The training room I’d seen when we first arrived spread out before us. Fang held open the gymnasium door and ushered us through, giving us the rundown as our eyes scanned over the equipment.
“Tom and I found this yesterday,” he said. “It has a training track, a simulator, even a hot tub.” The blush was back, burning up his cheeks.
Mercedes leaned back, eyeing him. “I know you didn’t just get me down here to try to see me in my underwear.”
“No, I… uh…didn’t...” Fang stuttered, balking.
“Boy, I’m just playing. A hot tub sounds dope, but first show me this simulator.”
Fang led Mercedes up a set of stairs off to our right while I got the lay of the land.
A huge gymnasium spread out around us, filled with so many wonders it took a while for my brain to process them all. Over to the right stood rows of exercise equipment— treadmills, bikes, weight machines, and rowers—all in brand-new condition. Out ahead of us was the obstacle course. It appeared to be one of those ninja warrior training facilities on steroids. There were ropes, nets, pits and lots of things to jump around, over, or through. On the far end was a sparring area with dummies just waiting to be pummeled and what looked like… a row of weapons!
I tugged on Tom’s arm. “This is like Christmas morning.”
He beamed at me. “I knew you’d love it.”
For the next hour, we tried everything out, getting good and sweaty while Fang and Mercedes donned V.R. headsets and ran around the simulator room, bumping into each other and laughing.
I threw a ninja star into the cork wall and it sunk in with a satisfying thunk. Tom retrieved it for me, stopping to peer up at our friends inside their glass-walled enclosure.
“They seem good for each other, don’t you think?”
I peered up at them, pondering. Could a dragon and a girl, no matter how hot and wonderful she was, really work out? I know I’d had my share of romances, however fleeting but I was part dragon or whatever. I was in their world. Mercedes’s world consisted of sugary carbs, gossip mags and binge watching Supernatural. It did not include world domination and mythological creatures.
At least, it hadn’t.
I took the ninja star and flung it, burying it deep into the cork. “I have bigger things to worry about than who Mercedes’s guy of the week is.”
“Guy of the week?” Tom raised an eyebrow.
I walked to retrieve my own death star. “They don’t last too long. I mean look at her, she has a lot of options. Hard to keep her pinned down.”
“Man, Fang would be crushed.” Tom stared up at his friend, frowning.
“Doesn’t he have a lot to worry about with his brother nearly dying and Santiago joining the Erudite Academy.”
“So he told you?”
“He did,” I said, my head dropping. “I tried to talk him out of it, but…”
“I know. We did, too.” Tom shook his head. “He’s determined, though.”
“I think Ivy must be forcing him somehow, but he won’t talk to me.”
He ran a hand through his blond hair. “I don’t think so.”
Feeling guilty for being here, I peered toward the exit. “I should go find him.”
Tom walked over to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Lila, it’s okay to enjoy something for just one second. We can’t be on edge all the time. But don’t worry. I’m sure some crisis will happen in the next ten seconds that will sweep us away from here.” He took the throwing star from my hand and placed it back on the table with its brothers.
I stared at him and would have told him that I wanted to relax too, but it was impossible because all I could do was think about Ki and Tara and Santiago and… Sure, I wanted to be carefree. I wanted to be happy and I was jealous that Fang and Mercedes could find a glimmer of joy when my mind was filled with fear and anxiety, but there was no rest for me.
Tom was no Ki, but he grabbed my hand and squeezed it all the same.
“It was fun hanging out with you,” I said, with a smile. “I’m going to catch a shower though.”
“No hot tub?” he raised a flirty eyebrow.
I’d done enough kissing for one twenty-four hour period, so I patted his arm. “Rain check.”
He shrugged. “Your loss.” With a wink, he headed off to the boys’ locker room.
Glancing up, I spotted Mercedes and Fang still in V.R. It looked like they were playing golf by the way she was standing and holding imaginary clubs. When Fang moved behind her to “show her how to swing,” I knew I shouldn't interrupt to say goodbye.
I crossed the gym and pushed open the doors only to nearly run into two guards striding down the hallway. A walkie-talkie blared from one guard’s hip.
“He’s back. Being escorted to his room,” the staticky voice over the walkie said.
Black Rock was back? My pulse caught up with my racing thoughts. If Black Rock was back, I needed to see him. I needed to know what was going on with Tara.
The shower would have to wait. I high-tailed it to his room.
Chapter 16
I rushed down the hall to Black Rock’s door. It was late, but I needed to know what had happened. I knocked. No answer.
Clearly needing a lesson on boundaries, I pushed the door open and poked my head in. The bed was empty. Hadn’t the walkie-talkie said they were bringing him here?
A feeling of unease sliding down my back, I walked down the corridor, looking for any signs of life. Where was he? Hopefully not at the infirmary. I refused to go there to find someone else in the grips of death. The place seemed deserted until I found what appeared to be the conciliatory’s war room.
I pushed through the door, staring up at one of the many flat-screen TVs affixed to the far wall, all displaying different channels. A similar video to the one Ivy had shown us on her phone was playing on one of them. The untamed were like zombies causing mayhem on a city street while terrorized citizens fled for their lives. It played out on the screen like a horror movie. I kept watching, expecting to see Black Rock drop from the sky looking like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and punch them into oblivion, but he never did.
A couple of men sat in front of computer screens, keeping an eye on the situation. Ivy was there, leaning over one of them, pointing at something on his computer.
“Where is Black Rock? Is he back?” I asked.
Ivy gave a little jump, then turned to face me, visibly composing herself. The men swiveled their chairs, their expressions giving me an answer I refused to believe. Black Rock wasn’t back. Something had happened to him.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Ivy said. “Go back to bed.”
“You must make a good mom,” I said, taking pleasure in making her feel old.
Ivy’s face twisted, and she seemed at the verge of telling me something ugly, but managed to keep her cold veneer. Instead, she spoke to the man she’d been working with.
“Let me know when we hear back from Silver.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the man said, turning back to his computer.
Picking up a folder from one of the empty desks, Ivy started walking toward the door.
I wanted to demand an answer, but without Black Rock here, where did I stand? Moving as casually as possible to block her path, I swallowed my pride and changed my tactics.
“He isn’t back, is he?” I let my concern show in my voice. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to Black Rock. He’d gone after Tara, leaving me behind in order to protect me.
“No, he isn’t, but I’m sure he’s fine,” Ivy said. I didn’t know her well, but something told me she was lying.
“You sent Silver after him.” I glanced toward the man whom she’d charged with giving her an update.
Ivy lay the folder she was holding on a nearby table and crossed her arms. “Not much escapes you, huh?”
I shrugged.
“Yes, I sent Silver and some of his men to... offer Black Rock some help,” she said. “I’m sure we’ll hear from them shortly. I
t wouldn’t be the first time he goes missing. Now, if you excuse me, I need to take a short break.”
She certainly seemed like she needed a break. A few strands of her hair were out of place and dark circles under her eyes were raccoon in nature. Still, there was something else I needed to ask her.
“Does the Erudite Society always recruit people when they are as young as Santiago?”
Ivy’s expression shifted to a self-important sneer. “Recruit is the wrong word, Lila. The Erudite Society simply welcomes those who wish to join.”
“That’s nice,” I said, sarcasm tainting my tone. “And what about their magic? Do you suppress it even when the dragon barely knows its potential?”
“Only if the candidate is adamant about it,” she answered, never breaking eye contact, never giving me any indication that she was lying. “Once they learn the benefits, the choice is easily made.”
Oh, God. So… Santiago truly wanted this? Ivy hadn’t brainwashed him into accepting? My confidence extinguished, leaving me confused.
“As hard as it might be for you to believe, this has nothing to do with you,” Ivy said, her voice almost gentle. “I’m sure it’s nice having those boys wrapped around your finger, but you can’t expect it to last forever.” She inclined her head to the side, truly curious.
At a loss for words, I took a step back.
“Food for thought, Lila,” Ivy added, making as if to go.
I stepped out of the way, and she walked out, leaving me with a sinking feeling in my chest. Would Santiago be followed by the others when they realized I was the reason for all their troubles? Was it fair of me to keep dragging them along with me?
I’d been told by two different people that I made myself the center of every conversation, so the answer was obvious.
A monitor started beeping, breaking me out of my gloomy reflections. Glad to focus on something else, I switched my attention to the guys on duty, the two military-looking dudes with their sharp crew cuts, starched shirts, and crisp pants.
Strolling casually, I moved deeper into the room. “Nice setup you guys have here.”
One of them grunted his assent while the other one ignored me. Not much for chatting, it seemed. All business. No play. Great personalities.
I sat on one of the empty chairs, taking casual peeks over the men’s shoulders, hoping to spot something that made sense, but I might as well been staring at an alien display for all I got out of it.
Where had Ivy said the attack took place? I racked my brains, but there was no way I would remember the Spanish name. I searched the overhead TVs for clues, but none of them were playing news feeds anymore.
What if Tara had killed Black Rock?
The question entered my brain like a toxic fume that quickly poisoned my every thought.
Dad, my aunt, Ki, Santiago… In one way or another, they were all casualties of my reckless behavior. I kept dragging everyone down with me. I’d even got Mercedes involved, my best friend who had been safe at home with her parents, living a normal life.
I clasped my head between my hands and squeezed it hard. One of the men gave me an annoyed sideways glance that clearly said, would you please leave?
Taking the hint, I stood and walked toward the door. On my way out, I noticed that Ivy had forgotten the folder she’d been carrying. Surreptitiously, I glanced back then—confirming the men had already dismissed me—snatched the folder and purposefully walked out of the room.
Fifteen minutes later, I was at the launching platform, naked and trying to find the courage to jump into the darkness. I had my magenta suit rolled tightly into a ring with my phone tucked securely in its folds.
The papers inside Ivy’s folder had contained all the information about Black Rock’s excursion to the city’s south side. The report had included an exact location, the name of the establishments attacked, the number of civilians injured, the various stories that tried to explain Los Zombis, everything I needed to know about Tara and Black Rock’s most recent whereabouts.
I tightened my fist, pulling warmth from my ring.
Taking short steps, I approached the ledge and stared down into pitch black. I’d jumped off from here just yesterday, so I could be fairly confident another mountain hadn’t formed next to this one. That would take at least a million years, give or take.
“Screw it,” I said and, shutting down my stupid thoughts, I dived.
I shifted, relishing in my dragon form as it expanded. Thick scales protected me from the frigid wind, and my enhanced vision confirmed my geological calculations had been right. No new mountains had sprouted overnight.
Flapping my wings, I turned in the direction that my phone’s GPS had pointed as south. It only took me fifteen minutes flying due south to spot a snaking river cutting through the city and dividing it into north and south sides. Several bridges went over what I assumed to be the Mapocho River, glimmering with moonlight. I flew over it, reinforcing my cloaking spell. Even in the wee hours of the morning, a dragon had to be wary of curious eyes.
I wasn’t sure exactly where to land, so as soon as I crossed over the river, I descended and touched ground on the most deserted street I could find.
The suit went on in record speed. I had to admit the one long zipper was terribly convenient and made for fast disrobing and… robing? Um, sure.
Clearly, my brain had gone to the crapper. Not a surprise since all my blood was busy pumping through my racing heart. I was in a foreign country, dressed in a tight suit, clueless of the language, dark creepy buildings all around me and searching for my archenemy. What could go wrong? Especially when I had my trusty secret weapon: Google Maps.
Pulling out my phone, I opened the app.
Before I left the conciliatory, I had punched in one of the addresses from Ivy’s paperwork. And, apparently, I was in luck. I’d landed only a few blocks from where the attacks had taken place.
Zipping the phone into a tight pocket on the side of my thigh, I began to walk, letting a wave of concealing magic wash over my body. The streets were empty, barely illuminated by a few street lamps, but one could never be too careful. Several times—as I passed narrow alleys decorated with graffiti—I had to remind myself that I was wearing a cloaking spell. No one would be able to spot me, and if they did, I could simply shift and eat them. Ha.
As I went, watching out for clues, the street sights gradually changed, becoming more industrial. I paused and glanced back, realizing that none of the buildings I’d left behind looked anything like those cafes I’d seen on the news footage Ivy had shown us. These were old, squat, and not trendy in the least.
I checked my phone again to make sure I hadn’t taken a wrong turn. Nope. I was in the right place. Had I copied the address incorrectly? Spanish was never my best subject and all the calles and avenidas had confusing names.
Damn!
I glanced around. I was standing in front of an abandoned-looking warehouse. It was surrounded by a rusted chain link fence that served no purpose at all. There were too many holes and gaps along its length to stop would-be intruders—not that anyone would want to go inside the decrepit place. Its windows were broken, graffiti upon graffiti covered every available surface, a couple of old cars with rust spots the size of General Douche’s ego sat by the front door.
What a dump.
I was about to turn away and retrace my steps when a shadow ran from one of the cars to another. I tried to tell myself it must be a cat, a Chilean breed that grew to the size of a skulking human, but yeah, a cat.
A gnawing sensation settled in the pit of my stomach. It could be anyone: a homeless person, a squatter, a vampire. But something told me it hadn’t been any of those.
And when the stench of rotten flesh hit my nostrils, I knew for sure.
Chapter 17
The untamed slid out of the shadows and into view from either side. I walked forward, tense, as more and more of their sick, rotting-flesh-covered bodies stepped out of the shadows.
Ho
w many? Seven? Eight? Now a dozen. No, two dozen. Oh, God. I’d picked a bad day to own up to my selfish behavior.
I should be running out of the warehouse, not into it. Still, my body propelled me forward as if it wanted another chance to take them on. I could do this. At the beach, I’d incinerated a group of this size. And this time, there was no one else around that I could hurt. No one else to worry about. It was right that I’d come alone.
Concentrating, I began to draw power from my ring, it’s bright red glow starting as an ember and then burning with bright red fire, enough to light up the dark areas of the warehouse.
Which is how I spotted them.
Two figures in the back. Not untamed. The creatures had all shuffled back into the shadows at the first hint of my power. These figures were large, upright and turned my way. I caught the sheen of blue scales and then the dark shimmer of ebony skin before piecing together the whole tableau.
Tara stood beside Black Rock, both eyeing me, as my red fire intensified. My mind reeled as it sifted through this seemingly conflicting information. Why was Black Rock standing beside Tara and not attempting to tear her apart? He’d gone off to fight her and now he was here in this dirty warehouse beside her?
As I was processing awful possibilities, Black Rock’s body rose into the air. Tense and ramrod straight. Blue electric coils traveled up and down his skin as he rose. Tara’s expression flooded with sheer, maniacal joy as I took in the sight.
I shook my head. How was this happening? Tara couldn’t be more powerful than Black Rock. I’d seen him stop the world while all she could do was light up like a Christmas tree.
“Good of you to make it,” Tara said, her bald and ridged head pulsing blue with her magic. “I sent the invitation hours ago, but then I suppose you were busy. The important thing is you’re here now.” She raised one hand, magic crackling between her fingertips.
“Lila, get out now! There’s no way you can beat her.” Black Rock shot the words at me as his eyes filled with fear.
When I opened my mouth to protest, his gaze darted to the right and stayed there as if there was something he wanted me to see.
Perilous: The Dragon’s Creed Series Book 3 Page 11