“Fin,” she called quietly.
“Charlotte. You should have stayed inside.”
“I was worried about you. I fell asleep and have no idea how long you were gone.”
“I came back and saw you were asleep. I wanted to come and take the night air. It’s always my favourite time.”
“I can see why.” She reached him now, scrabbling over the rocks.
“Here. I found your phone. It’s a bit wet but it’s still lit up.” He handed it to her.
“What are you doing here?” She took her phone from him. It still worked but there was no signal. She would have to accept Fin's offer to lead her back through the Labyrinth.
“I come out at night. It’s the best time because it’s so quiet. When I stand here, I feel normal. As if I could walk from this beach to the others and no one would yell, ‘freak.’”
“Are you lonely, Fin?”
He turned and looked at her, his face full of sadness. “It didn’t use to bother me. Not before Serena came. She has taught me that we are not meant to be alone in this world. But who would have me?”
“You would fit in back in Spellholm.”
“Spellholm is full of people who can change from one thing to another. Not that are stuck like this for ever.”
“I know. But they are used to weird things. They’re good people. Serena and Connor are so happy there.”
“And yet you stand here beside me, having run away.”
She shook her head and clutched her arms tightly around her body. “I can’t believe I was so stupid. I think Serena is right. I’m still immature.”
“Then let’s get you back home. We’ll go up through the Labyrinth. Make your call and Connor could be here before morning. They’ll be glad to see you safe.”
“Do you mind? I’ve been such a trouble to you.”
“Charlotte, you will never know how much it means to me that you came here. When you thought you were in trouble you decided to put your trust in me. I feel exceptionally proud.”
“Does that mean you accept the name?”
“Yes. I think it does.” He smiled in his bull-headed, grotesque way. “Now let’s get you home.”
Charlotte flung her arms around him and buried her face in his big chest. “Thank you,” she said tearfully. “I only hope they all understand. You know, stealing Azure and everything. Running away. I can’t believe how much I’ve messed up.”
He stood rigidly within her embrace. Shocked to stone. Then he carefully lifted his hand and patted her back, a little too hard. But she didn’t complain.
Chapter Thirty One - Zoah
“What did you do, beat the crap out of him to get him to come home?”
“This isn’t my home, Tara.”
“You know what she means, Zoah.”
Connor had carried his brother into the witch’s room. Zoah felt more and more like an invalid. There was no part of his dignity left. Now he had the witch looking at him. Prodding him until he cried out in pain and generally making him feel like shit. Not that he didn’t already.
“So?” he asked, through gritted teeth, when she stood back from him. “Can you make me better?”
“Yes. And no. I can deal with the pain; I can get you back on your feet.”
“But?” Connor asked, looking at her fearfully. Zoah knew exactly what his brother was worried about, the unasked question. Would he ever be the same as he was?
“The other part of it is psychological.”
“Of course it is. I want to be this feeble shadow of my former self.”
“It gives you an excuse to lie on your back without doing anything.” She spoke bluntly, as usual. “Who can expect you to go off and rescue Charlotte and commit to being her mate if you can’t fly?”
Zoah clenched his fists, one of the only parts of him that didn’t hurt and lifted himself up on his elbow. Wincing he drew a deep breath and shouted at her. “You have no idea how I feel. Now get on with it.”
“You’re lucky I care about that girl or else I’d leave you there to suffer.” She turned to retrieve some herbs from a shelf. While she was rummaging, the door opened and in came Dòmhnall.
“What is happening? Were you attacked?”
“I don't know. I was flying and then I was crashing.” Zoah lay back down, fatigue threatening to overwhelm him.
“Connor?” Dòmhnall asked, obviously thinking there was more to it than that.
Connor shook his head. “I don't know. I found him like this. I managed to use my blood to give him some movement. Tara is going to try to heal the rest of him, or else we might all have to help him.”
Zoah wrinkled his nose. The last thing he wanted was to be covered in the other dragons’ blood. Imagine how beholden he’d feel. But if he had to, then so be it. It didn’t mean he would have to like it.
“When?”
“When what?” Zoah asked. His temper was fraying ever so slightly at being spoken about as if he wasn’t there.
“Did this happen?” Dòmhnall asked as if Zoah was an imbecile and should be able to answer his one-word questions.
“A couple of nights ago.”
“Tara?”
Tara still had her back to them all. Zoah watched her shoulders rise and fall before she turned to face the Dragon Lord. “Yes?”
“That was the night Charlotte left.”
“You know that as well as I.” She placed her jars and vials down on an already cluttered table.
Dòmhnall was there by her side in an instant. His bulky size never slowing him down. His hand came down hard on the desk. “Speak.”
She looked up at him and glared. “She found the charm.”
“What charm?”
She turned and looked away. “I made a tracker charm so we could find her if anything happened.”
Dòmhnall frowned. “She is safe here; why would you need to do that. How did you make it?”
Opening her jars, she began to measure different herbs into her pestle. “It doesn’t matter.”
His grip on her chin was quick and painful. “What are you hiding?”
“Nothing.”
He squeezed harder until she cried out in pain and slapped his hand away. “I used Zoah’s blood and a strand of Charlotte’s hair. One of the coven members gave me a book and the spell was in there.”
“Why? If Zoah wanted to know where his mate was, he should have completed the Moon Rite. If not, she is free.”
“She is still under my protection,” Zoah said. “I want her to have a life of her choosing, but she is still my responsibility.”
“When was this thing created?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“Again, I will ask you why?”
“Because Tara thinks the person that kidnapped Charlotte before is still alive.”
“Why didn’t you share any of this with us, Tara?” His was voice hard and accusing.
Tara bowed her head, unable to meet his eyes. “Because I believe someone here is a traitor.”
This time they all looked at her. Dòmhnall let out a ragged breath. “Is there anything else you’ve been keeping from us?”
Chapter Thirty Two - Charlotte
“I shouldn’t be long,” she said quietly to Fin at the entrance of his Labyrinth.
“I will wait here for you.”
She poked her head out and checked there was no one around. The entrance was so well concealed in amongst the rocks and in such a remote location, she didn’t expect there to be. But she had to be careful for the Minotaur’s sake.
“I should get a signal further along the road.” Ducking out of the entrance, she kept low and worked her way further down the hillside. Then she headed straight across from the entrance, trying to make it harder for anyone to see her tracks. Once she was a few metres away, she began the climb upward. By the time she got to the top, her legs ached and her breathing was laboured.
Resting for a minute, she took her phone out and checked it again. Still no bars. Relucta
ntly she followed the path that led to the road and then turned towards the town, which was behind a small hill. She hoped that once she was on top of the hill she would pick the signal up. The last thing she wanted to do, at this time of night, was to be seen loitering around town. Talk about suspicious, plus she was still aware of the free bus ride she might be wanted for. Hardly enough to make her appear on a “most wanted” list. But this was a small island and you never knew how fast news travelled.
The road was deserted and she walked quickly, Azure now safely tucked away in her shirt. Charlotte held her phone out in front of her, watching for the bars to light up. It had already started to beep at her, telling her the battery was low. She only hoped she could make the call before it ran out completely. Picking up her pace, she didn’t notice the movement to her right.
Only when footsteps sounded on the road behind her, did her head shoot up. Turning around, she saw two men about four feet behind her. They had appeared from the bushes on the side of the road, very suspicious. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest and she figured her only option was to run. Tearing her gaze away from them, she sprinted forward. Straight into a solid wall of man flesh.
His hands grabbed her arms, making her phone fly out of her hand and smash on the road. She looked up at her captor and screamed. His gloved hand covered her mouth, his head coming down level with her ear.
“Hello, Charlotte. I’ve been looking for you for a very long time. Say hello to your Uncle Samuel.”
She couldn’t speak. Too shocked by the ruined face. The dragon fire had maimed him, but somehow he had escaped the church where they had left him burning. Connor and Zoah had been so sure he was dead. They had been wrong; now her past was coming back to haunt her.
“I can see you are so happy to see me that you can’t put it into words. Don’t worry, we’ll have some time to chat and catch up on our journey.”
She tried to pull away from him, reaching up to tear at his hideous face. In return, he slapped her across the face; she had forgotten how good he was at making her lip bleed. Her knees hit the hard road and she cried out in pain.
“Bring her,” Samuel said.
One of the other men picked her up and put her over his shoulder. Then they walked some way down the road, while Samuel spoke on a radio. In her dazed state, she couldn’t make out what he was saying, but a few minutes later a car pulled up and she was bundled in the trunk. As the dark encased her, she felt her life, her freedom, slipping away. She couldn’t let this happen. Not again.
There was only one way Serena and the dragons would be able to find her. This was why Azure had been created and she had foolishly taken him with her. What good was a tracking dragon if he was attached to the thing he was supposed to find? She was such a fool. Once more, because of Tara, she was in the hands of Samuel. Had the witch been an insider all this time? Where exactly did her loyalty lie, other than to herself?
As the car hurtled along, she tried to piece it all together. Was Tara intent on betraying all the dragons? If Charlotte somehow asked them for help, would she be leading them into a trap, or would they be able to rescue her?
She took Azure out from inside her shirt. “I need you to help me, Azure.”
The little dragon blew fire, lighting up the dark interior for a second, giving her a glimpse of the inside of the trunk. As far as she could see, there was nothing in here to help her escape and no catch to open it from the inside. She hadn’t expected there to be. Charlotte was sure she wasn’t the first person Samuel had kidnapped. She was certain he would have made sure that once she was in here, she would stay in here.
Azure flew around once more before settling down on her shoulder. He looked at her with his trusting eyes; all he wanted to do was stay with her. But she had to send him away. The question was, whether he actually understood her enough to do as she asked.
“Azure.” The little dragon nuzzled against her. This was going to be hard. “Azure. You have to go. When they open the trunk you have to fly back to Fin.”
Azure hopped up and down, looking distressed. Did he understand? She decided to repeat her words. This time using hand signals as much as the space in the cramped trunk allowed.
“Azure. You have to go and find Fin. Then you can lead him here to me.”
Nothing in his expression showed he understood and her hope faded. At the same time, the car slowed and then stopped. She could hear the sound of waves. Her blood ran cold. Samuel had a personal vendetta against her because of what happened before. He might just be bringing her here to drown her and then send the body back to Zoah. That would be the ultimate revenge.
Faint light flooded the trunk as it was opened. Two men stood staring down at her; she tried to make sure Azure couldn’t be seen. Hoping that if they handled her roughly he wouldn’t be squashed or injured.
A hand went under her arm. She thought about turning to kick the man attached to it, but decided violence wasn’t going to get her anywhere. They were stronger than she was and there were two of them. Feeling like a coward she went meekly, looking around to see what Samuel had planned for her.
There was a boat bobbing on the water. A small group standing around it. The man who held onto her lifted her up and put her in the boat.
“Hands behind your back.”
She didn’t even answer, quietly doing as he asked. The less attention that was on her, the better. Her hands were bound together and secured to a seat in the back of the boat. They didn’t want her bailing out when they were out in the open sea. That at least gave her hope. They didn’t plan to kill her right away.
Samuel, a hood covering his disfigured face, climbed on board and sat watching her. She turned her face away and looked back to the island. It had been a short stay after all. But she was not leaving under the circumstances she had hoped. Instead of going back home, she was being taken further away.
Her only hope was that Fin would be able to get help. She didn’t know how. He never left the Labyrinth, but it was her only chance. That was if poor little Azure made it there. Against all his natural instincts, the little dragon had found the strength to fly away. As she watched him fade from view, he blew fire from his mouth. Tears welled in her eyes, what a mess she had made; she only hoped that no one else got hurt because of her.
“I’m so sorry, Zoah,” she said quietly as they pulled away from land. One way or another she was destined to break his heart. He deserved better.
Chapter Thirty Three - Fin
He had begun to pace up and down in agitation. She had been gone too long. The moon had risen high in the sky in the time he had waited, so it wasn’t just his mind playing tricks. There was nothing he could do. He couldn’t leave here. This was where he had dwelled for centuries; he couldn’t go into the town to see if he could find her.
Not without a cloak or something to cover his head. Nervous, but knowing he had to do something, he ran back down the pathways to where he slept. There he rummaged through the contents until he found a something suitable. It wasn’t exactly a cloak, more of a small blanket, but it would do. Cursing at the time it had taken him, he raced back through his Labyrinth until he got to the opening. There he stopped.
Of all the things he had done, leaving the Labyrinth by this route had not been one of them. He didn’t know anything about the world outside, other than what he had been told by Serena and Charlotte. It was a world full of light and noise. Where machines, what he imagined to be creatures without souls, moved around. Then there were the people. He had always brought fear and horror on to his victims, so why would it be any different if anyone saw him in the flesh today? He might have fallen into myth and legend, but no one could mistake him for what he was.
“Fool,” he said to himself. He moved forward, prising himself out of the Labyrinth, his shoulders almost too broad for the gap. This entrance had originally been closed up, but over time the boulder had slipped and fallen away. There was enough gap to make an entrance, but he never used it. He had develo
ped a phobia of the outside world. He knew what sins he had committed and that the payment would always have to be in blood.
However, those days had long past, this new world was frightening enough on its own. He survived on fish from the sea and water from the underground stream. Then he collected anything useful that might be swept up on his shore. Wood for a fire and old fishing wire were his only real necessities; anything else was stored for future need. When Serena visited, she brought him blankets, food and soap. His first bath had been a little unnerving. The small block of scented magic erupted into bubbles when he wet it and rubbed it on his skin. He had half expected it to make his body dissolve. Instead, it washed away the dust from the dirt paths he roamed endlessly. Serena had smiled with pleasure at the sight of him all clean and fresh. If only it could have washed away his sins.
It was for her that he climbed up to the road. He couldn’t bear it if he stood by and let her sister be harmed. Not if he could stop it. Looking one way and then the other, he pondered which way to go. In one direction lay the faint glow of lights, in the other darkness. The town was where she would head towards if she wanted her phone to work. Another contraption invented by the gods so that they could contact each other with telepathy. It made him shudder how the gods had given such power to the ordinary people. No wonder the gods had dropped from meaning in this world. They no longer feared Zeus, or Poseidon.
Along the road he walked, his eyes constantly casting forward and back. Nothing came along the road, which still held the heat of the day. It was warm on his feet; he looked at it and wondered at the black road. Did it lead to Hades?
Then he saw it. Broken and cracked. Her phone. Going to it, he bent down on to one knee to look at it. Had she managed to tell the dragons where she was? Or had the dragons done this to her in their bid to silence her?
Love of the Dragon: BBW Shifter Romance (Her Dragon's Bane Book 4) Page 10