I'm The Dragon King's Slave

Chapter Six: Burning Vengeance

Xander thrusts me in front of a massive dragon preparing to burn me alive. Xander's grip on me is ironclad. The dragon's throat glows red-hot with deadly fire. I struggle, clawing desperately at Xander's hand, but it's no use.
    "Nice try, but you're not running from me again." He laughs.
    "Xander, you have no right to do this." I say firmly.
    "Says a human slave who committed a serious crime." Xander replies.
    "Xander, stop this!" Alarik's order falls on deaf ears. He sprints toward me, but there's no denying it... the fire will reach me first.
    "I will miss this body of yours, Lavena. Shame I didn't get to enjoy it more." Xander thrusts himself against my back. And that's when I feel it: a sharp sword at Xander's waist. I can see the dragon's fire now, rolling in its jaws. Resigning myself, I squeeze my eyes shut and await the worst. A rumbling growl sounds, deeper than thunder. Then, intense heat rains down upon me.

    But I don't burn. Instead, a massive shadow blankets me. What? Alarik's great black dragon curls his body around me protectively.
    "Alarik! Don't! You'll get hurt!" I yell. He growls, blue sparks crackle in his mouth, warning me not to interfere.
    "Damn it, Alarik!" Xander yells, "She crushed my hand. We execute slaves for far less!" Alarik roars ferociously in Xander's face. The executioner bellows and sends orange flame in my direction. Alarik blocks it easily. Then, he rears back, and blasts the executioner's leg with white-hot blue flame. Crying out, the executioner morphs down into his human form and scrambles away, his leg horribly burned. The king's fire. The only fire than can burn a dragon. Alarik shifts back down into his powerful human form and storms over to us.
    "You heard me, Xander." He spits, "You heard me order you to stop."
    "And you heard me. She deserves to DIE." Xander shoots back. It looks like Alarik's going to hit Xander, but instead, he grabs the sword from his belt.
    "You need blood payment?" Alarik demands, "You'll have it." Alarik dips the sword into a patch of grass that burns bright with his blue flame. When it's hot, he brings it to his own arm.
    "Wait, you owe him nothing!" I cry. Ignoring me, Alarik presses the blistering blue blade to his flesh. I watch in horror as Alarik's flesh sears violently beneath the blade. He grits his teeth in pain. I can't feel any of his pain through our bond. Is he protecting me from that, too?
    "There's your payment." Alarik says through gritted teeth, "Now, forget this ridiculous grudge once and for all." Alarik throws the blade at Xander's feet, and he scowls.
    "I don't think so." Xander says dangerously. With one final searing look, Alarik grabs my wrist, pulls me to the edge of the cliff, and leaps off. Together, we plummet toward the ocean below.

    I'm going to die. AGAIN! I scream as Alarik flihgs me high above him, shifting swiftly into his dragon form. Twisting in the air, he catches me in his talon and carries me off into the horizon.

    When we land back at the castle, Alarik drags me back to his chambers. Pushing me inside, he swings the door shut with so much force, it splinters.
    "Ignoring a direct order from me. I should kill him." Alarik mutters.
    "Alarik, your arm–" I gasp as Alarik slams his injured arm into the wall.
    "That bastard!" He roars. Then, he sinks to the floor, out of breath. 
    "I thought... I really thought Xander was loyal, at the very least." He digs his hands through his hair, palms shaking and bruised.
    "I don't have any allies here." He sighs, closing his eyes and resting his head against the wall, "This place is a prison." My heart aches as I stare at Alarik. I don't need the mark to feel how isolated he is. Blood spills from the violent blade-shaped burn on his arm. The burn he took for me. Footsteps break our silence and Alarik growls as they near the door.
    "Where is he?! With that girl!?" Xanders yells echo.
    "Damn it." Alarik groans and grabs my arm, pulling me into his large oak cabinet and throwing the doors open.
    "Do you want me to hide?" I ask quickly.
    "In a sense." Alarik laces his fingers with mine. Before I have a chance to react, he pulls me into the cabinet with him.