by Cara Wylde
He let out a breath of relief and stood up. He allowed himself to look at her once more, then turned around and almost ran out of the room. Now that he knew some vile men were after her, he didn’t like the idea of losing her from his sight. However, there was nothing he could do. He had to go to the Golden Fleece right then, at midnight, and spend a couple of minutes simply contemplating it. There was no use trying to fight this strange need. Drakon knew it wasn’t him. It was the curse. Over the years, he had tried to fight it with zero success. All he could do was leave Aileen there, fulfill his duty for the night, then go on a quick hunt for her. He would have loved to take her with him, but he couldn’t. The curse prevented him from showing the Golden Fleece to anyone. The ones who wanted to steal it had to look for the chamber it was held in themselves. From Drakon’s experience, they never got to reach the chamber…
Aileen watched Drakon disappear in the darkness. She waited for a couple of minutes, then realized she was too cold to stay there, on the bed of leaves. Carefully, she took one of the candles lying on the ground, and found her way back to the room with the underground river, where she had left her clothes. After getting dressed and feeling a bit better, she decided to explore a bit. After all, she wasn’t going to walk out of the cave. She had made a promise.
For a couple of minutes, Aileen wandered from one room to another. The candle started flickering, and she realized she was getting closer to the entrance of the cave. She hesitated, then decided there could be no harm in peeking out. As she was stepping closer and closer to the opening, she almost tripped over something. She took a step back and knelt so she could inspect the floor.
“Oh, would you look at that! My phone!”
She turned it on, and smiled when she saw the battery was still half full. Her joy didn’t last long, though. A big, calloused hand covered her mouth, and Aileen dropped both the candle and her phone. She struggled and tried to break free, but there was no use. Another strong hand grabbed her arms and twisted them behind her, as if they were nothing but fragile twigs. The man who grabbed her started dragging her out of the cave, and all her kicking and grunting did nothing to change the situation in her favor.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“You’re going to tell us where the treasure is.”
Aileen shuddered at the sound of the man’s voice. He spat the words in an angry whisper, through gritted teeth. She could smell his foul breath, feel it warm and disgusting on her ear and neck. “Us?” she thought. “Oh my God, he’s not alone!” Fear coursed through her veins, and she kicked and struggled harder.
“Stop it!”
The man almost yelled in her ear.
“Idiot, keep it down.”
The voice of the second man came from somewhere to her right.
“We don’t know where the monster is.”
That was a third voice, coming from her left. Aileen realized she was surrounded. The man holding her cursed under his breath and pressed his hand harder against her mouth to better muffle her screams.
“We should gag her,” the men to her right said.
“And how will she tell us about the treasure and how to kill the monster, genius?”
“Look at her! She won’t tell us anything now. Let’s just gag her, tie up her hands and feet, and carry her away from here. We’ll find a way to convince her to collaborate.”
Aileen started shaking her head. Tears spilled down her cheeks, quickly soaking her captor’s hand, making it slightly slippery.
“Fuck! Stop crying, bitch.”
He shook her harshly, but it had the opposite effect. She started sobbing harder.
She should have listened to Drakon and never gotten near the entrance of the cave. If these three men dragged her away from the clearing, Drakon wouldn’t be able to help her in any way. He couldn’t come for her. The curse would hold him back. And what would happen then? Would she be able to escape these bastards the second time? On the bright side, at least she’d finally find out what had happened to her team.
“Keep quiet,” her captor whispered in her ear.
“Do you hear something?”
“Shush!”
For a long moment, silence fell over the clearing. The three men listened to the wind and the sounds of the forest and the night for what felt like forever. Even Aileen stopped fighting and sobbing. She hoped she would hear Drakon come out of the cave. In his human form, in his dragon form… it didn’t matter. She simply wanted him there so she wouldn’t feel so alone, so scared and threatened. She didn’t even want to imagine what methods these three strangers were going to use to get the information out of her. And they had no idea she didn’t even possess all of it. She didn’t know where the Golden Fleece was because she had never seen it, and she couldn’t come up with any viable way of getting rid of the Guardian. Not that she would have told them if she had actually known… The point was, they were going to torture her for nothing. But they wouldn’t know that. If they had come for her, if they had stalked the clearing and the cave just to get her, then they surely believed she was the key to getting their filthy hands on the treasure.
“Nothing,” the man to her left whispered.
They all let out long breaths of relief.
“We have to move,” her captor ordered.
Apparently, they all agreed, because Aileen felt herself being dragged towards the forest. She started struggling again, trying to bite the man’s hand, trying to prop her feet firmly on the ground. Nothing helped. The man grunted and started walking backwards, pulling her along. Aileen could do nothing. Her captor was handling her as if she weighed nothing. She couldn’t see well in the dark, but she could feel he was tall, strong, and bulky. Most likely, his companions were built the same way.
“Not far now,” the man whispered in her ear. There was a hint of amusement in his voice. “When we get to your camp, you’re going to sit with us, nice and comfy, and tell us everything about the dragon and the treasure. Got that? If you don’t, we’re going to make sure things won’t be as nice and comfy for you anymore.”
Aileen moaned in pain and fear. More tears ran down her cheeks. She couldn’t be sure, but it seemed like they would be surrounded by forest every second. What could she do? Pray? Focus on Drakon’s image? Scream his name in her head, hoping he would hear her by some sort of magic? She could still feel that deep connection between them, but would it work?
“What the hell?!”
The two men who were flanking Aileen and her captor gasped at the same time and stopped in their tracks. Aileen’s heart started beating faster, and she would have jumped in joy and relief if she could have. The loud, mighty sound of large wings hitting the air filled the clearing, and before any of the three attackers could figure out what was happening and what they could do to defend themselves, a golden dragon landed in front of them, cutting off their way to the forest.
Aileen’s captor turned around suddenly, pulling her along with him. Hope sparkled in her green eyes when she saw Drakon towering over them, his golden scales glowing dimly in the moonlight. His wide chest glowed brighter than ever, signaling the fire burning inside him, ready to be unleashed upon the poor bastards who had dared to think they could kidnap Aileen from under the dragon’s nose. But she knew Drakon wouldn’t attack them with fire as long as she was trapped between them. He would never risk burning her alive, along with her captors.
She wondered what he was going to do, and her adrenaline levels started rising again. She wondered if there was anything she could do to help him. When she least expected it, the man holding her removed his hand from her mouth. His reaction surprised her for a second, but she wasn’t going to waste this opportunity. She opened her mouth to scream, to draw Drakon’s attention, although she didn’t know what to say to him. Then, she froze. She felt the cold blade of a knife being pressed against the small of her back, deeper and deeper, until she was sure it had drawn a thin trickle of blood.
“Move or ta
lk, and you die.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
To Aileen, it was all happening in slow motion. The blade against her skin, the blood trickling down, making its way under the waist of her pants… Drops of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her whole body relaxed in her captor’s hold. Her brain was working at full speed. What should she do? Tell Drakon to stop because the guy was going to stab her? Or, on the contrary, tell him to finish what he had started? She would have burned along with her attackers, and, on the one hand, she was okay with it. She didn’t know how dangerous they were. They were three against one dragon shifter, and even though Aileen knew Drakon was strong and almost unbeatable, she couldn’t help but worry that the three men might have come up with a plan to kill him, a plan that might actually work.
Her greatest fear was confirmed when the two men flanking her and her captor pulled out guns.
“No,” she whispered.
This was what she had been afraid of: that they had brought with them weapons which hadn’t existed thousands of years ago. What would happen if they opened fire upon the dragon? Aileen made up her mind.
“Drakon, don’t hesitate!”
Her captor shook her harshly to make her stop yelling.
The dragon didn’t move. He just looked at Aileen, a pained expression in his pale blue eyes. What was happening? Why wasn’t he doing anything? Then, she felt the man lean over her shoulder to whisper in her ear.
“Why do you think he’s not attacking us?”
Aileen gritted her teeth. She could sense a hint of amusement in his voice, and it sickened her.
“Because he can smell your blood,” he continued.
Aileen moaned in pain. Yes, the bastard was right. Drakon had probably caught a whiff of her blood, figured her life was being threatened, and chose to stand down.
“Now, let’s play the ace in our sleeve, shall we?”
Her captor pushed her forward, and all she could do was follow his lead. The other two men kept their guns pointed at Drakon, ready to shoot when their leader gave the order. For a brief moment, Aileen wondered who these people were and how they had found out about her journey and the intention to find the Golden Fleece. She hadn’t had time to ask, and they hadn’t offered to explain. She stopped wondering and started praying when she felt the tip of the blade travel up her back, to rest somewhere on the right side.
“Listen, beast,” the man yelled up at the dragon, as if he was too high above to hear him properly. “Right now, I have a knife, a very long, sharp knife, pressed against the liver of your sweet girlfriend. So, what do you say? Wouldn’t you rather cooperate?”
Aileen’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“What are you talking about?” she whispered. “He can’t understand you…”
The man snickered.
“Oh yes, he can. Do you think we’re stupid?” Then, he raised his voice to draw Drakon’s attention. “We’ve done our homework. We know you can turn into a human, so I suggest you do just that, or she dies.”
“Please, don’t do this,” Aileen begged. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Her captor ignored her.
“Come on, beast! Let’s talk like men!”
The golden dragon narrowed his eyes at him, and released a hot, steaming breath. He took a step towards them, eyed the other two men and their guns, as if he was assessing how dangerous they were, then looked into Aileen’s eyes. The truth was he had no idea what those new, small and fancy weapons could do to him. He was willing to risk his life. It didn’t mean anything to him, anyway. Death was the equivalent of freedom, and he would take it in a heartbeat. What he didn’t want was for Aileen to be caught in the middle. He had to think of a way to convince the man holding her to let her go. They could settle whatever was to be settled once Aileen was out of harm’s way. As he was considering his options, Drakon could only reach one conclusion: he had to shift. That meant vulnerability, being naked in front of three men who would probably waste no time in attacking him. In that case, Drakon could only rely on his speed and agility, maybe even on his physical strength, if those weapons didn’t prove to be too quick and too fatal to him.
Impatient, Aileen’s captor pressed the blade harder against her skin, drawing even more blood.
Aileen whimpered. She tightened her jaw, not wanting to scream in agony, which she knew could push Drakon to make a rash decision.
Everyone gasped when the dragon spread his wings, stretched his neck to the sky, and let out a loud roar.
“Stand down!” Aileen’s captor ordered the other two men. “Don’t shoot. Not yet. He’s just angry I cut his girlfriend a bit more.”
It was true. Drakon had immediately smelled the increased rush of blood, and the thought that Aileen was suffering killed him inside. He was blind with rage, but he did his best to keep it together. He couldn’t do anything as long as that bastard was holding Aileen between them, making sure Drakon wouldn’t attack.
“Now you know I’ll do it,” the man continued. “I will cut her open if I have to, and I will get what I want.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Aileen screamed. “Please, just… just burn everything down already!”
Her words had the opposite effect. Bones started snapping inside the dragon’s body, muscles started twisting, and his golden scales disappeared, one by one, into his skin. He shrunk to the size of a tall, well-built man, and his features became smooth and human. Only his eyes were the same.
Drakon took a moment to allow his body to adjust to the new form. He didn’t like the position he was in, on his knees, but, unfortunately, it was part of the shifting process. Slowly, deliberately, as if to show he was in no hurry because he was perfectly confident, Drakon stood up and straightened his back.
“Let her go,” he said in a deep, commanding voice.
Aileen’s captor laughed. However, she could tell he wasn’t more comfortable than he had been a minute before. Even if Drakon was naked and exposed, the man could still sense his strength and authority. Yes, the dragon had chosen to shift, but that didn’t mean he had accepted defeat, or lost the battle. Far from that.
“I will,” the captor said, nodding. “I will let her go after you take me to the treasure.”
Drakon sighed.
“If you know the first thing about the myth, then you know I can’t do that. I’m the Guardian. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t give you the Golden Fleece. The curse forbids me. You will have to take it by yourself.”
The man to Aileen’s right stole a glance at his boss, then turned back to Drakon. His hand trembled on the gun.
“If we take it, you won’t stop us?” he asked, reluctantly.
Drakon smiled at the man’s naivety.
“I will have to stop you. The curse forces me to defend the Golden Fleece, and I can’t fight it.”
“I… I don’t get it,” the man to Aileen’s left said. “Do you want to let us take the treasure so we let her go? Or don’t you? Just be clear about your intentions!”
Aileen sighed. She couldn’t believe how stupid these guys were. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into, yet they had followed her up into the mountains.
Drakon squeezed his fists at his sides. He didn’t have the time and patience to give these idiots a Mythology lesson. The smell of Aileen’s blood still permeated the air, and it was driving him insane. He had to do something, quickly. He had to put an end to this.
“My intentions have nothing to do with the reality of the curse,” he explained through gritted teeth. “If you ask me, then yes, I would gladly let you take the Golden Fleece and run away with it. I don’t care. No one has to die because of it. However, I am bound to it. The curse forces me to protect it with my life, so what I want doesn’t matter in the least. If you want to have it, you will have to kill me first.”
“Shit,” the man who had asked the question murmured under his breath.
There was utter silence for a few min
utes. They were all considering their options. On Aileen’s part, she had to admit she didn’t seem to have any. Her captor was still holding her tightly, and the threat of the knife over her liver paralyzed her with fear anyway.
“What is the Golden Fleece?” the man holding Aileen finally asked. “We know enough about the myth, we know who you are, but what about the treasure? What is it, exactly? Is it really a piece of fleece made of gold?”
“I can’t believe you came this far without having a clue about what you want to steal,” Aileen said.
“Shut up.”
Drakon’s dark eyebrows furrowed when he saw Aileen cringe at the man’s harsh words. The blood boiled in his veins, and the fire inside his chest was begging to be unleashed. It took all his power and self-control to stay put and answer in a steady voice.
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
Drakon shook his head.
“It means that I don’t know what the Golden Fleece really is. It’s inside the cave, in the only room with no roof. During the day, the sun shines upon it, and the sight of it can almost blind you. During the night, the moon bathes it in pale, warm rays. My duty is to guard it from intruders, but I myself can’t touch it. I can’t even step too close to it.”
“Seriously?!” The man to Aileen’s right squeezed his gun in frustration. “This must be a joke.”
Drakon didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to convince them he was telling the truth, because he had a feeling they already knew deep down.
“And this one doesn’t know what it is, either?”
Aileen yelped when her captor pushed an elbow between her ribs. That had to be the worst way of pointing at someone, and she really didn’t appreciate it.
“No, she doesn’t.”
Drakon hoped this would convince him to let her go. Aileen couldn’t help them. She didn’t know anything conclusive herself. They were hurting her for nothing.
“So… neither of you has any idea,” the man insisted. “Gold coins, jewels, expensive artifacts… you have no idea what the Golden Fleece is…”