Then you shall have a break from her for the next few days. Lorcan turned to address Aidan. Shall we journey to the jakhal?
Of course. Aidan bowed his head.
The Faegud dragons led the way. It was a sign of respect that they allowed Aidan and his two escorts to follow them from behind where they were most vulnerable. They flew south for more than an hour, passing over human towns with no signs of life, before reaching a valley. On one side, there were half a dozen houses with people walking around. Aidan was surprised to see humans within the Faegud jakhal. This was the first he’d heard of any pure dragon clan—or mostly pure dragon—welcoming people among them.
Our last pendragon captured them as slaves, Lorcan explained, noting Aidan’s confusion. When my mother took over a few weeks ago, she offered them the choice to stay and be treated fairly or to go. We lost most of them right away, but some have returned in recent days as they discovered the difficulties of life outside. Here, they are fed and protected. Out there, they must fend for themselves, which they found more difficult than expected.
It is the same with us, Aidan acknowledged, though he left out the part that they’d never made their humans slaves. They were always free to come and go as long as they obeyed clan law and labored for their food and shelter.
My mother believes if we are to survive and flourish in this world, then we must find a way to live with the humans—not against them, Lorcan continued. I agree with her.
Then you are both wise, Falcon said, entering their open conversation.
Their group landed in an open area near the center where the pendragon and half a dozen others waited. Formations of rocks formed all around them in intricate designs, denoting the Faegud clan’s worship of the dragon goddess, Zorya. Each formation had a meaning. Some were for protection, some for strength, and a few were for fertility. Aidan’s clan had a few smaller ones at the rear of the keep near the gardens, but the Faegud had designed theirs on a much grander scale.
Just beyond the rock formations, there were numerous gaping holes in the ground—more than wide enough for the dragons to enter. Aidan recalled from his youth that the Faegud chose to build their homes beneath the earth in a vast network of tunnels. That made it much more difficult for the enemy to attack them. While dirt was one of the only things that would not burn in dragon flames, it could be heated enough to seal the tunnel walls so they would not crumble or leak moisture. It was not a bad way to live, if you liked your home cramped and perpetually dark.
Lorcan led the way, marching them up to the pendragon. Aidan could sense countless eyes on him. Not just from those assembled around the rock formations, but also across the valley. His party was likely the first outsiders to visit the Faegud in a very long time.
Mother, may I present Aidan of Taugud, son of Throm, Lorcan said. After giving a brief bow, he stepped to the side with his two companions doing the same.
It is a pleasure to see you once again. Aidan dipped his head.
Hildegard stomped forward, blowing a breath of steam from her snout. She had the same burnt-orange coloring as her son, but her scales were tinged with black at the tips. The pendragon appeared every bit as large as Aidan remembered and just as intimidating. He held his ground as she moved into his space and sniffed at him. It was not something shifters did with each other, but pure dragons were very keen on scenting those around them.
You are not the weak, little whelp I remember, she said, circling around to his tail. Even that got a sniff before she moved on. Aidan had not suffered this sort of inspection in so long that it was all he could do not to thwack her with his tail spikes for offending him. She knew very well he would not enjoy it and only did so to test him.
Hildegard returned to the front to face him. I would have preferred your father present himself to us instead, but you will do. Far better than those annoying brothers of yours. I would have sent them wingless into the chasm rather than speak to them.
That was a comforting thought.
It is generous of you to welcome my brethren and me into your home. I thank you. Aidan bowed his head again.
Your manners have improved as well. She narrowed her orange eyes. Tell me, what is it you hope to accomplish with this treaty?
Aidan had spoken at length with his father about what he should and shouldn’t say to the Faegud. Which concessions he could allow and which he could not. Throm had done much more to prepare him this time than his last trip, but there were always variables that could not be anticipated. Aidan could only hope he handled himself well on his first diplomatic mission. This was his last chance to do something for his father, and he did not wish to let him down.
He met the pendragon’s gaze. I hope to create an alliance that will promote peace between our clans, mutual defense from our enemies, and open trade.
Hildegard was quiet for a long moment, and it seemed as if everyone held their breath. I wish the same with one addition. Many in our clan have lost the ability to shift to human form—to our detriment now that we have returned to Earth. It is my hope that we may come to an agreement that allows for matings between our toriqan. Ones that will produce strong offspring and give fresh blood to both our clans.
Aidan stiffened. He and his father had foreseen many things, but not this. The Faegud had made it clear for centuries they detested the human form and wanted little to do with it, except in rare cases where a task could not be completed as a dragon. He had never dreamed they would ask for matings.
Aidan could hardly run back to the pendragon now to ask for guidance, and it would be up to him to decide how to handle it. This was the only the first day, though. All he needed to do was acknowledge her point and leave the negotiations for later.
Your wishes will be taken into consideration, he said, keeping his tone neutral.
Excellent, the pendragon purred. Then it is time for us to feast. Our humans have prepared an excellent meal worthy of you and your clansmen. I am certain you will enjoy it.
Aidan braced himself. As he recalled, Hildegard’s idea of a good meal involved a freshly killed animal that must be eaten in its entirety. There was not much preparation involved with that, so he hoped that she had allowed the humans to put a little more effort into it.
As the pendragon led the way through the stone formations and toward the open field near the houses, Lorcan moved closer to him. Do not worry. She has been fixated on human methods of doing things since we returned. The food will be cooked.
Aidan wished that made him feel better, but he had no idea what Hildegard’s idea of “cooked” meant. He supposed he would have to find out the hard way and hope his belly survived the ordeal.
Chapter 19
Bailey
Conrad and I sat parked under a tree, waiting to see if any solitary dragons showed up. Two days before, we had noticed one circling this part of northwest Norman, which consisted of a mixture of businesses and homes. We’d decided to check it out next time we went hunting. With fuel being in short supply, this was the way to go if we wanted our prey to come to us.
It had been an hour since we settled in the back of the truck, and as of yet there was no sign of the dragon, but it was still early afternoon. It could show up at any time. The weather had cooled to the low 80s, so at least we weren’t sweating while we waited. It was the boredom and need to get this over with that got to us more than anything. I estimated I only needed to kill two or three more dragons to finish filling the container Javier gave me. My body was exhausted from fighting day after day, minor injuries that weren’t healing fast enough plagued me, and I just wanted to be done. Whatever energy I had left needed to go into rescuing the children.
“Hey, I’m going to go make use of the bushes,” Conrad said, grabbing a package of tissues and jumping from the back of the truck.
We were parked next to a small woodsy area that gave us cover from anything flying overhead, and a place to use the bathroom—for lack of a less graphic term—during the stakeout. Nothing was worse
than being stuck in a place where you couldn’t get a little privacy. We might be friends, but we had our limits on how much we shared.
“Not going to take a magazine?” I asked.
“Oh, right.” Conrad opened the passenger door to the truck and pulled an old Playboy out. He waved it at me. “Don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Get drafted into helping Norma with her gardens, most likely.”
He shuddered. “I do not do farming.”
“But that straw hat she makes you wear looks so cute on you,” I teased.
Conrad scowled at me. “It’s not funny.”
“Oh, yes, it is.”
After a moment of hesitation where I was certain he would argue further, Conrad stomped off into the woods. Ah well, he must have had to go badly. I’d just have to wait until he came back to harass him some more.
I leaned back to scan the skies. A minute later, movement drew my attention. I sat up and gripped my sword. A lone dragon swooped downward in a way I recognized as their intent to land somewhere. I followed its trajectory to a three-story office building down the street. That was strange. Most of the time, I could tell if a large structure was being used as a den, but nothing about that one stood out. Most of the windows were still intact, and none of the walls had holes in them.
I leaped out of the truck and edged closer to the woods to hiss at Conrad. “Hey, a dragon is coming in to land on that office building. I’m gonna go take it out.”
“What?” The bushes where he crouched behind rustled. “Bailey, wait…”
The creature touched down on the roof and disappeared. There was nothing Conrad could do to help me at this point, so I ran. All my senses focused on reaching the beast and attacking it. My instincts were trying to take over again. I forced myself to think and strategize as I moved up the street. Yes, I needed its scales, but I did not have to let the rage take over.
Reaching the building, I jerked the entrance door open and ripped it partway off its hinges. There was no time to bother trying to pick the lock. I scanned the dim interior, finding myself in a lobby. Nobody had raided the place or disturbed it yet. With a dragon lair on the roof, that probably discouraged human visitors. I spotted an emergency stairwell over to the right and raced toward the door. After opening it, I allowed myself a few seconds to memorize the layout before heading inside. The door shut behind me with a soft click, wrapping me in complete darkness. I raced up the stairs, going round and round until I hit the top floor.
My breath slowed as my fingers sought out and found the door handle. In my other hand, I gripped my sword. There was a rustling sound coming from the other side. The dragon was moving about, doing something. I was almost certain it hadn’t noticed my arrival.
Pressing the latch, I pulled the door open a crack and peeked through it. My eyes rounded. There was a giant nest in the middle of the floor, built from a bunch of tree branches—some of them a little scorched. The dragon lay on top, its back to me, with two eggs peeking from underneath it. The beast had burned a hole in the far side of the roof just big enough for it to fly inside, but the ceiling over the nest was still intact—most likely to provide some shelter from the elements. This was the first time I’d seen a setup like this, but I didn’t run into too many nests, so it was hard to make a comparison.
I took in every inch of the open floor, using precious seconds to plan my strategy. The nest took up half the space. A scent that was something like rot and decay assailed my nose, drawing my attention to the far side. The dragon had stockpiled food there. A heap of dead animals were stacked on top of each other, some half-eaten. Bile rose up my throat. I dragged my gaze away and spotted a second exposed stairwell that led to the roof. If I had to make a quick exit for some reason, that’s where I would do it. On the run up the street, I had spotted a ladder on the side of the building I could use to get down.
The dragon made a rumbling noise that sounded suspiciously like a snore. Good, maybe it had fallen asleep. Still, it had the advantage where it lay in its nest. Fighting from the lower position was never a good thing, and especially not if you fought a parent protecting their unborn children. I’d have to try drawing it away from there if I had any chance of winning. This wasn’t going to be the same as the last time I ran into a situation like this. I was a full slayer now. I had over a dozen kills under my belt, and no humans nearby to protect.
Inching my way inside, I raced for the open area beyond the nest and near the other stairwell. The dragon spun around, spotting me in an instant with angry red eyes. Guess she wasn’t sleeping very heavily. The beast roared and flapped its wings, but it didn’t blow any flames. I had guessed it wouldn’t. The creature wouldn’t want to risk destroying its home and the eggs it protected.
Racing around the other side of the room, I lifted my sword. “Come on, big girl. Leave your nest and come to me.”
The dragon narrowed its eyes and took a single step, placing its foot at the edge. It wavered there. To leave or not to leave, I could almost hear it asking itself that question.
“I don’t care about your eggs. You’re the one I’m after,” I told it. Not that I expected the beast to be reassured by that, but I had to do something to draw it out.
A few seconds passed, and it crawled halfway out of the nest. That was a start. Every part of me wanted to leap forward and attack, but I forced myself to be patient. Let the beast come to me where we could level the playing field. Actually, I’d have the advantage since I could move around a lot easier than the eight-foot-tall dragon could in the open room. The roof wasn’t very far above its head.
It finally crawled out of the nest, though it didn’t go more than half a dozen feet beyond that. Unable to wait any longer, I went on the attack. I lifted my sword and sent it arcing down on the beast’s head. The dragon sidestepped at the last moment, so the tip only grazed its neck. I swung the blade back around, thrusting straight at the creature this time. My sword struck in its shoulder, the point finding a space between scales to dig deep. The beast roared and spun around, its massive body on a collision course with my much smaller one.
I backpedaled until the edge of the tail came around and then made a short hop, landing on my feet right after it passed. As soon as its head came close, I swung my blade into its nose. The sight of blood dripping from its snout sent my heart pumping. Now was the time to finish this. I hacked into the dragon’s face, striking it repeatedly in the cheeks, eyes, and anywhere else I could hit. It made screeching noises and attempted to swipe at me, but its arms were too short to reach. The beast took a step back and then another. I gave no quarter, following it.
A roar sounded from somewhere above. I cast a quick glance up at the opening and cursed. A second green dragon had arrived, and it looked pissed. Crap. I had to finish the first one off quick, or I was in trouble. The beast in front of me answered the roar of its mate. I shoved my sword straight down its throat, cutting off the sound. I twisted and pushed the blade until it came out the back of its neck.
Before I could finish pulling the sword all the way out, the dragon swung its head with enough force to send me flying through the air. I landed with a thud and rolled a few feet, losing grip on my blade handle. It took a brief second to realize the beast had managed to toss me onto the roof. I pushed onto my hands and knees, coming eye to eye with the second green dragon.
Oh, shit.
Where was my sword? Where was my damn sword? I didn’t dare take my eyes off the hulking creature as my right hand scraped across the roof until it came into contact with the blade. Oh, thank God. I got hold of the handle and pulled it up just as the beast’s jaws opened wide. With steam billowing from its mouth, it struck. I dove sideways and its razor-sharp teeth latched onto my left shoulder. A scream tore through me.
I thrust the blade into its chest, but the tip stuck in the dragon’s ribs. The beast wouldn’t let me go. Its needle-like teeth ripped through my skin and muscles, bringing tears to my eyes. It hurt so badly I almost co
uldn’t think. With my good arm, I kept digging the blade deeper, attempting to cut a way through the bones. The dragon growled and shook its head. My body swung around like a rag doll as I got slammed against the roof again and again.
The sword came loose. This was too close quarters for me to get a good angle. In a brief moment of clarity, I let go of the hilt, letting it clatter to the ground and reached for a small knife I had sheathed at my hip. I yanked it out and stabbed the dragon in the eye. It roared, letting go of my shoulder. The pain intensified as my blood began running freely and my vision swam like I was seeing everything underwater, but I had to find a way to survive. I could not die this way. While the dragon pawed at its face, I grabbed my sword again and began inching backward. A bit of space—that was all I needed. I kept blinking until my vision cleared enough to make out more than rough shapes.
A moment later, the beast got the knife out of its eye and charged forward, intent on running me over. I waited a heartbeat to lift my blade, thrusting upward into the middle of its vulnerable underside. The dragon stopped, its face hovering over me and dripping drops of blood onto my cheeks. The heat of them seared my skin.
We stared at each other—beast to slayer—and I had no mercy to give. I twisted the sword and waited for the beast’s body to jerk as I found its heart. Using the last vestiges of my strength, I yanked the blade and cut through the organ. The dragon heaved, and I scrambled to get out from underneath him just before he fell flat on the rooftop.
It took several moments to catch my breath. I was in so much pain, and my vision was becoming blurry again. A big part of me wanted to pass out right there and sleep for the next decade, but an insistent voice kept calling my name.
“Bailey!”
I frowned and searched around, not seeing any human shapes.
“Bailey!” Conrad yelled. This time, his voice came out louder, and I figured out he was shouting at me from somewhere far below.
Muttering a string of curses, I crawled to the edge of the rooftop. “What?”
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