Betrayal: An Urban Fantasy Academy Series

by Bob Dattolo

  “My name is Maddie Stricken.”

  His mouth fell open, “I’m sorry? Stricken?”

  “It is.” I spelled it. Then pulled my license out to show it to him. Which he promptly showed to the camera.

  “You…that’s…” He handed my license back.

  “Longish story, but I was stricken but now I’m not. Healed and have magic and I’m a dragon.”

  No response.

  “Umm, aren’t I supposed to tell a lie so you can see that it lights up?”

  “Uhh…yes? Yes, please. Do that.”

  “Okay? My name is Tom.” A decent strength light lit up around me that would stand out even in the bright sun. “I am a girl.” Nothing. “I just passed the year one trial for the academy a few days ago.” No light. “I am eight feet tall.” It lit up.

  “Umm…thank you.” It still took him a bit to get back on track. “I’m sorry. Can you walk through everything that happened with the suspect?”

  That started my little story and included everything that I was sure about while also being clear when I wasn’t a hundred percent sure about something. The spell didn’t light up the entire time.

  “To be clear, at no time did you approach him to purchase any drugs?”

  “No. I have never done any illegal drugs in my life that I’m aware of.” No light.

  He froze again, “Umm, that you’re aware of?”

  “I’m a stricken, officer. I had the spell done on me and everything. I was nine when that happened. For all I know, I was a horrible coke fiend up until that point and the spell just blocked it out. I don’t think so, but I can’t swear to it. I haven’t done any illegal drugs from that point until now, though, I can be sure of that.”

  His smell keeps fluctuating between freaked and shocked and kinda scared, which is endlessly entertaining. “I…see. Now, where were you headed? You look like you were dressed to go out?”

  “I was. I was at Affinity with some friends from the academy. We’re staying in Samantha’s penthouse in the Port Sur hotel. They’re heading back with some guys. I’m walking because the guys don’t really like me because I don’t smell like a dragon and don’t have the normal affinity coloration. One of them rammed me into a wall outside the club and crushed the back of my skull. I healed it. Now I’m walking back to let my roommate get laid. If he’s still there when I get there, I may collect his bones or something. I’ll have to play that by ear. I don’t want to fuck up Samantha’s place.”

  The light didn’t go off a single time.

  “This is a fucking nightmare.” I’m not sure he knew he spoke loudly enough for me to hear him, so I didn’t say anything to draw attention to it. “I heard something about someone healing with magic and cleaning blood from the wall and melting ice? Are you saying that was you?”

  “That was me.” No sense fighting it.

  “This is a total nightmare.” Another mumble, followed by a deep breath, “Thank you. Will you be in town much longer?”

  “We don’t have any specific plans, but we have to be back for year two in three months. We just got into town earlier today. We plan on spending some time here and then driving around. Probably ending up in Florida at some point. Or maybe not. It’s all up in the air.”

  “I see. Thank you. I’ll give you my card. We’ll call you if we need more information from you or if we need you to fill out other paperwork?”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  “You’re welcome.” He looked back over his shoulder at the guy that’s still kinda purple, “Thank you for not killing him.”

  “You’re welcome. He’s at least the third person tonight that didn’t quite believe that I am what I am.”

  “I’m thinking he knows now.”

  Chapter 8

  No one accosted me the rest of the way back to the hotel. I took it slowly, not really trying to rush things. As much as I want his blood, I’m hoping that Parece has some fun. I’d be more than fine if she kicks him to the curb for doing what he did, but I’d totally get if she didn’t and wanted to bump uglies.

  No texts coming in makes me think they’re busy. If they’re busy getting hurt or killed, then this town will be losing four guys soon enough. And possibly their families depending on the reactions. If not and they’re just screwing? Then more power to ‘em.

  Except Russell. Fuck him sideways.

  The night manager caught me coming through the door and nodded to me. I nodded and smiled back, thankful that they’re not giving me any shit for being young. I guess that’d be stupid in a place like this that costs an arm and a leg to stay in. I may look exactly like this for another 10 years, so someone that looks 18 may actually be 30 and worth more than many nearby businesses.

  Big ones.

  The elevator ride up was…nerve wracking.

  I’m not afraid to die. To be dead. I don’t want to suffer, but I’m willing to do it. Given my life so far, I’m more than okay with the idea of stepping beyond the veil. The final relaxation and ahhh as your body slides into death. If that happens coming up here, then I’ll accept it.

  I’ll go out fighting, though.

  That’s what got me out of Reggie’s place. I was done. D.O.N.E. Done with being kept. Owned. A pet. Done with being raped and beaten. Yes, Reggie treated me pretty well in comparison, but it was still unwanted. What his friends did to me, even the nicer ones, was still unwanted.

  Sure as fuck what Levi’s parents did to me was unwanted.

  I made a decision that day. To go out fighting. To stand up for myself. To make that decision on my own. I either live or I die from this action, and I’m okay with either one happening. I may want the one, but if it’s the other? Then so be it. I accept those terms, sign me up.

  My desire to be free pushed aside my fear of death. Of being murdered. It made my death an acceptable option in the scheme of things.

  So this? If he’s still up there, then I’m gonna do my damnedest to fuck him up. Maaaybe not kill him. But maybe. Possibly.

  Probably.

  Or maybe I let him go if I can bust his ass and get a pound of flesh from him.

  I know I’m not infallible. I know I can die. I also doubt that he’s gone up against someone like me that is willing to risk it all like I am. To commit to this with everything in me. Will that be enough to see me through? Maybe. Maybe not.

  It’s most of two hours later when I finally push through the doors to the space to the sound of laughter from inside. Samantha is curled up on one couch, leaning against Vijay. Angelica is on another, leaning against Em. All four are naked, as I was expecting. I smell sex and some contented dragons.

  Em laughs louder when he sees me, “Holy shit, you really came back? Are you stupid or something?”

  His response made me pause and cock my head at him, “I’m sorry? Stupid? Why would I be stupid?”

  He snorted, “My God, you really are. Russell told you to go home.”

  “Since I’m travelling with the girls? This is my home.”

  Em shook his head, “Why the fuck are they hanging out with you?”

  “Em? You’re good looking, but I don’t answer to you.” I focused on Samantha, “Since they’re here, then Russell’s here somewhere?”

  She nodded, “Up top. They’re shifted.”

  Hmm, shifted fucking dragons. Sounds interesting. “I’m gonna go pay him a visit.”

  Em pushed up from the couch, “You go out there, and you’re even stupider than you look.”

  My humanity began trickling away, “Did I ask for your thoughts, Em?”

  “Ask for ‘em? No. You’re gonna get ‘em, though. You need to walk back out that door and crawl under whatever rock you came from. Now. Before I start to get angry.”

  Angelica’s shrug was so tiny I nearly missed it. She shifted to her dragon, shrugged, and then moved back. She’s basically leaving this up for me to decide on.

  “Get angry all you want.”

  Instead of fucking around, I slipped
out of my clothes, tossing them on a side table. “I’ll be upstairs. I’ll try not to break anything. Of yours.”

  “Thanks?” Samantha smiled as Vijay got up.

  “Get your clothes on. Get lost. Russell’s up there having fun. We were having fun. Now you’re here stinking up the place? You’re not wanted, or are you not getting that?”

  “Listen, walking and talking dildo, I didn’t ask for your opinion either. Russell attacked me and rammed me into a wall hard enough to dent the brick. I’m going to repay the favor.”

  “Why’d it take you more than two hours to get here?” Samantha had a smile on her face as she asked it, almost as if she knew the answer already.

  “I was taking my time. Plus, I had to talk to the police about a drug dealer that threatened me. Had to do a video for them with a truth spell on me.”

  “Fuck. You kill him?”

  “Nah. He was still purple when they dragged him away, though. We’ll see if they need me to go back and talk to them more.”

  Em’s eyes were dead when he blocked my view of my friend. I can tell from his stance that it’s not him any longer. It’s his dragon. “You’re ignoring me!”

  “The adults are talking, sunshine. Don’t you have any blocks you can go play with?”

  His head tilted and he sniffed, “You come in here and insult me? Some sort of freak mage with the wrong colors? You insult me? You think you can even remotely hurt Russell? He’s shifted.”

  My voice was dead level when I responded, “Oh no, a shifted dragon, whatever shall I do?”

  Vijay stepped up next to him, “Maybe it’s time for you to be taught some manners? The three of us passed all three years at the academy. I don’t even buy that you went, but even if you did? You passed the first year? I’ve eaten larger breakfasts than you are.”

  The rest of my humanity looked around the place and decided that somewhere in Idaho is really a better place to live. “Sit down. Shut up.”

  “How. Fucking. Dare. You!” He’s practically frothing from my clipped response.

  “Samantha? Angelica? Perhaps you should try to convince these two to ignore the tiny white eyed girl for a bit while I go visit Russell? I really don’t want to fuck up this living room if I can help it.”

  The girls slid from the couches, and the guys missed me bypassing them and heading for the doors. The girls weren’t really trying to convince them of anything. They were acting as distractions, just as I had hoped for. They could tell by my body language that I wasn’t looking for them to really get involved. They can if they want to, but I didn’t want it and didn’t expect it.

  Would I let friends help me? I would. But this, right here? This is more of a domination thing, and the dragony part of me wants to handle this on my own.

  Thankfully, though, their timely reaction drew their attention away from the strange, white-eyed girl that had nearly started rending a moment ago.

  That let me reach the patio, where I clearly heard the sound of dragons fucking.

  That’s something else. I have to see this.

  It’s a gorgeous night out here and I’d love to be out here swimming and hanging out, I really would. I have memories of skinny dipping as a little girl, which was plenty relaxing and all of that, but this, right here? I can’t help spreading my arms and feeling the night. The spells on the huge building beneath us. Active magic elsewhere around us. It’s something else and adds to the experience. I haven’t really reached out like this before while feeling the cool night breeze coming in off the ocean. The only thing better would be a clear sky with no smog, less light pollution, and maybe a full moon.

  Instead, I have dragons fucking up there, and I get to see how that works in a moment.

  A whooshing sound and a loud thump stop me in my tracks as a red dragon hits the perch closest to the steps above. I can’t see up there yet, but I can see the huge dragon that just landed. He’s at least 30 feet long, although maybe a bit longer. He ruffles his wings and steps down, looks off to the side at what has to be the other two having fun, then comes straight down the steps at me.

  Dragons are huge and heavy as fuck, but their feet are pretty big, so the pounds per square inches isn’t like what you’d have with a truck tire or something like that. It more than likely helps, though, that the stairs here are reinforced to handle the weight since it’s pretty obvious that they’ll have dragons walking down them off and on.

  His huge, crested head lowers as he stares at me, and a smile breaks out. “Hmm, would you look at this? Seems the boys were right! We got us a strange one.” He sniffs deep, continuing down to the patio that I’m on and crouching, stretching his long neck out until he bumps me, sniffing again. “They’re right. You smell weird, freak.”

  “I may smell weird, but you sound like an asshole.”

  He pulls back and ruffles his wings before burping a small lick of fire that rises into the air. “Such a puny thing thinks she can talk back to me?”

  “Such a large unnamed thing thinks he can come in here and insult me?”

  Guy laughter from behind announces that the distraction is done. Em sounds happy as fuck when he says, “Yo, Pete! You got here just in time. The thing just got here. She thinks she’s gonna go cockblock Russell.”

  The dragon sneers at me, “Cockblock, huh? The only cock in your future sure as fuck ain’t getting blocked.”

  The guys laughed again and came around my sides, with both of them ramming their shoulders into me and knocking me from side to side.

  For their part, Samantha and Angelica had a joint sigh and went over and sat on one of the longer outdoor couches. They both looked disgusted by how things are turning out, which I can understand. They just wanted to get laid, not have a potential fight occur up here.

  More flame from the huge dragon, drawing my attention back to him, “Huh, your friends don’t seem to be sticking up for you. Looks like you’re on your own.” His eyes dipped down, “And dressed for the occasion.”

  “First off? They’re sitting out because this is my issue and I basically asked them to. Second…off? The only occasion I’m dressed for is relaxing in that pool and then going to sleep. There’s a reason rape isn’t all that common in our world, and it’s because someone could very well fuck you up for trying. So, if that’s your game? You might want to fly the fuck away from here before I get upset. If you’re trying to get in my pants by acting all aggressive? Let me say this; you are taking the exact fucking wrong approach to do that. And that’s beyond the fact that me having sex with anyone just isn’t happening. Not right now, that’s for sure.”

  Laughter from the three of them, with Vijay hitting the dragon’s leg, “Man, just knock her down or something. We got our piece, you deserve yours. She can’t stop you; I don’t even know how the fuck she got here when she did after what Russell did to her. She’s some sort of freakish mage or something, she sure as fuck isn’t a dragon.”

  All three of them laughed again as the dragon lowered his head and leaned in once more, “Hmmm, a freak of a mage with white eyes. Interesting. I ain’t ever been with a freak before. You’re small, I bet you’re tight. How about you turn around and we can get this party started right? What you said is correct, rape isn’t all that common. But this wouldn’t be rape. This would be you realizing just how outgunned you are and submitting to me.” More flame. “You can’t stop me. I’m a dragon.”

  He didn’t seem to know how to handle my smile up at him, “Hey, dragon version of Pete? You’ve never met anyone like me. You may not be able to smell it, but I’m a dragon as well. In fact? I’m getting a crick in my neck, how about you shift back, and we can talk like normal people for a change?” Before he could react, I pushed out some of my power and wrapped it around him. His eyes had a chance to go wide before he started shrinking, shifting back to human over the course of the next 40 or so seconds.

  The two guys next to him backed away, “What the fuck? What was that?” Vijay looks horrified.

  Em
rubbed his arms, “That was fucked. I felt some of that. What the fuck?”

  Pete looked upset as he pushed his way up to his feet, lightly swaying. He’s good looking and about an inch shorter than Vijay, so maybe six feet tall. His scent reeks of uncertainty for some reason. Gee, I wonder why?

  Em hit his arm, “What the fuck? Why’d you shift?”

  Pete rubbed his arms, as if cold, but it’s easy to see that he’s trying not to hold himself in uncertainty. “Man, I didn’t want to change back!”

  Six eyes focused on me. The girls and I vaguely talked about what I can do, and it’s apparent that the ability is only there for people way on the upper end of power. I finger waved to the guys, “Hello, boys. I’d be the reason he changed back. Now, I’m here to talk to Russell. And possibly cave in his skull and eat some of him.” I smacked my lips, “I want my pound of flesh from him for what he did to me. You three are stopping me. You, Pete, threatened me. Can you imagine how much I don’t like being threatened?”

  Magic began flowing from them as their hair lit up. Pete’s voice still wasn’t firm when he answered me, “Still three against one. You won’t be touching Russell! I don’t know how the fuck you did that, but you’re nothing. Look at you, you’re fucking tiny. Pathetic. What’s with the scars around your eyes? You trying to stand out and look bigger and badder than you are?”

  “Hmm, bigger and badder? No. I have scars around my eyes because I was stricken. They’re from mortmagi.” I let that sink in a moment. “I managed to get them out and heal everything but the scars.

  Vijay scoffed, “There’s no way you were stricken. None. No one survives them coming out unless they’re fucking lucky. They never heal. They never get their magic back. They can never shift again. None of that.”

  Instead of answering him directly, I called out, “Samantha? What’s my last name?”

  “Stricken.” She nodded when the guys looked over, “We’ve seen pictures of her with the mortmagi in.”

  The scents hitting me start changing with that news. Now there’s some anger mixed in as well. People really, really don’t like those of us that are stricken. Like at all. Pete responded first, voice sounding much firmer than before, “You’re a fucking stricken?” Laughter. “You have to be kidding me.” He started coming towards me as more magic built around him, “You’re fucking puny. Your last name is Stricken? This is like a joke. You think you can come out here and even talk to us? Let alone tell us what to do? You’re an animal, stricken. A fucking animal. That means you answer to us. Any of us.” He stopped right in front of me and leaned down to put his face directly in mine, “If I beat you down and fucked you raw in front of a cop while you begged him to save you, he’d just walk away. Any of us would.”