Breathing Fire (Heretic Daughters)

by Rebecca K. Lilley

  She rolled her eyes. “People always stare at you. You should be used to it by now. I hate blonds. And big boobs. Bitch.”

  I stopped, looking at her. “Have you seen the looks they’ve been giving me? They’re not checking me out. Something weird is going on here.”

  “Um, yeah. I thought that’s why we were here.”

  “Just watch the faces of the next people we come across.”

  We came across another chamber with someone getting whipped. I interrupted them without hesitation, calling out loudly as I stormed their private room. “Hey, have you guys seen a woman about my height with spiky black hair? Or anything strange at all, for that matter?”

  They both turned to me, the still chained woman craning her neck. They just stared at me, confused. “She would look a little like me, my size, black hair. Ring a bell?”

  “B-black hair?” the woman asked.

  “Yes, pitch-black. Seen anyone by that description?”

  They both shook their heads, still looking at me strangely. I let out a frustrated sigh as I stormed out.

  “I see what you mean,” Sloan muttered behind me.

  We continued our search of the large building, until we came across a large audience chamber of some kind, with a show going on that stopped me in my tracks.

  A tall blond woman was at the center of it all, barely covered in a series of latex straps that didn’t manage to cover even the essentials. Nipple clamps tried but failed to help cover her nipples, and her crotch didn’t fair much better, with a g-string so thin it barely covered anything. It was one of the most obscene outfits I’d ever seen, and she wore it with no shame. Her pale blond hair was done up in twin braid buns on the sides of her head. As I noticed her face, a face identical to my own, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.

  “Holy shit,” Sloan muttered beside me.

  “I’m gonna kill him,” I growled.

  Two men knelt at her feet, but a cat-o-nine was only busy working on one of them . They both knelt facing us, and adding insult to injury, I recognized them right away. One was Luke, looking way too comfortable being bound and helpless. The other was the club’s owner, Johnny, who I recognized because he and Lynn had gone out a few times. He seemed to be a less willing participant than Luke, as he pleaded with his torturer to stop.

  “Caleb,” I screamed across the room.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Mimic

  Caleb heard me scream his name, but didn’t bother to stop whipping the figure before him.

  “I’ve searched the building, Jillian,” he called back to me in my own voice. “Johnny here knows where she is, and he’s gonna tell me.”

  I strode to the center of the room, standing directly in front of the stage. I stood there with my arms crossed in front of my chest until he finally looked at me, with my own eyes. It was beyond creepy. I just glared at him until he finally shrugged, saying, “Looking like this got me in the club, fast.”

  I eyed him up and down, portraying with a look how disgusted I was with my body in that ensemble. “You’re really gonna try to tell me that this,” I pointed at his near naked crotch, “was entirely necessary?”

  He shrugged, “It did the trick.”

  “I’ll help you beat the shit out of him, if you want,” Sloan spoke from behind me.

  I gave her a surprised look. “Thanks for the offer, but we need to find Lynn first. Maybe after.” Something occurred to me, and I turned back to Caleb/Me. “Is this the first time you’ve mimicked me?”

  His/My face went carefully blank, and I cursed out loud.

  “You bastard!” I burst out. “Where and what have you been doing with my body and face?’

  He held up his hands. “Don’t get too excited. I’ve never impersonated you in public before this.”

  My eyes widened, then narrowed. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “I think that means he did something worse,” Sloan said softly. Her tone was deadly. It was almost like, in spite of herself, she wanted to have my back. The thought warmed me. I had the bizarre urge to win her over again. But what was the point of that? Stupid human emotions. Even a small amount of contact with Dom had made me soft again. He had always had that effect on me. He made me almost feel human. Everyone always accused me of screwing with his head, but he’d had the same effect on me, in his own way.

  Caleb rolled his/my eyes. “We don’t have time for this, Jillian. The Chinese dragons have taken Lynn, and I have a feeling Villi may have gotten his hands on her by now.” His eyes focused very suddenly and intently on a spot directly behind my left shoulder, his hand flying to his back, for a weapon, I assumed.

  I didn’t even have time to react before a hand gripped my elbow from behind. Me and Sloan had our guns trained at the man’s head without blinking. The man raised his hands in a non-threatening manner, backing several steps away. But there was nothing non-threatening about a man who could sneak up on me like that. And Sloan, too, for that matter. I studied him.

  He was, quite simply, stunning. He was tall and slender, with an unmistakable resemblance to the dragon, Drake. That told me a lot. I could assume right away that he was one of the Chinese dragons, and related to Drake. Drake had been messing with Lynn for days, and must have helped to take her captive. So this guy was a hostile, and I had to assume he was immeasurably dangerous. Almost any other dragon would have the jump on me, since I’d had so little formal training with my dragon powers. His features were even and surreally beautiful. His long black hair hung free and long down his elegant back. Every movement and line of his body was elegant, for that matter.

  His violet eyes were pale and stunning. It was hard to look away from them, they were so startlingly beautiful. Was he related to that little girl? Her lovely eyes had been so similar. Could the child have been dragon-kin?

  He was giving me an almost amused, but utterly intense stare, like his gaze had a purpose. Was he trying to enthrall me? Could he enthrall me?

  “Don’t shoot,” he said, in a softly accented voice, then smirked slightly. It was a crisp accent, as though he’d learned his English in England, rather than America. “Although, I’m not too worried about a few bullets. But I stayed behind to help you, Jillian.”

  My eyes narrowed. I gestured at him with my gun. “Who are you, and how do you know my name?”

  “All of the dragons know about you and your sister. It is the sole reason we are in this city. We came here to meet with you and negotiate…things. Your relatives have, unfortunately, complicated all of our plans.” His eyes flicked to Sloan, and the amusement bled from his lovely face, replaced by cold disdain. “This strange, perverted preference of yours for druids has complicated things as well. We will have to discuss that, as well, when we have a more formal, less hurried, meeting. Was it only that none of our kind were available to mate with? Is that why you mated with the druid King? You must know that such a thing has lowered your value considerably, though not diminished it completely. I would still take you, for the sake of breeding.”

  He was suddenly standing too close to me, and I hadn’t seen him move. Either he was scary fast, or he had me at least partially enthralled. Neither option was sitting well.

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” I asked him sharply.

  He was at my side, out of my gun’s range now, using my body to block him from the others. I was frozen in place, unable to move. That was my answer. He was trying, and succeeding, at enthralling me.

  “You are the only two draak Princesses left, Jillian. Our bloodline is dwindling, from too much inbreeding. We’ve decided to branch out, and you are our only options. You and your sister will be our mates.”

  I gave him my best, ‘You’re out of your fucking mind’ look. He was unfazed. “How romantic,” I said, trying to get my limbs to move rather frantically.

  He pressed his body against my still frozen body. “You won’t need romance, Jillian. I will give you so much more. You will be a slave to
my passions, enthralled for my whims, and you will bear my sons. But not until after I have punished you adequately for your depraved sins with the druid King.” He kissed me then, as though he’d said something romantic.

  He tasted…intoxicating. And in spite of myself, my mouth softened for him. I wanted to kiss him back. I felt compelled to. Even as I had the thought, I could move again, and my mouth opened for his onslaught. He didn’t hold back, kissing me as though he would consume me. It took me long, drugging moments to realize that the compulsion had lessened, and I could move. I bit down hard on his tongue. I was satisfied when I tasted blood.

  He pulled back, looking smug. “I like spirit. I’ll enjoy taming you. You may call me Tianlong. Remember the name, Jillian. I am far from done with you.”

  I spit in his face. It was red with his blood. He still only smiled.

  “I can tell you where they’ve taken her.”

  “Lynn?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me.”

  “I will tell you. First you must agree to an arrangement.”

  “Fuck you.”

  His smile widened, growing more heated. “Yes. But a formal meeting first, I think. If you want me to help you, you will agree to meet with me formally to discuss terms.”

  “What terms?” I asked suspiciously. I was old enough not to make a deal with the devil without knowing the details.

  He stroked my hair. It was a mess, half up in braids, half down and trailing messily. I tried to pull away. “We will discuss them at the meeting. A meeting, that is all I ask. Is a meeting not worth your sister’s life?”

  My jaw clenched. “Fine, I agree to a meeting. Tell me where they’ve taken her.”

  “Swear it.”

  I glared. “I swear I will meet with you.”

  “As soon as you are able.”

  “I will meet with you as soon as I am able. Fucking tell me.”

  “You need to do a few things first, if you are to have any hope of helping her.”

  I glared at him. “I don’t have time for any games.”

  He pulled a card out of his pocket, flicking it at me. I caught it without taking my eyes off his face. A single phone number was written in small letters on the card. “First, you need to get your friend Christian. You must have a slayer with you to face Villi.”

  “Christian is in lockdown right now. And he’s in no shape to face anyone.”

  “Yes, I know. That’s why you need to feed him your blood. Not only will it restore him, it will make him stronger than ever. Slayer blood is poisonous to us, but drinking our blood does great things for them.” His lips quirked up in a smile. “Not exactly fair, but there it is. Oh, and you need to hurry. You aren’t the only ones who want your slayer right now, especially in his weakened state. As soon as you have him, call that number.” He gestured at the card.

  “Why should I believe anything you say? Why on earth would I trust you?”

  He shrugged nonchalantly. “I only want to help you and Lynn. That’s all I can tell you. ”

  “The druids will have Christian under heavy guard. How do yo propose we get him out?”

  He gestured at Sloan. “You have one of the druid leaders with you. The 2nd in command, yes? And if that doesn’t work, spring him.” And with that, he disappeared in front of our eyes.

  “Ok, where did he go? What kind of dragon trick was that?” Sloan asked behind me.

  “Hell if I know. This could be a trap. They could just be trying to distract us. And perhaps get their hands on Christian.”

  “I say we do what he says. Personally, I hope it’s a trap,” Caleb spoke as he approached. He smiled, his cold, chilling smile. It seemed to fit too well on my face. “A trap means they’ll stop running, and we can finally start fighting. Let’s go.”

  I couldn’t really argue with that logic. I strode back to the stage. I began to untie Luke, completely ignoring Johnny, who pleaded for the same treatment from beside him. I ignored him. He had turned on Lynn, and put her in danger. Why else would this whole mess, and her abduction, have gone down at his club? I just knew he was knee deep in it all. I wanted to kill him, but there wasn’t time, so I wouldn’t touch him, either.

  “Caleb, why was Luke bound?” I asked him, but thought I had already grasped the situation.

  “Johnny had him like this, before I got here. Luke tried to help Lynn.”

  “And you couldn’t have untied him?”

  Caleb just shrugged, making his/my heavy breasts kind of gyrate. It was obscene. “He didn’t mind being bound, so it wasn’t really a priority.”

  I finished untying him, straightening. The thought that he had tried to help Lynn, even though there was no way that he could have stopped the ones that were after her, warmed me towards him considerably. His doe eyes met mine, and I gave him an affectionate smile. I couldn’t seem to help it. “Thank you for trying to help my sister, Luke,” I said.

  All of my fondness died a short death as he suddenly bent and started kissing my boot. I sighed. “Get up, Luke. I have an important job for you.”

  He obeyed instantly. He would make a good soldier, I realized. His submission was so complete that he wouldn’t question orders, wouldn’t hesitate. I filed that information away.

  “There is a child in here. A little blond asian girl, maybe ten years old. I want you to find her, and get her out of here. Take her to the druids. She isn’t human, and she doesn’t know where her parents are, so they’ll take care of her.”

  He nodded, processing the order. “How do I find the druids?”

  Sloan sighed beside me. A card just suddenly appeared in her hand. “Call this number. And the Grove is where they’ll direct you, so take her there. Tell them Sloan told you to call them, and explain about the kid. They’ll give you the exact drop-off location.”

  Luke nodded, then took off at a run to search for the girl, a man on a mission. “He’s starting to grow on me,” I said, breaking into a sprint myself.

  I felt and heard Caleb and Sloan match my pace behind me. We were headed for the druids’ lockdown.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  See You Next Tuesday

  Day 5

  The sun was rising gloriously over the mountains to our left. The bright morning light was almost blinding. The night had gone by, seemingly in a flash, without a moments sleep. Caleb was driving, pulling rather crazily out of the parking lot.

  “We need to make a second stop, after we get Christian,” I told Caleb. He shot me a look from the drivers seat. The look told me clearly that he thought I was crazy. That Caleb look coming out of my face made me glare back with feeling.

  “You’re crazy,” he said, just to be clear, as if the look hadn’t told me his thoughts on the matter.

  I ignored him, turning to look at Sloan in the backseat of the small car. “I know I’m the last person that you want to help, but please, for my sister’s sake, I need to know where they’re keeping Christian.”

  She sighed. “I’ll help you get the dragonslayer. But you’re gonna do something for me first.” I was all ears. “I want the truth about what happened with Declan. I vouched for you when it all went down. I even had myself and Dom half convinced those pictures were a fraud-” her eyes widened, an idea occurring to her mid-sentence. “Ah, fuck, was that you, Caleb?”

  I couldn’t keep a bubble of laughter from escaping my throat. Sloan glared at me. Caleb glared at Sloan.

  “No. Unfortunately, it was really me in those pictures. And it was really Declan,” I added, guessing her next question.

  Her glare held a real malice this time. “Tell me why? Why would you do that to him. If you’re lying, I will know it, and I won’t help you.”

  I made a snap decision, for better, or worse. “Are you going to tell Dom any of this?”

  She shrugged. “That’s for me to decide, and it’s not negotiable. He is my Arch. My King. I would die for him. Start talking.”

  I shot a look at Caleb, wondering how
he’d feel about our deception being revealed. “It was a setup,” I admitted. Caleb shot me a hard look. I shrugged at him. “Declan is dead, along with his Lieutenants No one that’s left alive is gonna care that you took some pictures, Cal.”

  Her eyes widened. Something I’d said was a genuine shock to her. “What do you mean by a setup? And don’t even think about being vague with me. You’re wasting precious time here.”

  “Declan needed to die, Sloan. And I couldn’t kill him myself. It had to be another druid, and a legal kill. He had been stalking me for months, threatening me and my sister. He knew way too much about us, and was trying to blackmail me into bed. That was bad enough. But then he tried to extort me to help with an assassination attempt against Dom. That’s when I knew he needed to die. So we set him up. I told him to meet me in that hotel room. Caleb took pictures through the window from a ledge outside. I let it get exactly as far as what you see in those photos, then I knocked him out cold. I knew Dom would finally kill him for what was on that film. So Caleb delivered the pictures anonymously and I got the hell outta dodge. Call me crazy, but I just didn’t trust the druids after all of the things that had happened.”

  She cursed fluently. “What a mess.” After a short rant, she gave Caleb directions to the location where they were holding Christian.

  “Just let me do the talking,” Sloan surprised me by saying as we pulled up to the small fenced building. I’d been surprised she’d even been willing to direct us here, let alone help us get in.

  The armed druid in the booth gave her a respectful nod before opening the gate for us without a word. She was second in rank only to Dom, after all.

  “This might be easier than I was thinking,” I muttered.

  “Don’t count on it. My people don’t make anything easy.”

  Sloan started cursing again as we pulled into the small parking lot.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “That’s Cam’s car.” She gestured towards a black cadillac SUV. She started cursing again as she and I got out of the car. Caleb stayed inside, still mimicking me. I had personally seen to wrapping the small blanket Sloan kept in her car around his torso.