by Zoe Chant
She could hear Roy’s low voice from across the room where he was talking on the phone to someone. She watched him from beneath her eyelashes without raising her head, wondering yet again if she could reach the door before he caught her.
Mercy swallowed. In ordinary circumstances, she was pretty sure she could have. Roy had his back to her, and was farther away from the door than she was.
But...
But these clearly weren’t ordinary circumstances.
Mercy didn’t know what was happening, but there was something... wrong with Roy. The way he’d suddenly appeared in front of her the last time she’d tried to go to the door. The way he’d talked about mere humans, as if he was something else. And now...
As if sensing her eyes on him, Roy glanced over at her, and Mercy shivered.
Now, his eyes seemed to be alight with some kind of terrible fire – something she had never seen there before. She’d used to think Roy had beautiful eyes: blue and sparkling. But now, the only word she could use to describe them was evil.
What is he?
Mercy had always prided herself on her practicality. She didn’t believe in any kind of mumbo jumbo supernatural stuff. Horror movies didn’t even faze her – she’d seen way too much horror in real life for that.
But Roy was freaking her out, in a way that went way beyond knowing that he’d lied to her about wanting to give her money, and that he’d been the one behind scaring off the business owners in Hainesville and making their lives miserable until they couldn’t stand it anymore and sold up. It even went beyond the fact that she didn’t know what he’d do to her if she kept refusing to sign the papers he’d brought her here to sign.
And then there’d been the... well, the conversation, she supposed, with Dante, where she’d heard his voice, clear as a bell, inside her mind. What had that been about? Mercy didn’t understand in the slightest, even as she knew it’d happened.
Fear and confusion jostled in her heart.
What the hell is going on here?
She didn’t have any more time to contemplate it, however, since at that moment Roy hung up his phone, turning toward her, his face cold. Mercy forced herself to raise her head, meeting his gaze defiantly.
Roy sighed, shaking his head. “For what it’s worth, Mercy, I did want to try to do this the nice way. Some of your neighbors sold up quick – and I gave them a fair price. For what they were selling, anyway. It was only you who had to go and be so stubborn that I had to get involved.”
Mercy couldn’t stop the shiver that ran down her spine at Roy’s words – but she’d never been a shrinking violet, and she wasn’t about to start now.
“The nice way?” she asked, her lip curling. “Bullying people into selling up? Buying up a school so you can build fancy apartments on it? What about any of that is nice?”
Roy shook his head, eyes flashing. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. And the worst thing about all of this, Mercy, is that I was actually looking forward to seeing you again. If you’d just played ball like a good girl, none of this would have happened. I was even thinking about rekindling our romance.” A malevolent grin twitched at the corners of Roy’s mouth. “It’s not too late for that, Mercy – I meant what I said when I told you you were beautiful. We can still forget about all of this... unpleasantness and pick up where we left off. Think about it – you’d live a life of luxury. You’d never want for anything ever again.”
Mercy stared at him, wondering if he’d gone insane. “Never,” she finally spat out, once she found her voice again. “I’d rather live in a hole in the ground with Dante than in a mansion with you.”
A look of pure fury crossed Roy’s face. “You say that,” he snarled, “but you don’t even know what he is. He never told you. So much for the romance of the century!”
Mercy’s mouth went dry. Was Roy just crazy? What was he talking about? What hadn’t Dante told her?
As she tried to sort through the jumble of her thoughts, she remembered when they’d been sitting together in her kitchen this morning. Dante had been trying to tell her something before Roy had called her – something serious. She’d been able to tell by the look on his face. But she’d been so concerned with trying to get ready to see Roy that she hadn’t taken the time to listen to him.
Could it be... could Roy really be telling the truth?
Was there really something about himself that Dante hadn’t told her – though he’d tried? Something that Roy knew and she didn’t?
It couldn’t be his criminal record – Roy had already told her that.
So what else could it be?
Whatever it was, Mercy decided she didn’t care. Dante had proved to her that he could be trusted. She’d never felt such an instant connection to anyone else before. Whatever he had to tell her, she’d accept it – even if it took time.
That is, if I can get out of here with my hide intact...
“I’m never going to sign my restaurant over to you, Roy,” she said. “So don’t ask again. You might think your money puts you above the law, but I promise you – I’ll never stop fighting you. I’ll raise whatever hell I have to. I’ll block you at every turn. I’ll show you that you can’t just bulldoze over people, no matter how much money you have.”
Roy seemed amused by her speech. “Pretty words, Mercy. But in the end, that’s all they are. I –”
Roy’s words cut off suddenly as a confused frown crossed his face. As Mercy watched, he shook his head as if trying to clear it, blinking. But then, the confusion was replaced by an expression of rage.
“Impossible,” he muttered to himself, his voice low. “That stupid, incompetent – ”
Roy was obviously talking to himself. Mercy blinked, swallowing.
What’s he talking about?
She scarcely dared to breathe as she watched him – but then, she heard it.
I’m coming, Mercy. I promise you. I’m coming.
Once again, she heard Dante’s voice in her head, as clearly as if he was in the room with her now.
Mercy gasped, her eyes widening. She didn’t understand it at all – but there was such certainty in Dante’s voice that she found herself believing him. Somehow.
But then Roy turned to face her again, his eyes filled with cold fire, and dread filled her once more.
“Come with me,” he said, his voice harsh with anger.
“I won’t go anywhere with –” Mercy started to say, but Roy’s hand shot out, faster than she could see, and grabbed her around the wrist, yanking her to her feet.
His grip was stronger than anything she’d ever felt before, and Mercy gasped with shock and pain.
“Let me go, you fucking bastard –”
“Shut up,” Roy snapped, as he began to pull her across the room to the terrace door. “Don’t make me do something you’ll regret.”
She tried to yank her arm free, but Roy was just too strong. And it wasn’t the normal strength of a human being, either – somehow it felt...
... Almost superhuman.
Mercy tried to push the thought from her mind, but it did her no good. There was something strange about Roy, about Dante, about this whole situation.
Roy had kicked open the door and pulled her out onto the terrace before she could follow the thought any further.
“Like I said, don’t do anything stupid,” Roy said, his voice low and dangerous.
Releasing her arm, he strode to the edge of the terrace, stepping up onto the railing without any sign of fear or hesitation.
Mercy gasped, staring at him. What is he...?
In the next second, Roy had jumped from the railing, leaping out into the night air. Mercy could only stare in horror at the place he’d just been, her mind totally blank with shock. She stood, her breath frozen in her lungs, scarcely daring to believe her eyes.
What – what just –
Finally gathering her wits, Mercy ran to the edge of the terrace, her heart thumping. This had to be some trick. There wa
s no way Roy would have just –
Mercy stopped in her tracks, lifting her arm to cover her face as a sudden, massive gust of wind blasted her. It was so strong she nearly lost her footing, and she had to bend her knees to keep from being completely bowled over by it.
As she raised her head, Mercy wasn’t sure what she’d expected to see – Roy leaning out of a helicopter, action-movie style, or some kind of futuristic hovercraft only an evil billionaire would own – but it was not what she saw before her now.
Mercy’s eyes widened, her brain frozen. She couldn’t move a muscle.
What – what the hell is –
A massive, terrifying creature hovered in the air in front of her, beating its leathery wings slowly. In the darkness of the evening, Mercy could only make out a few details – it was covered in patchy fur that occasionally gave way to scales, and it had a long, curving tail that whipped through the air, dripping what looked like some kind of viscous liquid. Raising her eyes to its face, Mercy felt her stomach drop in terror.
Its... its face...
Its face was wild, its mouth wide and filled with glistening teeth, all of them longer than her arm and sharper than sabers. Its red eyes bored down into her, pinning her to the spot.
Mercy couldn’t do anything but stare in abject terror. Her legs wouldn’t move. Her lungs wouldn’t breathe. Her heart felt like it had stopped entirely.
And yet, somewhere within her, she felt her soul cry out –
Dante! Dante, please – help me –
But even as the thought crossed her mind, she knew that even Dante – strong and brave and dedicated to protecting her though he was – couldn’t do anything against a monster.
Mercy felt her knees wobbling beneath her as she stared at the beast. Such things weren’t real – they couldn’t be real. They were just things out of fairytales – they didn’t actually exist.
But even as she tried to deny it, Mercy knew she wasn’t hallucinating. This was all real. It was all horribly, horribly real.
I knew there was something weird about Roy, but I never imagined... I never...
The thought hit her with a shock.
She’d watched Roy jump from the railing without a moment’s hesitation, and then, a second later, this – this creature had appeared.
The jumble of fear and horror in her brain wouldn’t let her actually put the thought into coherent words, even as she knew it was true: that the thing in front of her now was –
I have to get out of here.
Mercy felt a surge of adrenaline, her legs finally obeying her as she turned to run to the terrace door. But she’d only managed to take one or two steps when she suddenly felt a hot breath against her back, and then tight pressure around her mid-section.
Looking down, Mercy almost screamed as she saw the monster’s massive claws wrapped around her, before they lifted her off the ground as if she weighed nothing at all.
“No – no –!”
Mercy smashed her fist into the creature’s scaly fingers, but it did absolutely no good. Not that she had really expected it to, but she was damned if she was going down without a fight. She hammered at the monster’s scales even as it lifted her off her feet, and then, with a beat of its massive wings, launched them upward.
Mercy gasped as the hotel terrace disappeared from beneath her with a shocking speed. The air grew cooler around her as she was suddenly propelled into the open sky, the monster’s fingers still tight around her waist.
What does he want with me?
Mercy felt dizzy, and for a moment she was worried she might faint. She wasn’t the fainting type – she could never have been a nurse if she’d had a weak stomach – but in these circumstances, she felt it might have been justified. Her stomach felt like it was in free fall, her brain still not quite able to admit everything that was happening.
She’d been captured by a terrifying monster, who also happened to be her ex, and now he was flying her through the sky, with who knew what plans –
Mercy! Mercy, are you all right? I’m coming – I promise you!
Dante’s voice in her head cut through her panic. Despite herself, Mercy almost let out a sob of relief – even though she knew that there was nothing Dante could do to help her. No one could help her. What could they do against a mythical beast that shouldn’t even exist?
Maybe this is a dream after all, she thought hazily, as cold air rushed past her face, making it hard to breathe. Maybe if he drops me I’ll wake up...
It’s not a dream, Mercy. And I’m sorry – I can’t tell you how sorry I am. Sorry that you’ve been caught up in this. Sorry I didn’t tell you what I am.
Mercy’s breath shuddered in her chest.
What you are... I don’t...
I promise I’ll explain everything to you, just as soon as I can. I’m almost there, Mercy. Please just hang on for a little while longer.
Mercy closed her eyes against the wind that was whipping past, feeling her stomach lurch as the monster that was carrying her – the monster she knew was Roy – turned sharply all of a sudden, letting out a low, angry-sounding grunt.
Her thoughts might have been scattered from shock and fear, but suspicion was growing in the pit of Mercy’s stomach. Roy had talked about Dante not telling her what he truly was, and then he had turned from a normal-looking man into a monster like something out of a nightmare. Dante was speaking to her using only his mind, and apparently seemed to think that was normal. He was telling her to wait for him – that he’d be there soon, even though she and Roy were currently God alone knew how many feet up in the air.
Does this mean that... that Dante is –
She didn’t have time to complete the thought before Roy suddenly let out an angry bellow. Mercy had to cover her ears, raising her hands only with difficulty against the wind. She felt a blast of icy air as he beat his wings, her stomach flip-flopping as he suddenly turned in mid-air, then dropped.
Mercy couldn’t help but scream as terror coursed through her veins.
Mercy! Are you all right?! Dante’s voice was in her head once more.
I don’t know! Fuck! Dante, what’s happening? What is this thing –
I don’t have time to explain it all just now, Dante said. Please, for the moment, you just have to trust me.
Trust you...
Mercy didn’t know that she had much choice just now, but even if she did, she trusted Dante. She wasn’t sure why, but she did. From the first moment she’d seen him she’d felt a connection to him, and that had only continued to build and build over the short time they’d known each other. She didn’t care what he was, or what it was he had to explain to her – she knew in her heart she could trust him.
And, to be honest, if it turns out he’s something more than what he appears to be, that might actually come in useful right about now.
If she was going to have to acknowledge the fact that horrifying creatures like Roy existed, then the best she supposed she could hope for was that there might be good creatures out there too – good creatures who were strong enough to stop him.
Mercy! I see you!
Mercy craned her neck downwards, as if somehow she could spot Dante on the ground below. Where is he?
It was an asinine thought, Mercy knew, especially since they were so high up in the air.
Mercy, I wanted to show you this after I’d had a chance to explain. Please don’t be frightened. I swear, I’m here to protect you. It’s the only thing I’ll ever do, to my dying breath.
Show me what –
The thought was cut off almost as soon as she thought it. Because the grip that Roy had around her waist suddenly loosened.
Oh my God, he’s going to drop me.
The thought was in her head with a sudden, stark clarity. Mercy didn’t even have time to panic before she felt the beast open its scaly hand completely... and then she was plummeting through the cold night sky, limbs flailing, a short, sharp scream leaving her lips.
Mercy!!
>
Dante’s horrified cry filled her mind, but Mercy barely heard it. The wind was rushing past her ears, her hair whipping past her face. Her stomach lurched, adrenaline and fear surging through her –
– and then she saw it: a gold, glimmering rope that seemed to stretch out from her chest, shining in the darkness of the night. It filled her heart with warmth, somehow, and a strange feeling of comfort, even though she was still falling, falling, falling...
THUMP.
For a moment, Mercy was sure she’d hit the ground. That didn’t explain why she could still think and move and breathe, but what else could she have landed on?
Though for the ground, it’s awfully warm... and... moving...
Gasping, Mercy sat up suddenly. The wind was still whipping through her hair, but beneath her was... was...
Hold on Mercy, and try not to move around too much. You can grab onto my spikes – they’re not sharp on the sides, so they won’t hurt you.
Her hands moving of their own accord, Mercy reached out to grab the long, pointy spikes of bone in front of her, and immediately felt a little more secure.
But – but what the hell –
Her brain finally started to catch up with the rest of her as she looked around. To either side of her were two massive wings, moving steadily. Beneath her was a massive, warm, scaled body. And in front of her –
“Dante?!”
She didn’t know how it was true, she only knew it was. In front of her was a head at the end of a long neck – a head that looked like that of a fearsome creature, but somehow, she realized, she’d know those green eyes anywhere.
It’s me, Mercy. I’m sorry. I should have told you about this sooner.
Mercy felt a hysterical laugh welling up inside her.
Told me what?! That you’re – that you’re a –
Yes. That I’m a dragon.
Dante finished the sentence when she found herself unable to.
A dragon.
Mercy’s head reeled. There was no denying it, of course – she was sitting on him, in all his massive, scaled, flying glory. Unless this was all a very strange dream – which she already knew it wasn’t – then what else could she do but accept it?
