“Are you being serious?” His voice was incredulous. “My daughter may be fighting for her life right now, and all you’re worried about is if she broke some rules while trying to survive.”
“I understand your concern for your daughter’s wellbeing,” he growled, “but watch your tone with me, Tracker Allen, or you’ll be facing suspension too.” The Director turned to Tyler. “Your Tracker has been classed as missing for almost forty-eight hours now, so it’s time to send out a search party. Most of our Hunter-Tracker partnerships are on other missions for the MRO, so we have limited manpower at this stage. I will grant you both permission to take a week’s paid leave to look for her, along with your partnered Hunter, Allen. I hear you’ve already taken it upon yourself to send the unicorn Balthazar to search.” A vein ticked in his temple. “I can’t commit any further resources at this stage.”
“So, that’s it?” Allen demanded. “My girl is missing and all you can spare is three people and a unicorn?”
“It’s not the first time this has happened, and it won’t be the last. I’m sure she’ll turn up. They usually do. I refuse to make an exception to our standard procedure this early in the investigation. I will review the situation in forty-eight hours and assign further assistance if necessary.”
A phone rang. The Director stilled and his face tightened. Reaching into his vest pocket, he pulled out a second mobile and pressed it to his ear.
“Yes, sir? You’ve heard about it already? Tracker Seraphina Azura... I see... Right away, sir.”
Perplexed, Allen shot a glance at Tyler who looked just as puzzled as he was.
Carefully placing the phone back in his inner pocket, the Director stared coldly at him. “It’s your lucky day, Tracker Allen. We will be adding another team of eight to the search party, and in a few days, one of the helicopters will be made available to seek your daughter. The President has taken a special interest in the case.”
Chapter Eighteen
Another night passed following the same pattern of eating simple food and talking to Arius. They spoke for hours about everything and nothing. She explained how her father had raised her and about her close bond with Balthazar. She described her friend and flatmate Hazel and their home on the twenty-eighth floor in the Mandar City Apartments. As the sun rose to welcome a new morning, Sera lay on her bed of furs and reflected on the past six days. The feelings of confusion reigned supreme when she thought of the dragon that had initially abducted and terrified her. Everything had changed now. They shared a quiet breakfast of bird eggs and pork from a boar he had killed, before taking to the skies once again. Despite his reassurances, a tingle of nervousness wound up her spine as she prepared to meet his mysterious friend.
After a brief scout of the area, they landed on the plateau. It was only a short flight from his home to the flat ground that cut into the mountainside above the cave. From out of the trees that lined the open space a strange creature appeared. Shielding her eyes from the sun, Sera watched as he cantered toward them. He had the body of a horse and the wings and head of an eagle. A hippogryph. She exhaled in relief. She had enjoyed the friendship of the hippogryph who had taught her at MINATH. She walked toward the striking mythic as he trotted closer, and when his attention was on her, she dropped her eyes to the ground and slowly stepped back, inviting him into her space. Black hooves appeared at the top of her vision and a dappled grey shoulder barged into hers.
“Ooompf!” she exclaimed as she found herself on the ground. Yellow eyes that danced with merriment gazed into hers before the hippogryph lowered his head and nudged her with his beak.
“Not the first time a woman has been swept off her feet by my animal magnitude.” The hippogryph wiggled his feathery eyebrows at her, full of cheek.
A low rumbling chuckle from behind Sera answered his unorthodox introduction. “Seraphina, this is my friend, Torvold,” Arius announced. “Torvold, Seraphina.”
Torvold’s head swivelled quickly to scrutinise Arius. “Seraphina, eh? That’s an interesting name.”
“You can call me Sera,” she said as she stood up and dusted off her pants.
Turning back towards her, he winked and said, “And you, my sweet, can call me Tor.”
“Well, I’d say it’s nice to meet you Tor, but most gentlemen I know don’t knock ladies to the ground.” She raised an eyebrow back at him.
“Oh, she gives the sass back! Good girl!” He swished his tail happily and fluffed his feathers. “You need some practice in the noble art of wordplay, but you’ll get there, my sweet. Many friends of mine are just so dull and don’t know how to spar with words and it’s one of my favourite pastimes. Aside from wooing you, of course.” He sidled closer.
Sera’s mouth dropped open at his brazen behaviour and she glanced back at Arius in bewilderment. She returned her eyes to Torvold and searched his face to figure out whether he was joking, unsure whether to laugh or smack him. She decided on the latter. In a quick movement, she spun past his shoulder, along his side and landed a sharp slap on his rump.
“Don’t be rude,” she admonished him with a grin.
“I deserved that.” He opened his beak in an approximation of a smile before turning to Arius. “I like her.”
Another chuckle came from Arius as he rolled his eyes at his friend. “I am glad she has your approval. But before you get ahead of yourself, I need your help.”
Tor dropped his knees into the dirt and lowered his feathered head into a bow. “I am your humble servant, as always, dear friend.”
“Stop showing off and stand up,” Arius huffed. “This is a serious matter. We don’t have time for your theatrics.”
“My apologies. How can I be of assistance?” Tor cocked his head, his movements quick as he stood once more.
“It appears that Seraphina has the ability to enter my mind at will. I called a Dragon Council to ascertain if she is a threat to our way of life.” He bowed his head and shifted his weight anxiously. “However, I feel I may have been too hasty in doing so. I fear that they will not listen to reason and will demand her execution.” He ignored Sera’s intake of breath and continued, “I need us to go into the meeting with as much information as possible, and for Seraphina to learn as much as she can about her powers in the short amount of time we have before the dragons arrive.”
Tor’s eyes narrowed. “How long do you have?”
“Two more days.”
He clicked his beak open and shut a few times in apparent distress. “You weren’t joking when you said we didn’t have time for my theatrics. All right, how can I help Sera?”
“We need to know if her power extends to other mythics, or if she can only enter the minds of dragons.”
Sera placed a gentle hand on Tor’s wither, just in front of his wings. “I’m asking permission to attempt to enter your mind, Tor. I understand if you would rather keep your thoughts from me, and I won’t be upset if you choose not to open your mind to me.”
“You didn’t ask my permission,” Arius grumbled quietly in the background.
Tor turned his head so one eye was level with hers and brushed her shoulders with his feathery wingtips. “The way I see it, it’s a case of life and death, my sweet. I am willing to assist you in this matter. I’m ready when you are.”
Sera found a comfortable spot on the ground and settled in before closing her eyes and concentrated on steadying her breathing. She was finding it easier to slip into the meditative state needed to access her power. Casting out with her consciousness, she felt Arius behind her. Ignoring him, she extended a tendril of thought towards the strange mind in front of her.
Hello, Tor? Can you hear me?
There was no response. She sensed Tor’s warm aura in front of her, but it was so foreign that she couldn’t gain entry to his thoughts. Frowning in concentration, she widened her focus. She quickly realised there were tiny pinpricks of consciousness at her feet and recognised it was a line of ants. Pushing further out, past Arius, she could feel the
hawks that rose on the columns of air blowing off the mountain’s ridges. Her mind followed the trail of small lights that surrounded her and found the mice that burrowed in their tunnels, the beetles that climbed the trees and, very faintly, the remains of the colony of night scamps that hid in the heart of the mountain. The points of golden light lit up her mind, each representing a life, and created a rich tapestry that blanketed the world she thought she knew and left her gasping in awe. Unexpectedly, her mind recoiled like the twang of a bowstring and she snapped back into herself. She tried to open her eyes but her body wouldn’t obey. She felt herself falling, as if from a great height, until the black abyss swallowed her up.
It seemed like an age had passed before Sera managed to open her eyes briefly. The concerned faces of Arius and Tor peered down at her, then a wave of dizziness forced her to squeeze them shut again. The solid earth against her back felt like the only thing that was stopping her from slipping back into the void. Dimly, she heard her name being shouted from far away. It echoed through her brain, seeming to bounce around like it was the only word that existed. Shuddering, she opened her eyes, pulled herself onto her elbow and retched. Bile coated her tongue and made her gag. A talon gently cradled her body and the comforting pressure grounded her, stopping the world from spinning.
“Seraphina! Can you hear me?” Arius’ worried voice finally broke through the fog.
“Yes,” she croaked out.
“Here, eat this.” He pushed a pile of berries towards her.
She started to eat, the sweet juices running down her chin, and the same rush of energy pulsed through her. “Where did you find skyberries?” she asked.
Before Arius could answer, Tor was in her face, waggling his eyebrows as he said, “That’s for him to know, and you to find out!”
Arius used his snout to nudge Tor out of his way, his head the size of the hippogryph’s entire body. “Sera, are you all right? What happened?”
“I’m not exactly sure…” She frowned, gazing out over the cliff, noting the hawks that hovered there. “I think I exhausted myself by pushing too far away from my body.”
“You connected with Tor?” Arius exclaimed.
“No,” she began, and Tor shook his feathered head, “I couldn’t enter his mind. But I could sense his aura. Along with the ants, the hawks, the mice…” She stared around the plateau as she struggled to gather her wits. “I could feel the presence of all the life around me. But you were the only one whose mind I could have connected with. It seems I can only communicate with you… or dragons, I guess. But I can detect the presence of other lifeforms near me.”
“That is curious. At least we know now. Thank you for agreeing to assist us, Torvold.” Arius nodded in gratitude to the hippogryph.
“It was my pleasure.” Tor returned the bow before sweeping a wing around the now upright Sera. “You take care of this girl, Arius. I have a feeling she is going to be the catalyst of great change in our world. I must return to my flock now, Sera. Fly well, my sweet!”
Tor winked at her, nudged her cheek with his beak, and then cantered towards the edge of the cliff and leapt, flinging himself into the air. His huge wingspan caught an updraft and he soared into the clouds, disappearing quickly from sight.
Arius turned his great head to Sera. “I do have to ask, how do you know about skyberries?”
Dropping her eyes, Sera hesitated. The lynx hadn’t wanted her to tell Arius about their meeting. Peeking up at the great scaled head that hovered over her, she gave him a mischievous smile and used Tor’s words. “That’s for me to know, and you to find out.”
Chapter Nineteen
Upon returning to the cave, Arius gave her a strange look.
She squirmed, uncomfortable under his intense scrutiny. “What’s the matter?”
“Do you trust me, Seraphina?”
It was a loaded question, but she answered without hesitation. “I do. I know I probably shouldn’t, but I can’t help it. All of my Tracking training is shouting for me to escape, race back to the MRO and report you, but sometimes… sometimes it’s more important to follow your heart than your head.”
“I know precisely what you mean.” He murmured the words so softly she wasn’t sure she was supposed to hear. “Wait here, I have something to show you.” He marched to the back of the cave with his wings folded tensely against his back and disappeared behind the boulder.
Half an hour passed and Sera waited at the edge of the cave, enjoying the changing colours of the sky. The sun was heading westward and was hidden behind the mountain, casting long shadows on the countryside before her. Alarm slammed into her chest when she heard the echo of footsteps on the rocky floor behind her. A man was walking through the cave.
A man! She slipped quietly behind the closest stalagmite and examined him as he stopped beside the fire pit in the centre of the cavern. What in Ghaia’s name is happening?
Only a few days ago, she would have been screaming for him to help her escape this place but now she didn’t know what she wanted after all that Arius had done for her. He’d protected her, cared for her, and had become a true friend. Her feelings for him went against everything she’d ever been taught. By MINATH, by the MRO, and even by her father. She trusted Arius, and she was certain he had begun to trust her. Her feelings were a jumble, but she knew her mind enough to know she wasn’t ready to leave him yet. Hopefully, this stranger hadn’t noticed her.
How did he get in here? And where is Arius?
She studied him from the shadows, noticing the smooth tan skin that covered a muscular body. His wild, coffee-coloured hair flowed past his broad shoulders and a short beard covered his face. Soft moss-green trousers covered his long legs but otherwise, he was bare-chested and barefoot. He raised his eyes and stared directly at her. She froze, pinned to the spot as time stood still. She knew those emerald eyes. She had been staring into them for the past week. This wasn’t possible. The man smiled at her and approached cautiously, with his hands held wide, palm up to show he was unarmed.
Stopping a few metres from her, he greeted her in a familiar voice. “Hello, Seraphina.”
Her jaw dropped. It can’t be. The deep honeyed tones stirred her heart into hyper-drive. Her eyes darted to his bare chest and she saw a scar across the collarbone. The same place it was on Arius.
“Who... How are you...” she stammered, her voice trailing off in confusion.
The familiar eyes and the same warm voice enveloped her. “It’s all right,” he whispered gently, stretching a hand toward her, treating her like a frightened animal.
How is Arius in human form?
None of the history books she’d read had mentioned that dragons could shift into human form. Her knees trembled, the shock causing her legs to buckle. He was beside her in a flash, supporting her weight as she sank against the wall.
“It’s all right,” he repeated, brushing her hair back from her temple as he settled on the ground beside her. That one simple touch triggered an electric hum through her body.
“I don’t understand,” Sera managed to choke out.
“Dragons are all born with a special talent. A form of magical ability specific to that dragon. Some can control the weather, some can shape the earth, and others, such as myself, have the ability to shift forms. My talent is that I can transform into a human. I don’t particularly enjoy it as I much prefer my natural state; however, it has proven useful in the past.” His arm was around her shoulders, his body unnaturally warm, but the shivers coming from her were no longer from the shock of seeing him in human form.
“That’s... unbelievable.” She shook her head in amazement.
“I realise it’s a lot to take in. Allow me to prove it to you. Why don’t you enter my mind?”
“Will I still be able to? Considering you’re a human?”
The man – Arius – frowned. “Good point. I hadn’t thought of that. Give it a try anyway. It will be a good test, regardless. And if it doesn’t work, I will just s
hift back into my true form and you can see for yourself.”
Sera tried to relax and ignore the prickles of heat running along her shoulders where his arm rested against her. Slipping into her now-familiar meditative state, she let her mind expand. Almost immediately, she snapped into Arius’ consciousness.
Hello, Arius? Is that truly you?
Yes. Amusement coloured his thoughts. I am in my human form. I wanted to show you… for you to know me… all of me. I wanted to offer you my trust.
Thank you, she whispered as she withdrew from his mind.
He smiled gently at her, his eyes crinkling. It was hard to guess his age; his body was in its prime, and his face looked to be that of a thirty-year-old. His eyes though… she could lose herself in their ancient depths.
“I don’t quite know what to say,” she stammered.
“It’s okay,” he murmured, rubbing calloused fingers over her shoulders. “I know it’s a surprise. I am sorry I didn’t reveal myself to you sooner. I did not trust you. I see now that I should have. Please accept my sincerest apologies.” His words were genuine and heartfelt.
Sera blushed at the intensity of his gaze. She peeked up under her lashes at his face. A small smile bared his perfectly normal human-shaped teeth. He caught the direction of her stare and ran his tongue along his flat teeth.
“I will admit, aside from the lack of wings, this is one of the most uncomfortable aspects of being in human form. I miss my fangs.”
She stared at him for a moment, unsure how to react, before a bubble of laughter burst out. The incredible creature that was Arius boggled her mind, but the mirth put a stop to the hysteria that threatened to overwhelm her.
He’s still my dragon, just in a different skin.
She turned her body toward him and reached forward hesitantly, her hand hovering just above the skin of his chest. His hand enveloped hers and pulled it towards him. She bit back a yelp as her hand connected with his body and a vibration thrummed through her veins. She felt his heart beating, far slower than was normal for a human. Her eyes lingered on his lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss them. His right hand cupped her jaw and his thumb grazed her cheek. The spark in her blood electrified into something far more intense as his eyes raked over her body hungrily. Fear clouded her mind. Not fear of what he would do to her, nor was it fear of what people would think. It was a fear that he would take her and find her lacking. Her heart wouldn’t survive the rejection if he decided she wasn’t enough for him. Admitting that to herself made her feel as if she had betrayed everyone who had ever put their trust in her as a Tracker. She wasn’t supposed to feel this way about a mythic. Especially one that had abducted her. Her tangled thoughts made her head spin, even as her body was drawn to him.
A Dragon's Mind: A New Adult Fantasy Dragon Series (The MINATH Chronicles Book 1) Page 9