Antlered Crown by Yasmine Galenorn

Author:Yasmine Galenorn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nightqueen Enterprises LLC

Chapter Seven

“Why don’t you tell me your whole story?” I prompted.

Storm shrugged. “It’s too long for one evening, but what led to me being here is that my family sold my sister into slavery. My mother—a green dragon—needed the money. She’s been soil-bound for many years. Her wings were broken when she was young by a white dragon because she had a litter of hedge dragons. Instead of putting her out of her misery, the fucker left her. Dragons—including hedge dragons—cannot hunt or easily defend themselves if their wings are broken. Because of the injury, when she changed into human form she couldn’t change back. She’s been stuck all these years. She had to take care of all her children the best she could, in human form. She can’t die but she’ll never be able to take her natural form again. Eventually she’ll go mad.”

“And your father didn’t help?” Angel asked.

“No,” Storm said. “One thing you need to understand about my kind—the elemental lords who impregnate our mothers care nothing for the young.”

“I’m not sure I understand how this works,” I said. “Why do female dragons even have an interest in any of the elemental lords?”

“They don’t. The mothers of our race were targeted by some of the elementals. The Storm Lords are attracted by dragon magic. It doesn’t seem to faze the female elementals, but the males of the Storm Lords are drawn to the Dragonkin. Think about Zeus—how he forced himself on maidens. The Storm Lords did that to our mothers.”

“Storm Lords…they’re different than a lot of the other elementals, aren’t they?” I asked. I had only encountered a touch of their power when calling on lightning.

Storm’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, they’re the lords of lightning, of tornadoes and hurricanes and massive blizzards. And our Dragon mothers were disgraced when their bellies grew round with us. Hedge dragons inherit much from our dragon mothers and our elemental fathers, but we do not share their immortality. While dragons can be hurt, they cannot be killed. We can die.”

I tried to get the story straight. “So the elemental lords raped your mothers?”

“And it still happens.” Storm’s eyes flared, like two glowing emeralds.

“Can you… Forgive me if I’m asking too many questions, but I want to make sure my facts are straight. Can you reproduce?”

Storm’s shoulders slumped. “I’m grateful you’re interested and not just trying to skin me for armor. Yes, hedge dragons can breed with each other and produce young. Later generations breed weaker than those of us who are direct descendants, but they’re still hunted. The Dragonkin would like to see us stamped out, so they put bounties on our heads. As I said, my mother is a green dragon. So I’m first generation. We have the strongest powers.”

“And yet your mother sold your sister?”

“My mother is still dragon. While she may take care of us—that maternal instinct kicks in—she’s ashamed of us, and she has little use for us. She mourns her youth before one of the lords of lightning found her.

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