“When was he here?” asked Heath.
Lucas glared at Heath, but then shrugged. “Three nights ago. He had a bag full of dragon finds. But he’d lost his transport and was looking to buy something to get out of the Black Zone. We’ve got nothing, so we suggested trying a camp farther inland. Everyone’s heading that way anyway, because of the risk of the volcanoes popping their lids.”
“You let him leave when he was unwell?” asked Annie.
“Dmitri isn’t their responsibility.” Juniper glared at Annie.
“We gave him something to eat and let him rest by the fire,” said Sam. “All the guy could talk about was his hunt for dragons. Said something about wanting to bring them back.”
Lucas chuckled. “He was closer to dragons than he realized.”
Juniper nodded and glanced at Heath. “Lucas and Sam also have dragon ancestry.”
“Juniper!” hissed Sam.
“I told you, they’re fine,” said Juniper. “Artorius has been helping us out, and they barely flinched when they met him.”
Heath stared at Sam’s eyes and noticed the dark-yellow rim around the irises. “You have enhanced vision?”
Sam blinked slowly, and a second eyelid covered his eyeball. “Saw you coming from miles away. And I guess you don’t believe the myth that you should never look a dragon in the eye?”
“If I ever meet an actual dragon, I’d know how to behave,” said Heath.
“You believe in them?” asked Lucas.
“Ever heard of the Ember brothers?” said Juniper.
“Sure. Some heroes running around trying to find enough egg fragments to create a dragon’s nest,” said Sam. He waved his fingers in the air. “Chasing our legends.”
“Well, meet a legend-chasing hero,” said Juniper. “And there are two more Ember brothers scouting the perimeter.”
Lucas’s eyebrows shot up and he stared at Heath. “I hear you’ve got quite a haul of dragon remains.”
“That’s right.” Heath shifted his feet, still not comfortable that what they were doing was becoming well known. With notoriety came risk, and that would make it harder to move around undetected by the State.
“And you think you can recreate a dragon’s nest and return our kind to Earth?”
“Possibly a nest,” said Heath. “But I believe in the myth about constructing a complete egg and discovering the Leixh.”
Arlo and Lincoln rode into view before stopping the bike and jumping off.
“No sign of any patrols,” said Lincoln.
“These are the other Ember brothers,” said Juniper, as she made the introductions.
“And Dmitri?” asked Arlo.
“Gone,” said Heath. “Where did you send him?” he asked Sam.
“Ten miles that way.” Sam pointed west. “He wasn’t moving too fast because of the finds he carried, but I imagine he’s reached the next camp by now.”
“Unless he’s been picked up along the way,” said Lucas.
“Do you know anything about the bases the State have got in the area?” asked Annie.
“We keep away from them.” Lucas’s gaze slid to Sam.
“Best way to survive,” said Sam. “Keep your heads down and don’t ask questions. It’s good advice if you want to take it.”
“We should go to the next site,” said Annie. “Dad could still be there.”
Heath saw the shine of anticipation in Annie’s eyes and hoped they weren’t wasting their time. If Dmitri had walked ten miles carrying a bag of finds, he’d have been an easy target. Anyone could have killed him and dumped the body where it would never be found. If he’d made it to the next camp, he’d done it because he was lucky.
They said their goodbyes to Sam and Lucas, and continued on the bikes, deeper into the Black Zone.
“It’s good news,” said Annie. “Sounds like Dad’s okay.”
“Let’s hope so,” said Heath, not sharing her optimism.
“It’s only been a few days since Dad was last spotted. We’ll find him.” Annie slid a hand down to Heath’s thigh and squeezed, sending a rush of heat through him and firing up his cock.
He ignored the feeling as best he could. She had no idea what she was doing to him. They were friends, nothing more. And it was best for her if it remained that way. This was not a life he wanted for Annie. It wasn’t even a life he wanted.
Gritting his teeth, and ignoring the fact Annie’s hand remained on his thigh, Heath focused on getting them to the next camp. They were friends, good friends, and she trusted him. He wasn’t going to do anything to ruin that.
DESPITE BEING JOLTED around on the back of Heath’s bike, Annie smiled as they journeyed deeper into the Black Zone. Her father was close by. She’d almost gotten him back. And she was going to have serious words with him when she found him. No more dragon hunts for him; her stress levels couldn’t take it.
She glanced over her shoulder at the receding flash of fire. Sam’s eyes had been strange, like a lizard’s eyes. People had all kinds of modifications done to make themselves stand out. That must have been what Sam had done. But his eyes looked eerily like the images of dragons Annie had seen when doing her studies alongside Heath. She remembered he’d spent a whole evening showing her drawings and photographs alleged to be the genuine article. At the time, Annie had played along, questioning when she could, but simply happy to see Heath so immersed in something he loved. She had no idea that obsession would lead to her asking for his help in retrieving her own dragon-obsessed father.
But the people she’d met in the Badlands were so convinced they were part of a dragon heritage. They truly believed they had dragon DNA inside them. Her fingers tightened around Heath’s leg in confusion and frustration. She bit her bottom lip as she realized what she was doing, but didn’t move her hand from his thigh. His strong muscles felt amazing under her grip, and she imagined what he’d look like out of his faded combat gear. She’d love to see those muscles glistening with sweat and feel their skin touch, nothing between them, nothing stopping them from being together.
She liked Heath, more than she should. He’d never shown any interest in her, other than being her friend, but she’d always thought he was attractive. No, much more than attractive. He was brilliant and gorgeous. Heath wasn’t the kind of guy who’d go around jumping into bed with every woman who caught his eye. And Annie had a feeling that when he found someone he wanted to be with, he’d be with them for life. And that sounded perfect.
Annie felt the bike turn to the right. The ground grew rougher beneath the wheels as they approached the next site. They drove past several dark buildings, a flash of pale skin here and there, as a few people peered out of their windows as the bikes drifted by. This community looked established, and Annie spotted a handful of small stalls selling food on the roadside. As they continued, they drove along a rough track lined with rundown houses and buildings. Several had lights on inside.
Heath pulled up alongside Juniper and Arlo, who had already stopped.
“We’re meeting our next contact in a bar,” said Juniper.
“We’re not here to socialize,” said Heath.
“You want to meet her, that’s where we go.” Juniper rolled her bike to the side of the road.
Annie heard Heath grunt before he followed Juniper. “Arlo, stay with the bikes.”
“Can’t I go to the bar?” asked Arlo.
“You’re old enough to drink?” asked Juniper.
“Older than you,” growled Arlo.
“You’re staying out here,” said Heath. “If we lose our transport out of the Black Zone, we’ll be in trouble.”
Arlo shrugged and then nodded. “Fine. But you owe me one for this.”
“I’ll forget about one of the debts you owe me.” Heath flashed a smirk at Arlo.
“Don’t enjoy yourself too much.” Arlo slumped against one of the bikes, a dejected look on his face.
Juniper led the way along the dirt road to a wooden, two-story hut. “It�
��s not pretty in here, but the booze gets you drunk, and it’s cheap. And, if you know who to talk to, you get good information.” She pushed open the door. A dozen pair of eyes instantly swiveled to meet them.
Annie kept her head up and followed Juniper, sensing Heath’s hot presence by her side. Lincoln was also right behind her, acting as a personal bodyguard.
“It’s been a while, Firestar,” said the tall guy behind the bar, with shoulder-length, ginger hair.
“Wasn’t sure if I was still welcome,” said Juniper.
“I’m still trying to decide whether to bar you for life or not.” The barman smiled at her. “Who are your friends?”
“We’re on a missing-person hunt.” Juniper sat at the bar.
“Get a lot of those around here.”
“Is Clarissa in?” asked Juniper.
“Went upstairs five minutes ago,” said the barman.
“She’s doing business?”
“Something like that.”
Annie looked around the bar and suddenly spotted several scantily-clad women. They were tipping drinks down their throats and laughing along with the men sitting beside them.
A heavily-made-up woman approached Heath, her cleavage spilling out of a tight corset. “I’ve got a free evening, if you’ve got time and coin.” She slid her hand down Heath’s arm.
“Not interested,” said Heath, his gaze darting to Annie.
The woman’s gaze shifted to Annie. “You’re taken?”
“I’m not here for fun.”
“I could do with some fun,” said Lincoln.
“You’ve got coins, handsome?” The woman turned her bright-red smile toward Lincoln, instead.
“Of course,” said Lincoln.
“We’re here on business.” Heath glared at Lincoln.
“Not even a little fun?” asked Lincoln.
Heath shook his head.
Lincoln sighed and pressed his lips to the back of the woman’s hand. “Another time.”
“Your loss, honey.” The woman glided away toward another potential customer.
Annie shivered in relief as the woman left, leaving Heath alone. She had no claim on him, but the thought of him being with another woman twisted her stomach into knots.
“Looks like Clarissa’s free.” The barman raised his eyebrows.
Annie turned to see a skinny guy with waist-long black hair hurrying down the stairs.
“She won’t be alone for long if you do need to see her,” the barman added.
Juniper placed a coin on the bar and slid it over to him. “Thanks.”
“No trouble, though,” cautioned the barman. “If Clarissa wants you to go, then you leave. No smashing up my bar this time.”
Annie looked at Juniper with interest, wondering what had caused her to trash the place before.
“We’re not looking for trouble,” said Juniper. “I’ll be on my best behavior.” She led them up the stairs to a closed door.
“Is Clarissa like you?” asked Annie.
“A freak, you mean?” Juniper narrowed her purple eyes.
“I’ve never called you that,” said Annie.
The hardness on Juniper’s face faded. “Fair enough. You’ve been cool with me. Clarissa is different from the rest of us. She has the sight.”
Heath grabbed hold of Juniper’s arm. “She’s a seer?”
Juniper grinned. “You know your dragon lore.”
“He should,” said Lincoln. “It’s all he lives for.”
“Aren’t seers supposed to predict the future?” Annie couldn’t keep the cynicism from her voice. It was another one of those dragon myths people liked to cling to.
“You’ll find out.” Juniper knocked on the door and waited.
“If she really was a seer,” muttered Lincoln, “then she’d know we were here already.”
The door opened, and a tall, curvy woman with bright-red curls stood in front of them. Her gaze shifted to each member of the group before settling on Juniper. A smile spread across her face. “You’re late.” The scent of strong, woody herbs burning drifted out of the room.
“You kept yourself busy while waiting for us,” said Juniper. “The guy who just left looked terrified.”
“Then he shouldn’t have asked me to be so truthful.” The two women embraced and Clarissa stood back to let them enter. She shut the door behind her and then turned. “These are your friends?”
Juniper made the introductions. “Seen anything of Dmitri Grimwald in our future?”
“Don’t be cheeky.” Clarissa shook her head and gestured to the sofas set against the walls. “It doesn’t work like that.”
“How does it work?” Annie sat down and leaned forward. Despite not believing in seers, she was fascinated by this woman’s claim she could predict the future. Nobody could do that, but she wanted to know how Clarissa pulled off such a ruse.
Clarissa stared at Annie in silence for so long that she squirmed in her seat. “Your mind is clouded.”
“By what?”
“You doubt those you travel with,” said Clarissa, gesturing to the rest of the group.
“Annie doesn’t believe in dragons,” said Heath.
“So, she is like the majority,” said Clarissa. “But you, Heath Ember, are different.”
“Heath is okay,” said Juniper. “He’s helping Annie find her father. Finding us dragon hybrids in the mix seems to have been a bonus.”
Heath grunted in agreement, a half smile on his face.
Clarissa continued to stare at Annie. “I know your father. He was here asking questions about dragon sites.”
“How long ago?”
“Less than a day,” said Clarissa. “I see so many people, though, they tend to blend into one messy mass. But your father stood out. He has a passion in his heart and is a true believer. You would do well to follow him.”
“If he ever showed me proof, I would,” said Annie. “I don’t care about what he’s seeking, I just want him back. We think he’s been taken by the militia and is in danger.”
Clarissa walked to the other side of a small, white desk, and poured herself a cup of steaming green liquid. “He has been taken.”
Annie’s heart lurched in her chest. “Where?”
“He’s at the State-run west base in the Black Zone,” said Clarissa.
“How do you know this?” asked Lincoln.
Clarissa sipped her drink as her gaze ran over Lincoln. “Another Ember brother. I am privileged.”
“Please, we don’t have much time,” said Annie. “Are you certain he’s at this base?”
Clarissa finished her drink and set the cup down. “I am. He came here seeking shelter, but Clifford sent him away. No credits or coins, you see. I warned him it was dangerous to go outside alone, but he insisted he had to go to the next site.”
“I knew his obsession would get him into trouble.” Annie rubbed the back of her neck.
“His obsession is a healthy one,” said Clarissa. “It is the people preventing him from discovering the truth who are the problem.”
Annie looked at Heath. “We need to get to this base.”
Heath shook his head. “Not yet. We need more information.”
“I can give it to you,” said Clarissa.
Heath’s eyes narrowed. “But it comes at a price?”
Clarissa trailed her fingers across the desk. “There is someone in the base who needs to get out.”
“We can’t take on a rescue mission for more than one person,” said Heath.
“Once we’re inside, it will be easy to take two people,” said Lincoln. “Hell, we can even smash the base wide open, let everyone out.”
“We don’t have the resources,” said Heath. “If we spread ourselves too thinly, we put ourselves at risk.”
“Who’s in there?” asked Juniper, who’d remained standing by the door.
“Malachi.” Clarissa’s gaze dropped to the floor.
“They took your brother?” asked Juniper.
“They abducted him.”
“Is he a seer like you?” asked Lincoln.
“He is a dragon hybrid,” said Clarissa. “But we have different abilities.” She pushed her hair back from her face, revealing a dark strip of bruising down one side of her throat.
“What happened to you?” asked Annie.
Clarissa covered the bruises with her hair again. “Having seer abilities and not being a purebred dragon comes at a cost. I can see the future, but it takes a toll on my physical form. If I were a full dragon, it would barely impact me. As it is, I’m injured every time I venture into the yet-unwritten universe.”
Annie’s mouth dropped open. She looked at Heath. “This can’t be true.”
“Dragons predict the future. It was a way they protected themselves,” said Heath, his bright eyes on Clarissa. “Until the State blinded their abilities, they could outrun anything. I had no idea predicting the future would cause harm to a dragon hybrid though.”
“I guess we’ve all learned a lot on this trip,” said Lincoln.
“I need a way to make an income, so I use my abilities,” said Clarissa. “The ladies downstairs do what they do best, and I predict people’s futures when they have enough coin to give me.”
“That’s what you were doing with the guy who just left?” asked Annie.
Clarissa’s hand covered the bruises on her neck. “His future was not a happy one. He is hoping to change that. There’s always the possibility he will succeed if he tries hard enough.”
“Your predictions are just guesses?”
Clarissa’s nostrils flared as she glared at Annie. “I speak the truth. But people can alter their ways and change things. It’s not always successful, but it happens. Your father has his path fixed and is determined to find the next dragon site. I could see the militia want him. He’s been causing them problems and they need to get rid of him.”
Annie pressed her palm to her chest, her heart thudding under the skin. “You think they’ve killed him?”
“I didn’t say that,” said Clarissa, her hard gaze softening. “But you need to get to him quickly. They will not be kind to Dmitri. He was already weak when he was here.”
Annie jumped to her feet. “We go now.”
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