Prisoner (Dragon Shifter Book 5)

by Naomi Sparks

  So when Bren walks over, puts a hand on my shoulder, and begins to guide me back toward the camp, I let him. I hate every single moment of the walk, but I remind myself that I'll get out of here eventually. The human saw me reuniting with Father, which means, one way or another, I will break away and get back to him. Then, I'll get my revenge on Bren.

  The remains of my bonds are still on the ground, and I grin as we walk passed them. I got out of them once, and I can do it again. Instead of taking me back to the post, Bren leads me to his tent. He holds the flap open for me, gesturing for me to go inside.

  What I gentleman, I think as I glare at him. I try to force down the thoughts building up inside me. Why does he want me in his tent? If he thinks he can force himself on me, then he's got another thing coming. Even if I don't have all of my strength, I'll either fight him off or die trying.

  But when he comes in behind me, he walks right past me and over to a small box in the corner. I watch, curiosity getting the better of me. I can't imagine what the hell he's getting out of the box. When he finally stands up and turns to face me, my heart sinks. He's holding up a pair of shiny metallic shackles. Even in limited light inside his tent, I can see the runes shimmering on them.

  "I didn't know you had a kinky side," I tease, smirking at him. I'm hyper aware of the tent opening right behind me, and I wonder if I can dart out and get away before he can catch me. But I doubt I can. He could quickly raise the alarm and bring the entire pack after me.

  "The Fae made these just for you," he says, returning my smirk. Clearly my comment had no effect on him. "They'll be a bit harder for you to break out of, even with dragon fire." He crossed the tent in an instant, taking my right arm and slapping one of the shackles onto my wrist before I had a chance to react. But instead of putting the second shackle on my left wrist, he puts it on his. "And even if you can break out of it, I'll know before you can get too far."

  I scowl at him, that urge to attack him returns. He's right that these cuffs will be much harder to break out of than the ropes. The enchantments are most likely worked into the metal itself. No doubt dragonfire could eventually reduce them to ash, just like the ropes, but it would take longer and require more strength. With him shackled to me, it would be impossible to do that unless he was unconscious.noticing. This makes things much more complicated.

  "Bastard...." I growl. When he doesn't react, I turn away from him, letting out a huff. What is it about this man? Why does he get under my nerves so much? And out of all the people in this stupid encampment, why do I have to be shackled to him? Why not one of the other dragons? Hell, being cuffed to a human or even a Fae would be better than being shackled to him.

  "Come on, let's get some sleep. I'm sure you used up a lot of energy out there," he says cheerfully. My scowl deepens. He enjoys this, the sadistic bastard. He' does this on purpose to drive me insane.

  But I let him guide me over to a pallet he has made out. I lay down next to him, facing away, refusing to look at him. It isn't the most comfortable way to sleep, but I'll deal with it. Anything is better than looking at him right now.

  I think about Father and how I can get out free and back to his side. It takes a while before I realize Father won't just welcome me home with a joyful reunion. No doubt he knows I've been captured. He's probably pissed about it, too, pissed about me being weak enough to let our enemies capture me. So, if I want to return and maintain my good standing with him, I'll need to bring him something.

  I grin. Maybe being shackled to one of the Fire Riders won't be too bad. Bren will have me close at hand, which means I'll be privy to all of their secrets. I just need to keep my ears open and bide my time. Then, once I'm free, I'll be able to carry all that intel right back to Father. I bet Bren didn't think about that when he came up with this little scheme. Knowing I'll be getting one up on him makes me smile.

  Eventually, sleep overtakes me. It's not the most restful sleep I've ever had, but I've certainly had worse. When I wake up, I can feel warmth pressed up against me. I smile and let out a sigh, enjoying the comfort, not wanting to wake up. Then, Bren shifts and my eyes fly open as I realize the warmth is him pressed up against me. He has his arm draped over my body, pulling me back against him.

  My heart begins to hammer in my chest. What the hell is he doing? I wonder. At first, I assume he's asleep, that it means nothing. Then, he shifts again, and I know he's awake, and anger wells up inside me again. How dare he think he can take advantage of me.

  Letting the anger surge to the surface, gives me a burst of strength, I turn and push him off me. He looks sheepishly up at me as I glare at him, the bastard doesn't even have the balls to apologize.

  A growl rises in my chest. I glance over at the tent flap. The scent of food drifts in, making my stomach rumble. Without saying a word, I stand and stalk out. He quickly gets to his feet and stumbles along behind me. I don't wait to let him catch up, just keep walking. Either he'll follow, or I'll drag him. Either way, maybe it'll be enough to convince him to remove these stupid bonds. I doubt it, but I can hope.

  He manages to keep up with me, staying annoyingly close. There's fresh food ready by the fire, but thankfully none of the other Fire Riders are nearby for now. At least they won't see my humiliation yet. Now that I have a mission, a hunger strike isn't going to work. I need my strength if I want to gather information and get out of here.

  And, one way or another, I am getting out of here. Each and every one of them will regret ever trying to hold me prisoner. I will make sure of it.

  4

  Bren

  It's interesting, trying to ride with Saphira chained to me. She's done nothing but brood since I'd shackled her, doing everything she possibly can to make this as miserable an experience for me as she can. And even though it should be hell for me too, I can't help but be amused at the whole situation. When Tyko delivered the shackles to me, I put them away, figuring the ropes would be enough to keep her bound for now. But since that apparently didn't work, I'd come up with this little ploy.

  Because, as much as I hate keeping her bound, I can't risk her getting away and warning Amasis. Once the Fae are freed, I'll talk to Lex about letting her go. I don't want to use her as leverage against Amasis. That's no better than the way he treats her, and she deserves better treatment.

  Besides, after the Fae are free, her warnings won't matter. We'll get the Fae somewhere safe, help them shield themselves again, then we will take the fight to Amasis anyway. Anything she tells him by that point won't matter. Especially since I'll make sure she doesn't know where the Fae are or what enchantments they use to hide themselves.

  All Amasis will know is that we're coming, which is fine by me. I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines, tired of watching him bring havoc to the world. It's time to stop him. Even if I don't like fighting and violence, I know this is necessary. Afterwards, I will find a way to atone for my sins. No matter what, I refused to become like Amasis.

  What if you already are? a voice in the back of my head asks. You're keeping a woman bound as your prisoner, forcing her to fight against her own flesh and blood.

  And the worst part about that voice? It's not wrong. In the past, I'd have been horrified at the thought. Right now, I know it's necessary, and I can only hope the results are worth it. I just keep reminding myself who we're going up against and the sins he committed against the world. We need to stop him, and he's not going to back down just because we ask nicely.

  It's about midday when Lex and the others slow to a stop. The Fae aren't far behind us, and soon we're all pulled into a clearing off the road. We've been traveling for a few days now, slower than normal, since we have the Fae tagging along with us. But now, we are finally near The Clutch's California compound.

  While most of the Fae start setting up camp, a few of them join us in a large circle as we discuss strategy. We are only a few miles away from the compound Faith saw in Saphira's mind. Lex pulls out a large map. Faith, Galen, and Lex spent hours on it. They
'd detailed as much of the area as possible. Faith used what she'd gathered from Saphira to map out the entire compound, including all the ways in and out. All this information gives us an advantage and brings us closer to our objective.

  A few of the Fae warriors speak up as we look over our different options. Finally, we settle on a plan. We'll split into two groups, sneaking into the compound at the same time. We'll locate the Fae, kill anyone who spots us, and then get out as quickly as possible.

  "You can't be serious." Hannah glares at her mate, arms crossed in front of her chest. She's tiny compared to Lex, but that doesn't deter her in the least. "You are not leaving us behind."

  Lex lets out a sigh and runs a hand through his hair. Hannah dislikes leaving most of the women behind.

  "Think about this rationally. Only the strongest fighters can go in with us. It's safer that way."

  "What, you mean the men?" Hannah challenges. She's frustrated, wants to be more useful. In a way, I feel a little sorry for her. Only a little though, since I know as well as Lex does she's much safer out here, hidden behind the Fae magic.

  "It's not about men or women," Lex insists. He lets out a sigh. He's as frustrated as she is, and it's almost amusing to watch them bicker like an old married couple. "Katia is coming along with us. So is Faith."

  "Then why can't I go too?" she challenges.

  "Because they will be more useful in there than you," Lex finally snaps. "Katia is a trained warrior, one of the best the Fae have to offer. Faith can read minds. She can give us intel along the way. Your power is more passive, and you are safer here. We will need you upon our return, to let us know our next move to safety."

  Hannah glares at him. She knows he's right. I can see it in her eyes. But she's not eager to back down. Even though she's not a warrior and has no active powers that she can use to fight, she wants to be in there. She wants to stick it to Amasis and The Clutch as much as we do.

  When Lex steps forward to stand only inches away from her, she looks up at him in surprise. Then, he places his hand on her stomach. "And it's not just your safety I'm worried about. You're pregnant, remember? I know you want to be in there with us, but think of the baby, okay? One wrong move, and you might lose it."

  Hannah's eyes go even wider. The corners glisten before she blinks away the unfallen tears. Then, she nods. "Okay. Fine. I'll stay here."

  Lex nods, then wraps his arms around her, hugging her tight. My heart aches as I watch them. I want what they have. I want to be able to look at someone like that, want someone that I'm willing to risk my life for.

  Could that person be Saphira? I wonder as I glance over at her.

  Then, Saphira lets out gagging noises, and I know that's impossible. "Can we just get on with this?" she asks, rolling her eyes, looking bored. "Find somewhere to tie me up and get on with it, please."

  Lex looks over at us, still holding his mate, and frowns. "Not a chance," he says after a moment. "You're coming in with us. Just in case we need a bit of leverage."

  I don't like the sound of that, but it's not like I have a choice in the matter. Besides, Lex isn't wrong. If we run into Amasis in there, having Saphira on our side might give us the few moments advantage we need.

  And so, while the Fae fortify the area with their magic and the girls make themselves comfortable, the rest of us make the journey on our bikes to Amasis' compound.

  Saphira struggles part of the way. Then, when I've had enough, Galen helps me tie a gag around her mouth so she won't alert anyone of our presence. We ride the rest of the way in silence. When we arrive, I scoop her up into my arms and carry her. Saphira lets her body go limp, probably hoping I might change my mind and leave her chained up out here somewhere.

  Fat chance of that happening. She's heavier than Hannah or Faith since she's taller and more muscular, but after her little escape attempt, I'm not going to let her out of my sight. The chains Tyko made to hold her are tough, but I know she could eventually break out of them too. Fae magic can only hold a dragon for so long, even one so young as Saphira.

  Lex leads our group through the grounds surrounding Amasis' compound. It looks like a set of empty warehouses. We move quietly, careful not to make any noise. If Amasis and the Clutch are in there, then any little noise might alert them to our presence. As much as we all want to confront Amasis, to take him out once and for all, our priority is getting the Fae captives out first.

  We gain entrance to the warehouse on the far side of his compound through a side door without being spotted. Lex goes ahead of us, going invisible, taking out the handful of guards we come across with ease. They're all young, weak, inexperienced. Lex quickly knocks them unconscious.

  They're just pawns in Amasis's campaign for domination, so we spare their lives. This is war, but we different than Amasis. We have no desire to leave a trail of blood in our wake. I can only speak for ourselves, I have no idea what the Fae would do to the dragons they come across, but I try not to think about it. The Fae have good reason to be angry with Amasis and his men for taking their people. I doubt they're gentle with any guards they come across.

  We stop to reorient ourselves, going over the map Faith had made for us. If it's accurate, the entrance to Amasis's dungeon prison should be just ahead. Which means all the Fae he just captured will be there, too.

  My heart pounds in my chest. We're so close to getting them out. And yet, we haven't had any real resistance or come across anyone of importance. There is no sign of Amasis, or the Council, nor any of Amasis's lesser generals or advisors. So far, it's all just been grunts. I can't help but wonder if it's the same for the Fae or if they drew the unlucky straw and had run into big trouble.

  Somehow though, I doubt it. Something doesn't seem right to me. Something is off about this whole thing, but I can't put my finger on it. When I glance around, everyone seems focused on the mission, or notice anything amiss. Frowning, I decide to keep quiet for now and keep my eyes open for any signs of a trap.

  It doesn't take long to find the large, wooden door leading down to the basement dungeon where Amasis supposedly holds the Fae. We crack it open, and stand there, listening, letting our senses extend forward as much as possible. So far, there's no sign of an alarm being triggered, but this is the perfect place for an ambush. It's a long, stone staircase, with minimal lighting. With our vision, we can see well enough going down it, but we'd have to go single file. If there's a group of Amasis's fighters waiting down there for us, it can mean big trouble. I highly doubt there's enough room down there for even one of us to shift, much less all of us. Which means we'll have to rely on the strength and powers we have in our human forms.

  Not an ideal situation to find ourselves in.

  But when we don't sense any signs of an ambush, we all glance at each other. We're all thinking the same thing. The situation isn't ideal, but it's the only option we have. If the Fae are held captive down there, then we need to go down and get them out. We knew this was a risky mission.

  Finally, we all nod at about the same time. Saphira struggles in my arms, but I tighten my grip around her. She may not like going down there, but she doesn't have a choice. She's coming with us, whether she likes it or not. If it's a trap, then she's going to be in the line of fire just as much as we are. I don't like thinking those thoughts, but what else can I do? I can't just let her loose. Even if I found somewhere to secure her bonds to, I doubt she'll still be there when we come back up. Either someone will come along and help her break the chains, or she'll manage to summon enough power to do it.

  No, she's going with us.

  Lex goes first, his power activating before he's gone two steps, making him disappear from sight. One by one, we all fall him down the stairs, taking them as slow as possible, watching every step we take. At the bottom of the stairs is another wooden door, and Lex comes back into view in front of it. He's pressed right up against me, his breathing so slow I can't even hear it being right near him.

  Finally, he turns back to us and
holds up three fingers. My heart pounds in my chest as I nod, everyone else also nodding, understanding his meaning. There are at least three guards in there. We shuffle around a bit until Galen is right behind Lex, followed by Farris. I move toward the back with Katia and Faith, since I'm still carrying Saphira. Katia is in charge of watching my back, Faith on keeping her senses open, looking for any signs of anyone sneaking up on us from behind.

  Once everyone is in position, Lex takes a deep breath, then throws the door open. He stays visible this time as everyone rushes into the room as quickly as possible. Lex, Galen, and Faris each take down a guard, hitting them before they even knew we were there. Everyone else files in behind, looking for signs of other guards. Once we're sure there aren't any, we look around the area.

  It's a small room, with a table and a few chairs spread out. One of the chairs is toppled over, probably from one of the guards jumping up as we'd rushed in. There are a couple of clubs propped up against one of the walls, but no real weapons. I guess Amasis doesn't want anything of much actual use to be kept near his prisoners, just in case. Smart.

  There's a long hallway, lined with cells, only a handful of torches interspaced along the way. I can hear faint movement coming from that direction, but not much. There are people down there, but they sound very weak. Faith and I stay back by the door, now closed, keeping an eye on it.

  The others head down the long hallway. Galen must've taken the keys from the guard he felled since I hear the sound of metal jingling as he tosses them over to Lex. I don't hear footsteps but hear the jangle of the key at intervals, and the clink of doors as Lex unlocks each cell, quickly focusing on freeing the Fae.

  I can hear talking, but the words echo and bounce, all mingling together, and I can't make any of them out. I'm left standing there, tapping my foot impatiently, as I wait to see the results of our mission. I hope that they're all still safe and sound. The Fae hadn't been welcoming when we'd showed up on their doorstep, but they don't deserve this fate.