dragons breath 02 - dancing with flames (6 page)

“Nothing yet. First, I’ve got to find out where the dragon is taking the children.” I turned to Verena, addressing her since she’d proven good at finding people before. “Any chance you can help me with that?”

She waved a hand. “Bah! I won’t have anything to do with it.”

“What? Why?” Danae rounded on her. “These are children we’re talking about.”

Verena pursed her lips. “I’ll do no more favors for the slayer until she repays me her debt.”

“Then tell me what you want,” I demanded. Every time I saw her, I asked about it only to be put off. I’d decided the woman enjoyed holding that favor over my head like an ax that could come down at any moment. God only knew what she wanted and what it would cost me.

“It’s not time,” she said, heading toward her house. “You’ll be the first to know when it is.”

I started to go after her. “But this can’t wait…”

“Enough!” Verena put up a hand.

I hit an invisible wall, smacking my face into it. She huffed and walked away. Rubbing my abused nose, I watched her go into the house without so much as a backward glance. She seriously didn’t care about anyone except for herself—unless she had something to gain by it. No wonder Aidan hated sorcerers so much and had reacted to Danae so badly when they first met. If the others he’d come across were anything like Verena, I couldn’t blame him.

“Dammit, how am I supposed to find these kids without her?” I asked, exasperated.

“Come on,” Danae said, taking my arm. “I’ll give you a ride.”

Left with no other choice, I didn’t argue. The afternoon was waning, and dragons from Aidan’s clan would be roaming the skies soon. Walking wouldn’t be a good idea. They might not attack humans, but I still tried to avoid them as much as possible. They might notice that I was wearing some of their special fire-proof clothing and want to know where I got it.

We got in the white Ford Taurus that Danae used whenever she had to leave the neighborhood. The car wasn’t hers, but the woman who owned it didn’t like driving since D-day, so she loaned it out to whoever needed it.

“I don’t suppose you could tell Conrad to bring my truck back to me,” I said after telling her to head east.

She glanced over at me. “He was already planning on it, but they needed his help today finishing up the wall project.”

Right. The brick perimeter wall we’d been building around our neighborhood, which consisted of three square blocks of houses. Everyone within it worked together to gather food and supplies as well as protect each other from human gangs, random thugs, and dragons.

“How much did Conrad tell you about yesterday?” I asked.

Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Everything up until Aidan took you away. So how do you know that dragon might be stashing the kids instead of killing them?”

“For one, if they want to eat people, they would go for adults since we’ve got more meat on our bones. For two, Aidan and his cousin think the dragon might have issues because she can’t have her own babies. It’s the only reason she’d take them alive like that.”

Danae cursed. “That’s just twisted. I don’t even want to consider how she’d go about taking care of them—but it does mean there’s a chance we can save them.”

“Yeah, if we can find them and sneak past however many dragons might be guarding the nest. That’s why I’m going to need all the help I can get to pull off a rescue.” If Matrika was some kind of princess, I was willing to bet she lived in a large den with a lot of other dragons. By myself, I’d end up getting distracted in the battle and never reach the children.

“There might be someone who can help,” Danae said, sounding hesitant, “but I’m going to tell you now I have my reservations about him. If it weren’t for the kids, I wouldn’t mention him at all.”

I glanced over, noting her tight expression. “Who?”

She took a deep breath. “There’s a sorcerer named Javier who has taken over most of downtown Norman. From what I can tell, he’s rather powerful.”

“Downtown?” I tried to visualize the place in my head and failed, which was enough to send my alarm bells ringing. How could I have forgotten something like that? Hell, I couldn’t even remember what it looked like or how long it had been since I last passed through there—probably not since before D-day.

“Yeah, I couldn’t picture it either until I started working on my powers with Verena,” Danae said, sighing.

“Is this sorcerer…Javier, somehow blocking people from thinking about it?” I asked.

“Yeah.” She nodded. “After I realized what he was doing, I went and stood at the edge of the zone he claimed for himself. People are walking around like there’s no danger and dragons aren’t a problem, but I think there’s a lot more to it. Verena told me to stay away from there.”

“You probably should,” I agreed, “but I’m going to have to take the risk.”

“I could go with you,” she offered.

“No. If I don’t make it out, you’re the next best chance those kids have of getting saved.”

Danae slowed as we reached the end of Lindsey Street, marked by a blank red sign with a wall of trees behind it. I indicated that she should go north up the gravel road to Aidan’s lair.

“When will you see Javier?” she asked, parking next to the house.

“Tomorrow morning after Conrad brings me my truck. Make sure he comes early so I can go out while the dragons are still asleep.” These days it was a real hassle getting around town once they were up and flying about since I got the urge to kill every single one of them I saw. It made focusing on hunting for food and supplies rather difficult.

Danae gave me a stern look. “I’ll let him know, but you better find some way to get word back to me that you’re okay, or I’ll come looking for you.”

“I will,” I promised, giving her a quick hug before getting out of the car.

Chapter 6

Aidan

The pendragon’s chamber was brighter and more welcoming than the prior evening. Aidan crossed the stone floor, moving past his father’s empty bed, and headed toward the sitting area. Red curtains made of the finest woven camrium cloth had been pulled back, and the glass doors leading to the balcony were open, allowing the golden, late evening sun to shine within.

Just beyond the balustrade, he could view the tops of the dark gray fortress wall and the open field beyond where young dragons practiced their flying skills. He also caught the edge of the mountain range to the south. It was a land formation that came with them from
Kederrawien
—the dimension where Aidan was born. If he stepped outside, as he often did growing up, he could watch the inhabitants of the keep go about their day. The way people interacted and worked with each other had always fascinated him. It was the only time he could sit still in those early years of his life.

Throm stirred, turning his gaze toward Aidan. He sat on a black marble chair with a high back and wide arm rests that faced the open doors. There was nothing intricate about his seat or the other furniture. It was sturdy and fireproof, which was all that mattered.

The pendragon had been staring out at the world with a pensive expression on his face. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders and little time to make it lighter before his period on this plane of existence ended. Before long, Aidan’s father would meet with
Zorya
—the dragon goddess—to fight at her side in the next world. His people believed they must live many lives with various challenges in each before they finally found eternal peace. To them, this was only the second stop in a very long journey for their
cryas
, or soul, as humans liked to call it.

“Father,” Aidan said, coming to stand before Throm. He clasped his hands behind him and dipped his head in a show of submission.

The pendragon studied him for a moment. “I have a task for you.”

Aidan lifted his head. “What is it?”

“You must negotiate a treaty with the Faegud clan and finalize it before the Bitkal.”

Aidan sucked in a breath. “Sire, with all due respect, we have not been on good terms with them in nearly two hundred years. What makes you think I could change that now?”

“A spy has informed me their pendragon has passed to the next world.” Throm gazed intently at Aidan. “I believe the successor may be more amenable.”

Long ago, the Taugud and Faegud clans were great allies. Aidan remembered the time well, though he’d still been young. Then a new pendragon—Severne—took over. He did not care for old alliances and sought to expand his territory, including annexing areas belonging to his neighbors. When his army seized part of the Taugud land, a major battle was fought with many dying on both sides. The foolish pendragon not only attacked shifters, but the pure dragon clans as well. Within a few dozen years, Severne had less territory than before, and his people suffered badly for it.

Aidan had been sorry to lose such an alliance. The Faegud clan was unique from others due to their mixing with shape-shifters millennia ago. While much of that had been bred out over time, some of their members could still shift to human form if they chose. It made them far more amenable to work with than the pure dragons. Even those who couldn’t shift tended to be more civilized and they did not attack humans without just cause.

“Have you heard anything else about them?” Aidan asked.

“Very little, though our spy should learn more soon.” The pendragon worked his jaw. “It was not until we expanded our territory to the south that I risked sending her. I must rely on you to find out more.”

Their last big push had been two weeks ago. His father had chosen to concentrate on gaining land in the countryside before turning their toriq’s efforts to the urban areas. It had been easier to expand that way. The pure dragons were mostly concentrating on the cities and medium-sized towns for now where they could terrorize the humans.

This was a major task for the pendragon to ask of Aidan. Throm was depending on his youngest son to make an alliance with a clan who’d been their enemy for two centuries. There were those among the elders who had more experience and diplomatic skills.

Though Aidan felt honored to be given such a mission, he could not help asking the obvious question. “Are you certain I am the best one for the job?”

“Son,” Throm sighed. “Of all my children you are the most observant and the best at adapting to your surroundings. Do not think I have not noticed the games you play with your brothers. They believe you are a fool, but I know better. You’ve made every effort to appear harmless to them because you are willing to do whatever it takes to survive. Neither Zoran nor Ruari have the patience or tact to work with the Faegud clan, but if I am to meet Zorya soon, I must know at least one of my children can handle such a difficult task.”

Aidan’s chest swelled. His father rarely gave compliments and even when he did, he kept them brief. Somehow, Throm had seen what Aidan’s siblings had not—except, perhaps, for Phoebe. She had a knack for uncovering the truth no matter how well one cloaked it. Their toriq already had one fine female spy, but his sister would make an excellent second should she ever desire the position.

“I will not fail you, Father,” Aidan vowed.

“See that you do not.” Throm gave him a steely-eyed look. “And take Falcon with you. Your journey there will not be without some risk, and it is good to have at least one strong warrior at your side when dealing with another clan.”

“As you wish,” Aidan said, bowing slightly.

Throm nodded. “May Zorya be with you, Son.”

“And you as well, Father.” Aidan exited the pendragon’s chamber.

His steps were light as he made his way down the corridor. Not only because his sire entrusted him with such an important task, but also because it supported Aidan’s own cause. The Faegud clan’s territory covered much of northern Texas—if he recalled the map Bailey showed him correctly. It would bring him one step closer to finding a way to take her home after she finished helping Aidan with his plans. Whether he wanted to let her go or not, he had to keep his promise. His honor depended on it.

Aidan searched the great hall for Kayla. He’d rescued her during a missile attack on the fortress several months ago, and she’d been loyal to him ever since. Though he insisted she owed him nothing, she kept a close eye on his brothers for him and reported anything suspicious. They would never guess the sixteen-year-old girl was watching their every action. Kayla, too, would make an excellent spy for their toriq once she became old enough.

The human girl had crossed over from Earth to Kederrawien two years ago, before their dimensions merged, and had been with them ever since. He’d offered to take her home to her family after they returned, but she refused to leave. Many humans chose to stay, though they were free to go at anytime. Most said they felt more comfortable and safe within the fortress after spending so much time there. Aidan suspected they were afraid of what they might find if they went home. According to Bailey, the world had changed a great deal in recent months and not for the better.

He found Kayla at one of the stone trestle tables, kneading dough for the midnight meal that would come in a few hours. She wore a beige camrium tunic and brown pants. Her long red hair was currently pulled into a ponytail, though a few strands hung around her face. Since she first started working with him, she’d put on a little weight and filled out her small figure. Aidan was glad to see her looking healthier now. The missile attack had burned her badly, and even with a healer’s help, recovering took much of her strength.

As if she could sense him, she glanced over in his direction. Aidan nodded at her, then turned around and walked away. He headed for a little-used chamber down the corridor where they used to keep cleaning supplies before relocating them to another room closer to the kitchen. Five minutes later, Kayla slipped inside.

“Do you have any news for me?” Aidan asked.