by D. F. Jones
There were no tracks on the ground indicating anyone had been around. Treya peered through the tangle of vines to the space beyond. From what she could see, it was at least large enough for her to stand upright. She teleported in, not wanting to disturb the natural barrier. The cavern was narrow at first, but gradually opened into a much larger area. Treya grinned. It was perfect for her needs.
Back outside, she gazed out over the lush carpeted green valley, listening to the birds chirp and the insects flying about. Emerald lakes down below sparkled under the light of Bicily’s two suns.
Not yet overly populated, the few humans and supes that inhabited Bicily tended to keep to themselves. Treya wondered if Jacey would like it here.
With a lightness she hadn’t felt in a while, she zapped back home to Lavellas. As a rule, teleports could zap from one spot to another within the realm they were in, but it was almost unheard of to be able to zap between realms. Treya had discovered she was an exception to that rule, but she could only do it once she’d been to the realm she was teleporting too.
As she neared the tiny house she rented on Lavellas, Treya looked next door and spotted her brother huddled out on the front step. The lightness in her dimmed. An extremely shy boy, with a mop of black hair, Jacey hid his longing as he watched the kids playing in the street.
Since they’d moved here a few months ago, she’d tried to urge him to go join them, but he didn’t know how to socialize or play. He’d never been allowed.
He spotted her and his blue eyes—very much like her own—lit up. He ran over to her. “Trey-a!”
“I’m sorry I was gone so long.” Treya hugged him, then walked to the tiny house they called home with her arm around his thin shoulders.
Me-annie, the elderly neighbor, came to the door and waved.
“Thank you,” Treya said, grateful the older woman didn’t mind watching Jacey for her.
“For you two, anything my dear,” Me-annie said with a smile.
Inside their house, Treya made her and Jacey something to eat. But as they sat at the little table, he just picked at his food.
“Did Me-annie feed you so much you aren’t hungry?” Treya asked teasingly.
Jacey shook his head.
“What then? Did something happen?”
“I did what you suggested and asked the kids if I could play,” he said quietly.
“You did?” She was proud of him for that, but could sense there was more. “Something happened?”
Jacey glanced quickly up at her before looking down at his food.
Treya gently lifted his chin. “Tell me.”
His hand went to his right arm. “They saw my tattoo. They wanted to know why I had it and what it meant.” He pulled his sleeve back, revealing JC656 in black letters. “I didn’t know what to tell them.”
Treya silently swore, more determined than ever to do this job. She wrapped her arms around her brother. “I have a big job coming up, and once it’s done we’ll have the money to remove both our tattoos.”
“Really?” Big blue eyes stared up at her in hope.
Treya nodded. “Really. In fact, I wanted to talk to you about something else as well.”
“What?”
“I went to Bicily today. What do you think about maybe moving there?”
“Bicily. A hot tropical planet with silty black lava beaches, deep green lakes, and moss-covered mountains.” He recited what he’d been taught living in the compound.
“You remember.”
“Of course,” he said.
Treya smiled. “It’s pretty there and we’ll never be cold.”
“I don’t know how to swim,” he said doubtfully.
“I’ll teach you.”
Chapter 3
Wild Storm
The next morning Treya left Jacey with Me-annie once again, and then set out to do some surveillance on her target. Anxiety twisted her gut. She couldn’t afford to mess up. Her brother deserved a better life, and she planned to give it to him.
She exited the portal to Corsica Di’osa, and glanced around. A shiver raced up her spine at the rugged beauty of a place that had once teemed with life.
She had heard it used to be a stunning world. Now a dying planet, spears of lightning split the cloudy grayish-green sky in a continuous light show, followed by the booming and cracking of thunder so strong the ground shook.
A constant rain fell, the only thing that kept the planet alive, though it was a losing battle with the dying sun.
The portal snapped closed behind her, leaving a smooth expanse of red rock. Treya studied the thousand-foot wall, then began to climb, using skills honed during her twenty-eight years at the compound.
At the top, she dusted her hands off and turned her gaze outward. A breathtakingly wild, rugged landscape spread out before her, so vastly different from Sicily’s serene softness. A feeling of haunted danger swept Treya as she took in the massive volcanic red mountains that rose impossibly high above her—jagged peaks hidden among the angry billowing clouds.
As far as she could see, the floor of the canyons and gullies were covered in a carpet of soft lavender, light blue, green, and pink foliage.
At one time Corsica Di’osa had been thriving, but now only one being called the place home.
Swamped with sadness for the realm, Treya drew upon her energy.
As power swirled over and through her, flames ignited, and the depressing emotion disappeared. An exhilarating rush consumed her. She began to transform. Her body grew bigger, longer, thicker. Sharp talons sprouted from her hands, large wings rose from her back, a long, spiked tail curved around her, and rows of wicked pointed teeth filled her mouth. Her eyesight sharpened, and shiny black scales completed the shift into her dragon.
Elation, a euphoric freedom empowered Treya as she spread her wings. She gathered her energy once more, cloaked herself, and with a beat of her mighty wings rose into the sky.
She dove down, then leveled out and began to fly, reveling in the freedom of stretching her wings as she soared between mountain peaks. Wind slid smoothly over her scales, the rain soothing against her body. She didn’t fly as often as she’d like, and now, as she glided over the wild majestic beauty of this barren realm, that same wildness entered her soul and made her forget the reason for even being here.
What had the realm been like before when the sun was whole and enveloped it in heat, light, and warmth?
She imagined that it had been a sight to behold. What she wouldn’t give to live in a place where she could just be herself. Where she didn’t have to hide her gifts, could fly if she wished and not worry about anyone or anything. A place where her brother was safe, and she didn’t fear the director and his consort finding them.
At the thought of the evil man and his female partner, Treya’s head cleared. More determined than ever, she set off to find Corsica Di’osa’s single black mountain.
Home to Ash, her target and one of the most feared, reclusive dragons in all the realms.
All the stories she’d ever heard claimed the mountain once gleamed a sparkling white, but when the sun started to die, it turned black.
After an hour, Treya spotted it. The black behemoth rose into the sky and disappeared from sight.
A sense of dread urged her to turn away. Treya shoved past the glamour and began to circle the dark, craggy rock. It took a while to find the entrance; another glamour shrouded it. But once she did, she searched out a spot to land.
She shifted back into human form and utilized her senses. Wards were set, protecting whatever or whoever was within.
Treya made her way close to the entrance and settled down behind a large boulder to wait, studying the wards while she did.
Her hair was soaked, as were her clothing, and after four hours, though her butt ached from the rocky ground, she smiled.
She’d figured out how to bypass the wards and get inside. Now, if only she had some indication of whether the dragon was home or not.
Trey
a stood and began to pace. Was Ash even still living here? She was just about to get closer, when movement at the entrance froze her. Treya drew on her energy and quickly cloaked herself.
A man emerged, but before she could get a good look at him, he shifted into a very large—at least twice her size—black dragon. Thin, jagged gold striations covered his body, and ivory and gold horns protruded from his skull, while deadly black spikes lined his neck and tail.
Pure, dark power that felt to Treya’s dragon senses like thundering fury emanated from him in snapping waves.
Treya’s own dragon began to pulse with awareness. Stunned, Treya fought to calm the beast struggling to break free from her skin. I’ll let you out again soon, but not now, it’s too dangerous. She chanted silently over and over, until her beast finally settled.
Treya watched, heart in her throat, as the black and gold dragon—Ash, for it had to be him—turned his large head. He seemed to stare right at her.
Treya shivered. There was no way he could see her, could he?
He roared, a sound that shook the realm, then shot off the cliff, tail flicking sharply with a crack behind him. He arrowed his body straight down, going way too fast.
Treya held her breath, certain he was going to crash into the rocks. She exhaled as he leveled off at the last minute, and was shocked to realize she was shaking, that her knees had gone weak. She continued to watch, heart in her throat, as the dragon rocketed straight up into the sky. He entered a bolt of lightning, and swiftly followed it ever higher.
His whole body was illuminated energy, a brilliant glow that stung her eyes and made them water.
He roared again, a tremendous vibration that rocked the world.
Treya stood rooted to the spot, mesmerized, as the legend called Ash became one with the storm.
Never in all her years had Treya ever seen anything like the mighty creature. He owned the sky, the storm, the lightning, and as he gathered speed, it traveled with him. Bolts of light—energy—stayed with him, while others followed in his wake, whipping and sizzling lashes of fury.
He drew the storm, pulled it, used it and shaped it, roars echoing the furious booms sweeping the land. The rain came down harder, faster, plastering Treya’s hair to her face.
Something stung her cheeks, and it was a moment before she realized it was tears. Treya couldn’t remember ever crying in her life. She blinked, unsure why she was reacting this way. Yet her heart continued to pound in her chest as emotion choked her.
As the dragon finally disappeared from sight, her heart calmed.
Whatever fear or reservations she’d originally had about coming here and doing this job settled into a sense of rightness, as if she belonged here in this moment at this exact time.
She teleported back home.
Chapter 4
Questions
Treya had Ash under surveillance for three days, and soon learned that he flew at the same time each evening. He was daring, strong, and powerful, and the longer she observed him, the harder it was to push forward with the job. There was just something about him that drew her, almost like a beacon. As he disappeared once again from view, Treya turned away. She’d been enjoying this way too much, it was time to get to work. Now was her chance to scout out his lair.
She approached the entrance, mumbled the spell she needed, and then drew on just enough of her dragon energy to pass through the ward without setting it off.
But once inside, she pulled up short.
She didn’t know what she expected, but this was definitely not it.
The place was clean and tidy, and held a simple elegance. She’d have thought that with his gold, Ash would be living like a king.
The spacious living, kitchen, and dining area appeared spotless, the appliances sparkling. A deep, rectangular hole had been cut from the rock and inset with glass, allowing an amazing view of the valley beyond. Off to the side of the window was an easel with a blank canvas. Beside it was a table with various paints and brushes.
Treya gazed back out the window, wondering where Ash had gone. The sheer loneliness of the place settled like a weight upon her shoulders.
Treya shook off the feeling and with no time to waste, hurried down a massively wide hallway past a large bathing room, and then three bedrooms that looked like they’d never been slept in. She found the office, also neat and tidy. Another ward prevented her entrance. There was an open door in the far corner just past the desk, and through it, she spotted a shelf loaded with tech.
She studied the ward, memorizing it so she could work on it later at home.
Treya moved on, stunned to discover a massive library. Shelves upon shelves of hardcover tomes covered every wall and table, and stacks of paperback and hardcover books took up much of the floor space. Who would’ve thought such a big bad dragon would be interested in books and art?
A large painting hanging on the far wall caught her attention. Treya moved closer, riveted on the piece. The light in the giant beast’s emerald eyes as it flew toward her, felt like they could see straight into her soul. From behind the shadow of the golden dragon, brilliant yellow rays shot out from a brightly burning sun. Warmth suffused Treya just looking at the scene.
Treya recognized the mountains, peaks, and canyons of Corsica Di’osa, though the colors were bright and brilliant. This had been painted before the planet began to die. She shivered at the eerie familiarity of the dragon, though she’d never seen a pure gold one.
Another large painting hung beside it, but was turned inward facing the wall, as if Ash couldn’t bear to look at it, yet couldn’t throw it away.
Treya pulled it back from the wall enough to see another dragon, this one silver. A large white moon illuminated the world, bathing it in a beautiful glow.
Troubled, Treya continued deeper into the mountain and passed a gymnasium. Workout equipment was set up off to one side.
The hallway sloped downward and ended at a T of two smaller tunnels. Treya turned right and found herself in the master bedroom. A massive, wooden four-poster bed dominated the space. Yet it was the paintings covering the walls that caught her eye.
Bright sunny scenes hung on three of them, each depicting what Corsica Di’osa must’ve once looked like. On the fourth wall was a single large painting. The storm. Dark skies of furious clouds slashed by jagged streaks of lightning. It felt alive, and very much like a punishment.
Treya noted the sky light above the bed. Did Ash lay at night looking up at the ever-present storm? What did he think of, dream of?
Even more disturbed, she went back to the T and took the left tunnel. It went down even further into the mountain, then veered sharply to the left again. She smacked into an invisible wall. Another ward, one she hadn’t seen nor felt.
“Come on!” Treya reprimanded herself. She backed off and concentrated on the magic shield. This one wasn’t as easy as the entrance, and after a few minutes, she knew it was taking too long. Ash would be back any time now.
Treya worked—molding her energy, until sweat began to trickle down her forehead and between her shoulder blades. Her hands grew damp as she felt a power not her own growing near.
Ash was on his way back.
Her heart began to thump, and she was about to teleport out when her dragon rose. Focus.
Treya drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. It came to her, clear as day. She muttered a couple of words drawn from somewhere deep inside, let it merge with her energy, and then was through to the other room.
The ward behind her still stood, undamaged.
Lights tucked in little recesses along each wall flared to life, illuminating the massive cave. Holy crap!
Domorio wasn’t kidding.
Treya walked down the center of the wide cavern, speechless at the gleaming treasure, until sharp stinging power made her heart leap into her throat.
She turned, expecting to find Ash right behind her. There was no one.
Yet heat suffused her, and adrenaline sizzled throu
gh her veins as she felt him grow closer.
She zapped away from Corsica Di’osa and back home.
That night she couldn’t stop thinking of Ash, wondering who he really was, why he lived alone.
“Are you doing that job today?” Jacey asked as she strapped on her weapons and applied her mask to her face.
“I am.”
“I don’t think you should go.” Jacey sat down on her bed. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
Treya ruffled his hair. “It’ll be fine, and when I’m done, I’m going to see if there are any homes we can buy on Bicily. Maybe a small farm so we can have a dog. What do you think?”
“I guess.”
Treya sat beside her brother. “I know you want a pet, so what’s wrong?”
He shrugged. “Something doesn’t feel right, and I’m afraid. I don’t want to lose you.”
Treya’s heart twisted. “You won’t, I promise. I love you, you do know that, right?”
He nodded.
Treya hugged him tight. “You need to go to Me-annie’s now, okay? I’ll see you when I’m all done.”
Treya teleported back to Ash’s mountain and settled in to wait. A minute later he emerged, shifted, and took to the sky.
Treya resisted the urge to once again watch him, and instead zapped into his lair outside his office. She drew on her energy, spoke the words needed, and walked through the ward. With a grim smile, she hurried over to the other room and quickly realized that it was actually a lab. She scanned the shelves and located the cylinder with the Nanotech she’d been sent to steal. Then she studied everything else. What most of the stuff was, she had no clue. Yet she’d seen some of it before. A deep anger filled her as she zapped to the treasure room.
Treya went to the largest pile and reaching out, laid her hand over part of it. She drew on her energy and concentrated on the cave in Bicily.
Nothing happened.
She tried again.