Between now and the time they landed, Stacey realized she’d need to come up with a plan for escape.
Clearly it was apparent…
There were monsters on both sides…
CHAPTER NINE
Everything was going according to plan. Quraal’s plan.
He looked down at his prized prodigy in the making, the great Zane Hunter, and let his fingers sift through the young dragon’s hair. It was all unfolding. Everything he ever wanted. Zane’s bent knee. His hoarse, broken voice. The poor man would do anything for that harlot bug of his.
But Quraal needed Zane.
He always had. Zane didn’t realize it, but Quraal was nowhere near as powerful as he was perceived. Yes he had held his ground in battle against Narses and Zane at the same time, but one thing that had stood out to Quraal, even frightened him, was how good an opponent the young dragon had been. It had been Narses whom he had wounded. But Zane he could not hit. The dragon was too fast for him.
Of course, Quraal was still far superior to Zane, but in the wrong circumstances he knew Zane could provide him a challenge. Better to have the man under his thumb. Under his power. Under his control.
Inside Quraal’s body echoed the incessant screams of laughter from his demons, ghosts and ghouls. He felt the everlasting presence of a thousand evil spirits spinning inside of him, cackling with joy. And then in his own mind, dripping in the darkness, saved the biggest bloodthirsty glee of all.
But Zane knew no different.
“Rise now, my brother,” Quraal said softly.
Zane rose.
The dragons took together in their embrace and held each other tight.
No going back now. This was a true declaration.
Zane understood what he needed to understand, and the recipe for disaster was almost complete.
Quraal looked him in the eyes and said: “Go now. Go to the Dragon Guards. Tell them it is time for war. AND THEN LEAD THEM!”
Zane’s head went back, his eyes strained. “What about you?”
“I will be right behind you. You will know I am there.”
Zane took a deep breath.
“Go,” Quraal commanded.
Zane turned from him, and marched in the direction of the front door. Once it was open and closed, Quraal could not contain his wicked grin.
He climbed the staircase, euphoria heightening the senses of the sprites within.
He went to the window in the study and watched to see if had been complete.
Zane walking towards the Dragon Guards. Signaling to them to gather round in a circle before him.
Then it hit Quraal.
A white hot flash of panic.
Could it be that Zane had outsmarted him? Was he now to command his dragons to send this manor alight, burning Quraal within it?
Would he not direct the war against the humans, but against Quraal himself?
Quraal slammed his fist on the table.
He watched the courtyard so intently, blood ran from his eyes.
“I, Zane Hunter, am here to lead you!” Zane announced to the Clan.
Hear, hear!
“I, Zane Hunter, am here to command you!”
Hear, hear!
“This is who I am! This is who we are! This is our war! Our clan!”
HEAR, HEAR!
“Tonight we go after blood!”
HEAR, HEAR!
The blood was running all over Quraal’s face.
“Tonight we go after…”
Drip…
“After…”
Drip, drip…
“THE HUMANS!!!” Zane roared.
He morphed into his dragon form, and sore out into the skies to lead the charge.
Laughing like a maniac, Quraal jumped out of the window headfirst, shattering the glass, and shifted into his dark dragon midair.
He flew behind the clan led by Zane, as the city’s lights hovered on the horizon.
CHAPTER TEN
Walter’s eyes were all over Stacey as they exited the helicopter. They were on the roof of a secluded research centre, near to the city but far enough away from it that they wouldn’t be caught in the dragon clan’s attack. Stacey almost wished she hadn’t been so visible with her rejection of the government’s cruel plans for her baby. Now Walter had informed the rest of the team that Stacey couldn’t trusted to be left by herself.
The Head of Security approached Stacey, who was standing in front of a couple of the guards, with Jasmine and Dennis. He took off his hat and sunglasses.
“I apologize for the roughness you’ve been put through. I understand you’re in particular objection to the government’s claim over the element inside of you.”
Stacey nodded.
“What’s he talking about?” Jasmine asked.
The man waved her question away. “We can call someone to consult with you on this matter. In the meantime, I’ll need you to fill out a statement and answer some questions concerning your operation. Then you’ll be escorted to your homes or a suitable place of residence. Are we all okay with this?”
Stacey and Jasmine looked at each other.
“How long will it take?” Dennis asked.
“We’ve all had a long night,” the Head of Security replied. “We’ll get it wrapped up as quickly as we can. Now please, follow Walter inside.”
Walter had moved over to the roof’s door.
Stacey, Jasmine and Dennis began heading in his direction.
A few minutes later they had taken the elevator down a series of floors and they stopped a couple above the ground floor. The doors opened and a grey haired man in a white coat was waiting for them.
“Stacey and Jasmine, you’re to get off here, and follow Dr. Glascow.”
Walter put his hand on Dennis’s shoulder as he tried to leave with them.
“You stay here.”
Dennis stared at them awkwardly as Stacey and Jasmine looked back at the elevator.
The doors closed and it continued moving down.
Two guards escorted them as they followed the doctor.
“Excuse me,” Jasmine said.
“Yes?” Dr. Glascow replied.
“What’s happening to my brother? Why is he staying behind with the other guy?”
“His debriefing will be much quicker to process. You will be required to wait some time so tests can be preformed.”
They passed several rooms along the floor that held a variety of patients. As they came to an empty chamber, and the doctor paused to unlock it, Stacey’s attention was caught by a patient in the opposite chamber.
He was very thin, pale, and looking quite ill. He was held down to his bed with metallic bands.
Stacey turned away from him, finding his face familiar.
She turned back and then it hit her.
The patient was the spitting image of Horatio Hurux.
“Who is that?” Stacey demanded.
“Please, come in,” Dr. Glascow said, holding the door for her.
She and Jasmine entered, only for the doctor to quickly lock it behind them.
“Hey!” Stacey screamed.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jasmine cried, pounding on the door.
The doctor pressed his face close to the glass.
“You can leave. But only when the dragons are born.”
Then he abruptly walked away leaving the girls stunned.
“Do they know I’m pregnant too?” Jasmine gasped.
“This is fucked up,” Stacey cried, sliding along the door. “How are we going to get out of here?”
“There must be some way,” Jasmine offered.
Stacey thought about the debilitated dragon king in the room opposite. She could still see his face through the glass.
“I don’t know about that,” Stacey said.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The elevator came to a jolted stop at the ground floor. Walter patted Dennis on the back as they made their way out, causing him to flinch, ra
ther than be reassured. They were now in a foyer type area which was empty. To the left there were a pair of sliding glass doors that led into the car park.
Walter pulled out his cell phone, and turned away from Dennis.
“Yeah,” Walter said. “He’s here. Come round front.”
“What the fuck?” Dennis gasped, as Walter put the phone away. “Who was that?”
“I’ve organized you a ride out of here.”
Dennis blinked. “I thought you were going to debrief me or something.”
“Look, we don’t need anything from you,” Walter said. “You seem like a reasonable guy. At least we hope that’s who you are.”
“What about the girls?”
“They will be released. Eventually. But it could take some time.”
“How long?”
“Days. Weeks. Months. A dragon pregnancy can often be unpredictable.”
“What are you going to do with the … dragon babies once they’re out?”
“Why do you ask?”
Dennis shrugged. “That’s my sister in there. My … My Stacey…”
“The girls won’t have to worry about them. They’ll be compensated, looked after and treated. They’re going to be fine. The dragons will be in our care. No longer their responsibility.”
“Good,” Dennis said. “It makes me sick just thinking about those things inside them.”
Walter smiled. “I knew you’d understand.”
There was a car-honk from outside. Dennis looked out the doors and saw a blonde girl with giant breasts was waiting for him in a red convertible.
“Who is that?” Dennis asked.
“Someone to keep you company tonight,” Walter answered. “No hard feelings and such.”
Dennis blinked. “What, like a prostitute?”
“Just think of her as our gift to you. For tonight. The car you keep forever.”
“I can keep the car?”
“Yes.”
“Alright…”
Dennis moved towards the doors and they opened for him. He started down the steps in the direction of the road and then looked back to Walter who was standing in the doorway.
“You’ll look after them, won’t you?”
“Of course. Just you ride along now.”
Dennis nodded.
He continued on towards the car.
CHAPTER TWELVE
It had begun.
Zane’s first target was the bridge that separated the inner city from the rural lands they’d come from. He and his clan descended onto the top of it, stunning horrified motorists that were traveling across the bridge underneath.
Zane opened his mouth and howled a mighty roar and then each of the dragons began working on the bridge’s multitude of beams. That was burning them with so much fire they began to melt away.
Quraal’s figure could be made out in the higher recesses of the black sky. Zane could see his red eyes shining down on them.
And Zane knew it.
This was evil. This was wrong.
Not what his Blossom would have wished of him. He realized now, his inner rage was being controlled by the Dark Dragon, and there was little of his own will left. He couldn’t fight it. Quraal had Stacey, and while that was still the case, Zane was forced to comply.
And he knew innocent people were about to die.
One of the beams at the rural end of the bridge had broken away. That part of it slanted and the ground across all of it began to crack. Soon another beam at the city end was fallen into the sea.
It was all happening so fast.
Quraal flew down to meet Zane in midair.
“Leave them here to finish,” Quraal said. “They know what comes next.”
“Where are we going?” Zane asked.
“After the human leaders,” Quraal answered. “They are waiting for us.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“So then, sugar. Do you want me to suck your dick now, or shall we wait until we get back home?”
Even with her breasts hanging out over the side of the car, Dennis’s gaze had been captured elsewhere.
The sound of distant thunder, followed by flashes of orange through the sky, stood over the landscape. But this wasn’t a storm he was witnessing.
“Well?”
The blonde hooker reached out and grabbed his wrist affectionately.
Dennis smiled glumly at her, but took his hand away.
“What’s the matter, sugar?” she asked him. “Is this your first time?”
“No,” Dennis whispered.
He then turned away from her.
Something had come over him. An anger. A frustration.
A desire to finally do the right thing.
“Hey where are you going?” the hooker spluttered.
“Fuck off,” Dennis snapped at her.
He was heading back up the steps.
Although he had been there less than a minute ago, there was no sign of Walter. The doors were closed and refused to open for Dennis. He pounded on them and started shouting.
“Let me in! Let me in! Let me in!”
Walter appeared. He appeared angry himself.
He unlocked the door and stepped out to confront Dennis.
“You must be crazy,” Walter cursed. “We’ve let you go unharmed and you come back like this?”
“Look,” Dennis said, pointing out into the horizon. “Look what they’re doing to our city.”
Walter stood with him.
The fires were raging now.
Buildings were burning.
“It’s a necessary sacrifice,” Walter said. “We should be grateful for this chance to rid ourselves of the dragons.”
“Well, is someone doing something about this?”
“What do you mean?”
“To stop it?”
“The city will do its best to hold off the attack,” Walter said emotionlessly. “But this has been sanctioned by the outside. What needs to be done, needs to be done.”
“Fuck that,” Dennis spouted.
He curled his fist into a ball and clocked Walter directly in the face. Before the stunned man had a chance to respond, Dennis had ripped his gun from his holster and pressed it against his neck.
“You little grub,” Walter cursed, teeth clenched.
“Shut the fuck up and take me to the girls,” Dennis ordered.
They went back inside the research facility.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Stacey was at a loss at how things had gone tonight. One minute, she had been in Zane’s arms, having the best sex they’d ever had. Him proposing, their conceiving a child, it was all too perfect. He promised her they wouldn’t part. Then they parted. She had hoped Zane would have some type of plan to figure his way around Quraal’s power, but it no longer appeared that way. While she was thankful that she and Jasmine were safe from the evil dragon’s reach, where they were now contained its own set of problems. Dr. Glascow marched across the corridor outside the glass, looking in on them with curious interest. As though she and Jasmine were nothing more than specimens. Experiments. Things to be toyed with and studied.
This was no way for a government to treat its people.
But of course that didn’t mean she had sided with the dragon’s plan for attack. That was completely, awfully wrong. Madness. To know that Zane could be involved in such a thing, that he had committed the murder of innocents… Stacey didn’t know if she could ever look at him the same way again.
“I’ll be honest with you,” Jasmine said from the corner of the room. “I’m happy to be here.”
“You what?” Stacey gasped, dumbfounded.
“I don’t want my baby,” she confessed. “The thought of it sickens me.”
“But it’s a baby,” Stacey mumbled. “It’s yours.”
“And who did it come from?”
Stacey shook her head. “You know it’s not like that for me. Zane and I are in love. We were … going to be married.”
“I know. I
wasn’t talking about you. I was just trying to be a bit more positive.”
Stacey nodded. “What do you think they’re doing with Dennis?”
“Who knows? Do you really care?”
“I…” Stacey trailed off.
“He lost his way,” Jasmine muttered. “Now Zane has too. I don’t know. I feel like we’re sitting here waiting for someone to save us, but no one’s coming.”
“I know what you mean.”
She looked at Jasmine. A tear fell from her eye.
“What is it?” Jasmine asked.
“I just … I thought this time was different. I thought the trouble really was over.”
Jasmine smiled. “If we do get out of here. If get out tonight… What are we going to do? Would you go back to Zane after this?”
Stacey sighed. “I’m thinking about that now. And I … don’t really know…”
She trailed off. There was movement on the other side of the glass.
Dennis.
With Walter at gunpoint.
“Oh shit!” Jasmine exclaimed. She got up and went to the door.
“Stand back,” Stacey advised her as Walter approached it.
Jasmine stood back with Stacey and the door was promptly unlocked.
Dennis forced Walter inside the room.
“Come on girls. Come quick.”
They hurried past the perplexed guard.
Dennis closed the door. Locked it.
The gun dangled at his side.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said to them boldly.
They immediately set off in the path of the elevator.
But then Stacey stopped. Her feet wouldn’t move.
Jasmine looked back. “What are you doing? Let’s go!”
Stacey was looking at King Horatio in his chamber.
“We need to get him out too,” Stacey said.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
With Walter still locked away in the room Stacey and Jasmine had previously occupied, Dr. Glascow came in handy when he appeared for a moment around the corner.
“Get here!” Dennis barked, chasing him.
Shared By The Dragon Clan: The Complete Set Page 21
