A Dragon's Body: A New Adult Fantasy Dragon Series (The MINATH Chronicles Book 2)

by A. L. Tippett

He might have gone to the infirmary and someone has broken in after he’s left. She didn’t want to think about what might have happened if he was still home when the burglar had arrived. She called the MRO.

  “Thank you for calling the after-hours service centre of the Mythic Relations Office. This is Quill speaking, can I help you?”

  Sera stammered over her first words, since it was normally Marjorie or Dylan who manned the after-hours phonelines. She’d never heard of Quill. “Hi, it’s Sera here. I mean, Tracker Seraphina. Was I speaking with Quill?”

  “Yes,” he replied pleasantly. “How can I help you, Tracker Seraphina?”

  “I was just wondering whether you could tell me if my father has checked into the infirmary? His name is Tracker Allen Azura.”

  “Certainly, let me find out for you. Please hold the line,” Quill purred. A short wait and he was back. “Yes, Tracker Allen is being taken care of in the infirmary. He’s currently asleep but I’ve left a message with the nurse for him to contact you tomorrow. If his condition changes overnight, we’ll be in touch.”

  “That’s a relief, thank you so much.” She sagged against the doorframe.

  “My pleasure, take care now.” He hung up.

  She messaged Hazel to say Allen was at the infirmary and doing okay for now. After Hazel replied saying she would visit him in the morning, Sera glanced up from her phone and realised Arius was standing in front of the couch now, watching her. She gave him a wobbly grin and explained, “Dad’s gone to the MRO infirmary. They’ll take care of him there. He’s sleeping now so I’ll let him rest and head over in the morning.”

  “Speaking of rest, you need some. Did you want to sleep here?”

  Sera looked at the mess and shook her head. “It doesn’t feel right being here without Dad. Plus, what if the thief comes back?”

  Arius chuckled at that. “I think I could protect you. But I can understand your reluctance. Will you allow me to escort you home?”

  “I’d like that,” she said and shoved herself off the doorframe, linking her arm through his. Her lips lifted in pleasure at the warmth radiating from his emerald eyes as he ran his gaze over her body. He noticed her smile and smirked before pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek and leading her out of the apartment.

  When they entered the elevator, he watched her closely as she pressed the button for the ground floor. He cocked his head and said, “That took me a little bit to work out when I was running to you. I didn’t realise you had to press the button outside the door first. I nearly ripped the doors open myself. Luckily, a faun was coming up at the same time and did it for me. He certainly gave me a strange look.”

  Sera began giggling, which led into a long belly-laugh, the kind she hadn’t had for a long time. Something about imagining a great dragon, masquerading as a human, attempting to operate an elevator, was ridiculously comical.

  “Do I amuse you?” Arius growled. The gravelly tone in his voice caused her core to clench and her breath to hitch. The temperature in the lift rose when he met her gaze, his irises pooling liquid green. He pushed her against the wall, grabbing her hands and raising them above her head. “Answer me, Seraphina. Do you find my blunder humorous?” Arius covered her mouth with his, suffocating any answer she might have given. He traced the line of her jaw with hot kisses, his breath whispering over her skin. She couldn’t think straight as his body pressed against hers and his lips worked their way down her neck to her collarbone. She whimpered with desire when he paused there and ran his nose along her shoulder. He let out a heavy sigh and stepped away reluctantly as the elevator doors pinged open.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, Seraphina, but I adore the way you smell.”

  She burst out laughing again. “Why would I find that offensive?”

  “Well, the last time I tried to say nice things about you at your apartment, I thought you were going to throat-punch me.”

  She went on her tip-toes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “That was before I got my memories back. You wouldn’t want me kissing anybody who complimented me, would you?”

  His brows pulled low and he grumbled, “That’s true.”

  She linked her arm through his again and they journeyed towards her home, delighting in the cool night air. As they walked, Sera filled him in on everything that had happened to her since they’d been separated. When they arrived at the main door to her complex, he stopped.

  “I won’t come up. It’s late and you need your rest.” She opened her mouth to argue but he held a hand up to interrupt her. “But never fear, I won’t be far away. I will keep watch from above tonight. I will see you again tomorrow.”

  Realisation dawned and she spoke her thoughts aloud, “That wasn’t a dream last night, was it? Even though I didn’t remember you or my gift, my mind automatically connected with you. Just like the first time.”

  He smiled warmly and pulled her into his arms, laying his head atop hers. “That’s right. It made me so happy to speak with you, even if you didn’t understand what was happening. But I am overjoyed now that you have recovered your memories. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to be with you again. I’ve been so worried.”

  Sera’s face dropped in self-reproach. She’d been so caught up in her own world that she hadn’t given any thought to how Arius must have felt when he lost her at Lake Eyre. She hadn’t even asked him what had happened to him since they were separated.

  “Don’t.” He kissed her forehead. “You don’t need to worry about my feelings.”

  “I thought you couldn’t hear my thoughts unless I projected them to you?”

  “I can’t,” he laughed. “But your face is an open book. I see the shadow of guilt in your expression. We will need to have a good, long talk soon about everything that has happened. But not tonight. You need sleep. Rest easy. Your father is safe at the infirmary, your memories are back and I am here. All is well. Fly fierce, my love.”

  She recalled his sister, Aliah, saying the same thing to him when they’d parted. Recalling his returning comment, she smiled and said, “Strike strong, Arius.”

  He beamed at her, thrilled by her desire to acknowledge his culture. He kissed the top of her hand and strode away down the street. The pain of their parting was softened by the heat of his lips that remained burning on her skin.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Balancing her morning coffee in one hand, Sera staggered to Tregua Park with her arms full. She had a blanket, a few bottles of fresh water, plus a couple of blueberry muffins and a loaf of bread, all still warm from the baker’s oven. She stumbled over to the Peace Tree and laid the goods at the foot of it. Attempting to imitate the tune Wren had whistled to her, she scanned the foliage. Dark eyes peeped out at her from behind the deep green leaves and an answering whistle sounded, but the boy refused to exit the tree. Glancing around, Sera realised there were quite a few beings hurrying along the pavement already, travelling to work.

  I suppose Wren wants to stay hidden. He certainly wouldn’t want to be found by a squab. Her lips lifted in amusement at the nickname he had for the IRC guards.

  Leaving her bundled offering nestled in the tree roots, she turned around and walked towards the area Wren had gestured to last night. As she exited the park, she kept her eyes peeled for the image of a bird that mimicked the one on Helena’s necklace. She’d never really paid attention to the sewers before and wondered what the entrance might look like. Scanning the pavement for some sort of manhole, she turned a corner onto a quiet side street and stumbled across a grate. It was lucky that she even saw it as it was the same shade of grey as the concrete in which it was set. A small chalk drawing of a bird was sketched beside it, making Sera grin, confident this was the entry Wren had told her about.

  She propped herself nonchalantly against the building until she was certain no one was looking. Leaning down, she hastily slid the grate open. Peering into the hole, she pulled her phone out of her pocket, turned the torch on and shone it into the sewer. A la
dder hugged the wall closest to her, making it easy to descend into the tunnel. Putting her phone away, she swiftly swung in, and looping one arm around a rail for balance, pulled the grate closed above her head. The rails were slippery and the air was damp so she took her time climbing down. Landing softly on the concrete floor, her triumph quickly turned to dismay.

  How am I supposed to find the Little Birds? There’s nothing here!

  The empty shaft stretched ahead interminably with more tunnels branching off to each side. Sunlight dappled through other grates at random intervals in front of her, creating a patchwork of light and dark. Shivering in the cool, she pulled her jacket tight around her. It was then that she noticed another chalk drawing of the bird on the wall beside the rails. Its beak pointed in the opposite direction so she turned around. Wren’s instructions were to follow the birds so she decided to start walking and see whether it led to anything. There was a narrow channel in the centre of the tunnel where dirty water ran in the same direction as she was moving. Wrinkling her nose, Sera did her best to ignore the stench.

  After what seemed like an eternity, she noticed another bird chalked on the entrance to a narrow side passage. The bird was facing down the tunnel so Sera skipped over the foul-smelling water and sidled down the new path, following the bird’s directions. It was much darker in here, with fewer grates letting in the sun, so she pulled her phone out again and turned the torch back on. The new tunnel had many twists and turns compared to the main sewer. She found and followed two more birds chalked on the wall.

  As time wore on and she didn’t find any new signs, she wondered whether she’d missed something and was lost underground. Feeling thoroughly confused and chilled to the bone, Sera contemplated turning back and finding her way home. Panic flared in her chest at the thought of being trapped in the tunnels, but she shoved it down and focused on placing one foot in front of the other on the damp concrete. Just as she was ready to give up, another bird finally presented itself. This one was styled differently to the others, with its wings spread wide and its head pointing upward.

  Sera released a sigh of relief when she noticed the ladder beside it, leading to a manhole in the ceiling. Tucking her phone in her jacket pocket she climbed to the top of the rails. Leaning out she pushed her shoulder against the metal circle and groaned at the weight. Slowly the covering lifted and she managed to shove it sideways. The hole was positioned a little too far away from the rails to allow her to easily view the room she was about to enter. After nearly fainting in her father’s apartment yesterday, she was hesitant to use her power again so soon.

  What if I’m still weakened? I can’t afford to go into the Little Birds’ nest without having all my wits about me. I’d rather go in not knowing who’s there and be able to fight, than go in and pass out before I’m even attacked.

  With one hand holding on, she pulled her phone out and shone its torch into the darkness above her. She couldn’t make anything out so turned it off and tucked it back in her pocket. A shiver of trepidation prickled over her skin as she wondered what she would find on the other side.

  Who are the Little Birds? What’s their purpose? She glowered at the dark room through the opening for a moment longer before sighing in defeat. If Alistair and Helena trust them, then so do I.

  She reached out from the top rail again and grabbed the near side of the opening. Letting go of the ladder, she scrabbled against the side of the wall with her feet to push herself through. Her torso was on a dirt floor but her legs were still dangling when someone grabbed the back of her jacket and bodily lifted her out of the hole. In the next moment, she was flung through the air and struck a wall, where all the air left her body. She fumbled for Firinne as she sucked in short gasps and tried to find her feet. Before Sera managed to pull her knife out, the shadowy figure pushed her hard against the floor and held her down with his large paws.

  “State your name and business here!” the male voice demanded.

  Sera struggled to speak but could only wheeze as her lungs protested loudly from the blow. Her attacker must have realised this and lessened the weight of his paws before asking again.

  “Your name!”

  “Seraphina,” she gurgled. She debated saying her full name, including her title, but wondered whether an unknown Tracker would be welcomed into their hideout. She opted to keep that information private for now and added, “I have a message from Greykin. And Wolfseye gave me this.” With difficulty, she pulled out Helena’s necklace from where it hid beneath her shirt and held the wooden carving up, unsure if her assailant could see it in the dark.

  Upon her unveiling, the weight of the paws disappeared, but then a distinctly canine jaw seized the back of her jacket and dragged her along the floor.

  “I can walk!” she protested loudly and he huffed at her indignation. “I swear, I don’t mean anyone here any harm.”

  The grip on her jacket released and a door ahead of her opened, flooding the room with light.

  “Stay here,” the wolfish mythic growled and stalked out the door, shutting it behind him.

  Sera heard the squawk of a two-way radio and a female voice responding to him through the door as she stood up and dusted herself off. The small room she found herself in was empty aside from the metal covering she’d pushed open, that now lay on the dirt floor she’d already become acquainted with. The log walls and sloping iron roof with exposed beams suggested this might be one of the old buildings that had been condemned after the Mythic War. The door opened then, and the canine mythic jerked his head, summoning her. She exited the tiny room into a massive space. Sera blinked in the bright light and waited for her eyes to adjust. The dated building style remained the same, but desks, monitors, armour and weapons filled the area, along with a few humans and mythics who were studying a map on one of the monitors. One of the humans noticed Sera entering and hurriedly swiped the screen, removing the map from sight.

  Studying the mythic who was leading her to one end of the building, she realised he was a werewolf. A thrill of fear raced through her. Most werewolves she’d heard of had gone rogue from their bloodlust, hunting other large mythics such as unicorns and hippogryphs. His head was nearly as tall as her shoulder and, while his shaggy tan coat softened his appearance, it couldn’t hide his eerie human-like eyes or the fangs jutting from his jaws. He glanced at her and must have noticed her apprehension.

  “So long as you’re a friend of the Little Birds, you have nothing to fear from me.” His tongue lolled out in a friendly smile and he padded companionably beside her. “I’m Constantine. We’ve been waiting to meet you, Tracker Seraphina. Your name keeps popping up in the most unlikely of places and our leader wishes to meet you to see whether we can help each other.”

  “Nice to meet you, Constantine,” Sera said, doing her best to mask her residual panic. Apparently, they already know I’m a Tracker. “Who is your leader?”

  “You’ll meet her in a moment.”

  “Fair enough. Can you tell me what the Little Birds actually do?”

  “I think it would be best if I left it up to Urma to explain everything to you. Here,” he said with a nudge of his wet nose on her hand. “We’re going up here.”

  He bounded up a wide wooden stairway, each landing making the stairs creak under his weight. He stopped when he reached the second level and waited patiently for her. His warm brown eyes twinkled merrily as she ran after him, doing her best to keep up. With another chuff of laughter, he led her along the wooden platform that ran the perimeter of the second storey. Sera’s brow knitted as she realised there were some windows on this level, but all the glass had been painted black. Doors led off the walkway at different points but Constantine ignored these and kept padding along the floorboards until they reached a dead end. He pointed his black nose upward, towards the rafters of the old building. A shadowy figure lounged on one of the beams, cloaked in darkness. A narrow wooden ladder extended from the ceiling to rest at Sera’s feet.

  Const
antine bumped her with his furry head. “Urma awaits you.”

  She shrugged and clambered up the rungs. Once she reached the top, she picked her way carefully over the interlocking beams toward the stranger.

  “Hello,” she announced, “I’m Tracker Seraphina Azura.”

  The mythic rose gracefully from its resting place. A lion’s tail snaked out and opened a blacked-out window, allowing the light to fall on her form, exposing her identity. She was a sphinx. The woman’s head that sat atop the body of a lioness was hauntingly beautiful. But where her wings should have been, were two stumps.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Sera gasped, before clapping a hand over her mouth, dismayed at her obvious reaction to the amputations. She’d never met a sphinx in her life, as they tended to live in the deserts on Harongar Isle, and now she was bound to have offended this one.

  “Appalling, isn’t it?” murmured the sphinx gravely, her eyes remaining downcast. Her accent had a musical lilt to it that kept Sera transfixed. “My name is Urma. This atrocity was done to me by your people. When I arrived in Mandar, I was captured and labelled rogue. I was taken to the Iniques Rehabilitation Centre and told I would receive counselling. Instead, they took my greatest joy from me.” She flexed the remnants of her wings, the mutilated bronze flesh scarred, a few feathers still attached. “I was released but I buried my shame for years. Too humiliated to allow anyone to see my deformity, I hid in the mountains. But, even though I can no longer take to the air, the wind told me stories.” The sphinx approached Sera confidently, not needing to look where she placed her paws on the narrow beams. “There were others like me, who had been taken advantage of, experimented on, tortured. I decided to help them. That’s why I founded the Little Birds. To fight back against the humans who would hurt us. To stand up for our rights. To stop this from happening to anyone ever again.”

  Sera bowed her head in respect. “I’m so sorry. That is a noble cause. I hope you don’t mind my impertinence, but I had never heard of the Little Birds until this week. I don’t doubt your word, but the IRC is there to help guide rogue mythics and humans back to law-abiding lives. They don’t torture anyone.”