Hatched (Draconia World Book 1)

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  His eye colour deepened again and he shook his head, like he changed his mind.

  “Nothing, it doesn’t matter. Let’s just say that me and my father are very different. He lied about the dragons and a lot of other things. All my life, I’ve been hearing about these stories, but I always dismissed them. Zuzanna didn’t believe me when I told her that we created Dragon Fever. She believes that wardens are dying because they deserve it, that the story about the eggs is made up.”

  Of course, she was too brainwashed to believe in anything other than what her father told her, and Idris wasn’t going to convince her otherwise. She needed to see it for herself, but I didn’t have time to worry about her now.

  There were obviously many Dark Ones around, and they couldn’t control wardens. I had to find a way to get to the other eggs, but right now, Avianna was my top priority. I couldn’t let her hatch out in this world. She needed magic to survive and her life depended on me.

  23

  Trust issues.

  Idris revealed that he only started working in the office—the Dark Ones council where I was held—a few months ago after his mother passed away. Avianna wanted me to ask him about her, but I thought it was unfair to press him on the issue. It was obviously a sensitive subject and we didn’t know each other very well.

  My story was different, and in a way, I wasn’t ready to tell him that my own family gave me away because they were told that I had no magic inside me. I was a little embarrassed about my past.

  “Why aren’t you going to turn me in? Your father wants to take me back to Draconia, to make sure that I won’t talk,” I said, wondering if I could take him down with my magic, but then I thought about Victor.

  Idris had taken care of him for me, and that instantly made me feel better. Besides, he just admitted that he was on my side.

  It was hard to stay focused around him, hard to ignore the faint throbbing between my legs. It was driving me crazy and reminding me of the fact that I needed to let go of my insecurities.

  He frowned, and then moved his eyes to my lips.

  “I don’t agree with the way he does things, little one, and I want to stick around to see the dragon when she hatches out,” he said. “Besides, let’s face it, you want to stay close to me too.”

  He was reading my mind, and more heat infused my cheeks.

  “She can’t hatch in this world. She needs magic to survive and I’m her host. She made a connection with me when I stole her from that house in Draconia. And right now, I really have to go,” I said, and I instantly wanted to bite my lip.

  Why did I always have to say what was on my mind? Idris didn’t know about my past, and I just told him that I was a thief.

  “You stole her?”

  I shouldn’t have felt embarrassed. I didn’t need to impress him, because this was who I was—a thief who had to fight to stay alive.

  “My friend was dying, she was infected with Dragon Fever and I was trying to save her. Right before she passed away, I snuck inside a residence when I was trying to avoid the Dark Ones. I overheard this couple. The warden was talking about the dragon egg he was hiding it in the attic. He was convinced that it was the cure. After my friend died, I decided to steal it anyway.”

  It was fine. Idris was making me feel in control again, so I pushed any anxious feelings away. Dara was buried in the ground and I had to get myself together. If I wanted to make them pay for what they were doing to my kind, then I had to kick myself into action.

  “Tell me about your world, about Draconia. My father’s taken my sister there, but I never had a chance to go. He didn’t believe that I was ready,” he said, staring at the egg.

  “It’s a world filled with magic, although other wardens aren’t allowed to travel to the other cities in the Lower World. Apparently, the air there is toxic or something. I don’t really know, but I suspect it’s just another lie. The wardens are divided by a three-class system. The wardens from the lower class barely have any magic and we aren’t able to find suitable jobs, but somehow, we get by. There is a medium and upper class too. These wardens have more magic, and they think that they are better than those of us from the cemetery—the lowest class. The crime rate is high and the Dark Ones rule over us. You can sense the magic there and almost see it, not like here. I was born there and it’s where I belong,” I explained, thinking about all the happy times with Dara at my side.

  I couldn’t complain; my life was hard, but I made the most of it.

  Idris was staring at me, seeming a little confused. He didn’t understand, and he didn’t have to. He was from this world, and maybe one day, I could show him how life was on the other side. Right now, I needed to focus on going back.

  The silence stretched for some time.

  “There is another way, another crack, that may allow you to return. It only appears during the full moon, and according to my phone, that’s going to be tomorrow,” he said, taking the small device from his pocket, and scrolling his fingers over the screen.

  I sat up, thinking that this seemed too good to be true.

  “Take me there. The egg is growing, and she hasn’t got much time. This will happen sooner rather than later, and we can’t afford to risk losing her,” I said with determination in my voice.

  The butterflies were back, and I couldn’t believe that he was still willing to help me. Maybe he was aware of our magic, aware that he couldn’t stay away from me.

  “Fine, but I have to ask—are you absolutely certain that you want to return to Draconia?”

  “Of course. I have never been more certain in my life. And you can come with me. Let’s face it, you don’t belong in this world,” I said.

  I didn’t even know where this was coming from. He was still one of them and I wanted to drag him back to Draconia with me.

  He smiled, and that joyful look on his face instantly brightened my soul.

  “Don’t worry about me, little one. It’s a tempting offer, but we both know that right now, it’s impossible. I will take you back to the human in case my sister decides to change her mind. She is very loyal to me, but she believes our father. She adores him.”

  I nodded, thinking about tomorrow. I couldn’t wait to see Aly and Nicolas again. The Dark Ones were probably controlling the cracks in the tunnels, so there was no way that I could move past them again.

  Idris was one of them, but I had to trust him. He wanted Avianna to survive as much as I did.

  “All right, we have a deal,” I said, smiling at him. He stood and walked to the hall.

  I grabbed the backpack and slung it over my shoulder. The apartment was on the eighteenth floor, so earlier I hadn’t been too far off.

  We went outside, and Idris didn’t even bother to lock the door. Moments later, the lift arrived, and we went inside.

  I kept breathing steadily; being stuck with him in that small space was torture. I wanted to touch him, but I told myself that this would end badly for both of us. I was leaving, and he couldn’t come with me. We were just too different to consider leaving our worlds for one another.

  The lift took us down to the underground car park and he walked me to his vehicle. He unlocked the car and I stood beside it for a second, admiring its beauty. It was black and shiny.

  “It’s an Audi, and I know that this won’t tell you anything, but I can assure you, my baby is very safe,” he told me.

  He opened the door and I slid inside. My elbow brushed over his arm, and static electricity crackled between us. The images from earlier on were flashing in front of my eyes. It was suddenly too hot inside this elegant vehicle, and a fine sheet of sweat appeared on my brow. He pressed his large fingers over the wheel and glanced at me. I caught the smell of his cologne, and shifted in my seat. I just knew that this ride was going to be long and uncomfortable.

  “You call this thing a baby? In Draconia we only have steam bikes, nothing like this,” I told him, trying to break the tension between us. He looked a little surprised.

 
“Interesting, and yes, she is my baby.”

  I smiled a little, but didn’t say anything else.

  Technology in the Lower World was replaced by magic. There was public transport, but most wardens couldn’t afford to use it.

  I was nervous when we were driving through the city, a little anxious about seeing Aly and Nicolas. Idris was silent for most of the ride there. The Dark Ones forced me into a smaller vehicle when they found me in the tunnels, but right now, I was enjoying being driven around the city. Even Avianna admitted that she liked being inside the car too. There was so much going on in the streets, so I managed to forget about the tension between us, glancing at the human world that kept changing all the around me. I gave him the name of the street where Aly lived and then he nodded, instantly knowing where he needed to go.

  An hour later, he slowed down and I quickly pointed toward the house.

  “It’s this house, I remember it now,” I said, jumping in my seat. I had said my goodbyes to Aly and Nicolas and I had no idea how they were going to react once they saw me again.

  It was only yesterday, but so much had happened since then. My life turned completely upside down.

  He rested his hands on the wheel and stared into my eyes when he switched off the engine. I just couldn’t understand what was happening to me when he was around. Idris was making me forget about things that were important. Awkward silence stretched between us and I didn’t know what to do or say. It seemed that saying goodbye was inappropriate.

  “Thank you for saving me,” I finally said.

  “Aren’t you going to invite me in?” he asked, surprised.

  “You want to come inside, meet Aly and Nicolas?” I asked, a little shocked.

  “Yes, you’re going to leave them again tomorrow night, and I don’t want to go back to the office just yet,” he explained. I scratched my head, wondering if this was such a good idea. I wanted to protect them, but he had proved to me several times that I could trust him.

  “Fine, come on in,” I said, and his eyes flickered with mischief. He opened the door and I followed him. My stomach was tied in knots, and my heartbeat was unsteady. I hoped that Aly was going to be all right.

  After all, I was supposed to be back in Draconia by now, not standing at her front door. I decided to knock first. The door opened a minute later, and warmth spread down my back. Idris was standing behind me.

  “Fran, is that you? Oh, my dear lord, I thought that something bad happened to you,” Aly shouted, suddenly embracing me in a tight hug. She was practically strangling me to death, but eventually she noticed Idris, because she let me go. “I see that you’re not alone. Come on in, both of you. Nicolas and I were very worried about you.”

  “This is Idris,” I quickly introduced them. “And yes, a lot has happened since the last time we saw each other. It’s a very long story actually.”

  Aly led us to her kitchen and told us both to sit down.

  “Oh, well, nice to meet you, dear. I’m making tea and just made a batch of delicious biscuits,” she sang and smiled at the Dark One who looked intrigued. The shock of seeing me must have worn off quickly, so I started telling her everything that happened.

  Apparently, Nicolas was sleeping. He worked the night shift last night, and Aly explained that he was only just now getting used to being up all night.

  I started going over everything that went on since I left Nicolas. Aly widened her eyes, and gasped a few times when I mentioned Victor. Idris was listening in and of course, I skipped the part where we both lost control outside the attic.

  “Well, so you’re still leaving? That’s too bad, because I really did miss you, darling,” she said. “I really hoped that you could stay for a bit longer.”

  I was a little emotional, but I didn’t want to cry in front of Idris. Aly had done so much for me, and I hated that I had to say goodbye to her again.

  “What is that racket? I thought that for a—”

  Nicolas stopped talking when he saw me in the kitchen. He still looked pretty much half asleep and as usual, he didn’t have his shirt on. Seconds later, he noticed Idris and his jaw tensed instantly. Magic charged the room and every small hair along the back of my neck shot up. Idris jumped off the chair, and Aly screamed when she saw that Nicolas was balancing a magic ball of light in his hand.

  “Dark One. I can smell you from here. Fran, get away from him!” he shouted at me.

  “Don’t be stupid, Nicolas. Calm down. Idris isn’t going to hurt us. He was the one who saved me,” I said, standing between them. Tension poured into my muscles as I picked up my step, trying to defuse the situation. Nicolas didn’t drop his magic, and anger bubbled across his features.

  “No, Fran. I think you’ve lost your mind. We can’t trust him. His magic is vicious,” Nicolas whispered.

  “I can show you how deadly I can truly be in a second, mate. I don’t like being threatened,” Idris snarled behind me.

  “Right, both of you stop or I swear that I’ll do something that both of you will regret later. Nicolas, I mean it,” I shouted, thinking that they were just being silly. Finally, the warden looked at me and he must have noticed the anger in my eyes, because his magic descended. I smoothed my hair and exhaled with relief.

  “Idris, this is Nicolas. We arrived in London together. He is the warden that fell through the crack too,” I explained, but I already knew that the two of them instantly disliked each other.

  24

  The way back.

  “Just sit down so I can explain everything properly,” I snapped, annoyed. The two of them were staring at each other in dead silence. Tension tightened Idris’s frame, but he eventually sat back down. Nicolas stood in the same spot, still glaring at the stranger.

  Aly gave him a sharp look, and he finally snapped out of it and flopped down on the seat next to me a moment later. He folded his arms around his bare chest, not taking his eyes off Idris. I exhaled with relief, biting my lip.

  This seriously just wasn’t going well.

  “Fran, why don’t you explain to Nicolas what happened,” Aly suggested and I was glad that she had finally spoken up, breaking the silence.

  I went over everything that happened again, but this time I was done in no time because no one interrupted me. The tension in the room and a bit of frustration settled over the kitchen like a well-worn throw.

  “Those two want you. Oh my… they are going to fight.”

  “Shhh, be quiet,” I told her.

  “I knew that scum couldn’t be trusted. Harvey wouldn’t tell me if you went through the crack. Apparently, Victor didn’t show up to work,” Nicolas said, shaking his head.

  “Yeah, I forgot to ask you exactly what you did to Victor. I hope you didn’t kill him,” I said to Idris.

  I hated Victor, but now that I had time to cool down, even though I hoped that he would stay away from me forever, I didn’t want him dead.

  “I took all his clothes and left him standing outside his house, without his voice too,” Idris said, and Aly gasped, staring at him horrified. I heard about this kind of spell, and in a way, I was glad. Victor was probably too embarrassed to come back. Besides, if Harvey knew what happened, he would have fired him on the spot. Idris took his voice, and I didn’t think he could get it back in a world where there was no magic unless he begged the warlock, but I doubted that would happen. It was a fitting punishment.

  “We don’t need to worry about him. I have Avianna with me now, and Idris knows where another crack will appear. He’s going to take me there tomorrow,” I explained, knowing that this may cause a bit of a stir.

  As I suspected, Nicolas frowned, looking at me like I had lost my mind.

  “I don’t know, Fran, this guy just showed up out of nowhere and you believe him. Have you forgotten that he’s a Dark One?” Nicolas asked, and Idris shifted in his chair. Maybe I shouldn’t have invited him inside.

  Nicolas clearly had a problem with Idris.

  “He’s just jealous, Fran
. I can sense it. He thinks that you’re going to run away with Idris.”

  I didn’t want to believe her, but Nicolas looked really angry right now.

  “I risked my career and my life to get Fran out of that hearing. The Dark Ones are controlling most of the cracks in the city, but this one is different. It’s unstable and it only appears during a full moon. No one is going to be guarding it late at night,” Idris explained, glaring at Nicolas, almost daring him to challenge him.

  The warden was shaking his head, and Aly seemed confused.

  “It’s a done deal, Nicolas. I’m going to walk Idris back to the car and give you some time to cool down. He’s going to come back for me tomorrow,” I said, ready to end this meeting. I stood up, tossing my hair behind me.

  Aly fussed around our guest for a bit more, offering him cakes and more tea. Idris declined, while I asked Nicolas to take Avianna upstairs. I had no doubt that he was going to voice his opinion later, but for now, I just wanted Idris to get out of Nicolas’s sight.

  Once we were outside the house, and the door was closed, I exhaled sharply, inhaling more oxygen into my lungs.

  “That warden, he’s got a problem with me, and a thing for you,” Idris told me, when he unlocked his car.

  I shook my head, thinking that he was out of his mind.

  “A thing? No, we are just friends and he is sensitive when it comes to Dark Ones,” I told him, feeling uncomfortable talking about this.

  “Trust me, little one, I know these things. He’s got it bad for you, but he’s not going to get you. We both know that you belong to me,” he added, in a serious tone of voice, staring at me intensely. I wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but he was already walking toward the car, so I let it go. He cranked the engine and then one of the windows rolled down. “I’ll be here at eleven tomorrow night. Just be ready.”

  And then he was gone, and my heart ached in my chest. I returned to the house, trying to prepare for Nicolas’s rant. I couldn’t risk staying here, and I suspected that Harvey wouldn’t help me again unless I accepted another job. There just wasn’t enough time for that.