The Dragon's Wing

by Tate James

  “Okay, well, I will leave you to your meal. Um, the door isn't locked, but I should let you know that Vali has posted a guard outside.” She bit her lip uncomfortably as she backed towards the door in question. “So, you know, just… stay in here. Please?”

  I nodded slowly to her, not agreeing to anything but acknowledging what she had told me. She looked relieved and left me alone with a parting smile. Strange girl. I could see why Dragomir, I mean Vali, was keeping her around. The girl was an absolute knockout and the perfect submissive female to be seen and not heard.

  Now, how am I escaping this time?

  I headed back to the window, which seemed like my best option, given the guard outside the door. Vali likely would never have expected anyone to attempt exiting through the window, so there wasn’t even a lock on it. I flicked the catch, and it swung open easily. Too easy.

  A gust of cold air blew in, making me shiver, but also giving me another clue to our location, as it was clearly still winter wherever we were. I crossed the room again and rifled through the large wardrobe for something warmer to wear. It was full of men’s clothes, but given I wasn’t entering a fashion parade, that didn’t bother me too much. A black coat caught my eye, and I slipped it on, rolling the sleeves up once to keep my hands free of fabric. Shoes were going to be an issue, though. I hadn’t been given any to replace my stripper heels on the plane, and all of the men’s shoes available were miles too big for me.

  I chewed my lip for a minute, considering my options. Wearing men’s shoes would only end up in me losing my footing and falling to my death, but traversing an unknown amount of desert in bare feet didn’t sound like the safest option either. One thing I knew for sure: staying put was not an option. I was no one’s slave.

  After tying the shoelaces together on a pair of sport shoes, I slung them around my neck and stuffed two thick pairs of socks into them. I would climb in bare feet, then when I reached the bottom, wear the too-large shoes in the hope of saving my feet from getting torn up on any rocks or rough surfaces.

  Taking another look at the cliff below me, I mentally mapped out what looked like the most likely route. Without wasting any more time, I climbed out of the window and slowly lowered my body until my toes reached their first foothold.

  Here goes nothing!

  11

  Once I made it a few feet down from the window I had climbed out of, it became clear that the house was not just built on top of a cliff—it was actually carved into the cliff. While it made for a pretty amazing design aspect, it meant that I still needed to climb past another window before I would reach the relative safety of the unused rock below. Hopefully that room didn’t have any occupants who would spot me escaping, but to be safe, I decided to climb around the window rather than directly past it.

  Carefully, I picked my way down from the room I had been in. Each move required so much more thought than when I usually climbed, firstly because I hadn’t had a good angle to map out a path in my mind before beginning and secondly because I was going down rather than up, which was surprisingly hard. Despite the amount of time I had invested in rock climbing to assist in my Fox jobs, I had never tried climbing down before. I had always rappelled.

  Right as I made the mental note to practice reverse–rock climbing, if that was the correct terminology for it, the tiny ledge my toes were on crumbled beneath me. With my weight in my legs, rather than in my arms like it usually would have been, my body slammed hard into the cliff face. My fingers barely gripped back on in enough time to catch me.

  Thank fuck for superstrength. I panted heavily, my heart galloping at the near miss. Taking a second to carefully choose a new foot hold, I forced myself to still and take some breaths. The last thing I needed was sweaty hands.

  Come on, Kit. Move it! They will notice you missing soon!

  Chewing my lip hard enough to make it bleed, I continued my descent with jelly-like legs. When my toes felt the top of the window frame for the next room down, I inched my way across until I was parallel to it, then began easing my way down again.

  I held my breath as I moved ever so slowly, carefully, praying that I couldn’t be seen from the inside. From where I was, pasted to the exterior of this incredible structure, all I could see was the edge of an impressive-looking bookcase.

  A premature sigh of relief gusted out of my lungs as I reached the bottom of the window frame, within feet of the raw cliff face which led to the sandy desert floor and hopefully freedom. No sooner had the air passed through my lips than the loud bang of a window slamming open made my already shaking body jolt in fright, and my fingers slipped from their precarious hold on the rock.

  For a split second, all I grasped was air. My eyes scrunched tight, I held my breath and braced myself for impact. All I could do was hope that my body really would repair itself eventually. Oh fuck, this is going to hurt.

  After what must have only been a fraction of a second, but felt like an hour, a tight band of steel wrapped around my wrist and almost yanked my shoulder clean out of its socket as my fall was halted abruptly. A strangled squeak puffed out of me, and I looked down at the rocky ground way below my dangling feet. Why wasn't I flattened down there like a raspberry pancake?

  Looking up to see what had saved my bacon, I suddenly wished I had fallen to my maybe-death instead. Gripping my wrist tightly with one huge hand, Vali was halfway out of the window and looking furious.

  Crap.

  “What the fuck do you think you're doing?” he snarled from behind clenched teeth, the tendons of his neck standing out like steel rods and his arm muscles bulging and straining.

  “Um, is now really the best time to chat?” I squeaked, my voice tight with fear. My breathing had dissolved into short, shallow gasps that were leaving me light-headed, and I dreaded to think what would happen if I passed out and became dead weight. At least awake I could help pull myself back up once I got a grip.

  I started reaching for the wall again with my free hand, but my trembling fingers kept slipping from the rock, and I couldn't get a clean hold.

  “What are you doing?” Vali hissed, his grip on my wrist slipping just the tiniest bit and making me squeak again.

  “I am trying to get a grip to take some weight off, but my fingers aren't working,” I muttered, and he made an angry noise as I tried again.

  “Stop it! You're swinging around and making this harder. Just… stay still so I can pull you up,” he commanded, and I watched as he braced his free arm against the inside of the window frame. He had changed into a thin black T-shirt since I had last seen him on the plane, and as he heaved me up by the wrist, I could see the muscles of his shoulders and arms rippling like he was in a weightlifting competition. I guess he was, of sorts.

  When he had pulled me up enough to be within reach of the more solid window frame, I grabbed on with my shaking, free hand and dug my toes into the rock below, quickly shimmying my body through the opening and collapsing onto the carpet.

  For a long moment, I lay there panting, trying to regain a little composure and waiting for the trembling in my limbs to subside. Holy shit, that was close.

  “I ask again, what the fuck were you doing?” Vali's rumbling voice demanded from far too close to my ear. I turned my face from where I had landed face-first on the floor and found him on his back beside me, where he had probably fallen when I had tumbled through the window.

  I took a couple of slow, calming breaths before responding. “I think it’s obvious I was attempting to escape. Until some ogre opened a window right beside my head and scared the piss out of me and made me lose my grip.” My lingering breathlessness took the impact out of my statement, but by the angry narrowing of his eyes, I think it still hit the intended mark.

  “Excuse me?” he seethed. “I wouldn't have needed to open the fucking window if you hadn't been climbing down the outside of my house like some sort of psychotic monkey. What the hell were you thinking? You could have died!” A fact I was all too aware of. Even tho
ugh I had a suspicion I wouldn't have actually died, it still would have been excruciatingly painful.

  “How the hell did you know I was out there anyway? And react fast enough to catch me right as I lost my grip?” I challenged him back, my fear morphing into anger.

  “I don't know!” he shouted, shutting me right up. We both stared at one another, our faces only inches apart. His eyes showed a mix of shock and confusion, and I had no doubt mine were a mirror image.

  “I don't know how I knew,” he continued, quieter this time. “I just… did. I can't explain it.” His face closed down, back into the furious scowl as he opened his mouth to most likely yell again.

  “Oh, get off your high horse.” I rolled my eyes, stopping his lecture before it began. “As if you wouldn't have done the same in my situation.”

  He narrowed his eyes at me, his mouth locked in a tight line, then climbed to his feet and held out a gentlemanly hand to help me up.

  “You don't even know what situation you're in, dragă,” he muttered as I pushed his hand aside and stood on shaking legs unassisted.

  “I know I would rather risk climbing down the side of a building than become a sex slave to some megalomaniac murderer like you.” I folded my arms across my chest and tilted my chin up stubbornly but was totally unprepared for his reaction. Was he seriously laughing right now?

  The more he laughed, the hotter my anger boiled until I couldn't stand it any more.

  “What is so goddamn funny?” I yelled, my fingers curled into tight fists under my arms in an attempt to rein in the fury.

  He made no attempt to answer me, simply turning his back and walking away from me towards the door, his shoulders shaking with chuckles. My control and sensibility must not have been rescued along with me because the next thing I knew, I had picked up a book from the small table near me and hurled it at his head.

  The book hit with a solid thunk, and I froze. Did I seriously just throw a book at the unstable murderer? All too late, I saw the unmistakable shape of his lethal firearm tucked into the back of his distressed jeans, and I cursed my lack of common sense.

  “Did you just…” He turned slowly, glaring at the book on the floor, then at me. “Did you seriously just throw a book at my head?”

  My eyes darted around the room; frantically searching for a way out but finding none, I went with denial. “Ummmm, no? Maybe it fell?” Who knows, maybe he will believe me?

  “What are you, fucking twelve? Who throws books?” he yelled, picking up the offending item and brushing it off. “Jesus woman, have a little respect for the written word!”

  Before we could fully engage in what was turning out to be the weirdest argument I had had in a long time, loud voices from outside the room interrupted us.

  “Shit,” Vali swore, hurrying back over past me and yanking the window shut again. “Just, whatever you do, don't be yourself.”

  12

  The door to the room we were in—which, upon closer inspection, was actually a library—burst open with a loud bang, effectively cutting off my response to Vali’s somewhat insulting request.

  “Dragomir, my son!” boomed the massive bearded man who entered the room like he owned the whole damn place. Maybe he did; how would I know? Either way, he looked like a fit version of Henry the Eighth, minus the crown and robes.

  “Father,” Vali clipped, stepping ever so slightly in front of me and blocking my view of this older Românul.

  “I heard a rumor that you made a recent purchase at the Onyx Auction.” The older man’s voice was heavily accented and had a cruel-sounding rasp to it. I nudged Vali in the back, as subtly as I could, to try and make him move. I hated the feeling that I was hiding behind him.

  “I did,” Vali responded to his father smoothly, reaching behind himself and swatting at my prodding hand.

  “Well, let's see what you bought then. I heard you dropped a pretty penny on this one, so she must be something special?” His leering tone made me bristle, and I dug my nails into Vali's back where I had been prodding him. This guy sounded like a real piece of work. No one moved for a second, then the older Românul made an exasperated sound. “Come on boy, move aside. We don't have all damn day; the party starts in an hour.”

  Slowly, almost reluctantly, Vali stepped to the side and allowed me to get a good look at his sleazy father.

  “My, my, she is quite the looker isn't she,” he purred and actually licked his lips! Ugh, so gross!

  I opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind but was interrupted by a very fake sounding cough from Vali. Raising my brows at him in question, he gave me a tiny headshake, and I remembered what he'd said about not being myself. Ah, this must be what he meant.

  For some insane reason, my brain was screaming at me to trust him. I guessed things could still be worse for me than they currently were, and by the way his father was eyeing me up and down, I definitely did not want to find out what he was thinking.

  I adopted my Emily personality, batting my eyelashes and giving the older man a vacant smile like a simpering fool. He continued inspecting me for a bit longer before giving a satisfied grunt and turning his attention back to his son.

  “I see why you chose her, boy, but if you had wanted a girl, I could have given you one from the club. There was no need to go dropping millions at the fucking auction house. Dirty, fucking Russians.” He sneered his lip in disgust for the Onyx Auction coordinators. “Anyway,” he continued, “it's done now, and turning out to be a most profitable move. I have already been contacted by a gentleman offering twice what you paid for her.”

  I sucked in a gasp, turning panicked eyes to Vali. He must be talking about Mr. Grey. As painfully obvious as it was that it was neither the time nor the place to beg for my life, the impending panic attack sneaking up on me was forcing me to still at least silently beg Vali not to let him have me.

  He met my pleading stare blankly but answered his father, “You told him no, I should hope? I didn't travel all that way to walk away empty-handed, father.”

  “No?” The man barked a loud laugh. “Don't be ridiculous! Of course I told him yes! He will be here to collect his property first thing in the morning. I thought you might appreciate a night with her first, eh?”

  A small whimpering sound escaped my throat, and Vali's huge hand closed around my wrist. It was tight but strangely reassuring.

  “Is that all you came to say, father? Because if so, you can leave again. The party doesn't start for another hour, and you're not particularly welcome until then.” Vali's voice was flat, bordering on bored, and I watched as his father's eye twitched and his teeth made an audible grinding sound.

  “Very well. You must be eager to make the most of your time with this curva. I will see you shortly, son.” He gave me one last lingering leer, then strolled out of the library as though he hadn't just been effectively kicked out. Once he was gone, Vali gusted out a heavy sigh, and his shoulders drooped.

  “Vali, um, I don't mean to sound paranoid, but that man that is coming for me is the same one from the auction house…” I chewed my lower lip hard and clenched my hands into fists.

  He narrowed his eyes at me and said nothing as he stepped backwards to an armchair and flopped himself down.

  “Why?” he asked eventually, watching me with shrewd eyes.

  “Why… what?” I replied, confused.

  “Why does this man want you so badly that he would defy me and go to my father with an offer of seven million dollars? Who is he to you?” The suspicious look he was giving me got my hackles up. For me, it was always a fine line between fear and anger, and more often than not I chose anger.

  “I have no interest in telling you all the sordid details,” I hissed defensively. “But let me be perfectly clear when I say that he will not take me from here alive.”

  He raised his eyebrows at my firm statement, tapping on his stubbled chin with his long fingers.

  “You mean to tell me you'd kill yourself to avoid being in this ma
n's possession?” His question was quiet but loaded with menace, and my breath caught.

  “I mean,” I stated, steeling my spine and hardening my jaw, “that I would do whatever it took to try and kill him myself. If that meant I didn't make it out of this house alive, then so be it. But I will never, ever, be at his mercy again.”

  He held my steady eye contact, as if assessing my level of commitment to that statement, then nodded carefully.

  “It won't be an issue,” he said quietly. “I have someone coming to the party tonight that will help you return to your friends. Just hang in there a while longer, and for the love of God, please don't throw yourself out of any more windows.”

  My jaw gaped open. “Sorry, what? I could have sworn you just said you're letting me go—”

  “I am not letting you go, dragă; I am organizing your escape. It is very different for my reputation. Now, you will require a change of clothes for the party. Your escape will happen at midnight, so you'll have to play the part of demure arm-candy until them. Can you handle that?” A small smile twitched at his mouth.

  “Why midnight? Why not sooner?” I demanded. Now that I knew there was a plan in place, I wanted it to happen now!

  “Because it is the easiest time for you to slip out unnoticed with your escort. While everyone is doing the countdown and drinking and celebrating, the guards around my home will likely be paying less attention.” This time his lips pulled into a real smile. “You did know it was New Years Eve?”

  No… no, I did not. But I supposed it made sense if his estimation of ten days since my kidnapping was correct. Instead of admitting that, I just nodded.

  “I guess I should say thank you. But it still doesn't change the fact that you murdered a man.” I was determined to keep reminding myself of that fact so I would stop feeling any warm fuzzies towards this man who held me captive.

  He just rolled his eyes, like I was being ridiculous, and stood. “Come on, dragă. Let's get you dressed for Românul’s party.”