“I didn’t say it was a bad idea,” I say, my eyes twinkling with mischief. “I didn’t want to go back to that place to get it.”
“Well, we didn’t come across that big dragon.”
“Or the Wyverns. I don’t think they’re happy with us after what happened last night.”
“They’ve still got two days to come around. The WPS doesn’t give up that easily.”
I roll my eyes. “We’re not the WPS, Marco.”
“We are. We’re Aislados now, and they created the WPS. We’re representatives, kind of.”
“So, you wanna go and have debates with Ray?”
“Fuck off, let’s not go that far.”
I laugh and watch Red and Purple bash heads as they try to drink at the same time. “I wonder what he’s up to now.”
“Ray? I dunno. Screaming at someone, probably.”
“He said he’s changed; he doesn’t do that anymore.”
He scoffs. “Yeah right. A tiger never changes its stripes.”
“He apologised. Many times.”
“Because he wants you to feel sorry for him.”
I don’t say anything at first. His apology seemed genuine, but could it have been some way to make me feel sorry for him and join his side? If it is, he’s a damn good actor.
“I dunno. He seemed like he meant it to me,” I sigh, tapping the can with my finger.
“Well, he didn’t. This is Ray we’re talking about. He’s willing to feed you to Wyrms.”
The look of regret on Ray’s face after uttering those words flashes into my mind. I don’t think he’s as on board with the Wyrms plan as he was before. Something has changed. I don’t know what. Despite being covered in those weird veins he seemed…different. Softer; more human. Whenever a Wyrm spoke to him he snapped at them. Maybe he’s starting to doubt his role in this. But he did say that I had to be eaten by the Wyrms to make the world a better place, so maybe he’s not finished with them yet.
“Oh, we have a visitor.” Marco points up to the sky and sits up.
Following his gaze, I spot the familiar shape of Patriarch circling us in the grey sky. He lands next to Green, ignoring her this time. Marine quickly steps out of his body, storming up to me and pointing her finger.
“You have led them!”
“What?”
“Coming for us!” she hisses, baring her teeth. “Coming to get us!”
“What’s she talking about?” I ask Marco, but he shrugs.
“Drea, go do another sweep,” he commands, and the white dragon leaps into the sky.
I shake my head. “I’m sorry, I don’t…”
“Coming. For. Us,” she says. “Humans.”
Shit. The WADT must have found them, or hunters. Neither are good. I suppose, with the number of Wyverns here and the hundreds of people looking for them.
“We haven’t led anyone here,” I argue. “They’ve been tracking you since you escaped the lab. This isn’t our fault.”
She doesn’t look convinced. “Vermin.”
“Yes, yes,” I sigh irritably. “I’m vermin, I get it. But we can help you, if you’ll let us. We can drive those people away. They’re here to hunt you, not capture you.”
The older me shakes her head angrily. “Egg stealers have done enough.”
“Actually, we have,” I stand up to face her. “We’ve fed, watered and kept warm the ones that you isolated. So, I think we’ve done more than enough for you. It’s the rest of your group I’m worried about. All you do is moan no matter what we do for you.”
Marine’s mouth forms into a thin line. “Egg stealers leave.”
“We’re going around in circles! Where are these people? We’ll keep them away!”
Drea lands next to Marco, pointing her tail west. He nods and climbs on her back, ready to fight. Marine says nothing else, so I leap onto Ariadne’s back and quickly place the reins in her mouth. Patriarch glares at me, his amber eyes blazing. But what more does he want us to do? He keeps calling us vermin and egg stealers, and he clearly isn’t looking after the rest of his group properly or they wouldn’t be staying with us.
“Red, can you come with us?” I ask the red Wyvern, whose ears prick up in surprise. “I have a plan to drive them away.”
Red nods, barging past Patriarch to stand next to us. Marine disappears as Patriarch starts growling at his ex-comrades, who glare and turn their backs on him. At least there won’t be a revolution when we get back.
“Drea, was it just people that are coming?” Marco asks his companion.
The white dragon nods. This makes my plan easier.
“Red, I need you to act as if we’re hunting you,” I explain, to which the red dragon cocks his head to one side. “If we can convince those people that the Wyverns are elsewhere, we may be able to distract them for a day or two.”
Understanding crosses his face and he gives me a stark nod. Marco smiles knowingly.
“I like your thinking,” he says. “If we can get them to think that their intel is wrong, then we can keep them away.”
“Hopefully long enough for Isaac to come up with a plan,” I say, biting my lip thoughtfully. “Eventually they’ll figure out we were lying.”
Red nods and leaps into the air in a spiral, spreading his wings once he hits a tailwind. Leaving Patriarch to have a go at the other Wyverns, Drea and Ariadne follow him. As soon as we’re high enough, I can see why Patriarch is freaking out. Four cars full of people are making their way towards the forest, brimming with hunters. But at least they don’t have dragons with them.
The three of us keep low so we can stay out of sight of the hunters. I think that making them believe that the Wyverns are in the direction they just came from is our best bet. It will distract them for a day or two.
“Red.” My voice is barely heard in the wind. “We need to sneak up behind them and make them think they’re going the wrong way.”
Red nods and leads the way, flying as low to the ground as he can. Luckily the hunters don’t seem to be paying much attention; they just shout at each other and wave their guns around. They’re traditional hunters, who don’t use dragons or elements. Once we’ve managed to circle them, Red shoots ahead, screaming in agony. Drea and Ariadne rush after him, pretending to roar in fury.
The hunters quickly snap their heads round as Red zooms over their heads, ducking as Ariadne and Drea leap off the roofs to catch up to Red. Many of them start screaming in joy and aiming their guns, but they’re unable to get a clear shot with two other dragons in the way. Red flips in the air, leading us back the way they came.
“They’re this way!” Marco shouts, pointing to Red disappearing into a field full of wheat.
The hunters take the bait, turning their cars around to head towards the field that Red is hiding in. That should keep them busy for a while, if they continue looking in that area and don’t decide to follow their original plan. My heart thumps in my throat at the thought of Red being caught, until I see him sneaking away behind the orange barn in the field. Once the hunters have spread out to look for him, he takes to the air, leading us back home.
“That was easy!” Marco whoops.
“Yeah, almost too easy,” I reply, biting my lip. “I don’t like it.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine, yeah?”
“Whatever you say.”
* * *
My eyes flutter open to a white wasteland. Snow rains down on me like a waterfall as I trudge towards the mountain, my arms wrapped around my torso. My breath billows out of my mouth like a thick fog in the cold. Usually Draca is waiting for us, but the cave mouth is empty when I enter. With my heart beating, I make my way deeper into the cave. The light dims as I go deeper. The twinkling of the hundreds of gems in the walls does little to settle my anxiety.
Eventually, a light appears up ahead. Muttering under my breath I continue towards it, coming up to Draca’s den. There’s a large hole in the ceiling that is letting light, and snow, pour through. A nest made
of trees and bushes is pressed against the corner, surrounded by jewels and gold. An amber head rises from the nest as I enter, its green eyes boring into me.
“Marine,” it says, stepping out of its nest, making the ground shake slightly.
“Why did you call me here?” I ask.
“Because we have a lot to discuss,” the amber dragon replies matter-of-factly. “I warned you about the Wyverns, but you didn’t listen.”
I roll my eyes; this dragon changes its mind faster than anyone I’ve ever known. What’s the point in sending us to the lab if you don’t want us to explore all of it? It makes no sense; Draca knows we want answers.
“They’re alone and scared. It doesn’t help that their leader is an asshole.”
“They will eat you, given the chance,” Draca warns, lowering its head down to my level. “That is what they do. They are no different from the Wyrms.”
“Except they hate the Wyrms as much as we do. But Thula helped them escape.”
“To spite me,” the dragon growls, digging its claws into the stony floor.
“Look,” I cross my arms. I’m tired of this. “We’re getting no answers, just more questions. The Wyverns aren’t a threat.”
“They still should not have been freed.”
“Well, they have. Can we move on?”
Its eyes narrow into slits. “You’ve changed, Marine.”
“I’ve been forced to grow up faster than I would have liked.”
“No, you’re brash. You used to be so timid, now you speak your mind.”
“What’s wrong with that?” I counter.
The dragon doesn’t answer. “You are being hunted.”
Thankful for the change of subject, I roll my eyes. “Yes, the Anthropomorphic. What does it want?”
The dragon taps my back with its tail, making me jump. “Your markings; they are drawing it to you.”
“I’ve figured that out. Why?”
“It ate batches like the Wyverns and Wyrms did. It wants your power.”
“But when I used my power on it, it melted its scales.”
The dragon reassures me with a soft blink. “A side effect. You can’t harm anyone else in the same way.”
“What about the other dragons that escaped? Are they coming for me too?”
The amber dragon shakes its head. “No. They aren’t interested in your beacons; they just want to live in peace.”
That’s good; only the Anthropomorphic to worry about then. Although I don’t know why it wants my powers if I can harm it like I have before. If it eats me, I might melt its insides.
“Did you just call me here for a chat or is there another reason?”
Draca smiles, its eyes shining. “Very good, Marine. I wanted to give you something.”
“Give me what?” I ask, crossing my arms in confusion.
“Your father,” Draca begins, making my heart skip a beat, “Stole the riches from you and your brother when you were young. I want to give you something to replace those riches.”
“You mean the money from the experiments?”
“Exactly.” Draca sifts through his nest, plucking a diamond necklace on a pure gold chain out from the trees. “This should cover it.”
He drops the necklace in front of me. I slowly pick it up, weighing it in my hands. The diamond is huge, surrounded by gold engravings. The chain itself is made of gold, with strange carvings on it.
“Um, thank you,” I say, tucking the necklace into my pocket.
“Good luck, Marine.”
* * *
Marco shakes me awake. He sighs in relief when I open my eyes. “You okay? You just collapsed. I thought you were hurt. You’ve been out a while again. Hours.”
“No,” I reply, rubbing the back of my throbbing head. “Draca wanted to speak with me.”
“About what?”
“Oh, the usual.” I shakily rise to my feet, helped by Drea, who grabs hold of my hood to lift me up. “He gave me something.”
“What?”
I pull the necklace out of my pocket, and Marco’s mouth drops open.
“You’re joking, right?”
“He said it should cover the money my dad stole.” I weigh the necklace in my hands as Marco backs away.
“Is this some cruel joke?” His eyes go red and his lip curls.
“You okay?”
“That’s Sadie’s. She wore it the night she…”
I don’t need him to finish his sentence. The night she and Maya decided to drug and assault him. I still hate that stupid bitch for what she did.
As he trails off, I give the necklace to Drea. “Bury it, do whatever. Just get rid of it.”
With a sharp nod, the white dragon plucks the necklace out of my hand and retreats into the woods. I go to approach my boyfriend, but he backs away. Draca has done this on purpose; I know he has. He’s trying to drive a wedge between me and Marco, maybe as some sort of punishment.
“I didn’t-”
“I need a minute,” he cuts me off. “Please, leave me alone.”
Before I can protest, he dashes out of camp, and I sink to the ground, hugging my knees. Respecting his wishes, I decide not to go after him. I don’t think my presence will help after the stunt I pulled.
To my surprise, Green comes out of nowhere and nudges me towards the fire. Confused, I do nothing for a few seconds until she pushes me harder, and I shuffle towards her nest. The green dragon wraps her body around her eggs, placing a wing over them. I’m confused until one starts to move.
“Are they hatching?” I ask excitedly.
Green nods, a happy twinkle in her eye at my excitement. I’ve never seen an egg hatch without a companion before, so this will be interesting. The small cream egg shakes one more time, a crack appearing in the fragile shell. A single red foot kicks its way out of the shell, and small squeaks can be heard inside. Soon, the egg crumbles around it, revealing a small red dragon with tiny feet and wings.
“You and Red?” I ask, which she confirms with a nod. I didn’t realise they were an item.
The youngling stretches out, making us both gasp in surprise. It isn’t a Western Dragon; it’s a Wyvern. It has two small wings instead of front feet. Green nuzzles her baby gently, who squeals in reply. The other Wyverns gather around her, keen to look at the new arrival. There are many excited mutters at the sight of the new Wyvern, but none compares to the look of pride on Red’s face. He nuzzles his mate lovingly, sniffing his new offspring at the same time.
“I thought Patriarch said they were Western Dragons?” I ask.
Green and Red shrug in reply. Everyone must have thought they’d be Western Dragons. Maybe that’s why they were banished. The little red Wyvern stumbles out of the remnants of its shell, squeaking in surprise at the world around it. It looks up at its mother lovingly, spreading its wings in greeting. Green happily growls at her new baby, nudging it onto its unsteady feet.
At least something good has happened amid all this crap.
This little Wyvern will grow up free, never experiencing the atrocities committed in the lab. It can have a loving family, and grow up safe, warm and loved. This makes me glad that I didn’t listen to Draca. I’m glad Thula freed them instead of leaving them to rot. It was a horrible life, but now they can have a fresh start.
While I’m lost in my thoughts, the little Wyvern waddles around, flaring its wings at those around it. It freezes upon seeing me, however. I must look like a deformed dragon to it. It waddles up to me, mouth opening and closing but no noise coming out. I let it sniff my hand as it gets close, before it trips on its unsteady feet and lands on my knee. Curious at my lack of scales, it crawls onto my lap, looking up at me.
“It’s very cute,” I chuckle, holding a finger up to its face for it to nip.
Green and Red growl in reply, their faces bright with pride and love. They have a chance at being a proper family now, even if Patriarch will continue to harass them. The other eggs show no sign of hatching, which is confusi
ng. I thought they would all hatch at the same time. But I suppose Aqueous was the last to hatch when I first got him because he’s a common dragon, so this little guy must be their version of a premier.
At the thought of premiers, Marco drifts into my mind. He’s been gone a long time.
I place the Wyvern at its mother’s belly, which it happily kneads and squeaks at the same time.
“I’m going to find Marco,” I explain, rising to my feet. “Will you be okay here?”
Green nods, her eyes flashing with understanding. Red curls his body around hers, placing his head on her shoulders. The other Wyverns back off, letting the new parents have their moment. As I go in the direction Marco left in, I glance behind me. The Wyverns look so happy in their new home. All this shit is worth it.
21
Chapter Twenty-One
Rocky sighs as he watches the news. Hazel escaped again; she won’t be coming home.
“I’m sorry, Rocky,” Mason says, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I know you were looking forward to seeing her.”
“It’s probably better this way.” Rocky swallows the lump in his throat. “At least she isn’t stuck in here with us.”
“Hopefully not for much longer,” Mason smiles. “Sadie said that tonight is the perfect night to escape: the Wyrm patrols have thinned out because Ray is still in the city.”
“I hope she’s right.”
“She is right,” his friend insists. “You saw her. She regrets what she’s done.”
Despite Sadie agreeing to help, Rocky can’t help but feel uncomfortable at the thought. She’s betrayed them once, why not again?
But this might be their only chance to escape.
A chance to see Hazel again.
Violet shuffles next to him to see the news, fascinated by the blurred video of Wyverns attacking the Wyrms. She points to several of them. “They’re nice ones,” she says. “They’re with Hazel.”
Rocky says nothing. The young ginger girl is starting to freak him out. She knows things that she has no way of knowing, but only says that ‘Fae’ told her. Maybe both Violet and Ray are losing their minds.
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