Chapter 188

Chapter 188
Daniel

As Daniel looked out across the plain near the crossroads, everything still felt surreal. The valley below him was filled with a shadow army, a few Frost Dragons and random vampire, wolf and fae rogues. They had all sworn allegiance to him and his mother, Mara the Frost queen.

Just the night before, he had undergone his coronation as King of the Frost dragons, thus replacing his ailing father, who refused to attend. His mother had placed the crown on his head and promised him that if he were to lead the troops to victory, he would once again be able to win the hand of his former mate, Stormy.

Even though he had broken his bond with the hybrid mute some time ago, Daniel had not been able to stop pining for her. After seizing the Ice Throne, he had come to realize that the problem wasn’t Stormy. His trouble stemmed from the filth she was mated too. If he eliminated the bloodsucker, the dog and the fairy, she could be taught to be a proper queen. He knew without their corrupting influence, Stormy would go back to that sweet girl he met at the party.

Daniel was convinced now more than ever, that Stormy could be taught to speak properly. Especially without David to indulge in her foolish guessing games. He felt she only needed the proper incentive to make her pliable.

Daniel had also decided he would let his brother live. He would be forced to watch and never touch, as Daniel put baby drake after drake in their mate. There was so much David needs to atone for. Daniel would make him pay for every time he had been forced to watch Stormy perform those despicable acts with her other mates.

He placated himself with the reminder that he would have lots of time to plot his revenge, at the end of the battle. Then he would no longer be just the Frost king, but also the king of Heart Stone. He promised himself that soon, he would have it all. Hpe had no intention of being a benevolent dictator like his brother had been.

Daniel felt the wind from his mother’s wings as she landed near him. “How are the preparations coming along?” She asked as she looked out over the encampment.

“We will be ready.” Daniel said curtly. He hated it when Mara questioned him like a child. He was perfectly capable of taking care of things.
His mother had been acting like he needed a babysitter since she had helped him ascend to the throne. He had to admit that she had been instrumental in getting the Frost dragons to accept him. She had been able to arrange his servants from the rogues she had collected but that didn’t mean he needed her to tell him what to do. Daniel was a grown man. One who knew what he wanted, and how he planned to get it.

While he and the queen waited, Daniel saw one of his scouts running towards them. He rushed up the hill and bowed to Daniel and Mara. “I bring news, your highness. The Golden dragon has called out his banners. All of the supernatural warriors have gathered and are marching this way.” The broken down looking rogue wolf told him.

“How many in their army and how many troops for us?” Daniel asked expecting a full report. He needed to know what he was up against.

“I counted about a hundred dragons, about five hundred wolves, and about that many vampires. There are about three hundred of the fae.” The rogue reported.

“That’s roughly a force of fourteen hundred. That’s fairly even odds,” Mara said as she gestured down at her fifteen hundred shadow warriors and rogues.”

“We need a way to neutralize those dragons. Our flying force of twenty won’t stand much of a chance.” Daniel grumbled. He had just become king, he wasn’t interested in having his new people slaughtered.

“You leave that to me.” Mara snorted. She gestured to a group of shadow warriors who pulled at a canvas. It feels to the ground and mrevealed a huge cross bow that was at least six feet wide. It was already loaded with huge spears.
Daniel stared at Mara with disbelief. “How many dragons bows do we have?”

“Six” She said nonchalantly.

Part of Daniel was horrified. A dragon bow was one of the few weapons in the world that could kill a dragon. The weapon was so large and powerful it could force a large arrow through a dragon’s scales and into its chest. It wasn’t like teeth or claws that could be controlled. A dragon bow killed indiscriminately which means Daniel himself was in danger from them.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Daniel asked trying to understand why she would keep such a thing hidden from him.

Mara laughed. It was such a cold hollow sound that it made Daniel’s guts clench. Something about the sound seemed to rattle his nerves and he realized that had he possibly made a huge mistake.

“I knew you weren’t ready. You still think you can somehow defeat your brother and reclaim your queen. But you forget they are my enemy and you have promised to destroy them.” Mara turned to look at him with the coldest look he had ever seen.

“I’m going to kill them, and you are going to help me. We had a bargain and it’s unbreakable.” Mara held up her hand and a small blue cuff formed in Daniel’s arm. “Your mother really should have taught you better than to make frivolous blood oaths.”

Daniel’s eyes went wide as he realized he had indeed made a horrible mistake. Mara had lied to him and he had believed her. She wasn’t who he thought she was at all.

“Who are you really?” He stammered as icy fear formed around his heart and he felt his strength leaving him.

“I am your master. You sold your soul to me for your father’s crown. Now you shall have it.” Mara said with a sneer. She waved her hand over the crown in his head and immediately Daniel felt a prison forming that separated his mind from his body.

“Your consciousness is now my prisoner. And your body is now tied to mine. Only I can release you. If I die on this battlefield, your body with whither with mine. And if I am imprisoned again, your mind will be trapped with me until you go mad.” Mara laughed.

Tears began to stream down Daniel’s face as he realized the truth. Mara was never his mother, David really had been trying to be his brother and Stormy had once loved him. He had thrown it all away for power. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered on the wind, as his mind slipped away into the blackness of Mara’s prison and his body became her puppet.