Hatched (Draconia World Book 1)

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  “You do realise that you aren’t safe here, in this world. The Dark Ones will send others after you. They know that you have something valuable and they won’t stop looking for you,” he said when I was just about to walk through the door.

  I finally turned around and decided to look at him one final time. Even then, my heart made a flip inside my chest. It was like every nerve in my body was pulling me towards him.

  “I know the truth now, and no one is going to stop me, even you, Idris. Ask your daddy about the eggs, ask him where the others are, and then maybe you will understand what is really going on in this world. My magic is only going to grow stronger,” I told him, with anger in my tone of voice, still thinking about Dara. She was gone, and she didn’t have to die.

  It wasn’t his fault, but he was one of them. Soon after, I was climbing the stairs and the whole world was spinning around me. My heart was pounding extremely fast in my chest, and in my mind, I wondered if the meeting with Idris had really happened. Kind and compassionate Dark Ones couldn’t possibly be real.

  “You know that he is going to follow you around now, like an invisible shadow,” Avianna said, reminding me that she was perfectly all right.

  I squeezed my eyes shut when I found myself standing in front of the same window where I entered this house earlier.

  “It doesn’t matter. I gained the advantage over them, connecting with a Dark One—their puppet. Soon, others will realise that they were lied to, and word will spread,” I told her.

  “Maybe, but you will see him again. You two are like fire and ice. You belong together, and no one is going to tell me otherwise.”

  I smiled to myself, but didn’t respond. I climbed through the window, knowing that the little egg was right. That half dark one, or half mage, connected with me and he wasn’t going to just let me be. That wasn’t how this world worked.

  Luckily, the streets were still empty, and it started raining. I didn’t expect to see anyone out in such miserable weather. Ten minutes later, I managed to make my way down, still thinking about that incredible kiss. I only kissed him because I needed to distract him, so he would let go of me. There was no other reason behind it, but even now, I had to admit to myself that I would gladly do it again. There was something about him, something primal and needy that turned me into a Fran that I didn’t even recognise anymore.

  “What the hell, Fran? I thought you were dead. You were there for hours,” Nicolas’s voice startled me from my thoughts.

  He approached me from the street corner, still looking around, and he was soaking wet. I instantly felt guilty that I left him hanging.

  “I’m sorry, but it took me a really long time to find the necklace. We can head back now. I have it,” I explained, rubbing my forehead.

  I didn’t want to tell him about Idris. Somehow, I had to forget about him. Harvey needed the necklace for something, and in this world, he was free. He didn’t have to worry about the Dark Ones. Now I could see the appeal, understand why other wardens didn’t want to return to a world where magic was limited. If you didn’t have much, then you didn’t matter.

  “So what happened in there?” he pressed, and I knew that he wouldn’t stop asking questions. The streets were deserted, and it was late. Nicolas looked stressed out and I hated lying to him.

  We kept walking fast, but suddenly I had this urge to turn around. I had a feeling that someone was watching me in the distance. A tingling sensation came over me, and soft wind ruffled my thick hair.

  I stopped and looked behind me. My heart skipped a beat when a thick fog started appearing on the streets.

  “Fran, come on, let’s keep moving. I’m bloody freezing,” Nicolas said.

  Then I saw him, and I instantly knew it was Idris. He was watching me from the distance. I recognised the shape of his lean body and sensed the magic that infused my skin. My heart shuddered again, and the same scorching heat pooled into my stomach. Several long seconds passed before he vanished behind a building.

  “You’re right. Let’s go. It’s not safe here.”

  It was the truth, but then Avianna’s voice rang in my head.

  He won’t stop following you around. He’s going to be your shadow from now on.

  “You’re very quiet. It’s not like you. Tell me, what exactly happened in there?” Nicolas asked when we were in the tube.

  He was right, I was lost in my own thoughts and I wasn’t even paying attention to him. He was concerned that I was hiding something, and I had to tell him at least part of what happened. This wasn’t fair; he was still my friend.

  My thoughts were still racing away, and I had a feeling that people were staring at me, like they knew that I developed a crush on the guy that I was supposed to hate.

  Idris—even his name turned my stomach upside down. Why the hell did I kiss him?

  “Because you wanted to, and why are you asking stupid questions like that?”

  Avianna reminded me that I was never alone with my own thoughts.

  “Can you please get out of my head? I need a little space,” I said, a little annoyed.

  “Fine, whatever. I’ll be quiet, but stop acting like you have no idea what is going on. He’s a real man, the one that you have been waiting for.”

  “Fran, are you even listening to me?”

  “Yes, sorry, I’m a little distracted. There was someone there,” I said.

  I didn’t have to tell him about the kiss. For a long time, I thought that I was attracted to him too, but now I wasn’t sure if that was still the case.

  We left the tube station a few minutes later and were heading back towards Aly’s house. I didn’t want to go straight back to Harvey’s. I wasn’t ready to leave yet, and it was late. Nicolas and I were both exhausted.

  Aly treated me better than all the wardens combined that I had ever met in the past. I needed to prepare her for what was about to come. I wanted to say a proper goodbye.

  “Someone, as in who? You were there for ages and I was freaking out,” he said, touching my arm. A wave of electricity moved through us, and he grinned confidently. He knew that our attraction was somehow mutual.

  “A Dark One, I mean he wasn’t like others that we met in that alley, but we fought and then something happened,” I explained, knowing that I was only confusing Nicolas more. “We connected and I showed him the egg. He let me go, Nicolas, but he said he wanted to bring me back.”

  “This doesn’t make any sense. Are you sure you’re all right? Maybe you hit your head or something,” he said laughing.

  “No, his name is Idris and he showed up when I was just about to steal the necklace. Apparently, the Dark Ones know that I have the egg. He’s the son of the head of the council here,” I insisted, trying to stop picturing Idris on top of me.

  I didn’t want to think about my emotions, especially in a world that wasn’t supposed to mean anything to me. I needed to get Avianna out of here. There were wardens in Draconia who could help hide her. I did have friends there, people that I could trust, but here, magic was limited. Humans had no idea what was going on around them.

  “Tomorrow, we hand Harvey the necklace and he will get you back,” he said, not sounding too happy with the idea.

  We didn’t talk about it anymore when we walked inside Aly’s home. I went straight upstairs, wanting to be alone. It was late, and Aly was already in bed, but I heard her talking to Nicolas, asking how the evening went.

  Avianna ordered me to get some sleep, told me that I was being unreasonable. I took a quick shower, thinking about the last time that I had sex. I hoped that she couldn’t read my thoughts in the shower, but this was something that I needed to think about. I couldn’t admit to myself that I enjoyed it. Victor climbed on top of me and then the whole thing was over before I could even get excited. After he was gone from my life, I kept away from men. My heart was shattered and yeah, I was young, but seven years was a very long time.

  Later on, lying in bed, I drifted away quickly. Idris’s face
was still in my head. For a long moment, I tried to replace him with Nicolas, but the effects weren’t the same.

  I woke up late at night or maybe in the early hours of the morning drenched with sweat. For a split second, I had no clue where I was. My heart rate was up, and I felt like I was in fire from the inside. I threw the covers to the side and sat on the floor, feeling like I was suffocating.

  The darkness slowly began swallowing me down and I felt like I was being buried alive. Thick, wet soil poured into my mouth and nose—I pressed my hands to my ears and tried to breathe like Aly had taught me.

  Idris’s eyes were in my head, but the room’s walls started closing in on me. I thought about good things, good memories, but my chest was cracking open. I hated this, hated myself. I grabbed my band and started flicking it, over and over again.

  It didn’t work; the pain wasn’t easing off. The discomfort was causing havoc in my mind. This had been going on for way too long and I had to find a way to conquer it.

  I kept rocking, waiting for it to pass, flicking that damn band. My shirt was stuck to my skin and I was ready to jump out of the window. I kept digging my nails into my skin until it bled. This wasn’t the right way, but the demons were all around me—suffocating me.

  I kept hurting, tearing my skin apart until the voices in my head slowly faded away.

  “Stop it, Fran. This won’t change a thing. You have to fight your insecurities. I need you right now, more than you realise,” Avianna’s voice cut through, and I breathed in.

  “I can’t. I don’t know how. Please shut me out of your mind. This is ugly, and I don’t want you to feel my pain,” I shouted in my head.

  “Too late, I have already sensed it. We both know that you’re a badass. You’re brave and wonderful,” she kept telling me, but I was shaking my head.

  “No, I’m not. Please, you don’t understand. This fear inside me is eating me away. I have to hurt to let it go.”

  “I think I might hatch out soon. I can feel it and I need you right now, more than ever. Please, Fran.”

  Her words shook me to the core. I shut my eyes and stopped harming myself. My whole body was trembling. I took a deep breath, arching my head backwards, waiting for the oxygen to clear my mind. My anxiety began to fade away. She was right. Avianna needed me more than ever and I couldn’t let her down.

  18

  Forgotten promise.

  “Humans might not understand magic, but they definitely know how to have a good time,” Aly said when I finally gained the courage to stroll downstairs later on in the afternoon. I wore a long sleeve top and felt really embarrassed. I must have had a nightmare, but I could hardly remember anything. I had never lost control like that before.

  “I’m always up for a party, so what are we talking about here?” Nicolas asked, switching the channels on the TV. His wound was completely healed now, and I had a feeling that Avianna had sped up the process. She didn’t bring up the incident from last night and I was thankful. She most likely figured out that I didn’t want to talk about it. I wished that I could conquer my fears, do something so that this wouldn’t happen again.

  Aly smiled and handed me a cup of coffee. She must have sensed that I would be heading home soon.

  In the beginning, I was ready to toss everything aside, but this world was filled with so many different possibilities. The humans adapted and were living happily without magic.

  “I was just saying to Fran that humans, especially the youngsters know how to have fun. I can take you both to the theatre, cinema… Let me think, maybe even to a club. There are a lot of options,” she suggested, and I had to smile.

  “To be honest, I would avoid the club,” Nicolas muttered and then winked at me. Obviously, he must still be having nightmares about the vampire who attacked him a few days ago.

  “I understand that you want to make me happy, but today, Harvey is going to show me the way back home. I have a feeling that Avianna might hatch out soon, and I’m really worried about her. It’s too risky for both of us to stay here,” I said, staring at the two of them.

  Aly didn’t seem offended. She placed her warm hand on my shoulder and said,

  “Don’t feel bad about it, Fran. She’s important to you.”

  The silence stretched for some time. Despite what she said, I still felt a little guilty. She was incredible, and I thought that if I ever got another opportunity, that I would return here just to see her again.

  Aly made breakfast, and I was chewing on a piece of toast, thinking about Idris. Warmth infused my cheeks. There was a strong possibility that we were going to see each other again soon. Nicolas was starting his first shift in the factory today, and he seemed excited.

  She hugged me for a long time, telling me that it was a pleasure for her to have me in her home. I didn’t like goodbyes, and this was painfully hard. My chest felt tight, because deep down, I wasn’t ready to leave just yet. Tears were forcing their way into my eyes. We spent the rest of the morning laughing and talking. Aly kept making her favourite tea. I promised her that if there was a way, then I would come back to visit.

  “It’s going to be strange here without you, sugar,” Nicolas told me when we were walking towards the paper factory later on in the afternoon. Aly cried a little when we were leaving, and my heart was hurting. Even Avianna was a little sad.

  I lifted my eyes to meet his and my stomach knotted even more. I considered Nicolas a friend and a decent man.

  “Just take care of her. I don’t think she likes being on her own. She is a tough cookie, but having us around made her feel important again,” I said.

  “You’re right. Aly is amazing,” he admitted. “And if you would have stayed, then I’d take you out.”

  “Out?”

  “On a date, Fran, because we both know that there is a spark between us. Life in Draconia must have been hard for you. You dated that douche—”

  “Okay, I get it, yes, but I wasn’t working all the time. Me and my friend, Dara, we—”

  I couldn’t finish the sentence and I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I had to talk about her, talk about things that we had done together. She was gone, but I needed to remember that she was important to me.

  “Tell me about her,” he requested and I decided that it was time. We still had at least half an hour’s walk before we reached the factory. I started telling him about all the things that we used to do together. I wanted him to understand that Dara had an amazing soul. She was bubbly, kind and generous. I told him about our friendship, our first meeting and about everything that we had gone through. Maybe in the past I was afraid that I might forget her, but this was impossible. To me, Dara was still here, with me, watching over me, and I wanted her to keep pushing me to do good.

  “It sounds like she was your soulmate. I wish that I had a friend like that,” he admitted.

  Five minutes later, we approached the factory gates and my heart rate picked up. It started drizzling and there was no one outside this time of the day. After the last time, I really didn’t want to bump into Victor again.

  The receptionist smiled at Nicolas as soon as we entered. He stayed behind to flirt with her while I headed upstairs to see the warlock. I was nervous for some reason and I kept thinking about Idris. That necklace meant too much to Harvey. He couldn’t have been the one who sold me out. Maybe he had a rat amongst his ranks. Either way, I needed to tell him about Idris.

  “Aaah, Miss Turou. I was wondering when you were going to show up,” he said, when I walked into his office. Today he was wearing a grey suit and I sensed his magic softly drifting around.

  “You look surprised to see me. I wonder why. Hmmm… maybe you were hoping that someone might have taken me out last night,” I said, attempting to gauge his reaction.

  Maybe I was being paranoid, but so many things had gone wrong lately. I had no idea if Harvey was doing any kind of business with the Dark Ones. They weren’t as powerful in this world as they were in Draconia.

&nbs
p; He stared at me for a very long moment, frowning.

  “What the hell happened there? Did you get the necklace for me or not? I told you before, I don’t like my time being wasted,” he snapped.

  “A Dark One was there, waiting for me. He knew that I would be there, so someone must have talked,” I said, cutting to the chase.

  “I see,” he said simply, and his expression was neutral. My heart skipped a beat, because I really had no idea what to expect. “I could kill you for such a bold accusation, but I won’t. Because there is something about you, Miss Turou, something that tells me I would be making a huge mistake.”

  “His name was Idris and he was sent by his father, the leader of the council,” I explained, and my voice vibrated a little. I just didn’t want to show him that I was scared.

  “I hate to disappoint you, Miss Turou, but it wasn’t me. I need to have that necklace in my possession and you claimed that you were the best. I have no idea how he knew that you would be there last night. My men are loyal, and not many people knew about my plans,” he said, smoothing his beard.

  He wasn’t lying, and in a way, he was right.

  I took the necklace out of my pocket and placed it on the desk. My head was throbbing a little and I wanted to get this over with. Now. He was obligated to fulfill the terms of our agreement. A giant smile spread over his face and his eyes shimmered with warmth. I didn’t really understand why he wanted the amber necklace so badly. To me, it was just a piece of jewelry. It didn’t manifest any kind of power, but maybe Harvey needed it for something else.

  “Outstanding, I truly have no words, Miss Turou. I never thought that you would succeed,” he said, and I felt a little offended.

  “It wasn’t very difficult, and I told you that I was one of the best thieves in Draconia. The Dark One disabled all the wards; he had it in his hand when I showed up,” I explained. Harvey kept staring at it for a very long time and I had a feeling that he wasn’t listening to me. He finally put the necklace inside a white box and then took a pile of notes from the drawer.