Drakkar ~ Beyond the Lie (A Dark Order of the Dragon Novel Book 3) Read online

  Drakkar

  Beyond the Lie

  A Dark Order of the Dragon Novel

  Sandra Bischoff

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events or persons, living or dead are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names or featured names are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for the review purposes, the reproduction in whole or part, mechanically or electronically, constitutes a copyright violation.

  Published in the United States of America in December 2016; Copyright 2016 by Sandra Bischoff

  The right of Authors Name to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with The Copyright Designs and Patent Act of 1988.

  Formatted and Published by Sandra Bischoff

  Cover art by Sandra Bischoff

  Copyright ©2016 Sandra Bischoff

  Language: English

  From the Author

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  At the edge of the clearing a dark figure lurked among the shadows. Weaving between the trees, the uninvited guest crept as close as he could to the soft music teasing him from the candle lit tent behind the grand blue Victorian mansion. Muffled conversation and laughter drifted on the crisp February breeze.

  Something inside him ached to be a part of it. To slip inside the tent and watch the celebration up close and personal. He’d never known true happiness. Never witnessed the purest form of love these people basked in. What he wouldn’t give to feel it for himself, just once.

  Yeah, sure, and pigs will one day sprout wings and fly away.

  A vibration in his back pocket stopped him in his tracks. Drakkar pulled out his cellphone, glancing at the screen. Narrowing his eyes at the caller’s name, he debated about answering it. What was the worst that could happen? With any luck ignoring her would find him thrown out on the street in no time. In fact that was the lesser of two evils.

  Swiping his thumb across the screen he closed his eyes readying for the rant that was about to come. All it took was a split second. His mother’s shriek set off the ringing in his ears.

  “Drakkar! Where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to call you for hours.” Absinthe’s voice was hard and cold. Had she truly cared about where he’d been, there would have been fear and concern for his welfare and safety behind her words. No, not his mother. She was more like a jailer checking on a prisoner’s whereabouts.

  “I was in class. What do you want?” he snarled back at her. It was a lie, but she was clueless. Absinthe only cared about herself.

  “That’s no way to address me, Drakkar. You forget I can have your pathetic existence squashed at any moment,” she threatened.

  “So you keep reminding me.” It was to the point where he wished she would make good on her threat. At least then he could be free of her. Counting to ten, he relaxed slightly. “Was there something you needed?” Mommy Dearest.

  “Much better.” She purred making his skin crawl. “I need you to come directly home after school gets out. Something has come up.”

  Oh for the love of. . . .

  Drakkar strained his neck watching two people sneak out of the tent. The wolf and his bride made a quick check of their surroundings before disappearing through glass French doors. The sweet sound of her voice whispered her love to him. With a growl, the wolf kicked the door shut. The silhouette of the groom carrying his bride across the room vanished around a corner inside the house. The glow from Drake’s eyes dimmed, no longer illuminating the bark on the tree he hid behind.

  “Drakkar?” Absinthe’s voice broke his concentration.

  Gritting his teeth, he shrugged off the invisible hand he knew she would have placed on his shoulder. “What?”

  “I said, I need you home. Are you well? You don’t sound like yourself.”

  He wasn’t fooled by the concern in her voice. Absinthe couldn’t care less if something bothered him. The only reason she might give it a second thought was if the issue interfered with her plans. Gods forbid he might be feeling, worrying or even needing something. If it didn’t concern her, his mother didn’t want to be bothered.

  Glancing back toward the large white tent, people were leaving. He shrunk back into the brush, allowing the branches to swallow him. “Fine. I’ll be there.”

  “Excellent. Do try to not be late.” And then the Poison Princess was gone.

  “Thanks for small favors,” he whispered.

  There was no point in telling her he cut out early to spy on the wedding. It would only piss her off, and that was something he could do without. Ever since Bonatelli reared his ugly head, his mother did a complete one-eighty. He used to actually believe Absinthe loved him. Now, he caught her looking at him with disgust. When she spoke to him, it was infused with venom half the time.

  Yet, as he sat in the weeds watching the way her enemies interacted and spoke to each other, it was evident what he endured was not normal. Bonatelli and his cohorts did not appear to be the monsters Absinthe painted them to be. He actually treated everyone he met with a loving respect, especially his pregnant wife. There was no mistaking what he saw between Bonatelli and his soon to be queen; unconditional, I’d die to protect you, love.

  When did Absinthe ever treat him that way? The answer- never.

  Drakkar slipped his phone in the side pocket of the backpack resting beside him before swinging it over his shoulder. A slight tingle on the back of his neck hinted sunrise was soon. If he sat there wishing on fairytales much longer, his mother’s wrath would be the least of his problems.

  He was just about to turn and leave when the scent of strawberries hit him. Inhaling deeply, Drakkar looked toward the tent. A couple emerged, accompanied by a black-haired girl roughly his age. The scent grew stronger when the girl’s toffee colored eyes turned in his direction. He couldn’t move. Just one look from her and he was paralyzed.

  Drake’s gums throbbed painfully. He covered his mouth just as his fangs descended in his mouth and ducked deeper into the brush. He’d been around his mother’s human servants all of his life and he never felt the urge to claim any of them. He did feed from them on occasion but this was different. Why her? How could only little human, this human, make him want to claim her as his?

  “I have to get out of here.”

  He glanced back in her direction in time to see her
slip on a patch of ice in the driveway. His stomach dropped. He gripped the bark on the tree in front of him to prevent running to her aid. The tall, human man next to her reached out to keep her from falling. Drake growled, taking a few steps forward and stopping before he exposed his hiding place. She smiled her thanks for his assistance and ducked inside the car waiting for them. Once all three humans were safely inside, the limousine pulled away, driving right past him and out to the main road.

  Drakkar fell back against a tree. What the hell just happened to me?

  The cell phone in his bag vibrated again. There was only one person it could be. Drake pulled it out and looked at the screen. Absinthe’s name glared at him. “Leave me the hell alone!” He snarled, hurling the phone across the property.

  Maybe that wasn’t the brightest thing he’d ever done but it felt good to be rid of her, if only for the moment. He’d come back tomorrow and retrieve it. Not like anyone would be out during the day anyway.

  Voices in the tent behind him gradually grew silent. He was finally alone. The tingle in the back of his neck became an itch. His reaction to the girl cost him dearly. It was possible he wouldn’t make it home before sunrise. Rather than pick his way back down the hill to where his ride was hidden, Drake opted for the quick leave, vanishing into the morning fog.

  Drakkar lay draped over the sofa, game controller in hand headset hanging loose around his neck. He laughed as he knocked off yet another member of his team. Blood spattered all over the screen and he heard the rest of them getting pissed. Their pain. His enjoyment. Too bad he was stuck there instead of out prowling, but Absinthe left strict instructions to stay.

  Like I’m a freaking lap dog. Screw her.

  “Dude! What the hell? Why you keep killing my ass,” the player he offed whined.

  “Oops, my bad.” He nailed him again and snorted. “Sorry, itchy trigger finger.”

  “You ass-hole!” The kid shot at him.

  Drakkar maneuvered behind an abandoned building, watching the kid on the map. “You gotta do better than that. Do you even watch your back, Nick?” He snuck up behind the kid and sliced him open with a bowie knife.

  “Dude! The zombies, not me, asshole,” Nick bitched.

  He could hear the others cracking up in the background over the headset. “Zombies are harmless. I’d rather you give me a challenge. Five-minute head start.”

  “Screw you, Drake. I’m sick of this crap. I’m out.”

  “Aw, Nick. Don’t be like that.” Drakkar chuckled.

  “Screw you.”

  “Kiss your momma with that mouth?”

  “You’re a dick. Find another target.” The kid blipped off the radar.

  “Pussy.” Drakkar tossed the controller to the side and shut the game down with a wave of his hand. He sat staring at the black flat screen. There was only so much of the cattle he could take. Too bad his mother kept him held up in the middle of nowhere. He’d love the chance to take a few of them out for real.

  Absinthe had other plans for him apparently.

  “Drakkar.”

  And there she is. Sighing he glanced over his shoulder. “In here.” He brushed back the blonde hair covering his blue eyes. She hated when she couldn’t see them, and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with another punishment.

  He was stir-crazy. But, she didn’t care.

  It was all about what she wanted. Her entitlement to the throne.

  She stepped into the sunken family room. The clicking from her heels on the hardwood grated his nerves. He was perfectly fine living alone with her occasional visits. That changed when her home was destroyed by Bonatelli.

  Absinthe moved in, ending his freedom.

  She wasn’t alone either. She brought a pet.

  He only caught a glimpse of the woman. Average height. Long, blonde, curly hair. A flash of blue eyes, and then she was gone, locked away in the attic. He heard her cry once in a while. Not that he cared. The woman was nothing but a means toward some end game Absinthe put in play. The one thing about his mother’s latest pet he couldn’t shake was her aura. Neither human nor vampire, she was definitely other and it called to him at all hours of the day.

  Man this house is getting way too small.

  “Why do you bother playing with the cattle?” Her fingers combed through the mop of hair on his brow as she came around the sofa. He moved his leg off the cushion so she could sit next to him.

  Yawning, he said, “They amuse me when they die.”

  “You should see it when they are tortured.” Her citrine eyes glowed. She got off on brutalizing humans like a cat playing with a mouse. He just couldn’t get into that. He balked at the thought of taking his time. He’d rather put them out of their misery in one shot.

  Drake rolled his eyes. “Is there something you needed, mother?” A tan perhaps?

  “Yes, actually there is.” She tossed her thick blonde hair over her shoulder. “Jared’s bitch is pregnant. You know I can’t let that brat be born.”

  “Like I care about some half-breed spawn. What do you want me to do about it?”

  “I want you to take care of it.” She smirked, leaning back against the plush cushions.

  “And just how do you think I can do that?” He glared. “That would require being allowed to leave for something other than school.”

  “I’ve never said you couldn’t leave.”

  “No, but ever since you moved in here permanently it feels like I’m a prisoner.”

  “You’re not a prisoner. You’re here for your own safety.” She gave him her prettiest pout, but he wasn’t fooled.

  “Is that why she, is locked in the attic? For protection? I’m beginning to think I’m just another one of your pets here to do your bidding.” He pushed up from the sofa and picked up the game controller. “You know, at least when I play this, I’m the game master. With you, I never know who’s in control. I never know which personality is going to show up.”

  “How dare you. I give you everything. I never ask for anything in return.” She narrowed her eyes.

  “True, but I’m getting tired of being a lap dog, tired of being chained to this house.” He placed the controller in the cabinet and closed the door. “If I do this for you, I want my freedom. I want to come and go as I please. No restrictions.” Did he overstep his bounds? Probably. Did he give a shit? Maybe. Was he about to back down? Never.

  Absinthe drummed her fingers on the arm of the sofa. “Get rid of the problem and then we’ll talk.”

  A concession? It couldn’t be. That wasn’t her forte. He nodded. “How do you propose I get close enough to deal with the problem? The house is a fortress protected by the shifter, a goddess, and a sorcerer.”

  Her lip curled. “You’re a smart boy. Figure it out.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  “Rise and shine, Kiddo.”

  The black crystal chandelier above Serenity’s bed flared to life. If she were more like other girls her age, she would have been blinded by how said light reflected off some God awful pastel colored walls. Thankfully, her mother allowed her to express herself a tad more. The dark grey she painted the ceiling and deep amethyst and black brocade patterned wallpaper absorbed most of the offensive light. Too bad there was still enough seeping through the black gauzy mosquito netting hanging from her wrought iron canopy bed.

  Groaning, she reached for a pillow to smother herself with and drown out the cheerful tone of her Uncle’s deep baritone voice. Her fingers just touched the corner of one fluffy square godsend only to have it snatched from her grasp.

  “Sorry, Nettie, but your mom’s orders. Sheridan will have my ass on a platter if you’re not downstairs in ten.”

  She cracked open one eye and pushed the mass of tangled black and red streaked hair out of her face. Jake met her with a dazzling smile and leaned casually on the door frame holding the pillow at his side.

  In that moment she never wanted to kill another human more.

  “Has anyone ever told you how much of a jerk yo
u are?” Sitting up, Serenity rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

  Jake chuckled, his blue eyes bright. “Plenty of times. But you and your Mom are the only ones who lived to tell about it. That’s only because I love you.” He tossed the pillow at her head. “Besides, I need both of you around to keep my ass in line.”

  She caught the pillow noting the mascara and eyeliner smeared across her hand. Ugh. I must have been really beat to forget washing the war paint off. “Yeah, it probably would take both of us to do that. Otherwise you might end up on a vamp killing spree. Don’t think her boss would be too happy about that.”

  “No, he wouldn’t. The Prince of the Dark Order tends to frown on things like that.” A stern feminine voice filtered in from the hall.

  Jake stepped inside to allow his sister-in-law enough room to enter. When she did, Serenity cringed at how bright-eyed and bushy-tailed she looked. Sheridan Avery, newly promoted Detective of Paranormal Homicides, was all business. Her long blonde hair was curled around her face, accentuating her girl-next-door features and icy blue eyes. The dark blue suit she wore was tailored perfectly to her athletically built body. The image her mom created was meticulous, right down to her perfectly manicured hands.

  I swear I’m adopted.

  “Let’s go, Serenity. You still have homework to get done. Just because we let you attend the wedding last night doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.” Her mother took a sip from the coffee cup in her hand and sighed before turning on Jake.

  Her uncle possessed enough sense to back away and duck his dark head sheepishly. “What were we going to do? Leave the kid here by herself? I’m sure she had a great time people watching. Its better she get to know these people now. After all, she will be working for them eventually. Right, kid?”

  Serenity, miraculously wide awake nodded feverishly. “Yup. It was informative.” She grinned.

  “Okay you two. Enough wasting time. You” Sheridan pointed at Jake “are due at Conservator headquarters with me at seven. And Serenity,” her mother gently added. “You have to be at the high school by eight. Should I call someone to pick you up?”