dragons breath 02 - dancing with flames

by Illene, Susan

  “It’s okay, cariña. I will speak with her.” He gestured at me. “Come.”

  Conrad and I followed the sorcerer down the street. We walked for about a block, passing a few humans along the way who gave us curious glances, before Javier stopped in front of a place that had been a restaurant before D-day. The ground floor, anyway. I never did figure out what they did with the upper level, though some downtown building owners rented out the second story as apartments. Others used them for storage.

  “You, stay here,” Javier ordered Conrad, pointing at the sidewalk by the door.

  He shook his head. “I don’t think so, man. Where Bailey goes, I go.”

  The sorcerer lifted a dark brow. “Even into dragon fire?”

  Conrad just glared.

  “It’s okay,” I said, putting a hand on his arm. “I’ll be right inside.”

  He kept his gaze on Javier. “I don’t like it.”

  “Your pet is cute,” the sorcerer said, angling his head. “But you should consider putting him on a leash.”

  Conrad started to leap forward, but I managed to hold him back. “This isn’t helping. We’re here for a good reason, and I don’t want you messing this up.”

  His angry gaze shot to me. “That guy needs to get his ass kicked.”

  “Is that more important than saving the children?” I asked.

  Conrad deflated a little. “No, but I still don’t like it.”

  “I promise I won’t be in there long.” When his gaze shot back to Javier, I gripped his arms harder. “Just wait here and don’t do anything while I’m gone—I mean it.”

  He worked his jaw. “Alright, but if you ain’t back in thirty minutes, I’m gonna come in and shoot his ass.”

  “You could try.” The sorcerer smiled.

  That sounded rather confident. Maybe that was why we still had our weapons. If I didn’t need Javier’s cooperation, I might have tested a theory or two.

  “Let’s go,” I said, shooting Conrad a final warning glance.

  We headed inside. The interior was dim, despite the row of windows in the front, but I didn’t see another person around. We passed by about a dozen small, empty tables and continued toward the back where the right half had booths and the left side had a long bar with rows of liquor bottles stocked behind it. Javier gestured for me to sit on one of the stools while he went around and made himself a drink.

  I drummed my fingernails on the wooden bar, feeling a little awkward being alone with a powerful sorcerer. He gave off mixed vibes. His smile was friendly enough, but the way he carried himself said he knew he was powerful.

  “So what made you choose downtown as a place to take over?” I asked.

  He gave me an amused look. “I like the history of it.”

  “How so?”

  Oklahoma had only officially been a state for a little over a hundred years. White settlers weren’t even allowed to move into the territory until the first land run in the late eighteen hundreds. Prior to that, it had been mostly American Indians living here, though there had been survey teams and army forts, as well as the occasional “sooner” who snuck inside. It wasn’t until April 22nd, 1889, that hopeful people waited at the Kansas border until noon when starting signals—often pistols shot into the air—signaled they could enter the territory. Those who managed to stake a claim first got a hundred and sixty acres and all they had to do was live on it and make improvements to get the title. It was probably one of the most dangerous and competitive races to ever take place, all due to the promise of free land. If it had happened a little over a hundred years later, reality TV would have been all over it.

  “This was one of the first towns to be founded,” Javier said, pausing to take a sip of his drink. “Do you know they were already building Norman’s downtown the morning after the land run? Smart businessmen planned it all ahead of time and even began lobbying to have the state’s first university built here. I like the entrepreneurial spirit of that.”

  It was then I began to see the similarity. This was one of the first places in the world to be flooded with dragons and in a way it had been like a land run for them. Each clan had sought to claim territory, regardless of who was already here. Were the sorcerers doing the same thing?

  “Tell me something.” I narrowed my gaze at him. “Were you on Earth all along or did you cross over with the dragons?”

  He knew his way around magic a little too well to have just come into his powers like Danae. On the other hand, he seemed to understand the human world too well for a new arrival. Verena had been under a sleep spell while magic was dormant on Earth, but I didn’t know of any other sorcerers with similar circumstances.

  Javier stared at me for so long I almost thought he wouldn’t answer. “I suppose you could say both. When I was twenty years old, I was attending the University of Oklahoma. Then I accidentally crossed over into Kederrawien, and I was trapped in that dimension until a few months ago. When I returned here, I used my knowledge of both worlds to get what I wanted.”

  “I’m surprised you’re telling me this.” For some reason, I’d expected a powerful sorcerer to be a little less forthcoming. Maybe I’d watched too much television before D-day.

  “Why not?” Javier shrugged. “Ever since I heard about you, I’ve been planning a meeting. It is my belief that we can help each other.”

  My brows drew together. “How?”

  “You wish to rescue the children—which I fully support, by the way. I need something to continue keeping this place safe from the dragons.” He leaned forward. “It is better to work together than apart, no?”

  “How do you plan to help me?” I asked.

  “I will tell you the location of the children,” he said, waving his hand as if it was really that simple.

  “Great!” I slapped my hand on the bar. “Tell me.”

  “Not so fast. You must do something for me first.” He finished off his drink.

  I wished I could say I was shocked. “How do I know you’ll even keep your end of the deal or that you can?”

  Javier described the exact location of Aidan’s private lair. “Does that convince you?”

  “It tells me that you probably can do it, but not that you will.” I already owed one sorcerer. If I was going to owe this one as well, I wanted to be sure it was worth my while.

  He sighed. “How can I convince you without giving you exactly what you want?”

  I ground my jaw. “You do realize there are children being held by dragons right now and every moment they are with them only increases the danger they’re in that much more? Does it not matter to you at all that they could get hurt or die because you didn’t help me before it was too late?”

  “It’s not a bunch of children.” He closed his eyes. “The female dragon has taken exactly four of them so far. She’s still licking the wounds you gave her so it will likely be at least a few days before she goes out again searching for more. As for the young ones, she’s keeping them somewhere safe and providing for their basic needs. I do not foresee them dying anytime soon.”

  “You can see them?” I asked, incredulous.

  Something in his features softened. “Yes. Three boys and one girl—all between the ages of five and seven.”

  “Please tell me where they are,” I said, giving him my best pleading expression. “All I want to do is save them.”

  He opened his mouth and then shut it, his expression hardening. “There are two hundred humans living under my care here. I protect them, give them shelter and food, and provide them with work. If my efforts are to continue, I need your help. Two hundred—including almost thirty children—outweighs the four you seek.”

  “And you don’t trust me to pay you back after I rescue those four.” I glared hard at him.

  He gave me a wan smile. “I do not know you well enough to grant you my trust.”

  “Well, that makes two of us.” I sighed. “What is it you need so badly it can’t wait?”

  He reached und
er the bar and pulled out a black ceramic container the size of a coffee can, complete with a lid. “Fill this with dragon scales. It can be mostly green, but I’ll need at least a few red.”

  “You’re joking, right?” This wasn’t the favor I’d been expecting.

  “No,” he replied, shoving the container closer to me. “No one here knows the secret of how I keep the dragons away from my territory, except you now. The spell requires their scales and a replenishment of them every five to six months. My supply is almost depleted.”

  I glanced at the container. “Do you really have to have red ones?”

  “If I don’t, the magic won’t work on them. They can have any other land they want, except these few square blocks I claim for myself. I do not believe that is too much to ask.”

  I picked up the can and opened it. The container seemed normal, but I had to ask. “Is this the exact amount or does this thing hold more than it appears.”

  Javier gave me an unrepentant smile. “It may hold a little more than you might think.”

  “How much more?” I demanded.

  “Perhaps triple.” He frowned at the container. “Or something close to that. It should not take too many dragons to get what you need if you shave enough off of each one. I prefer the scales on the belly, by the way. They are the softest and work the best for my spell.”

  “Fine, I will try to get enough, but if I don’t fill it in a week, you’re giving me the location of the children and taking whatever I manage to get.” I had to put a limit in there somewhere, or this could take months.

  “Agreed.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You’ll let me know if there’s any change with the kids, too.”

  “Absolutely,” he said.

  Though it felt like I was making a deal with the devil, I shook the hand he held out to me. “Then I’ll see you again soon.”

  Chapter 9

  Kayla

  Kayla walked down the corridor, keeping her gaze straight forward as she passed a few other servants along the way. Nothing to see here, folks—just a teenage girl carrying a heavy sack over her shoulder, but nothing suspicious. If it happened to be stuffed with food items taken from the kitchen when no one was looking, who cared? What was a few apples here, a loaf of bread there, and some dried venison from the cold storage? Certainly not something to get worked up over. Even if someone had questioned Kayla, she’d had a plan. She would have just said she was packing a lunch for some of the warriors going out on a scouting mission. It wouldn’t have been the first time she’d helped out with something like that.

  Stepping outside, Kayla headed toward the armory. It was a square stone building next to the castle where the dragons kept a large supply of swords, daggers, and range weapons. She couldn’t go in there, but just behind it, there was a small structure that led to the underground tunnels. All the humans who went beyond the fortress wall used that route to leave. It was safer, and it took them straight to where they stashed their fleet of vehicles.

  As Kayla got closer, she took a surreptitious glance around to be sure no one was paying attention. When she turned her gaze back again, she walked right into Ruari—her face smashing against his chest. Kayla was so stunned that she let go of her precious sack. It hit the ground, and a few pears rolled out.

  “Oh…oh, my God. I’m so…so sorry,” she stuttered, then knelt down to gather her things.

  “You should watch where you’re going,” Ruari said. He crouched down beside her, grabbed a stray pear, and held it up to her face. “What are you doing with this?”

  This was like the worst possible thing that could happen. She was facing Aidan’s brother—someone who she knew had to be very dangerous. Kayla had spied on Ruari enough to know he hung out with some of the scariest shifters in the clan—males and females none of the humans would go near despite the fact they were supposed to be safe inside the fortress. Some people just gave off a vibe that said, “keep away at all costs!”

  Kayla’s heart raced. What if Ruari decided to turn into a dragon and eat her? Or worse, burn her alive slowly? A thousand thoughts raced through her mind as she lifted her gaze to meet his. Spying and running secret missions for Aidan was fun, but she’d never gotten caught before. How could she have missed him standing there? Stupid, Kayla, so stupid.

  “Please, don’t kill me,” she said, her lips trembling.

  He frowned at her. “Why would I kill you over a pear?”

  She swallowed and dredged up some of the courage she usually had. “Well, you’re kind of scary, you know.”

  “Really?” He chuckled. “I scare you?”

  Kayla jerked her head up and down.

  “Well, I’ll give you a little tip.” Ruari put the pear back in her sack, not even bothering to see what else was inside. “Young girls don’t taste as good as you’d think, so you’re safe from me.”

  She just stared at him. Was he serious? Ruari held her gaze for a moment and then he let out a full-bellied laugh. It went on for several endless moments before he finally got control of himself. The whole time, Kayla watched him with absolute mortification. Either Ruari had an actual sense of humor or he was crazy. She couldn’t decide which.

  “I’m sorry I ran into you,” she said again.

  He stood and gestured for her to get up. Kayla rose to her feet on shaky legs, clutching her bag tightly. It was all she could do not to run screaming back to the castle. Ruari was a big, scary shifter and something about his bald head just made him look that much meaner.

  “Don’t tell anyone, but I can be clumsy sometimes, too.” He winked at her.

  Kayla hesitated, unsure how to reply. “Really?”

  Ruari leaned closer and spoke in a whisper. “The trick is to make your clumsiness look like you meant to do it or that it’s someone else’s fault. Better to let people think you’re an ass than a fool.”

  “Okay…I’ll remember that,” she said, faking a smile.

  He sighed and drew back a step. “I can see you’re still scared of me. Ah, well. I’ll let you continue on with your business, just try not to run into anyone else. Not everyone is as nice as me.”

  To this, Kayla did laugh. She still didn’t trust the man any farther than she could throw him—which was not at all—but at least he didn’t mean her harm. Ruari must save his cruel streak for his brother and other shifters.

  “Take care, young lady.” He grinned broadly at her, and then he was gone.

  Kayla took a few deep breaths, waited for her heart to slow, and then headed for the entrance to the tunnels. She had a mission to complete. Bailey depended on her to get these supplies to her, and she would not let the slayer down. Kayla pulled the door open, squinting into the darkness. The structure wasn’t much bigger than an outhouse with only a set of stairs leading down. She usually didn’t come here without other people, but she didn’t have a choice this time.

  Stretching up on her toes, Kayla grabbed a torch from its sconce and lit it with a lighter she’d picked up a few weeks ago. Shadows danced on the walls and the stairs just ahead of her. She headed down, praying there were no spiders or snakes lurking below. Jeb, a twelve-year-old human boy who had lived at the fortress his whole life, was always telling Kayla about the creepy, crawly things he saw down here. She hadn’t seen anything other than a couple of rats, but that didn’t mean there weren’t other things skittering around the stone supports and arches. Not to mention the random, narrow passages feeding off the main corridor that no one ever seemed to use. Anything could be prowling down one of those.

  So many possibilities ran through her mind that Kayla all but ran down the tunnel. Other than one sharp curve, it was pretty much a straight path. She held the torch in front of her, hoping it would ward off anything that might try attacking her.

  A thin ray of sunlight appeared up ahead. Kayla had reached the end of the tunnel where it opened at the edge of the woods, about half a mile from the fortress. After dousing the torch and setting it in a sconce on the wall, she
climbed the steps toward the opening. There was normally a pair of heavy double doors blocking the entrance—sort of like what a storm cellar would have—but someone had left them open. After she climbed out, she braced her feet and shoved each door closed, having to use all her strength to do it. There were plenty of bushes and trees around so no one would ever find the entryway if they didn’t know what to look for, but she figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

  A soft flapping sound filtered down to her from the sky. She glanced up and found one of the dragons on morning guard duty hovered overhead, watching her. Kayla smiled and waved until it flew away. Most of the shape-shifters might not talk to her, but they all recognized her. She’d been told it was because of her bright red hair.

  Kayla left the woods and hurried across a small clearing, making her way up to a nearby gas station. It hadn’t been open for business since the dimensions collided, and people looted everything inside, but it had a big parking area that was a perfect place for leaving cars and trucks. With all the dragons flying around the area, no one messed with their vehicles.

  There was a truck and a car waiting there—both older models. Kayla chose the white car since she didn’t need to haul anything other than one sack of food. She reached under the dashboard and rubbed a couple of wires together. They didn’t have keys, but one of the older men in their community had showed everyone how to get the vehicles started easily. He made it his job to keep them running and full of fuel. Kayla was glad for that since she wouldn’t have had the first clue what to do.

  She pulled the car onto Highway 9 and headed west like Aidan had instructed. At every intersection she passed, she checked the road signs. When she reached the one for 84th Street, she turned right. There wasn’t anyone else driving around. It was kind of strange being out in the world without other people and traveling away from the protection of the shape-shifter fortress. Aidan promised she wouldn’t come anywhere close to green dragon territory, but she was still a little nervous. Kayla didn’t know how to protect herself, except to run and hide from danger.