Let There Be Dragons (The Children of Ankh Book 3)

by Kim Cormack

  Zach hopped on the couch and sighed, “I guess I have to sleep on the couch?”

  Kayn grinned without looking at him as she dug around in her bag. That brightly colored parrot on the wall was bothering her way more than it should. She wanted to smash it and rip it up into tiny shreds. She scowled and stared at it.

  Astrid sat down on the couch, flung her arm over Zach’s shoulder and teased, “I’ll sleep on the couch, if you want to sleep with Kayn.”

  Zach dove onto the queen-sized bed and it caused Kayn’s backpack to bounce off. He managed to grab it before it landed on the floor.

  Astrid started to chuckle as she rose to her feet and announced, “Let’s go. They’re probably sitting there waiting to order.”

  Kayn reluctantly stopped plotting the hideous painting’s demise and followed the group. They were chatting about what they wanted to eat. She was famished but sensed the pangs of hunger she was feeling had little to do with anything she could order in a restaurant. The others were discussing music and dancing. They sounded like they had one of those go hard or go home nights planned. Except for Melody. She’d been awfully quiet. Kayn hung behind the group and walked beside her understandably silent friend. She could empathize with how Melody was feeling. Astrid and Haley were so ecstatic to be out of the Testing that they were in a completely different mindset. Kayn and Melody were the last ones through the door. Everyone was already sitting down at one long table goofing around and laughing as though they hadn’t just fought their way out of hell. She was impressed with Zach. He hadn’t missed a beat. Kayn was gapped out, staring at the forest green tables. Why did they annoy the hell out of her?

  Zach said, “Earth to Kayn. Are you planning to sit down or just stand there and stare at Frost all night?”

  Oh, she was going to kill him. For the first time, she hadn’t been staring at Frost while being accused of it. Of course, there was only one empty seat left and it was directly across the table from Frost. She sat down but didn’t make eye contact with him. Zach was a horrible Handler. All he’d been doing was poking the Dragon that she was attempting to put to sleep. She tried to focus on the plastic flowers on the table but the sight of them made her feel hostile. Apparently now all she would get to feel with any ease was angry and turned on. At that thought she glanced up at Frost. He was making plans to hang out at the pub with Astrid. She wasn’t the least bit jealous. She knew Astrid was into girls. Kayn grabbed for her glass of water and Lily grabbed for the same glass. Their fingers touched and she got a little shock.

  Lily laughed, “I was already drinking out of that one.”

  Kayn apologized. She’d always gotten shocked on car doors etc. She didn’t give it a second thought as she shrugged and grabbed a full glass from the other side of her. The waitress came and took their orders. Kayn didn’t know what she felt like. Usually she ordered one of three different things, but tonight none of her regular cravings felt right. She wanted something spicy. Kayn ordered a Chicken Caesar wrap and politely stopped the waitress before she walked away from the table and asked her to put an absolutely disgusting amount of hot sauce on it. This was something Chloe would have ordered. She went to grab another drink of water and couldn’t remember which glass was hers. Her brain was a pile of mushy goo today. Her dinner arrived quickly and the waitress grinned at her as she gave her an enormous side of hot sauce. Kayn unwrapped her wrap and dumped the entire container into it. It was overflowing from the sides when she took her first giant bite. Hot sauce dribbled all over her face and down her chin. Frost grinned and passed her a napkin. She wiped her face off and when she looked at the napkin she noticed that the hot sauce looked like blood. He continued to stare at her, obviously awaiting her response to the crazy amount of hot sauce but she gave him none. It was delicious. It was exactly what she wanted. Actually… it could have been hotter. Another shiver of adrenaline coursed through her.

  She heard Grey say, “Next time we come across a hot sauce eating contest, you’re our girl.”

  Kayn looked towards the sound of his voice and the whole group was staring at her. She didn’t need to ask them why they were staring. She knew she was doing strange things and she had a feeling, this was only the beginning.

  The waitress placed a beer in front of her and she didn’t recall ordering one. After feeling another jolt of adrenaline, she excused herself from the table and rose to stand. There were visible goosebumps prickled up on her arms and her balance was off as she made her way to the bathroom. Okay, she’d just had a half dozen shots of adrenaline in a row, for no reason. She noted that her gross motor skills were now a tad sketchy as she grabbed for the handle and missed. Everyone’s voices had become so loud that she swore she could probably hear every conversation in the restaurant if she focused. She opened the bathroom door and closed it behind her. Instantly feeling a touch of relief once the chorus of voices were muffled. She locked the door and stared at it wondering if she could just forgo eating and stay in here. These new ability glitches were mentally exhausting. There had to be a way to shut them off. Someone rapped on the bathroom door.

  She heard Jenna’s voice say, “I think you should let me in.”

  Kayn unlocked the door and opened it to Jenna’s concerned expression. Jenna maneuvered around her, closed the door and locked it behind her. The clan’s Oracle obviously knew she was having a difficult time.

  Jenna gave her a maternal smile and said, “It’s going to take some time to learn how to control when and where you siphon abilities from people. I’m curious, did your twin eat everything with a gross amount of hot sauce?”

  Kayn nodded without answering aloud.

  Jenna grinned and added, “This part of your brain’s growth can be overwhelming and sometimes this part can take months, even years. Your brain is trying to sort through a crazy amount of information. I can make a bracelet that might calm things down for you. For tonight, you’ll have to dull the voices with alcohol.”

  Kayn grinned at her. That didn’t sound like a bad idea. She followed Jenna back to the table and sat down. Then glanced over at Lexy. Grey was sitting beside her with his arm draped over her shoulder protectively. No, Zach definitely wasn’t Grey. Zach probably hadn’t even noticed she’d left the table. He appeared to be having the same intense conversation with Melody that he’d been involved in when she’d left.

  Jenna whispered something in Zach’s ear and he glanced over with a guilty look in his eyes. He didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to be her Handler and she didn’t want him to have to be. She gazed at the full beer in front of her but she didn’t feel like a beer. Why did she feel like cranberry juice and vodka? She glanced at Lily. That’s what she was drinking. There was some weird shit going on tonight. Her senses were all over the place. She picked up the beer and took a giant swig of it. It wasn’t bad. She took another drink. She watched Frost take a sip from his glass and lick a droplet of beer from his bottom lip. She was staring. Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. Her leg accidentally brushed against someone else’s under the table. Frost was staring at her. It must have been his leg. Why did he have to be this sexy? She looked down at her glass and traced the rim with her finger. She looked up just as Frost leaned across the table, stole her glass and took a slow seductive sip.

  He whispered, “You might want to pace yourself. Pick a drink and stick to it. If you mix beer, cider and those sweet drinks that Lily likes your night will end badly.”

  She reached across the table, stole one of his fries, dipped it in his ketchup and popped it into her mouth. She replied, “This isn’t my first time.”

  Frost slid her beer back across the table and teased, “I warned you.”

  She licked the ketchup off her finger, picked up her glass and took a sip. Kayn shivered as the fluorescent lights began to buzz loudly. She winced in response to the overwhelming amount of sound and quickly downed the rest of her beer.

  Markus stood up and announced that they were going back to their r
oom and calling it a night. She assumed he meant Arrianna and him. They said their goodbyes and left the diner with the jingling of the bells on the door. The entire group was preparing to leave. Kayn listened to the group as they made their plans.

  “I’m out of here,” Frost announced. “Are you guys still coming with me?”

  Grey glanced at Lexy and said, “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”

  Lexy smiled at him and answered, “I’m all good. I told Orin I’d watch a movie with him. Have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  Grey was going to walk away but he paused and whispered, “After your shenanigans at the Summit. I guess that leaves me pretty open.”

  Lexy glared at him and ominously teased, “You like to live dangerously, don’t you?”

  Grey yelped, “Shit!” As Lexy leapt out of her seat and chased him out of the jingling door into the parking lot.

  Melody looked at Frost and asked, “Should we help him?” The group strolled towards the door

  Frost snagged a delivery menu from the counter as he passed by it and chuckled, “Nah, she won’t hurt him… that badly.”

  Kayn wandered back to their motel room, somewhat detached from the conversation the others were having. Frost, Astrid and Grey separated from the group on the floor below theirs raring to start their night of debauchery. She climbed that last flight with only Zach as Haley and Melody had raced ahead of them for first dibs at the bathroom. As they entered the room the girls were giggling while getting changed like normal teenagers excited for a night out.

  Zach paused out of respect in the doorway but when neither of them bothered to cover themselves up, he shrugged and made himself comfortable on the bed. He turned on the TV and urged, “Hurry up ladies. I’m ready to go.” He started clicking through the channels and most of them were nothing but a black screen with a message asking you to subscribe. He noted, “There’s barely any free channels in this place.”

  Kayn acknowledged his observation by smiling at him as she rifled through her disorganized bag of crumpled up stuff, inevitably deciding to just wear what she was already wearing, running shoes and all. She wandered into the bathroom just as Haley was putting on her final touches in the mirror.

  Haley skillfully applied her lipstick, glanced back at Kayn and declared, “Sometimes it’s hard to believe we were in there for twenty years. That’s two decades hallucinating in a floating crypt. Honestly, I thought the world would have changed more. The TV’s sets in the hotel rooms are different but stuff like this lipstick here.” She held up the tube. “The little things are the same.”

  Kayn smiled while clarifying, “That tube of lipstick may look the same but there’s stay on lipstick along with twelve-hour eye liner and mascara now. Wait until you hear the music and check out what computers are like now. Everyone has a computer. She picked up Melody’s cell phone and said, “We use cheap disposable phones but most people’s cell phones are just as powerful as their laptops.”

  Haley took a step back from the mirror and sang, “Your turn.”

  Mel hollered from the other room, “Zach’s panties are in a twist! Hurry up!”

  Kayn grinned as she surveyed her rough looking reflection. Her wild frizzy curls had escaped from her ponytail. She usually checked on the state of her hair during the day but it hadn’t even occurred to her. She called out, “Give me a second to freshen up and it’s on!” She heard a rustling sound behind her, Zach was standing in the doorway.

  He crinkled up his nose and said, “It’s on? Don’t talk like that Brighton. It’s freaks me out a little.”

  Melody spoke to him and he wandered away from the bathroom without waiting for her reply. Good, she didn’t want to give him one. She just wanted to have a good time. She wanted to forget about the Testing and just enjoy being this fearless version of herself. Kayn leaned closer to the mirror as she applied some dark lipstick and way more makeup then she usually wore. She took her hair out of the ponytail, wet it down and messed it up a little. It fell in a seductive damp lion’s mane of curls. She put a dollop of oil in her hair to tame the frizz and strutted out of the bathroom looking way sexier than she usually did.

  Zach was sitting next to the girls on the bed. He stopped aimlessly clicking through the channels and ribbed, “Who are you and what have you done with Kayn?”

  “That’s exactly the look I was going for,” she teased as she grabbed her purse off the bed. The group gathered what they needed and headed out the door. A gentle evening breeze moved through her hair and it felt like someone was running their fingers through it. She turned around and noticed something floating in the air beside her. It was fluffy. She allowed it to land in the palm of her hand. The breeze stopped and it didn’t float away. It was a dandelion seed. Her mind travelled to thoughts of her childhood. She recalled spinning around in Granny Winny’s yard with a handful in her hands as the tiny parachutes took off in flight. An image of Kevin’s smiling face as a child flickered through her mind and she squished the delicate seed in the palm of her hand. She couldn’t think of him anymore. Never again…

  Zach’s voice broke her out of her thoughts, “What did you just squish in your hand?”

  “Nothing,” she exclaimed. “Absolutely nothing.” She brushed it on her bare leg as she followed the others down the stairs.

  The pub downstairs had already begun to play dance music and there was a lineup of boys outside. No girls in the lineup. That was strange? The bouncer called them up to the front of the line and explained, “It’s ladies’ night tonight. The men won’t be allowed in until after ten.”

  He tried to stop Zach and Kayn explained, “He’s just one of the girls, if you know what I mean.”

  The bouncer flirtatiously winked at Zach. He waved him past but stopped him and whispered in his ear, “Come and see me later.”

  Zach scowled at Kayn and whispered, “One of the girls…seriously?”

  She laughed and teased, “He let you in, didn’t he?”

  Zach shook his head as he trailed her through the crowd. “Funny, you’re pretty frigging hilarious,” he spared.

  She turned back, grinned and teased, “I try.” She scanned the room as they maneuvered through the crowd. No Frost, Grey or Astrid. They must have gone somewhere else. Haley appeared out of nowhere and towed her out onto the dance floor. With the pressure gone she began to gyrate to the music with her pack of friends. They did shots of tequila and danced until all thoughts of the Testing had been snuffed out. There was nothing left but the beat of the music and a feeling of freedom. It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Every so often she noticed a strange expression on Haley’s face and she wondered if it had to do with the absence of Astrid. They’d been constant companions for twenty years. It occurred to her once again that she had no business complaining about the Testing or what had happened in that place in front of the two of them. If they could still endeavor to find blissful moments after twenty years, then she had no excuse, Dragon or not. Zach grabbed her hand and towed her over to the bar. He ordered her a shot covered in whipping cream and told her she had to drink it with no hands. She didn’t even give it a second thought, she was having far too much fun to care if her face was going to be covered in whipping cream. She did the shot as a crowd gathered around to cheer her on. They did a few more shots of tequila. They tasted like hell but she felt amazing. She pranced out onto the dance floor again, spinning around to the beat of the music, lost in the blissful euphoria of complete and total freedom. She began dirty dancing with a random cute guy with no embarrassment or fear. She planted a kiss square on the lips before leaving him standing there in the center of the dance floor to go get another drink. She recalled the conversation they’d had in the Testing and mentally ticked, kissing a stranger off of her bucket list. She gyrated and wiggled her way over to the bar to the beat of the music, where a girl she’d never met offered her a couple of shots. She did them, hooting with the group of strangers when they were done. It f
elt amazing to be a normal girl out with her friends, cutting loose. The girl towed her back out onto the dance floor and the group of strangers began to dance together. She’d never been this drunk. The room began to waver. She began to feel a bit queasy but she wasn’t about to let that stop her. She danced with everyone that asked her. Perspiration trickled down her brow and she knew she needed a breather. She made her way back to the bar and found a stool. She had to sit down for a minute.

  “Hey Rock Star,” Zack teased. “Are you alright?”

  She turned around, saw him standing there and gave him a thumbs-up as he handed her another shot of tequila. They clinked their tiny glasses and downed their shots without even thinking about salt, lime or the taste. Kayn had something else to say. She spun around and he was back out on the dance floor. She didn’t want to dance anymore. A flock of men were lined up for drinks. It must be after ten. A seriously hot one sat down beside her and placed a bright pink shot in front of her. She swallowed it without thinking. It was sour and there was something floating in the shot. It had a bitter after taste. She crinkled up her face and giggled, “I think I just swallowed a bug.”

  The good-looking guy winked at her and teased, “A little bit of extra protein never hurt anyone.”

  They chatted for a while about music and life. He was an interesting guy and he had the darkest eyes she’d ever seen. She couldn’t help herself as she stared into them. They were so dark that she couldn’t tell the difference between his pupil and his iris. It was a little bit creepy but who was she to judge? He ordered them a couple more shots.

  When the waitress brought the drinks, she looked directly at Kayn and said, “Are you feeling alright?”

  The dark eyed stranger answered the question for her, “She’s fine.” He towed her out onto the dance floor. A slow song began and she just went with it. Her arms were around his neck and she rested her head on his shoulder. Kayn moved with him to the music, without a single thought crossing her mind. This was just what she needed. Her vision wavered and her knees felt weak. Oh crap. Her dance partner pulled away to ask her if she wanted to go for a drive. She could see the color of his eyes in the strobing lights on the dance floor, they were dark brown. Kayn knew she shouldn’t go anywhere but she wanted to.