Prisoner (Dragon Shifter Book 5)

by Naomi Sparks

  My hands ball into fists as anger wells up inside me. That bastard. That fucking bastard.

  She is his daughter, his own flesh and blood. And yet he sent her off to fight us, knowing damn well she might die in the process. How could he do that to her? How could anyone do that to their child? The guys have had enough trouble bringing their mates along with us, knowing the risk. I can't ever picture any of them sending their child off to battle.

  Sure, Saphira is mature now, but she's still young. She hasn't fully grown into her powers yet. She has a long way to go before that happens. It's no wonder she was so hurt in the attack.

  I'd hated Amasis before. But now, it takes all of my self-control not to tear after him. Thanks to Faith, we know where he most likely is, and I want to fly there now and rip him limb from limb.

  That bastard.

  Then, everyone's attention is on Saphira. Every muscle in my body tenses at once, and I fight the urge to protect her from them. What will they do now they knew who she is? I trust Lex. He's practically a brother to me. I've never once doubted he has my back. But right now, I'm sure how much I can trust him on this.

  He hates Amasis. He has more of a reason to hate him than pretty much anyone else. Will he try to use Saphira as leverage against him? Up until now, she's just been a way for us to get information. She was a soldier, one privy to the ins and outs of the Clutch. Now though, she's more than that. She's someone we can use to hurt Amasis in a way we've never had before.

  My mouth goes dry as I look over at Lex. What will he do?

  When he helps Hannah stand and walk over toward Saphira, my breath catches in my throat. I rush to get beside him. I doubt he'll do anything rash, but I still want to be right there, just in case. I hate myself for even having these thoughts, but I can't deny them. As much as I love Lex and the others, I can't let them hurt Saphira.

  No doubt Saphira hears us all approaching, but she chooses not to look up until we have all surrounded her. Then, she scowls at us. I want to stand next to her, to put a hand on her shoulder, and assure her everything will be okay. But I stay next to Lex. Close enough to intervene, but not close enough to be perceived as being on her side. After all, these guys are my family, and I'm still very much on their side in this conflict.

  "Are you Amasis's daughter?" Lex asks with a level voice. He keeps his gaze on Saphira, not looking away for even a moment.

  Judging by the way Saphira's eyes widen, I know it's true. She doesn't have to say anything. And in true Saphira form, instead of answering Lex directly, she turns her gaze on Faith, glaring at her. Saphira's muscles tense as she struggles against her bonds. "Damn you," she hisses at Faith, her words dripping with venom. No doubt if she could've gotten loose, she'd launched herself at Faith. Thankfully, she stays put. I really don't want to get in the middle of that. "I thought I'd kept that from you."

  "Faith didn't tell us," Lex says, drawing Saphira's attention back to him. I notice he doesn't volunteer who had told us through. No doubt, he doesn't want his mate to draw the ire of our captive dragon.

  Saphira glares at Lex as if her look alone can compel him to give her the information she wants. Why does it matter who told us? What difference does it make when we already know?

  "It's true then," Lex says. His voice is low and strained. I can feel the anger radiating off him, and I hope his self-control is as good as ever. He is my friend, my brother. I don't want to have to fight him.

  "If she didn't tell you, then who did?" Saphira asks, clearly still stuck on the subject. Her dark eyes are narrowed and her chin is up, suggesting anger and pride. I still can't quite figure out why it matters so much to her, but it does. And since it's Lex's mate, I'm not going to volunteer the information. If Lex wants her to know, he'll tell her.

  I'm treading a thin line here already.

  I glance over at Hannah to see how she's holding up. She stands tall and strong, her back straight, her eyes fixed on Saphira. She might only be a human with some witch blood in her veins, but she's no coward. I've always respected her strength. Even with a dragon bound in front of her, she doesn't so much as flinch. Then again, with Lex standing right beside her, I doubt there's much she fears!

  Saphira's eyes fixate on Hannah as if she knows Hannah was the one to spill the beans. Maybe she does know. We don't know what Saphira's powers are. She'd mentioned thinking she shielded the information from Faith, so perhaps she has a form of telepathy. Probably not as strong as Faith's, but it might be enough for her to get a read on Hannah.

  Either that or she's just observant. I notice everyone else glancing Hannah's way, and if Saphira noticed that it wouldn't be difficult for her to put two and two together.

  "Fine, it was me. What of it?" Hannah spits out, glaring at the bound woman. Hannah crosses her arms in front of her chest, refusing to back down, refusing to be cowed. I'm starting to wonder if her bravery borders on foolishness...

  "Then, you saw us together." Saphira grins now, showing off all of her teeth. She looks around at the rest of us, then bursts out laughing. "You saw the two of us together. In the future."

  I curse under my breath. Of course, Amasis's daughter knows what Hannah's powers entail. Amasis always seems to have more information than we gave him credit for, and of course he would share that information with his daughter. Females aren't held in the highest regard by most dragons, including Amasis, but of course, he would make an exception for his own daughter. It's why she was out fighting as a warrior, rather than locked up in the breeding pens with the rest of the females of our kind.

  "That means you won't be keeping me prisoner for very long," Saphira continues, still grinning. "So why not give me up now? You could undo these bonds, and I'd simply fly off."

  Galen snorts. He doesn't believe she'll just fly off and leave us alone if we released her. I do though. It isn't that I trust her, but I've seen she's aware of just how outmatched she is here. And she isn't suicidal. She knows if she tries to fight us, she'll lose and probably die in the process. No, if we release her, it's safer for her to rush back to Amasis and get reinforcements. Perhaps bring the full might of the Council down upon what remains of the Fae encampment.

  And we can't let that happen. As much as I feel for Saphira and don't like seeing her tied up like an animal, I can't risk letting her go free. There's too much at stake. Besides, I don't like the idea of her returning to Amasis in any capacity.

  "Why, so you can lead your father and his men right back to us?" Lex asks sarcastically. Apparently he and I are thinking along the same wavelength. "What guarantee would we have that letting you leave wouldn't come back to bite us in the ass?"

  Okay, so maybe not.

  I look over at him and glare, but he isn't paying any attention to me. He's in negotiation mode now, trying to see just what he can get out of Saphira.

  Saphira shrugs and grins at him. "What do you want?" For someone who seemed so keen on giving us the silent treatment earlier, she now seems perfectly willing to talk. Is she trying to lead us into some kind of trap? Or is she now confident she'll be able to get out of here and get back to her father? Before, she probably didn't have any reason to believe we wouldn't kill her once we got the information we wanted out of her.

  It's what Amasis would do. She doesn't know that we're different or she doesn't understand.

  "Where did your father take the Fae?" Lex asks, leaning forward. "Depending on how much you cooperate, I might be willing to let you leave."

  "No," I say, stepping forward. I move to stand between Lex and Saphira, glaring at him. I'm not sure why I'd suddenly sprung into the middle of this, but I can't stop myself. "Faith already got the location of Amasis's compound from Saphira's mind. We are not going to let her go. She will not return to the Clutch. Ever."

  I stand there glaring at Lex for a long moment. No one else speaks. They all just stare at me and probably think I've lost my mind, but I don't care. I'm not going to let Lex bargain with Saphira, not going to let him send her back to
those monsters. I can only imagine the pain and torture she's gone through over the years. I imagine what Amasis has done to her to brainwash her to being on his side. I know she has been brainwashed. How else is she able to look at all the women being held captive, and forced to breed with whomever Amasis decides, and not rebel against him?

  When Lex doesn't say anything right away, I push through the group of them and walk off. Anger wells up inside me at the thought of Saphira returning to be another one of Amasis's pawns. She deserves better than that. Our kind has so few women, so few children. She deserves freedom, the chance to explore the world and live her life.

  Sure, holding her prisoner probably isn't helping, but neither would sending her back to be abused by her monster of a father. And I know that's exactly what will happen if she returns. Amasis won't just be happy to have his daughter back. He'll be angry that she got herself captured in the first place. He'll wonder how she got away from us, and if he finds out she gave us information, he might well kill her right then and there.

  He isn't known for being forgiving.

  I don't realize just how far I've walked until I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to find Lex standing there, the other guys a few paces behind him. We're a good bit away from the little corner we'd set up camp in, and the girls aren't anywhere in sight. "What was that about?" Lex asks. His voice is calmer than I expected. There's no trace of anger — just confusion.

  I let out a sigh and shrug. What the hell was that about? I wonder to myself. "I don't know," I say, locking eyes with him, showing him I'm telling the truth. "It's just... I feel drawn to her. I can't imagine the hell she's been through with Amasis. Just because she's his daughter doesn't mean he's been a doting papa. I don't want to send her back to that. You know as well as I do what Amasis will do to her if he finds out she helped us, even if it was just so save herself. He'll be angry."

  Lex nods, frowning as he thinks over everything I said. He spent more time with Amasis than almost anyone. Lex knows what the man is capable of. He knows how Amasis treats women of our kind. "What do you mean you're drawn to her?" he finally asks.

  Again, I shrug. I turn away from Lex and pace, trying to work through all the thoughts going through my mind. "I don't know. I... I think she's approaching her mating cycle. But it's been so long since I've been around a dragoness, I don't know if it's just that or something else...."

  "Maybe she's your mate," Ezra says with a grin. Then, he shrugs. "I think she's close to her mating cycle too, but I don't feel the same attraction that you're describing."

  I scoff at his suggestion that Saphira is my mate, but deep down, I can't help but wonder if he's right. If it was just the approach of her mating cycle, then he should be feeling the same thing. The others wouldn't since they already have their mates. But if Ezra didn't feel the innate attraction to her that I did, then maybe he was right.

  I didn't want to accept it, though. Sure, I feel bad for Saphira. I don't want her or anyone forced to suffer under Amasis's thumb. But that didn't mean I want her to be my mate. She fought against us, tried to kill us. God only knows how many of the Fae she's responsible for killing or bringing back to Amasis. How could a woman like that be my mate?

  Lex walks over to me and puts a hand on my shoulder to keep me still. He looks into my eyes, and I can see compassion there. Lex isn't like Amasis. He doesn't lead the Fire Riders with an iron fist, refusing to accept anyone else's input. He understands we are all in this together, that we're all on the same side. "Look, I don't know if she's your mate or not. If she is, then we'll figure it out together. But for right now, her job is to help us fight against Amasis. We can't let him keep doing whatever he wants. We have to stop him. And if she can help us do that, then we need to use her, okay?"

  I let out a sigh and nod. I don't like what Lex's saying, but I know it's the truth. Defeating Amasis needs to be our priority now. I don't like the idea of using Saphira as leverage, but if it stops Amasis, then it's the best choice.

  Amasis has killed too many people already. I can't let him kill anyone else, even if it means I lose my mate in the process.

  Lex and the others guide me back to the camp. I don't say anything. What is there to say? My heart is heavy in my chest, beating slow and steady. And as Lex helps guide me back to my tent, I can't even bring myself to look at Saphira.

  All I can think is that she deserves better than this.I sit and stare at the flickering flames of the fire in front of me. The sun has started setting, and fires spring up all around the Fae encampment. Everyone moves around in a flurry now, getting ready for the evening meal. And yet all I can do is sit and stare at the fire. It's like my brain has gone into complete overload, so much going through it that I can't process any of it.

  The only clear thought I can get is of Saphira.

  Why can't I stop thinking about her? All I want is to cross over to where she's sitting and be near her. I've never been drawn to someone like that before. Deep down, I think I know what's going on, but I refuse to acknowledge those thoughts. She's our enemy, our prisoner. Nothing more. She can't be. I know that.

  But damn if I still don't want to go over and comfort her. Even though she literally thew her lunch at me, I hate knowing she's probably starving. Why does she have to be so damn stubborn? I wonder to myself. Maybe if she was thankful we saved her life, I could understand being drawn to her.

  She's done nothing but try to offend us, though. It's like she wants us to torture her and drive us to our breaking point, then she can justify her hatred of us. If only she knew we didn't want to hurt her. We don't want to hurt anyone. We just want to rescue the Fae Amasis has captured, and perhaps everyone would able to live in peace.

  It takes a while before I realize everyone around me has gone silent. Snapping out of my daydream, I look around to see everyone circling Hannah. I curse under my breath and jump up off the ground and rush over to her. I expect to see her writhing in pain or see her coughing up blood again. But instead, she's just sitting there in the middle of the circle, her eyes closed.

  Then, her eyes pop open as she sucks in a gasp of air. Everyone goes tense as they stare at her, waiting. We all know what just happened, and there's nothing we can do to rush her. She needs a moment to process everything she's just seen.

  Finally, she looks up at Lex, and I see the fear and shock etched onto her face. My heart seems to stop beating as I wait. When she speaks, her voice is barely above a whisper. Even with dragon's hearing, I can barely make out the words she says. "Saphira is Amasis's daughter." She says the words slowly, as if she's still having trouble processing them. "I saw her with him. Being reunited."

  The wind is knocked from my lungs as I stare blankly at Hannah. I had to have misheard her. It has to be a mistake. There is no way she'd just said Saphira is Amasis's daughter. No. No way.

  Everyone remains locked in place. It seems like no one else can believe it either. None of us knew Amasis had a daughter. Can Hannah have been wrong? I doubt it. She hasn't been wrong yet. Her power of prophecy is one of the most accurate I've ever seen in my life, growing more detailed as she grows into it. She has to be telling the truth.

  I glance over my shoulder at Saphira. She's still sitting with her back towards us, and suddenly, everything makes sense. No wonder she has such a fierce loyalty to Amasis and the Clutch. She isn't just another one of their soldiers. No doubt Amasis has spent considerable time brainwashing her, bringing her into his fold.

  My hands ball into fists as anger wells up inside me. That bastard. That fucking bastard.

  She is his daughter, his own flesh and blood. And yet he sent her off to fight us, knowing damn well she might die in the process. How could he do that to her? How could anyone do that to their child? The guys have had enough trouble bringing their mates along with us, knowing the risk. I can't ever picture any of them sending their child off to battle.

  Sure, Saphira is mature now, but she's still young. She hasn't fully grown into her powers yet. She ha
s a long way to go before that happens. It's no wonder she was so hurt in the attack.

  I'd hated Amasis before. But now, it takes all of my self-control not to tear after him. Thanks to Faith, we know where he most likely is, and I want to fly there now and rip him limb from limb.

  That bastard.

  Then, everyone's attention is on Saphira. Every muscle in my body tenses at once, and I fight the urge to protect her from them. What will they do now they knew who she is? I trust Lex. He's practically a brother to me. I've never once doubted he has my back. But right now, I'm sure how much I can trust him on this.

  He hates Amasis. He has more of a reason to hate him than pretty much anyone else. Will he try to use Saphira as leverage against him? Up until now, she's just been a way for us to get information. She was a soldier, one privy to the ins and outs of the Clutch. Now though, she's more than that. She's someone we can use to hurt Amasis in a way we've never had before.

  My mouth goes dry as I look over at Lex. What will he do?

  When he helps Hannah stand and walk over toward Saphira, my breath catches in my throat. I rush to get beside him. I doubt he'll do anything rash, but I still want to be right there, just in case. I hate myself for even having these thoughts, but I can't deny them. As much as I love Lex and the others, I can't let them hurt Saphira.

  No doubt Saphira hears us all approaching, but she chooses not to look up until we have all surrounded her. Then, she scowls at us. I want to stand next to her, to put a hand on her shoulder, and assure her everything will be okay. But I stay next to Lex. Close enough to intervene, but not close enough to be perceived as being on her side. After all, these guys are my family, and I'm still very much on their side in this conflict.

  "Are you Amasis's daughter?" Lex asks with a level voice. He keeps his gaze on Saphira, not looking away for even a moment.

  Judging by the way Saphira's eyes widen, I know it's true. She doesn't have to say anything. And in true Saphira form, instead of answering Lex directly, she turns her gaze on Faith, glaring at her. Saphira's muscles tense as she struggles against her bonds. "Damn you," she hisses at Faith, her words dripping with venom. No doubt if she could've gotten loose, she'd launched herself at Faith. Thankfully, she stays put. I really don't want to get in the middle of that. "I thought I'd kept that from you."