by Rinelle Grey
His words in Rita’s head were even more frank. “If you believe Ultrima has no intention of harming us, then you are naive. He hates my clan with a passion. And now you are connected to us. To me. He will hate you just as much. We are being driven into a trap, and once we’re in his lair there will be no escape.”
Rita shivered at his words. The fact that she was with Warrian at Ultrima’s request should reassure her. But it didn’t. Not at all.
She’d met Ultrima, and nothing he’d said or done had led her to believe Warrian was exaggerating. She was pretty sure Ultrima would conveniently forget he’d told Rita all about Warrian if he realised she had almost fallen for the dragon prince.
Hailey spoke up. “So what? A decent dragon lies to his clan and ruins his sister’s life?”
Rita winced. She’d already thrown that one at Warrian, and he hadn’t taken it well. He was even less likely to appreciate it coming from his enemy.
But to Rita’s surprise, Warrian fell silent, turning his face away to stare out the window.
Did he actually feel bad about what he’d done?
Rita’s heart lifted a little at the thought, and she scolded herself for daring to hope. It didn’t matter if Warrian felt sorry at this late stage. Apologies couldn’t undo all the damage he’d done. She wasn’t really sure what could fix that.
He’d brought this on himself. He was the one who’d lied and caused a war.
Next to that, her transgressions seemed completely minor.
She had no reason to feel guilty at all.
It wasn’t like she’d made a deal with the enemy dragon who’s lair they were heading straight towards, was it? She hadn’t mentioned that little detail to Warrian, and she’d really rather he didn’t find out.
But that possibility was starting to seem less and less likely the closer they got to the Trima lair.
Chapter 6
Every breath stung Warrian’s heart with regret.
He couldn’t deny the human woman’s accusations. Nor could he even blame Rita for siding with Ultrima. Any sane person would do the same.
He’d known this would come back to bite him one day. He’d accepted that risk when he’d made that split second decision three hundred years ago.
He just hadn’t expected to find his clan at war. He’d hoped he would be able to see his sister settled with life dragonets running around her feet. He’d hoped he could ensure his clan was safe. Then he could have accepted everyone hating him.
He could have reassured himself it was worth the price.
What he hadn’t expected was to find someone who’s opinion was enough to make him wish he’d taken the high road. Someone who’s scorn hurt even more than that of his brothers and sisters. Someone who he wanted to think only the best of him. He’d certainly never expected that person to be a human. But then again, he’d never imagined anyone like Rita.
Rita had changed everything.
And yet she’d changed nothing. Caring about her opinion couldn’t change the choices he’d made. His responsibilities as a Rian prince were too great for that. But that didn’t mean it hurt any less.
That pain was the least of his problems. He should be worrying about the fact that they were heading towards Ultrima’s lair with a Trima dragon on their tail. All the regrets in the world wouldn’t get him out of this.
They wouldn’t help Rita either. She’d gotten mixed up in this because of him, and if Ultrima killed him, she’d die as well.
He shouldn’t care about that. She’d lied to him and used him to get her story. He tried to work up the righteous anger he’d felt towards her earlier, but all he could think about was the fact that she’d just been protecting her people, the same as he had. She didn’t deserve to die for that.
Rescuing her helped him as well. The Mesmer bond worked both ways. If she died, he died. Having her here was a liability. If he could find a way to get her out of here, it opened up his options too.
He wished he’d pushed her harder to mate with him, not because he’d have his full power at his disposal, although that would have helped, but because they both stood a better chance of survival if they weren’t tied together. If her life wasn’t bound to his, he might be able to help her. But having to save both of them limited both their options.
But maybe there was a way around that.
Warrian was the one Ultrima wanted. He didn’t stand much chance of escaping. But Rita was a different matter. Ultrima didn’t know anything about her. She was just a human and not involved in this at all. If she escaped, then it was unlikely he would bother chasing after her.
Focusing on helping Rita escape didn’t solve all his problems. They could still only be apart for a limited time before the Mesmer bond would start to weaken both of them, but perhaps that would be enough time for her to bring help. And because she was still tied to him, she would be motivated to do so, no matter how angry she was with him.
It was an excellent idea, except there was one problem. Since he couldn’t risk a deadly fight, Warrian was going to need a distraction…
And as they pulled up near the mountain hiding Ultrima’s lair, one presented itself. The entire mountain was surrounded with what appeared to be an army of humans, cars, and lights—a perfect litany of distractions.
This was the best chance he was going to get.
“Don’t try to reply, and don’t look over at me,” he said into Rita’s mind. “When the car stops, you need to be ready to make a run for it.”
Her whole body tensed next to his, and he could almost hear all the questions running through her head. But to his surprise, she obeyed his order not to look over at him. Which was good, because his plan would fall apart if Constable Lyons suspected they would try to make a run for it. He needed the element of surprise.
“Our only window of escape will be the moments between getting out of the car and being dragged into the lair. That is when we need to act. Because if we are taken inside the mountain, all hope is lost. Ultrima will not let me leave alive, and that means you won’t either.”
His plan meant he was going to have to deal with dragons and humans, but that could be to his advantage. Neither side trusted the other, and it added a beautiful chaos to the mix. Chaos that would hopefully hide Rita’s escape.
“You need to appeal to your people for help. They are your best chance at protection from the Trima dragons.” They were his best chance too, but he didn’t say that. He wasn’t quite ready to admit his plan hinged on getting help from a bunch of humans. He might have accepted Rita’s assistance, but the rest of humanity still had to earn his trust.
Now Rita did ignore his order not to look over at him. She stared at him with concern and confusion as they pulled up in front of barricades across the road. Several other cars were there, their red and blue lights flashing in the darkness. They were nearly out of time.
“We can only be apart for a few hours before the Mesmer bond will cause both of us to weaken, but that should be enough time for you to get to my clan and bring help.”
It was a risky plan. Rescue was still not assured. Rian clan hadn’t had the strength to beat Trima clan the last time they had gone into battle. And Warrian had no idea what had happened to his clan in the last three hundred years, and how they would stack up against Trima clan now. The worry and doubt written clearly on Rita’s face told him how much he was leaving to chance, even if he hadn’t already known it. But it was the best idea he had.
And they were out of time to make any others.
A human man came over to the front window as Hailey rolled it down.
“Stay quiet, both of you, unless you want to see people get hurt.” Hailey’s voice in his mind was firm and certain. If Warrian had needed confirmation she was a dragon mate, using dragon speech was as clear as it got. The same confidence infused her voice as she spoke to the police officer who came over to the window. “We picked up another dragon in Mungaloo. Just returning him to the lair as instructed.”
Rita’s hand gripped Warrian’s leg, and her eyes asked a silent question.
He shook his head imperceptibly. “Not yet,” he said into her mind. “The doors are locked. We need to wait until Hailey opens them for us to get out.”
Rita frowned. She was probably thinking the same thing he was—that it would be the worst possible time to escape. They were guaranteed a Trima dragon would be nearby, and they would still be in full view of the human police.
But there was no other choice. They couldn’t break out of the car now, and once they were inside the lair, escape would be impossible.
The man at the barricade looked into the back, where Warrian and Rita sat, then back at Hailey. To Warrian’s surprise, he frowned. “We weren’t told of any more dragons arriving.”
Hailey waved her hand airily. “I found this one on my rounds. I was checking on a break in, and he was there. If I’d had warning, I would have let you know in advance, but these dragons are unpredictable.” She gave him a friendly smile.
Would it work? Warrian almost hoped she’d fail, although he had no idea what that would mean for him and Rita.
But the man nodded and stepped aside. He waved to some other men, who then moved the barricade aside. “You can go through.”
And Hailey drove them on through.
Straight towards Ultrima’s lair.
So much for a reprieve.
Warrian tried not to let hopelessness overcome him. He had a plan. He just needed to focus on that. They could do this.
The paleness of Rita’s face indicated she had her doubts too. But to his relief, she didn’t voice any of them.
They pulled up in front of Ultrima’s mountain. There were more police here and giant spotlights shone on the rocky exterior. But there wasn’t enough light for them to catch the silver dragon entering through a passage high on the peak. Warrian’s dragon eyes didn’t miss him though.
As he’d suspected, it had been a Trima dragon following them. If Rian clan was going to come to their rescue, Rita would have to bring them. Warrian had no idea where they even were or how they were fairing. Hopefully Rita did. Luckily the Trima dragon’s absence improved the odds Rita would be able to escape.
He glanced over at her. “Be ready.”
“Ultrima will meet us inside.” Hailey was confident for a human. Then again, she was playing both sides. The human police surrounding the lair thought she was one of them, but the Trima dragons in the lair knew she was really working for them. Not surprising she wasn’t afraid of one human woman and one measly metal dragon at half strength.
Hopefully her lack of fear just meant she wasn’t prepared for his plan. That’s what he told himself anyway.
Hailey certainly seemed unsuspecting as she climbed out of the car and came around to the Rita’s door first. Good. That would make it easier for her to escape.
Rita followed Hailey around to Warrian’s door, hanging back a little. She was taking his suggestion seriously. That relieved Warrian’s mind and left him free to prepare himself.
As soon as Hailey opened the door, he launched himself at her. “Go,” he said loudly into Rita’s mind, hoping she listened. But he couldn’t stop to look. He was too busy grappling with Hailey.
She was surprisingly strong for a human female. But nowhere near as strong as a dragon. And Warrian had caught her by surprise, knocking her to the ground when he’d leapt from the car. Even if he hadn’t had the upper hand, Warrian didn’t need any of his dragon magic to hold his own.
As he’d predicted, her shouting and struggling brought the other humans running. A human form dragon watched from the entrance to the nearby lair as well. All eyes were on Warrian. Hopefully no one was looking at Rita.
He writhed around on the ground, trying to stop Hailey escaping his grip, and at the same time, trying to see where Rita had gone. He caught a glimpse of her entering the trees, but at least two of the humans were following her. That wasn’t ideal, but at least she wasn’t being followed by dragons. “Appeal to them for help,” Warrian reminded her. Since she couldn’t reply, he had no idea if she would listen, but he hoped her survival instinct drove her to do so.
The distraction had cost Warrian, though. Somehow he was now underneath Hailey, and she was making a very skilful attempt to pin him to the ground. Warrian redoubled his efforts, and broke free of her hold. He shook her off and eyed the tree line. Was there any chance he could make it too? Rita would be far safer if he was free of the Trima clan too. Then they could both find refuge with his clan.
He took the chance and sprinted away from Hailey.
“Hey. Stop there,” a human voice called out behind him.
“That was a really bad move,” Hailey said into his mind.
“Stop or I’ll shoot,” another voice called out.
But Warrian didn’t care about any of them. The tree line was within reach. He could see Rita arguing with the humans just past the trees, but he wasn’t afraid of humans.
A loud crack rang out behind him, sending a jolt of fear through his heart.
Something hit Warrian in the back of the leg, sending pain spasming through it. He tried to fight the agony off, but it was too great. His leg gave way underneath him, and he fell heavily to the ground just metres from the trees. So much for escaping. He twisted on the ground, ignoring the pain, looking for Rita. It didn’t matter if he was caught again so long as she escaped. Surely the humans would help her, right? They were her kind, after all.
Except Rita was no longer arguing with them. She’d left the relative safety of the trees and was running towards him, her face scared and pale.
“No, don’t come back,” Warrian said desperately into her mind. “I’m fine. A minor wound. You need to get to my clan. There isn’t much time. We can only be apart for a few hours.”
This time he knew she wasn’t listening because his words didn’t change her trajectory at all. She dropped to the ground beside him and put her hand over the wound on his leg as though trying to stem the bleeding. She stared around at all the humans accusingly. “You shot him.”
They didn’t look in the least apologetic. “He attacked a police officer and then tried to abscond. Of course we shot him.” An officer waved to someone beyond the barricades. “Call an ambulance. He’ll need to be treated. Can’t have one of these dragons dying while we’re in the middle of peace talks. That won’t look good at all.”
By now, the Trima dragon Warrian had seen earlier was on the scene with the pale haired life dragon beside him. “No need for human doctors. We can take care of him ourselves.”
Warrian’s heart sank. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go at all. Rita was supposed to be far away from here, safe from Trima clan, asking Rian clan for assistance. She was supposed to be coming back to rescue him, not trapped here with him. “You need to leave,” he told her firmly. “Now, while you still have the chance. They won’t notice in all this chaos.”
Rita shook her head just as firmly. “You’re injured. I’m not going to just abandon you.”
Warrian ground his teeth. Damn stubborn humans. “You need to get help from my clan or we’re both doomed,” he tried again. Anything to get her to see reason.
Rita didn’t even respond this time. She just completely ignored him as though he hadn’t even spoken.
How the hell was he supposed to save her when she wouldn’t even listen to him?
Chapter 7
Rita blocked out Warrian’s instructions to leave. She hadn’t been a big fan of his plan in the first place, but after he’d been shot, there was no way she was going to leave him. Who knew what Ultrima had in store for him. Clearly he had little hope of defending himself against Trima clan now. Warrian was going to need her help.
He’d told her if he died, then she would too, so it made sense for her to stay to protect him. It wasn’t that she was worried about him personally, but she had a vested interest in making sure he stayed alive. That was why her heart pounded and her mouth felt dry when s
he thought of how close he’d come to dying. The bullet had damaged him just as if he were human, and if it had hit somewhere vital, then he’d be dead. And so would she.
As she stared down at Warrian’s pale scowling face, she wondered how she’d let herself get mixed up in this. This was so much more intense than she’d ever expected. She’d just been looking for a story, but what she’d found was so much more.
And now she had so much more to lose.
One of the police officers Rita had been talking to spoke up. “We can’t just release a dragon without knowing he’s going to be all right.” And he was eyeing her as he did so. She’d tried to tell him Warrian was being kidnapped. That he wasn’t a Trima dragon at all, but a Rian prince, and they had to help him. But the officer hadn’t been entirely convinced. Apparently her argument had been strong enough to cause some doubt though, particularly after he’d been shot. “We should get him patched up and at least question him on why he tried to run. Why would he run away from his own clan?”
Rita’s heart lifted. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance they could escape after all. Both of them.
“Your human doctors would be no help to a dragon at all.” The life dragon turned up her nose at the police officers. “In fact, your primitive medicine would hinder his healing.”
Rita could see the police officers hesitating. She couldn’t let this chance slip away. “He’s not one of their clan,” she insisted. “Surely you’ve noticed that they’re all silver? I told you, he’s one of the Rian clan princes. They’re trying to kidnap him, and me. I’m Lisa Evans, a reporter for the Mungaloo Chronicle. You need to rescue us.”
The mention of Warrian’s royalty, and her own credentials, obviously held some sway. The police officers eyed each other with uncertainty. She just needed to push a little harder...
“Both of them are habitual liars.” The life dragon’s voice was dry with a hint of bitterness. “Making up all sorts of stories.” She sounded disgusted. “I mean come on, he looks silver enough to me, doesn’t he?” She waved at Warrian’s grey hair, and Rita’s heart sank. If Warrian had been one of those black haired dragons, or better yet, the blue haired one, then this might have worked.