by Trudi Jaye
Glancing at Seth, I try to think. I won’t let us die because of me. “They’ve all got extra power from the spell web. They’re too strong,” I say.
Seth’s face hardens. “Then we just have to figure something else out. We need to turn this situation on its head, do something they wouldn’t expect. I think we should go back through the tunnels and take on the men following us. We’ll have better odds.”
Turn this situation in its head? My brain snags on his words. It sounds like something Jeff would say. Again.
If they’re taking power from the spell web, they would have to be more connected to it than most supernaturals. I’ve been manipulating the spell web for a long time now; I have a few tricks up my sleeve. “I... I think I’m going to try something else first,” I say. “I might just be able to get us out of this, but I’m not sure it’s going to work. So...”
“Be ready for anything?”
“Yes. That.” I give him a half smile. If I can manipulate the direction of the lightning and push the electricity back onto the guards, their stronger connection might actually mean they’ll be knocked out. It sounds crazy, but crazy is all I have to work with right now.
Looking down at the spell web as it surrounds me, I concentrate on becoming part of it, of melding my power into its steady heartbeat. It’s like becoming part of nature, of everything around us. I focus on building up an excess of energy, creating a layer of magic strong enough to block the electricity and knock it back into the guards. It’s our only hope of getting anywhere near the helicopter.
Soon I feel the sizzling magic spitting and hissing inside me. “Wish me luck,” I say.
“Luck.”
I push it out in one giant burst, aiming along all angles of the spell web. Time seems to stand still, and I hold my breath, waiting to see what happens. The lines light up so bright I almost can’t see them. A tidal wave of power is hurtling along the grids. I’m half-expecting the energy to come back and hit me like a ton of bricks.
The energy hits the first man. He groans, then collapses. One after the other in quick succession, like pins at a bowling alley, the men waiting to kill us are knocked out.
I’m still for a moment, kind of surprised. Then I let out a breath.
Seth stands up. “It worked. Let’s go.” He grabs my hand and we race across the field to the helicopter.
My heart is pumping hard, and I’m watching the men, waiting for one of them to sit up and hold a gun on us, yelling, “Fooled you!”
Not one of them moves.
“What did you do to them?” Seth glances around as we run.
“I electrocuted them a little bit. They’re not dead.” I don’t think. I cross the fingers on my other hand.
We reach the helicopter, and I’m about to pull open the door, when a figure steps around the side. He’s of medium height, stocky, with piercing brown eyes and tightly trimmed grey hair. He holds himself like he knows how to fight, and I can tell he’d be a difficult opponent if it came to that. “Stop right there,” he says. He’s aiming a nasty-looking handgun at my heart.
I go automatically into a fighting stance. Beside me, I feel Seth tense up.
“There’s no point fighting. This gun will win out every time.”
I can see Si inside my mind, shaking his head. Not every time.
I run through all the techniques Si has taught me to take out someone with a gun. But I don’t say a word. I need to get a handle on who this man is and why he’s after me. He seems different, maybe someone higher up the food chain. He might actually know something about me and why the Earthbound are so desperate to kill me.
I peer at him closely. His spell web is glowing, but not with the artificial brightness of the other men. That’s how he survived being knocked out. He wasn’t connected to it like they were. “You’re leading this operation,” I say. It’s not a question.
He nods once. “My name is Vincent. I’m curious to know how you managed to knock out all my men.” He glances over at the field full of unconscious guards. “And more importantly, how long it will be before they’re mobile again?”
“I don’t know. Awhile.”
“Then I have no choice.” His finger tightens on the trigger of his gun, and I move to one side, but it’s too late. A tiny dart enters the skin on my neck. He shoots Seth with another dart, and seconds later, Seth collapses. I take a couple of steps toward Vincent before my concrete-filled legs harden. I glance down in surprise, and then the ground hurtles toward me.
Then nothing.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I slowly emerge from a deep fog. At first I can’t remember anything, my brain keeps circling around and around. Then I feel pain, and I don’t know why. I don’t open my eyes, it takes too much energy. I’m lying on my side, and I try to move my arms, but can’t. Rope scratches against my wrists and I realize they’re tied tight to each other. My ankles hurt; they’re probably tied up as well.
I’m in a moving vehicle, and every time we go over a bump, my shoulder slams into something hard and metal. My head is pounding like I’ve been hit over the head with a hammer. Maybe several hammers. Opening my eyes a tiny bit reveals that I’m in total darkness. I open my eyes wide and look around. Where the hell am I? And how did I get here? Why didn’t he just kill me?
It feels like a van, and we’re going over a particularly bumpy road with no suspension and a driver who feels the need for speed. He goes over a big bump and I get a bit of air time, landing with a thump. I groan in pain.
“She’s coming round,” says a worried voice from behind me.
“Can’t be. The boss said she’d be out for the count until we got there.”
“She made a noise. Didn’t you hear it?”
Clothes rustle, and I imagine an unconcerned shrug.
So, I have two guards in back with me. I squint toward the front of the van. I can’t see through the gap to how many guards might be in the front. At least one more driving.
My next concern is Seth. Is he here with me?
At the next big bump, I try to turn myself around slightly so I’m facing a little more into the middle of the van. I keep my eyes closed for a minute afterward, trying to breathe shallowly and slowly and hold myself limp.
“She’s moved around. Did you see that? She wasn’t looking that way before.”
“You’re an idiot. She’s dead to the world. That last bump was a big ‘un, that’s all.”
“But—”
“I’m gonna tell the boss you’re not up to these kind of jobs, if you keep whining.”
The threat of what would happen to the whiner was enough. Is Vincent the boss? Or do I have some new person to contend with? Whoever it is, he isn’t someone they want to mess with.
I open my eyes a sliver and see another lump nearby. Seth. I relax slightly. They’ve brought him with us, so at least he’s considered important enough to keep alive. I’m not entirely certain why we are still alive, but I’m not going to argue about it.
My hands are behind my back, and hopefully not visible to my guards, so I start trying to wriggle them free. It’s hard work, because my movements have to be so small. Every time we go over a bump I do a big pull on the rope, and after a while, the knots start to loosen. Not enough to get my hands out, though.
Across from me, Seth groans.
“Now he’s awake. I told you!” The whiner is down on his knees next to me in a heartbeat, opening my eyes with a stubby finger. I fight to stay limp, but can’t do it any longer. The grubby little bastard is poking his fingers on my eye. Simultaneously, I move my head and bite his finger, letting go as I flick my legs up and around, kicking his head. He’s blown back across the van and hits the side.
“Ha-ha. I win the bet.” A nasty troll-like face comes to crouch down next to me, holding a Taser. Before I can move away, he shoves it into my neck. I jerk stiff, and then shake uncontrollably while the electric currents storm through my body.
“You try anything funny, and I’ll st
ick more into you.” He stops the flow of electricity to my neck, and reaches out with the other hand and grasps my breast painfully. He rubs his hand around a few times, grinning down at me the whole time. I stare stonily back. He laughs and goes back to sit on the side, leaving the Taser pins stuck into my neck. I shudder as the remains of the electricity zings through my body, making my legs shake and my head pound.
I don’t know how much time has passed when the van slams to a halt. I slide along the metal floor and slam into the front.
“Come on. Get up you two. I know you’re both awake.” He sniggers and sends a zap of electricity into me through the Taser.
I groan, unable to force myself to move. I feel rather than see Seth trying to sit up.
“You’re going to have to undo my legs if you expect me to walk anywhere,” he says calmly.
I wish I could be so calm.
“Boss said no. So I guess we’ll be carrying you.”
I start to struggle at the idea of either of these two putting their hands on me again. My brain is a little messed up from the electricity from the Taser.
“I want the little one,” says the whiner. “I’m too small to carry the big guy.”
There’s a moment of silence while the bastard with the Taser assesses the situation. “Fine. Take the Taser. We’ll have our chance with her later anyway. Once the boss is finished with her.” He leers down at me and stomps over to Seth, picking him up in one go and slamming him over his shoulder. Seth’s grunt is enough to tell me it was painful.
The whiner leans down and picks me up cautiously. “Don’t try anything,” he says, and he lifts me over his shoulder. I look down at his dirty ass, and wish I had the balls to bite him on it.
But I’ve been Tasered one too many times since awakening in the van, and my head doesn’t feel right anymore. I can’t do anything but let him take me where he’s going to take me. I close my eyes and let my body hang down, trying not to imagine what might happen later when the other guy gets his way.
It seems like forever before he pulls me from his shoulder and drops me to the ground, but it can’t be more than a couple of minutes. Cold tiles soothe my battered body, and I lay my face against the smooth coolness.
“What have you done to her?” The voice is soft, but I can feel the vibrations of anger even without opening my eyes. It seems familiar, but I can’t place it at first.
“We brought her to you. As requested, boss,” the bigger guy says smugly.
“I didn’t tell you to beat her,” says the voice again. “Or Taser her.” It’s Vincent.
“She woke up, tried to make trouble...” the whiner says.
“Two grown men can’t take care of a little girl without beating her? What kind of men do I employ?”
I open my eyes, interested in watching their faces. The big guy’s assertion that they’ll get me later seems to have been nothing more than wishful thinking. “I didn’t...” I clear my croaky throat. “I didn’t do anything,” I manage to get out.
“You knocked me across the van,” squeaks the whiner.
“You opened my eyes and poked your dirty finger on my eyeball,” I say. “What the hell else was I supposed to do?”
“A normal person might have asked me to stop!”
“A normal person wouldn’t have done that in the first place,” I shoot back.
“Enough! You two, report to your section leader. You will be demoted for the next full quarter and receive deducted pay. Next time, treat my guests properly.”
“Yes, boss,” they mutter in unison, and shuffle out of the room.
Vincent nods at someone outside of my view, and I’m grasped by two sets of hands who pull me up to standing. The ropes are cut, and I’m suddenly free. I stumble and almost fall as the blood flows back into my limbs. Only the hands of my unknown helpers keep me from falling.
“Get her a seat. And the SIG agent.”
I glance over at Seth; he’s having similar problems. A chair is gently forced under my knees, and I flop down, unconcerned about looking elegant—or even upright.
“I apologize for their behavior. I thought they could be trusted on this one small job. Clearly I was wrong. Next time I will ensure I use more trusted members of staff.”
I blink warily up at him. He’s standing in the middle of a large room. Light from enormous skylights overhead makes the room glow. There are pictures painted around the room depicting men and women in brave poses, usually standing over the dead bodies of dragons. It can only be the headquarters of the Earthbound.
“Why are we here?” I ask, my voice low and throaty. I clear my throat again. “Why didn’t you just kill us?”
“For the same reason I have been searching for you for so long, my dear.” He starts to pace, rubbing his hands together like he’s about to open a particularly good present on Christmas morning.
I frown. “And that would be?”
He stops and walks back to where Seth and I are sitting. He bends over, so his eyes are level with mine, and gazes at me. “Can it be that you truly don’t know?”
“Don’t know what?” I’m tired of his critic remarks.
He smiles and stands up straight. “I didn’t know you would be so clueless. I assumed they would have told you.” He turns and walks away, his finger tapping his chin, as if considering.
“Just tell me what the hell you’re talking about!” I growl out. I’m tempted to stamp my feet at him.
Vincent turns back to me, dramatically swirling his coat. I wonder how many hours he had to practice in front of the mirror to achieve that. “You are very special, Mei. You’re the last of your kind, you see. There is no one else like you.”
“Water magic is a dime a dozen. I’m not special.”
His eyes light up. “You don’t have water magic, my dear. You are water magic. You are the last of the dragons.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
“You mean all this time you’ve been trying to kill me and the people I love, because you thought I was a dragon?” I whisper. I open my mouth and let out a loud laugh. I can’t help it. It’s either that or cry. I keep laughing, the sound becoming hysterical, until I lean over and vomit onto the floor in front of me.
“That’s not the reaction I was expecting.” Vincent gestures to someone behind me. “Clean it up.”
Minions appear from nowhere, and within minutes, it’s as if the vomit was never there. Except I can still taste the bitterness of my own bile on my tongue.
It’s all so absurd, I can’t begin to comprehend the totality of his mistake and what it’s cost me. Faces flash in my head: Si and Jeff, Lee and the other Protectors, my mother—she’s a vague blurry shape. All of them dead for no reason.
“I don’t think you’re a dragon. I know it. Your mother was a dragon and she passed it down the line to you.”
I shake my head, my hair swishing angrily. “It’s not true. Don’t you think I’d know if I was a dragon?”
“I don’t know what you’ve been told, but it’s clearly not the truth.” Vincent walks closer to me, peering at my face like I’m a strange and unusual bug he’s found. “You really didn’t know, did you?”
My body feels heavy and limp, and I have a pounding headache. I can’t deal with a lunatic right now. “What are you going to do with me? Why did you bring me here?” I can barely keep my eyes open, and he’s looking blurry. “If I’m a dragon, why didn’t you just kill me?”
“I never wanted you dead, my dear; at least not for a very long time. That’s not the reason I wanted to find you,” says Vincent.
My eyes widen and blood rushes back into my head. “Of course it is! It’s all you’ve been trying to do since I was born.”
Vincent shakes his head. “I will admit I wasn’t too bothered about the lives of your Protectors or the interfering SIG agents.” He pauses to glance at Seth. “But I haven’t been trying to kill you for the last ten years or so. Not since I realized you could be the savior of our world.”
M
y fuzzy brain can’t understand what he’s telling me. It’s so different to what I’ve grown up knowing. I shake my head, trying to clear it.
Vincent snaps his fingers. “Amos. Take two guards and show our guests to their rooms.” Another figure appears at his side, a younger version of Vincent.
“Yes, father.” Vincent’s son seems baby-faced and naïve standing next to his father, but I’m fairly sure he’s older than me, at least in his early twenties. He’s got kind brown eyes and shaggy black hair that curls against his collar.
Vincent turns to me. “I will answer the rest of your questions in due course. But for now, I can see you are tired. Make yourself at home. Bathe. Make use of a change of clothing. Sleep.” He turns away to talk to an older man standing on the sidelines.
I look at the guards standing next to me, and then past them to Seth. His guards have pulled him to his feet. It’s not a request.
“If you will follow me,” a polite voice says to my left. Up close, Amos’s eyes are just as compelling as his father’s, but he’s not so overbearing. He smiles, and without thinking, I smile back.
He bows slightly and then leads the way out of the large room and down a hallway. Seth is ahead of me, and I follow slowly behind him and Amos. We take several turns, until I’m confused by where we are, and then Amos stops in front of a door. “This is your room, Mei.” He gestures with his hand.
I glance at Seth.
“Your companion will be just down the hallway,” Amos says with an easy smile. “I’ll return soon to see if everything is to your taste.” He bows again, and one of the guards stations himself outside my door. I hesitate, but I really have no choice. Opening the door, I peer inside. It’s beautiful. A large room with floor-to-ceiling windows along one side, gold and white curtains, a tiled floor, and a magnificent four-poster bed. Strange and beautiful artwork adorns the walls, and there’s a luxurious woolen rug on the floor in the same blues and greens as a peacock’s tail. I step onto the rug and curl my toes into the softness. I’ve never stayed anywhere like this before.