Dragon Blade [Book 2]

Chapter 7

Here is a recap of what's recently happened so far (If you've recently read this story, skip on to the start of chapter 7). Keep in mind, this recap was quickly typed, so excuse the mistakes.

Leiv, our heroine, has severed her ties with the Orakrest Kingdom and is traveling with Eli, her father, Kenji, her best friend, Hana, the seer, and Deklan, the runaway prince. Before leaving the kingdom, Kenji narrowly misses death and is saved by Leiv's dragon, Rin. Though the magic of her dragon was able to save his life, the consequences were severe. Not only has Rin transfered over to Kenji, but now the dragon can no longer communicate with either one of them and Leiv loses her magical abilities. The magic that saved Kenji's life has now also bonded him with Leiv's life. If she dies, so does he.

While hiding in a cabin, and on the run from the king's men, they meet a dragon rider, named Karmine, who tells them that she was Leiv's mother, the late Dragon Queen's personal guard. Due to her close, and magical attatchment as the queen's guard, she was one of the firsts to feel Leiv's dragon magic blossom and immediately searched for her. When they arrive back at the cabin, they find a battered Kenji, dazed Eli and missing Hana. 

They learn it was the battle mages/barbarians that took her. When their group comes face to face with them, they are overpowered, and there, Leiv meets their leader Desmond. As they journey back to the their stronghold, Leiv finds a way to escape her cage, and duels Desmond.Leiv is able to hold her own in their fight, and at one point was able to conjure up her powers, which causes Desmond and the barbarians to be in awe of her, even gaining their respect. Leiv realizes that these barbarians are not the brutes everyone thinks they are. 

When they're close to the compound, Leiv makes a startling discovery about the barbarian's true intentions for her. They want to see if she can survive the arena games, and if she does, they would make her their Morrigan, or queen. It means marriage to Desmond. When Leiv plays in the Arena games, she is able to defeat all her oponents, but not only does win, she also heals the she has injured, gaining the respect of her opponents and the rest of the barbarian people.

At the very end, Jeo, an elder who took his father's place in the clave, and gamemaster through Leiv a curveball. He released a dragon into the Arena, earning him a punch for Desmond. To everyone's surprise, Leiv is able to save Tristan, a new friend and grandson to Desmond's right hand man. She is engulfed in a ball of fire, but lives. The whole crowd is in shock at what they witnessed, everything was cut short when chaos inturrupted in the Arena. Jeo had betrayed his entire clan and told Talen, the king's son where the stronghold was so he could take it over. Talen admits that he knows Leiv is a dragon rider, but she does not tell him of her true lineage.  Leiv is able to escape with the dragon and help the barbarians. She is thrust into battle alongside her father and is able to push Talen's forces back with the help of the dragon. 

Talen then comes swooping down, and she then realizes that by using dark magic, Talen has forged a brittle connection with a dragon. She calls out to the beast, and Talen catches on. He holds Hana and Kenji prisoner, along with the loved ones of the barbarians. Only when everyone lays down their arms does Talen release everyone. Their reunion is short-lived. Talen's men throw a sleeping substance on the ground all around and everyone falls asleep.

Leiv has now been locked in a cell for days, and one of the first faces she sees is the treaterous Jeo. She throws a fireball at him, but he defends himself by using his mage powers, and grabbing the water out of the bucket. She learns he is a water user. He tries making a deal with her, but she refuses. He tells the guards to call in Kenji who she sees has been tortured. She realizes they had put a block on their connection, so she wouldn't be able to feel a thing. Talen walks into the room soon after, and promises to let Leiv heal him if she promises to allow him one favor, and she vows it. After healing Kenji she turns on Talen, but retaliates quickly and sucks her in a kiss, slow draining her magical energy, making her faint.