Lord of Destiny (The Dragon Demigods Book 6), page 1
Lord of Destiny
Book 6: Dragon Demigods
Charlene Hartnady
Copyright © November 2020 by Charlene Hartnady
Cover Art by Melody Simmons
Copy Edited by KR
Edited by brigittebillings@gmail.com
Produced in South Africa
charlene.hartnady@gmail.com
Lord of Destiny is a work of fiction and characters, events and dialogue found within are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, either living or deceased, is purely coincidental.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews no part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to digital copying, file sharing, audio recording, email and printing without prior consent in writing from the author.
Created with Vellum
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
About the Author
Also by Charlene Hartnady
Excerpt
1
Stephanus
I jump to my feet as I hear the loud crack. Rage’s head snaps back as his opponent’s fist makes contact with his face.
“What the fuck!” Jarrod says; he’s also on his feet. The crowd is going wild around us.
We watch Rage stagger back a few steps before regaining his footing. Blood is streaming down his face, droplets spattering onto the floor.
“I think it’s broken,” I say. My words are laced with shock.
“Has to be,” Jarrod sounds just as confused. He scratches his head.
“Surely, the ref will stop the fight?” I ask as Manny turns his head to look at us. His eyes are wide and filled with…panic. He quickly dials down his emotions, looking more along the lines of confusion. Rage’s trainer also can’t believe what he’s seeing.
“Not necessarily.” We watch Rage advance on his opponent. If it weren’t for the blood, you would never say he had just been hit that hard. His eyes are clear and filled with determination.
“It was a lucky blow,” I mumble. I’ve never seen anyone land a full-on strike before. Not square in the face. Even when Rage isn’t using his powers, he’s a formidable opponent. Then again, John West has never been beaten either. This is nowhere near the big time, but it is his first professional fight. One way or the other, this shouldn’t be happening! Rage is too good. Rage is… Rage is Rage!
His opponent moves in and is on Rage in a second. He moves quickly. Too quickly? What the—?
Jarrod throws out another cuss. “Are you seeing this?” he asks me.
We watch Rage deflect another blow…only just. His opponent’s knee comes up, catching him in the solar plexus. Rage bellows, sounding both angry and pained. Maybe a little stunned. Something is wrong with this picture. Rage is losing.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I shake my head. “What the hell is going on?”
Rage’s face has turned red. He looks taller than he did before. His muscles are bulging.
“This is bad,” my brother mutters. “That West fucker can’t be human,” he adds, talking under his breath.
“I doubt it. No human can move that fast.” Rage doesn’t exactly have the longest fuse. If he were to let loose, carnage would follow. John West – if that is even his name – would be torn limb from limb…literally. When Rage goes into berserker mode, people die. Blood flows. He sees red. That can’t be allowed to happen! If this fight goes on, it will happen. It’s a guarantee. Humans could end up being massacred. What a fucking mess!
His eyes have locked onto his opponent. Rage snarls as he launches himself at John West, getting in two healthy blows. One to the side of the head and the other to the jaw. His opponent’s eyes widen in shock, and it’s his turn to stagger backward. He cups his cheek with his gloved hand. That blow should have felled him, and yet he’s standing.
“Definitely not human,” I whisper to Jarrod.
“Not a fuck!” He shakes his head.
I see West visibly bristle; he also seems to grow larger. The two men stalk around each other, sizing each other up.
“This is headed for disaster,” Jarrod says, already walking towards Manny, who is standing outside the cage on Rage’s side. There is a full minute left before the end of the second round. A lot can happen in sixty seconds.
I follow Jarrod. “We have to stop the fight,” my brother says as he reaches Manny.
Rage’s opponent growls low, and the audience goes nuts. They’re loving it. Little do they know.
“What do you mean?” Manny asks. “Rage is doing great.”
Manny has no idea what we are. Who Rage really is, namely the son of the god of war. “Throw in the towel,” I say. “Stop this!”
Rage snarls, his muscles rope and thicken as he throws himself at John West. Both men come to blows. Both of their faces are bloody. They’re snarling like animals. The crowd loves it. The ref shouts a word of warning, but neither fighter takes any note.
I look over to the other side of the cage. West’s manager is a big, mean-looking son of a bitch. His jaw is clenched. He doesn’t look happy. This is the first time this West asshole might lose a fight. It’s also his first high profile fight. Like Rage, his fighter has a reputation. One that could very easily be destroyed at this stage of his career. There is a crowd here tonight and the winnings are substantial. It’s not why Rage is here, but that’s a conversation for another day.
Rage gets in a good hit, and West goes flying…as in, through the air.
“Did you see that?” Manny shouts, his voice animated. “I don’t know how he does it; it’s almost superhuman.”
It is super-fucking-human!
“Stop the fight,” I insist.
John West is up on his feet in half a second. Too quickly. He looks dazed but shakes it off as Rage comes at him again.
I see movement in West’s corner; a woman is with the fighter’s trainer. She is speaking animatedly but under her breath. From the way she is gesturing with her hands, the conversation looks heated. The trainer is shaking his head. He also looks like he could be a fighter himself. He’s big and built. I can’t hear what they are saying over the noise of the crowd. At this angle, I can’t read their lips either. The woman is tiny. Her hair is black and curly. It falls in a wild tumble down her back. Her skin is the color of mocha. Wow! She’s beautiful. Her eyes are big…I can’t quite see what color they are. I think they are light, but…
Rage crashes onto the floor, right in front of us. He’s sweating profusely. I can see dark bruises already forming on his ribs. His lip is busted. One of his eyes is starting to swell. He has hate written all over his face. His almost black eyes are much lighter than normal. They’re starting to glow. This isn’t good at all. Rage jumps up, muscles bunching, and hands clenched into tight fists. I grab the towel, about to throw it into the cage, when the bell rings, signaling the end of the round. I notice that West doesn’t look much better. Both fighters are bruised and bleeding.
Rage growls. I think he is going to attack West despite the bell ringing when a woman in a tiny bikini walks into the cage. She’s holding a sign that reads, ‘Round 3’. Rage is taking deep breaths, his eyes on West.
Manny is in the cage. He tells Rage to take a seat. Thankfully he listens and lowers himself to a stool. Manny starts tending to his wounds as soon as he’s sitting.
Jarrod and I clutch the side of the cage behind Rage’s stool. “What the fuck!” my brother says through the bars.
Rage spits his mouthguard into his hand, and Manny shoves a straw into his mouth. Rage drinks and then pushes the bottle away. Manny continues working on Rage’s cut lip and bleeding nose.
“We have a problem here,” I say, directing my words at Rage.
“No kidding,” he grinds out as Manny wipes a towel over his forehead. He carefully pushes his trainer away. “Give me a few seconds.” He turns to us, his face almost pressed against the bars. “West isn’t human,” he whispers. “I’m trying not to use my powers, but—”
There is a commotion on the other side of the cage. West is on his feet. He looks pissed. “Don’t you fucking dare!” he shouts. I think he’s aiming his animosity at the tiny woman with the curly hair. “Raven…don’t you—”
With agility and grace, she tosses a balled-up towel. It lands on the mat in the middle of the cage as the bell sounds for Round 3.
The ref rushes to the center and holds out his hands to each of the opponents as a signal for them to stay apart.
“I don’t forfeit!” West shouts. “I don’t!” Even louder this time.
Rage just stands there. It’s clear that a whole lot of pent-up aggression is just below the surface. His jaw is tight. His fists are up. He’s r
“We’re out!” the dark-haired beauty announces, and the crowd goes completely wild.
“I refuse to forfeit!” West shouts. “Don’t I have a say?” he bellows even louder above the din of the crowd.
“You heard his second. John West is out!” his trainer shouts. He doesn’t look happy about it.
“Fuck you, Maddox!” West shouts, turning on his trainer. He lands one hell of a punch, and the guy goes flying, crashing against the side of the cage.
“West!” the woman shouts. She’s opening the cage door and entering.
“Shit!” Jarrod shouts.
I’m already running to intervene. If she gets between those guys, she’ll be in big trouble. I stop halfway up the steps that lead to the cage. I watch in awe as she digs her finger into West’s chest. “This fight is over.” Her voice is commanding. “We’re leaving right now. Suck it up!”
He gets this sheepish look and nods. Then he turns and glares at Rage. “This isn’t over,” he yells, pointing a finger at Rage.
I cringe, entering the ring. I’m preparing to break things up if need be.
Rage narrows his eyes. “Say when and where, and I’ll be there.”
“Glad you agree because this isn’t over!” West growls.
“It is over.” The dark-haired woman pulls on West’s arm. “We’re leaving now. Congrats on your win,” she says to Rage.
“It’s a hollow victory,” Rage says. “Maybe next time, we keep things a little more private and on a more equal footing.” In other words, he wants them to be able to use their powers.
Not happening!
“Bring my money,” West snarls. “You didn’t earn it. I’ll be needing it back when I beat your sorry ass.”
“We’ll see about that.” Rage actually looks like he smiles. Holy shit! It’s been years since I saw him smile.
“Fuck you, asshole!” West turns back. He’s a hothead.
“West!” the woman yells. “Get a grip.” She yanks his arm.
He allows himself to be led away by her. I catch her scent. It’s fruity more than floral. She’s even more attractive up close. “How do we contact you?” I ask her. I don’t want her number to arrange a fight.
When she locks eyes with mine, I realize that I only asked her because I wanted to look into their depths. I wanted to know their color. I wanted to know more about her…about all of them. They’re not human. Who are they? What are they?
“You don’t, asshole!” West narrows his eyes. “We’ll be in touch when we’re ready.”
Nice guy.
“Go ahead. I’ll catch up in a second,” she tells West.
West glares at me for a few seconds.
“Go already,” she tells him.
He grunts and saunters off. He has smears of blood on his face and spatters on his chest and arms. I can see that his cut lip is mostly healed. His left eye was big and puffy. Almost swollen shut. It looks much better. The bruising is more of a green color. Who are they?
“I’m Stephanus. My friends call me Stephan.” I can feel that I’m smiling. The kind of smile that makes your eyes crinkle. I need to stop. She’s just so beautiful. Like jaw-droppingly gorgeous…and she isn’t human. She isn’t fucking human! I feel giddy at the prospect. I don’t want to watch her leave.
She has big, green eyes. They’re fanned by long, thick lashes. They glitter with humor…I think it’s humor. She doesn’t smile back at me. “This is where our paths diverge. There won’t be a rematch.” She shakes her head.
“Why?” I frown.
“You know why.” She widens her eyes and gives me a look.
It’s because we’re not human. Rage and West would tear each other apart. I nod once. “Maybe…you and I could—” I’m about to ask her out, but she interrupts me.
“No, we couldn’t.” She throws me this half-smile. She goes from gorgeous to fucking incredible. “Nice knowing you, Stephan.” She starts to walk away.
I hesitate for half a second. Who can blame me? I don’t willingly touch other people…ever. Hardly ever. Since she’s not a human, I should be okay. I grip her hand. “Wait! Is your name Raven?” I heard West call her that earlier. The name is fitting.
I feel the warmth of her skin against my palm. I grit my teeth for a second. I push out a breath when I get…nothing. Sweet, sweet nothing. It’s thrilling when nothing happens. “Um…sorry, I…” I stammer and then stop talking as she turns to face me.
Her eyes are wide, and her jaw drops open. There’s this look on her face. I recognize that look. Although she’s staring at me, she isn’t seeing anything. Not with her eyes anyway. She pulls in a breath and then yanks her hand away from me.
Shit!
Crap!
“You saw...” I whisper. “You…?”
She nods once and swallows thickly. Her eyes fill with tenderness. Then she reaches up and cups my jaw. Next thing, she’s standing on her tippy toes and kissing my cheek. I feel her lips brush my skin. It’s over almost before it begins. Her eyes flare with shock. Like she can’t believe she just did that.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispers, letting me go. What she tells me next has my blood running cold. Then, I watch as she walks away. I’m not sure how my legs haven’t buckled. I’m reeling.
She saw my future.
She saw!
“What the fuck was that?” Jarrod asks.
“Nothing!” I growl, too quickly.
“Didn’t look that way to me.” He frowns. “Did you see something when you touched her?”
I shake my head. “I got nothing.” I’m not lying. I will tell my twin everything. I need to tell all of my brothers. Not here and not now.
2
Raven
West pushes the door open. It hits the wall with a bang. “What the fuck was that, Raven? What just happened?” he asks as we walk into the alley. I pick up the scent of rotting garbage and pee. Must be gallons of pee. I wrinkle my nose. A heightened sense of smell isn’t always a good thing.
“Let’s get out of here,” I say. “We need to leave…now.” I start walking towards our rust-bucket of a car. “We should never have done this.” I’m panicking. “Did you see the camera? They were filming us.” I’m breathing hard but can’t seem to catch my breath. “The audience was big. You said it was low-key, Maddox,” I say to my brother, who looks sheepish.
“We needed the money,” Maddox says, his eyes barely meeting mine.
“We needed to stay under the radar,” I try not to yell.
“We need food and a roof. I calculated the risk and I think we’ll be okay.”
“Okay? You thought…?” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I groan in frustration.
“You kissed him,” West interjects, his voice is a low growl.
I stop and turn. I glare at him. Asshole!
“Why the hell would you kiss that fucker?” he practically snarls when I don’t say anything.
“Stop it!” I yell at him. “Just stop! This is not the place for that kind of discussion. It’s not even worth talking about.”
“West is right.” My brother looks at me with concern. “Why would you kiss some random guy?”
“Not random.” West shakes his head. “They’re not human. I’m not sure what they are exactly, but human…” He shakes his head, touching his jaw. “No human could have hit like that or taken some of those punches. The last one I landed should’ve put a hole in his head. He barely lost his footing. His friends didn’t look human either.”
“That’s why I stopped the fight,” I say. “Before things got out of hand. You were both about to out us. I’m not sure what you were thinking, West. You moved too quickly and punched too hard. Next thing, scales would have erupted, possibly even a decent set of wings…how would that have looked? I’m pretty sure that Rage guy’s eyes had started to glow. And you…” I glare at Maddox, “as his manager, you should have been the one to stop the fight. Not me!”
