The Dragon's Kiss

Kel slipped into the large building, staying close to the shadows.

Inside, she was greeted by a gruesome sight.

The singed remains of various pieces of the structure littered the ground. The arid aroma of wooden carcasses, devoured by flames, stung Kel's nose and throat.

Just from a glance, it was impossible to tell what kind of facility this building had been. A raging fire, seemingly only put out minutes ago, had destroyed the entire interior.

"What on earth…" Kel wondered aloud, picking her way through the wreckage. "Just what is this place?"

"It used to be Spencer Regan's main base of shady operations," a voice answered back, the owner concealed by a pile of rubble.

Carefully, Kel worked her way to the edge of the pile and peeked around, only to find herself face to face with the cloaked figure.

She recognized him immediately. It was the magician.

"You?" Kel stumbled back, nearly tripping on a fallen beam.

"Careful." The magician's hand shot out, steading one of her flailing arms.

"Let go," Kel demanded, attempting to wrench herself free.

The man clicked his tongue, refusing to obey.

"Mr. Magician-"

"It's about time you learned my name," the man interrupted, stepping closer. He pulled his hood off, revealing his features for the first time.

His ruffled hair was a deep sepia color, paired with striking golden eyes. His blocky cheekbones and jawline gave his face a sculpted look, almost like a statue. He was handsome by any definition.

Noticing Kel's curious gaze, the man smiled. "I'm Soren. It's nice to meet you properly."

"Sor...en.." Kel repeated, searching his vivid eyes.

"Adriell," he replied warmly.

She nearly gasped in surprise as the man called Adriell's name so affectionately. The two of them were practically strangers, and Kel was certain she'd never been faced with those captivating golden eyes before, even back in Mevani.

"Why did you do this?" she questioned warily, dropping her gaze.

"I told you I could help you take Spencer Regan down," the man replied casually.

"But.. all this.." Kel trailed off, looking around in disbelief at the decimation.

Soren slide his hand down Kel's arm until he reached her hand.

"It's a gift for you," he said sweetly, bringing her hand to his face.

"I-I didn't want," she stuttered, bumping into the rubble again as she tried to pull away. "I didn't ask-"

"Either way," the man cut her off, still holding her palm firmly against his surprisingly soft cheek. "I did it for you."

"Why?" Kel demanded, using one of her feet to probe the area behind her. She needed to find a clear spot to escape to.

"Isn't it obvious?" he smiled. "I want you."

"I don't understand," Kel responded absently, taking a step backward between two large wooden beams.

"I wanted you to willingly come with me," Soren lowered his voice, once again closing the distance between them. "But it seems I have no choice."

With a hard tug, the man pulled Kel into his arms and locked them tightly around her. Almost immediately, Kel felt a familiar freezing sensation against her collarbone as he held her.

"It hurts!" she yelped, trying to squirm away from the pain.

"You must be talking about my necklace." Kel could feel the vibrations in Soren's throat as he spoke. "It's made from moonstone."

Whether from the pain or some strange side effect of the moonstone, Kel's head started spinning. Her struggles began to slow down as she felt her consciousness fading.

No! She screamed internally.

But it was no use. She was no longer able to fight back.

Just when she thought she couldn't stay awake any longer, a powerful force knocked both her and Soren to the ground.

Energy rapidly began to flow back into her body as soon as she was separated from Soren and his moonstone. She leapt to her feet and tried to run, but Soren's fingers clinging to her ankle dragged her back to the ground.

"Get off of her," came the Dragon Emperor's warning. His voice was terrifyingly calm and low. It was clear that he'd been the one to knock them down.

"Ha," Soren scoffed.

He tightened his grip around Kel's leg and used his other hand to let out a loud whistle.

Within seconds, a dozen masked men surrounded the emperor, all armed with dual swords.

"Your Majesty! Look out!" Kel yelled as the men began to charge.

Before she could blink, the emperor had pulled his large black sword out of its sheath hanging from his belt and swung it around him, successfully blocking the attacks.

Kel had seen many exceptional swordsmen in her life, but as she watched the Dragon Emperor fend off all twelve men without breaking a sweat, she realized she'd never witnessed a true sword master.

The emperor's body twirled and bobbed up and down as if he were dancing. His midnight black locks swayed with each movement, shining in the low light. Each movement was fast and purposeful. He dodged and lashed with timing so perfect it seemed like he was reading his opponents' minds.

A tug on her leg drew Kel away from the emperor's finesse with his weapon.

Right, she thought, glaring at Soren. I have to deal with this guy.

From the angle she was at, using only her hands was difficult, not to mention the impossibility of getting a decent stance. She quickly searched for something she could use as a weapon, but the fallen timbers around her were all either too large or too damaged to wield.

Finally, with no further options and Soren creeping toward her, she decided to use the only weapon she could think of.

Fire.

Placing her hand firmly against a large timber, partially underneath Soren, she summoned her fire.

The prickling began in her chest, and she willed it toward her hand and the timber. When the tingling reached her fingers, she breathed out slowly, unleashing it into the wood.

As she scrunched her eyes shut, feeling the power leave her fingertips, she heard Soren let out a yelp.

"What is this?!"