Smitten by the Dragon

by Tully Belle

  “Ash!” Caran attempted to step forward but Tessa’s assistant grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back.

  “Ah, Ash, we were just talking about you.” Tessa stepped forward, her mouth stuck into a permanent smirk. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “I can’t say the feeling is mutual, Tessa.”

  Caran’s mouth gaped open, clearly shocked that they knew each other. She wasn’t the only one that kept secrets.

  Tessa laughed. “I guess I had that coming. Where are your brothers?” She raised a brow, keeping the gun pointed at him.

  “Not here. They’re back at headquarters.”

  Tessa’s mouth twisted into a sneer. “Liar.”

  “What do you want?” he asked.

  “What do I want?” Tessa looked at him incredulously. “The same thing I always want.” She rolled her eyes. “Elle, tell him what I want. The dolt seems to have forgotten.”

  “Dragons must die,” said Elle. “Therefore you must die.”

  “Ahh, but there is a flaw in your argument,” said Ash. “I’m not a dragon.”

  Tessa narrowed her eyes. “Not right now, but you can change anytime you want.”

  “Maybe, but kill me like this, and it’s straight up murder. Is that what Princess is now? Cold hearted murderers?”

  “Then I’ll wait until you change.” Tessa pushed Elle the side and grabbed Caran, pointing the gun at her head. “Change now or I’ll blow her head off. Make it quick.”

  Ash stepped forward.

  Caran grunted as Tessa pulled her back. “Do it now.”

  “What’s the point, Tessa? Bullets won’t hurt me when I’m a dragon, you know that.”

  She pointed her gun back at him. “Then I’ll just have to do it now.”

  Caran elbowed Tessa in the side just as Tessa’s finger squeezed on the trigger. Bullet’s sprayed out in rapid succession.

  A searing pain jolted in Ash’s chest and he clutched at it. He held his hand up, his fingers dripping in blood. He stumbled back until he hit the car behind him. A rattling sound came from his mouth as he gasped for air. His throat felt constricted. There was no oxygen getting into his body. He gasped again, gulping for breath.

  Ash heard Mac’s voice ordering him to transition.

  He looked up to see his brother running toward him. Caran was by his side, her hands covering the wound in his chest. She was trying to lie him down. He didn’t know where Tessa and her assistant went.

  “Now, Ash. Goddamn it, change now!” Mac was above him. He pushed Caran away.

  Ash closed his eyes and willed his cells to change. It was his only hope to stop the bleeding. He gasped again, tensing all of his muscles.

  The sounds around him faded into the distance as blood popped in his ears. Intense heat infiltrated his nerves, pricking like scalding irons. His skin stretched, tearing, falling away from his bones.

  Instantly he could breath again. He drew all the oxygen he could from the air, feeling it expand and grow in his chest. As he breathed out the fire that had penetrated his cells expelled into the early morning sky.

  He roared, searching the area for Tessa. She must be nearby.

  Mac and the others had surrounded him now, all looking to catch his attention. He had other ideas. He had to find Tessa and destroy her.

  Ash stretched out his wings, but Mac stood in his way, his hand raised.

  “Fly back to Dragonspark,” ordered Mac.

  Ash roared. No, he was ready to fight.

  “I mean it,” said Mac. “I order you to go back. Now!”

  Ash didn’t want to go back. He wanted revenge. He crouched, ready to jump over his brother and find the two women.

  Mac turned and yelled to John, pointing at Caran. “Take her to the dungeon. Lock her up.” John grabbed Caran, pushing her toward the car. She screamed, fighting to return to his side.

  Ash wanted to help her, but he knew that he couldn’t control his strength and if he breathed flame at them, he could hurt her or the others.

  No. He couldn’t help her in this state. Not like this. He needed to think of something else.

  Ash leaped, his wings stretching as he pumped them higher. He couldn’t go back to Dragonspark. Not yet. He needed to keep Caran safe and that meant getting her out of the underground cell that he knew they’d throw her into. And he had to stay alive to do that.

  29

  The cell Caran had been thrown into had no windows, just rough walls and a hard clay dirt floor. The only light came from outside the room filtered underneath the door. It cast a line on the opposite wall. Caran stared at it as she paced. She rubbed her arm where she’d been held, fingers digging into her skin.

  There was a noise outside. Not footsteps, more like scampering. Something small.

  “Hello? Hello, can you hear me?”

  The scampering stopped, but only for a moment. Then the tiny feet continued on it’s way. It was a rat most likely, maybe something else. Either way, having another living thing near her, made her feel less lonely.

  Caran kneeled down onto the dirty floor and tried to look underneath the door. From this angle she couldn’t see much. A well lit corridor. Other doors. There was no one else down here. At least no one that she could see or hear.

  They’d left her down here, but for how long?

  She sat up, leaning her back against the wall and tucking her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

  They wouldn’t leave her here forever, they weren’t cruel enough to do that. But Mac was angry. She understood why, but he had to realize that she didn’t know anything about them before she came here. All she knew was what Tessa had told her. How could she be so stupid? She hit her fist into her palm. That ended now. Too many things had happened that changed her opinion on everything she believed.

  She was done with people telling her what to do and what was real.

  Tessa had betrayed her. Betrayed everyone at Princess. She had known that Ash and his brothers could turn into dragons and she still sent her to find out where they were located. Not only that, but she had tracked her phone, not trusting that she’d be able to complete the mission.

  She stood up again. She was too agitated to sit, too agitated to stand. Pacing wasn’t working to calm her either.

  The dirt floor was hard, but it wasn’t concrete, and she was still wearing her gear including the heavy boots. Caran kicked the ground, testing its give. A puff of dust stirred, but no there was no dent to the smooth surface. She used her heel, this time closer to the door. A dull ache settled in her ankle. The clay was too hard to penetrate so tunneling wasn’t an option.

  She felt around the perimeter of the door. If the hinges were on this side, she could find a way to unscrew them. Alas, they were not. It wasn’t a surprise that Mac and the others had already tested the cell to make sure that there were no easy ways out. They weren’t stupid.

  It was clear she had to wait to hear whatever fate they had in store for her.

  It didn’t matter though, she wasn’t so concerned about her own welfare. Not when she’d seen Ash shot in the chest.

  The panic welled up in her throat as she relived the moment. The gurgling of his voice as he tried to draw in breath. The astonishment in his eyes that this had happened to him.

  Nobody thought Tessa would actually shoot him.

  A cold hatred made her shiver as she thought about the woman she’d believed in for the past year. Everything she’d promised was to protect people from the monsters in the air. She was worse than any dragon. At least Caran could believe that Dean was killed by accident. Tessa pulled that trigger deliberately, her goal to murder Ash.

  Caran gulped. She hoped Mac was right and that by turning into a dragon, Ash was saved from dying. God, she hoped he was right. But then, what happened once Ash turned back to human. Was he saved? Would he die?

  She rubbed her hand over her face trying to think.

  If he got into surgery straight away he might be okay. As long a
s he didn’t bleed out and was given enough oxygen to satisfy his cells, then he had a good chance of making it. Of course, that assumed that the tear in his lungs was on one side only, and that it was clean and hadn’t shattered. Damn it.

  Did they have good surgeons at Greenslopes County? He needed an x-ray so she could determine the extent of his injuries. Then she could advice the doctor what to do, perhaps assist.

  Oh god, who was she kidding? Mac would never let her near Ash again. He already distrusted her, even before all of this happened. He would blame her for why Ash was teetering on life and death, and he had every right to. It had been her fault.

  Then if that were true, she needed to make it right.

  Whatever happened to her from now on, it didn’t matter. The only thing mattered was making sure that Ash lived.

  She stood still, staring at the thin streak of light coming from under the door. Someone would come for her soon, if only to give her food, drink, or a lecture. Someone would come. And she would convince them that she could help.

  She was here because she had medical training, and even though she wasn’t skilled enough to perform such a complicated surgery, she would still do everything she could to make sure that Ash had the best chance.

  She wasn’t going to lose someone else she loved.

  Not this time.

  Not if she could help it.

  Caran wasn’t sure what time it was. It had to be close to mid morning by now, it felt like she’d been here for three or four hours. She was sitting down when she heard someone outside. They were closing in on the door fast. She stood up waiting for the door to open.

  Three locks were unlocked from the outside. One from the door handle and the other two on the opposite corners of the door. One on top and the other on the bottom. Even if she had found hinges on this side of the door, it would have been impossible to get out. They had made sure that this cell was locked securely.

  As the door swung open the light hit her face, blinding her momentarily. She lifted her arm to shield her eyes, trying to peer through to see who had entered.

  “Where is he?” asked Mac.

  “Where is who?” Caran responded.

  “Ash.” Mac grunted and kicked at the ground. “We’ve scoured the roads, all the locations, he’s not there.”

  Her heart leaped into her throat. She didn’t know where he could have gone. Mac had told him to come here. If he hadn’t made it, did that mean . . . she swallowed away the thoughts. She couldn’t think like that, not when she had no idea.

  “I don’t know,” she said.

  “He could die!” Mac stepped forward and raised his hand. “Nobody from Princess can be trusted.”

  Caran stood her ground. If Mac was going to hit her then she would not give him the satisfaction of cowering underneath him. It would be better that she show him that she wasn’t afraid. The only thing she was really afraid of right now was Ash’s wellbeing.

  “Will he die as a dragon?”

  “He was shot. Of course he could die.”

  “But will he bleed out or will the dragon hide prevent that?”

  Mac’s nostrils flared as he squared his shoulders. “It’s not clear. He has the best chance in dragon form, but he was shot as human. We need to find him.”

  Where would he go? Caran searched her thoughts. If he didn’t come back here, he must not have thought this was the safest place for him to be. Where would he think was safe? Not the roof of the hotel. Maybe … “Search my mother’s farm. The stables and barns at the back of the property.”

  “Why would he go there?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s worth looking.”

  Mac turned to leave.

  Caran touched him on the shoulder. He flung around quickly, knocking her arm out of the way and causing her to stumble to the ground. He hesitated, clearly not meaning to have pushed her. She understood. “What?” he asked gruffly.

  “What happens when he transitions back to human?”

  “What happens?” He scoffed and barked out a harsh laugh. “His injuries will remain what they were before he changed. Unless we can get him to a hospital, or …” he swallowed “… my brother dies.”

  No. Caran shook her head. She wouldn’t let that happen. “Find him. Get him the help he needs.”

  “Why?” Mac’s expression changed, his face drawing softer. “Why did you betray him? He cared about you, how can you live with yourself?”

  What could she say that he’d understand? Caran could only answer by shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want any of this to happen. Tessa lied to me too.”

  He sighed heavily. “Tessa lies to a lot of people.” He turned. Shutting the door behind him.

  Caran heard all of the locks click back into place.

  She sat back down and buried her face in her palms. She had to find a way to help him. If he was at the farm, and it was the only place she could think of, then he would never get to the hospital in time. They needed a doctor to go there, wait for him to change back, and then perform the surgery. Who knows how long that would take? Lyson had taken days to transition back and he wasn’t hurt. She didn’t know enough about the biology of how the cells worked to know the process.

  She would find out. If she ever got out of here, then she was going to find out how the transition worked in the body so she could help them. Perhaps there was a way to make the process smoother? A drug perhaps that would speed up metabolism, something that could either relax or induce muscle spasms. Someway they could predict when they turned back so that it could be planned better.

  Mac wouldn’t listen to her though. He would always blame her. Even if Ash survived, and she had to believe that he would, Mac would never let her see him again.

  Then Mac could go to hell. No one would tell her who she could see anymore, it wasn’t up to him. She was falling in love with Ash and she was pretty sure that he felt the same way. Up until Tessa shot him of course. Now she had no idea how he felt or how he would feel now, knowing her past.

  So be it. Whether he liked her or hated her, she would still do everything she could to help him.

  It must have been at least an hour later when Caran heard someone approach. It was about time. She needed to get to a bathroom and her stomach was growling in hunger. She jumped to her feet and stepped back. This time she was ready for the light to come in, and shielded her eyes early.

  As the door opened, her eyes adjusted to the light and she could see that Lyson had opened it. He was carrying a tray with food on it. Pancakes on a white plate. They were plain, with no syrup or fruit topping, but she didn’t care. She would eat anything right now.

  “Thank you,” she said. She took the tray from him and sat back on the floor in the middle of the room, hungrily stuffing the pancakes into her mouth. They were dry but still delicious. As she looked up he handed her a bottle of water to wash it down, which she chugged greedily.

  Lyson waited for her to finish eating without saying a word. His presence didn’t bother her though, if anything she liked that she had someone here, even if that person was only charged with feeding her.

  As she ate, she watched him. He was different to his brothers. Not so much in looks, he still had that same face shape that both Mac and Ash had, but he seemed quieter and more reserved.

  He hung back, his hands in his pockets, and his head tilted to the side. At first she thought he was waiting until she had finished eating so he could take the tray away, but if they had wanted someone to simply feed her, they could have sent anyone. There was a reason that Lyson was here instead of one of the other members.

  When she’d finished, Caran licked her lips and wiped her mouth with the back of her arm and stood back up, handed the tray to Lyson. “Can I keep the water?” she asked, holding the bottle by her side.

  He nodded and placed the tray down, confirming her suspicious that he was here for more than to feed her.

  “Did you find Ash?”

  “Yes. You were right, he�
��s at your mother’s farm.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief then furrowed her brow in worry. “And how is he doing?”

  “We’re all concerned, of course. He’s … resting.”

  “You need to get a doctor there, as soon as you can. Ash said you know people at the hospital, is there anyone that will wait until he turns back so they can work on him? As soon as he transitions, someone will have to patch up his lungs.”

  Lyson watched her, almost like he was studying her, his head cocking to the side. “Pete says that you’re skilled in minor surgical procedures. Could you do this?”

  “Me? You need someone who’s done it before.”

  “But could you do it, if you had to?”

  Caran shook her head. “I’ve watched, I’ve assisted. But … I don’t know. His best chance is with a skilled surgeon.”

  Lyson kept his gaze locked, his expression still. “Too many people know about us already. I think it would be better that we keep this quiet. You already know about us, so if you can do it, you need to let me know right now.”

  Could she? Caran went through the procedure in her mind. She knew the steps, but she’d never performed them before. What if there were complications? “I could start. But then I need someone more qualified to finish it. I can keep him alive until that time, but after he turns human you need to bring in someone else. He might also need to be transferred to the hospital depending on the extent of the injury, so have an ambulance standing by too.”

  “Okay, good. That can be arranged.”

  “But Mac isn’t going to let me near him. He made that very clear.”

  “Mac is open to discussion. Unlike your former leader.”

  Caran sighed heavily, the weight in her chest felt like it was crushing her very soul. “I swear I didn’t know about any of this. She made me believe you wielded dragons for monetary gain. There have been too many deaths and I was hurting. What she said made sense then, but I didn’t know the truth.”

  “I believe you.”

  “You do?” His admission shook her. She took a step back ready to steady herself. “Why?”