Rising Zero Read online

  Dronix was sitting with Billa. “I can keep a secret. That one was good at hiding.”

  Dylia looked at her husband and reached for him to sit with her and the baby, with the other baby. “Come on. We have what we were going for. Healthy little ones that are both going to have strong futures.”

  Billa smiled. “When Sahla gets here, have her use the fire on you. She’s a healer.”

  “You knew?”

  “Of course. I could feel it. I knew what she was, just as I know what you are, and what Darmon is. It is the strangest thing that no two drakes are alike.”

  There were a bit of urgent voices near the main doorway, and Darmon’s parents arrived to look at the next generation. By the time they were gone, Dronix and Billa had left the room and possibly the planet.

  That was fine. Dylia had more questions, and there were many more risings to guide. The drakes would return. They already had a home and family here.

  Epilogue

  “And so, we come to the legacy of Dylia, the First. Her school and the program to identify the children and adults with Strygga Syndrome became a blossoming defender program that watches over us to this day.” The museum docent spoke in front of the picture of Dylia and Darmon.

  One of the teens raised their hand. “How many children did they have? I have heard that Darmon, the Fourteenth, had bastards.”

  There was a pronounced snicker from the back of the room. The docent looked to the back of the group, and she saw a group of figures wearing cloaks that had a certain familiar formality to them.

  “Excuse me? Why are you laughing? It was a genuine question.”

  The figures lowered their hoods. “Well, I bore him eight children, four sets of twins. He is a drake mate; there was no one else for him. There couldn’t have been.”

  Darmon inclined his head. “I will have to say that I find the thought of me cheating on Dylia is highly disrespectful. I would suggest you strike it from the curriculum.”

  The group was frozen in place, and the docent was stunned. “Emperor? Empress? You never come home.”

  Dylia waved her hand in the air. “We come back frequently, but we spend time with family and the defenders, who at this point are family.”

  “I have so many questions.” The docent looked around at the room that was dedicated to them, their family, and the rising defenders.

  Darmon smiled kindly. “Of course, you do. Write the questions, send them to the imperial palace, and when we are next in town, we will answer them.”

  Dylia linked arms with him, they flipped up their hoods and walked off into the museum.

  The docent tried to get control of the group, but the teens were excited. Two adults wearing cloaks came by and said, “I don’t blame them. It is a very exciting time. Dylia and Darmon started a lot of programs and organizations that still touch citizens every day. They actually saw history first hand. Let them have a moment.”

  The docent looked into the depths of the hoods, and the female who had been speaking had eyes that flashed gold and crimson, the male’s gaze was a deep purple with the crimson flash. The docent went to sit down.

  * * * *

  Dronix chuckled. “I think you broke her.”

  Billa grinned. “Naw. She is made of sturdy stuff. She’s one of ours, after all.”

  The population was still very amenable to the introduction of drake genes, so drakes had been visiting since Dylia and Darmon had their little ones. A little bit of kekxite and any recessive drake genes would rise and roar. It had just taken one woman in the line of fire to show them the way.

  Author’s Note

  Yay! Another weird one done.

  A friend challenged me with a writing prompt, and so, there is one more left in this particular binge of stand-alone tales. What if Snow White was a vampire...

  Thanks for reading,

  Viola Grace

  About the Author

  Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

  An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around, and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it; she always goes for the cheap laugh.

  In real life, she is now engaged in beekeeping, and her adventures can be found on the YouTube channel, Mystery Bees Apiary. Just look for the cartoon kittens.