Chosen By The Dragon Kings novel Chapter 2

My grandmother coughs as she comes up behind me, pulling me from my thoughts. I was lost in thought, reliving the stories of my childhood and the tragic events that unfolded in the years between. She grabs my hand, making me look at her. Her pale face holds a knowing look, like she knew what I was thinking. I never doubted her ability to read people. She often knew me better than I knew myself.

I dry my hands on the towel before letting her drag me to the broken table that sat in this tiny rundown kitchen, the place is falling apart, the paint peeling on the walls, the benches made of chipboard were flaking and crumbling, the place falling apart, none of the appliances worked but the fridge, not that it had much in it. Even the roof was sloping inward from the water damage caused by the last storm. Rundown was an understatement, this house was condemned and abandoned a long time before we stumbled across it, in a search of somewhere semi-dry to sleep.

Sitting in the chair across from my grandmother, the legs wobble and I sigh heavily, worried about her deteriorating health. Her purple eyes had lost most of their light over the years. When I was a child, they used to burn brightly, almost glowing.

Now, they look dull and lifeless, almost hollow. Yet also knowing and wise, as she had seen a lot over the years. I knew her memories haunted her like a bad dream. We hide our eyes mostly, hoping to blend in with the humans that survived the wars. Better to be human then hunted down and killed like they did with the Witches.

Her once shiny black hair turned white as snow, hanging to her hips. My grandmother used to be the strongest person I knew, but years of hardship had taken its toll on her. She was now frail, barely able to walk without support, her muscles shrinking to shadows of their former selves, leaving her looking like a skeleton with skin.

“What are you thinking, my child?” she asks, her eyes softening as she looks at me.

“Nothing grandma, but I will go get something for that cough. It has lasted too long,” I say worriedly. I can’t afford to lose her too. She was all I had left in this world. My grandmother shook her head, but I stood up, not taking no for an answer.

“Elora, we can’t afford medicine, dear. I will be okay,” she tries to reassure me. She is right, we can’t afford medicine, but I know I can find a way. I always do. Grandma must have known what I was thinking as she tries to stand up but sat down quickly, her coughing taking her breath away as her body heaved with each breath.

“You can’t, it was your mother’s,” she says, before coughing again. I rub her back, trying to help before grabbing a glass of water and handing it to her. She sips slowly, trying to catch her breath.

“Here take this,” she said, pulling her wedding band from her withered old finger, it slipped off easily, much too big for her frail finger. The ring was one of her most prized possessions, with intricate vines wrapping around the band.

“I won’t allow you to sell any more of your mother’s things for me.” I hold the gold band in my hand. It was another family heirloom that was given to her by her late husband, my pop. Passed down from his mother. I close my hand before dropping it into the pocket of my jeans.

“I will be as quick as possible, grandma. Try and stay warm,” I tell her, trying to put her mind at ease.

I grab my coat, throwing it on as I walk outside. The snow is sinking into my holey shoes, making my toes go numb. Winters were always unforgiving, and this winter felt extra cold. We lived in the city in an old abandoned shack. It isn’t much, but it at least keeps us dry and away from the elements. I say shack because it certainly isn’t a house. One side had collapsed in on itself after a storm, making only half the place liveable. On the bright side, it has running water and a working toilet, so it is better than the last place we lived.

We wanted to leave the city, but the Dragon lords refused to let anyone leave. Guards are stationed at every checkpoint, and in our opinion, it wasn’t worth the risk. The Dragon Kings had killed off the last two elders when they tried to escape and she was the closest one to the castle, forcing us to live in rundown abandoned houses. We have been lucky enough to go unnoticed for as long as we have.

They don’t know of my existence yet, and I prayed it stayed that way. But being a Fae in the city was hard. I struggled finding work because I couldn’t remain in one place for too long; anyone looking too hard would be able to tell I was Fae. My grandmother, who was unable to use magic to disguise herself, could not work either.