His father narrowed his eyes. "What are you thinking, bringing a human here? A safe place? Not for her and you know it."
With yet another sigh, Lee explained the situation. By the time he was done, the horror had disappeared from his parents' faces, replaced with heavy disapproval. He tensed, recognizing the signs. They looked the same way when he told them he was going to go to human universities, and again when he told them he was taking a job outside of clan territory. He wanted to groan.
"You should have left alone," his mother said sharply.
His father nodded. "You shouldn’t get involved in human affairs. Why couldn’t you just leave the witches to their sacrifice?"
"So, you would just let a young woman get raped and murdered?" Lee demanded. Rage bubbled through him, making his fires burn black. Smoke curled from his mouth. "Have you been isolated for so long that you've lost the very basics of common decency?"
They had the good grace to look ashamed, but Lee's anger wasn't sated. His fists clenched and he really, really wanted to hit something. After everything that happened, he had hoped for at least sympathy from his parents. Anger at bringing her here, yes, but was some shred of understanding too much to ask for?
"Lee, you know that it's forbidden for humans to know about us…" His mother shook her head. "Unless you intend to make her your mate."
Mia's banging on the cellar door stopped, but the sounds of her sobs ripped through him. Lee wanted to open the door and take her into his arms. He ignored his desires. She wouldn't accept him right now anyway.
"This isn't about Mia knowing or not," he said sharply. "This is about what you just said. That I shouldn't get involved when there is a campus full of innocent people who might be killed. The witch said they were going to pass the campus through the fires to Ba'al. Do you really think that the dragons will be unaffected if that happens?"
"An ancient god reborn? They're crazy," his father said. "Just crazy."
A dragon landed behind them. Gold scales glittered revealing a royal heritage, and when the dragon shifted, blue eyes shone from an angry face. Lee repressed a groan.
"Alex," he greeted his best friend. "You've heard about the human."
Alex nodded. "It was reported that you were seen flying into clan territory with one. Now. Are you going to kill her, or do I have to do it?"
Mia let out a wail, and Lee knew that she could hear them.
Lee's hands bunched at his sides, and he barely restrained himself from flying at his friend. It was only because of Alex's cold stare that he was able to control himself, though. It was clear his friend had no pleasure in this. But Alex was a royal, close to the king, and had to obey the king's orders.
"Nobody is killing her," Lee snarled.
"You aren't ignorant enough to believe that. We keep our secrets and we do not keep people captive." Alex glanced at the door behind him. "By now the whole clan will know she's here."
It was true. Word traveled fast in their community. That he had a human would be known, but if the king ordered her death, they'd expect him to kill her before she saw any more of the clan. His heart sunk. Even if he was able to stand before the king and plead for Mia's life, it might not do any good. As for him, he would be lucky to ever see the sun again.
No. No, it wasn't going to end like this. Lee took a deep breath. "A dragon's mate is permitted to come to clan territory. I brought her here to save her life, Alex."
Alex's eyes narrowed. "So, what you're saying is that you're going to mate the human?"
"I won't do anything she doesn't want."
A troubled look came over his mother's face. "Perhaps we can speak to the king… listen to her. She's crying. So afraid."
"Lee should have thought of that before bringing her here." Alex sighed. "You're my best friend, but I must obey the king first and foremost. But if you will take her as mate… then perhaps we can spare her. You won't have much to do. I can scent her virginity all over you already. That skips the more lengthy process of the rituals."
His parents' heads whipped towards him.
"Lee Tennet, what did you do?" his father rumbled.
"We had sex. She didn't tell me she was a virgin. But what difference does that make?" Lee ground his teeth together. "I'm not going to let her die. If I have to mate her to keep her safe I will, but I'm not going to make her do anything she doesn't give her consent to."
His parents didn't seem to notice that. They just shook their heads and gave him the disapproving looks that he was all too familiar with. Lee wanted to throw his hands into the air and ask them what they thought he should have done. Yeah, maybe sleeping with her had been a mistake, but it was his mistake to make. Their mistake. Mia was just as much a part of the decision as he was.
"Did you tell her that you were a dragon before you slept with her?" his father demanded.
Lee winced. "She found out when we were attacked this morning. I had to shift to get away from the witches."
Alex made a frustrated noise.
"Look, humans are and will always be an integral part of magic, for witches, for us, for every magical creature," Lee snapped. Mia continued to cry, making his heart jerk in time with her sobs. His hands clenched. "Once I am able to explain the situation to Mia, she'll understand. She won't tell anybody and she won't—"
Alex held up a hand, stopping him. "You don't have to convince us, Lee. You'll have to convince the king. And you know how he feels about humans. My advice? If you want her to live, mate her and quickly. You know the rituals. Once she's bonded to you, she stands a chance. Actually, it would be best if you could get her pregnant, too."
Chapter Eleven
Mia
He was going to kill her.
No, he was fighting to keep her safe.
They were saying he had to mate her.
Mia's stomach cramped. What did they mean by that? Mate as in have sex? They'd already done that. What other type of 'mating' could there be? What rituals were they talking about? She pressed her ear against the door, listening hard. The voice that had joined Lee and his parents a little while ago spoke, sounding almost bored.
"If you want her to live, mate her and quickly. You know the rituals. Once she's bonded to you, she stands a chance. Actually, it would be best if you could get her pregnant, too."
"Pregnant?" she repeated, just as Lee yelped the same. She didn't stick around to hear them continue the conversation.
There was no way she was mating someone or getting pregnant. Especially not when Lee acted like it was a mistake when they already slept together. At least, he had been angry with her for not telling him she was a virgin. She shivered though. He wouldn't do anything… would he?
No. He wouldn't.
Mia felt a small bit of peace return as that surety came to her. Lee wasn't going to do anything to harm her. It didn't matter that he could turn into a giant, fire-breathing lizard… he was a dragon… holy crap, he was a dragon. She pressed her hands to her temples, fighting not to panic again. She had to think this through. Lee was fighting to protect her, but the other dragons out there wanted her dead. So, she had to get away. Simple. And the witches? She'd deal with them when she got out of here.
She glanced around the root cellar. There was nothing that could be used as a weapon. No tools. Only vegetables. Although there were a few carrots that were as long as her forearm and thick as her bicep. A club if she'd ever seen one.
The cellar door opened and she jumped. Lee stepped in. His shoulders hunched and he shrugged apologetically at her.
"I'm sorry for sticking you in here. And I'm sorry for whatever you heard. I will find a way out of this, Mia. I promise nobody is going to hurt you."
Mia nodded. That's right. Because I'm not going to be here.
"I'm sorry for overreacting," she said, inching towards the carrots. "I just didn't expect… I mean, I didn't know that dragons even existed. And then you turned into one. It was… surprising."
Understatement of the year.
"I know. You want to keep me safe."
Lee nodded, looking relieved. A jolt went through her. Was it guilt? Why should she feel guilty about what she was about to do? Her life was in danger here. Yeah, he was on her side but from what she heard, it didn't sound like he had a lot of pull around here. She didn't want to die, and if that meant turning on him, so be it. She somehow doubted he or any of the other dragons would just let her walk away.
"We'll have to talk with the king, but I'm sure he'll see reason," he continued, slowly moving forward. She slowly moved back until she was next to the carrot bins. Lee stopped. "Once everybody realizes what kind of person you are, it'll be fine."
Mia nodded, trying hard not to give away that she heard in his voice that he was trying to convince himself. "Okay. So, what now?"
"Now, I'd like you to come meet my parents."
He reached for her arm. She dove for the carrots and grabbed a big one. Swinging with all her might, she smashed it into Lee's face. The blow knocked him off his feet and he gave a yell of surprise and pain. Mia dashed from the cellar, still clutching her carrot. Three more of the dragons were waiting just outside. They turned, all with surprised expressions. One of them–the Alex that Lee had spoken to–grabbed her. With a roar, she swung the carrot-club. It collided with her attacker's skull and snapped in half. With a grunt, Alex released her.
Mia dashed towards the trees, ignoring the shouts behind her. Her heart pounded and she heard the beating of wings, but soon she was among the thick foliage. She didn't think there was room for a full dragon to go mincing around, but there were plenty of sticks and things she could use as weapons if they came at her. Adrenaline flooded her system.
As soon as she thought that, there was a horrendous screeching noise from above her. Trees were shoved aside, branches and trunks snapping, as two dragons landed before her. Lee's parents? The one on the left had a similar green coloring as him, but the one on the right was silver. It didn't matter. A stick was laying nearby and she grabbed it and held it out before her like a sword. It seemed small and puny against the two giant beasts with their scales gleaming in the sunlight and their eyes narrowed down at her, but she didn't stand down.
"I'm not going without a fight!" she shouted. "I'm not going to die!"
She lunged for them. The dragons didn't even move as she broke her stick over the belly of the silver one. The air left her lungs as she stared at it and then up at the lizard-like slit eyes. Her mouth went dry and she felt like she was about to faint.
"I'm not," she whimpered, and jumped away again.
As she bent for another stick, one of the dragons reached for her–a streak of light flew between the trees and hit it square in the chest. The other let loose a blast of fire. Mia screamed at it scorched her skin, but the flames weren't directed at her. More screams came from just behind her. Her heart jumped to her throat.
Witches.
Magic swamped the air. Bolts of it brought down trees. The two dragons roared and lifted off, their wings beating the air.
And then the witches were on her. Hard hands grasping her, pulling her upright. She tried to yank herself free, but they were too strong. She screamed, and one of them laughed.
"Look, it's the virgin sacrifice," she crooned.
"Lee!" Mia screamed, her fear of him dissipating now that she was in the clutches of the witches again. "Lee!"
"Yes, scream little baby," the witch mocked. "The dragons know we're here now, but no matter. As long as we have you."
She screamed again. Wanted to call for Lee, but his name got stuck in her throat. Her voice choked her and she fell silent. Her legs moved, keeping her moving forward even though she wanted to run. More magic?
"What do you even want with me?" she rasped. Her throat felt dry. She thought this was over. That she had to worry about dragons wanting to kill her now, not witches. Why were the witches even coming to dragon territory? "You have my virgin blood, why are you still hunting me?"
They reached a road where a black van waited. The witches pushed her inside, where more were waiting. A woman with silver hair pushed her hand to Mia's chest and whispered a strange sounding word, and Mia's body instantly felt heavy. She wanted to sleep but fought it. It was magic. Just magic.
"What do you want with me?" she slurred. "I'm not special."
"No, you're not," the silver-haired woman said. "But you will do for our purposes. If we can't get a dragon, and now that they know we're here we won't be able to capture one of them on their own territory, we'll just have to make a dragon come to us."
Mia's brows pulled together. What was she talking about?
The witch brushed some hair from her face and smiled. "The final step in releasing our god. I was so hoping to keep Professor Tennet in the dark until we were ready for him, but unfortunately, young Clarissa messed up with you… oh well. She's paid for what she did, and you will be useful to us after all."
"What do you want with Lee?"
"We need the heart of a dragon."
Mia's sluggish brain took a moment to catch up. To understand what they wanted. They were going to kill him. Rip out his heart. Her stomach rebelled, emptying what little contents there were inside. The witches made disgusted noises, but simply waved their hands and the mess disappeared.
"No!" she struggled against the spell putting her to sleep. Tears welled in her eyes. "No, you can't hurt him. I won't let you!"
"Gotten attached, have you?" the witch chuckled. "Oh, you poor baby. It's almost a shame that we have to kill you. Don't worry, we won't make you watch your lover die. And if it helps, we'll tell him that we let you go before we rip out his heart. Give him a little peace."
Mia struck out. Her fist weakly tapped the witch's chin. It couldn’t have hurt, but her eyes grew dark anyway. A hand pressed between her shoulder blades and Mia yelped. Her chest felt like it was caving in. Her heart was being squeezed. Sweat sprang out on her brow. Blackness closed in around her. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Then it was gone.
"Behave, Mia Thompson," the witch growled. "Or we will bring your family for the sacrifice and make you watch them die."
Mia whimpered as the spell dragging her to sleep increased. Her last conscious thought was she had to do something–but what?
Chapter Twelve
Lee
Alex had him pinned down, arms twisted behind his back. As soon as Mia ran, he had gone stumbling after her but his parents told him to stay while they brought her back. Lee's head was spinning from the blow he'd taken (with a carrot–he'd have to ask his parents what they were doing with those monster clubs in the root cellar) so he had agreed, knowing they wouldn't hurt her.
Then they came back, declared that witches had her, and expected him to sit around doing nothing. He tried to leave at once, but Alex tackled him and kept him there. His friend was surprisingly strong, given the dragon's lean frame.
Lee twisted and spat, fighting the urge to shift because he knew he'd end up hurting Alex and his parents if he did. A shadow washing over him and a thud made him stop. A huge, gold dragon landed before them. The king. His parents dropped to their knees as Alex released Lee. He jumped to his feet as the king shifted.
The king of the clan was old, but the only thing that gave it away was the lines on his face. His hair was still midnight-black, eyes sharp and clear, body toned and back straight. Power radiated off of him. It was an instinctual need for Lee to bend his knees towards his king, but in this case, the need to protect Mia was even stronger.
"Where is the human?" the king rumbled.
"I have to go!" Lee said. "Witches took her, they'll kill her."
"Witches?" The king's eyes narrowed and a growl ripped from his throat. "You lead witches to our clan? If they came for the human, let them take her. She will die, as she should, and you… you will not have to see her die."
; Lee shook his head, anger flaring through him.
"I have indulged your fetish with humans long enough," the king continued. "You are forbidden from leaving clan territory again."
"Or what?" Lee spat.
"Exile. All contact cut off, and if you return, you'll be treated like an invader."
Meaning he'd be put to death if he breached his exile. His parents both gasped and his mother looked up. His father started to say something, but Lee cut him off. Enough was enough. He could understand wanting to keep safe, but this was too much. They couldn’t survive if the rest of the world burned. A growl escaped him, along with a tendril of smoke. He shook his head very deliberately, a surge of satisfaction filling him as the king's eyes widened.
"No. I'm not going to stay here, stuck, while the world turns around us. The dragons have stagnated and it will be our downfall. You can stay here and turn to stone, but I will never be happy with that. I am going to rescue Mia. It's the right thing to do."
The king's hands clenched, but he shrugged. "Then you are exiled."
"So be it."
"Lee—" his mother reached for him.
"Grandpa," Alex started.
Lee leaped into the air, not sticking around for the arguments that were sure to follow. He didn't look back as he shifted. Green scales glittered in the sun and his fires roared. His gaze turned away from clan territory, knowing that this was the last time he'd leave his home. His jaw tightened. It didn't matter. Maybe he'd feel some grief later, but Mia needed him now. She was in danger and there was no way he was going to abandon her, no matter what the cost was.
There were two cries from behind him. His parents. Calling for him to return. He beat his wings harder, pulling in deep breaths of air through his nose. He'd be able to pick up the scent of magic from a distance, if it was strong. In order for them to subdue Mia, they'd have to use some powerful magic. She was strong-spirited.
The calls cut off behind him and his heart lurched. He nearly looked back but refused to let his resolve weaken. He loved his parents, loved his people. But he couldn't live the way they wanted him to. It would kill him. Especially if he never got to see Mia again, never knew if she was alive or dead.
Her Dragon Professor Page 6
