by T. S. Ryder
Willow gave him a doubtful look as the doors at the back of the hall opened. A stooped, grey-haired man came in, carrying a Celtic harp on his back. He moved with shuffling steps. His bare arms had black tattoos running down them in a pattern you’d find in a dragonfly’s wings. The man bowed to Quinn and took his harp from his back.
“It is an honor to sing for you, my king,” he rasped.
Quinn smiled at him. “Sing us a tale of the old country.”
Willow leaned in close to Asa. “Old country?”
“Faerie,” Asa whispered back. “You see, Sherwood is a fairy.”
Willow’s jaw dropped. “Liar!”
Asa chuckled. “It’s the truth. He was traded to Quinn’s ancestors around the same time that the great pyramids were being built, I believe. He’s been tied to their line ever since. He’s said to have killed a thousand of the king’s children before being bound to his will by the fairy queen when she split the Faerie world from the mortal world.”
“But fairies aren’t real. You’re having me on.”
“I’m not. Fairies are immortal.”
Willow brushed a hand through her red curls. “Like dragons.”
“No. Not like dragons. We grow old and die, just like humans. It just takes us a little while longer. Think about your lifespan compared to your dogs. You could easily see four, five generations of a collie in your lifetime. You’d seem immortal to them.”
Willow ducked her head at that, her lip trembling. Asa was surprised that such a statement would be the one to break down her walls. He opened his mouth, about to tell her that a human’s life could be extended greatly by the consumption of dragon flesh. Eat enough of it, and they could become a dragon themselves. That was how Shante had ended up joining Quinn for so long. He didn’t speak though. Humans were funny creatures, and that information was as likely to disgust her as anything else.
Instead, he sat back and focused on Sherwood as he started to sing, letting the magic of the bard’s voice wash over him.
Chapter Three – The Escape
The dragon’s marketplace was unlike anything Willow had seen. Rather than having the stores in stone buildings with windows with steel shutters ready to be bolted shut at any moment, these markets were open to the air. Brightly colored tents covered individual stalls holding the most incredible things: delicious-smelling roasted meats, freshly baked bread, glass jewelry.
Willow couldn’t get enough of it. She marveled that she could just wander around, taking her time. Asa had told her that she didn’t have to be back until dark. He had also told her to get whatever struck her fancy. All she had to do was give the vendor a slip of paper to charge him. When she had asked him how much she was allowed to spend, he told her there was no limit.
Either he’s rich or they work on some sort of barter system, she thought as she stopped at a clothing vendor. Knitted sweaters hung from hangers and she frowned. Was this wool from sheep that the dragons had stolen from her village?
A voice spoke beside her, making her jump. “This a lovely day, fair lady.”
Willow glanced over to see the singer from the feast, Sherwood, smiling at her. When Asa had told her he was a fairy she hadn’t believed it, but now, looking into his eyes, which shifted from green to blue to violet to amber as she gazed into them, she started to wonder if it was true.
“Hello,” she said uncertainly.
“You are Lord Asa’s newly acquired slave, hmm?” Sherwood touched her arm and stepped to one side.
She followed him without even thinking about it. “I don’t think I’m a slave,” she said uncertainly.
“He took you and you are now bound to obey him in all things. Where I come from, that would be slavery.” Sherwood made a humming noise. “It wasn’t until I was a slave myself that I saw it for what it was. I used to think my humans would be grateful for all the things I gave them. But freedom is a sweet taste that is as bitter as night.”
Willow opened her mouth then closed it, confused.
“I saw you the night of the feast.” Sherwood leaned in. “Such a beauty. Such a sad girl. And I thought, her sorrow is as beautiful as the frost on a windowpane. Your tears inspired my songs.”
That was creepy. Willow smiled uncertainly at him and stepped back a little. “Um . . . I should get back to . . . to shopping. I’m supposed to pick out food for supper.”
“Ah. Lord Asa is a lucky man, then, to have these slender fingers preparing his meals.” Sherwood caught her hand and she pulled it back.
“It was nice seeing you again,” she blurted and stepped around him. She walked quickly, hoping that he’d take the hint and stay back.
Apparently, though, that was too much to ask for. He followed her, humming under her breath. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Even though he didn’t look all that dangerous, with his large eyes and cupid-bow smile, there was something very off-putting about him. Maybe it was that otherworldly quality. Somehow, though, he was more frightening than Asa was.
Willow hurried through the market, picking out foods here and there to be sent to Asa’s manor. Sherwood was never far behind. Eventually, he came back up to her and roped a pearl necklace around her neck.
“Its beauty is nothing compared to yours, but your pretty throat deserved adornment.”
Willow took the pearls off and handed them back to him. “Please stop. I don’t know what is normal around here, but you are making me very uncomfortable.”
The fairy blinked at her, then smiled. “Ah, I see. Lord Asa told you that I killed a thousand kings’ sons. That I was given to the royal line in payment for my crimes?”
“I . . . that’s not the point.”
“Tsk, tsk, my lovely little flame. How can you believe the tales told by the dragon that plucked you mercilessly from your home to enslave you? Is he not the thief here? How many of your village’s children will die from cold and hunger because of their thieving ways? I am a slave and prisoner here, too, sweet fire.”
“That’s really beside the—”
Sherwood grasped her elbow. Willow wanted to pull away but didn’t. Part of her wondered why not, but the larger part whispered that she shouldn’t make a fuss. Sherwood belonged to the king. She was just some small shepherdess that a dragon took on a whim. Her word certainly would not be weighed as highly as his. And this place was very different from her village. Who was to say that the rules were even the same?
The fairy took her to a small booth that was currently unoccupied. There, he took both of her hands and stared deeply into her eyes. “Little flame, don’t you think I know what you’re thinking? We are both prisoners and slaves. I am bound to return to my king’s side to play as his pet. But you . . . you have wings to fly away. I know the secret passes through the city’s walls. I can free you from your cage.”
Willow’s heart jumped into her throat. Could he help her out of this place? Where would she go? Back home? No . . . She could go anywhere she wanted. Free. Free from her family’s expectations and limitations. Free from being Asa’s . . . She belonged to him, so that made her his slave, no matter what else he might give her.
Did she want to be a dragon’s property?
No.
“Show me how to get out.”
Sherwood smiled softly, then took her hand and pulled away. His hand was cold in hers, making her shiver, but she didn’t protest. He led her away from the market and into a large square. There, he entered a building and led her into the cellar. From here, he shifted aside a door in the floor and had her moving through a pitch-black corridor.
“You make a wise choice, pretty fire,” he murmured. “I have seen many women come to the city crying in their captor’s arms only to stay once their years of service are up because of the dragons in their bellies or arms. For their children, they stay.”
Willow shivered at the implications. “But they have laws and rules against that, don’t they?”
Sherwood hummed. “So they say.”
&nbs
p; Her stomach churned as she considered it. Who was going to enforce that humans were treated well? The king’s mistress? If she had any real power, why wouldn’t she be the queen? That alone should have given her the warning that she needed not to believe them. After all, if the dragons had any respect for women, then their king would show it. Having a mistress certainly showed something – his disregard for the women in his life. The queen hadn’t even been at the feast. Ashamed to show her face, perhaps knowing her husband's utter contempt for her.
But Asa isn’t like that, she thought. Then she snorted. Oh, really? He stole me from my village and made me his slave. He’s used up any goodwill that he might have gotten.
“How much longer?” she asked. The air was frigid and she wasn’t certain how long they had been walking. She realized her breathing was coming in pants and suddenly thought that they could have been in here for hours. Her attention had completely lapsed. “Where are you—”
A door opened. Willow flinched as brilliant light stabbed into her eyes. It blinded her, but Sherwood continued to pull her along. The smooth, cold stone that they had been walking along turned into the rough forest floor. Willow pressed her free hand to her eyes, wincing as the light continued to eat into them.
Sherwood took her to a small car and opened the door for her. “I can drive you to the city at the base of the mountain. The dragons there have strict laws for the proper care of humans and will not enslave you. But you will never be able to go home.”
Willow nodded. “I don’t want to, anyway.”
The fairy hummed. “That makes this far easier . . . ”
He took her hand and pressed a kiss to it. She opened her mouth to tell him that they couldn’t waste any time but closed it again. He knew what he was doing, right? Her mind started to drift away as his lips moved to her wrist. Wait . . . She didn’t want him kissing her . . . She wanted to get away . . . But it did feel good . . .
A screech above them broke through her muddled thoughts. Sherwood glanced up and cursed. There was a great beating of wings and Willow sat, frozen, as something dropped from the sky. Beautiful bronze scales. She reached to brush her fingers against them.
Thick arms wrapped around her. Claws dug into her back. The pain drove away from the fog and she realized what was happening. Another dragon. She screamed as it shot a ball of fire towards Sherwood and leaped into the sky.
Chapter Four – The Fight
Asa banked the bike hard to the left, nearly laying it flat as he made the sharp turn. With a kick, he righted it again and veered towards the target. His men followed him. Michael wiped out and went flying. He cursed as he jumped back to his feet, smoking at the mouth. Asa held up a hand, pulling the group to a stop. This was the fourth time with their new maneuver that someone had wiped out.
“Come on, people,” he shouted as he leaped off his bike. “We have more to prove than anybody else in this city. We can’t have this sloppy work. Michael, I know you’re new, but you are better than this. I’m not taking any of you out on raids if this is how it’s going to be.”
The men grumbled to one another, but Asa didn’t let that bother him. They were just cranky and tired. They all were. He wiped a hand across his brow.
“Let’s try it—”
The scream of a female voice cut him off. He looked up to see the distant form of a dragon flying overhead. It banked in a circle, something hanging and squirming from one of its claws. Even from this distance, Asa recognized the fiery red hair. The dragon dangled her some more, making his heart leap to his throat, then it wheeled about and took off.
Asa cursed. He jumped back on his bike and spun it around to follow after the dragon. He kept an eye on it as he dodged over the narrow roads. The dragon dove suddenly, disappearing from sight, but Asa knew where it was going. A few of his men pulled up beside him on their bikes as he continued. Within an hour, they were at Dreok, the city-state ruled by King Leon.
The gates were open, and Asa drove straight in. The dragons and their humans stared at the bikers. A few of them pointed openly but Asa ignored them. He didn’t stop until he got to the palace grounds.
Willow sat on a fountain’s lip, her eyes wide, her hair windblown. Beside her was a dragon who called himself The Spear. A rather pretentious name, but he was notorious for holding grudges. And Asa knew that he would never have been able to get Willow if she was in the city, but that would wait. For now, he just had to get her back to safety.
He put the kickstand into place and headed towards Willow and Spear. Her hands were bound together. The big dragon smiled at him.
“Well, if it isn’t the wingless dragon gang,” Spear drawled. “What brings you here, Asa?”
“Considering that you made sure that I saw you with my human, you already know that.” Asa kept his voice calm. “Just give her back to me and I’ll be on my way. No need for this to turn bloody. We all know what happened the last time you and I fought.”
Meaning that Asa had trounced the other dragon thoroughly. This had to be his way of trying to get back at him. Had he hired someone to kidnap Willow? No . . . the dragon wasn’t smart enough for that. More likely he saw her outside the gates and decided to take advantage of the situation.
“Your human? More like my human.” Spear thumped his chest. “I captured her fairly. A human wandering the woods. I just picked her up.”
“She’s mine and you know it,” Asa responded. His flames were heating up and he fought them back. Just wait. If he attacked first, then he’d be in big trouble. Just coming to the city without prior permission from his king put him in a bad position. His men fanned out behind him and he made a gesture, a silent order for them to stay back and not attack. “I laid my claim on that human, and it’ll be in the records. I’ve got my phone on me. All I have to do is pull up the website and we’ll have this sorted out. By law, you can’t lay claim to a human that has already been claimed.”
Willow yanked at the ropes holding her wrists. Her gaze never moved from his. He didn’t care if she was trying to run away. It was only to be expected, considering the fact that he had stolen her from her home. He wasn’t going to just hand her over to this creep, though.
Spear dropped a hand to Willow’s shoulder. “You have a claim on her? I don’t see any brands. Maybe I’ll put my mark on her, huh?”
Willow made a strangled noise in her throat. She lunged forward, sinking her teeth into Spear’s arm. The dragon yelped and yanked back. His face darkened and his hand flew. He struck Willow across the face, sending her tumbling back into the fountain.
And that was enough. Asa charged forward, releasing his inner beast as he did so. Black scales sprouted from his skin, covering him in a hard protective casing. His whole shape changed form. He whipped his tail around, lashing across Spear’s face before releasing a jet of green-tinged flame into the other dragon’s chest. Spear stumbled back, then snarled. He shifted and charged at him. Just like last time. Asa could have laughed. How predictable.
Asa flipped himself over, his smooth back scraping along the dirt as Spear tripped over him. The black dragon’s claws struck out, ripping scales from Spear’s soft underbelly. Spear roared and turned, but Asa was already back on his feet. He jumped onto the other dragon’s back, grabbing each wing and twisting them to the sides. Spear let out a pained cry and whipped around. His teeth pierced through Asa’s leg and he yanked. Asa, in turn, gripped the wings harder. He kicked at Spear’s face with his free leg and used his tail to knock the other dragon’s feet out from under him.
Spear let out a whimper and released Asa. He dropped to his belly and tucked his head between his hands. Asa released him and backed away, on edge in case he tried to attack again. When the bronze dragon didn’t move, Asa shifted back into his human form and marched over to Willow, who was still half-submerged in the water. Her eyes were wide in her skull as she looked at him and Spear, who slowly shrunk back to his own human form.
“The human is mine.” Asa turned his back and h
elped Willow from the fountain. With a directed puff of flame, he burned through the ropes. “Are you okay?” he asked in a low voice.
Eyes still wide, she nodded. Silently, he led her over to bikes and lifted her onto the back of his before mounting. Her arms wrapped tight around his middle as he wheeled about and headed back towards his own city.
Now that he no longer had to worry about fighting for her, he allowed himself to consider how she ended in this situation.
She wanted to get away. That much was clear. The only way Spear would have been able to capture her was if she had managed to find her way out of the city. Running around in the woods? More like trying to run away from him. And while it did make him a little angry to know that she’d just take off like that, it made sense. There was a reason why he had never taken prisoners for all these years. Humans didn’t like to be stolen away from their homes.
By the time they got back to the city, she was shaking. He didn’t drive to his home, though. He made a gesture to send his men back to their homes and went to the palace. There, he quickly found Shante. She was in the gardens, her feet up while she stroked her pregnant belly.
“Asa.” Shante’s brow rose at the sight of him. “What brings you here?”
“I want you to arrange a trade. To ransom Willow back to her family.”
Willow gasped. “What?”
Shante got to her feet. “What’s brought this on?”
“I’m not going to keep a human that hates me.”
“But I don’t hate you.” Willow shook her head. “I just . . . I just don’t want to be a slave.”
“Arrange for the ransom. In the meantime, I think it’s best she be kept in the palace.” Asa turned on his heel and started walking away. He thought he heard a murmured thank you from Willow, but didn’t turn back.
His fires flickered low, and that only made him angrier. His body ached from the fight with Spear. A nice relaxing soak in the hot springs beneath his manor would help with that. It wouldn’t ease the tightness that was winding its way around his heart, though. What was he feeling like this for, anyway? It wasn’t like he’d gotten attached to her . . . How could he have? And yet, the thought of never seeing her again made it hard to breathe.