Fire Bound Dragon

by Elizabeth Rain

  “Vampira,” Jerry finished. But he didn’t seem horrified or worried in the least. Instead, I thought he looked totally fascinated. “We have Vampires here in America too, of course. But they are rare here in the mountains. They flock to the cities. Food supply and all that.”

  I stared at him aghast. Dammit, I’d really been hoping that one wasn’t a thing.

  I cleared my throat. “Well, ahem, anyway. She and her companions were sent through the portal in Drae Hallow, from the other dimension. Will Bennett forced them.”

  Jerry’s eyes jerked and widened. “There’s a portal in Drae Hallow? Where?”

  “By Bane Lake, deeper in the woods. I think he knew they wouldn’t be able to survive long here. He sent them here as a distraction. They are starving to death and...”

  “Sorry, but Elise, you look healthy to me. Um... what have you been eating?” He sounded vaguely alarmed, as if he already knew the answer but was hoping it might change.

  “The residents of Bitterroot. They’ve been dining on hikers and joggers.” Sirris stated, eyes flat.

  Both Elise and I shot her a sullen look. She was right, but the truth was in the details.

  “They have been preying on the residents, it’s true. They haven’t had a choice. And let’s just say the food supply is still kicking, sort of. But it makes them sick. They can’t survive for long here.”

  Jerry continued to stare at the healthy translucence of Elise’s glowing skin. He shook his head in confusion.

  “Again, I could only hope to look as sick,” he murmured.

  “Sadie Cross helped me out.” Elise admitted. She leaned back against the table and began examining her nails, which had lengthened and looked perfect and sharp.

  Jerry scowled, a look of horror on his face as his eyes flew to my neck and stared. “I slapped my hand over my throat and shook my head. “No, not that. But this.” I thrust my wrist out, the marks faint and nearly healed where her sharp teeth had scored the skin.

  Mr. Waverly swallowed. “Are you sure that was wise, Sadie?” he asked.

  I shrugged. No, I wasn’t sure of anything. “I’m sure they both would have died if I hadn’t.” I admitted. “That’s not why we’re here though. We aren’t sure, but we think Will Bennett is up to something on the other side of that portal in that other dimension, in Wyndoor. He’s amassing an army of Demon wolves that he controls.

  Elise interrupted. “He’s taken over our castle home. Our entire clan is living in the surrounding woods, forced to live like animals and feed like them too.” Her nose wrinkled in disgust. “We’ve become desperate and feral beings. He’s moved us back a centuries’ worth of refinement and gentility.” She sniffed; eyes not gentle in the least.

  “There’s something more,” I added. “I think the Tuttles and Todd, all the missing cousins? I think they’re being held captive there and are still alive.

  Nodding, Elise admitted. “They had prisoners with them when they attacked us and drove us out. They took them below to the keep. It’s deep underground and unless you know the way, a maze easy to lose yourself in. It was designed that way centuries ago, when our kind was less civilized and we liked to hunt our prey. I’ve heard it was grand sport.” She smiled, a hint of the sleeping beast in her beautiful eyes. The rest of us did not return her humor.

  “What I don’t get, is how they were forced through the portal in Drae Hallow but weren’t able to just go back. They are trapped in a Magical buffet line and the foods all spoiled.”

  Jerry nodded; brows furrowed in thought. “The Tuttles didn’t disappear in Drae Hallow. We’ve been checking the portal where Will Bennett went through regularly. It’s still sealed. But it wasn’t when they disappeared. Maybe that’s how they went through?”

  It was possible, especially since we were convinced he sent them there. Still...

  “Maybe. But I’m wondering if there’s another one. Maybe his ace in the hole he doesn’t want anyone to know about. We’ve been farther up, not far away from the cabin, and we’ve found bits of cloth and buttons, a shoe... all near the same briar patch. I think there’s another way into the dimension. And maybe out.”

  “A way home...” Elise whispered, eyes desperate.

  “Only, that’s what we think. We don’t know for sure; we’re just pondering possibilities at this point.”

  “We have to look...” Elise started.

  “Why should we help you again?” Sirris asked, voice sharp.

  Elise retorted, voice just as razor thin. “So we stop snacking on the neighbors. Look, you don’t have to approve our diet, nobody asked you to. But we don’t want to be here anymore than you want us here, which ought to count for something.”

  “Jerry. Why can’t Elise and her companions just go back the same way they came?” I asked.

  His expression cleared. “Well, because I believe as I mentioned once before, all portals are different. Think of them as bubbles in the fabric of time between two unique worlds. Some are small, a very few are huge. Most are one way like a bubble blowing out in a single direction. But a select few are large and go both ways. That would be rare if it were natural. The portal Will Bennett controlled wasn’t. He used his sorcery to create and make it bigger than it was designed to be.”

  “We don’t know where the portal is exactly, anyway—or if it even still exists.” I started.

  Jerry nodded. “Remember, most are temporary things... again, bubbles?”

  I finished. “But what I’m thinking is that if we could find that portal? We could go through ourselves and rescue the missing captives.” I looked at Elise, who was looking way too crafty of a sudden for my peace of mind.

  “With the Vampires’ help, we could retake the castle and find the prisoners below. Elise and her family could reclaim their homes and we could take our missing back. Perhaps, with your help, we can break whatever spell or voodoo or whatever he has going, that allows Will Bennett to control the Demon wolves. Without him calling the shots, they aren’t nearly as dangerous.”

  Elise snorted, controlling herself with difficulty. “We’re all dangerous, little girl.” She purred.

  “So are we, little lady,” I shot back, eyes narrowed. Hers darkened, but she shut up.

  Jerry continued to stare at Elise. “That’s a lot of ifs Sadie Cross. Something else you should remember. Portals are temporary. If you are on the wrong side of that dimension when it closes, you could be stuck there forever. Just as trapped as Ms. Elise here in a foreign land with monsters you can’t imagine.

  He was right. It was an awful lot of risk for a maybe.

  “As much as I want to be able to help you, I’m a scientist. I’m not who you need. You need someone versed in Sorcery or maybe Earth Magic. In this case, I’m afraid I’m just a human. We can’t even be sure that the other portal, if there is one, goes both ways...”

  “But I think we can.” Came a whisper of a voice from behind them. The shock was immediate as every head in the room whirled to stare at Fern Mason, who had come in without a sound.

  Elise did not look pleased. I wasn’t surprised. It took skill to sneak up on a vampire.

  Jerry recovered first. “... why is that Fern Mason?” I noticed that Jerry’s voice had cooled by several tremulous degrees.

  My eyes fell to the movement of her fingers against the underside of her throat, a delicate stroking glide of her fingers as if she touched something soft. My eyes narrowed as something shimmered into focus and then faded back out.

  Fern glanced down at her fingers and whispered. “Come on out and play Kit, it’s alright, they won’t hurt you,” she whispered. I continued to stare as at first two over large, round glowing eyes materialized. Kit let her camouflage fade away until most her streamlined catlike body was visible, draped and basking under Fern’s attention. “Now there’s a lady,” Fern crooned. Kit stretched her long low body sinuously, peeling back her small jaws in a wide yawn of razored teeth.

  Elise gave a small sigh of recognition. “A Yet
ta! They run wild in our world. If you get them young, they make great pets.”

  “We call the little beggars Weis.” Jerry growled, waving his bandaged thumb. “They have wicked sharp teeth and claws.”

  Elise giggled. “Well, dummy. Don’t stick your fingers where they don’t belong.”

  I had to smile at Jerry Waverly’s scowl.

  Fern looked up, her expression serious. “Yeah, well, I found her in the briar patch with the shoe and the buttons. I think she came through the wormhole. She’s not the only thing that’s entered our world.” She turned to stare at Elise. “Ever hear of a Juggat Dragon?”

  Elise jerked, her alabaster skin fading to waxen. “Oh no. Nasty things, and deadly!”

  Fern nodded. “It was. Took out one of the Demon wolves before we killed it. We were glad there was only one.” As if sensing her distress, Kit shivered and backpedaled underneath the collar of Fern’s shirt until all that was left were two watery eyes and a quivering snout. The long muttonchops trailed over Fern’s shoulders in front. Kit faded then, until even the dense nosegay of whiskers had disappeared, blending effortlessly with her surroundings.

  “You were lucky. They hunt in pods of five or six, usually.” Elise promised on a shudder.

  I was sure I didn’t want to meet another one anytime soon. What scared a vampire couldn’t be anything I wanted to meet in the dark.

  “So, what do we do next?” Sirris wondered aloud.

  My eyes swerved back to Fern’s and held. “I think the first thing we do is see if we can get Jorta and Ab’et on the same page. We all have similar goals and we’re all outnumbered. If we can work together and they are willing to listen to reason, maybe they can get back to their homes, and we can escape with our friends.” I nodded to Elise as I spoke. She didn’t look hopeful.

  “Reasonable... I got to tell you; I don’t hold out much hope on that one.” Elise worried.

  “Do you have a better idea? Because if you do, I’m all ears.” I promised.

  Elise frowned and looked away. “No. But I don’t like yours much either. So much can go wrong.”

  Nobody said anything more. It was hard to argue with an almost certainty.

  WILL BENNETT TURNED sideways in the mirror and admired his figure. He’d lost weight in the last few weeks. The strange food that didn’t agree with him along with the lack of donuts had resulted in the loss of at least 20 pounds. He missed the donuts. He looked better, though. Behind him standing at the door was Gareth, his replacement for Giat, left behind on Shephard’s Mountain. He’d had to leave the other Demon wolf when he came through the portal, thanks to Carol Shamon, the witch that had sent him here. But he would have the last laugh. Gareth was a weak replacement for Giat, who’d had serious skills in the soldiering department. Still, he took directions well.

  “Report,” he commanded.

  Gareth straightened, his dazed eyes jumping in confusion as he tried to concentrate. “We fed the prisoners. The female grows weaker and the pup as well. Troops are training on the field. Three more captured and added to the ranks last night during the latest patrol. Vampires are scattered and broken in the forest. They show no signs of assembling as you predicted. Still fighting amongst themselves.

  “Good. As long as they don’t get clever and unite; or think of doing something stupid like trying to retake the castle? I’ll leave them be. They’re no threat.”

  “What do you want me to do about the female and her pup?”

  Will turned back to the mirror and adjusted his cloak and frowned. A button was loose. He’d have one of the female wolves fix it later. “Nothing. We’re close to being ready anyway and we won’t need them after that. They should be thankful I’m at least feeding them.”

  Gareth groaned and shook his head, pulling Will’s attention away from his attire. Will waved his hand in the air, a wisp of cloudy smoke formed a lazy ring above his head. He blew the mist in Gareth’s direction.

  Most of the wolves were easy to control and he held them captive to his will with a simple Suggestion Enchantment. The fools believed he had always been their trusty and able minded leader. Their feeble minds couldn’t process the fact that he wasn’t even part of the same race or that he controlled their every thought. Occasionally though, there were a select few in the population that required more incentive. Giat had been like that, requiring constant maintenance on his part. Gareth too required more. He watched as the stiff lines along Gareth’s brow relaxed into willing obedience.

  With a last look at his appearance in the mirror, he turned away. “I want to check on the prisoners myself.”

  He didn’t wait to see if Gareth followed as he strode from the room and down the hall. He shivered. Entire building was always cold. The stone walls of the halls leading to the bedrooms on the second floor of the keep and grand room below didn’t receive the benefits of the fireplaces that were located in the bedrooms and the library. The chill was something he wouldn’t miss when he returned. It was part of a lengthy list of what he’d be happy to leave behind. The rank smell of feces and urine assaulted his nostrils as he entered the main hall.

  “Have the females change the rushes in the hall. Can’t you idiots smell that?” Behind him Gareth grunted his assent but said nothing. Animals, they surrounded him on all sides.

  Will took a deep breath as he moved beyond the castle doorway and into the open courtyard, which was a flurry of activity. Several older, more seasoned wolves worked with a contingency of around fifty more. Fresh recruits in the past weeks from their forest homes. His army was growing nicely. Soon, very soon, he’d have enough to make his move. He could hardly wait to see the faces of the Council, bumbling fools, when he showed up and took care of business.

  The clang of steel made his head ring. Containing and controlling so many, even the weakest, was taking its toll. He needed to build the ranks into an army sufficient to make a move on Drae Hallow and bring down the shield from within; but he couldn’t afford to wait forever. The degree of Magic he needed to maintain the control necessary was maddening. It was a balancing act to be sure.

  Staring out into the field, he watched the elder’s as they gave instruction in avoiding the heavy steel blades and the lighter staffs that were being wielded without skill. It would take more time than he had at his disposal to teach them how to use the weapons properly. Frankly, he wasn’t sure most of them had the brain capacity for it. But learning to avoid the poison-tipped edges was just smart practice. The longer they survived to wreak havoc on the citizens of Drae Hallow, the better his chances of bringing down the shield long enough to let the others in. Then there’d be a war, and at the end of it he’d stand triumphant and in control.

  “Then we’ll see, yes we will. We’ll bring the fight down the mountain and into Breathless.” He whispered to himself. It was time the Magical community took their places as the clear superiors they were. Idiotic it was, coddling the inferior human race and allowing them the luxury of thinking they were in control. All while Magicals hid like children, still recovering from something that had happened hundreds of years before.

  A sudden movement snagged his attention at the edge of the field. A young wolf broke from the ranks and ran for the exit. Will frowned and his hands were moving once more as he wove the pattern and drew the enchantment tighter. It was too late for the runner though, as several of the elder wolves caught up to him and made an example for others to remember. Outnumbered five to one, they made quick work of him, claws and teeth ripping into him from all sides. The attack was vicious and without mercy.

  Will turned away from the sight. Just because he wanted to take his rightful place as their leader, didn’t mean he liked the sight of blood. He had his standards. He strengthened the ward, holding them all captive and willing. It would do. He moved along the path around the castle grounds. He tried not to glance at the wet red patch of earth and what lay still in the middle of it. He stopped at the narrow door with the large iron ring for a door handle. Gareth stepp
ed forward and used one of the bulky keys on a leather cord about his neck to unlock it and pull it open.

  Will frowned and grabbed at a hanky he had tied about his neck, bringing it up to cover his nose. The stench was awful. A mixture of decaying earth and human excrement wafted up from the depths below. The steps inside led straight down into darkness. He reached up and grabbed one of the torches from the holder on the wall. Gareth followed suit and they both lit them from the torch that was already burning, recessed in its holder. They descended into the darkness and once more it reminded Will of how direly he missed modern conveniences like electricity and plumbing. He was a first rate wizard. It was true, he could have easily made his circumstances more palatable. But using what he was to pander to modern conveniences and comforts would have been a waste. He needed his abilities for something far more important. Besides, he reminded himself, this was temporary.

  They stopped at the bottom and he followed Gareth down the second left corridor, ignoring the three other choices. He had no desire to become lost below where so many had been hunted for sport hundreds of years before. Will shivered. Now they took their dinner in a cup from volunteers paid well for their donations, as opposed to ripped from the unwilling throats of their terrified victims.

  He wondered how the vampires were faring now. Was their enforced isolation and hunger driving them back to the monsters they’d once been? Will was positive he didn’t want to be around to find out.

  Gareth took a right, and then another sharp right. Will shivered and kept up, the torch flickering in his hand causing the shadows to climb and jump along the wet stone walls. The smell of decay was stronger the deeper they went. He had no desire to get lost.

  When they’d first taken over and driven the vampires out, they’d kept a few captives back. It had proved a wise move to learn the secrets the castle kept from the ignorant and unwary. That had been especially true of the secrets the maze beneath the castle kept. The vampires hadn’t been willing, at first, to divulge the truth. They’d needed convincing. Will grinned as they turned the last corner and emerged into a better-lit corridor containing several cells for containment. The last vampire had begged to show them the way. His smile faded. He’d instructed the wolves to release the prisoner at the gate to rejoin his companions in the forest as a reward for his cooperation. But Will was almost certain they hadn’t obeyed.