“Abby, please, you have to listen to me,” Ty pleaded. But it was no use, Abby’s scream drifted out of her mouth. Ty pressed his lips into a tight line and shook his head.
“I was hoping we didn’t have to do it this way,” he huffed as he stepped back and shifted into his monstrous form. Abby’s scream bellowed louder as her eyes darted to the glass door. Luc pounded on the door trying to break it. But by the time the glass shattered into a million pieces, Ty had snatched Abby and took to the air.
With the wind ripping through her hair, it drowned out Luc’s cries. Abby tried to reach out for him but Ty was climbing higher up into the atmosphere, leaving Luc on the balcony alone.
“Put me down,” Abby screamed trying to claw her way out of Ty’s mighty talons. The beast glanced down at her and sneered with its razor-sharp teeth inches from her face. Her heart dropped to her stomach as she realized there was no place for her to go but with Ty if she wanted to live.
Chapter 3
“Let me go!” Abby ripped her arm out of Ty’s grasp and stumbled the moment their feet touched the ground. Abby glanced at her arm to find them beat red and throbbing from Ty’s strong grasp.
“Where are we? Why have you kidnapped me again? I thought you were over this whole thing now that I am…” Abby couldn’t bring herself to finish her thought as Ty shifted back into his human form. His body rocked from the tremors as he straightened himself and turned to face her.
“You left me no other choice. If you hadn’t of screamed, we could have done this in a more civilized manner.”
“What guy in their right mind thinks it's okay to kidnap someone? Seriously.” Abby pushed past Ty heading for the only door she saw. But Ty was two steps ahead of her and blocked her only escape.
“Get out of my way.”
“No. Not until you learn the truth.”
“What? that you’re a tool. I already figured that out. Now let me go.”
“You can call me whatever you want. But you must learn the real reason behind why you are what you are.”
“Luc gave me his heart, that’s why I am a… a…”
“Dragon. Say it. Accept it. But that is not the real reason. Yes, Luc gave you a part of him. But there is more to this story than what he is willing to tell you. And until you can accept what you are and who you are, you’re staying here.” Ty glared down at Abby keeping his eyes locked on her. She folded her arms over her chest and glared back at him defiantly.
“You can’t keep me in here you know. Luc showed me how to shift.”
“Go ahead and try. But you’ll find that you won’t be able to. Not with that on your wrist.” Ty pointed to the small silver bracelet around Abby’s wrist and smirked. Abby’s eyes widened as she tried to pull it off her.
“What the hell did you do?”
“I couldn’t let you shift, not before you had a chance to realize you are making a big mistake.”
“Oh, I see, you’re pissed that I am with your brother is that it? Or is this your sick and twisted way of forcing Luc to come to you? You’re using me as bait aren’t you?” Abby dropped her hand and shook her head.
“You know, no matter what you do. Luc will come for me.”
“He can try, but he won’t be able to find you.”
“Let me guess, this little present blocks me from him?”
“No,” Ty chuckled. “But he won’t dare come here. Not even for you.”
Abby shook her head as Ty stepped back giving her space. “I know this all seems really bad. I know you don’t want to be here. But there are secrets that you must learn before I can let you go. All I want to do is help you.”
“Oh like you helped Jess when you kidnapped her?”
“She was the only way I could get to you.”
“You see, no matter what you do, you’re the bad guy. Now just release me or kill me and we can do this again in twenty years or so.”
“Don’t you want the cycle to end? Aren’t you tired of coming back again and again?”
“It doesn’t matter that is just the way it works. That’s my destiny.” Abby dropped her gaze as her heart plummeted into her stomach like a ton of bricks. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Ty. There was something in his words that ran true. She was tired of coming back. She was tired of the endless cycle that never let her rest. And her feelings for Luc, were such a mess.
Ty stepped closer and placed his hand on her shoulder. Abby flinched at his touch and stepped away.
“What if I told you I have the answer to making all this stop? Would you take that chance? Would you trust me enough to try? You can’t be happy with the way things are right now. If you were, then Luc wouldn’t have left your side. You know there is something missing in your life. The question is, are you brave enough to find out what?”
“There is no way I would ever trust you. You’re just messing with me and we both know it. Everything that comes out of your lips is a lie and a trick. So what do you really want with me?” Ty shook his head and pulled in a deep breath. Despite their past, Abby noticed there was something about his body language that wasn’t threatening. But still, she wasn’t about to let her guard down now.
“This is no joke. I have the answers you want. I know a way to release you from your fate. I can help you, but first, you have to learn the truth.” Ty nodded to the bookcase on the other side of the room. Abby’s eyes drifted towards the books and quickly flashed back to Ty.
“What game are you playing?”
Ty shook his head and moved back. “No game. I just want what’s best for you. Now that you are like me, things can be different between us. I just want to make things right. But I need you to trust me. In those books is the answer to your dilemma. But you have to be willing to read them and see for yourself who the real monster is.”
“I don’t need a book to tell me that.”
“Yes, you do.” Ty walked over to the book shelf and plucked a dusty brown book from off the shelf. He turned it around in his hands studying the cover before moving back to Abby and pushing it into her hands. She took the book as he turned and walked towards the door. Abby held the book in her hand as Ty turned. His eyes narrowed in on her as his features shifted from man to monster and back again.
“And don’t think you can jump from the balcony. I am faster than you could possible imagine and will catch you each time you try. And that bracelet, well, it won’t come off until you learn how to take it off yourself.”
With that, Ty pulled open the door and slipped through it. The groaning of metal on metal filled Abby’s ears as he locked the door behind him leaving her alone in the room with nothing but the books and time.
Abby threw the book as hard as she could and raced towards the balcony. Without a second thought, she leaped over the stone railing. With her eyes closed she waited for the crash of the ground to break every bone in her body. But instead of the harsh jagged rocks she was expecting, her body was warm and curled up in a loving embrace.
She opened her eyes and grunted as Ty glared at her with his reptilian eyes. And placed her back down on the stone balcony. She tripped over her feet as Ty shifted back into his human form and sat on the edge of the railing.
“I told you, I’m faster and stronger than you. And we really don’t have time for you to keep playing these stupid games.”
“Just let me go.”
“NO. And next time you pull that stunt, I will tie you to a chair.” Ty growled and leaned back over the railing. Abby rushed to the edge and watched as Ty shifted out of his human form and flew up into the sky. A clap of thunder rumbled through the mountain range and Abby gasped as her eyes widened.
“Not here,” she whispered staring out over the landscape. The painting from Ty’s apartment flashed into her mind. Even the large stone base and the high towers were exactly as they were painted.
“A castle that’s been in my family for eons,” Abby remembered Ty once saying. She stumbled back and plopped down into the large cushioned chair
dumbfounded. She scanned the room and glared at the books that lined the walls before glancing down at her wrist with the silver bracelet anchored to her like a cuff.
“What is going on?” she mumbled as she sat watching the sky shift from day to night and back again.
With her mouth dry and her throat parched, she could feel her stomach twisting for a morsel of food. But, she wasn’t about to give Ty the satisfaction of taking care of her. If he wasn’t going to let her jump to her death, then it would be the slow and painful process of starvation.
Just as Abby resolved herself to her fate, a light rap broke her concentration. She barely turned her head as the metal groaned and the lock released. Abby kept her eyes glued to the horizon as the footsteps drew closer and the aroma of pulled pork filled her nose.
“I know you’re hungry,” Ty said scrapping a plate across the desk towards her. Abby didn’t look at him. She held her gaze on the horizon hoping and praying Luc would come. She could hear the deep exhale from Ty as he settled into the seat beside her.
“If you aren’t going to read these, then I will read them to you. One way or another, you will learn this and then we will see who should have the power of your heart.”
“Please, Luc, where are you?” Abby thought as Ty shifted his weight and reached down to pick up a book from his stack. Abby tried to force herself to tune him out, but the moment Ty opened his mouth and began reading she was entranced.
“There was something about him, something that drew me to him despite my fear pleading with me to run,” Ty began as Abby leaned her head to the side. No matter what she did, she wasn’t powerful enough to pull herself out of Ty’s enchantment. But there was something familiar about his words and they tugged on her heart. She glanced up at him as he continued to read.
Chapter 4
“The man stood in the crowd picking fruit from the vendor as I passed by him. I breathed in deeply taking in his essence. He didn’t have the smell of filth the way the other’s in the marketplace had. It was more of like the smell of the forest. And when he turned to look at me, I was hooked. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but my husband wouldn’t allow such a thing and so I passed by him denying my feelings.
Tonight he haunted my thoughts. His eyes bore into me even though I sat across the long table opposite of my husband Donovan at dinner. Although Donovan never said a word to me, I knew there was something different. His soldiers must have said something to him. The look in his eyes was death, and I dared not speak. So I sat eating the food before me in silence.
It was after the meal, when I was excused did he say to me, “You are still not with child are you?”
That is all he cared about. All he wanted me for. I couldn’t lie to him and so I shook my head. Donovan’s face turned a darker shade of red and I knew what I had to do. I pulled my arm away from him and dropped to my knees.
“Please my lord, give me one more night to conceive.”
“Tonight then,” he ordered as he released my arm. I nodded and rose quickly to my feet. Fear stole the warmth of me and I knew tonight would be the only chance I had.
And so I did it. I ran. I took the secret passage through the castle that opened up out into the forest. With each step I prayed I would find him, the man from the market place. But the further I got into the forest, the more time I had to ponder my situation. What was I going to do? Was I really about to commit adultery just to save my own life?
But as I trekked through the darkness, I heard the rustling of leaves and paused. My mouth dropped as I stood before three men roasting game over an open fire. They rose and came towards me. I panicked and turned. My feet dug into the earth as I fled from them trying to make my way back to the castle. But I could hear them behind me. The horses they had pushed forward and would soon over take me. I wondered if death by their hand would be kinder than what Donovan would do. For a moment I pondered my fate. But I wasn’t about to give up now and so, I pushed on.
Through the darkness and trees I ran. Yet, no matter which way I turned they were not far behind. It was there in the depths of the forest that I met him, the man from the market. But he was no man, no ordinary human.
“What are you doing here my lady at this time of night and with no escort?”
His words rolled off his lips holding me a prisoner in my own skin. I wanted to run, but all I could hear was the thunder of the horses. The man told me he would give me everything my heart desired. That he would save me. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into at the time, and so I accepted his terms.
It was the screams of the men pursuing me that stole my senses. The man from the market did everything he promised. That night, we merged into one body. He filled me in ways I had never dreamed of and when he was finished with me. He walked me out of the forest and back into the guarded walls of my husband’s house.
I was shocked to have Donovan come to me that night as promised. He didn’t even seemed affected by my absence. He took me that night, and I had finally conceived as he wanted. The words of Nathanael all came true. And my life changed completely.
Nine months later, our daughter was born. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my entire life. But as she grew, I noticed changes in her. She was not meek and quiet the way other girls were. She was bold and challenging. It was then I realized my discretion would be exposed.
I tried searching for Nathanael in the forest many times. But to no avail. Then, on Abigail’s sixteenth birthday he appeared to me on the balcony with his golden eyes burning in the night. He told me that he had come to reclaim what was his. I pleaded with him again not to take her. He told me she was different and that she belongs with him now.
I dropped to my knees and cried. My tears must have softened his heart for he told me to bring her to him and he would grant me more time. I called for my daughter and watched in horror as Nathanael reached into her chest and pulled forth her heart. He told me that she would remain human until my dying breath to give me time with her.
I thanked him and he vanished into the night leaving me with my darling fierce daughter. Over the years, her temper dwindled, and she grew into a beautiful woman. Watching her grow was more than I could ever hope for. But our time together would not last as long as I had hoped for.
On a cold December night, Donovan came to me. His eyes burned with fury and he ripped my daughter from my side exclaiming he knew what she was and who her real father was. I tried explaining I had no idea what he was talking about, but the lie didn’t stick. So, Donovan stole her from me swearing he would let me live until Abigail’s life was extinguished. I pleaded with him not to take her. That he had no idea what he was dealing with. No matter what I said, he didn’t listen to me and he left with her that night.
I never saw Abigail again. Word spread through the castle like wildfire that Donovan was killed by a monster. My heart sank knowing that it was no monster, but Nathanael. And now, here I am just as Nathanael had promised lying on my death bed waiting for the night to claim me.”
Ty paused and glanced up to Abby. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him in disbelief.
“What happened to her?” she asked leaning back in her chair and dropped her eyes as she fidgeted with the food on her plate.
“She died, that night,” Ty answered. “But this is just Callie’s side of the story. There is more to it than just what happened to her.”
“You’re talking about your side aren’t you?” Abby dared to look up at him. Ty nodded slowly keeping his eyes fixed on her.
“It wasn’t Nathanael who killed Donovan or Abigail.”
“I know, you did.”
Ty narrowed his eyes and glared at her. She watched as he sucked in a deep breath contemplating his next words. “Always so quick to judge aren’t you?” he hissed. “But you have to understand why.”
“I don’t need to know why. Your actions speak louder than words.” Abby spit. “You were a monster then and still are now even after all these years.”<
br />
“No, I am not the monster. Donovan was. He dragged his daughter out into the forest to kill her. I stepped in and saved her.”
“You burned her alive.”
Ty sighed and rose to his feet. His eyes burned like liquid gold being melted in a furnace.
“Here,” he growled throwing a second book at Abby. She grabbed the book and turned it over in her hands.
“There is always three sides to any story and in order for you to understand everything, you have to hear all sides.”
“Luc told me what you did. And I remembered flashes from that life.”
“You only have a piece of a much larger story.” Ty said stepping away from her. Abby watched as he walked to the door and pulled it open.
“You are so much more than what anyone thought. And before you can embrace your life, you have to know everything.”
“Tell me something Ty,” Abby whispered as she traced the symbol on the leather cover. “Where did you get these books?”
“Why?”
“How do I know you didn’t make all this up just to get me to betray Luc?”
“I stole them from someone very powerful so that you may know the truth about who you are.” Ty turned and glanced at Abby. The fire in his eyes died down and for a brief moment Abby saw the compassion in his features. Everything about him shifted as he sighed.
“I can’t tell you who you are. Only you can find that out. But I swear, no harm will come to you Abby while you are here. And the sooner you discover your true self, the sooner you can be freed from everything and everyone.”
Abby dropped her gaze and turned her back to him. The scrapping of metal against metal filled the room and was quickly followed by the click of the lock. Abby sat in her chair studying the journal in her hand.
“Okay, then,” she grumbled and pulled open the book and started at the beginning.
“If this is the only way to get back home, then I guess, it’s time I found out the truth.”
The Fate of the Dragons Series Box Set Page 9