Touched by A Dragon: The Exalted Dragons (Book 2)

by K. T. Stryker

  The man on the floor forcefully spread her legs open and was about to go inside her. She suddenly kicked him with one leg, the sharp heel of her shoe piercing his eyes. He shrieked, his eye bleeding down his cheeks. He growled in anger, and then violently started kicking her stomach, pushing his foot on her guts as she coughed and screamed.

  Suddenly, out of the darkness of the alley, appeared a dim figure. Before Gaby knew it, the dark figure strangled the two men, carried them off her and threw them on the ground. He aggressively beat them, almost in supernatural strength, as they yelled and begged for him to stop. The dark figure was merciless, leaving the two men crawling on the ground in broken bones and dripping blood. Gaby was on the ground, trying to sit upright as she breathed heavily, crying and screaming from both fear and pain. She was in shock. She had no idea who the figure was, and was afraid that he might even come after her. She stood up, limping and out of breath.

  The dark figure was coming closer, and she tried to make up the details of his face as she took backward steps. She realized that it was Chuck, the homeless man she had been constantly seeing. He was standing upright, not slouching like before. His arms were full of muscle, his veins protruding with heat. She noticed his eyes, burning in bright blue, almost radiating both light and heat amidst the cold rain. He was staring directly at her, steady, frozen, and motionless.

  “Are you alright?” he asked, his voice deep yet strong. Gaby was frozen, not knowing what to say.

  “I…” she said, barely moving, her voice shaking and her body shivering. “I… I can’t…I don’t…” Chuck moved closer, but she quickly panicked and moved away from him.

  “It’s alright,” he said, his eyes beaming into hers. He extended his hand, offering him his coat so she can shelter herself from the cold. “You’re safe now. You can trust me.”

  She stared at him, not knowing if all of it was real. She took the coat, stared at for a few moments, and before she could put it on, she fell to the ground. Chuck quickly ran towards her, holding her closely. He put the coat around her, and carried her towards an alley covered by cardboard, sheltered from the rain.

  Chapter 4

  Gaby, after having fainted for a few minutes, opens her eyes to find herself in an alley sheltered from the rain. There was a large cardboard above her, and a fire burning next to her, unaffected by the rain. It is still dark and cold, and she was shivering next to the fire with a coat wrapped around her shoulders. She tried to get up, but fell again to the ground, her stomach throbbing from the pain of having been beaten by the men. Her knees were scrapped, her shoes missing and her feet full of cuts and bruises. She leaned on the wall, her clothes torn and full of dirt. She was confused, barely aware of her surroundings. It was almost as if she lost touch with reality. She was afraid, perhaps more afraid than any other time in her life.

  Suddenly, out of the fog and rain came out a dark figure. It was him, Chuck. She knew that he was the one who rescued her from the two men, and she knew that he was the one who carried her here. She remembered falling into his arms, watching his fiery blue eyes as he carried her away.

  “Chuck?” she said, almost whispering. Her voice was shaken, her vision blurred and unsteady. “You’re Chuck, aren’t you?”

  “I am,” he said, moving closer, but still keeping a small distance so as to remain hidden in the dark. “Are you okay?”

  “I…I don’t know,” she said, still shivering, her eyes roaming around in confusion. “I want to go home.”

  “Then go home,” he said, still standing before her, looking down at her tearful eyes.

  “I can’t, I don’t know…” she muttered. She was coughing, trying to catch her breath as she held her stomach tightly from the throbbing pain.

  “Are you in pain?” he asks.

  “I…I can’t move,” she said, “My stomach, I can’t move. I can’t breathe.”

  He moves close to her, and finally kneels down on the floor, almost sitting on the ground with her. He holds her hands, trying to remove her arms off her stomach. She gasps and shies away in fear.

  “It’s okay,” he said, “It’s alright. Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. I am here to help you. You can trust me.”

  “It hurts,” she said. “It hurts so bad…”

  He removed her arms, setting them to her side. He lifted her shirt to find her stomach full of bruises and cuts as she bled through her legs. Oh god, she’s bleeding internally, he thought. He also realized that her thighs were scraped, full of blood. She was shivering, losing breath. She felt like she was dying, and he was afraid that she might actually be. He looked at her, his eyes bright blue, igniting light onto her tearful face.

  “Do you trust me?” he asked. She was silent for a few moments, not knowing whether she really did trust him or not. She then felt sudden warmth in her heart, a feeling of being safe, of being home.

  “I trust you,” she muttered. “I trust you.”

  He placed both hands on her stomach, closed his eyes and starting speaking in a language she did not understand. It sounded like some sort of hymn, an ode to god or some other supernatural figure. He began in low whispers, and then his voice became louder, and the hymns more passionate and full of strength. Before she knew it, his hands began to glow in a bright and shimmering blue. He opened his eyes, and they were as red as blood, radiating heat and burning like flames. His whole body turned red as his hymns got louder. She was frightened, not knowing what was happening. He started to cool down, his body turning back to normal, and his eyes going to back to their bright blue color. He removed his hands, and the bruising on her stomach began to fade. Her breathing resumed its natural rhythm, and the bleeding between her legs receded. She stared at him in awe, her eyes wide open and her jaw dropped to her chest. She could not believe what just happened.

  Am I in a dream? she thought.

  “I…I don’t understand,” she said. “How did you do that? I mean, the pain is gone. The bruises and cuts have healed. And your body, it was different. What were you saying?”

  “Do not ask so many questions,” he said, standing upright. “Do not ask when you cannot bear the answers.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, her tone more persistent than ever.

  “Do not ask,” he repeated. “You are too weak.”

  “Please,” she begged, “Tell me what is happening. I am so afraid.”

  “The answers might frighten you even more,” he said. “So calm down, go home. Go home, Gaby. Just go home.”

  “I am not leaving until I get some answers!” she demanded. “Tell me! Please!”

  “You tell me, Gaby,” he said, his voice deeper than before, “What are you doing here? Why on earth are you walking alone at this hour! Don’t you know how dangerous it is!”

  “I had a night shit at the library,” she explained. Then she realized that he had no right to ask her where she was or why she was walking alone.

  “Why do you care anyways?” she exclaimed. “And why on earth were you following me?”

  “If I hadn’t been following you,” he said, his voice much calmer, “You wouldn’t be here right now, now would you?”

  “Yes, but…” she said, “You were still following me back! Why?”

  “Why do you think, Gabriella Blake?” he said, surprising her that he knew her name. “I needed to make sure you were safe.”

  “Make sure I was safe?” she asked. “And how do you know my name?”

  He turned around, facing the soaked streets, the pouring rain, and the bright silver moon above.

  “This is a dark world, Gabriella,” he said. “It is full of dark secrets, horrific creatures, and sinister dangers. You would never believe me. You can never imagine what’s out there. There is no point in trying to tell you. In fact, keeping you in the darkness is better than exposing you to what we try so hard to conceal.”

  “We?” she asked. “What are you talking about?”

  “The less you know,” he said, “The safer yo
u will be.”

  “Then why me?” she asked. “I mean, you follow me home, you make sure I am safe, you rescue me from near death, you tell me that there are dark creatures lurking outside, but you do not tell me who or what they are. Why do all this to me? Why me?”

  “Because you are a good person, Gabriella,” he said. “You are kind hearted. You are pure. You are loving and giving. You are also full of pain. You’ve been hurt so many times, yet you still have hope.”

  “How do you know all this?” she asked. “How do you know about my pain?”

  “I’ve been watching you Gabriella,” he confessed. “I’ve been observing you, watching your behavior, examining your life as if through a looking glass. You give us hope.”

  “Us?” she asked again. “Who are you talking about?”

  “Creatures beyond your imagination,” he said, barely looking at her. “You will never understand, and you will never accept us.”

  “You just said that I am kind hearted,” she said. “You have asked me to trust you. Shouldn’t you do the same?”

  Chuck was silent for a few moments, not knowing whether he should indeed tell her what he really was, or what had indeed just happened. He turned around, looked at her curious eyes. He felt his heart warm up, almost melting. She was so beautiful, her hair wet on her shoulders, covering part of her face. Her clothes were wet, completely soaked. He noticed her protruding nipples. Hard and erect, they peaked from underneath her shirt, showing themselves small and bright pink through her white tank top. Her knees were still a little scraped. They were bright red and full of dirt, and so was her skirt on which she sat and leaned on the wall.

  For a few moments, he felt like telling her everything. He wanted to confess the secrets of his heart, of his life, of his past, present, and future, He wanted to trust her with everything, with even his own life. He felt a connection he has never felt with anyone before her. Who was she? he thought to himself.

  “You see,” he attempted to explain, “I’m not like you.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “We’re different, you and I.”

  “How are we different?” she asked. “I mean, I’ve seen you do things I still cannot make sense of. You healed my wounds, almost brought me back to life when I felt like I was dying, and only with the touch of your hand.”

  “Yes,” he said, “It’s something only creatures like me can do.”

  “Creatures?” she inquired. “Why use the word creatures?”

  “Because I’m not…” he muttered. “I’m not…”

  “You’re not what?” she asked. “Tell me. Say the words, please.”

  “I’m not…” he said, “I’m not human!”

  “What? What do you mean?” she cried. “I can see you. You’re like me, of course you are human.”

  “I only take the shape of a human,” he said. “But I’m not human. I’m something different, far far different.”

  “What are you then?” she asked, not believing him yet going along with the conversation just to see what he had to say. “If you are not human, then what could you possibly be?”

  “I can’t tell you,” he said. “Not that piece of information. I just can’t!”

  “Why not?” she asked. “What are you afraid of?”

  “I am afraid of scaring you,” he confessed, looking at her with his bright eyes. “You can’t handle it. No human can.”

  “You don’t know me then,” she said. “I’m stronger than I look.”

  He believed her for a few moments, feeling a little relieved. But then he remembered his ancestors’ words.

  Tell no human what we are. Tell no human who we are. Tell no human where we hide. Tell no human that we live among them. Tell no human that we lurk behind them. Tell no human – lest the hunters find us, lest the hunters tear our skins, lest the hunters break our bones, lest the hunters end our race.

  Remembering these words, he began to worry. He feared that he might jeopardize his race, his remaining friends and family. He feared of that the hunters might know, that she would slip and tell someone about what she was told. Even if she didn’t believe him, even if she didn’t take his confessions seriously, he knew that the hunters also lived amongst the humans. They would know, and they would come after him and any other dragons that lived in the town.

  “Well?” she stood up, waiting for him to tell her what he was hiding. “Aren’t you going to tell me?”

  He was silent, his eyes wide open, his heart pounding through his heart. He looked at her, and regretted everything he told her. He was afraid that anything she might say, even about the ambiguous information he just gave her, might get the hunters to start looking for him. He knew what he had to do. He had no choice.

  He looked at her, fixed his eyes directly onto hers. His blue eyes began to glow even brighter, and she suddenly found herself lost in a trance and unable to move. She was lost in his eyes.

  “By the power of our mighty ancestors, I withdraw your memory,” he whispered. He repeated those words several times, until she closed her eyes and fell into his arms. She laid her on the ground, and once she opened her eyes, she said, “Take me home.”

  He helped her up again, stood back in a distance, hiding himself in the dark and pointing towards the end of the alley.

  “You can find your own way home,” he said. “I know you can. Don’t be afraid.”

  She found herself walking in the direction he was pointing. The rain had stopped, and Chuck disappeared into the night as she made her way to the house.

  Chapter 5

  Gabriella wakes up to the sound of worried friends. The bright lights above pierced her eyes as she struggled to see past her blurred vision. She was tired, feverish and shaking. She was also very dizzy, trying to make up the details of her surroundings. She tried to move, but her bones felt like they had beaten to death.

  “Don’t rush yourself,” an unfamiliar voice said. “You’re not strong enough, not yet at least. Just lay back.”

  “Gaby?” said a woman’s voice. She recognized it. It was Haven. She was standing over her; the details of her face blurry, and her voice echoing through Gaby’ ears. “It’s me, Haven. I’m here, Gabs.” Gabriella felt a soft hand holding hers, caressing her knuckles and wrist.

  “Damn, you had us all worried sick!” another voice said. It was Gavin, she later realized. “We went back to the house and you weren’t there. Suddenly we heard a knock on the door, and it was the police telling us that you were found passed out on the sidewalk. You’re at the hospital now.”

  “We’re all here, Gabs,” said Trevor. “You’re safe now.”

  “Alright, everyone,” said the unfamiliar voice. “Let’s give the patient room to breathe. She barely even knows where she is.”

  “Where…” Gaby muttered. “Where am I?”

  “You’re at the hospital, Gabriella,” said the unfamiliar voice. “I’m Doctor Adams, I’ll be monitoring you for the next couple of days. You’ve experienced quite the shock. My guess is that you slipped and fell in the rain. Is that what happened?”

  “The rain?” she asked. “Oh yes, the rain. I remember the rain.” Gaby’s gaze was wide yet unsteady. She seemed lost, looking around the room in attempt to confirm that she was indeed at a hospital. She attempted to get up, breathing heavily. “I remember the rain. It was cold. It was dark.”

  “Gaby, do you remember falling and hitting your head?” asked the doctor, trying to confirm that that was really what happened to her.

  “I…I think,” she said. “I don’t know. I remember the men…” The doctor was concerned by the words. He was afraid that something worse had happened.

  “Men? What men?” asked the doctor. Gaby didn’t reply, her eyes simply wandered the room in silence. “Gaby, you said there were two men. Who were they? Did they do anything to you?”

  Haven suddenly panicked, and was worried that they might have done something to her. She walked close to the doctor, held his arm
and whispered, “Doctor, did she get raped?” The doctor stepped away from Gaby, and stood in the corner with Haven.

  “I don’t believe so,” said Dr. Adams. “I’ve examined her body meticulously. There is no sign of any kind of violence on her body. She is just feverish and fatigued from the cold. My guess is that she slipped and hit her head as she fell. That’s why she might have fainted.”

  “So the men didn’t do anything to her?” Haven asked, her eyes almost tearful.

  “I don’t think so,” said the Dr. Adams. “But we still need to get her to remember.”

  Dr. Adams walked up to Gaby, and took a seat next to her.

  “Gaby,” he repeated, “Try to remember. Who were these men? And why were they there?”

  “The men…” she said, “Yes, I remember. They were trying to hurt me. They wouldn’t let me go home.”

  “What happened to them?” asked Dr. Adams. “Did they hurt you?”

  “No, he wouldn’t let them,” she suddenly said.

  “He wouldn’t let them?” asked Dr. Adams, his expression more confused than before. “Who’s he? Who are you talking about, Gaby? Was someone else there?”

  “Yes, there was,” she said, her voice barely audible. “He was there, and he saved me. He wouldn’t let them hurt me. It was the homeless man, the old homeless man.”