Prince of Fire | Dragonfire Book One

Capítulo Veinte Tres

The dragon circled its prey, toying with its fear and exerting a force of total control, constantly testing the limits of the vulnerable creature.

~ The History of the Order

Chapter Twenty Three

Elena had been planning to do some last minute training the day before the Order began the hunt for Dracula again, but a call from Keira interrupted those plans. Eager to enjoy summer break, and observe Elena and Dante "in action," Keira had invited them to the beach to go swimming with her, Connor, and Blake, who was still visiting. Luckily, when Elena had called Dante to relay the invite, he had some free time.

Elena donned her red and white tankini underneath her loose shirt and shorts. Then, she gathered some supplies - sun screen, towels, water bottles - and put them into a flimsy cloth bag prior to leaving her house and heading toward the beach.

Being that it was a nice day out, there were throngs of people wandering on the beach and swimming in the water when she arrived. The high sun reflected against the great body of water, making the water shimmer. Beach umbrellas were scattered across the sand, and underneath them were people, relaxing and enjoying the view. Elena parked her small car in the crowded parking lot, gathered her beach gear, and headed off to find the others.

She ended up finding Keira first. Her friend had her hair pulled back in a carefree ponytail, and she was rocking some oversized sunglasses and a black bikini. A giant smile split Keira's face when she saw Elena, whose own face was beaming as well. Elena approached and affectionately hugged her friend.

"Hey there," Keira greeted. When they pulled apart, Keira looked around. "Where's the boyfriend?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "Just because Dante and I are dating doesn't mean we're attached at the hip. He's coming though," she said playfully. "Where's Connor and Blake?" she asked, looking around.

Keira smirked. "Just because we're friends doesn't mean I know where they are every second," she modified Elena's sentence structure. "But I know that Blake will arrive late because of some event he's attending. Connor should be here soon. And oh look, it's Dayum-te."

Elena's heart leaped to her throat and she spun around to see Dante making his way over to them. He was wearing a thin-looking, blue button-up shirt, navy swim trunks, and a beaming grin. "Elena. Keira," he greeted them both before sliding an arm around Elena's waist and kissing the top of her head.

Keira squealed. "You two are adorable," she gushed happily. Then her eyes lit up. "Oh, and I see Connor now," she exclaimed, waving her hand at someone behind Elena and Dante. Elena could swear that she had felt Dante's easy, relaxed hold around her waist tighten ever so slightly in response to Keira's statement. Dismissing it, she looked back and waved at Connor. With sandy hair to match the beach and warm brown eyes to match the temperature, Connor looked ready to go. The blonde smiled at them all, although his smile faltered slightly upon seeing Dante's arm around her waist.

"You guys ready?" Connor asked, his eyes darting back up to their faces. Meanwhile, the crinkles by the corner of his own eyes faded.

"I am," Keira chirped. "I'm not sure about these two, considering that they're still wearing clothes over their swimsuits." She gave them a pointed look.

"You two can go into the water first. I still need to put on some sunscreen," Elena admitted, trying to wave the others off and not impede them from having fun. Keira and Connor reluctantly headed off down the slope of the beach and toward the water, but Dante didn't budge. He did let go of her though.