliding through blood as he rushed to the bedroom. The door was swung open, and off its hinges slightly. Running into the room, Kapono tripped and nearly fell to his knees. Looking behind him, his father’s corpse lay on the ground, mouth agape with his throat slashed vigorously. The descendants of the dragon clan were immortal but only to a point. They healed quickly depending on the strength of their dragon power, but there were just some wounds that could not be healed before death was upon them. In a perfect life without violence, a being with dragon blood could live for centuries before finally showing signs of old age. Kapono’s father was at that point in his life and his power was beginning to diminish, but he should have been able to protect himself and Kapono’s mother.

  “Blazes, no,” Kapono breathed. He tore his eyes away from his father’s body and looked onto the large bed. Blood had changed the color of the perfect cream sheets. His mother was stripped of her clothing. Laying there bare and naked, her body was stabbed what seemed like over 50 times, leaving deep scores in her skin. Blood still gushed from the wounds even as her lifeless eyes looked up at the ceiling. Kapono trembled as he went over to the bed.

  “Oh mother,” he groaned, holding her head. He shook her slightly, but the life was completely drained out of her. The power of her dragon laced in her blood had completely evaporated into nothingness. Her scent was mixed with the strange scent Kapono had registered when he was in the kitchen. Someone had infiltrated the castle to kill the king and queen? But it was made obvious that Kapono would be next in line very soon. Why kill the king and queen and not the successors to the throne?

  “No, no, no, no! Ashbel!” Kapono left his mother on her bloody grave, knowing there was nothing else he could do to revive her. Leaping over his father’s body, Kapono stormed out of their suite. The moment he reached in the hall; the smell of blood had been intensified. Now, it wasn’t just one mysterious scent raging through the castle. It was multiple. They were being invaded.

  “FUCK!” Kapono screamed. How could this be happening? As he rushed through the castle, flames began to lick across his skin, his defenses ready in case he encountered any intruder. Running through the entire castle on his way to Ashbel, he encountered no one. It seemed impossible to have an invasion and not see a single being. Running by one of the many parlors in the castle, Kapono nearly tripped again, seeing a few of the servants lying dead on the ground. It wasn’t just an assassination of the royal family. It was a grand massacre for everyone in the castle.

  “Ashbel! I’m coming!” Kapono screamed through the castle. Violet scales began to climb up his arm as his body further retreated into defense mode, both anger and fear pushing his emotions. Even through this attack, Kapono had faith. Ashbel was his little flame. She was a fire that most would not expect. She would protect herself and their baby with intensity because that was just the woman she was. And if she knew she couldn’t win the fight, she would run. Their room was equipped with a secret passage that would take her down to the dungeons and then out into the back of the castle where she could find somewhere to hide. Kapono had discussed that with her plenty of times, drilling it into her head about how to escape should she need to. Fuck. He hoped she escaped.

  “Please. Please have escaped,” Kapono whispered.

  Finally, in the hall that led to his suite, Kapono was blinded by the scent of more blood. The walls were coated as bodies of their attendant staff was laid out along the halls. It was as if they heard commotion and when they tried to investigate, they were cut down immediately. Mara was laying in the entryway of their suite, a sword plunged into the center of her head. Her hands were burnt as if she tried to counter a fire attack with her bare hands. It felt cruel to step over her body, but Kapono desperately needed to find his Ashbel.

  Kapono froze. His heart was pumping fiercely in his chest as he stared at the carnage in his suite. Sera was lying on the ground, a sword through her back, directly where her heart would be. He realized that her body was slumped over something and that’s when he saw Ashbel’s small feet poking out from under Sera’s body. Kapono dropped to his knees, scampering towards them. He rolled Sera over, pushing her body off of Ashbel.

  “No,” Kapono could barely get the word out of his mouth. His heart clenched tightly as he scooped Ashbel into his
arms.

  “Wake up! Little flame! Please wake up,” Kapono begged, shaking her harshly. Her body was still warm but he could feel the embers of her flame beginning to wither out like an old fire. A sword has been plunged directly through her heart, leaving a gaping hole in her chest. Kapono’s body shook as hot tears splattered from his eyes. He rested his forehead on hers, weeping harshly as he rocked her in his arms.

  “We—we had an eternity,” he wept, clutching her tightly. He’d realized that the woman he was arranged to marry was the woman he actually wanted to spend his life with and now she was gone? This wasn’t true. This was just a nightmare. He would wake up. He had to wake up. Kapono began to punch his temple, trying to will his consciousness back to reality. This wasn’t his life; it couldn’t be his life. Not after finding Ashbel. Not after pledging his love for her. Not after their love had blossomed into something as tangible as new life that nestled in her stomach. Kapono went still. His breath was escaping his lungs in puffs as his chest expanded with each heavy breath he took. His eyes slowly traveled down Ashbel’s body. The hole in her chest had thrust him into a whirlwind of emotions that caused him to overlook everything else. Until that moment.

  He drew in a sharp breath. Her nightgown was bathed in blood, directly over her stomach. With trembling hands, Kapono slowly lifted and pulled her night gown up. His hand clenched the fabric of her night gown as his eyes were met with the gruesome scene that it revealed. Kapono coughed and choked. A scream clawed its way from his gut and out of his throat as pain and rage consumed him. Her stomach was mutilated. She was sliced repeatedly and at her lower abdomen, the most important slice was the slice that allowed for her attacker to remove their babe from her belly.

  “WHY?!” Kapono screamed. His head fell on the open wound on Ashbel’s chest as he cried heftily, his body convulsing with his cries.

  “My little flame,” he gasped out, trembling. Lifting his head, he looked at her face. Even in this state, she seemed so peaceful as if she was just asleep. Kapono was shaking so badly, he didn’t know what to do with himself. How could he live if his babe and wife didn’t? His talons began to elongate from his fingertips as if his body already knew that Kapono was ready to end his own life just to be with the woman he loved. Petting her orange hair, he wept silently, unable to let her out of his arms. He pulled her hands on top of her body, crossing her arms. Only then did he notice that she was clutching something in her right hand. Prying her hand open, he saw a piece of paper lodged between her fingers. He tore the paper from her hand and opened it, smoothing out the crinkles so he could read what was written.

  I’m sorry Plum dragon. Remember I love you. Jessop. Betrayal. Knowing she couldn’t escape; she had resorted to writing him this message. It was her final words. Kapono clutched the piece of paper to his heart as if he could still feel her life within the strokes of the pen. His eyes began to burn red, changing from the natural violet color they usually inhibited. Anger pricked at the scales overcome on his body. Kapono surveyed the scene around him. Everyone in the room was dead. It seemed that both Mara and Sera had tried to protect Ashbel, both failing. But as Kapono searched around, the only dead body he didn’t see was that of his babe’s. Did the murderer take his dead fetus? Who could be so cruel?

  Jessop. Kapono tilted his head up and inhaled deeply. It was hard to smell anything against the scent of blood, but Kapono picked out the scent. He stood slowly, keeping Ashbel in his arms.

  “JESSOP!” Kapono roared. The scent became thick with trembling fear until finally Jessop crawled out of the closet he was trying to stay hidden inside of.

  “Why—why did you do this?” Kapono wept, clutching onto Ashbel.

  “I—I tried to stop them. But it was too late. They didn’t want to listen to me. But your death was the only one we plotted! But then he said that we had to kill lady Ashbel because she carried your baby! He said that with her death, you would be too hopeless to serve as king! They ravished the castle! I—I was trying to warn her to run but she sensed my lies. She confronted me and before I could stop anything else, he burst into the room and began slashing!”

  “Who in the blazes in this ‘he’ you speak of! Is he not of dragon kin?! I sense no fire here! Why all the swords!”

  “He knew if he used his fire, you’d be able to find him quicker! They used the underground tunnels and all the escape routes to get in. I gave them the complete layout. Right now, they’re all waiting in the tunnels for the right time to escape,” Jessop explained.

  “Where’s my babe?” Kapono asked. Jessop began to shake.

  “WHERE’S MY BABE?!” Kapono roared, blasting fire from his lungs in Jessop’s direction. Jessop slowly pointed to the ceiling. Kapono’s knees went weak. Hanging right above the doorway, the fetus of his babe was tacked to the wall by a knife as if someone was practicing to play bullseye. Blood dripped down the wall beneath it. At five months, Kapono could see ten little toes, ten little fingers, and a face the shape of Ashbel’s and eyes that would never open. Pain made Kapono grunt out. What he only thought was a state of emotion became literal and physical. His heart cracked severely, leaving him crippled and numb. Moving, but unable to even comprehend his own actions, Kapono slowly placed Ashbel back on the ground.

  Fiery eyes jerked in Jessop’s direction. The man began to crawl backwards, fear making his body gush with sweat.

  “Kapono. Please. Don’t,” he began to beg.

  “Did you listen to Ashbel when she pleaded for her life? For our babe’s life?” Kapono growled.

  “But—I didn’t kill her!” Jessop exclaimed.

  “You brought a murderer straight to her so you’re just as responsible. What about Mara? Sera? What did they do to deserve this kind of massacre? My pa—my mother and father.” Kapono placed his hands against his temples. His gut churned uneasily. He hadn’t processed the true meaning of what had occurred that night. His entirely family. Gone. Murdered. The fire began at the soles of his feet, flaring to life. From there, it crawled up his legs and continued until his body was like a torch. Kapono screamed in despair, as the power of his dragon blood took over. He became completely scaled, talons long and sharp on his fingertips, and fangs just as deadly. His face contorted, his jaw and cheekbones sharpening as the very essence of dragon changed his features. Dragon clans were comprised of immortal beings born with the blood of dragons, therefore giving them the power from the type of dragon blood that inhibited their body. Even though they had dragon power, they were not shifters. They couldn’t change into the form of a dragon. While no change would occur besides scales, talons, teeth, and facial structure, in that moment Kapono felt as if he was going to sprout tremendous wings and become a three ton dragon right there over his wife’s dead body.

  Jessop cowered in fear, screaming for his life to be spared. It all fell on deaf ears. Kapono could hear nothing but the screams his little flame must have cried out as her stomach was torn apart and their babe forcefully taken from her body. He could see nothing but the blood of his family painted all over the castle. He could feel nothing but the anguish of losing all that he loved in one single night by someone who had chosen to play god. A price needed to be paid.

  Kapono glared at Jessop and roared, spitting out wallops of fire that consumed Jessop whole. Even if he had dragon blood inside him as well, it was not powerful enough to protect him from Kapono’s raging fire. It burned Jessop wholly and completely, leaving nothing more than flakey ash and the stench of burnt flesh.

  The tunnels. In his blubbering, Jessop had claimed the perpetrators were all waiting in the tunnel for the right time to escape. With his body still consumed in fire, Kapono thrashed his suite as he raged down the escape route, he had thought would provide sanctity for his love. The stairs would lead to the tunnels and the dungeon, and there they would be.

  Kapono’s bright flames brought light to the tunnels, alerting of his arrival the moment he stepped foot into the long and dark pathway. The scent of the mysterious intrude
r Kapono had first encountered when he knew something was off came flaring to life in the tunnels. There wasn’t just that one scent however. All the scents of the invaders were lumped in the tunnels. They were truly waiting for an escape. Kapono wouldn’t let them go anywhere. They were going to pay for the merciless execution of his family.

  “Someone’s coming! No! It’s him!” The shrill voice was laced with fear as Kapono’s fire turned the last corner of the tunnel. A hoard of hooded figures stood piled near the exit. Kapono could see their bloodied weapons, and the stench of the lives they’d taken so easily. Screaming, Kapono’s body further engulfed in flames. He lit the entire tunnel system of fire as he rushed towards the hoard of murderers.

  Kapono didn’t care to talk or choose how to kill. With claws, and teeth, and even his fire, Kapono decimated them. Their blood splattered and rained down on him like a hurricane. The bones of their bodies cracked and crushed under the strength of his hands and the force of how hard he threw them against the walls.

  A gust of wind flew into the tunnel as a door opened and some of the invaders tried to escape. Kapono finished his killing and stepped easily over their bodies. He wasn’t going to give chase to anyone because he knew that he would catch them. He had each of their scents pinpointed. He’d find every single one of them.

  Trotting easily outside, his keen senses gave him all the various directions his targets had run in. Screams began to infiltrate his haze of anger as he stepped out into the street, a raging fireball, reeling his immense dragon power. Creating large cannons of fireballs, Kapono roared with rage, throwing the fireballs in the directions where the killers of his family thought they would escape. As he threw his fire balls, he had no care in the world that the kingdom he was to rule over was being set ablaze by his anger. Screams of terror scraped across his ears but nothing filled the void of the crack in his heart. He didn’t care about screams, or children running scared, or women ducking and trying to find a place to hide. He was out for blood.