“This,” Zoran called out, twisting the head around with its still-open red eyes for everyone to see, “is the head of Blayze—eldest son of the Shadowan pendragon.”
Phoebe stiffened. “Well, that rules out Zoran as a suspect.”
“And he has completed our father’s task,” Aidan added grimly.
Chapter 15
Aidan
Aidan hefted a heavy set of chains up, letting Bailey get a good look at them. “Do you trust me?”
“With those?” She eyed him warily. “What are you going to do with them?”
“You see that large tree over there?” Aidan nodded across the field at the largest one nearby.
She glanced that way. “Yeah.”
“I’m going to chain you to it so you can’t get free while I’m in my dragon form.”
Aidan was resorting to rather drastic measures, but he didn’t have much of a choice. The way Bailey had reacted to seeing him as a dragon last time proved they needed to work harder on her gaining control. His visit with his uncle in the library had also confirmed it.
He purposely woke up earlier than usual today—before noon and the rest of the toriq arose—just for this reason. It was the only time Aidan could spare. At most, he had two hours before he had to return to the fortress and resume helping his sister with her investigation.
They hadn’t found any evidence at the bathhouse—there were too many scents to narrow down a suspect—but Phoebe had gotten a few potential clues after questioning the witnesses last night. She wanted his assistance following up on them today. It wasn’t really his job, but the death of the Captain of the Guard was serious. Nanoq had been a good man, and he had not deserved to die that way. Aidan wanted the killer caught as much as anyone.
“Okay,” Bailey said, expelling a breath. “Let’s do it.”
Aidan raised a quizzical brow. “Truly? I’d expected more resistance from you.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes if it helps me get control and…I trust you.” She met his gaze and he could see the truth of her words in her eyes. “Right now, I’m too dangerous, and I don’t want to risk hurting you or anyone else.”
He’d half thought she’d punch him in the face for suggesting chains and tell him to go hell—which he still needed to ask what that meant. Instead, she appeared more desperate than him to do this. Aidan glanced back at the house and gestured for Donar to join them. He’d thought it best to talk to Bailey in private before bringing his cousin into it.
“What’s he going to be doing?” Bailey asked, giving Aidan an accusing glare. She didn’t care for Donar all that much, nor he for her. Perhaps someday they would work out their differences, but Aidan doubted it would be today.
“Donar will help talk you through the process while I’m in dragon form. He will also act as a safeguard on the minor chance you manage to break free.” Aidan didn’t think it would happen, and they’d locked all the weapons away already, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Bailey cast Donar a skeptical look, then turned to Aidan. “Why can’t you talk to me instead?”
“When he is in dragon form, you don’t hesitate to attack, but I’ve noted some hesitation when you’re around me. I want to build on that before trying it again with my cousin,” Aidan said.
“And she’s more likely to break those chains if it’s me,” Donar added with a hint of annoyance. “For once, I’d like to come out of this unscathed.”
For their last two attempts with Bailey, she had managed to injure Donar with whatever objects she’d found on the ground. Aidan had learned to clear away all nearby sticks and rocks, but she could always become more creative. He studied the ground now to be certain nothing could be converted into an effective weapon. There wasn’t anything except dirt and grass.
Bailey gave Donar an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, if that means anything.”
His cousin stiffened. “Learn to control yourself and that will mean more.”
“Sit against the tree,” Aidan ordered Bailey, not wanting to waste any more precious time with talk.
She did as instructed, staring straight ahead as he began wrapping the chains around her chest and stomach. He trusted his cousin with his life, but he could not stand the idea of Donar being the one to bind Bailey. Aidan had asked her to do this, and he’d ensure the chains were tight without restricting her ability to breathe. It was the least he could do. No other dragon slayer would ever allow a shape-shifter such liberties or care to learn control.
“How do you feel,” he asked, going around for the third loop.
Bailey flexed her hands where they rested near her thighs. “Fine.”
Aidan studied her face. She wasn’t quite meeting his eyes, as if something was bothering her. “Are you certain?”
“The chains are fine, but there’s something else.” Guilt flooded her features. “This is probably not the best time to tell you, but…uh, I attacked a red dragon yesterday.”
“What?” Donar stomped forward.
Aidan closed his eyes. This was why Bailey had been so cooperative today. “Did you kill him…or her?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I wounded him a couple of times, but somehow I managed to get control of myself long enough to tell him to go, and he flew off.”
He was relieved she’d managed such a feat without anyone there to help. Aidan hadn’t thought she was at a stage where she could gain control—even for a few seconds—while facing an unknown dragon. That gave him some degree of hope.
“Did you confront him here?” he asked. It had suddenly dawned on him that his lair may have been compromised, though he had not caught Ruari’s scent anywhere.
“No.” A fresh look of guilt washed over her face. “I was out hunting pure dragons in town.”
Aidan took the chain and wrapped it around her a final time—a little tighter than before—and locked it into place. “After I told you it was too dangerous right now?”
“I was in Thamaran territory. I figured that would be okay and I sure as heck didn’t expect to see one of your guys that far out,” she defended.
“Thamaran territory?” Aidan glanced at his cousin. “Any idea why one of our people would be there?”
Donar rubbed his chin. “None. Zoran’s task was with the Shadowan, and Phoebe has been busy inside the fortress. I haven’t heard of any scouting parties going that way, which leaves…”
“Ruari,” Aidan finished. He redirected his attention to Bailey. “Did he have silver tips on his scales?”
She mulled it over for a moment. “Yeah, he did.”
“Whatever task father set before Ruari, it must have something to do with the Thamaran.” Then something else occurred to him. “When did this take place?”
Bailey frowned. “Mid-afternoon, I think. When I came across him, there was a group of human men who’d caught him with hooks and ropes. They were shooting at him too, so he was already wounded when I arrived. I found out later they thought he was one of the dragons taking children, and they had set up a trap to catch him.”
Donar laughed heartily. “I wish I’d been there to see that.”
“What happened after you arrived?” Aidan asked.
“Well, I started tossing the men out of the way because he had a hook in his mouth. I figured it could loosen at any time with the way he was struggling, and then he could have burned the humans to death. Well, the hook did come out, and he burned one man to death before I cut him with my sword.”
Aidan bowed his head. This was not good at all. “He must have figured out you were a dragon slayer then.”
“Between my outfit and lack of burning to death in his flames…” Bailey sighed. “Yeah, he had to have known or figured it out later.”
“How badly injured was he?”
Bailey’s brows drew together. “He ripped a hook out of his jaws, so I imagine that was pretty bad. There was another one stuck in his hip that was still in him when he flew away. I slashed him a couple of ti
mes in the chest, and his belly was bleeding where the human guys shot him. It was all he could do to get up in the air before I lost control.”
“He has a low tolerance for pain,” Aidan said, shaking his head. “With those sorts of injuries, I am surprised he got away at all.”
Donar glared at Aidan. “This plan of yours is getting more dangerous by the second.”
“There is no turning back,” Aidan reminded him. “And he will never tell anyone what happened because of the shame it would bring him.”
“Fine, then let’s get this started.” Donar gestured at Bailey. “I don’t want to be away from the fortress any longer than necessary if Ruari knows someone is helping a dragon slayer.”
“Calm yourself, cousin, or you will be of no use here.” If Donar didn’t compose himself, Bailey would only feed off of his mood once they started.
“Of course, you are right.” His cousin took a few deep breaths and relaxed his shoulders. “I’m good now.”
Aidan walked halfway down the field to shift into his dragon form. The first step was to get Bailey used to seeing him at a distance since she seemed to have more control that way. Then he’d come closer as time passed. He prayed to Zorya that the control she had managed with Ruari would be even greater with him.
As he shifted, the scents in the air became stronger. Aidan could identify which animals had crossed the field in the past few days, and he caught the faint scent of Kayla from when she’d recently visited. Bailey had told him when he arrived today that the visit went well. She’d had a rather pleased expression on her face when she said it, which worried him. What had that human girl told the slayer? He would have to remember to ask Kayla when he found the spare time.
For now, Aidan had to ignore those things and focus on Bailey. Even across the field, he could see her brown eyes watching him. She didn’t move, which was a good sign. Her legs were splayed out in front of her, and her forearms rested against her sides. He’d purposely left some of her lower half free so he could better gauge her mood. The more she kicked and struggled, the greater the indication she’d lost control.
When she didn’t twitch, he took several slow paces forward. Bailey stiffened a degree, but nothing more. He overheard Donar speaking to her.
“Breathe, relax,” his cousin said in a soothing tone.
“I’m trying,” she replied through gritted teeth, then closed her eyes.
“No, open them,” Donar ordered. “You’ve got to be able to do this while seeing the dragon.”
Aidan did his best to appear harmless, but it wasn’t easy while wearing the beast’s skin. His inner dragon wanted to run to her. Not to attack, but to assure her he would not harm her. The beast did not understand why she could not accept his true form. Some of the hurt he felt affected Aidan, though he tried not to let it get to him.
He took a few more steps forward. Bailey’s knees jerked, and he stopped. She was breathing hard now and a solitary tear ran down her cheek. The beast wanted to go lick it away.
“It’s getting harder,” she said, straining and looking away.
“Think of Aidan as a man,” Donar suggested. “Remember the way he looks when he’s not a dragon. Shape-shifters are people too, with hopes and dreams just like humans.”
Bailey expelled a breath and turned her gaze back to Aidan, studying him. She stared into his eyes as if she could truly see past the beast to the heart of him. He began to lumber forward again, encouraged with each step when she didn’t change expressions. There was a softness in her gaze that made him wonder what she thought about to keep herself calm. He would have paid dearly to find out.
Aidan didn’t stop until his nose almost came level with her legs. She lifted a hand with wonder—just barely able to touch his face—that reminded him of the first time they’d been this close prior to her becoming a dragon slayer. It had been in this very field, though without her chained. It was only after her rite of passage that her full instincts had taken over and she couldn’t control herself anymore.
A smile stretched across Donar’s lips. “She has done it.”
I believe your instruction helped, cousin. I thank you for that.
Donar gave him a short nod, then his gaze shot to the sky and he cursed. “Shifitt, we’ve got incoming.”
Aidan swung his body around. Just above the tree line, a red dragon with a silver underbelly approached—Phoebe. How in Zorya’s name had his sister found them? And what was she doing out here anyway when they weren’t due to meet for almost two hours?
Bailey began to thrash, kicking her foot into Aidan’s jaw. The glancing pain jolted him into action. He leaped forward and put himself between the slayer and his sister. Somehow, he had to protect the women from each other, or this could end very badly.
Keep Bailey as still as you can, Aidan ordered Donar. I’ll handle Phoebe.
“I’ll try, but I think she’s going to rip these chains off,” his cousin said, leaning down to grip the slayer’s shoulders.
“Let me go, you filthy fucking dragon,” she screamed, her eyes wild.
She had lost any semblance of the calm woman who’d been sitting there moments before. It pained Aidan to see her like that. Though he knew she didn’t mean those words, it still bothered him to hear her say them.
What is the meaning of this? Phoebe demanded, landing half a dozen paces away. She stalked forward, her yellow eyes zooming in on Bailey. Why is that girl chained and what is wrong with her?
Aidan sidestepped to hide the slayer from her view. You must leave—now!
I will not. Phoebe tilted her head around, trying to get a better view.
This is not your business. Go now and I’ll explain later, Aidan said. Bailey was screaming obscenities behind him, and Donar was cursing as he tried to keep her still.
Why is she wearing warrior clothes? Phoebe sniffed. She is not one of us.
A loud snap sounded as one of the links in the chains broke.
Look out! Donar yelled.
Aidan twisted around in time to see Bailey punch his cousin in the face, sending him flying several paces away. The slayer’s gaze turned to Phoebe next, and she charged. Aidan leaped toward her, tackling the slayer to the ground with his bulky form.
Bailey pounded into his chest. “Dammit, let me go!”
He noted her blows were not nearly as painful as they could have been. Despite everything, Bailey was holding back. Her instincts might will her to attack and kill dragons, but she was somehow fighting that need when it came to him. Each strike felt lighter than the last until she finally grabbed his forearms and clutched them like a lifeline.
“Aidan,” she said, voice desperate. “I can’t…”
Calm yourself, little one. You are safe.
It was the beast who spoke to her telepathically and nuzzled Bailey’s neck. He’d taken over the moment he saw her anguish. Aidan was nothing more than a passenger watching the dragon attempt to pacify the slayer. The beast recognized how hard she fought to get control of herself and wanted to help.
Bailey blinked up at him. “Did you just speak into my head?”
There are many secrets in this world you’ve yet to learn, it replied, surprising Aidan. He hadn’t known such a thing was possible, though he’d always known his inner dragon had wisdom far beyond what it revealed. It was said a shape-shifter’s inner beast had a direct connection with Zorya herself. This was just the first time it had ever taken over and revealed itself to anyone else. Such a thing was rare, even among shifter mates.
“It’s the dragon talking, isn’t it?” Bailey said, awed. Her fingers came up to graze the side of his head, and the dragon made a rumbling sound similar to that of a cat’s purr.
It is me, little one, it replied. I am here—always.
Aidan was beginning to get jealous of his own beast. The dragon was the one who found a way to reach Bailey, and she seemed to respond to it far better than him. Internally, he told it to give him control again. The beast was reluctant and nuzz
led Bailey’s neck one last time before retreating.
Dear Zorya, Phoebe said, stomping closer. She’s not burning, and it appears your beast is talking to her. What is going on?
Bailey twisted underneath him and screamed at his sister. “You!”
She attempted to scramble out from underneath Aidan. He had no choice except to put all of his weight on top of her. The slayer was small and slippery with sweat from the heat of his body, making it that much more difficult to keep her down.
Stop, he ordered Phoebe. Bailey has gained some measure of control, but she does not know you. If you insist on staying here, you must shift to human form.
His sister gave him a furious look. You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, brother.
To Aidan’s relief, she let the flames consume her and began to shift. He waited until she was finished before doing the same. Bailey quieted underneath him. After finishing the process, he looked down at her, checking for any signs she might still attack.
The slayer glanced at Phoebe for a long moment and then at Aidan. There was a stricken expression on her face. “Who is she?”
He cocked his head. “Does it matter?”
“Is she…is she your girlfriend or something?”
Phoebe let out an ironic laugh. “Oh, this is even more complicated than I thought. Aidan, you’ve really gotten yourself into a mess this time.”
He stood and helped Bailey to her feet. “It is not what you think.”
“Then what is it?” Phoebe asked, lifting a brow.
“She did not know she was a slayer until we arrived here. I have been training her to fight the pure dragons and helping her gain control so she won’t attack us,” he explained, knowing that would not be nearly enough to satisfy his sister.
“Oh, right, of course,” she said sarcastically. “Because that was obviously the thing to do. Brother, we do not work with dragon slayers!”
Donar came to stand next to Aidan. “It is not as bad as it seems. Bailey is getting rather good at slaying and helping clear the way for our toriq to take over this region. She also has a connection with the local humans that we lack and will need if we are to have peace.”
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