by Alexia Purdy
“You’re from the Reinhardt clan? Could it be… which one are you? Which daughter?”
Catori’s eyes widened as she stared at the older man. He looked familiar but for the white hair and receding hairline. Try as she might, she could not place him. His voice triggered something in her mind. She knew this man and had met him before, but who was he?
“My name is Catori. I was taken from my family seven or eight years ago. I’m searching for them. Do you know where they are?”
The man shook his head, and his shoulders sagged as she asked her impossible questions. His reaction gave her all the information she needed to know, and she dropped her eyes to the ground while tears welled up inside them.
“I’m sorry, m’lady,” the man responded, “but the Reinhardt clan was exterminated by the Lucidium Order around the time you were taken. We believed all the Reinhardts had been killed. I lost my own son in that attack. Jack of the Talinion clan.” His eyes shot back up, a slight hope flickering in them. “I never found his body. Was he imprisoned with you?”
Catori frowned. She closed her eyes as tears spilled down her cheeks. “Jack was taken with me. He was alive up until a few days ago. He perished when we attempted our escape. He died valiantly saving my life. I do not believe he is still alive.” She looked back up at the man who was Jack’s father. His name suddenly came to her: John. John Talinion. “I wish he could’ve been here with you, to grow into a young man. I’ll remember him always. He kept my spirits up all these years.” She wiped away a tear. “I remember you now. In the Institute, I forgot a lot of things. I think my mind was trying to protect me from the painful memories, but it’s all coming back now. You… you were like a second father to me.”
The urge to run to him and give him a hug was nearly overpowering, but she held steadfastly to her spot.
“So, it’s true? Jack’s dead?” He wasn’t truly asking, but saying it out loud probably made it more real to him.
She nodded. “I’m so sorry, John. We tried to get away. It was our one chance to escape, and we blew it. He was behind me and was shot with an arrow. He urged me to keep going. I couldn’t turn back; it was far too dangerous.”
John nodded, looking solemn, but he quickly straightened and met Catori’s gaze, giving her a slight smile filled with warmth but edged with a profound sadness. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Jack was supposed to be here with her, not Leland.
“Thank you for letting me know what happened to my son. I never knew, but I always believed him to be alive. At least I know he was until now.”
He turned away, causing her heart to wilt as she watched him leave the room. There was no good news today; her family was all dead, her best friend was long gone, and his father was too overcome with grief to welcome her back. If only she had brought Jack back. Would it have mattered?
“And what of this thing you have brought with you?” The man on the throne hopped to his feet and eyed Leland with pure, unfiltered hatred. “He is not of dragon blood. How dare you bring a human into our midst?” He narrowed his eyes at Leland before he flicked them back to Catori. “You know this is forbidden. Guards—take him away and kill him.”
Leland began to struggle as the crowd gasped. Catori stepped forward, squirming in Bran’s firm grasp. “No! You can’t kill him. He is bound to me by an oath. His life magic will abandon him if he ever breaks it.”
Everyone stopped wrestling as Bran let her go, stunned by her words. Catori gasped for breath and stared at the tribe’s leader, surprised by everyone’s sudden reaction to her statement. She lifted her chin and held her ground defiantly before their leader, who watched her warily, scrutinized her from head to toe, challenging her with his own emerald stare. Long seconds passed before he smirked, and a malicious grin spread across his face.
“Well, now. A human slave bound to you by magic. Very well. We won’t kill it, but you’ll need to wrangle it a little bit better than that, or else we’ll be forced to put him in his rightful place.”
Catori bowed her head, relief flooding her body. “Thank you. I will keep him under control. He poses no danger to the tribe.”
“You’d better be right, Reinhardt. If a Paladin were to find us, we’d have to abandon our humble home.” His eyes glazed over, their glow absent for two seconds as his thoughts wandered. Bran growled next to her, cursing under his breath. She glanced at the enforcer and realized he looked like he might be related to the leader standing before her. Were they brothers?
“What do you mean?” Catori asked. “Have Paladins been here before?”
“He means we’ve already been compromised by this Paladin.” Bran reached over and ripped Leland’s shirt open, exposing a tattoo on his right pectoral muscle.
Catori’s eyes widened. How had she not known he had it to mark him as a full Paladin? He had never mentioned it. This was not good. Not good at all.
Bran smirked. “Few humans possess life magic. As soon as you said he was bound to you, we knew he had to be either a Paladin or some meddler who’s read a few tomes and thinks he understands such things.”
The room erupted in murmurs and whispers as the stunned shifters realized there was a Lucidium Paladin in their midst. Anger flashed on the leader’s face, scales rippling along the skin of his cheeks and jaw. Steam leaked from his flaring nostrils as his eyes narrowed into snakelike slits.
“How dare you bring a Paladin into our nest? It’s treason!”
“Wait,” Catori pleaded. “He’s no longer a Paladin. He renounced the Order when he swore his allegiance to me. He’s bound to me by magic. The mark means nothing now.” Catori held her hands out toward the leader, pleading, before Bran grabbed her arms and yanked her back away.
“Brian, this is a matter for Fenwick, not you,” Bran said, still gripping onto Catori’s arms, but his hold was less rough this time. “We have to wait until he returns. Fenwick will be pissed if he knew you decided on this without him. Oaths upheld by life magic are not taken lightly, especially those made with humans. Leave it to Fenwick, brother.”
Bran stared hard at his sibling as Catori chewed on her lip, waiting for Brian’s answer. Who was this Fenwick? Brian was apparently the second-in-command and not the true leader. This realization had Catori straightening with the hope they had not met their ultimate end. There was someone else they could plead their case to.
“Yes, I heard you, brother,” Brian said, scowling. “They’ll get an audience with Fenwick, but I must speak with him before he deals with this scum.”
Brian stared hard at Catori, narrowing his eyes with hatred. Pressing his lips together into a thin line, he turned around and walked past the throne before stopping and looking over a shoulder calling out to them.
“Fenwick arrives tonight. It will be left up to him if the Paladin lives or dies. Until then, throw them in a cell. We cannot trust these strangers.”
Chapter Twelve
For the hundredth time, Leland checked the sturdiness of every bar, brick, and seam in the cell. Nothing was loose or looked defective enough to dislodge.
“This is ridiculous. Why do we have to wait in a cell for Fenwick? I’m one of them.” Catori groaned in frustration, sitting with her back to one of the cold, dirty walls. She was a prisoner once more, a fact that stung her more than all the pinpricks she’d received at the Institute. “Fenwick is going to get an earful from me about this disgraceful treatment.”
“It’s not like you’re royalty.” Leland dusted some of the dirt off another brick, but to his dismay, found nothing of interest. Catori’s silence caught his attention, and he glanced back at the girl who was balled up tight, her arms wrapped around her legs, and her head resting on her knees. “Or are you?”
“What does it matter?”
Leland’s eyes widened. “You are? You never told me you were royalty.”
“It doesn’t matter. Like I said, it wouldn’t change a thing.”
“But you’d have some pull, right? Your claim… it could rally t
he others to switch to your side. You should have mentioned it earlier, in the throne room.”
“Just stop already. They know. Believe me. Fenwick will know too. Not to mention my family’s enemies who wanted them done for before the Lucidium Order ruined everything. Trust me, they know.”
Leland frowned and headed over toward Catori’s spot. There, he slid down to sit next to her. The cell was frigid, and his fingers were already frozen to the bone. He hoped Catori wasn’t cold and sat mere inches away but close enough to feel her body heat. He hoped his own would help her stave off the cold too.
“They don’t have heat in this place, do they? Who knew the desert could be so damned cold?”
Catori lifted her head and studied him. “Are you cold, Leland?”
“Yes. I’ll be fine. Nothing I’ve never slept through before.” He rubbed his shoulders and wrapped his arms around himself.
She gave him a small laugh. “You humans. So frail and meek. Yet brave and curious. I have to give it to you, you surprise me all the time.”
Leland scowled. “Frail? I don’t think so. You’ve got us all pegged wrong. Most creatures like you underestimate humans. Why do you think Paladins are so feared? It’s not because we are frail. Plus, we do have magic, it’s just not as impressive as yours. But it makes us stronger, faster, enhances our senses… no, we’re not weak. Quite the opposite.”
Catori’s smile fell, and she stared down at her feet. “You’re right. Humans appear frail, but their capacity to fight and band together makes them dangerous.”
“We have a capacity for great love too.”
“I’ve never seen it.”
“You’ve never lived amongst humans who weren’t oppressing you.”
Catori mulled over Leland’s words, conflicted. She knew he was right. Like dragons, humans could love. She’d seen Paladins eye each other with desire and adoration. Some of them even paired, like Leland and Tarek’s parents. She wished she’d seen more of that rather than her cramped cell and bitter guards who were on the lowest rung in the Order. It fed her loneliness even more. It was an apparent hole in her chest she desperately wanted to fill.
Leland shivered once more, rubbing his arms up and down to stave off the chill.
“Did you know dragons don’t often get cold? We make our own heat.”
Leland stopped rubbing his arms and peered over at her. His dark eyes shined in the faint light.
“Really?”
“We create our own heat. Unless depleted and near death, our magic keeps us warm. We can radiate heat at will. Here, come closer.”
He hesitated but reached out to touch her hand and felt an immediate wrap of delicious warmth.
“Wow! You’re like a fire.”
Catori laughed. “Yes. Inner fire burns within all dragons. When we shift, this inner fire becomes our weapon as we breathe it out and burn all that go against us.”
They sat in silence, listening to the distant murmur of voices as they echoed through the halls of the cavern. Leland no longer shivered, and Catori felt happy she could give him some comfort in this cold, cruel place. There was nothing more they could do until their meeting with Fenwick, a name that sounded vaguely familiar to the young dragon girl, but no matter how hard she tried to put a face to it, it eluded her.
“Up, both of you.” A gruff voice woke them from their dreams and uncomfortable sleep. They rubbed their faces and stood, smoothing down their hair and clothes. Stretching the stiffness of the night away, they followed Bran out of the cell and into an area they hadn’t seen.
“Get yourselves cleaned up. You’re a wreck and not fit to see our leader this way. There’s breakfast for you on the table.” Bran motioned them into another room, which was split into two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a central living area. The place was cozy and clean for an underground cavern. In the bathroom was an old tin tub filled with steaming water. They’d both have to take a bath in it, and the thought of that made them frown.
“Ladies first.” Leland cleared his throat and turned away to sit at the meager table, his back to her. Catori groaned but quickly got to cleaning up. When she emerged, some of the water was gone, splashed into the other empty basin where she had rinsed off to keep the heated water somewhat clean.
Leland smiled at her loose clothes, which had been left by the tub by their captors. He’d noticed that there was a set for him too. Catori’s garments fit better than the clothes he’d met her in, but they still hung enough to give her freedom of movement. Great clothes to fight in, he casually thought.
“Eat up. The sandwiches are actually pretty good.” He stuffed the last bite of his meal into his mouth as he left the room to clean up as well. Catori eyed the food, her mouth drooling as she picked up a sandwich and took a generous bite. Chewing as she sat down with her back to Leland, she wondered if they were going to be holed up here as roommates. The thought made her cheeks turn red. The place barely had any privacy, but it was better than sleeping on the floor of the cell.
She wondered if all the living quarters looked like this one. From what she’d seen, the cavern was large and had many tunnels and side chambers. She looked at the door and noticed a keyhole but no key. This place must have been designed for guests who weren’t all that welcome but weren’t exactly prisoners. She checked the door. Locked, of course.
“Have you met this Fenwick?” Leland called from the tub.
“No. He sounds familiar, but I can’t remember him for the life of me.”
“You think he’ll be merciful to us?”
“To you, you mean?”
“Well, yeah.”
“I don’t know. I honestly can’t remember the guy. Jack never mentioned him. In the few hours a week we had together, we focused on more important things.”
“Like drawing imaginary maps.”
“Yeah. The future was more important than the past.”
“I hope he realizes the implications of my oath.”
“He will. The question is whether or not he cares.” Catori bit her lip and groaned internally. She had no filter. She really had to keep her big mouth shut. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. This isn’t ideal, but I mean your people no harm. I keep my word.”
“Like your vow to the Order?”
“My brother’s life was more important. And besides, vows bound by magic always trump all others.”
“Convenient, isn’t it?”
Leland emerged, drying his hair with a towel, another wrapped around his waist. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Beads of water glistened over the Paladin mark on his chest. He was well built and slender, and his muscles were on full display.
Catori frowned, feeling her cheeks flush, and tried to hide it by biting into another piece of sandwich. He looked good. No, better than good, he was a fine specimen of a man, and her eyes lingered, scanning every ripple, curve, and indention of his body. It sent a heated spark rippling into her middle which she didn’t understand, and she flinched, looking away. She wanted to look back at him but decided she’d better not. She refused to turn to face him even though she could hear him coming closer.
“You were saying?” Leland leaned forward onto the table, grabbed a handful of grapes from the fruit platter, and stuffed them into his cheeks like a squirrel.
“Nothing. It means nothing. I’m just tense. I hate this waiting game. It’s frying my nerves.”
“Me too.” He walked away, and she could hear the rustling of fabric as he put on the clothes.
A knock on the door made her jump. Bran had returned for them.
“Fenwick is here. Come on, time to plead your case.”
“Will he be open to any of it?” Catori asked as she fell in step behind the warrior and Leland hurried to follow along.
Bran inhaled sharply. “We’ll find out pretty soon, won’t we?”
Catori scoffed at the guy. He wasn’t helpful at all. “Thanks for the advice.”
“Listen, Fenwick is of the old world, not this
modern crap. Why do you think we’re in a cave? We’ve been here a while. Fenwick is conservative but sometimes, if you’re lucky, he’ll listen to you.”
“Good to know. That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”
Bran shook his head, his frown deepening. “Come on, we’re late.”
Chapter Thirteen
They were led to an oval room with a large table at its center. Twenty or so people were seated around it, with Fenwick dominating the chair at the center of one of the long sides. Another few dozen dragon shifters were crowded into the room, standing along the edges of the walls.
Fenwick was an older man with silvery white hair cut close to his scalp and thick, matching eyebrows. His face was cut into deep lines, and his lips were thin and tightly pressed together. He was a tall man who hovered over most of the men in the room, but he wasn’t the tallest of them all. His brawn told of a well-kept physique, and the scars crisscrossing one side of his face and down the length of his muscly arms told of many battles fought, most against sword or talons. Catori had to admit that he looked frightening. It no doubt kept the man on the throne.
“Catori of the Reinhardt clan,” he said as they approached the table. “I’d recognize your face anywhere. You look just like my sister, Catherine. Your mother.”
Catori’s mouth fell open at the mention of her dead mother. Her memories were still incomplete, but her mother’s face now emerged sharply in her mind. “Catherine Reinhardt was your sister?”
“Yes. My younger sibling.” He chuckled. “You could be her clone.”
Catori reached up to touch her face as tears sprung into her eyes. She hated to appear so weak, but the thought of the tender woman who would tuck her in at night flooded her with emotions she’d long ago shoved down into the recesses of her heart.
“Catherine… I barely remember her.”
“She was a fine lady. When she was alive, she and your father, Ian, were the rulers of the tribe. We followed them faithfully until someone betrayed us to the Lucidium Order. That was the day you were taken.”
