Black Rayne Silent Screams Read online

  Black Rayne Silent Screams

  The Dragon Queen Series

  Book One

  By

  Yvonne Nicolas

  2

  Dedication

  To my family and loving husband

  for their support.

  Thank you for allowing me to take

  my frequent trips to the dark side.

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  Acknowledgement

  I would also like to thank my friend, Andrea Weidner

  for pushing me forward when I was prepared to give

  up and throw my hands in the air.

  Also, thank you Andrea for giving me inspiration

  when my muse was on vacation.

  A special thanks to my soldier boys, Sgt. David

  Hamman and Byron Evans, two wonderful men who

  help protect this country every day.

  Thank you for bringing the battle angel

  guardians to life.

  Finally, I’d like to give a huge thanks to my pal and

  fabulous author, Renee Michaels.

  Without you Black Rayne wouldn’t have

  made it this far.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the

  author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any

  resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is

  entirely coincidental.

  Black Rayne Silent Screams by Yvonne Nicolas

  Red Rose™ Publishing

  Publishing with a touch of Class! ™

  The symbol of the Red Rose and Red Rose is a trademark of Red Rose™ Publishing

  Red Rose™ Publishing

  Copyright© 2010 Yvonne Nicolas

  ISBN: 978-1-60435-774-5

  Cover Artist: T.D. McKinney

  Editor: Kristy Bock

  Line Editor: Bernadette Smith

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or

  in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in

  reviews. Due to copyright laws you cannot trade, sell or give any ebooks away.

  This is a work of fiction. All references to real places, people, or events are

  coincidental, and if not coincidental, are used fictitiously. All trademarks, service

  marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their

  respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.

  Red Rose™ Publishing

  www.redrosepublishing.com

  Forestport, NY 13338

  Thank you for purchasing a book from Red Rose™ Publishing where publishing

  comes with a touch of Class!

  5

  Black Rayne Silent Screams

  By

  Yvonne Nicolas

  6

  Prologue

  The Winged Beauty

  Calroada Island

  Demon Realm

  From afar, the sharp bray of a blade sliced through the air and seized the

  night. Followed by the howls of the fallen, a brush of wind wafted the foul scent of

  demon blood into her senses.

  They were coming.

  At the place where the ocean met the sandy beach, the full moon illuminated

  the calm open waters, giving the night a false sense of peace.

  As the scent of her wounded lover assaulted her senses, Nikena gazed back

  along the path she"d traveled and bristled. Nothing but the cold darkness stared

  back at her.

  “Please, be patient, my dear Kaishan,” she whispered in a mental message . “I will

  retrieve your soul from purgatory and we shall be as one again.”

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  Clutching the bundle close to her breasts, she turned back to the ocean and

  moved forward. A spellbinding voice sifted up from the watery plain in song and

  warmed her bare feet as she crossed. She came upon a large coral reef. It

  shimmered like the bright orb watching from above.

  “Princess Narri,” she softly called.

  The song stopped and the water rippled. A burst of wind washed over her,

  lifting her hair from her shoulders. A playful giggle echoed in the distance as the

  mystical creature"s head pop out of the water like a curious child.

  Narri"s magical presence shifted the breeze and strained the placid ambience

  surrounding her. The water fairy swam toward her in flashing speed, and then her

  head disappeared beneath the small waves.

  The flutter of Nikena"s gown and flow of her hair froze in mid motion. Time

  paused, then resumed, bringing back the sound of the night. A pair of scaly hands

  reached out of the ocean and clamped onto the reef. The princess of Arna, the

  demon waters, emerged and rested her lamina coated frame on the limestone.

  “Shame on you, milady, to make me wait so long to be blessed with your

  heavenly presence.” Extending her fin, Narri splashed her jestingly. “You should"ve

  told me you were coming. I would"ve prepared a meal.”

  As always, Narri was a colorful dream. Magical hues of lavender and ocean

  blue scales stretched down her elongated aquatic tail, curves and torso. Small

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  droplets of water seeped into the smooth, fawn shade of her full breasts, and made

  her appear as if the water hadn"t touched her at all. Bouncy aqua hair, which

  turned dark brown in the moonlight, dried instantly. Tiny iridescent sea creatures

  clung to her thick tresses, sparkling like gems.

  “How thoughtful of you Narri, but unfortunately this visit is not for

  pleasure.”

  “Aw,” Narri pouted, raking the tiny creature trinkets from her hair. “I was

  looking forward to splashing around with you again. I notice you are without your

  armor. Surely you can take one quick swim with me. It will ease your troubled

  mind, milady.”

  Peering deep into Narri"s bright hazel eyes, Nikena gazed upon the image of

  herself in a sheer silver gown, which flowed gracefully against her mahogany skin.

  “Just one little swim…” Narri"s words trailed off when a soft whimper came

  from the bundle held to her breasts. She gasped. “A child? You"ve brought a child

  with you?” Excited, she clapped her hands and flapped her fin. “Where did you get

  it from? Ooh, may I see?”

  Nikena brushed the thin veil from the infant"s face and lowered her for

  Narri"s view.

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  “Oh my…” Narri scooted closer, nearly toppling off of the reef. “What a

  beauty.” Leaning in even closer, she inhaled the baby"s scent and stiffened. She

  swallowed hard and stared up at her wide-eyed. “Milady is this child the—”

  “Yes,” Nikena replied.

  “But, but you have—no, this is too soon,” Narri stammered, her eyes darting

  about nervously.

  “No Narri. The time is now.”

  “Oh no, that means the demons…” She tilted her head toward the dark

  forest. A storm of black clouded her irises. Her scales and fins turned a shade of

  onyx. “They are coming. Where is Lord Kaishan? Where are the dragons?” she asked, her

  mental words laced with panic.

  Frowning, Nikena pressed her hand to her heart and looked a
way. The

  mention of her demon lover made her chest tighten. “My time is limited, my friend. I

  must pass a great responsibility onto you for the sake of God"s children.”

  “What does milady command?”

  The request sat on the edge of her tongue. She glanced down at her

  daughter"s beautiful face, so peaceful in deep slumber. There was so much at stake

  and to ask the lady of Arna to shed her scales and abandon her home, for the sacred

  love child nestled in her arms was too much to ask. But there was no one else she

  could trust.

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  “Milady, they are drawing near. Please tell me, what will you have me do?”

  “Take my daughter from this place and protect her. These cursed demons are not to have

  her.”

  An iridescent gleam glazed Narri"s eyes. “You trust me with such a precious being? I

  am honored. Where am I to take her, heavenly one?”

  “Mayiki will open a portal for your escape. He awaits your arrival in Bahdea, the forest of

  enchantment.”

  Swallowing back her emotions, she gazed at her lovely child once more, said

  a silent prayer then handed her to Narri. Sadness and grief weighed heavily on her

  heart as tears threatened to spill down her face. She took in a shaky breath and

  turned away.

  Harboring howls of evil, a dark cloud moved across the bright moon,

  shading its radiant glow. Nikena sought her spiritual energy for emotional

  balance.

  “What will you do? Where will you go?”

  A steady calm consumed her as the sounds of the approaching demons

  escalated. The heat of silver absorbed her irises and lightning cracked from the

  heavens. “I will do what I must.” She raised her hand and called out, “Arise

  Geantye!”

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  A bolt of lightning shot from the heavens and filled her hand with her war

  companion, Geantye, the double edged, spirit battle axe. His energy sparked and

  stirred, fusing with hers. Together they gleamed in raw power.

  Ready for war, she squeezed his leather wrapped handle, and glanced at the

  silver-eyed creature staring at her through the reflection of the razor sharp blade . “I

  will distract them to give you time.” She turned to Narri and sprouted her wings.

  Tears filled her friend"s eyes. “Milady, wait! Before you give into the call of the battle,

  please give me a name. Give me the name of your beautiful daughter.”

  Nikena straightened her back and glared up into the wickedness that

  consumed the night sky. “Sharayna. My daughter"s name is Sharayna.”

  The zephyr teased her feathers and with a powerful flap of her wings, she

  ascended from the watery plain and took to the air. The stirring wind engulfed her

  in a hot rush, fueling her energy.

  Against her better judgment, she sucked in her dreariness and searched for

  one last look at her child, but Narri no longer occupied the reef. A smile of relief

  curved her lips. “Swim hard, my friend.”

  “Where is she, Nikena?” hissed an entity, manifesting out of the blackness

  which coalesced before her.

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  He took shape as hundreds of blood thirsty chingi demons separated from

  the dark cloud. Combined with their foul stench, the sound of their leathery wings

  flapping in the wind surrounded her.

  “You cannot keep her from—”

  With the unseen swipe of her axe, she severed the ghastly creature"s head.

  “You dare to speak of my daughter, demon?”

  “You will pay for that, wench!” shrieked another.

  She flashed before him and claimed his head before he could strike. Their

  angry howls over their fallen comrades charged her intent.

  She raised her battle axe to the sky, blazing hot silver. “Now, who else

  wants a taste of my blade?”

  Water creatures large and small scurried out of Narri"s path as she shot

  through the ocean in unyielding speed. Vile shrills from the demons above vibrated

  throughout Arna .

  “Destroy them all,” Narri growled, clutching the infant against her breasts.

  Suddenly, the awareness of another force spiked her senses. Someone was

  trailing her. She increased her speed, but the creature matched her pace. The being

  advanced swiftly, and before she knew it, he was swimming alongside her.

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  “There are demons hovering over our home, Narri!” he bellowed in fury. “I wanted to

  stay and fight but Nikena commanded I follow you. What is going on, sister?”

  “They are after the child in my arms, Sota. We are to get her to the portal and protect her

  at all cost.”

  He nodded and swam ahead of her. “I will lead to clear the path.”

  Mayiki paced nervously along the shoreline, leaving a trail in the sand where

  his robe brushed. Off in the distance, he could see the battle between Nikena and

  the demons. The glow of her spirit axe and wings brightened the sky as she

  beheaded one dark creature after another, creating a shower of black blood.

  The sudden ripple of the ocean caught his attention. Cautiously, he stepped

  back. Then in the midst of a blink, two blurs shot out of the water and landed in

  front of him. Startled, he stumbled backward and was on his way to the ground,

  when a pair of big hands grabbed the collar of his robe and pulled him upright.

  “Oh, thank you, Sota,” Mayiki huffed, his heart beating erratically. “I can

  never get use to your sudden appearances.”

  Sota regarded him with a warm smile. “And you most likely never will, my

  friend.”

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  Mayiki glanced at Narri, quickly nodded then averted his eyes. Heat

  warmed his face. The sight her beautiful naked body made his insides flutter. He

  forgot how fast water demons shed their fins and scales when completely out of

  the water.

  “Well, first things first.” He waved his hand in a circular motion and cast

  magical beams of light over their nude bodies, clothing them. “Follow me.”

  They moved through the copse of trees to make their way into the heart of

  the forest. Mayiki cut a side glance at Narri, careful not to stare at her stunning

  mortal image. “Is the child safe?”

  Narri eyed the infant in her arms and smiled. “The hard swim across the ocean

  hasn"t stirred her one bit.”

  “Good. We"ll do better if she"s dormant for the trip through the portal.”

  They came upon the large tree bearing blue and silver leaves—the elm of

  spiritual enchantment. Enlightened with magical life, the leaves gleamed bright.

  As they neared, the elm began to sway, beckoning them closer.

  “Stay close, and do not stare at the leaves.” Mayiki pushed away the spiritless

  corpses of two shape-shifters at the base of the enormous bewitching plant.

  Narri and Sota shot curious glances at the dead bodies, then at him.

  15

  “I"m aware you two have not ventured this far from the Arna before.” Mayiki kneeled

  and placed his fingers on one of the victim"s forehead. The gradual cooling of the

  flesh suggested the tree had devoured their souls only moment ago.

  “So that you are informed,” he announced, looking up at Narri, then to Sota.

  “This plant like creature is a soul seeker.” Rising, he moved closer to the trunk. “If your

  wil
l is not strong enough, it will absorb your soul, leaving your body limp and lifeless for the

  wretched scavengers to fight over.”

  Sota nodded, a quirky smile gracing his face. “We"ll keep that in mind, in case we

  come across any more spirit-sucking land creatures created by careless wizards.”

  Mayiki couldn"t help but chuckle. His friend"s sarcasm wasn"t lost to him.

  “Yes Sota, I take full responsibility for my creation.” He placed a hand on the elm

  and the other out to his side. “But do not forget, my mind was clouded in darkness when I

  crafted this unforgivable blunder.”

  He murmured a spell to conjure a portal. His staff appeared and filled his

  open hand. Completing the evocation, he slammed the rod into the base of the

  enchanting plant. A white light opened in the shape of an oval.

  Mayiki waved them toward the portal. “Do not stop running until you feel earth

  beneath your feet.”

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  They nodded and both rushed into the entrance. As soon as they were

  completely through the portal, Mayiki began to cast the spell to close it.

  The perception of a dark presence interrupted the wave of his spiritual

  energy. Before he could gather his senses and strengthen his power, a force lifted

  him in the air and slammed him against a nearby tree. He attempted to counter

  this dark power, but his concentration was broken when a monstrous serpent

  wrapped itself around his body to bind him to the tree.

  Trapped within the scaly coils, he was crushed mercilessly against the

  rough bark. Through the fabric of his robe, the wood bit into his flesh. A harsh

  wail leaped out of his throat.

  “Ohh, you really disappoint me, Mayiki,” scoffed a familiar sibilant voice

  from the shadows. “Reeeally disappoint me.”

  “It seems I have a talent for that, big brother,” Mayiki retorted, his voice