The vampires in the group started laughing. All but Cassandra and Reiko.
“Enough of this,” she said. “Explain what has happened.”
She walked right up to Cheryl’s face and bore her teeth. “Since I am the leader here, you will answer to me. Or I will have you strung up so high that by this time tomorrow night there’ll be nothing left of you but a rotting shell.”
“Okay, okay,” Reiko said walking over. “Just calm down alright.”
He put a hand on her shoulder.
She shook it away. “I need your support here,” she hissed at him. “Don’t go against me.”
He lowered his eyes, defeated.
“Honestly, I can’t tell you much of anything,” Cheryl said. “But I’m willing to help you track the dragons down if you need me to.”
“Does Synrith know you’re a vampire?” Reiko asked.
“Of course he knows,” Cassandra snapped. “Jet will have bloody told him, won’t he? Her cover is blown.”
“I have a connection with Synrith,” Cheryl said. “He will want to see it for himself.”
Now everyone laughed. Including Cassandra, Reiko, Rafe. Everyone.
Rafe walked over. “That’s very funny,” he said. “Synrith caring about someone.”
Cheryl was now a little more than uncomfortable.
“Trust me,” she asserted. “I can draw him out.”
Rafe waved his hand. “We’ll need to come up with something better than that. It’s far too obvious.”
“I’m still not convinced she’s telling the whole truth,” Cassandra said. “She’s hiding something.”
Sophie pressed her nose into Cheryl’s side.
A tingling feeling ran over her spine.
“I know that smell,” Sophie whispered.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Before Sophie could explain further, the group’s attention was distracted by the sound of motorbikes heading in their direction from both sides of the beach.
“What the hell is this?” Reiko demanded, grabbing Rafe’s shirt.
“Relax,” Rafe said. “It’s just for my protection.”
“What game are you playing here?” Reiko said, releasing him.
“Look there is a plan that we’ll undertake, but we’re going to have to do it my way.”
The bikes stopped short of the group by about fifteen meters to either side. Judging by the numbers, Cheryl guessed there might have been fifty riders in total.
“You don’t need protection,” Reiko spluttered. “From who do you –”
“I want to know what she was going to say,” Cassandra piped up.
“Who?” Reiko asked.
“Sophie. She smelled something on Cheryl’s dress.”
Sophie looked at Cheryl from the corner of her eyes. “I didn’t smell anything.”
Cheryl’s mouth almost dropped in surprise.
“You didn’t?” Cassandra repeated. “You’re sure?”
“I just like the smell of her dress.”
“Alright, enough of this,” Reiko said, cutting in. “I don’t care what her dress smells like. Now can you, Rafe, please explain what the fuck is happening here?”
“Of course,” Rafe said, motioning to the cave. “We’ll talk in there.”
Cassandra and Reiko started rounding the other vampires to head in that way. Then they turned and saw Rafe hadn’t moved.
“I want to talk to Sophie and Cheryl first. Then they’ll wait out here for us.”
Both of them frowned.
“Please,” Rafe said. “You’ll have to trust me on this.”
“Fine,” Cassandra snorted. “Don’t take forever.”
She grabbed Reiko’s arm and led him into the cave.
Rafe stood back from Sophie and Cheryl.
Cheryl looked to her sister. “Do you know what he wants with us out here?”
Sophie nodded. “You just pay attention.”
“Attention? To what?”
Rafe smiled and put his hands in his pockets. “You’re so lucky I’m as fond of Sophie as I am,” he said. “She’s really looking out for you.”
“She is?”
“Of course.”
Silence.
Rafe looked up at the sky a moment. Then back down on the ground.
Suddenly a panic rose within Cheryl.
Had they known all along that Synrith had taken her here? Was this whole plan a set up to draw him out?
Behind her, she heard the ever familiar sound of a dragon’s wings ripping up the ground. But when she turned, she saw to her surprise it wasn’t Synrith.
It was Jet.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
As Jet’s wings flapped in the ocean, the water sprayed across striking both Cheryl and Sophie as they attempted to shield themselves. He then shifted into his human form and marched forward to confront Rafe.
“Do you have the package?” Rafe asked him.
Jet handed him a small wooden case. Rafe opened it and removed a golden dagger.
“Very good,” Rafe said. Then he nodded to the cave’s entrance. “They’re in there.”
Jet turned and gave the girls a stern expression. “Better stand back.”
Cheryl and Sophie quickly backed away whilst Jet morphed into his dragon again. He put his mouth to the cave and a stream of blue fire roared through the cave.
The vampires’s horrified screams could be heard within, and they did not cease quickly.
Cheryl looked at her sister for some kind of explanation as to why this had occurred, or why she had allowed it to.
Sophie gave away nothing.
She seemed completely removed from what was happening.
And perhaps, that was reason enough.
CHAPTER TWENTY
After about seven minutes, Jet’s dragon appeared satisfied that the vampires were dead, and he morphed back into his human form. He approached Rafe and the girls with a bold look of treacherous triumph.
Cheryl could hardly look him in the eyes.
“I didn’t know what to make of the phone call,” Rafe mused. “But you truly have proven yourself.”
Jet extended his hand.
Rafe shook it.
“These miserable vampires are the scum of the earth,” Jet declared. “When I saw Synrith had betrayed me for this one, I could hardly wait to get my revenge.”
“Well you can’t harm Cheryl,” Rafe said. “It’s against the agreement I made with my friend here.”
Jet nodded. “As long as she’s your responsibility, I don’t care what happens to her.”
“I’m sorry,” Cheryl interrupted. “Are you talking about me?”
Rafe shot her a glance. “One moment please.”
Cheryl shook her head in confusion.
“Let’s go over the terms again,” Rafe said to Jet.
“You agreed that I would take control of Synrith’s castle.”
“Correct.”
“You agreed to an alliance between wolves and dragons with me as dragon master.”
“Correct.”
“In exchange I will make sure no more harm comes to wolves on behalf of dragons in this city. Now that you have the dagger, you can duplicate it, and ultimately every wolf will stand equal to a dragon in combat.”
“But we rule the land,” Rafe said. “Your clan will answer to me from now on.”
Jet nodded. “Agreed.”
“How do we deal with Synrith?”
“He’s around here somewhere,” Jet said. “He’s using Cheryl as a spy. Or at least he thinks he is. When he sees that I have sided with the wolves, and that I have control of his castle, he will flee this city to save his own hide.”
“And he won’t come after her then?”
Jet stared into Cheryl’s eyes. “She means nothing to Synrith. All he cares about is his rule and no one else.”
“You are sure?”
“Oh, I’m positive.”
Cheryl’s face fell, distraught. She knew Jet believed wha
t he was saying was true.
“Then I am satisfied with your terms, Master Jet,” Rafe said. “Let’s shake again.”
They shook.
Rafe then turned and nodded to Sophie.
“You belong to him now.”
“What?” Sophie cried. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I haven’t lied to you, and I’ll always respect what we had,” Rafe said. “But this is business. He needs a mate.”
“Then he can take Cheryl!” Sophie pouted. “I belong to you.”
Rafe shook his head. “He doesn’t like Cheryl anymore.”
“Come,” Jet said, extending his hand to Sophie.
Rafe put his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. He will make you happy.”
Sophie’s cold look of self assurance had crumbled. She was becoming increasingly enraged.
“Son of a bitch,” she whispered. “Son of a bitch.”
She turned to Cheryl, tears falling from her eyes. “Help me.”
Cheryl opened her mouth. She felt tears rising within her. “I don’t know how…”
Sophie grabbed Cheryl’s arm. “You are strong. Fight them for me.”
Cheryl’s arm fell away. “This was your doing. I’m so sorry.”
“Bitch,” Sophie snapped at her. “Fucking stuck up spoilt –”
“Alright, that’s enough,” Jet said putting his arm around her. “Let’s go.”
He dragged Sophie away kicking and screaming. Cheryl couldn’t look at it anymore.
Then Rafe held her gaze.
“What happens to me?” she asked him.
His head tilted from one side to the other. “I don’t know if I like you yet.”
“What happens if you like me?”
“We’ll just have to see what happens,” he said. “But we will fuck. And lie together. And you will tell me everything you know about Synrith.”
“Is it true there is a cure?” Cheryl asked him in a quiet voice. “For vampirism?”
“If there is you’ll never get it from me,” he said.
“Not even if I –”
“If you what?”
Cheryl bowed her head. “Nothing.”
The wings were blowing through the wind again. Sophie was trapped on Jet’s back and riding high up into the sky.
Rafe moved on to his motorcycle. “Come here,” he said.
He picked up Cassandra’s discarded helmet and put it on her. Then he lifted her up and placed her on the back of his bike.
As Rafe moved round to the side of his bike, Cheryl’s gaze drifted back up to the sky.
But not searching for Jet and Sophie.
She was searching for Synrith.
“He’s not coming,” Rafe said, putting on his helmet. “I’m your man now. So get used to it.”
Cheryl pulled her eyes away from the sky. She swallowed hard.
Rafe signaled to his wolves. “FOLLOW,” his command boomed across the open beach.
He then got on the bike and revved the engine a few times.
Swoosh.
Swoosh, swoosh.
Rafe looked over his shoulder. “I don’t fucking believe it.”
Synrith’s giant green dragon was descending rapidly towards them from the sky.
“All for little you,” Rafe muttered at Cheryl. “Well, he’s not fucking having you. YOU’RE MINE.”
Rafe gunned the bike into full gear, and sped off down the beach with his hoard of wolves following in support.
Synrith’s dragon followed also.
Cheryl’s heart leapt for joy.
PART FOUR
CHAPTER ONE
What lies inside his heart? How did the world appear through his eyes?
What did she really mean to him?
It was a rare moment when Synrith shared his truth with anyone. But opinions had been formed. His reputation was one of being an evil, scheming predator who had no love for anyone. And most importantly, no weaknesses.
Apart from one golden dagger tucked away inside a small box in Rafe’s jacket. The wolves of tonight – Rafe and the others – perhaps he could still make them believe this was what he was after.
And not the girl. Never the girl.
For a blade cursed with magic that could cut through a dragon’s skin, and eat the flesh underneath – that could poison one’s blood and set it on fire – that was something there’d be no shame to fear.
But if it was just the girl.
That loving, sweet, precious girl…
Then the days of his dragon being feared and respected were over.
It was time for the ring of fire. Synrith could see Rafe was getting ready to ascend up the next opening from the beach to the road, and he was just that little bit far ahead from the rest of his pack on their bikes, that he was going to be separated from them.
Synrith opened his mouth and began to spit the fire.
As Rafe passed through the embankment, the green flames hit the beach barricading the rest of his pack from following him upward. Synrith moved ahead of Rafe as he moved to the road, and blew fire directly into his path. Rafe hit the brakes so hard the bike swerved to one side producing a dark skid on the road. Then Synrith blew fire in the other direction of the road, and quickly joined the rest of the circle together.
He descended into the middle of it, and shifted into his human form.
Rafe killed the bike’s engine and stepped off of it.
Cheryl did likewise.
Synrith stood his ground, staring out at Rafe intently while the latter unzipped his jacket and removed the box.
“No one wants you here,” Rafe muttered.
“I beg your pardon?” Synrith replied.
“I said, ‘No one wants you here!’”
Behind him, Synrith could hear the revving of engines, circling the edges of the fire. But his flames weren’t about to go out.
Never.
Ever.
“Even if you can get that box open in time,” Synrith began, “you know you’re going to get hurt when I come at you. You might even get killed.”
Rafe bore his teeth at him. He growled his wolf’s growl.
“Control your emotions,” Synrith continued. “Think clearly. Do you want to die here? Or do you want to make a deal?”
“A deal?” Rafe said under his breath. “What deal?”
“You can keep that dagger. You can replicate it. Let Jet run the dragons and you run him. I will leave the city. I won’t fight you.”
“But you just want the girl?” Rafe sneered.
“I want her,” Synrith said. “But I want something else as well.”
“What?”
“I want the cure for vampirism.”
Rafe appeared flustered at first. Then he laughed. “The cure for –”
“Don’t play games with me,” Synrith scolded. “We all know you had yours cured.”
“There is no cure!” Rafe barked at him. “You’re … out of your depth. You don’t know a thing.”
Synrith held up his hand in a show of peace. “May I approach?”
Rafe’s face scrunched up a moment. Then he set the box on the ground. He started walking towards Synrith and they met each other halfway.
“I know about your past in the Purple Blood vampire sect. I know that you have crossed from one side to the other.”
Rafe shook his head. “I’m afraid you are mistaken. It wasn’t me you’re thinking of.”
“It’s true, you have somehow clouded people’s memories,” Synrith said. “Great sorcery is behind you no doubt. But I still see through it. I do not forget things so easily.”
Rafe beckoned him closer.
Synrith leaned forward.
“It’s true there is a cure for vampirism,” Rafe whispered to him. “But it’s a cure for all things.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
“Don’t you…?”
Suddenly there was an enormous plunge of agony at Synrith’s side. He looked down and saw th
at the gold dagger had been firmly planted in his stomach.
CHAPTER TWO
Cheryl didn’t see it at first. Synrith and Rafe were hunched close together and appeared to be whispering to one another. For a moment, she took her eyes away. She looked out into the dark recesses of the road, and then in her peripherals, she saw the fire change color. From green it went to yellow to gold. A gust of wind swept through it and Cheryl saw the lid of the wooden box on the ground fly back. The box was empty.
Rafe stepped away from Synrith. In Rafe’s hand he clutched the gold dagger tightly, and blood dripped from the blade’s edge as he walked back to the bike.
Synrith had fallen to his knees.
In panic, Cheryl ran towards him, dodging Rafe’s attempt to block her. She fell to the ground with him as he rolled over, his eyes glazed.
“Cheryl,” Synrith croaked.
“I’m here,” Cheryl said clutching his hand.
“Find the cure,” he managed. “Find it and you will bring me –”
Synrith’s hand leapt with a wave of scorching heat, causing Cheryl to cry out and drop it.
Before she could reach for him again, his entire body burst into flames.
“No!” Cheryl shrieked. “No, no, no –”
“That’s enough,” Rafe said pulling her back. “It’s done.”
“You bastard!” Cheryl wailed and scratched at Rafe’s face. He went to hold her in place, but Cheryl’s feet pounded into his legs with tremendous force.
Rafe cried out in agony as his knees buckled and Cheryl stooped over him, her fangs protruding. She grabbed for his neck as he did his best to wrestle with her.
The ring of fire was dying down.
Soon the rest of the pack had the pair surrounded, and Rafe was lucky they came when they did.
It didn’t take one wolf to keep Cheryl from tearing his throat out. It didn’t take two, or three, or four.
The hands of seven wolves were on Cheryl when they managed to rip her from Rafe’s chest.
Her skin was the color of snow, and her eyes the color of blood.
If she had seen a reflection of herself then, she would have screamed.
CHAPTER THREE
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