“Something is wrong. What’s happened, Seraphina?”
“A lot,” she mumbled, her voice cracking. “I don’t have time to explain everything right now, but I wanted to let you know that Dad’s gone missing.”
Balthazar pinned his ears back and asked, “What? How? What can I do to help?”
She explained how she’d gone to see him after he’d gotten sick and found his apartment broken into. She shared her theory on how someone named Quill must have hacked into the MRO’s phone system and lied to her. She added, “I don’t want you hurting yourself on my account, especially since you’re not fully recovered, but if I could ask you to keep an ear out and do what you can with your magic to help me track him or figure out who Quill is, I would be forever grateful.”
“Of course. I will do everything in my power. I have great respect for Tracker Allen.”
“Thank you, Balthazar. I have to go now but I’m so glad you’re feeling better.” She kissed his whiskery muzzle, opened the stall door and left. The sun was setting now so she walked towards Tregua Park. On the way, she bought two ham and cheese sandwiches from one of the cafes on Main Street: one for her and one for Wren. As the sun sank towards the horizon, she wandered through the city and pondered on the strange disappearance of her father. Striving to remain detached, she considered the events analytically as if it were one of her tracking assignments. Now that she thought about it, it was almost certain that he’d been hurt or abducted when his apartment was broken into. Considering there was no blood and no body, she assumed he’d been taken.
But why? What purpose does he serve? And who is Quill and why would he lie to me?
A lightbulb went off in her brain and she knew the answer as surely as she knew she was bound to Arius.
President Kaesus is behind this.
She wasn’t sure why he was targeting her family but she had a hunch he would use Allen against her. Resolve hardening, she vowed to destroy the President however she could. Hatred for the man who had wiped her memories and now abducted her father burned within her.
I can’t do anything to save Dad for the moment, but I can make life difficult for the President by stealing the IRC plans for the Little Birds.
When she entered Tregua Park and left the streetlights behind, her world was plunged into darkness. The new moon that hovered above the city cast no light and only the feeble glow of the stars lit her path. As she walked towards the black shadow that was the Peace Tree, Sera wondered whether to call Hazel to bring her up to speed. After a short internal debate, she decided against it. She wanted to keep Hazel as safe as possible, and sharing her theory of abduction by their President and involving her in a top-secret mission would definitely put her life at risk. Once she stood under the flowering boughs of the Peace Tree, Sera whistled to Wren. A few moments later, he dropped from the branches and crouched, catlike, in front of her. She tossed him the second sandwich wrapped in brown paper and he caught it easily, wolfing it down immediately.
“I have a message for the Little Birds. Can you pass it onto them for me, please?” she asked.
“Yep,” he mumbled around his mouthful.
“Please tell them, I accept their task. If anything happens to me before I get the plans to them, tell them to find my PSB and it will give them everything they need.”
The skinny boy nodded solemnly and said, “I’ll go to them tonight. And Miss Sera,” he hesitated, blushing, before muttering bashfully, “thank you for your gifts.” He leapt back into the tree before she had a chance to respond.
She smiled to herself and whispered, “You’re welcome, Wren.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Striding away from the orphan boy’s hideout, Sera reached out to Arius. Their mental link seemed to be growing stronger as she connected to him with ease at larger distances.
What a day. Can we meet?
Of course, Seraphina. I’m just in the forest to the south of Mandar City but I will come to you now.
Can I come to you? I don’t think it would be safe for me to stay at home.
That might be a good idea after what I’ve found out. I believe your father may be imprisoned in the Iniques Rehabilitation Centre. I took note of his scent at his apartment and followed his trail. It led me to a hidden entrance just outside the fence of that prison.
Huh. I had my suspicions that President Kaesus abducted him and I suppose it makes sense for him to imprison him there.
Your instinct was right. Approval radiated through his tone. Even though it’s a terrible situation, you sound… determined. Has something happened?
Yes. This morning I met with a group called the Little Birds. They have asked me to steal the blueprints for the IRC so they can rescue one of their members. Now I can ask them to rescue Dad, too. Sera continued walking along the pavement and sensed a vague tugging in her chest, leading her south as she focused on finding Arius.
Goodness. Surprise and worry laced his voice. You have been busy. It sounds dangerous. Have you really thought this through?
Yes. I appreciate your concern, but I don’t need you to shield me from every possible threat. President Kaesus needs to pay for everything he’s done. This is one way I can screw him over. Plus, the Little Birds member that they’re rescuing? He’s my old professor. I don’t want to see him killed just because I was too scared to help.
A heavy pause punctuated their conversation and Sera started to wonder whether she’d lost their connection. Finally, Arius replied. If it’s this important to you, then I want to help. Where do you have to steal the blueprints from?
Her heart swelled at his support. Apparently, the only copy in Mandar City is on the President’s wristband.
Well, that could be problematic.
You’re right there! However, I’ve had someone offer to help me from inside the MRO. We have a plan but everything hinges on tomorrow night.
What’s happening tomorrow night?
It’s the annual Choosing Ceremony for the graduates from MINATH. The Hunters choose their partnered Tracker and then they both choose the unicorns they will ride for their missions. All past graduates of MINATH are invited to attend. The President will be giving a speech and I’ll sneak away and steal the plans whilst he’s distracted.
I’ll come with you. I want to help.
She paused and considered his offer. You might be helpful as a distraction in your human form. And if everything turns to shit, then we may need to make a quick getaway through the skies.
I can do that.
Thank you, Arius. Fatigue pulled at her limbs as she abandoned the pavement and stumbled through a ploughed paddock. I have to go now. I’m too tired to talk and walk at the same time.
That’s perfectly fine. Go. I will see you soon.
Sera withdrew her mind and pulled her phone out, ready to text Hazel. Her finger hovered over the keypad as she contemplated how much to explain over the phone.
‘I’m staying with Arius tonight. Found out some weird stuff today. Keep the door locked and don’t open it for anyone.’
Her friend responded almost immediately.
‘Okay, Sera. Look after yourself. Will I still see you at the Choosing tomorrow night?’
‘You too. Yes, I’ll be there.’
‘Do you have something to wear for the ceremony?’
‘Shoot. I’d forgotten it’s black-tie. Not really, but I’ll just wear my old black dress. Hopefully no one will be paying me any attention.’
‘I’ve got a spare dress you can wear. I’ll hang it in your room before I leave. I’ll be heading over early to finalise some last-minute arrangements. xx’
‘Thanks, Hazel. You’re a champion. See you tomorrow night. xo’
She kept her phone out and turned on the torch when she entered the forest. With no moon to guide her way, the light was necessary to avoid tripping on the uneven ground. The curious tugging sensation in her chest kept steering her south. The general hum of the night-time creatures kept her company on
her trek. When the crickets hushed their chirping unexpectedly, Sera paused and listened. Soft footfalls were headed straight for her. Instead of reaching for Firinne, which she would have done a week ago, she opened her mind briefly and sensed the comforting aura of Arius. Grinning, she turned her torch off and hid behind a trunk. She waited until his footsteps reached the tree, then she jumped out in an attempt to scare him.
Keeping a straight face, Arius, in human form, folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. “You do realise that since we’ve been Soulbound I can sense where you are? It is impossible for you to surprise me.”
“Damn!” she exclaimed.
He kissed her softly, his eyes crinkling in merriment as he said, “You’re welcome to keep trying if you want, though. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be distracted enough for you to catch me out.”
She chuckled and embraced him, laying her head against his bare chest. His heart beat slowly and warmth soaked into her.
Pushing away reluctantly, she said, “Before I forget, I have a favour to ask. If you’re right that my dad is being held in the IRC and I’m successful in getting the plans tomorrow, we can’t waste any time in getting him out of there. I’ll let the Little Birds know so we can work together to get Tormund and Dad at the same time. But I wanted to ask, will you help me rescue him? Even though it might put your secret in jeopardy?”
“Of course,” he agreed immediately.
“I want you to really think about this, Arius,” she insisted. “If things go badly and you are forced to transform to save us, then you could risk exposing the existence of dragons to the world.”
“I’ve been giving this a lot of thought since I lost you,” he said slowly. “To be honest, I believe it’s time for us to reveal ourselves.”
“But what about what Talegar said on the plateau?”
Arius glared at the mention of his father’s name. “That dragon pretends to care for the wellbeing of dragonkind, but he’s really only looking out for what’s best for himself. The decision shouldn’t only be up to him.”
“Fair enough.” She held her hands up in a placating manner. “In that case, could you do me a favour? Tomorrow, do you think you could find Torvold and Idris? They offered to help and I think we’ll need all the support we can get!”
He bobbed his head. “I can do that for you. Now, come,” he whispered. “It is time to rest.”
He took her hand and led her carefully through the trees, not needing a torch to negotiate the undergrowth. She followed blindly, trusting him completely. Arriving in a clearing, he reluctantly released her hand and stepped away. Leaning his head back, his face bathed in the starlight, he released a slow exhale and transformed. Sera watched in awe as spines erupted along his back, coppery scales coated his skin and leathery wings sprouted from his shoulders. He grew until his body blocked out the stars. This was the first time she’d seen him in his true form since her memories had returned. Sera sucked in a breath as she took it all in. Her memories hadn’t done him justice. He was magnificent. She could easily walk beneath him without grazing his belly. He stretched his wings and shook his head, sending ripples down his scaled hide.
“That’s better,” he said before meeting Sera’s gaze.
His swirling emerald irises captivated her. She stepped closer, feeling the heat radiating from his skin, and caressed him. The rough texture of his scales sent a thrill through her and a tiny groan of longing escaped her lips. A comforting hum thrummed from Arius’ throat and he leant his head down, pressing the tip of his snout against her body. An overwhelming explosion of joy filled her chest, enveloping her in a comforting warmth.
“I missed you,” she murmured and wrapped her arms around his muzzle. “I didn’t recognise that it was you I was missing, but I have been miserable since I returned home. I couldn’t understand why I felt like a piece of me was lost. Now everything makes sense. I feel like… like I can face anything so long as I have you.”
Without jostling her, he folded his legs and lay down, before snaking his head around her body and drawing her into his chest. “I cannot begin to tell you how much pain I endured during your absence. I am overjoyed to have you by my side once more. I will admit… before I found out you’d lost your memories, I did wonder whether you had chosen to abandon me.” His voice was even but he refused to meet her eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Arius. I could never leave you. I wish I had been strong enough to stop the President from injecting me with… whatever that was.” She shivered as a chill that had nothing to do with the night air prickled her skin.
“You do not need to apologise, my love. It wasn’t your fault.” Arius brought his wing over top of her, creating a make-shift cave. Sera settled herself between Arius’ foreleg and belly and rested her head against his body. The cool wind that had sprung up couldn’t breach the cocoon he had formed, and the heat he generated was gloriously toasty. The earthy scent of burning embers accompanied by the soft whoosh of his breathing produced a soothing ambience that lulled her to sleep.
As her eyes drifted shut, she heard Arius whisper, “I swear I will never let harm come to you ever again, my Soulbound.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Call it what you want, but my sixth sense is telling me something is wrong.
Sera stood in front of her door, staring at the number 113. She had spent a blissful morning reconnecting with Arius who had promised to accompany her to the Choosing. Now that she’d arrived at her apartment, she wished she’d asked him to come home with her, too. Passing her PSB over the door’s control panel, there was no sound, meaning it wasn’t locked. Stomach twisting, Sera kept her hand on the hilt of her blade and cast her mind into her home. The only life forms that greeted her were Perry’s and the dull glow of the neighbours in next-door apartment.
At least Hazel went to the Choosing early.
Sera pushed the door open slowly and peeked around it, half-expecting to see all her belongings strewn around the lounge in the same way it had been at her father’s. She relaxed slightly when she could see nothing out of place.
Maybe I’m just being paranoid. To be fair, it wouldn’t be surprising after the week I’ve had.
Wondering whether Hazel had simply forgotten to lock up, she shut the door behind her and moved into the lounge, searching for signs of an intruder. Perry came hurtling out of her room, yowling and spitting, and leapt into her arms.
“Woah, buddy! This isn’t like you, what’s wrong?” She soothed Hazel’s cat and scratched behind his ears while he glared at her bedroom. He bunted her with his head and pressed his claws into her arm, before springing away and crawling to the top of Hazel’s shelves. He hid up there, his tail whipping from side to side and his pupils dilated as he watched her enter the bedroom. Glancing around, Sera noticed the silky green dress hanging from her wardrobe that her friend had promised to leave out for her, but everything else appeared to be untouched. Moving around to the side of her bed, she noticed a brown strap peeking from underneath it. Dropping to her hands and knees, she discovered her backpack shoved under the bed. Dragging it out, she frowned.
How did my backpack get here? I abandoned it at Nanna’s house. And all the food has been taken.
With trepidation, she unzipped it. A plain white envelope sat in the bottom. An icy chill slid through her veins. Slowly, she drew it out of her backpack and turned it over. There were no markings to indicate where it might have come from. Sera carefully slid her finger under the lip and broke the seal. A flash of blue greeted her, and she pulled an iridescent blue feather from the envelope.
That’s weird. Who would send me a feather?
She admired the colour in the sunlight slanting through her window. Placing the feather carefully on her bedside table, she then pulled out the note that accompanied it. Unfolding the slip of paper, she read the typed message.
“For my little bird.”
The hair on the nape of her neck raised and she dropped the note as if it had scolded her. She had n
o idea who it was from. One thing she did know though: never had four words struck such fear into her soul. Striving to remain rational, she picked up the note and set it down beside the feather.
It’s just a feather, Sera, no need to freak out. Perhaps it’s from the Little Birds? Or from Helena? Could it be a good luck charm? Or is there some meaning behind it?
She pondered her options. Her intuition told her to leave the feather behind. It was beautiful, but not knowing the source had her on edge. She grabbed the Seeing Stone and projected the image of the feather toward it, hoping it might shed some light on the sender. An image flickered over the surface of a dark cavern. Squinting her eyes, she strained to make out the details in the dim blue glow. When she found the source of the glow, realisation dawned. The bioluminescent fungi that sprawled down the walls and the peculiar stream that flowed upwards could only belong to the cavern that housed the Seeing Pool. The surface of the water showed the familiar image of her mother and the shadowy figure named Mal. It was a surreal feeling watching a vision within a vision. Sera could see her mother’s mouth moving, but the Seeing Stone didn’t have the same power as the Seeing Pool and no sound came from it. Cocking her head, she tried to recollect exactly what she’d heard that day. She’d been so excited to hear her mother’s voice and worried about the dragons fighting in the cave she’d fled from that she couldn’t remember the exact details of their conversation.
I know Mum said she’d had a premonition about me. Mal was upset about it. But why is the Seeing Stone showing me this again?
She clamped down on the twist in her heart at the reminder that Allen might not be her biological father. If she was honest with herself, she’d been ignoring that part of her restored memories.
Allen is my father. Even if he isn’t biologically, he raised me on his own, taught me everything I know about tracking and has always been there for me. Mal has never existed in my world. That man is no father of mine. Eyeing the Seeing Stone distrustfully, she contemplated the vision. Is it suggesting that Mal sent me the feather? How could he have learnt where I live? Or is the Stone trying to tell me something else, unrelated to the feather?
A Dragon's Body: A New Adult Fantasy Dragon Series (The MINATH Chronicles Book 2) Page 13