no were to run

by Robyn Peterman

  I’d much rather spend my final months with my friends and my son. An eternity with a man who despised me but felt it was his duty would be a death worse than the real thing.

  Grabbing Lenny by the collar, I got in his face. “Let me go now or I will come back and haunt your ass for the rest of you unnatural life. And trust me, it won’t be pleasant.”

  “As you wish,” he said and then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

  I was free and I didn’t waste a second. I turned and ran as if the devil was chasing me. I knew I couldn’t go back to my suite—that was the first place Nicolai would look. I didn’t want to be cooped up inside anyway. I knew exactly what I needed to do.

  Tearing at my clothes, I let my Dragon come out. She was giddy with joy and I launched myself into the air with reckless abandon. I needed to fly. I needed to soar above the clouds and be away from all the anger and confusion.

  A couple of hours—that was all I would take. But when I came back, I would be whole. I would be a strong Dragon who just happened to be a single mother. The wind and the sun would give me the strength I needed to get through the next few days. I didn’t need a mate. I didn’t want a mate. And I certainly didn’t want a mate that was forced to accept me.

  My father needed to be taken down so he could no longer hurt anyone. I wanted to hold my son in my arms and hear him laugh. I wanted my niece to visit me and meet her cousin.

  All of that did not include a man. Nothing I’d done worth anything had ever included a man. I was well aware that Daniel’s father had helped in his creation, but he never even knew. We weren’t trying for a child. The child came after he was gone, so the child was all mine.

  The wind on my scales was glorious.

  I would live out the rest of my days like the wind—carefree and wild.

  Chapter 16

  I’d successfully avoided being alone with Nicolai. It was difficult, as everyone I knew was trying to make it happen, but I’d been running my entire life. I was very adept at getting away. My inner dragon was livid with me, but I was beginning to think she was more trouble than she was worth.

  “I’ve drawn out maps of my father’s compound. I haven’t been there in quite some time, but he’s not one known for change. We’ll have to go on the assumption that these are correct,” I said in a business like tone as I addressed the lieutenants. “Have your people memorize the floor plans, but make them aware that they might not be one hundred percent accurate.”

  “They’re also your people as well,” Nicolai added from across the table as he stared at me with frustration clearly written on his face.

  “Semantics. They’re people and I don’t want them to die.” I replied to the top of his head.

  To all in the room, it appeared I was speaking to Nicolai. He was the only one aware I wouldn’t make eye contact. As childish as it seemed, it wasn’t. It was self-preservation on my part. I wanted him even more than I had before and falling into his pitying gaze would break me.

  “It’s all going to happen at once,” Junior said as he typed away on his laptop. “Everything will go down on Friday about nine am Eastern Standard Time. I’d suggest waiting until Sunday to strike.”

  “Will that short amount of time be enough to throw everything into chaos?” Nicolai asked the same question that was on my mind.

  “Technically no, but I’ve got national exposure on this puppy,” Junior replied with an enormous and evil grin.

  “Explain,” Seth said.

  “King Jackhole’s wealth is very mixed in with mainstream human society’s financial structure. That sumbitch is possibly the richest man in the world in the human realm. They have no idea about the Dragon shit. I have buddies at every major news outlet in the world and they plan to hit this mother humper hard about two hours after it goes down. It will be on every TV station, newspaper and online presence from here to hell and back,” Junior said as he jumped up in excitement and knocked about six glasses of water and three computers off the table.

  The Dragons didn’t blink. After the first day when Junior accidentally took out the electrical system in his excitement about getting to fly on Seth’s back, the weyr turned a blind eye to the odd MENSA Wolf’s destructive ways. He was brilliant and clumsy. That was not a sin here.

  “How do you know all of these people? Are they Weres?” Elaina asked, sitting forward as she caught Junior’s contagious glee.

  “Weres of every kind and a few humans in the mix,” Junior told her. “I game online with most of them. Basically we’re just a bunch of nerds.”

  “Fascinating,” Lenny said with admiration for the Wolf who had inadvertently demolished more items at the compound in five days than any Dragon had in a year.

  “So you believe that will cause his inner circle to splinter?” I asked, still worried about the time frame.

  “It should do it, but a few geeks who want to join my secret online gaming group are CFO’s of some of the top banks worldwide,” Junior explained.

  “Mmmkay, that’s all kinds of weird. How does that help?” I asked patiently.

  Junior’s mind often worked so fast, he tended to leave out details.

  “Oh right,” Junior said with a laugh and a shrug. “Every major bank in the world he’s connected with will be calling in notes immediately. They’re all blocking the possibility of new loans as well and have promised to go public with the information immediately. It’s gonna get ugly real fast. I’ve told the guys and one gal, who I think might actually be a guy—not sure on that one, that whoever causes the most shit to fly has an open invite into the club.”

  “I’m interested in this online gaming club,” Lenny announced. “I want in.”

  Small conversations broke out in the room. Dragons did not mix with other species. Ever.

  “Well,” Junior said as he sat back down, grinned wide and gave Lenny an assessing look. “We ain’t never had a Dragon in the club yet. But let me tell you somethin’ now, boy, you use any of your magic hoodoo to cheat and we’ll come down on your Dragon ass like white on rice.”

  The gasps in the room were loud and I bit down on my lip to stifle my laugh. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nicolai do the same. Lenny was positively ecstatic. No one had the balls to speak to him as Junior did. It was clear he found it refreshing.

  “You have my word,” Lenny said extending his hand to Junior who took it and pumped it with gusto.

  “All right buddy, I plan to kick your online ass every Tuesday at nine pm for the foreseeable future,” Junior told him.

  Lenny’s delighted laugh rang out and startled the room to silence. It was heartwarmingly bizarre and I was certain no one had ever heard him laugh before.

  “The units have been decided,” Nicolai said, pulling the conversation back to business as he examined the sheet of paper in front of him. “Unit A will be first in. It consists of me, Cade and twenty-five others. Seth will lead unit B. Lenny will lead C. My mother will lead D. Dima will lead E. Units B, C, D and E will surround the compound and enter in ten minute intervals unless the lieutenant is notified otherwise.”

  “That’s a bad plan,” I said staring at the table.

  “Really?” Nicolai demanded angrily, startled to be questioned.

  “Unit A should consist of you, me, Seth, Cade, Lenny and Elaina. We send the strongest in first and then there’s a very fine chance the others will not have to come in at all. Far fewer people will die,” I said with no feeling in my voice even though my insides were a riot of emotion.

  I firmly believed what I said. Nicolai’s plan had deadly holes. The first battle would be the deciding factor and it had to be the strongest. If my father found a weak link he would exploit it and win. Would the other Dragons even fight if Nicolai was taken prisoner and then ransomed for their withdrawal?

  If I were being completely forthcoming—which I wasn’t—I would admit that I wanted to be there to make sure nothing happened to Nicolai. I did not want him for a mate, but I refused to let him die.
I knew how truly vicious my father was and there was a fine chance some of his most loyal would stay with him even in his financial ruin.

  “Dima is correct,” Lenny said. “I know what you’re doing, Nicolai, but it’s shortsighted and too many will perish. You cannot save Dima and the rest of us by going in first. It will fail.”

  Nicolai’s head fell back on his shoulders and his upper body began to spark dangerously. “Fine,” he conceded angrily. “But Dima goes with Unit B.”

  “Wrong,” I said, firmly pushing aside the realization that he had the same instincts about my safety as I had about his. “I know the compound better than any of you and I know how my father works. Personally, I think I should go in alone. I have very little time left as it is and getting rid of my father is paramount to my son’s safety. I’m the most expendable here. I say let me go in first and then the rest come in as back up.”

  “You have a son?” Cade asked, shocked as the others murmured their surprise.

  “I do. He’s my world and other than Maria and myself, he’s the last of the Royal Dragon line. Only we three bear the Royal Dragon Mark. My father wants us gone so his rule will never be disputed.”

  “You are not expendable,” Nicolai roared and threw his computer across the room.

  The Dragons watched with rabid interest as I stood up, picked up the smashed electronic and tossed it in the trash. I walked up to Nicolai and looked him right in the eye. “I am very expendable. I know it and you know it.”

  With my head held high I turned and left him standing there speechless.

  “Hold on one cotton pickin’ freakin’ second,” Junior shouted as he jumped up and paced the room in agitation, knocking pictures off the walls and lamps from their tables. “Your father doesn’t have the Royal Dragon mark?”

  “No. My mother did. And my brothers did, which is why Maria has it as well.”

  The room stared at me like I had three heads, but Lenny just sat back and smiled.

  “He’s not even the rightful leader,” Elaina gasped in anger and paled. “Dima is.”

  “I am no one’s leader except my own,” I told the room harshly. “I want nothing to do with leading a violent and fucked up race. You people can decide on a democratic government after my father is gone. I want peace and to be with my son until I die.”

  “Dragons would not survive in a democratic society,” Lenny commented and put his hand up to silence the heated conversation that had broken out in the room. “We have been a matriarchal society for thousands of years. It wasn’t until your father killed your mother’s true mate and forcibly took the crown that we’ve ever been led by a man.”

  “This is true,” Elaina said quietly. “All of it, including the sad fact we would destroy each other without some kind of ironclad but fair leadership in the form of a monarchy. Our history is what it is and our future depends on embracing what is good and right of our past, but making it better. The monarchy will live on. Dragons, even in the enlightened age, will understand and accept no less.”

  “I’ve seen this,” Seth said quietly. “I’ve seen the words carved in blood on stone and trees and in water.”

  “What words have you seen?” Lenny asked. “Is it a prophecy?”

  Seth nodded and closed his eyes. A golden aura suddenly surrounded him and it bathed the room in a magical glow. The Dragons all dropped to their knees, even Nicolai. I was the only one who stood.

  Seth’s voice was devoid of emotion, yet it filled the room like a full symphony. A strange buzzing started in my ears and I held on to the table for purchase. Part of me felt like I’d left my body and was floating freely in the room.

  “The true Queen will wear the mark of the Royal Dragon line. She will link the nations and by her side will stand the most physically powerful of us all. Together they will lead us to prosperity and peace.”

  The silence was reverent and I could feel the age-old magic, but all I wanted to do was scream.

  “No,” I said loudly and decisively as I gripped the table with white knuckles. “Prophecies are possibilities, not fact. No one knows the future. Even Seth will tell you that fate is fickle and can change her mind.”

  “While you have a point, I respectfully disagree,” Lenny said as the spiritual glow from Seth receded and the atmosphere went back to the way it had been only minutes ago.

  “That’s your option,” I shot back.

  “Yes, Dima. It is,” Lenny replied and then went to Seth whose eyes were closed in exhaustion from sharing his vision.

  I refused to deal with any of this. It wasn’t pertinent to the plan we needed to focus on. It was a fairytale and I didn’t believe in fiction.

  “First things first,” I said, cutting off anymore hypothetical conversation. “We need to get rid of the piece of shit in power and then you people can figure out what’s next. If my father stays on all of these conversations are moot.”

  “Dima is correct,” Nicolai backed me in a curt tone. “She’s right about the new plan and about focusing on the matter at hand. The meeting is dismissed. We will gather again this evening after you have gone to our people and apprised them of the situation.”

  “Are we free to be candid about everything discussed today?” Cade asked.

  “No,” I said before Nicolai could speak. “My son is off limits. Everything else is fine.”

  “As you wish,” Cade said as he bowed respectfully to me.

  Thankfully he was about six feet away. I was unsure if Nicolai still had his murderous issue where I was concerned.

  “Dima, you will stay,” Nicolai commanded as the Dragons left the Command Room.

  “No, I can’t,” I said as I quickly made for the door.

  “We have strategy to work out. You are one half of the leadership of this mission. Are you too busy to ensure the safety of your people?” he asked silkily knowing he had me by the metaphoric balls.

  “I’ll give you a few minutes,” I ground out as I silently implored Junior to stay with me.

  “You’ll be fine, little Dragon. It’s time for you talk to him,” he whispered as he passed. “You’ll be in battle soon. Talk now before it’s too late.”

  It was already too late, but I would stay as long we discussed the mission.

  Anything personal…I was out of here.

  Chapter 17

  “You heard the prophecy,” Nicolai said evenly when the room was empty.

  “The prophecy is crap,” I shot back as I took a seat on the far end of the table from him.

  “And you know this because you’re a secret Seer in your spare time?” he inquired coolly with raised brows.

  My groan was internal, but my sigh was audible. “Look Nicolai, none of it’s relevant until my father is gone. Let it go and focus on what’s real and in front of us.”

  “You are in front of me and you are very real,” he said.

  Part of me melted at his words and part of me wanted to destroy him for uttering them. The boat had sailed and we’d missed it. He was just reopening barely healed wounds.

  “I’m in front of you because you forced my hand, not because I want to be here.”

  I pressed the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes for a brief second as I considered what I wanted to say, but as usual he beat me to it.

  “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry I behaved the way I did. I didn’t take into account your past.”

  “Thank you,” I said with sincerity. “However, it changes nothing. I told you of my past when I asked you if you would harm my child. I don’t see what’s different now.”

  “You accused me of being capable of killing your son,” he bellowed and then dropped his head to his hands. “I would never kill your child—or any part of you.”

  “I really do know that now,” I said with remorse. “And I’m truly sorry that I used the words I did, but in the same situation I would ask the same question. My words can’t be erased—and neither can yours.”

  “I don’t even remembe
r what I said,” he told me in agitation as he got up and rounded the table. “I was so angry that you would think that of me I couldn’t see straight.”

  “You said that I killed fate with my vile words. You said I broke it,” I reminded him quietly. Repeating the words tore at my insides like a hot knife shredding my internal organs, but we needed to get all of this out of the way to move on. “And you were right. It’s okay, Nicolai. We will both be okay.”

  “You will not be okay,” he hissed as his fists clenched at his sides. “You will die.”

  “Everyone dies eventually,” I said with a brittle smile that came nowhere near to reaching my eyes. “My time has come and I will not prolong it because you pity me. I have far more pride and self-worth than that.”