“Not going home, ever. I want to be a beach dragon.”
“Well, for now, you’re in luck. We’ll be staying near the water until we find Rowan or discover he went somewhere else. You ready to go search those cliffs and see what’s in the caves?”
Runa nodded her now blue head and flew off to the cliffs.
As soon as she was out of sight, Hazel saw movement out of the corner of her eye. A surfer had come down to the beach, and he took the waves.
“Do you miss it?” Val asked.
“Of course. But the waves here are nothing like the ones in Hawaii. That poor guy has no idea what he’s missing.”
Val didn’t have a clue what he was doing. He was here with a beautiful girl on the beach. They had some time before Runa returned, and even though he really wanted to kiss her, he didn’t think it would be appropriate.
Val watched Hazel with interest. She was looking a little too appreciatively at the surfer, who was now far out in the water.
“Holy hell, what is that?” Hazel asked.
Val snapped his eyes back to the water. A large flying mass was heading straight for the surfer. Val jumped up.
It was a gold dragon. He knew that dragon. He was flying low and fast, and Val realized what he was about to do seconds before Hazel did. They had to get out of there before they were seen, but Hazel was running for the water waving her hands. Val grabbed her and put a hand over her mouth before she screamed. She struggled against him as they both watched the gold dragon snap the surfer up whole.
Val whispered in Hazel’s ear. “We have to stay silent. We don’t want him to see us, or we’ll be the next to die.”
She nodded against his shoulder, and he moved his hand off of her mouth. The gold dragon flew farther out to sea. Val waited until they couldn’t see him at all before he spoke.
“Let’s go,” he said to Hazel, grabbing her hand and pulling her back up the beach.
“I could’ve warned him,” Hazel said, jerking her hand out of his.
“No, you couldn’t have. You would’ve been too late. If you had shouted at him, the only thing that would’ve happened is we would both be dead too. We need to go.”
Hazel stomped her foot and glared at him, then crossed her arms and stalked back toward the car.
Val pulled his phone out and dialed Sid as he walked.
He and Hazel were the only witnesses. He needed to keep it that way. If the media thought the dragon was out here as well, there would be a bloodbath.
The phone went straight to voicemail. Dammit.
He caught up with Hazel as she started up the stairs.
“We need to get back to Montana.”
“No, we need to find Rowan.”
“We’ll come back. I promise. But we have to go talk to Sid. His phone went to voicemail. That was the human killer, and now I know who he is. This ends now.” Val couldn’t quite believe what he just saw. He trusted that dragon, learned from him. His insides churned as he thought of what this would mean for Sid.
“What do you mean you know who he is?”
“Did Aspen explain that we know the dragons very well?”
“Yeah, she has a black dragon that she likes a lot.”
Val didn’t know how to explain without spilling the beans. “Okay, listen, that gold dragon. The one that just ate the surfer. He’s the dragon that Sid is closest to. It’s his best friend. I know him quite well too. This is no longer just some random dragon eating people. This is personal. We have to go back and tell Sid. Then, when everything is taken care of, we’ll come back and search for Rowan. For now, we know he’s alive and safe. He’s with Skye.”
“But you said she was in danger.”
“She is. But so are all the rest of us. She’s managed to avoid detection so far. Rowan might be safer with her than you are with me. Come on.”
Runa landed on the ground next to the car. “Are we leaving already?”
Val nodded.
“Why?”
“I know who the human killer is.”
“Who?” Runa cocked her head. Val knew he had to be careful how he phrased this. He hoped Runa would be smart enough to not say anything that would give them away.
“It’s Prometheus.”
THE NEXT COUPLE of hours were a frenzy of getting ready and checking into the airport. Val didn’t know how he was going to tell Sid. He hadn’t known Theo long, but he was Sid’s best friend. Treachery like that could break even the strongest of individuals.
As the plane pushed away from the gate, Hazel turned to him.
“You’ll hold my hand again, right?”
Val smiled at her. “You know you don’t even have to ask.”
“You seem a little distant, so I wasn’t sure.”
“Sorry, I’m still not quite sure how to behave around you. I don’t want to be too forward.”
She took a deep breath and acted like she was going to say something, but then the plane shuddered, and she gripped his hand. She didn’t say anything as the plane took off, but she took deep breaths. Her eyes were closed. As the plane leveled off, she relaxed her hand but didn’t let go.
She smiled at him. “I’m not sure I can fly anywhere anymore without you.”
“I’m not complaining.”
“We should definitely make sure we’re together on the flight back to Hawaii.”
He nodded, but he wasn’t sure he would be going back to Hawaii. He wasn’t sure if she would either.
Hazel didn’t let go of his hand until the flight attendant brought them drinks and a snack. She chattered on for most of the flight. When the fasten seatbelt sign flashed back on, she gripped his hand again.
“Almost there.”
Hazel nodded.
“Is there anything I can do to help you relax?”
She opened her eyes and looked at him. “Yes.”
“What’s that?” he asked, leaning closer.
Her face flushed. “Kiss me again.”
She didn’t have to ask him twice, but at the last second he stopped. Her face was inches from his. He watched her brilliant green eyes as they blinked, and ran his thumb along her jaw. She shivered.
“You need to promise me something.”
“What?” she whispered.
“Promise me that you won’t tell me to get lost after this is over. If I kiss you, we’re in this for the long haul. I want to be yours and you to be mine. I don’t want to share you with anyone.”
She backed away a fraction of an inch and stared deep into his eyes. He was terrified she’d say no.
“Promise,” she finally said.
His lips met hers, and she returned the kiss eagerly. She let go of his hand and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling her close to him. He’d never felt so alive in his life.
A voice in the seat across the aisle from them yelled out. “This isn’t an effing hotel room.”
Hazel pulled away and giggled. She didn’t even acknowledge the man who shouted. Instead, she kept her gaze locked on Val’s as the plane touched down.
“I think kissing is a better distractor than hand holding,” Hazel said.
“We should definitely do more of it then.”
“Of course.”
HAZEL DROPPED Val off at Sid’s house.
“Aspen sent me a message telling me she was home. I’m going to go say hi to my parents, and then we’ll come back.”
Val nodded and gave her a quick kiss. Truthfully, he was glad. He didn’t want the fact that he was a dragon to come out in the middle of his conversation with Sid. He wanted to support Sid, and he couldn’t do that if he was worried about what Hazel thought.
He found Sid was in the theater room watching the news.
A blonde newscaster stood bundled up with snow blowing all around her. “This is the latest in a string of deaths by a golden dragon. All national parks around the nation are being shut down. Government officials aren’t saying anything except that they are taking steps to remedy the problem and have assured the pu
blic that no one else will die. That hasn’t stopped protesters from all over the U.S. calling for the death of the dragons.”
Sid muted the television and hung his head.
“Where is it?” Val asked.
“Alaska.”
“Well, he makes good time then. Because he snatched a surfer up this afternoon.”
Sid stood. “What the hell?”
Val waved him over. “You need to sit down. I know who he is.”
Sid clenched his fists. “I will not sit down. Tell me. Who is it?”
Val took a step back. He didn’t want to be in hitting range when Sid found out.
“Sid, I saw him. It’s Theo.”
Sid’s face went ashen. He picked up a vase on the table next to the couch and threw it across the room. It shattered, sending shards everywhere. Then he clutched at his hair and sank down on the couch with his head hung.
“I’ve been so blind. Of course it’s Theo. Who else was in both Hawaii and Alaska?”
Val sat next to Sid and put a hand on his shoulder.
“Look, I know this is a lot for you to process. But we need to catch him.”
Sid sat up straighter, and his lips formed a tight line. “You know, this means he killed my father as well.” Sid stood and paced. He opened and closed his fists. His breath came in rapid bursts. Val couldn’t even begin to comprehend how he felt.
Pearl came into the room. “We’ve got to go to DC. The president is summoning you.”
Sid shook his head. “Get her on the phone. I don’t have time to go to DC. We know who it is. This ends as soon as we can find him. Fortunately, we have the advantage that he doesn’t know we know who he is.”
“Is it Kingston?” Pearl, asked with her eyes bugged. “He’s been spending a lot of time up north.”
Sid shook his head and let out hollow chuckle. “No. It’s Theo.”
Pearl gasped. “No. How?”
Val decided to answer for Sid. “He was in Hawaii when they had their deaths. Alaska too. Plus I saw him get a surfer in California a few hours ago.”
Pearl put her arms around Sid. “Oh, Sid, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s time we finish this. I’d like to involve the National Guard around Yellowstone. If it looks like we are asking for their help, they might hold off doing something dumb, like nuking our nests. Pearl, get the damned president on the phone.”
Sid and Pearl escaped into the office, and not long after, Val went into the kitchen with Runa. Hazel and Aspen were just coming through the back door.
Runa bobbed up and down on the table. “We found the human killer,” she chirped.
Aspen sat down in front of her. “What? How’d you do that?”
“Saw him.”
“Who is it?”
“Prometheus.”
All the color drained out of Aspen’s face. Her eyes flicked to Hazel. She kept her voice even, but her hands were shaking. “Really? Where’s Sid?”
“On the phone with the president.”
Sid came back into the room and froze when he saw the girls. “Hey. We’re all meeting at the Theodore-Roosevelt Visitor Center at seven. Aspen, can I talk to you?”
“Sure.”
She followed him out of the room, and Val reached for Hazel. She gave him a small smile.
“How are your parents?”
“As well as they could be. Aspen won’t let me tell them anything about Rowan. I would love to head back to California and continue the search.”
“We can’t. We need to take care of the human killer. I have to stay here and help Sid. But as soon as he’s dead, I’ll go back to California with you.”
Hazel creased her eyebrows. “What do you have to do?”
Val sighed. He needed to come clean sooner or later. Just as he got ready to speak, Runa stuck her snout in Hazel’s face. “How come you don’t like dragons?”
“Have you not seen the deaths that have occurred in the last few months?”
“But that’s just one dragon.”
“It doesn’t matter. We can’t control them. They pose a threat to us all. This was bound to happen sooner or later. You’ll probably be able to take care of this one, but what happens when another dragon starts eating people?”
“Then we fix it, just like now.”
“But how many people die in the meantime? They’re just a nuisance.”
“Are you calling me a nuisance?”
Hazel shrugged. “You’re tiny. You pose no threat.”
“I could bite your nose off.” Runa bared her teeth and snapped her jaw once.
“But you won’t. Runa, go make sure Aspen and Sid are okay,” Val interjected. He wasn’t about to try to break up a fight between Hazel and Runa. He’d never tell Hazel, but if it came down to it, Runa would win.
Runa rounded on him. “I don’t like her. Can you find another girlfriend?” She spread her bright yellow wings and flew out of the kitchen, whacking Hazel on the head on her way.
“Here I thought I was growing on her. She’s got nerve,” Hazel said with a nervous laugh. Maybe Hazel did recognize that Runa would best her if given the chance.
Val took her hand. “You know, dragons are a part of my life. If we are going to be together, you’ll need to get over your prejudices.”
“Prejudices? They’re animals. And I wasn’t lying about them being a nuisance. Just like snakes, rats, or moles. Life would be easier without them around.” She rubbed her forehead. “Can we talk about something else? I don’t want to fight.”
Val nodded, knowing they would have to deal with this sooner or later.
VAL STOOD NEXT to Sid in the crowded visitor center. They were up on a small stage that was normally used for ranger talks. Val doubted when they built it, they ever imagined it being used to coordinate a dragon killing. National Guard members filled the room with a handful of civilians. Aspen was in the back with her parents and Hazel. Val smiled at Hazel, and she winked at him.
Sid commanded the crowd. Val could see why he was king. What he couldn’t understand was his own transformation. He was never good at leading anything.
The crowd hushed as Sid began.
“We have identified the human killer. He will be arriving this evening. A handful of our dragons will meet him. We will make sure that no other golden dragons are around so that you will know exactly who he is. We will allow you to come with us under only one circumstance.”
A man standing in the front glared at Sid. “What’s that?”
“We want to ensure you will not intervene. Your purpose is to witness. That’s all.”
The man crossed his arms. “How many dragons are we talking?”
“Two black, two silver, and a red.”
“That’s not very many. Are you sure they can handle the gold dragon? We can help.”
“If we bring in too many, he’ll get suspicious and leave. We don’t need help, but we do need you to see the destruction of the human killer so the public is appeased.”
The man looked at the men on either side of him. “Sure. We can witness.”
Sid dropped down next to him. He towered over the tiny man. “I want you to understand something. If you try anything, you will have a war on your hands. And the dragons will win.”
“Do you doubt my word?”
“You give it rather carelessly.”
“We won’t hurt the dragons.”
Sid backed up. “Okay, now that we have that out of the way. We’ve chosen a location surrounded by trees so you can effectively hide. Whoever is in charge of commanding the troops will have Aspen with him. She can communicate with the dragons.”
Titters broke out across the room, and the defiant man spoke again. “How?”
Aspen stepped forward. “Dragons communicate telepathically. Last year I befriended one of the black dragons.”
The man nodded to the young man standing next to him. “Paul will be leading the troops. You can coordinate with him. Hopefully tomorrow this will all be behind us, a
nd I can go home to my wife.”
Val caught Hazel’s eye, and she had a frown on her face. He knew she wasn’t crazy about dragons. He just hoped that as she learned more, she wouldn’t run. Because he liked having her by his side, and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to take it if she changed her mind.
HAZEL DIDN’T KNOW what she was doing, sitting at the table in a conference room with Sid, Val, Aspen, Paul, and a few others she didn’t know. She had absolutely nothing to contribute, but Val pulled her in anyway and held her hand in his lap. Paul glared at them, but she didn’t care. Instead of worrying about the boys, she leaned over to Aspen.
“So how do you talk to dragons?”
Aspen shrugged. “With my mind. It’s not a big deal.”
“It is a big deal. Do they talk like us, or is it more rudimentary?” Hazel felt like she was on the cusp of understanding something big, but she couldn’t put her finger on what. The dragons were key to whatever secrets Aspen and Val were keeping.
Aspen let out a laugh. “They are just as, if not more, intelligent than us. Obsidian, the black dragon, is my best friend.”
Hazel scratched her head. “How are Val and Sid connected? Because I think the story about them being cousins is a lie.”
“Not my secret to share, Sis.”
Hazel looked sidelong at Val. They were together, and she cared for him a great deal, but she still didn’t know him all that well. She wished she knew if it would be possible to push him into telling her or if he would just flee.
Sid stood and talked about logistics. Hazel didn’t understand most of it, but her ears caught that Aspen and Paul would be hiding in the trees with a good view of where the fight was go to down. After Sid dismissed everyone, Hazel hung back. She was worried Val would notice, but he left the room deep in conversation with Sid. She caught Paul’s arm.
He raised his eyebrows at her. “You and that dragon prick, huh?”
“Dragon prick?”
“That guy is on their side.”
Hazel shrugged. “He’s a nice guy. But yeah, we’re together.” Paul wouldn’t like it, but she didn’t really care what Paul thought.
Paul pulled her close. “That’s never stopped you before.”
Valentine (The Dragon Kings Book 3) Page 14
