Hopefully, it’s enough control to appease your Council. Sera’s thinly veiled jibe wasn’t missed by Arius, whose thoughts turned melancholy.
Once again, I apologise for putting you in this position. But you have to understand, I have never experienced a power like yours, and I need to know that my trust in you is not foolish. The only way I can do that is to have others provide an unbiased and informed judgement on whether you could potentially harm dragonkind.
I keep telling you, I’m not out to hurt anyone. If she could roll her eyes at him, she would have.
Do you forget you are a Tracker? What if a dragon comes in between you and a mission objective one day? Are you telling me you wouldn’t use this magic to stop the dragon?
I… I don’t know. But I don’t believe this is magic. No human I know can perform true magic. We use technology and science to make up for our lack of supernatural powers.
Arius snorted aloud. Well, it’s certainly not normal.
Thanks for that. Nice to know we can agree on something.
Sera withdrew her consciousness from his mind abruptly. She felt a sense of loss when she cut her close contact with him, but pushed it aside. She didn’t feel like being insulted. Especially by him.
“I’m sorry if I offen—” Arius opened his mouth as she stood up but she held up a finger to silence him.
“I’m going for a walk to practise on my own.”
His tail nearly swept her feet out from under her as it brushed the boulder beneath them. “Don’t go too far.”
“Yeah, yeah, you can’t afford to lose your precious prisoner, I get it.”
The cheap shot made her feel better for a few seconds until she saw his face crumble at her words.
He quickly hid his face from her and murmured, “I merely meant to be careful of other predators. I’ll stay out of your way. Please, call if you need me.”
Chapter Sixteen
Guilt followed her as she stalked away from Arius and into the bush. Each stride she took brushed ferns to the side, the dew that still clung to them from the previous night dripping onto her boots. She carefully picked her way over the tree roots that threatened to trip her. Arius’ bulky form wouldn’t be able to follow her through this tangle of forest without making a lot of noise. She marched away from the dragon, focussing on one step at a time as she tried to wrangle her anger into submission. While she walked, she absentmindedly rubbed the puckered pink skin on her arms that was the only reminder of her wounds from the night scamps. Ignoring the trills of bird song that filtered through the canopy, she pushed low branches away from her face and stepped into a clearing.
Eyeing off the small meadow warily, she skirted around the edge of it. She had no reason to suspect anything untoward, but her Tracker training was so ingrained that she had to do a quick scout before she could relax her guard. There was no sign of any tracks or strange smells. The birds were still singing, the sun was shining, and the soft grass invited her to sit and relax. She threw herself down and gazed into the endless sky. Unable to enjoy the tranquillity she frowned, berating herself for her spiteful comments. On the one hand, he had taken her against her will and called down a horde of dragons to decide whether she lived or died. On the other hand, he had helped her learn about her powers and had been exceedingly kind to her, for a dragon at least. As much as she didn’t want to, she understood his point of view. If the tables were turned, she would be keeping him contained until she understood his potential threat towards her people too.
Sera sighed and rubbed at her eyes. What am I supposed to do?
Not be such a bitch about it would be a start.
Sera bolted upright, eyes wide. The voice was that of a stranger’s, and not only that, was projected into her mind. This wasn’t how her power worked, so she could only assume the person or mythic had their own abilities.
Who are you? Where are you?
All you have to do is close your eyes to see.
What in Ghaia’s name does that mean?
If you’re too stupid to figure that out I won’t bother continuing this conversation. The foreign consciousness began to fade from her mind.
Wait!
Sera bit her lip and strained her eyes to see through the dense bush. There was nothing else for it, she’d have to chance it if she wanted to know who was speaking in her mind. Perhaps they could teach her more about her powers.
Going against all her instincts as a Tracker, she forced herself to relax. Placing her hand against Firinne, she quietened her thoughts. A bright spot flared in her mind’s eye, a presence that she hadn’t noticed when she entered the clearing.
Finally, said the stranger in her head. Now, time for you to answer your own questions, who am I and where I am?
How am I supposed to know that?
Seraphina, please prove to me that you’re not as useless as the rest of your kind. Use your power. Feel my aura. See where I hide. Just try.
How do you know my name?
Tell me what I am, and I’ll tell you how I know your name. Deal?
Fine.
Concentrating hard, Sera stroked Firinne again, running her fingertips along the patterns in the staghorn handle. Breathing deeply, she allowed her awareness to relax and stretch beyond her body. Her eyes were closed but she could still get a sense of her surroundings. Where she directed her thoughts, she noticed the same flares of light. They were various sizes, and she realised it was the life force of the creatures around her. The tiny pinpoints of brightness that climbed the trees were insects, the larger balls of light scurrying in the dirt were small rodents, and there, a few metres in from the clearing, but hiding up in the treetops, was that bright aura again. She directed her power, pushing her limits, and started to make sense of the shape.
Some sort of large cat? No, wait. You’re a lynx!
Good… The voice purred in her head. At least we now know that you’re not totally useless. And I am where?
You’re up on a tree branch due south of where I am sitting.
Excellent. You show enough proficiency for me to trouble myself with your future. Stay where you are.
Sera sensed his feline form leap from the tree before she withdrew her mind back into herself. Shuddering on her hands and knees, she retched but had nothing in her stomach to bring up. Her body was shaking as if she’d just run a marathon. She managed to raise her head as the lynx appeared out of the shadows.
“I forgot to mention that side effect. Your mind is just like any other muscle; you need to train it. And at the beginning it will be hard work. With time and practise you will be able to push your thoughts further from you and See more. In the meantime, eat this.” His black paw pushed a handful of purple berries towards her.
Where did he get them from? Frowning, she glanced at him, unsure whether to trust him enough to eat this strange fruit that he seemed to have pulled from thin air.
The lynx rolled his amber eyes skywards. “If I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t waste my time poisoning you. I’d just rip your throat out. It doesn’t really look like you’re in a position to defend yourself.” He drew his lips back to reveal his fangs in a feral smile.
“Touché,” she managed to rasp out.
She hesitantly picked up a berry and sniffed it before placing it in her mouth. The burst of flavour coated her tongue, sweet and tart at the same time. She quickly wolfed down the rest of them when a rush of energy swept through her limbs. Pulling herself upright, she couldn’t believe how much better she felt already.
“While you’re discovering your magical abilities and limitations, I would recommend that you keep something sweet to eat nearby. In particular, these skyberries will aid in your recovery, but any fruit will suffice.”
“Where do I find them?”
“They mainly grow in Sky Valley, but I wouldn’t recommend visiting there unless you have a death wish. There are a few bushes scattered around here and there.” He inclined his head back towards the waterfall.
“T
hank you.” Sera regarded him curiously, admiring his midnight fur that shone almost blue in the sun. Magical black flames flickered around his neck and along his spine. “Why are you helping me?”
“Tut, tut. I agreed to answer one question if you could find me, and it wasn’t that one,” the big cat reproached her. “Now, to the question of how I know your name. We’ve met before.”
“We have? I feel like I would remember that.”
He sat still, aside from twitching his tail and stared at her, his expression impassive.
“Hang on. You’re not the lynx I saw a few weeks ago, are you? When I was out training?” she asked incredulously.
“Good to know you’re not completely oblivious.”
“I take it that’s a ‘yes’ then?” She paused but when he didn’t answer, continued, “That still doesn’t answer the question of how you know my name.”
“I entered your thoughts to confirm a suspicion I had.”
“Well, that’s rude.”
“Says the girl who forced her way into a dragon’s mind.”
She glared at him. “How do you know about that? And what was the suspicion you wanted to check?”
“Tut, tut,” he admonished once more. “I said I would answer one question. I’ve already said enough. One more piece of advice I will grant you. Trust only Arius. You will need his help to make it through the trials to come. You hold more power than you know.”
“That’s not cryptic at all,” she said sarcastically.
“You’re welcome.” He smirked at her. Raising his gaze to the heavens, he sighed. “Fine. A non-cryptic instruction for you: it is imperative that you keep practising and gain full control of your magic.”
A thrill raced up her spine at the word ‘magic’ but aloud she simply said, “Thank you for being specific.” Finally.
I can hear your thoughts, silly girl.
She squeaked in shock. “Please show me how to use my… my magic.”
Standing, the lynx stretched lazily. “Our powers differ in technique. Your best chance at success is to explore it further with your dragon. Oh, and one more thing. It’s best if you keep the details of this conversation between us for now.” He sauntered away from her with his flaming tail cocked at a jaunty angle before melting into the foliage.
“Wait! What do I do about the Council?”
She ran after him, but he had vanished. She paused under the canopy and scanned the ground in front of her for tracks. There was no sign the lynx had ever been there. She sent her awareness out and sensed the auras of small creatures nearby, but no flare of light revealed the mythic’s location.
Confused, she returned to her position in the clearing and remained long after the lynx had left, pondering what he had shared with her.
Maybe I should run away. No doubt my life would be easier if I didn’t have to deal with dragons and magic. I could hide in the forest. I’d survive. The feelings she tried to keep buried snaked their way out of their confines and whispered to her, You don’t really want to leave him. Your heart would shatter.
She thrust the forbidden longing away. Doing her utmost to ignore her emotions, she contemplated her options. Intuition tugged at her thoughts, telling her that her power could make a positive change in the future of the human-mythic alliance. She felt the pressure of responsibility bubbling up inside her. The familiar feeling of anxiety wrapped its claws around her throat in a vice-like grip. Her breathing turned erratic and she rolled over onto her belly and screamed her frustration into the grass.
A sudden blast of wind above her head halted her panic attack and she threw herself out of the way, unsheathing her blade as she rolled to her feet. Bounding up into a fighting stance, she relaxed as quickly as she’d reacted when she saw it was Arius landing in the meadow.
Swinging his head in a wide arc, he demanded, “Have you been harmed? I heard you yell.”
Shaking out her arms to ease the adrenaline coursing through her veins, she chuckled. “No, I’m fine. I was just having a mini-breakdown. I’m not hurt.”
His growl echoed through the forest. “Don’t scare me like that,” he said as he shoved his face close to hers. His concern melted away her distress and she hugged him, her arms only reaching part of the way around his snout. Leaning her head against his warm scales, her fear of the future melted away.
He stiffened at the unexpected contact, before gruffly mumbling, “I am glad you are well.” As she drew away, he sniffed curiously before wrinkling his nose in disgust. “You need another wash. You smell like cat.”
Chapter Seventeen
Allen Azura was usually a practical and mild-mannered man. Talented at blending into the environment, he excelled as a Tracker for the MRO. However, when he received the midnight call from Hazel all rationality fled. It didn’t matter that Sera was a grown woman, and a gifted Tracker as well, she was still his little girl. And she was missing.
Panic gnawed at the edge of his thoughts, but years of practice allowed him to hold it at bay. So long as he had a plan, he would be able to control the dread that circled like a vulture. He’d spent the night making phone calls to arrange the search and then went for a walk to the stables to check in with Balthazar. The unicorn hadn’t seen his daughter since their last training session and had immediately left to track her down. Allen was grateful for his assistance, pleased that Sera had such a strong bond with him. Leaving the stables just before first light, Allen strode into the foyer of the MRO, headed straight to the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. The man he was going to see didn’t go by a name, he was only known as the Director, and it was he who controlled the MRO with an iron fist. He had agreed to hold an emergency meeting for Allen at dawn.
After exiting the lift, he pressed his thumb to the touchscreen beside the door. His thumbprint was recognised by Frank, the AI that inhabited the building, and a disembodied voice announced his arrival to the Director. He fidgeted while waiting for the sliding doors to hiss open. He knew from experience that every moment counted when looking for a missing person, and all this waiting around was driving him crazy. All he wanted was to leave right now and seek out his daughter, but logically he knew he’d have a better chance of finding her with a systematic search by a team of qualified people.
Entering the sterile office, he wrinkled his nose at the scent of bleach. He’d heard rumours that the Director was obsessed with cleanliness and had his rooms deep cleaned daily. Casting a glance over the bare walls, he marched briskly to the glass desk that only had the man’s desktop and mobile to clutter it.
“Tracker Allen,” the man greeted him without turning away from the window that overlooked the empty training yard. A freshly pressed, dark grey suit covered an athletic body. His greying hair was shaved close to his head, affording him a military air. Keeping his hands clasped behind his back, he turned smartly to stare down Allen. The hard lines of the man’s face were unreadable.
Ignoring the sharpness that stung his nose, Allen saluted. “Morning, Director, sir.”
The broad-shouldered man nodded curtly. “So, you’re here because your daughter is missing?”
“Yes, sir.”
The Director opened his mouth to ask a question but paused when Frank’s robotic voice came over the speaker. “Hunter Tyler to see you, sir.”
“Admit him.”
The doors hissed open and Sera’s partnered Hunter entered.
He would never admit it out loud, but something about Tyler always irked Allen. The young man was a very capable Hunter by all accounts, and his family was well-known in the community. He couldn’t put his finger on why, but he couldn’t stand him. His feelings were validated when the Hunter swaggered in, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room.
“Good morning, Director, Tracker Allen, sirs.” He nodded respectfully to both men.
“Hunter Tyler,” responded the Director. “Do you know why you’re here?”
“Yes, sir. Tracker Allen called me last night.”
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“Good.” He shifted his attention to Sera’s father. “Please give us any information you have on her whereabouts.”
“Sera was going on a camping trip for the weekend.” Allen spoke like he was providing a report to his Hunter, reining his emotions in. “She goes hiking in the mountains by herself every couple of months. I think she mentioned something about hunting deer this trip to sell the skins to a shop. Again, nothing unusual for her. She spent much of her childhood in the wilds with me and, in my opinion, is an excellent Tracker. She’s always very cautious and is never late back from her trips. This is abnormal behaviour for her. I contacted one of the guys from the IT department last night and he said he couldn’t find the current location of her phone. The last place they could find its signal was four days ago, on her usual hiking trail in the Mandar Ranges. Something unusual must have happened.” His voice broke and he struggled to check the tears that pricked at his eyes.
Tyler flashed a mocking glance in his direction before sobering his expression and addressing the Director. “In the year I’ve been working with Tracker Sera as my partner I have found this information to be correct, for the most part.”
With a raised eyebrow, the Director queried, “For the most part?”
“I agree that she is an excellent Tracker, otherwise I wouldn’t have chosen her as my partner. She’s rarely late from gathering intel for my missions, and if she is, she always finds a way to communicate her updated plans to me. However, she has had incidents in the past where she’s not been the most cautious. This may be one of those times.”
Allen scowled at him while the Director brought her file up on his computer. “I see. I take it you’re referencing the incident that resulted in her being suspended for a fortnight a few months ago?”
“Correct, sir.”
“If we find her—” the Director corrected his sentence when he felt the Tracker’s gaze burning into him. “Apologies. When we find her, she will be required to submit a full report of what happened in her absence. We may take disciplinary action if it is not in line with MRO’s policies.”
A Dragon's Mind: A New Adult Fantasy Dragon Series (The MINATH Chronicles Book 1) Page 8
