“Fortune favor those who have accepted,” the pendragon called out, his voice echoing across the room. Then he turned and began making his way out of the great hall.
As members of the clan came to congratulate those who’d accepted their nomination, Aidan followed his father. He did not want there to be bad blood between them during such a time. The pendragon would not live that much longer. Aidan could not bear the thought that Throm might hate him for what time they had left together.
“Father, wait,” he said, racing to catch up.
Throm stopped and turned around in the middle of the corridor. His voice was cold as ice as he spoke, “You have disappointed me. Of all my children, I put my faith and trust in you being the one to take over upon my death. If I am certain of anything, it is that you have always put our toriq before yourself. I do not know what has prompted you to decline my nomination, but I cannot think it good.”
“I did not mean to disappoint you,” Aidan said, barely managing not to flinch under the pendragon’s heavy stare.
“And yet you have.” Throm turned around and began walking again. “I have nothing further to say to you—now or ever.”
Aidan stood frozen in place. If his father said such a thing, he meant it. Though he would try, there would be little chance Aidan could ever gain the pendragon’s forgiveness. He wanted to go throttle Ruari, but that would not change anything. All he could do was help his sister prepare for the Bitkal, which would come in just two short days.
Chapter 30
Bailey
I drew back the bow, praying that this time my arrow would find its target. A few weeks ago, Aidan had spent an afternoon training me on basic archery, but I hadn’t had time to practice since then. I was full of restless energy today, thinking about our run-in with Ruari the day before, and I decided to work on my range weapon skills. Conrad could have his big, heavy crossbow. I wanted something that gave me a little more control and didn’t feel as unwieldy. When you were short and small, bigger weapons didn’t necessarily mean better.
Releasing the arrow, I watched it sail through the air and strike the tree. It stuck just inside the circle I’d painted. Finally! A weapon that might actually work for me. I sent a few more arrows at the tree and managed to get two in the bull’s-eye. Something about the bow felt much more natural than some of the others I’d tried.
The sound of wings flapping through the air drew my attention across the field. Aidan was coming in to land, heading straight for me. A spike of adrenaline shot through my veins as I stared at his red dragon form. My slayer instincts called for me to attack him, but the human side of me watched his graceful body move closer in awe. For the first time, I even noticed a light smattering of silver on his belly. I had always been so caught up in rage before that I always missed it.
I set the bow down on the ground and straightened. Aidan landed about five feet from me, puffing steam from his nostrils. Our gazes met, and I knew what he was thinking—can she handle this? I walked forward and pressed my palm to the side of his face. A rumbling sound came from deep inside him. He tilted his head, pushing into my hand.
“It’s okay. We’re okay,” I said, smiling at him.
Aidan rose up on his hind legs, and I took a step back. Sudden movements still triggered my slayer instincts, but I could push them down if I concentrated hard enough. With every deep breath I took, my heart rate slowed a little more.
Fire began racing up his body and out around him. It was even harder to watch him shift, but I stood still and ignored the itch in my skin that begged me to attack. Seconds passed as his body changed shapes, going from dragon to human form. It appeared painful, though Aidan assured me it wasn’t that bad.
Once he was finished and the flames died down, I found his face was an emotionless mask. Whatever bonding moment we might have had before he shifted, it was gone now. His gaze didn’t quite reach mine before he turned in the direction of the tree with my arrows stuck in it. Aidan raised a brow.
“How much have you been practicing?” he asked.
“Just this afternoon.”
He was quiet a moment. “This is good, though we will continue to try other things as well.”
“Like what?”
“There are many possibilities, and I am working on something new that might be better than anything currently available to us.” Aidan finally looked at me. “I will let you know.”
“So…about yesterday,” I began.
His gaze hardened. “It is done. I do not wish to discuss it further right now.”
Okay, that didn’t sound good. I swallowed. “Sorry.”
“Was there a male dragon slayer in town recently?” he asked, voice deadly soft.
I stiffened. This was one conversation I’d hoped we could avoid. “Uh, yeah.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“Well,” I paused, not knowing what to say with him staring so hard at me. This wasn’t the way Aidan usually behaved even when he was upset about something. “It’s complicated.”
He crossed his arms. “Did you talk to this dragon slayer?”
“No, but he…he saved my life.” I stared at the ground. “The fight where I hurt my shoulder might have been a little worse than I let on.”
“You didn’t talk to him, but he saved your life. Am I really suppose to believe that?” he asked, his tone incredulous.
“Maybe I did and don’t remember it.” I sighed and met his furious gaze. “My skull was cracked open from the fall, so I barely remember him even showing up.”
Aidan worked his jaw. “Did you meet him before then?”
“Conrad and I spotted him watching us once—that’s it.” I wasn’t sure if I really owed Aidan an explanation, but I didn’t want him worrying that I would ever betray him. We needed to have a certain level of honesty for our partnership to work.
“And the second time he saw you, he saved your life.” Aidan shook his head. “Was he attracted to you? Where is he now?”
I almost smiled. His mood stemmed more from jealousy than worry I’d betray him to another slayer. “He was drawn to me because apparently he is my father. And he left town before I recovered enough to speak to him.”
Aidan blinked. “Your father? Are you certain?”
I’d told him once that I never met my real dad. “Yeah, Earl didn’t believe it either so he made the man call my mother. She confirmed he is my father.”
Though I didn’t tell Aidan about the radio, he did know about phones. It was the only way to explain how I got updates on my family with them living so far away.
“Then why did your father not speak with you before he left?” Aidan asked, now appearing upset for me.
“No idea.” I shrugged, trying not to show the hurt I felt over that. “Earl thinks he doesn’t know what to say to a grown up daughter he has just found.” Then I went on to explain how my father had been trapped in the dragon dimension since before I was born.
Light dawned in Aidan’s eyes. “Then he is the one.”
“The one? Who?” I asked, confused.
“The one all dragons fear—The Shadow—because it is always in the shadows that he waits for us. He has grown powerful enough that he can cut off our heads with a single stroke of his blade, and he can track us better than any slayer who has come before him. When I first saw you, I thought there was a resemblance.” Aidan studied me. “Now I know it’s true, and you are his daughter.”
A cold chill ran through me. “How have you seen him before and survived?”
“Several years ago, I came upon The Shadow fighting a dragon renowned for its ferociousness. It was a brutal and bloody fight. For a moment, I watched as your father tore into the dragon, but then my better sense prevailed, and I fled before he could turn on me next.”
“Well, that’s just great,” I grumbled. “At least my father can spare time for dragons if not me.” It was petty for me to be jealous of the beasts Wayne killed, but it seemed to me they got more of his atte
ntion. If he hadn’t saved my life, I might not have thought he cared at all.
Aidan put a hand on my shoulder. “If the rumors hold true, your father is not a social person. He prefers to walk his path alone, living only for his next battle. Earl may be right that he does not know what to say to you, but at least he made the effort to find you.”
I expelled a breath. “Yeah, I guess, but whose father leaves his daughter to handle a huge city of dragons by herself after watching her nearly die?”
He was quiet for a moment and then his gaze darkened. “Were you wearing shifter warrior garb when he found you?”
I nodded.
“Then he knows you are working with us.” Aidan gave me a sympathetic look. “It is likely that he sees it as a betrayal to your heritage.”
I stilled. The outfit I’d worn that day had never crossed my mind once as I wondered why my father would not talk to me. He’d been a slayer long enough to know there was only one way I could have gotten the camrium uniform. Finally figuring out the answer didn’t make me feel any better.
“You’re probably right.” I rubbed my face. “He can’t be happy about that.”
Aidan gave me a weak smile. “If it helps, my father will no longer speak to me because I refused my nomination.”
“That doesn’t help.” I gave him a disgruntled look. “Now I only feel worse because working together is causing a rift between us and our families.”
He stared at me for a moment. “I have to believe that what we are doing is worth the sacrifice. No matter the cost to ourselves, we have a chance to make things better for my toriq and your people. Do not lessen the importance of our alliance.”
“You’re right.” And he was. I didn’t know my father before, and his refusal to speak to me now didn’t change anything. As long as I could eventually reunite with the family who did care about me, I’d be okay.
Aidan’s expression turned serious. “Speaking of which, the battle will commence in three days. You should make transportation arrangements for the children. Phoebe has informed my father she will be focusing on their rescue during the battle so no one will question you being there as long as you blend in as a human.”
I would have to fight with normal clothes over my camrium uniform, but it would be worth it to avoid any more trouble for Aidan and his sister. “Alright, I can handle that.”
“Good.” He nodded. “Phoebe and I will return soon to discuss the final arrangements.”
“You have to go already?” I had hoped he would stay and train with me for a while.
“There is much to do.” Aidan took a step back. “Continue working on your control as much as you can. It is important that you can keep your focus on the children during the battle.”
“I will,” I said, having already considered the same thing.
“Take care, Bailey.”
He shifted into his dragon form again, not bothering to move far from me. It was another test, but I had no trouble passing it this time. Seeing Aidan in his dragon form seemed to get easier every time I did it. He took off into the sky a moment later, leaving me alone in the field.
Chapter 31
Bailey
It was early afternoon, and the streets were mostly deserted as I drove through them on my way to Earl’s. I hated to risk going there at this time of day, but I wanted to give him as much notice as possible about the impending rescue operation. We had to start planning how to transport the kids out of there and get them returned to their parents.
On that thought, I turned on the radio to listen to Hank’s latest updates. He would be a part of my plan, assuming Earl could get in contact with him in time.
“Hey, folks. For those who missed the news earlier today, I’ve got an interesting development for you. A reliable source has told me that the U.S. military has consolidated its forces on the East Coast somewhere around the Virginia and North Carolina border. They have begun waging a war against the dragons in that area, and they’ve made some headway.”
I glanced at the radio, shocked. That was the first good news I’d heard from Hank since last month when he announced a farmer was giving away all of his corn if people would just come out and pick it for him. Yeah, that wasn’t something that should seem like a big deal, but when you don’t have stores to purchase your food from anymore, it becomes one. Still, Hank’s news today made me feel optimistic for the first time in a while. I’d written off the military, figuring they had disbanded sometime soon after they stopped dropping bombs on the dragons in Oklahoma. There had been no reports of their activity in nearby states, either, making everyone think they’d lost the fight. How had Hank managed to find this out?
“…according to my source, they’ve managed to establish a one-hundred-square-mile safe area between Virginia and North Carolina. Having said that—don’t go packing your bags just yet. The perimeter is a hot zone and too dangerous to be crossed. The military is fighting daily battles against the dragons to keep them out. Countless people have already died trying to get close, and I don’t want to see ya’ll end up among the dead.”
I listened to Hank continue his update while scanning the sky. I’d just passed the railroad tracks as I drove down Boyd Street, and I had entered Shadowan territory. There were a couple of dragons flying off to the north, but they were too far away to be a concern. Oklahoma University came up on my left. The grass was overgrown, many buildings had storm or fire damage, and the only living thing visible on the grounds was a dog roaming around. Every time I took this route, it hurt to see what had become of the campus. Had it really just been last spring that I’d been a student taking classes there?
After Boyd Street narrowed to two lanes, I turned my attention back to the road and caught sight of a blond woman ahead waving her arms. She stood on the sidewalk, a desperate look on her face. I considered not stopping, but the tears on her face seemed too genuine to ignore. She needed help and seemed to know exactly who my truck belonged to.
Pulling up alongside her, I rolled down my window, “Do you need help?”
“Yes!” She dashed up to me and clutched the door. “A dragon took my daughter, and I’ve been trying to find you. People say you can help.”
Now that I could see her up close, I recognized her. This was the same woman who I had rescued when her house was hit by a tornado a few months ago. She had a cute little girl with her that we also pulled from the debris. Conrad had taken her and her daughter up to some relative’s house not far from here. He still went back to visit them sometimes, but I never saw them again. It took me a moment to remember the woman’s name, though Conrad had mentioned it a few times.
“You’re Christine, right?” I asked.
Her eyes rounded. “How did you know?”
“I was with Conrad when we pulled you out of your house after the tornado.”
“Oh!” She gasped. “That was you? And here I am asking for your help again.”
I shook my head. “Don’t worry about that. Now tell me what happened with your daughter.”
She wiped a tear from her cheek. “Last night. I was asleep, and I didn’t hear Lacy go outside. The dragon must have seen her in the backyard and taken her.”
I gave her a look of sympathy, hating to ask the next question. “How can you be sure it was a dragon if you were asleep?”
In my experience, humans were just as bad if not worse since D-day, and they were just as likely to take the girl. I’d counted six kids yesterday and if Lacy was another then that made seven. How many children did the damn dragon need before it was satisfied?
“My aunt told me.” Christine sucked in a breath. “She doesn’t get around well, but she heard a noise and peeked out her bedroom window. The dragon was carrying Lacy away.”
Damn—there was no denying that. My chest tightened as the little girl’s face entered my mind with her pink cheeks and ringlets of blond hair. As I recalled, she couldn’t have been more than five years old the last time I saw her. This was the first missing chi
ld I had actually met before, and it made the situation seem that much worse. Not that I hadn’t been taking it seriously. It was just a little closer to home this time now that I knew one of the victims.
“I’ve already got a plan in the works to rescue all the missing kids,” I said, thinking about how best to help the woman. “Why don’t you come with me, and you can hear all about it.”
“Do you really think you can save her?” Christine asked.
“I’ll do my best.” Nothing was guaranteed, but I’d rescue those kids or die trying.
Something about that thought struck me. When had I become the person who people came to for help? Just a few short months ago, I’d been the kind of girl who kept a low profile and avoided attention. The very thought of anyone seeking me out would have sent me running, but I didn’t have much of a choice anymore. I had the ability to protect people and with that came a huge amount of responsibility.
Christine hesitated. “I, uh, don’t know if I should go…”
“Unless you’re a dragon, you’re safe with me,” I promised.
She gave me a weak smile and after another moment hopped into the truck. I checked the area to be sure we hadn’t drawn any unwanted attention. This was a neighborhood with a lot of trees and a limited view of the sky, but I didn’t spot any flying green objects. Hitting the gas, I continued on my way to Earl’s neighborhood. We only had a few blocks left to go so it didn’t take long to hit the perimeter they’d set up.
Miles—a former military guy in his mid-twenties—and an older man I didn’t know well stood guard. They lowered their weapons as soon as they recognized my truck. I hadn’t seen Miles around much since he joined some secret group in town that tested alternative ways to take down dragons. He had asked me to help out, but I didn’t have the time, and I didn’t want to encourage them. His group was still struggling to come up with something effective, which was tough when almost every resource they had could be burned in an instant.
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