by Susan Illene
“Thank you,” Throm said. He nodded at the human man beside Noelle, indicating he could take her away.
A few minutes later after she’d left the room, the clerk had called for silence and the pendragon studied the accused. Everyone waited to see what would happen next.
“Quade of Taugud, after hearing the victim’s story, do you have anything to say for yourself?” Throm asked.
The accused hung his head in shame. “I do not.”
“Very well.” The pendragon leaned forward in his seat. “I hereby sentence you to twenty lashes and two years in the dungeon. Be grateful your victim spoke so highly of you to me in private or I might have considered banishment as well.”
Everyone started talking at once. Anything beyond six months in the dungeon was considered a fate worse than a death sentence. The cells were too small for a shape-shifter to take his dragon form. At the very least, they needed to change once every three days or the beast inside them would scratch at their mind incessantly, begging to be let out. Those who stayed down there for even six months came out half mad and had to be watched closely for months afterward. Who knew what Quade would be like at the end of his sentence?
“Before the lashings begin,” the pendragon shouted to be heard, “I will tell all of you now that relationships with humans are forbidden. If this happens again, the sentence will be worse.”
Aidan caught Donar staring at him from across the room. There was a warning in his eyes and it wasn’t difficult to discern the meaning. His cousin was telling him to keep his distance from Bailey. Aidan knew he was right, even if his inner dragon didn’t agree.
Chapter 37
Bailey
I tossed a pair of khaki pants in Conrad’s size into the shopping basket. It was already full of clothes for the both of us, but I wanted to be sure we’d have enough outfits to last for a long time. The thrift store I’d located hadn’t been hit too hard by looters. I’d counted on that, figuring there’d be more stuff left there than going to the mall or anyplace else obvious. Safer for me too, since I was on my own.
After finishing off my selections with a couple of suitcases, I wheeled the cart out the store. Once again it was sunny and hot. The early afternoon sunlight almost blinded me after being in a dimly lit building. I loaded up the clothes and bags into my truck, keeping an eye out for anyone nearby. So far it had been quiet. I left the cart with a group of others along the wall.
Just as I was about to start my truck, I caught sight of two men in an SUV pull up to a place across the street. They got out, holding rifles in their hands. Damn. They could kill me from across the road if they wanted. I ducked down low and prayed they didn’t notice me or my truck. There were a couple other vehicles in the lot, but none of them were parked in front of the store entrance.
The men cast their gazes around, one of them pausing briefly on my truck, and headed into the building. I put the key in the ignition, but before I could start the engine a huge green dragon appeared in the sky. I’d never seen one that big except for Mirrikh—the man-eater. Where in the hell had the creature come from? It couldn’t have been far or I’d have noticed it flying this way sooner.
The dragon hovered in the air high above the store where the men had gone inside, staring downward with its beady red eyes. Even with my windows partially rolled down I couldn’t hear it. The creature flapped its wings in a way that was nearly soundless. It had gone into predator mode. Dear God, it had to be waiting for those men to come back out.
I inched my hand toward my sword where it rested on the floorboard. My slayer instincts were kicking into gear, but the rational part of me didn’t know if I could take a creature that big as a first kill. Aidan had cautioned me not to make a move against a dragon until he gave the go ahead. I’d improved considerably since that first fight against Donar, but this one wouldn’t hold its punches. The fight would be to the death.
A moment later the men came out of the store. My sense of caution fled as the dragon swooped down. I jumped out of the truck with my sword in hand and screamed a warning at them. They looked at me instead of the beast coming straight for them. I pointed and screamed again. Finally, one of them looked up. He stumbled back a step and grabbed his friend’s arm.
I started running toward them, dashing across the street. The dragon didn’t pay me any attention as it went down for the two scrambling men. It sent a stream of flames at the entrance, blocking the men’s chance to hide in the building. They turned in another direction, but it was too late. The dragon reached them. It picked them up with its massive talons and lifted them into the air. I only had fifty feet to go.
Putting on a burst of speed, I raced toward them. The men flailed around as the creature flapped its wings hard to get up higher. Their added weight was slowing it down. Wind whipped against my face. I held my sword in front of me and dashed the last twenty feet. With my free hand I reached out and almost caught one of the men’s feet, but missed by inches. The dragon picked up speed and flew higher, going beyond my reach.
“Come and get me, you mangy bastard,” I screamed, still running.
“Help!” one of the men called out, his eyes wide with desperation.
The dragon turned its head and looked down at me. I could have sworn it had a mocking expression in its eyes. It let out a brief roar and continued on its way. No matter how fast I ran I couldn’t keep up. It sailed across the street and over to a neighborhood. I slowed to a walk, sucking in gulps of air. My instincts pushed me to keep going, but it was pointless.
I watched it fly for another minute before it descended, disappearing from my sight. Could it have landed already? That would explain how it appeared so suddenly before. If the dragon’s nest was nearby, it was worth checking out. Maybe I could still save the men.
Turning around, I ran for my truck. The driver’s side door was still open when I reached it. In my hurry to go after the dragon I hadn’t even thought to grab my keys. I jumped in and drove the truck down the street in the direction I’d seen the creature disappear. After a few blocks, I spotted a large building with a huge hole in the side.
I pulled into an empty parking lot down the street. There was no sense in risking my truck by driving right up to the place. Plus, I needed to watch the area for a few minutes to see if the dragon was alone. Aidan had told me they rarely nested by themselves. The one I’d found at the outdoor store had been a fluke.
It killed me to wait, but I couldn’t go rushing in there. I’d learned my lesson on that already. For half an hour nothing stirred. I couldn’t see any movement in the dark interior from my vantage point. Then I was rewarded when two dragons flew up to the building. A third—smaller than the one who took the men—poked its head out. Even my natural instincts balked at those odds.
Tired and frustrated, I forced myself to leave. I’d have to wait until I met Aidan for training the next day and tell him what I’d found. Maybe if we worked together and brought Donar as well, we could take the nest out.
I returned to Verena’s place and found her out front tending her garden. Every day she drew from the well and watered her plants, fighting against the drought that threatened to kill them. She wore a floppy straw hat over her brown and gray hair. It was hard to remember she was a sorceress when she was dressed that way.
She didn’t acknowledge me when I got out of the truck. I opened one of the back doors and started stuffing a suitcase with clothes for Conrad. The poor guy had been wearing the same outfit for over a week. I’d washed his pants for him a couple times and given him one of my larger t-shirts since his was ruined from the gunshot, but he’d been getting grouchier by the day. He didn’t know why I couldn’t bring him clothes from the library. I’d been putting off giving him the bad news until he got better.
Verena lifted her head and scowled at me. “Your friend is becoming a nuisance. I believe he’ll be ready to leave tomorrow.”
“I’m sure he’ll be glad to hear that,” I said.
“You’ll o
we me for this,” she warned.
I stopped on the porch. “What do you want?”
“Nothing yet.” She returned her attention to her garden. “I’m waiting for you to get stronger first.”
“And when I get stronger?” I asked.
Verena didn’t look up. “You’ll see.”
I hated owing her a favor, but it was even worse not knowing what she wanted. “It better not involve human sacrifices or something.”
She snorted. “Hardly.”
Well, at least I could mark that off my list of possibilities. I grabbed hold of the suitcase handle and wheeled it inside the house, finding Conrad in his bed. Verena had healed the worst of the damage, but with how much the process debilitated her she’d refused to do more beyond that. He’d been relegated to resting as much as possible while it healed further on its own. Conrad could move around the house now for short periods, but it would wear him out quickly. I supposed it was similar to how he might have been if he’d gotten surgery instead.
“Is that for me?” he asked, nodding at the suitcase.
“Yep.” I wheeled it next to the bed and opened it for him to see inside. “Pants, shirts, shorts, and shoes.”
He stared down at the selection. “Not bad. I just wish you’d bring me my other stuff. Can’t you give Justin some kind of excuse for why you have to take them?”
I stiffened. It was time to tell him, but I still didn’t know how to break the news. Talking to Aidan about it had been easier. During the week while he’d recovered from his injuries, he’d asked me for more details. I told him the whole story and all about my friends from the library. With them gone, it didn’t matter anymore if he knew about them. It had been comforting despite the fact they had died because of another dragon.
Since he’d gone back to the fortress, he’d become distant and acted as if that week had never happened. I didn’t mind entirely. We could never be anything more than friends, and even that was pushing it. I needed to focus on my training and not get entangled in something that couldn’t end well.
“There’s something I need to tell you, Conrad,” I said, focusing on shutting the suitcase. My chest tightened as I prepared to give him the news.
“What is it?” he asked.
“The library is gone.” There was no easier way to put it and even that much brought tears to my eyes.
He sat straight up. “You’re joking.”
“No.” I shook my head, giving him a mournful look. “The day after you were shot I went by there and found it burned to the ground. No one was there and I couldn’t find them at the other places we’d talked about moving to.”
He stared at me for a moment. “You think everyone is dead?”
“I don’t know where else they could be,” I said, choking on the words.
“Fuck. I don’t even know how to take this. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He gave me an accusing look.
“I couldn’t. You were shot and it didn’t seem right to dump bad news on you.”
He buried his face in his hands. “Dammit, Bailey. Those were good people.”
“I know.” I got up on the bed next to him.
He sucked in a ragged breath. “You gotta kill the dragons who did it.”
“I will,” I promised.
We sat there for a long time in silence, remembering them and mourning our loss.
Chapter 38
Aidan
“Don’t force it. Relax your body and let your inner dragon help you,” Aidan instructed Ultan.
The ten-year-old boy’s face scrunched up. “But it hurts.”
“It always hurts in the beginning, but it will get easier with time.”
Aidan didn’t normally help children learning to shift, but Ultan was his cousin on his father’s side. The child should have been able to do it by now. If the delay continued, he’d become an embarrassment to the pendragon’s family. Aidan understood how difficult that could be and didn’t want that for him.
Ultan kneeled on the ground and squeezed his eyes shut. Once again, he was trying too hard. The child was going to make himself sick again if he kept it up. He’d already lost his afternoon meal in the grass nearby.
“Stop,” Aidan said and waited for the boy to open his eyes. “Now come here.”
Ultan took a few steps until he was standing right in front of Aidan. “Are you going to punish me, too?”
Aidan frowned. “No. Why would you ask that?”
“My father punishes me every time I can’t do it,” the boy said in a low voice.
Aidan’s dragon stirred. He didn’t like it when younglings were hurt because of something they couldn’t help. You couldn’t beat a child into shifting. It didn’t work that way, but he doubted Ultan’s father considered that.
“Sit with me,” Aidan said. He lowered to the ground with the boy so that they sat crossed legged, facing each other. “Now take my hands.”
Ultan reached out his tiny hands. Shape-shifters didn’t grow as fast as human children and his young cousin appeared to be slower than most—much like Aidan had been. If Bailey saw him, she might think he wasn’t more than six or seven years old.
“Now I want you to think of your dragon,” Aidan said, watching as Ultan closed his eyes. “Focus only on him, but don’t try to shift. Until you accept your dragon and bond with him, you will not succeed at changing your form.”
“Okay,” the boy said.
“Speak to your dragon in your head. Get to know him,” Aidan suggested.
Ultan licked his lips. They couldn’t stay out for much longer in this heat before the child would need a break. It was almost too hot for Aidan in his human form. He’d even told Bailey to come to her training sessions in the late evening when it was cooler. The afternoon high temperatures were slowing her down, which did neither of them any good.
Aidan squeezed the boy’s hands. “Do you feel your dragon?”
“Kind of,” Ultan answered.
That wasn’t a good answer. Most shifters could feel their dragon spirit inside them from the beginning of their life. Ultan had been avoiding his. Aidan suspected it was because the boy had seen his mother killed by a pure dragon when he was five. She’d taken him and a several other children outside the fortress to play. No one had expected the attack. While another adult shifter herded the young ones inside, she’d stayed and fought, buying them time to get away.
“Your mother was one of the bravest dragons I ever met. Don’t you want to be like her?” Aidan asked.
Ultan’s chin trembled. “Yes.”
“She accepted the dragon inside of her. Now you must do the same,” he said in a calm voice. “Take a deep breath…then let it out, along with all your fears.”
The boy did as Aidan instructed and a moment later a smile formed on his face. “I feel him.”
“Good. Very good. Now talk to him.”
For long minutes, Aidan waited while Ultan got to know his dragon. He could sense the change in the child. The more he accepted that part of him the more the beast surfaced at the edge of his skin. Tiny flames began to lick across Ultan’s arms. Aidan felt a thrum of excitement for the child—this was going to work.
“That’s it, you’re doing well,” he said, squeezing the boy’s hands.
Ultan gasped. “The dragon wants to shift.”
“Are you going to let him?”
“You mean I can choose?” the boy asked, surprised.
“Yes.”
Ultan took a deep breath and let it out. More flames licked up his skin until Aidan was forced to let go and move away. The child would need room to complete the transition. He stood up and watched as the fire grew large enough to engulf the boy’s body.
Ultan screamed and whimpered for many long minutes before the sound transitioned into a weak roar. Aidan winced at the discomfort the child must have been feeling. It was easier when the change happened quickly.
Nearly twenty minutes passed before the flames died back down, revealing a tiny re
d dragon whose head didn’t quite reach Aidan’s waist. It stretched its fledgling wings, unsure what to do with them. They would need years to fully form for flight and many shifts during that time to build their strength. At Ultan’s age, they mostly got in the way.
“You have done well. Congratulations,” Aidan said, leaning down to rub his nose against the little dragon’s snout. It was a form of affection for children.
“Is this my son?” Ultan’s father came running across the field.
“It is,” Aidan answered.
“By Zorya’s grace, you did it!” The large man stopped before the little dragon, checking him over. One would have thought he was seeing his son for the first time.
Aidan cleared his throat. “No, your son did it.”
“I was beginning to lose hope,” he said, shaking his head. “You can leave the rest to me. I’ll help him shift back. There was an accident in the keep and they told me to come get you.”
“An accident?” Aidan asked, stiffening.
“Your cousin Donar has been badly injured. He fell from the castle parapets.”
Aidan glanced at the fortress and back at Ultan. He hated to leave the boy without helping him to return to his human form—which could be just as difficult—but he had to check on Donar. His cousin wasn’t the clumsy type to fall from the parapets. He’d worked up there several times before without incident.
“Thank you for telling me,” Aidan said.
He made a dash for the fortress, running through the gates toward a gathering crowd. Pushing his way through, he found Donar lying on the ground. Blood seeped from his head and his leg bent at an odd angle. Olin hovered over his son, gently trying to wake him
“We must get him to the healer,” Aidan said.
Donar’s father lifted his head up. “He hardly breathes.”
It took a lot to damage a shape-shifter’s skull, but a fall from the parapets could do it. Aidan leaned down and helped Olin pick up his son. They worked together to move him out of the keep and toward the healing stones beyond the walls.
Donar didn’t stir even when they accidentally jostled him. Aidan feared the worst. If his cousin was too close to death, the healer wouldn’t be able to help. His spirit had to still be close enough to the surface for the stones’ magic to help. There was no way to know for sure until they got there.