Chapter 5 - The Dragon Below

She Gave Birth to a Dragon—Then the King Ordered Her Baby KilledThe baby did not cry when he was born. He growled. Then tiny black wings unfolded from his back. The midwife screamed. The priest dropped to his knees. And before Mara could even hold her newborn son, the king’s soldiers drew their swords. “Kill it.” Mara’s blood went cold. “No!” She dragged herself across the bed, barely able to breathe after giving birth, and wrapped both arms around the tiny creature against her chest. He was warm. Too warm. Dark silver scales covered his shoulders. Two small horns curved above his forehead. Smoke curled from his nostrils. But when Mara touched his cheek, the creature opened bright golden eyes… and reached for her. Her heart broke. “He’s my baby.” The royal priest stepped closer. “That is not a baby.” The child suddenly hissed. A burst of blue fire exploded across the room. Everyone froze. Then something far more terrifying happened. Outside the castle… a roar shook the entire mountain. BOOM. The windows rattled. Another roar answered from the north. Then another. Then hundreds. Mara stared toward the window as enormous shadows began moving through the clouds. Dragons. Dragons that had supposedly been extinct for three hundred years. The king went pale. “Impossible.” But the oldest woman in the room was no longer looking at the sky. She was staring at Mara. “You never told her, did you?” Mara’s mother suddenly whispered, “Please…” “Tell me what?” Nobody answered. Then the old woman pointed at the newborn in Mara’s arms. “That child isn’t the monster from the prophecy.” She slowly turned toward the king. “He is the one the monsters have been afraid of.” Before Mara could understand what she meant, soldiers surrounded the bed. The king raised his sword. “Give me the child.” Mara held her baby tighter. “No.” “You don’t understand what you gave birth to.” Mara looked into her son’s golden eyes. Then she heard a voice inside her head. Not the priest. Not the king. Not any human voice. **Mother. Run.** Mara stopped breathing. Her newborn had just spoken to her. And somewhere beneath the castle floor… something ancient began pounding against its chains. **BOOM.** **BOOM.** **BOOM.** Then a voice rose from deep beneath the palace. “BRING ME MY SON.” Everyone in the room turned white. Because Mara finally understood the terrifying truth. Her baby wasn’t the first dragon. And his father… was still alive. 👇👇 **The full story is in the comments.**

20 chapters