Lord of Life (The Dragon Demigods Book 4)

by Charlene Hartnady

  What do you want?

  “Miss me?” she purrs. It isn’t a question. I don’t answer. “How about a reunion?”

  “If you so much as touch a hair on her head…” I growl the words, my animal coming to the fore. It doesn’t matter that I can’t shift. My dragon is prowling, even more riled since it is caged.

  “Touchy, touchy. Relax! I won’t hurt her…if you do everything I tell you.”

  “I’m listening.” I’m shaking I’m so angry. I feel a shot of adrenaline course through my veins. My skin feels too tight. I have to force myself to relax my grip on my phone, or I might just break it.

  “That’s a good boy.” Her voice is like silk.

  “Before you say anything,” I push out, “put Morgan on the line.” I hear Bart talking to Cooper. They’re just down the stairs. I don’t want them to hear this, so I duck onto the patio, closing the door behind me.

  “Let’s be clear,” she says. “I’m the one in charge here.”

  “I want proof of life. Now! That’s not negotiable.”

  “Calm down!” she snaps. “I’ll let you talk to her for a few seconds, and then you do as I say, or your girlfriend is dead…you got that?”

  “Yes,” I say between clenched teeth.

  I hear rustling. “Lyre.” It’s Morgan. She sounds a little out of breath. I hear panic in her voice.

  It makes me want to break things. “Morgan!” I yell, trying not to be too loud and failing.

  “Don’t do it!” she shouts. “Don’t—” Then she makes this weird noise, and I hear a thunk.

  “Morgan!” I yell. “Morgan!” I don’t give a shit who hears me, I’m frantic.

  “She’s fine,” Gabby says.

  “I swear to fucking god—!” I punch out.

  “Listen carefully,” she hisses.

  “Put her back on! Do it—!”

  “I will kill her,” Gabby says. I can hear that she means it. “I’m done waiting. I’m done with the games. I’m hungry.” There’s this edge to her voice. “Starving. I will eat today, or your precious Morgan will die. You can choose whichever you prefer.”

  I hold back a snarl. I pace to the end of the balcony and then back again. I’m too livid to talk. I make a grunting noise instead.

  “Get rid of the Seekers. If I even sniff someone from the Order, I will kill her and dump her body on your front lawn.”

  My blood is fucking boiling. I still don’t say anything.

  “Call your friend. He needs to be there when we arrive.”

  “Which friend?” I put on an act. I know exactly who she’s referring to. Bolt. Has to be. Although there is a chance she saw Stephan as well. Could be either one of them.

  She sighs. “I said no more games.”

  “Be specific. I don’t play games either.”

  “Sounds like you have more than one friend.”

  I don’t take the bait.

  “The cute one in the Armani suit. He drove a black Bentley GT. I could smell the power coming off of him. Could see it simmering just beneath the surface. He’s brimming with the stuff. More than you,” she rambles. “Him. Bring him for me.”

  Bolt.

  Fuck!

  In order to save Morgan, I’m going to have to possibly sacrifice my friend. A lead weight settles in my stomach when I think of Stephan’s vision.

  “You need to get him to your house and wait for us to arrive. If you try anything, I will shoot her. I will not hesitate.”

  “If you shoot her, you will die next. I need you to know that.”

  “I need his power.” She sounds like a junkie. “I don’t care about dying. I don’t!” A strung-out junkie. “It might even be a blessing at this point. I have nothing to lose. I will shoot her in the head. You can kill me, but you’d have to live with her death. Her blood would be on your hands. I’m giving you this one-time warning.”

  The scary thing is that I fully believe her.

  “Your friend will still be able to live a long life. He doesn’t need his power. I do!” She sounds crazed, half out of her mind. “Make sure he’s there and don’t try anything stupid. I’ll give you an hour. Don’t make me wait.” Desperate and strung-out. For the first time in my life, I feel real fear.

  “What if I can’t make this happen within an hour?” It’s a real possibility. “My friend is a busy guy.”

  “You are an intelligent person, make it happen or else!” She disconnects the phone. I want to throw mine against the wall. I want to tear my house down.

  Fuck!

  I go inside. I ignore whatever it is that Bart says to me and go down the stairs. I have a desk in my bedroom. My laptop is on it. I open the device. I log onto my internet banking and pay the rest of the money. I click the ‘pay and release now’ tab. I put Tom’s number as a reference. Then I put my head in my hands and take a couple of deep breaths.

  There’s a part of me that wants to lie to Bolt. That wants to get him here by telling him some bullshit story. I need him here. I have to save Morgan. It’s what I desperately want. I need to give Bolt more credit. I owe him that much. I need to be honest and hope that he does the right thing. The honorable thing. If it doesn’t work out, I will contact each of my friends in turn. Surely, one of them will be willing to step forward? I contemplate calling Stephan right off the bat. Of leaving Bolt out of it altogether. He was adamant about not wanting his powers. Doing that could backfire. What if the harpy specifically wants Bolt? I could sign Morgan’s death warrant if I make a misstep. Gabby is crazy. I could hear it in her voice. It might be this hunger that has driven her to this point, but there it is. She’s out of her mind. Like a junkie needing a fix. She’s willing to do anything to get it. Risk anything.

  My phone rings. I jump. I see the caller ID and calm down.

  “I don’t understand,” the other person says as soon as I answer.

  “I changed my mind. I don’t need your help,” I say.

  “It doesn’t work that way,” Tom says.

  “I disagree. Morgan is coming back. She’s staying a few more days. Andy’s mom has changed her mind about pulling the plug.” We told Tom that was the reason for calling him. The reason why Morgan had decided to leave. I’m hoping he follows up. I’m hoping he realizes I’m lying. That he’ll figure something is up. I don’t bet on it. I’m sure we’re alone in this.

  He makes a grunting noise. “Why the money? You’ve paid in full.”

  “As a down-payment. Give Morgan and me a few more days, if the harpy doesn’t turn up, then you send your guys back in. I think she might get spooked if she knows the Order is taking this seriously. She might end up in the wind again.” It is a thought I had, so I know it makes sense.

  Tom makes a noise of agreement. “I’ll pull Bart and Cooper at the end of shift.”

  “Now,” I say, a little too forcefully. “Thanks for the offer,” I quickly add. “But we’ll be okay.”

  “You sure?” Tom sounds skeptical.

  “Very.”

  “Okay, then. I’ll let Bart know right away.” He pushes out a breath. “You let me know when you want me to send them back in.”

  “Will do. Thanks.” I end the call and immediately dial Bolt.

  A weight lifts when he picks up. “Everything okay?” he asks.

  “No. I need to talk to you about something important.”

  “I’m listening.”

  22

  Morgan

  I’m in the trunk of Lilith’s car. After being tasered, it took a good few minutes before I could move again. Even then, I was weak. Lilith put my gun to my side, under my jacket and marched me to a quieter part of the underground parking. To her car. She told me she would shoot me if I tried anything and I could see she meant it. The harpy made me get into the trunk and tased me again as soon as I did. I hate being tasered. The second one knocked me out cold. I came to, tied and gagged. I can see light streaming in through the bullet hole I put in her car. Seems like a lifetime ago since that incident happened. I
consider kicking out one of her taillights. I’m pretty sure I could do it, but then what? I flag down some poor unsuspecting person. Lilith is just as deadly as she is persuasive. The harpy is a delicate, pretty lady. She would be underestimated at every turn. She wouldn’t hesitate to kill a good Samaritan if she had to. I can’t put someone at risk like that. Also, if I pulled something like that, she might just put a bullet in my head. Then she’d go after Lyre and his friends anyway.

  I need to bide my time. I need to keep a cool head and act when the opportunity presents itself. Lyre is strong. So is Bolt. I have to hope that between the three of us, we will be able to stop her.

  The car hits a rough patch of road, and we slow right down. I frown. I don’t remember this on the trip to the airport. I heard Lilith on the phone to Lyre in the bathroom. I know what she is planning. She should be on her way to him now, except I think we’re on dirt. It certainly feels that way.

  I have to try to brace myself to keep from bashing my body against the unforgiving sides of the trunk. I’m thankful there isn’t anything else in here, or it might have been worse for me.

  The car slows further and then comes to a stop. Lilith cuts the engine. I don’t like this. I hear her get out of the car. She opens the trunk. I’m blinded for a few moments by the light that suddenly streams in. My eyes slowly focus on her peering in at me from above. She has a small smile on her face. Her eyes are… They have this crazy look I don’t like.

  “My dear, dear friend,” she says, her smile growing.

  I try to curse around the gag.

  “Here,” she says, “let me help you.” It takes her a few beats to loosen the fabric. “Don’t scream. You would just irritate me. We’re in the middle of nowhere, so no one would hear you.”

  There’s always a chance that someone would hear, but again, it’s not worth the risk. I don’t want to get anyone killed.

  “We’re not friends!” I throw the words at her.

  “Don’t be like that.”

  “Cut the bull, Lilith…if that’s even your real name.”

  “We’re not doing names.” She shakes her head. “If all goes well, you’ll get to live, and we can all go on our merry way.”

  “Until you get hungry again.”

  “You don’t understand. I need the power. I don’t have a choice.”

  “There’s always a choice.”

  “Not for me!” she pushes out, eyes wild. “Your boyfriend will take care of everything because he doesn’t want to watch you die. I will kill you if you get in my way.” Her eyes are narrowed.

  I don’t doubt it for a second.

  “I’m hungry. Hungrier than I have ever been.” I see her hands shaking. She swallows down excess saliva. “If you want me out of your life for good, I will also need a lead on how to find my next meal.” She scratches at her arm. She has this twitchy way about her that reminds me of a drug addict. Then she laughs, but it holds no humor. “I thought that finding someone with so much power would stave off the cravings for a while longer. Years instead of months.” She winces and then scratches her arm again. “I was wrong. It’s made me worse.” She pushes her hand to her belly, like it’s cramping. “I need more. You are my sure ticket to making that happen. I’ve watched the two of you. Listened to you going at it like rabbits. I needed to do this now. It couldn’t wait. Too much longer and…” She’s started talking more to herself than to me. “Too risky otherwise.”

  “Why are we here?” I ask. “Why the stop?”

  “We’re here because I know you, Morgan. You’re going to try to play the hero. Don’t! For your boyfriend’s sake…don’t do it! You know what it’s like to live with guilt. You don’t want that for him.”

  “Don’t you dare speak to me about guilt!” I shout at her. I almost surprise myself with how angry I sound. It’s not just anger, it’s frustration as well. I swear, if I could break free now, I would kill her with my bare hands. I would choke the life out of her. I would look into her eyes and watch her die and not have a moment’s remorse. I realize in the same breath that it isn’t true. She has Lyre’s power and the key to helping Andy. “I thought you were my friend,” I finally say. I’m still hurt by what she did. I wish it wasn’t true, but it is.

  She looks almost sad for a moment. “Someone like me can’t have friends. I’m sorry for betraying you.”

  A laugh is pulled from me. “You aren’t sorry. You don’t know how to feel sorry. How to feel guilt or loss. Spare me!”

  “The hunger overshadows everything. It’s who I am.”

  There is a small part of me that wants to feel sorry for her. Like a few grains of sand on a beach. Like sand, I blow the emotion away, and it scatters into the wind. “Andy is dying. You did that.”

  “I needed to eat…just like I need to eat now. It isn’t personal.”

  “It is to me. You didn’t have to hand us to the centaurs like that.”

  “Deal’s a deal,” she says with a shrug. “What was I supposed to do? I spent months getting to know you. Working on our friendship. Getting you to trust me. You gave me all of nothing in all of that time.”

  “I didn’t give you nothing. I gave you friendship. I gave you trust.”

  “You?” she snorts. “You have walls a mile high. You don’t know how to trust.”

  “I walked into what I thought was an abandoned warehouse on the word of a friend. If that’s not trust, then I don’t know what is.”

  She smiles, her gaze is distant. “I was shocked. I hadn’t expected it.”

  “You’re the first non-human I ever trusted and look where it got me.” I shake my head.

  Lilith lifts her brows. “I had to do whatever it took to survive. That included making friends with you.”

  “What do you mean?” I frown. “What were you hoping to gain by making friends with me?”

  “I needed names and locations of non-humans. Particularly those with power. You encrypted your computer. Never left your phone for a second and never talked about your work except in passing.”

  “We live by rules.”

  “I would have found the info I needed and been on my way, but no…” She shakes her head. “You were too careful. At least, you were careful until you ran headlong into that warehouse. I really didn’t think you’d do it.” She sighs. “And now you’re in a relationship with the hybrid.”

  “We’re not in a relationship,” I say, too quickly and with too much venom.

  She narrows her eyes. “I thought you were in love, Morgan.”

  I ignore the jibe. “You still haven’t explained why you sent Andy and me into that trap.”

  “I guess you may as well know; it won’t affect me either way.” She pulls in a breath. “The centaurs promised me the location of a hybrid demigod if I gave them a couple of Seekers on a silver platter. The second you stepped into that warehouse, the information was texted to me.”

  “Information about Lyre?”

  “Yes. His name. His address. Where he worked. It was easy after that.”

  “How did they get that info in the first place?” My mind is working.

  “I didn’t know then. I don’t know now, and I don’t care. I must say, I was quite fascinated to find out you’d survived the centaurs. That’s why we’re having this little conversation in the first place. You’re a fighter. Not today.” She stares at me for a moment, her dark eyes becoming darker. “Two things, firstly – I believe I’ve mentioned this one several times now, but I’ll tell you again just to be sure – I will kill you if I have to. What I haven’t mentioned yet is that I’ll kill your boyfriend too if need be. If you get in my way or step out of line, I will put a bullet in his brain. That would make you responsible for the death of the two men closest to you. I need his friend’s power.” She scratches her arm. “I no longer have any need for your doctor. He’s used up, like yesterday’s takeout.” She scratches again. I don’t even think she knows she’s doing it. “And like yesterday’s takeout, he can be thrown out with the
trash for all I care. You would do well to remember that.”

  I grind my teeth to stop myself from throwing insults at her. They won’t help me. They won’t help Lyre.

  “There’s one more thing you need to know.”

  “I can’t wait.” I raise my brows.

  “If I die, then your boyfriend’s powers die with me. I overheard you two talking. We might not be as strong as some of the species and we might only have human-strength eyesight, but harpies have great hearing.” She taps one of her ears. “I know you’re hoping to get Lyre’s powers back. As long as I’m alive, you’re in with a chance.” She winks at me. “I die, then they go with me. I urge you to think about that if you get trigger-happy. I know how you Seekers love your guns. Be a good girl. Stay submissive. I will be out of your hair as soon as I have that tall-drink-of-water’s powers.” She wipes her chin when saliva runs down it. “I don’t like getting blood on my hands.” She pulls the gag up, tying it tightly behind my head. “I prefer subtle and quiet. The less drama the better. Let’s go and do this thing.”

  This is a real dilemma. If she dies, Andy will die too. Lyre will lose his powers for good. The other alternative is to watch her steal someone else’s power and then to watch her walk away. I’m not happy with either scenario.

  23

  Lyre

  “What do we know about this bitch aside from the fact that she’s on her way to drain my powers?” Bolt asks. “Including my ability to shift, which will piss me the hell off. I’m beginning to think it might be karma getting back at me for being such a dick when you informed us about what had happened to you.”

  “You don’t believe in karma.”

  He shakes his head. “No, but I’ve come to realize that I’m partial to my powers. More than I thought I was.”

  “I’m sorry.” I run a hand through my hair. It’s getting too long. Stupid thing to think about right now. “I couldn’t think of anything else but to contact you. I have to get Morgan back.”

  “Of course.” He shrugs. “Which brings me back to my original question, what do we know about the harpy?”