by Alexis Davie
The water filled up her mouth, and she started to panic, trying to scream, kick, to no avail. Her body began to sink. The water was even more suffocating, strangling her from the inside out. Exhaling for the last time, the three bubbles rising up to the surface were the last thing she saw before she descended to the bottom of the pool.
11
Oryn glanced happily out the window as Jayce drove him home from the airport. He had come back a few days earlier from Malaysia to surprise Adley, and he couldn’t wait to see her face when he walked through the front door. He stared at his watch and figured she and Naomi would probably still be sleeping. He took out his phone and switched it on, and a message immediately popped up on the screen.
It was a voicemail from Adley, probably saying goodnight, like she usually did when she went to sleep. A smile formed on his lips as he placed the phone against his ear and waited for her message to load.
“Oryn, it’s Adley! Three men just broke into your offices at work, and they’re clearly looking for something. How do I know? It’s a long story. Now that I think about it, I should have just called the police, right? Okay, I’m hanging up now. Just wanted to let you know. I love you.”
Oryn’s eyes widened, and he listened to the message again. “Oh, my god.”
“Is everything okay, sir?” Jayce asked from the front of the car, but before Oryn could answer, his phone rang. It was Naomi.
“Naomi, hey.”
“Oryn, Adley is gone!” she cried in a panicked voice.
“I know. I just got a call from her. She said that three men broke into my office looking for something.”
“Oh, my god! How does she know that?”
“I think she was there. Are your keys still on the shelf?” he asked. He heard Naomi scurrying around.
“They’re gone,” she breathed.
“I’m going to try calling her.”
“Where do you think she is?”
“If it’s Osteric and his two betas, there’s only one place they would go with her.”
“And where is that?”
“To my house, to rub my nose in it.”
“Should I meet you there?” Naomi asked.
“Please. Hurry.” Oryn disconnected the call and turned to Jayce. “Have you ever flown a jet before, Jayce?”
“No, sir, but I can get you anywhere faster than anyone,” the driver answered.
“Good. My house. And step on it.”
“Done, sir.”
The car accelerated at an impressive speed while Oryn dialed Adley’s number, but it simply rang.
“Dammit, she’s not answering,” he muttered to himself as he tried to call her again one more time. When she failed to answer, his jaw clenched, and he threw his phone on the seat.
It took Jayce only a few minutes to navigate through the streets of Auckland to Oryn’s home, and instead of opening the gate or parking on the side of the road in front of the house, Jayce stopped two houses down.
“Good thinking, Jayce,” Oryn said gratefully as he climbed out of the car.
“Do you need any back-up, sir?” Jayce raised his hand, clutching his pistol.
“Not yet, but thanks.” Oryn ran down the street and entered his property through a hidden side gate only he knew of. The realtor had told him about it, and at this moment, he was grateful he hadn’t gotten rid of it when he had redone the landscaping last year.
He quietly made his way through the front yard, down the side of the house, and peered through the window. He couldn’t see Adley yet, or any of Osteric’s betas, for that matter. When a gunshot went off and he heard Adley scream, he knew he had to move faster. The smell of blood filled the air. She had been shot. Was she still alive?
Osteric’s voice echoed through the house, and Oryn’s blood boiled in his veins. He was ready to unleash his rage, but he had to get inside undetected first. The wolves had a keen sense of smell, so he didn’t want to alert them before he was close enough to get Adley to safety. Or at least get the wolves away from her.
He opened one of the large windows of his study and climbed through it. When another shot fired, his rage took over, and he stormed into the living room, where Osteric and his two men stood in front of Adley, who was on the floor, taped to a chair. There was already a pool of blood beneath her.
The three wolves stared at him.
“Shoot him!” Osteric ordered, and his betas pointed their guns at Oryn and started to shoot.
Oryn, who could not be killed or harmed by bullets, marched towards them. He didn’t say a single word to them, or to Osteric. He approached the betas and grabbed them by the throats, one in each hand. Lifting them off the ground, their feet dangling in the air, he threw them across the room, and they plummeted down on the floor, cracking the floorboards in the process.
Oryn set his sights on Osteric, who tried to make a run for the door but was a little too slow in his older human form. Osteric was smart; he knew that Oryn couldn’t transform into a dragon without wrecking his entire house and expose himself to the humans. Even though Oryn wasn’t as strong as he would be in his dragon from, he was still stronger than any wolf. Like mighty mountains, he possessed the strength to annihilate anything, and he was sure that Osteric didn’t quite grasp that.
Oryn slammed his fists down on the floor, causing the floorboards to break under the pressure, and Osteric fell down. He tried to scramble to his feet, but Oryn grabbed him from behind and swung him against the concrete wall. Osteric lay motionless for a brief moment before he jumped to his feet and growled maliciously.
Loud barks came from behind Oryn, and as he glanced over his shoulder, he saw the betas, two large white wolves charging towards him with angry snarls. Before he could react, a force pushed the wolves away from him, and the pair fell back onto the floor with painful yelps.
Oryn swirled and saw Naomi standing in the doorway, her hands glowing a bright purple. “Looks like I got here just in time.”
“I was handling it,” Oryn muttered.
“Oh, yeah,” Naomi said, raising her hand and shooting a purple orb from her hand. The orb hit Osteric in the chest, and he fell to the floor again. “Good job,” she retorted.
“You handle those two, I’ll get the alpha.” Oryn walked towards Osteric, glaring down at him. Then he grabbed him by the neck, hoisting him up in the air. “You son of a bitch!” He slammed the wolf against the concrete wall, his green eyes flashing with rage. “What makes you think you can come into my house and disrupt my life?
“You destroyed everything I loved! I wanted to extend you the same courtesy. Your little human is dying!” Osteric gasped, motioning to his right.
Oryn looked at Adley over his shoulder and noticed the very large blood pool under her. If there was any hope to safe her, he had to move quickly.
“I think it’s time for you to be reunited with your family, you piece of shit,” Oryn spat at him.
He was so focused on Osteric that he didn’t even notice what was going on around him. Ever since Oryn was a young dragon, he’d had trouble containing his rage, and he would switch off completely, focusing mainly on the target before him. It took all three of his brothers to beat him to a near pulp before he would snap out of it. His grip tightened around the alpha’s neck, and bones cracked and crunched in his throat. Osteric gurgled in Russian, and blood spewed from his mouth. Oryn watched as the life drained from his eyes, but just for safe measures, Oryn ripped his head clean off his body and threw the head and the corpse down on the floor.
His face was covered in blood, as was the floor around him. He caught sight of himself in the mirror and stared at the abomination looking back at him. His face had begun to distort from the rage. The scales on his skin had just started to form, but he was still a human.
He recalled the last time this had happened, and his shoulders slumped. It had been a terrible and tragic day in Russia, when he’d had to watch his father murder Osteric’s family. Oryn had been under the impression that the alp
ha’s wife and son had been killed during the earthquake he had caused, but they had survived, only to be publicly murdered by the Dragon King to piss of the alpha even more.
It had definitely worked.
Oryn simply found it unfair that the sins of his father had followed him around for the rest of his life. That was also the reason why he lived so far away from him. He would rather distance himself from the Dragon King than to walk in his shadow. Avoidance was the only thing that kept him going, even if it meant angering his father. At least he wasn’t the one who had to deal with him. He hated the fact that this was who he was, yet he had spent so many years trying to control himself. Then again, he had never known the intensity of ensuring the safety of his True Mate.
Oh, shit, Adley! Oryn whirled around and was surprised to see the other two wolves were now stone statues, thanks to Naomi.
“How the hell did you do that?”
“I’ll tell you later. We have to help Adley,” Naomi reminded him, and they both rushed to her side.
Oryn ripped the tape off and moved her onto the carpet. Her skin was pale, and her clothes were drenched in blood. She was still breathing—barely, though—and had enough strength to turn her head towards him.
“I’m here, okay?” he whispered as he took her hand in his and moved his face closer to hers. Her breathing was strained and her lips parted slowly.
“Oryn, I wasn’t afraid. I knew you’d come,” she breathed weakly.
Oryn’s eyes filled with tears, but he willed them away. Adley had been strong and brave for him. Now he had to be brave for her, and for himself.
“I’m here, and I am never leaving you again,” he said in a hoarse voice.
“I love you, so much.”
“And I love you,” he replied.
Adley’s pulse slowed down against his fingertips, and he looked at her, the color in her warm brown eyes fading fast. She slipped away faster than he thought, but he couldn’t let her go.
“Oryn…” Naomi mumbled beside him.
“Don’t. Please don’t,” he breathed as a part of him suddenly vanished. That was when he knew she was gone. The hole in his heart appeared again, just like it had been for the last five thousand years. Now he was alone again.
He let go of Adley’s hand and slowly stood up, unable to hold in his emotions any longer. He approached the two stone statues and started to hit them until there was nothing left of them besides a cloud of dust in the air around him.
Oryn collapsed on the ground and sobbed. “I promised to keep her safe. I failed.”
“Oryn, wait…” Naomi reached out to him.
“I said, don’t, Naomi!” he yelled, pushing her away.
“I can help. I can fix this!”
He raised his head and glanced at her. “What do you mean?”
“I can bring her back! I can change her into a dragon!”
“You what?”
“I can bring her back as a dragon, but only if that’s okay with you.”
Oryn hesitated for a moment, but then he remembered the conversation he’d had with Adley about becoming like him. She’d have to watch her mother and brother, and everyone who she cared about, grow old, while she would live forever. He remembered how all she had wanted was to be happy and to be with him, and that things would work out the way they were supposed to.
“Oryn,” Naomi interrupted his thoughts, “I don’t have much time.”
“Do it,” he said.
“Are you sure?”
“Do it,” Oryn repeated. He watched Naomi kneel down beside Adley’s broken and lifeless body.
“Don’t come too close,” Naomi warned. “I’ve only ever done this once, so bear with me.”
“Okay, that’s not comforting at all,” he muttered.
“Just trust me, okay?”
“I trust you,” Oryn replied.
Naomi placed her hands on the two places where Adley had been shot, and a light purple glow seeped from her hands and onto Adley. Naomi murmured something in a continuous loop, but it was too soft and too confusing for Oryn to hear. He simply watched in amazement as the purple glow changed to a yellow color, and it covered Adley’s body completely. Naomi’s chants grew louder and louder while Oryn grew increasingly nervous. The glow disappeared, and Naomi lifted her hands off Adley.
“Did it work?” he stuttered.
“Just give it a few seconds,” she said.
As Oryn sat helplessly on the floor, a strange feeling started to inch its way inside him. It was exactly the same feeling as when he had seen Adley for the first time, and all his memories of her flashed before his eyes. The way she had scurried off with the files after she had bumped into him. The way she had smiled at him in the kitchen when she hadn’t known who he was, and the horrified look on her face when he had told her. The way she had slept peacefully beside him, wrapped in his sheets. Within an instant, they were all gone, and Oryn glanced at Adley.
It was quiet around them for a second, which felt like a lifetime to Oryn, and suddenly, much to his relief, Adley gasped loudly. He was by her side in an instant and touched her hand.
“I’m here,” he said, squeezing her hand.
“What happened?” she asked breathlessly, pushing herself up into a sitting position, despite Oryn and Naomi advising her not to.
“How do you feel?” Naomi asked carefully.
“I feel fine,” Adley answered. She stared at the two of them. “You two are acting weird.”
“Adley,” Oryn said, briefly looking at Naomi. “What is the last thing you remembered?”
“The Russian guy wanted me to tell him your password, but I didn’t know it. He just kept going on and on about how I knew and I was lying, and…” Her voice trailed. “Oh, my god. He… he shot me. Twice. And I…”
Oryn raised his eyebrows expectantly at her, awaiting her response.
“Oh, my god! Did I die?” she shrieked.
“Yes, you did,” Naomi replied.
“So how the hell am I alive?”
“I brought you back,” Naomi smiled.
“You can do that?” Adley demanded.
“Naomi is a witch, but not just any witch, as I just learned,” Oryn told her. He placed his hand on Naomi’s shoulder. “She’s a descendant of Livia Ambrosios.”
“I remember that name. You told me that they were the only ones who could turn humans into dragons,” Adley answered, and she turned to Naomi with wide eyes. “Did you…?”
“I did.”
“You mean,” Adley smiled breathlessly, “I’m a dragon now?”
“Yes, you are. And I’ve made you a really special kind.” Naomi turned slightly so that she could address both Adley and Oryn. “Oryn is an Earth Dragon; dependable, strong, steadfast, and stubborn, with both feet on the ground. So, I thought it would be perfect to make you an Air Dragon: whimsical, free-spirited, and spontaneous. He’ll keep your feet on the ground, while you’ll encourage him to soar to new heights. It’s the perfect combination, and I couldn’t imagine two people who are more perfect for each other than the two of you.”
Oryn stared lovingly at Adley, and she smiled brightly in return. “You are so right about that. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Naomi nodded.
“No, really. Thank you.” Adley put her arms around Naomi, hugging her tight.
“Careful, Adley. You’re kind of strong now,” Oryn chuckled as he noticed Naomi’s pained expression.
“Oh, sorry,” Adley apologized and moved away from Naomi.
Oryn addressed Naomi. “Can I just ask you one thing?”
“Sure.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about being a descendent of one of the most powerful witches in the world?”
“I was told not to,” she answered. “My grandmother told me that witches like us were too valuable to other immortals. We had to keep our bloodline a secret because most Gifted take advantage of our powers. They make us create armies of their kind, to overthrow others an
d take what isn’t theirs. I wanted to tell you so many times before all this, because I trusted you. Then I found out about Osteric, and what you did, or rather, what your father made you take the fall for, and I was just scared that you were going to turn out just like him. You’d use me to create a dragon army to wipe out all the wolves and everything else.”
“I’m nothing like my father,” Oryn stated.
“I know that now. You’re a good man, Oryn. That’s why I brought Adley back, because she makes you better.”
Adley’s eyes sparkled, a tiny fleck of gold appearing in her brown eyes, and she glanced hopefully into Oryn’s eyes. “Let’s do it.”
Epilogue
Oryn looked at Adley as they stood on the boat, along with Naomi, and he asked, “Are you sure you want to do this, Adley?”
Adley scoffed and nodded. “Yeah. Of course. Ever since you took me up, I have been longing to do it again.”
“We’re still talking about flying, right?” Naomi asked, cringing.
“Yes,” Adley said lowering her eyes in embarrassment. “Are you ready?”
“Born ready,” Naomi answered. She stood from the padded seat on the deck of the boat. She raised her left hand, motioning to her far left, and raised her right hand, motioning to her far right. She chanted a few sentences, and Oryn watched in amazement as a cloud of gold and silver escaped from her palms and drifted over to him and Adley. It spun around them a few times before disappearing into a puff of glitter, and Oryn cocked his head. “So that’s it?”
“What do you mean, is that it? What where you expecting? A bubble that will make you both undetectable?” Naomi asked.
“So we’re both invisible.”
“To anything that’s not a dragon, or a witch, because, you know, it’s our magic,” Naomi replied. “So, do you want to try your transformation again, Adley?”
