Chapter Six
Volcant
The baby’s crying woke him. Volcant rolled over, checking the space beside him. It was empty. At first, he thought that meant Misty had already gone to check on the baby, but Cara kept crying.
“It’s okay, baby. I’m sorry. Mommy can’t get to you.”
Volcant rose his head. Why was she over there in the chair, rather than in bed with him? He stared for a moment, sleep muddling his brain. Slowly, he remembered what had happened before he passed out. He had tied her to the chair, so she couldn’t escape or call the others. Why had he done that again? Right… because she was an assassin.
His head throbbed as he forced himself to sit up. His stomach churned, but the water and whatever sweet apple-like substance Misty had forced down his throat earlier seemed to be helping. He stumbled to his feet and retrieved the baby, cradling her to his chest. Cara—no, Wildref—calmed, though she still whimpered.
“She’s going to be hungry,” Misty said.
Her skin was paler than normal, dark smudges under her eyes as she stared pleadingly at him. His heart twinged, and he hurried over to her, tugging the knots out of her bonds. She pulled herself free and rubbed her hands, which were an unhealthy-looking red color, then reached for the baby. Wildref had turned her face to his chest and was rooting around, making sucking noises. She started kicking and let out a loud cry when Misty took her, but calmed quickly enough when Misty settled her in her lap and lifted her shirt.
Volcant returned to the bed and sank down. His eyes were so heavy that he’d have liked to simply pass out again. “How long have I been asleep?”
“A couple of hours. I was afraid you were going to die and leave me tied up until I starved.” She glared at him.
Did she expect an apology? Volcant snorted and looked away. “I should have gagged you. You could have screamed and brought anybody in.”
Misty made a strangled noise in her throat. “Right. Yeah, I’d do that and then get a dragon put in jail for kidnapping. That would only cause us all problems. You’re not acting like yourself. I want to help you, not lock you up.”
“Why?” Volcant studied the woman. So beautiful. Such passion and spark in her eyes. He had his memories of her body wrapped around his, of him inside of her. Her name on his lips. It felt like far more than just the once, but that must be whatever magic she was using to scramble his thoughts, right? But if that was the case, why didn’t she call for help? “Why do you want to help me, Misty? What am I to you?”
Misty propped her arm under Wildref, holding her more gently. Why would the assassins leave her alive?
“I want to help you because… we have a connection.” Misty dropped her eyes, as though ashamed of admitting a weakness. “I don’t want to see you hurt. I told you, we slept together a year ago. And then you disappeared without a trace. I thought you were just avoiding me, but it turned out to be true and… I thought the worst of you and I want to make it up now.”
“You weren’t working against the assassins.”
“No.” She looked up at him, her brow furrowed. “I talked to Indulf. He was on the phone when you chucked it into the toilet. The assassination… it happened hundreds of years ago. Indulf remarried my friend Anna and they have a little boy now. They need you to get better, so you can protect them.”
Could he trust her? He wanted to. His fires flickered low, showing him how weak he still was. He wanted to believe that Misty was telling him the truth. He wanted to look at her and trust her. His gut told him he could. If he was wrong, though, it would spell disaster. He couldn’t take that risk.
“We need food,” he mumbled, staring hard at her. She was a nursing woman, whether or not the child was hers. From his experience the previous night, he’d be in a much better place physically if he had something to eat.
He rubbed his temples, considering the situation. He couldn’t leave her behind, even tied up. What if something happened? The motel could catch fire, or something could happen to the baby. He had to bring her with him. Would she behave, though? Just because she didn’t scream last night didn’t mean she wouldn’t try to escape or attack him while they were out.
Maybe he should send her for the food and stay here with the baby himself. But no, that would just give her the opportunity to call his enemies.
No. He had to take her with him and simply keep a close eye on her to ensure she didn’t cause trouble.
He grabbed the diaper bag and looked through it again until he found another of the apple pouches. This one he ripped open and devoured the contents. The substance, whatever it was, helped him feel a little better at once and he nodded.
“As soon as you’re done feeding the baby, we are leaving.”
Misty narrowed her eyes at him, but nodded. “Good. Because I’m starving.”
Volcant smiled despite himself. It was a shame he couldn’t trust her. His body stirred at the thought of being between her thighs again. She had only become curvier since the last time he saw her… two days ago? How could she have put on that much weight overnight?
His head started to throb again, and he pushed the thoughts aside. He’d get food and more rest. Once this was over, as long as he kept his head down, it was all going to be fine.
***
“You can’t go around kidnapping people!” Misty shouted at him as he pushed the pale-haired woman into the car. Bags of groceries still hung from his arms as he pressed the knife to her ribs.
“Just get us out of here,” Volcant snapped back at her.
Why did all his plans seem determined to blow up in his face? It should have been a simple shopping excursion. Go in, get what they need and leave. Why did this woman have to recognize him and start causing a fuss? She had started yelling and screaming right there in the store. What choice did he have but to take her with them? For all he knew, she was working with Misty and the assassins.
“Oh my god!” The woman screamed as a pair of glasses slipped down her nose. “You’re going to kill us.”
The baby wailed, kicking her hands and feet.
“Nobody is being killed,” Misty snapped. “Sylvia, calm the eff down already! You’re freaking out my baby.”
Sylvia glanced at the knife at her ribs, then at Misty, who was driving them out of the parking lot while people chased after them, screaming and hollering. Her glasses fell right off, falling with a plunk onto the baby’s face.
She did not like that and started screaming even louder.
“Hey, hey.” Volcant pulled the knife from Sylvia and focused on the baby, trying to soothe her. “It’s okay. The scary noises are done.”
Sirens started to wail behind them.
“For God’s sake!” Misty exploded, slapping her hands on the wheel. “This was exactly what I was hoping to avoid. Are you happy now?”
Volcant wasn’t sure if she was talking to him or Sylvia. It didn’t matter. White cars with flashing blue and red lights pulled onto the road behind them. The baby kicked wildly, her face turning a dark shade of red. Luckily, Sylvia was no longer causing a ruckus. It was still difficult enough to think, but he could at least come up with a plan.
He snarled as he grabbed the diaper bag and began to shove groceries inside. “Go faster!”
“I’m not going faster when my daughter is in this car,” Misty shouted back at him. “You’re insane. I’m pulling over right now and we’re going to get Indulf to help figure this out.”
“Indulf?” Sylvia repeated. “What does he—oh my God! You’re part of the mob, aren’t you?”
What the hell was she talking about? Volcant ignored her as he stuffed the diaper bag full of groceries, then shoved the strap over Sylvia’s head. She yelped as Misty jerked them to a stop. Volcant unhooked the car seat from its base and threw the door open.
“Everybody get out,” he ordered, jumping out himself. The white cars came to a skidded stop and people started to pour out of the cars; was this the mob that Sylvia had referred to?
&nb
sp; Volcant glared at them and ignored their shouting as he turned. He shoved a grocery bag into Misty’s hands and then set the car seat down on top of the car. His fires flickered and roared, and he closed his eyes. He pulled them forward, bringing the burn throughout his body. He felt his form change shape, wings sprouting from his back and scales pushing through his skin. His clothes tore off him.
There was more shouting from behind him and Sylvia started to scream. As soon as the shift was complete, Volcant grabbed her in one hand, Misty in the other and picked up the car seat in his mouth. Loud pops burst from behind him and sharp pain pricked against his flanks as he launched himself into the air.
The rush of wind in his ears drowned out the sounds around him. His wings beat hard, the effort of keeping himself up more taxing than usual. Mindful of the humans, he stayed at a low elevation.
Eventually, he spotted a large stretch of forest and angled toward it. He glided over the tips of the trees until he came to a spot where he could set down. His limbs trembled as he set the women down and lowered the car seat. His dragon’s form snapped out of him, leaving him naked and shaking on the forest floor. His fires were so low, he felt like he was about to freeze to death.
Misty shouted something at him as she rushed to the baby. She pulled her out of the carseat as the baby started to scream and clutched her protectively to her chest.
“Idiot!” she screamed as she whirled on him again. “She could have smothered! You utter idiot!”
Volcant lifted his head. It felt like it weighed a ton. “She’s fine. She’s a dragon, dragons—”
“She’s not the princess!” Misty gently handed the baby to Sylvia and then rushed him. “I’ll kill you, I swear, if you ever put my daughter in danger again, I’ll kill you!”
Volcant opened his mouth to say that Cara might not be the princess, but she was a dragon anyway. The reason why this was escaped him, though. His body heaved, a stream of acid and smoke erupted from his mouth and he collapsed into darkness.
Chapter Seven
Misty
“Why the hell do you keep doing that?” Misty screamed, her hands clenched as Volcant keeled over. This time she didn’t rush right to his side. She turned her back on him, too full of fury to find any sympathy—yet.
Instead, she returned to where Sylvia held the baby and took her back. Cara screamed and kicked her feet and flailed her hands, not happy with her flight. That did mean she hadn’t been smothered on the trip, though, and relief washed over Misty. She checked her over, finding the baby without a scratch.
She closed her eyes, hugging her daughter tight to her chest. This was getting out of hand.
“Sylvia, do you have your cellphone?” She turned to find her housemate on her hands and knees, vomiting.
Misty’s brows pinched. The flight hadn’t been that bad… Oh. Right. Sylvia hadn’t known about dragons until now. Nobody did. Misty bit her lip, panic threatening to crawl up her throat and send her into an attack. Through sheer force of will, she shoved aside those feelings and moved to Sylvia’s side.
“Yes, he’s a dragon. So are Indulf and a bunch of the guys that have been hanging around the house lately. I know it’s hard to accept, but—”
“You are on drugs,” Sylvia interrupted hoarsely. “What did you slip me? There’s no such thing as dragons.”
Misty sighed. There was nothing she could do. Sylvia had to come to accept the truth on her own. It was going to be a long journey if it was anything like her own, but Misty was just too tired to try to deal with her right now. Instead, she took the diaper bag from her and rooted around until she found the pacifier. Now she knew why Volcant had thrust the grocery bag into her arms. Too bad she’d dropped it. At least they still had the food in this bag.
“Take Cara,” she told Sylvia. Maybe if she had some responsibility she’d stop freaking out. Sylvia stared at Cara as though he had never seen a baby before, but took her and instantly started trying to soothe her.
With them looked after, Misty turned her attention to Volcant where he had collapsed. Utterly naked. Greenish scales still covered his body and his skin was slick with sweat. He shivered, making her frown, but when she checked his pulse it was strong and steady. There wasn’t much she could do for him, except try to keep him warm.
Misty strode to the middle of the small clearing, closed her eyes and pulled in a deep breath. With the first-aid kit in the diaper bag, she’d be able to light a fire. They had food. Water was an issue. They had some, but not a lot. Who knew when Volcant would wake up, or if he’d be in any state to take them back to the city when he did.
“We’re going to die,” Sylvia whispered, and Misty turned to her.
“We are not. There’s a first-aid kit in the diaper bag and there are matches and candles in it. Start a fire and I’m going to look for water.”
Sylvia shook her head. “You can’t, you’ll get lost!”
“No, I won’t.” Misty grabbed the diaper bag and rooted around in it until she found the first aid kit. Pulling it out, she retrieved a roll of gauze. “I’ll mark my way.”
“But shouldn’t we find our way out of the forest?”
Misty knelt next to her and put a bracing hand on her shoulder. She noted a tremble in her own hand and tried to ignore it. Yes, the situation was bad, but panicking was only going to make it worse. Right now, they had to concentrate on taking care of themselves. With a shock, she realized that she hadn’t gotten an answer to her earlier question.
“Do you have your phone?” she asked gently.
Sylvia patted her pockets one-handed and shook her head.
“Right.” Misty let out a disappointed huff of breath. Chances were they wouldn’t have cell service anyway. “We need to stay put. If we start hiking around, we’ll get ourselves lost. I don’t even know which direction the city is in. We stay here, we figure out what to do next. You start a fire and maybe someone will see the smoke. I’m going to look for water.”
Sylvia opened her mouth, then closed it and nodded. Misty gave her a quick hug, murmuring it was going to be okay and then struck out with the gauze to guide her way.
***
After half an hour of walking, Misty had found nothing and so returned to camp. Sylvia had calmed Cara and built a fire, though Volcant still remained stubbornly unconscious. Misty constructed a crude lean-to to protect them in case of rain, and when darkness fell, she and Sylvia huddled close to the fire, munching on groceries while the diaper bag hung from a nearby tree.
“How do you know how to do all this?” Sylvia asked her in awe as she added more wood to the fire.
Misty snorted humorlessly. “Remember Chad?”
“Yeah. You dated him a few years ago. He taught you all this?”
“In a way.” Misty looked away, humiliation rising in her cheeks. She didn’t want to tell Sylvia this, not after all these years. Her voice came out harsh and bitter. “He took me out to the forest, promising me a camping trip. He went over all this and then told me that we were going to play a game where he was the hunter and I was the prey. I was out in the woods for three days by myself before he found me, and then he got mad at me for ‘ruining’ the fun because I wouldn’t ‘play’.”
Sylvia’s eyes were as round as saucers. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I was embarrassed. Penny told me not to go out with him, but I ignored her. Turned out everything she said was right.” Misty ground her teeth together. That was her problem—always falling for the bad boy. Guys that seemed confident and sexy, but turned out to be crazy.
Chad wasn’t the only one she had thought might actually kill her.
“Volcant isn’t like that.” She surprised herself by continuing to speak aloud. “You might think he’s crazy right now, but he’s not. There is just something going on in his head. He’s been hurt or something. He is a good man. One of the few that I’d trust no matter what. I know that doesn’t mean much in this situation. And I know that it’s not like I’ve known him fo
r a super long time. It’s just my gut. Whenever I’ve been with a guy who turned out to be scary, I’ve always ignored what my gut was telling me because he was saying such sweet things. But with Volcant, even when I should be afraid of him… I’m not. I know in my gut he would never hurt me. Or you. Think about it. Right now, he thinks we killed his best friend’s wife. But he hasn’t hurt us at all.”
“That doesn’t mean he won’t.”
“He won’t.”
Sylvia shifted on the spot and glanced at Volcant, who was on the other side of the fire. “Is he Cara’s father? The one that went missing?”
Misty’s eyes burned, and she held her breath for a moment before she nodded.
“And he’s a dragon?”
Another nod.
“How are you okay with that? He’s not… he’s not human...”
Misty shrugged. “If he’s not human, then Cara isn’t either.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“I know.” Misty turned to her. Sylvia’s blonde hair fell into her eyes. At some point, she had lost her glasses. “Listen. I know it’s scary, but they’re not out to hurt us. You know Indulf. He’s their king.”
Sylvia choked. “King? But that means Anna...”
“Is their queen. Something happened with Volcant. I don’t know what, but I think it’s something to do with the time-travel that they use to go between our worlds. He thinks that we’re from a couple centuries ago, when Indulf’s first wife was murdered. I don’t know how we’re going to convince him otherwise.” Misty’s gaze moved back to Volcant. Her stomach twisted, and her eyes filled with tears.
She didn’t know him well, but there were a few things she did know. First, he was utterly dedicated to protecting his people. This whole thing started because he wanted to make sure she wasn’t a threat to his king or his people. He was determined to get the people who had killed his queen and return his princess to her father.
The second thing she knew was that even though he was convinced she was one of the assassins, he hadn’t hurt her. He’d threatened her, yeah, and he’d grabbed her a few times, but he hadn’t even bruised her. She’d had boyfriends who were rougher with her when they were ‘playing’ than Volcant was with someone he thought was an enemy.
The Dragon Warrior's Baby Page 4
