“I’m getting stronger,” she grunted as she forced herself to her feet, using his offered wing to balance. “Damn it,” she huffed as she shuffled forward.
“What’s the matter?”
“With everything that’s happened, I didn’t think about my backpack. It’s got my food and survival kit in it. It must have been lost in the lake when we fell.”
Tor made a conciliatory noise in his throat and said, “Allow me to fetch you some food and water.” He stayed in step with her as she made her way towards the chuckling stream.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not some damsel who needs to be waited on. I can find my own food and water.”
He chuckled. “Yes, yes, I know, you’re a fearsome Tracker who is Soulbound to a dragon. You’re the last person who needs my help. But, please, allow me to be a gentleman, just this once. Forgive me for saying, but you do appear weakened.”
“Yeah, well, no sleep for twenty-four hours and constantly fighting for survival will do that to a person,” she grumbled as they arrived at the creek’s edge.
“Which is precisely why you should let me fetch you something to eat.”
“Fine.” She thumped to the mossy ground in defeat. She cupped her hands in the creek and drank deeply. Tor disappeared briefly before returning with some watercress. “Thank you,” she said, accepting the leafy plant gratefully.
“You’re welcome.” He nudged her shoulder kindly. “I can catch some fish for you if you’d like?”
“I would love some fish, but I can’t eat it raw, and I don’t think a fire is a good idea with the search party so close.”
“Good point. So, you’ve chosen not to return to them?”
“Tor, you know I can’t leave Arius. As tempting as it is to return to my old life, I can’t go back. I have to find him.”
The grey hippogryph bowed his head. “I understand.”
Bels returned soon after and reported that five humans were sweeping the area a few ridges away and another team were at the base of the Mandar Ranges. She had also heard a strange whirring noise in the distance that she couldn’t identify. After a short but passionate discussion, where Sera argued that she could take care of herself for the short time it would take them to find food and shelter for the night, the two of them left her alone.
The fatigue that she’d pushed back all morning had settled into her bones. She lay down in the clearing and allowed her eyes to drift shut. As exhausted as she was, she couldn’t stop her thoughts racing away from her. Worry for her dragon, her father and her life, all whirled through her mind. The tangle of stories shared with her by the dragons played on repeat as she tried to unravel the truth. The claim that she had some say in the future of their world was a wonderfully impossible idea. However, the vision that alleged that her father wasn’t Allen was a hard pill to swallow. Unable to relax, she lay still and focused on her breathing. Settling into a meditative state, she listened to the birds calling to one another, announcing the impending end of another day. The trees rustled and the creek sang over the stones. The voices of the search party had faded away as they headed in the opposite direction.
She sank deeper into her meditation and stopped purely listening to her surroundings. She cast her mind out and felt the tiny minds of the ants marching past her resting form, intent on their purpose of finding food for their queen. Pushing further away from herself, she noticed the little honeyeater that was flitting between flowers near her head, blissfully unaware of her presence. As her power grew stronger, this exercise became almost restful, like stretching after a training session. Not wanting to exhaust herself further, she began to retreat into her mind but hesitated when an unexpected sense of unease stole over her. There was a strange void to her right. She could sense the two hippogryphs further away to her left and other small creatures darting through the underbrush between them, but there was a bubble of emptiness approaching from the opposite direction.
Abruptly, a foreign consciousness brushed against hers, immobilising her body, and bringing with it an impression of decay and the stench of rotting flesh. Her eyes snapped open and she stared in horror at the monster that appeared before her. The head and bust of a woman with taloned claws for legs and the wings of a vulture.
A harpy.
The lank strings of black hair fell from her head and covered her bony breast. The oily feathers appeared to ooze black blood that dripped to the ground as she stalked forwards. Her skinny arms were raised aggressively, thin fingers outstretched towards Sera with claws tipping each nail. At odds with the grotesque figure of her body, the harpy's face was angular and beautiful, in a terrible way. The tips of her ears were pointed, and purple irises filled the almond-shaped eyes, giving her face an almost cat-like appearance.
Sera went to recoil in horror but was unable to move. The harpy's magic wrapped around her body, trapping her and leaving her gagged.
"Hush." The mythic’s gravelly voice was the sound of ice scraping against rock. “If you struggle, you’ll just make it worse for yourself.”
Leaning down, she grabbed Sera’s hand and examined the palm closely, twisting it as she examined the faint golden line that was the only sign of where Arius had cut her. The claws dug into her skin and she struggled to scream, but only a choked garble came out.
“Well now, isn’t this interesting?” The harpy’s voice grated as she tugged Sera’s shirt down to reveal the matching scar over her heart.
The action left her feeling violated as the creature placed a taloned foot on her chest then inserted her skeletal finger into Sera’s mouth. Drawing a line on the inside of her cheek with her claw, the harpy pulled the bloodied nail out and sucked it. Her pupils dilated until the black filled her eyes and she bared her fangs in a terrifying smile.
“What a wonderful development. My employer will be pleased. Now, my dear, you will be coming with me. I know, I know, I’m sure this is all very confusing for you. What you must understand is that these mythics you have befriended, they have lied to you. They are trying to instigate another war. And we don’t want that now, do we? Your dragon knows that you are more powerful than you realise, especially now that he has tricked you into being Soulbound to him. He, and your hippogryph friends, are trying to turn you away from your people.”
That’s not true! She wanted to scream at the harpy, but more than that, she wanted to plunge Firinne into her lying mouth.
“I can see you don’t believe me. The thing is, you’ve been brainwashed. Ever heard of Stockholm Syndrome? Of course you have. That’s what your precious dragon has done. He took you against your will, but he was kind to you. He pretended to care for you, all the while feeding you the lies that will pave the way for a new war. I’m here to save you from him. From this path of destruction that he would lead you down. Come with me quietly and I will return you safely to Mandar City where you can report to the MRO.”
Sera sensed the precise moment the harpy eased her magic off, and she wasted no time in lunging for Firinne and sweeping it up to cut into the harpy’s flesh. Before it reached its target, the knife halted mid-strike and the staghorn handle burned her hand. Crying out, she dropped the blade and the magic gripped her once again in its harsh embrace.
“Tsk, tsk, my dear. That is no way to treat your saviour. My employer asked for you to be returned to him alive, but he failed to mention in what condition. After that outburst, I think you need a little reminder of your manners.”
The harpy picked up Firinne and placed the sharp tip against Sera’s arm. The magic held her body still as the knife sliced into her forearm. Sera gritted her teeth as tears silently dripped down her face.
“There, that should do it.” She stepped back to admire her handiwork as blood trickled from the wound. “There’s more where that came from if you try anything else,” she warned.
Tossing the knife away into the nearest bush, the harpy lifted Sera easily into her arms and leapt into the air. The stench of decay that clung to the mythic like a cloak made her gag, but
the magic still paralysed her. Black blood splattered onto her skin with each beat of the harpy’s wings. Air rushed over them as they turned east and headed towards the city.
The harpy leered at Sera as they flew and she said, “It’s time to go home, Seraphina.”
EPILOGUE
The woman he had left chained inside the padded cell groaned as the iron bit into her skin. President Kaesus closed the heavy door tightly behind him, tapping a code into the keypad to lock it. He blinked as he allowed his eyes to adjust to the bright fluorescent lights. Striding along the uninterrupted hallway, his footsteps echoed through the empty space. The crisp, white walls lent the prison a clinical feel. His blood hummed; he felt revitalised after his visit to the broken woman. Reaching the end of the corridor he swiped his security pass through the access panel, keyed in his six-digit code, and walked through the armoured doors as they hissed open. Stepping into the cool night air, he pulled his blazer closer around him. He stalked away from the building that housed only his captive and made his way towards the bright lights of the main cell block.
Passing through a gate flanked by barbed wire fences he crossed the dark exercise yard. The fence surrounded the entire Iniques Rehabilitation Centre. Electrified mesh stretched overhead to create a domed cage to ensure that no flighted creatures could escape. The main building was massive as it was required to house all manner of prisoners, both human and mythics. His phone buzzed angrily in his pocket, its glow lighting his piercing icy-blue eyes.
Touching the screen, he answered curtly, “Yes.”
When he heard the update from the scratchy voice of the harpy, his mouth curled into a cruel grin.
“Good. Take her straight to the drop-off. I’ll meet you there.”
Swiping his access card once more, he entered the main building. Ignoring the many doors lining the hall, he made his way to the front desk. A head of sleek black hair peeked over the counter as the President frowned at the strange sentry behind the desk.
“You’re new.”
“Good evening, Mr President, sir.” The Hunter-turned-prison-guard jumped to his feet and snapped to attention. “I’m Hunter Jun. Hunter Baxter is away on leave, so I’m taking over during his absence.”
“I haven’t seen you around before. Have you been given the rundown on the standard procedure for my visits?” President Kaesus hated change, particularly when it wasn’t orchestrated by him.
“Yes, sir. I have signed the NDA, and I understand that if I happen to see or hear anything while you’re onsite, which I’m sure I won’t, I am not to interrupt or to share that information with anyone, on pain of death.”
“Good.” He crossed his arms. “How long will Baxter be away for?”
“He’s only away for a week, Mr President.”
“Fine. Leave a message for him to contact me as soon as he returns.”
“Yes, sir.”
The President’s eyes slid over to the TV that hung on the wall in the corner of the room. The local news was broadcasting the latest revelation on the missing Tracker case.
The journalist onscreen declared, “President Malcolm Kaesus has committed to sending his private helicopter to search for the missing Tracker, Seraphina Azura, after her father reported her missing six days ago.”
Jun followed his gaze and cocked his head. “No word yet on Tracker Sera?”
He hesitated before replying, “No, no word from the rescue team yet.”
“Shame. She seemed like a talented Tracker. Odd that she would get lost.” Jun shrugged. “Not my business anyway. Can I help you with anything else tonight, Mr President, sir?”
“No, my business is finished here,” he said and stalked out of the IRC.
His driver and bodyguards waited at his black armoured car, one of only a few that had been commissioned after the Mythic War. Sliding into the backseat, he instructed his team to take him to Grave’s Point, an old lookout on a hill above Mandar City. The dirt road was corrugated and the going slow, but that meant the chances of anyone else being here at this time of night was slim. Once they arrived, he allowed his bodyguards to sweep the area before requesting that they remain at the car while he enjoyed the view alone. Grabbing his briefcase, he left his entourage in the car park, jogged up the stairs and followed the winding boardwalk to the viewing platform.
From there, the bright lights of the city were laid out like a miniature galaxy before him. Turning away from the vista he peered up the hill, scanning the star-studded sky. An awkward form appeared out of the dark and flapped towards him. The harpy and her human cargo alighted on the wooden deck of Grave’s Point and she dropped the young woman’s body to the ground at his feet.
“Here she is, alive as requested. Fun fact, she is Soulbound to the dragon. Now, where’s my reward?”
Pulling his phone out, he replied, “They’re Soulbound? In that case, you haven’t completed the task. I need them both.”
She snarled and raised a clawed hand, threatening to strike.
He grabbed her by the throat and opened his contacts list, his finger hovering over the screen. “All it will take is one phone call and you’ll be reunited with your clutch. Or you could lose them forever. It’s your choice.”
Feathers bristling, the harpy lowered her talons sullenly.
“Good. Now finish the job and I’ll give you back your family.”
The harpy flew off and President Kaesus eyed the blood-stained girl with distaste. She groaned and rolled stiffly to her feet now the harpy’s magic had lifted.
He plastered a smile on his face. “Tracker Seraphina! I’m so thankful that the harpy found you!” He embraced her tightly as she stood frozen in shock. “It is so good to finally meet you.” He stepped back and held her at arms-length. “Has anyone ever told you that you have your father’s eyes?” His grip tightened for a moment, then he released her.
“I don’t understand what’s happening,” she rasped out.
“You’ve had a massive shock, Seraphina. I know about the dragon, but don’t worry, you’re not in trouble. I know it wasn’t your fault. Dragons are excellent at manipulating the truth into some twisted version that suits their ambitions.”
“That’s not true. Arius didn’t lie to me.” She looked between him and the forest at their back as if calculating her chances of escape.
“So, his name is Arius? I’m sure you believed Arius had your best interests at heart. Let me explain everything to you. It will all make sense soon.” He spoke in soothing tones as he opened his briefcase and withdrew a needle. “You are hurt, Seraphina. I’ll just inject you with this Vital Heal and you’ll feel much better.”
“No.” She swayed on her feet and held her hands up. “I don’t want you to give me anything.”
“It’s all going to be okay,” he coaxed as he gripped her arm and pulled the sleeve back.
“Stop it,” she whimpered and feebly tried to push his hands away.
Swiftly, he injected the serum into her veins and shoved her against the handrail. He placed his head next to hers, his lips whispering against her ear, “That injection was a special mix of my own. It eliminates memories and replaces them with whatever I tell you. What’s going to happen now is, you’re going to walk towards Mandar City until you can’t walk any further. When you are discovered, starving and dehydrated, you will not remember anything from the moment that dragon took you. You were out camping and hunting deer when you fell and hit your head. When you woke up you managed to survive in the wild and made your way home alone. You won’t remember the harpy, you won’t remember this meeting. And you won’t remember your precious dragon!”
He spat the last sentence at her and violently flung her body away in disgust. She stumbled and fell to the ground, staring up at him with fear in her wide, blue eyes, the loose strands of her auburn hair tumbling around her face.
“No,” she whispered, terror lacing her words.
He smirked at her. “It’s for the greater good, Seraphina. Sometimes, one
must make difficult decisions to secure the future of Mandar. One day you might have to make a similar choice.”
He marched back to his car, leaving Sera hunched over and sobbing as the memories of her dragon trickled away with each tear that soaked into the earth.
Acknowledgments
Firstly, I want to thank you. Yes, you there, holding this book. Whether you are reading these pages on your Kindle, phone, tablet or if you’ve got your hands wrapped around the spine of a paperback… I want to say a heartfelt thank you for reading this story. I hope you loved reading it as much as I loved creating it.
If you enjoyed A Dragon’s Mind, please consider leaving a review. But please remember to be kind. I poured a part of my soul into these pages and, while my brain knows that it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea (and that’s okay), my heart craves acceptance. I’m always happy for readers to reach out to me with constructive feedback; if you have any suggestions on improvements for future books please head to my website to get in touch. Make sure you keep an eye out for book two: A Dragon’s Body, set for release on 30th June 2021.
I want to sincerely thank the professionals who helped make A Dragon’s Mind the best story that it could be. In particular, thanks to my editor Sheryl Lee who offered helpful advice and guidance that was so appreciated by a newbie author like myself. She taught me many things through the editing process and I’m sure I will continue to learn from her!
A massive thank you to Elena Dudina, my cover designer. I told her I wanted a girl and a dragon in a cave, and she gave me this glorious cover. A special mention to the model Miranda Hedman (www.deviantart.com/mirish) and dragon artist Elevit-Stock (www.deviantart.com/elevit-stock).
I want to give a big shout-out to the lovely Kealie of KKP Photography in Mackay. She donated her time and skills to give me a professional photo shoot for my author portrait after she learned I was struggling with postnatal depression. Kealie, you don’t know how much you cheered me up that day, thank you.
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