TAKEN BY THE DRAGON KING

Nightmare Fuel

***

Elena

Sleep came easily, curled up on Dracul’s chest. Even thoughts and confusion about love weren’t enough to stop me from sliding into a sweet sleep.

But my dreams weren’t pleasant, or sweet.

On the contrary, I found myself thrown back to where this all started, to the nightmare that happened on my first day in the castle.

It was like I was reliving everything again. But this time, it was warped. This time, it was wrong.

I stood in the corridor, the hallway of the castle dark and twisted in my nightmare. I couldn’t move, the cold seeping into my body like poison. I was helpless. I was terrified.

Time seemed to slow as a second figure appeared and they both turned their eyes towards me. In the dim lighting, I saw yellow eyes staring back at me, narrowed to slits.

Just like Dracul’s eyes, but nowhere near as warm. The golden tones of his eyes were welcoming compared to the pale-yellow eyes that stared back at me.

Just like the first time, I couldn’t breathe. I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out.

Just yell, Elena! Yell and someone will help you!

But I couldn’t yell. I couldn’t breathe. All I could do was watch as they came towards me.

This isn’t what happened. I ran! I tried to run!

My heart was pounding, bile rising in my chest, aching through my heart and leaving me breathless.

A hand grabbed my wrist, wrenching me backward I tried to scream as I was pulled back, losing my balance, but nothing came out. Only silence.

I slipped and fell to the ground, scraping my skin on the harsh stone as I was pulled upwards. My wrist ached, wrenched terribly as I was lifted into the air.

My wrist ached as he lifted me into the air like I was nothing at all, my feet barely touching the ground. I wanted to scream, but my throat was frozen with fear.

“You shouldn’t be here.” He said.

There was a wave of low anger to his voice, a growling, mocking sound that I hated. I hated him already, in a way that surprised me. He was toxic, I could feel that already, just looking into those eyes.

I opened my mouth to speak, but all that came out was a gasp of pain.

He’s a brute, just a brute! He won’t act, he’s too scared of Dracul to do anything to me.

My own words sounded like lies as he gripped my wrist. The dream was getting harder and harder to ignore, feeling more like reality by the second.

Maybe I dreamt the whole thing, with Dracul. Maybe I’m just passed out in a corridor somewhere. Maybe I’m dead.

I shook the thoughts away, wincing as he laughed and tightened his grip on my wrist until I yelped.

“What did you hear?” He said, snarling, the anger back in full force.

“Nothing!” I choked out, my head spinning. I wanted to run, but my feet couldn’t get purchased, and there was no way I would be able to pull away from his hands. Just like the first time, I was stuck.

Kick him, Elena

Do something, don’t just take it!

“Damn right, you heard nothing.” He said, the threat seeping into his voice like poison. “Because if you heard anything, I might have to do something you’d regret.”

I shook my head frantically, seeing spots in front of my eyes, the pain shooting through my vision like a light show. The pain felt so real.

It felt like I was there, with my wrist in his hands. It felt like I was begging for my life all over again.

“I didn’t hear anything!” I gasped out, “I promise!”

“Maybe I’ll just end you now. Dracul won’t miss you. What’s one less servant?” He hissed.

He tightened his grip, lifting me and grabbing me by the neck. I choked, feeling my air start to get cut off. He seemed to be enjoying this, really relishing the moment.

He was a brute. He was sickening.

I couldn’t breathe!

This doesn’t feel like a dream anymore! It feels too real!

I opened my mouth, trying to scream. I wanted to call for Dracul. I wanted him to rescue me as he had in the forest. But Dracul was nowhere to be seen. I was alone with these men.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

I’m going to die!

“Wait, she’s no servant.” I heard Delan’s voice chime in, right on cue.

My vision was starting to blackout.

Hurry, he’s going to kill me this time.

“What?” The hand on my throat eased.

“Ryder, she’s the princess. The one the Dracul brought in today.” He said in a hiss, “He will notice if she suddenly drops dead! He’ll become suspicious. Don’t be an idiot!”

Ryder growled in displeasure, and suddenly the hands at my neck and wrist were gone. I dropped, stumbling and clutching at my throat. I gasped for breath, reeling and trying desperately to find my feet.

I need to run. This time, I need to move!

I tried to push myself up, my hands shaking and trembling with the effort. My body ached. But if I could just get to Dracul, I knew he’d protect me.

“Goddamnit.” Ryder snarled.

I scrambled back until my back hit the wall, my heart pounding in my chest, thundering until it was all that I could hear.

“Then what am I supposed to do?” Ryder said, “She’ll talk, Delan.”

“No, she won’t,” Ryder said.

“She’s not going to talk.” He said quietly, dragging out the words slowly, “Because if she does, she’s as good as dead.” He paused, “No, worse.”

I shivered, feeling ice move down my spine, leaving me cold and trembling.

It’s okay. I’ll get through this. It’s just a dream. It’s okay.

My reassurances felt cold and unfeeling to my own ears. Delan kept talking.

He continued, “You’re not going to tell anyone what you saw or what you heard.”

There was a menace in his tone, and I didn’t want to know what would happen if I made him angry.

“You don’t even understand what you heard, and you have no business meddling in our affairs.” He continued, making a point to look directly at me.

“You’re not one of us. You don’t understand our race and you are going to keep your mouth shut. Dracul doesn’t need to hear about any of this. You don’t even know what you heard.”

I had heard these words over and over in my head since that night. I knew what he said. I knew what happened next.

This was the point where I went my own way. This was the point where everything got better, and I got out alive.

But this time, Ryder didn’t seem satisfied.

This time, he pushed Delan out of the way.

Ryder grabbed me by the throat, “I don’t trust her.”

He snarled, his voice low and dark and deep.

There was a wave of anger there, a rage that l hadn’t heard before.

No, no, no, this isn’t how it happened!

Ryder’s hand was on my throat, choking me hard. I felt the pop of blood vessels, the rush of pain to my skull as he squeezed.

I was losing oxygen. I was going to die.

I heard Delan yelling in the background, as my vision swam. The blood pounded in my head, my lungs screaming for air.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I was supposed to get out of there. I was supposed to warn Dracul. Everything was supposed to work out.

This wasn’t right.

My vision blurred. Everything faded to black.

Dracul, I’m sorry., I didn’t get a chance to warn you…

I woke up, clutching my throat and gasping for air.

As the dream faded away, I was left with the feeling of his hand around my throat, the choking, cloying feeling of him trying to kill me.

For a moment, there was a rush of panic in my chest, my heart still pounding like I was fighting for my life. The ache in my head was a deafening sound and I was dizzy from the noise.

I didn’t know how I was supposed to get through this. I didn’t know where to turn.

I could still feel the trembling, fading light going out behind my eyes.

“Elena, are you okay?” I could hear Dracul beside me, but I had lost sight of what was real. I no longer knew what was real.

I turned to him, trying to focus, shaking my head.

I had to talk to him. I had to tell him right here and now. We were safe, away from the castle and it could be my only chance.

No more waiting. No more hesitating. No more lingering and wondering what was going to happen.

I had to act, and I had to act now.

“Dracul…”I choked out, “There’s something I have to tell you.”