Fuse Read online

  Fuse

  E. L. Todd

  Fuse

  Copyright © 2020 by E. L. Todd

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  One

  The balance of the dagger was unparalleled. No matter how it was gripped, the weight remained uniform, spinning around a center of gravity that was placed directly between the edge of the hilt and the blade itself. Naturally, the blade could roll off the wrist and slice through the air without being seen by the naked eye.

  It was a masterpiece.

  Cora set it on the counter and admired her handiwork. The metal gleamed under the candlelight and shone like the sun first thing in the morning. As she was the village’s most skilled blacksmith, her weapons were simply the best.

  The door flew open, and heavy boots thudded on the floorboards.

  Cora already knew exactly who it was, judging by the lazy way he shifted his gait as he walked. She had the misfortune of dealing with everyone in the village, including the slime bags she could hardly tolerate. “I just made a new crossbow. Would you like to see it?”

  Seth approached the counter then rested his thick arms on the surface. His brown eyes examined the blade before he turned his look to her, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smug smile. “I’d rather see you.”

  Bile rose up her throat. “The feeling isn’t mutual, Seth. Now tell me what you want so you can be on your way.”

  “Come on, sugar.”

  Her insides burned with molten fire. “I’m not sugar. I was given a name for a reason, so use it.”

  That stupid look on his face never disappeared. “Going to the bonfire tonight?”

  “Not if you’re there.”

  The smile slowly dissipated. Apparently, he’d had enough insults to finally be offended. “You’re colder than metal, you know that?”

  “Maybe I just don’t like you.” She turned away to grab her hammer but was forced to a halt.

  Seth grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her toward him. “You better start. Because you’re going to be my sugar whether you like it or not.”

  The feel of his hand was more repugnant than burning lava. Every fiber of her being screamed in agony from the unsolicited touch. Without thinking twice, she snatched the dagger and prepared to stab him right through the palm.

  “Cora.” Dorian’s voice sounded from the doorway. The power in the word alone was enough to stop her.

  Seth pulled his hand away and stepped back, fear emanating from his eyes. He massaged his hand as if Cora had landed the blow. His arrogance no longer rang like a loud bell.

  Dorian slowly walked into the shop, discontent obvious in the hard lines of his face. “Seth, leave. I can control Cora for only so long.”

  Seth cast a dark look at Cora that clearly said, “This isn’t over.” Then he walked out, his heavy boots sounding against the floorboards once more. When the door shut behind him, Cora and Dorian were finally alone.

  Dorian approached the counter, disappointment clear in his eyes. He hadn’t said a word, but it was obvious what he was about to say.

  Cora returned the dagger to the counter. “It’s the finest one I’ve ever made.”

  “It’s impressive.” He rested his elbows on the counter, his eyes glued to her face.

  She wouldn’t meet his gaze because she knew what was coming.

  “Stop fighting it. You need to pick a husband.”

  “Why?” Anger rose out of her throat like fire. “I’m perfectly happy with the way things are.”

  “You need someone to look after you.”

  “I look after myself,” she snapped.

  “You can’t be a blacksmith forever. People in town say—”

  “I don’t care what they say. I’m the finest blacksmith for leagues. No one questions that. If they really want to have dull weapons in the line of duty or in the midst of a hunt just because of what’s between my legs, then they are idiots.”

  Dorian ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair, pulling it over his eyes before he pushed it away again. “I can’t look after you forever. I have my own family to think of.”

  After she had been abandoned in the street, Dorian took Cora in as an orphan. He fed her, gave her housing, and taught her the craft. But he’d stopped taking care of her a long time ago. “You don’t look after me. I support myself with my weapons. Frankly, you’ll never find a better blacksmith or cheaper help. I’m the one who’s doing you a favor.”

  He shook his head slightly. “But how long will that last? No one minded your skill in the beginning. But you’re a lady now, Cora. You’ve been one for a long time. It’s proper to take a husband and start a family.”

  “But what if I don’t want a husband and a family?” Cora had no interest in any of the boys in town. They were exactly that—boys.

  “That’s too bad,” he said coldly. “That’s the way things are.”

  “Says who?” she questioned. “Society’s rules aren’t actual rules. They’re opinions. And I have my own.”

  He looked down at the counter and sighed like this conversation was giving him a headache. “Cora, you’re a smart woman. Maybe you disagree with what I’m saying, but that doesn’t make my counsel wrong. The road ahead will be nothing but difficult if you continue to resist. I suggest you pick a husband while there are still good ones to choose from.”

  “Please don’t tell me you think Seth is a good choice.” He was an arrogant bastard. Cora wouldn’t consider him if he were the last man on the face of the earth.

  “I think he’s better than some. His family owns the cotton fields. You would be well taken care of.”

  Cora couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes.

  “Cora.” His deep voice sounded again. “I admire your independence, but don’t be childish. You’re smart enough to understand how the world works. If you don’t marry, you’ll be sold to the brothel.”

  “I’d rather die.” She’d slit her own throat if she had to.

  “Then marry Seth. Or pick someone else. It doesn’t really matter. But you can’t stay like this forever.”

  She picked up the blade again and admired it under the dim light. Weaponry was the only thing she had any passion for. Concentrating on molding the metal and getting the forges to the exact right temperature was what made her feel alive. Romance, marriage, and babies… They simply weren’t her thing.

  “Cora.”

  She slowly looked up at him, hiding her thoughts deep behind her eyes.

  “I wish my sons were half as tough as you are.” Dorian looked after her when he didn’t have to, and even though his family didn’t have much, they somehow managed to feed another mouth. While he wasn’t particularly affectionate with her, he was never cruel. “Maybe the rest of the village doesn’t admire you, but I do. I taught you the trade, but somehow, you outshine me. You don’t take bullshit from anyone, and you hold your head high in pride, not arrogance. And you’re beautiful without being vain. But those qualities don’t mean much if you throw them away. Marry a good man and make the sacrifice. You can continue to do all the things you love without the grief. I know you’ve trusted my counsel in the past, so trust it now.”

  Marriage was repulsive. Being legally bound to a man she didn’t love would be torture. But she was running out of options. Dorian always had her best interests at heart, and he treated her like another son. If there was anyone she trusted, it was him. “I’ll think about it.”

  Two

  Miss Fitz always told the best stories.

  Whether they were true or false, it didn’t matter. The tales were riveting and entertaining. The young and the old gathered around the roaring fire just to hear Miss Fitz talk about ancient history and prophecies of the distant future.

  Cora always came, despite the stares directed her way. Disapproval rang in the air, and the girls whispered to one another while giving her cold looks. She was the talk of the town because she was one of the last few to take a husband.

  She didn’t care what they thought.

  Cora took a seat against a tree log and admired the flames in the center of the clearing. They burned with a rhythmic pattern, the flames dancing to the music of the stars, crackling and popping to make their own songs.

  She became lost in thought when Miss Fitz started to speak.

  “Tonight, we will speak of the dragons.”

  Some people at the campfire sighed in disappointment. The legend of the dragons had been told for ages. But others stiffened in interest, wanting to hear the tale as many times as they could.

  It happened to be Cora’s favorite.

  Miss Fitz adopted her storytelling voice, making it echo and bellow throughout the clearing. Everyone snuggled together under their sheep blankets and kept warm. “At the beginning of time, dragons ruled Anastille. They lived high in the mountains and low in the valleys. They were the kings of the land, ruling over every living thing.

  “But all of that changed when man first set foot onto Anastille thousands of years ago. Unable to stay in their homeland after the highest mountain exploded in fire, they retreated to the first landmass they could find. Unfortunately, they didn’t know who ruled it.”

  Cora hung on every word, even though she’d heard the story at least a dozen times. The idea of winged beasts ruling over man was eminently interesting.

  “Dragons are w
ise and powerful. They didn’t blindly trust the humans who came to their land. They watched over them closely, making sure there wasn’t a threat of any kind.” Miss Fitz looked at everyone in the crowd, watching their faces for a reaction. “After hundreds of years, the humans grew tired of the constant watch. They were allocated a small amount of land near the sea. As their population regrew, their resources dwindled. So, they asked the leader of the dragons for full freedom, to coexist in the land the dragons had claimed for their own.”

  Cora fiddled with the ring on her forefinger. It was brown and constructed of birchwood. Nestled inside was a beautiful emerald. Dorian had given it to her years ago, but she never knew where he’d obtained it. Although she was a blacksmith, she understood the jewelry wasn’t cheap.

  “Reluctantly, the dragons obliged. For hundreds of years, the humans had remained quiet and isolated. They never complained or turned hostile. And they seemed to appreciate the dragons’ beauty, particularly their scales. It’s common knowledge that the one flaw dragons possess is vanity. If ever met with a hostile dragon, compliment the brightness of their scales. That might be the one thing that can save you.

  “The dragons could have simply killed the humans and ended their infiltration into the land, but as earthly creations, they understood the ground, soil, and grass couldn’t belong to a single species. In fact, everyone was simply borrowing it before his own body returned to the soil. While dragons are always wise, they didn’t realize just how poor this decision was.”

  Tension rose in the campfire. Children pulled blankets tighter around their shoulders, and the fire crackled in silent protest at the story. The stars in the sky shone on, listening just as intently. Cora pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, forming a small ball.

  “The leader of the people, King Lux, protested for equal freedom in Anastille. No longer would they be guests in this distant land. They would be delegated their own land and their own laws. Simply allocating more land wasn’t enough. So, he asked the dragons for a gift, a symbol of true bonding. After a full year of deliberations, since dragons take their time with everything, they finally decided to grant the wish. We call this the First Fuse.”

  Quiet whispers erupted around the campsite. New visitors to the campfire asked their companions endless questions rather than just letting Miss Fitz explain it herself.

  Miss Fitz raised her hands to silence everyone. Not once did she have to speak to gather everyone’s cooperation. Even in her silence, she possessed authority. “The First Fuse is the greatest moment in all of history, for it’s the moment when the dragon voluntarily agreed to fuse with a human, to become a hybrid, for man and dragon to exist as a single person.”

  When Cora first heard this story, she could hardly believe her ears. To be combined with a dragon, to have the ability of flight and fire-breathing, was something that kept her up long into the night. Sometimes, she dreamed of spreading her wings and soaring high over the tallest crags of the mountains in the north. Sometimes, she dreamed of having scales of armor that glimmered under the light of the sun. And sometimes, she wished her dreams were a reality.

  “When a dragon chooses to fuse with a human, it’s the greatest gesture a dragon can make. People say they can communicate with just their thoughts, and sometimes with only emotions and not even words. The joined being is comprised of two hearts, and at any time, the human version can reveal himself as he once was before molding back into the form of the dragon.

  “When a human fuses with a dragon, he’s blessed with an unnaturally long life. He becomes almost immortal, only susceptible to death by mortal wound. Such a gift isn’t taken lightly.” Miss Fitz examined the faces of the crowd, and when she had the effect she desired, she continued on. “That was the beginning of the new age, where dragons, humans, dwarves, and elves lived among one another as equals.”

  Cora didn’t know much about the elves or the dwarves. She knew they existed at one point, but that was the extent of her knowledge. After only seeing humans all her life, it was hard to imagine anything else.

  “But this didn’t last long. King Lux was corrupt and greedy for power. He began a campaign to fuse with as many dragons as possible and annihilated the ones who refused to cooperate. Over the span of one hundred years, he accomplished his goal and wiped out the race of dragons completely.”

  While she’d never known a dragon or even witnessed a picture, this part of the story always made her sad. The humans came to their land as refugees, and the dragons graciously gave them asylum. And that was how the human race repaid them? It made her sick.

  “There was an uprising with the elves and dwarves. They never approved of the humans in the first place, and once this enslavement began, they considered it an act of war. This led to what we know as the Great War.”

  Cora had heard about this too, and it was definitely bloody.

  “While outnumbered, the humans defeated their enemies with cruelty. General Rush, King Lux’s son, was the vilest soldier in their army. He killed more elves and dwarves than most soldiers combined. He was considered their secret weapon because his blood lust could never be satiated. Powered by political greed, he was instrumental in the winning of the war.”

  Cora would never understand how tensions could lead to such a bloody battle. Humans were innately greedy, but understanding the extent made her despise her own species.

  “Now, the dragons are no more than a fairy tale.” Miss Fitz’s voice drifted off in sadness. “They’re just a folktale we exchange when the town’s gossip has run dry. Now, we live in a cruel world ruled by men.”

  Cora fingered her ring again, her mind deep in thought.

  A boy at the edge of the campfire spoke out. “Can the dragons ever come back?”

  “Unlikely,” Miss Fitz answered. “Very unlikely.”

  “Is King Lux still fused?” a young girl asked.

  “That, I’m not sure,” Miss Fitz answered. “But since he’s lived for so long, I can only assume.”

  Cora’s skin prickled at the thought. So, there could be a dragon left in Anastille. But he was a prisoner to Lux, a cruel king.

  “How does a human get a dragon to fuse?” the first boy asked.

  “That’s a mystery to me,” Miss Fitz said. “But I can only assume by some dark torment. No dragon would voluntarily serve a man who wiped out his entire race.”

  King Lux already robbed them every quarter when his men came to collect rent. Some families were left to starve just so the king’s pockets would be a little heavier. The soldiers insisted the tax was required to keep them safe from attack or invasion.

  But from what?

  Humans were the only beings left in Anastille. What exactly were they being protected from? It was all an excuse to wipe the commoners of every coin they possessed.

  It was bullshit.

  Miss Fitz surveyed the eager minds before she spoke again. “The dragons never should have trusted us so completely. Opening their hearts to us was their downfall. And I’m ashamed of my species for doing such a grotesque thing.”

  Amen to that.

  “Miss Fitz, why are there three kings?” a young girl asked.

  Miss Fitz straightened like that was a question with a long-winded answer. “No one knows for sure, but I suspect—”

  The watchman jogged up the dirt road with a torch in his hand. Everyone turned in his direction because it was uncommon to see anyone run anywhere—unless something dire had happened. He stopped by the campfire and turned to Miss Fitz. He was covered in sweat, and fear was in his eyes. The light of the campfire highlighted every feature on his face. The man of the guard, covered in armor and weapons, was actually scared. And that didn’t bode well for the rest of them. “The Shamans approach the gate.”

  Three

  The Shamans had only come to town on one other occasion, and it was to interrogate a man who served in the king’s guard. Rumors had spread of their foulness. They were covered in black clothing, every inch of their skin hidden from sight. They had the form of a man but the stench of something dead. When they moved their heads, it was with peculiar slowness, as if they were birds searching for their next meal in the soil. Just their presence chased away all hope.