by Rinelle Grey
He swallowed, but that only hurt more. He tried again, and forced the words out. “I agree under one condition.” His voice was hoarse and raspy.
“What?”
“That I get to see her once after she’s healed. I want to know she’s really okay.”
“Of course,” Ultrima inclined his head.
“Then I’ll do it,” Verrian said, his heart thumping in his chest.
Ultrima waved a hand, and a woman with pure white hair and pale blue eyes stepped forwards. She regarded Verrian curiously, but didn’t say anything.
The watching humans didn’t either. But they had crept even further forwards to get a better view.
Verrian laid Lisa gently on her side on the ground. Her backpack had moved, the straps covering the wound, so Verrian eased it off. She didn’t even stir at the movement.
Verrian stepped back, just a little, swinging the backpack over his own shoulder. He intended to make sure Ultrima kept his part of the bargain.
Because he sure as hell wasn’t looking forward to keeping his part.
Chapter 59
A warm light filled Lisa, and for a few moments, she felt like all her fears and cares had been washed away.
Then the light faded away, and she was staring into Verrian’s worried face. She couldn’t help smiling at the concern in his eyes, a concern that only intensified when she smiled at him.
Then he forced a smile, pulling back a little and holding out his hand. “Are you all right?” he asked, his voice soft.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”
Then it all came crashing back. The long walk through the dunes in the darkness, flying with Verrian, the other dragon attacking.
She stared around them, but there were no darkened dunes. Light shone in from several directions, spotlights blinding her. But not before she’d seen the strange, white haired dragon, and….
“Ultrima?”
What was going on?
“I’m pleased to see you have recovered, my dear. That was a close call, or so Latrima informs me.” He looked at the white-haired woman, who nodded.
Lisa couldn’t make sense of what was going on, so she looked at Verrian. “What are we doing here?” Thank heavens for dragon speak.
Verrian was silent for a long moment, worry and sadness in his eyes. “You were dying,” he said gently. “I had no other option.”
What? What on earth was he talking about? Sure, she remembered the dragon claws, and they’d certainly hurt enough to be serious, but that still didn’t explain what she was doing here, at Ultrima’s lair.
“I healed you,” the woman, Latrima, said. Her voice was low and even, but her eyes bored into Lisa, as though they were seeing more than everyone else. As though she knew what Lisa was thinking.
A shiver ran up Lisa’s spine. The life dragon. That had to be it.
She wasn’t sure whether to be grateful, or terrified.
“Why did you do that?” Lisa asked flatly.
“I would have thought a thank you would be in order,” Ultrima said smoothly. “You would have died without immediate assistance you know.”
Lisa swallowed. Suddenly she was painfully aware that she was in the middle of Ultrima’s lair. At his mercy, so to speak.
Wait a sec, weren’t there supposed to be police swarming all around this place?
That was when it hit her. She glanced out at the bright spotlights that all seemed to converge right where she was sitting, catching a glimpse of dark shapes and at least one flash of blue and red.
Her stomach did a somersault, and she wasn’t sure if the police presence made her feel better or worse.
Seemed like there was no way out of this.
But Verrian had to have a plan, right? He wouldn’t have brought her here if he didn’t have an escape plan, would he?
“You can see that I’ve kept my part of the deal,” Ultrima said, his voice far too smooth. “Now it’s your turn.” He looked at Verrian pointedly.
A cold chill, like an icy breeze, swept across Lisa’s skin. A deal? Just what did Ultrima mean?
Verrian stood up, his face impassive as he regarded his enemy. His stiff movement and the sudden distance in his expression made her stomach clench.
Lisa held her breath, waiting for him to say something. Hoping that when he spoke things would return to normal.
He looked down at her, and his face softened for just a second. Then it hardened. “I’m sorry, Lisa.”
Then he turned and began to walk away.
Lisa stared after him, her heart thudding in her chest. No, this wasn’t what was supposed to be happening. Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
What was he doing? Where was he going?
Why was he leaving without her?
“Verrian?” she called out.
But he didn’t pause or turn around.
“Verrian?” she asked more quietly, into his mind.
“I’m sorry, Lisa, I couldn’t let you die.” There was a kind of hopeless finality to his words that froze her heart.
He still didn’t stop or turn around.
Lisa swung her attention to Ultrima, her heart racing. “What did you do to him?” she demanded. “Why is he leaving?”
“That was the deal. I’d heal you if he left and never saw you again.”
His words froze Lisa to the spot, a feeling of dread steeling over her. No, this couldn’t be happening. Her hands and fingers tingled, as if all the blood had rushed back into her chest in an attempt to protect her heart.
She stared at the haughty dragon man in disbelief. “You what?”
“You heard me.”
“Why would you do that?”
It made no sense. Not from anything she’d seen or heard of Ultrima until now. Even when he’d gone all weird on Karla and Taurian after they’d nearly beaten him, he’d told them to get together, not pulled them apart.
What sort of game was he playing?
A slight smile twisted Ultrima’s lips. “To see what he’d do. I wanted to know how much he loves you. Enough to give you up rather than see you die? Karla loved Taurian that much. Or enough to break his word to stay with you? Which do you think is more important to him?”
Lisa stared at him in disbelief. He was making no sense.
Except for one thing.
Verrian loved her.
Or so Ultrima said.
Why should she believe the slimy silver dragon? She suspected he was just stirring, trying to cause trouble. He didn’t even care what kind, just as long as people were hurting. That seemed to be his game.
Well, he wasn’t the only one who could play that game. She scrambled to her feet and faced the spotlights. “I’m Lisa Evans,” she said loudly. “You’ve been looking for me I hear. Well, here I am. I’m happy to tell you anything you want so long as you arrest this dragon!” She pointed a dramatic finger at Ultrima.
There was complete and utter silence for a moment, then it was broken by Ultrima’s laugh.
The sound was loud and a little freaky in the silence. “Bravo,” Ultrima said, clapping his hands slowly. “It really is amazing the sort of things people in love will do. Never fails to amuse. Now.” He looked out at the police. “Thank you for being patient while I took care of that. Shall we get back to business?”
A couple of the spotlights moved back a little at his pronouncement. Lisa didn’t blame them. Being face to face with a dragon, especially one who had apparently just demonstrated that dragons had the ability to heal, was intimidating.
She no longer cared about that.
For some reason, she wasn’t afraid of Ultrima now.
She was far more afraid of Verrian walking out of her life and never coming back.
Why? Why would he keep his word to Ultrima when the dragon was so blatantly playing with them? Stupid dragon pride. It got in the way far too much.
Well, she wasn’t going to let him get away with that. She was going to go after Verrian and set him straight.
First though, she had to deal with Ultrima, and the police.
“We need you both to come in for questioning.” A police officer with several stripes on his shoulder stepped forwards, in front of the light. “All of you in fact.” He waved his hand to indicate all the dragons who stood impassively behind Ultrima.
Lisa bit back a laugh. Did he really think that was going to work? Did he think Ultrima was just going to agree?
He must be crazy.
Or maybe not. Ultrima stepped forwards a step, as though to meet him half way. “I will come as a representative of my people. Everyone else will stay here.”
Lisa couldn’t help it. She was sure her mouth was gaping, and she didn’t care.
Ultrima was letting himself be taken in for questioning?
Why?
What game was the old Trima dragon playing?
And would the police agree? She could see them exchanging glances, then the man in charge nodded. “That is acceptable, for now. But the rest of your people will remain here, on the mountain, until we have ascertained the threat. I’ll leave people to see that you do.”
Ultrima inclined his head.
He might as well. If the dragons all decided to leave en masse, no one here was going to be able to stop them.
Lisa bit back a slightly hysterical laugh. Who’d even try?
“Lisa Evans, you will come with us as well.”
The police officer’s commanding words caused Lisa’s heart to skip a beat. Her? Now?
Of course they wanted her to come. They’d been wanting to talk to her for ages. Did she really think they were just going to let her go?
Lisa eyed the treeline, wondering if she’d make it if she ran. If only she could reach Verrian, then they could run together, as they had back at the forest.
She didn’t even care where they went, as long as they were together.
But she wouldn’t make it. There were far more police here than they had evaded back at the forest. And they weren’t going to let this go.
“Lisa stays,” Ultrima said clearly. “That is part of the deal.”
He loved making deals, didn’t he? This time though, Lisa was glad of it. This deal was in her favour. Specifically.
She didn’t even care what his game was.
The man hesitated, eyeing the dragons in front of him. Then he nodded. “She stays, but she stays here, where we know where she is.”
Ultrima nodded. “That is acceptable.”
The smile he threw Lisa was amused. He didn’t ask her opinion.
Lisa bit her tongue. She didn’t want to stay here, at Ultrima’s lair. She wanted to go after Verrian.
But if she mentioned him right now, the police might remember that he was out there somewhere, alone. They could pick him up pretty easily. She somehow couldn’t imagine Ultrima making Verrian part of his deal.
She’d have to wait here, bide her time, and wait for her chance to get away. She was just one little human, the police wouldn’t be watching her that closely. Besides, it was going to be pretty hard for them to surround the whole mountain.
She just needed to wait for her chance.
Then she could go after Verrian.
If he wanted to talk to her.
Chapter 60
When Verrian left the mountain, he had no idea where he was going. He just headed for the bush, not even caring.
What did it matter where he went, when Lisa wasn’t with him?
Oh, he knew he should care. He should head back to Bruce and Narrian, and help them find his sister’s Mesmer chamber and wake her. That should be his priority.
But all he could think about was Lisa, and the fact that he’d never see her again.
He was paying so little attention, he nearly fell over the human hiding just inside the edge of the scrub.
“Hey,” Rita said, scrambling back. Verrian’s eyes recognised her, but it took his mind a moment to catch up. That’s right, the reporter. He wondered, with a vague disinterest, what she was doing here.
She took one look at Verrian, in all his glory, then fixed her eyes firmly on his face. “What is that dragon up to?”
Verrian shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t care.”
Rita’s eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?” she demanded. She glanced back through the trees. “And why are you leaving Lisa in the enemy lair?”
She didn’t get it. No one did. And Verrian couldn’t be bothered explaining. He just shrugged, and walked off.
Rita glanced back through the trees one more time, then scrambled after him.
Why wouldn’t she leave him alone? Verrian had nothing to say to her, or to anyone for that matter.
Hopefully, if he ignored her, she’d give up and go away.
“What’s going on?” Rita said again.
Verrian ignored her. With a minimal amount of magic, he could dampen the sound of her voice so he couldn’t even hear her. Her lips kept moving, but no sound came out. Far more peaceful.
But she didn’t give up. Verrian kept walking, and she kept following him. After a few minutes of that, she managed to get in front of him, and grabbed him by the shoulders. Her expression was angry and frustrated.
Rita gave him a shake. “Wake up. Whatever he did to you, you need to snap out of it. Lisa needs you.”
Somehow, her voice got through his magic and managed to penetrate his brain.
“I can’t,” he said wretchedly. “I gave my word.”
Rita’s eyebrows shot up. “To who?”
“Ultrima.” Even as he said it, he realised how stupid that sounded.
Rita put her hands on her hips. “Seriously? You’re going to keep your word to your enemy? Who’s never kept his word to you?”
“Well, he didn’t attack my family, after he made a deal with them,” Verrian tried to say.
“Why did you give your word to him anyway?” Rita asked. “That makes no sense. I was watching the whole conversation, but I couldn’t hear that bit.”
“Because he healed her,” Verrian said, trying to stop his voice breaking. He turned his face away so she wouldn’t see the tears in his eyes. “I couldn’t,” he admitted, forcing the words past the lump in his throat.
“Well, he’s walking away now,” Rita said poking a finger at him. “He’s going with the police. So he won’t be here to see you not keeping your word.”
Verrian struggled with the idea. Keeping his word was important to him. He didn’t make deals and then go back on them. Lisa had said all was fair in love and war, and this was both, but… it still didn’t feel right.
Rita stared at him for a few moments, then shrugged. “If you really want to just walk away, then go for it. I have pictures to take.”
She turned around and headed back to the edge of the clearing, in a different spot to before, pulling out her camera and pointing it at the scene, snapping away.
Verrian watched her through the trees for a few moments, frowning. Lisa hadn’t liked Rita. She’d said she was only interested in the story, not in the people whose story it was. Her current actions certainly indicated that.
But he somehow couldn’t believe it.
If that was the case, she’d had no reason to bother talking to him, or trying to convince him that Lisa needed his help. Despite himself, he walked back towards her.
Towards the edge of the clearing, where Lisa was.
Verrian focused on Rita, not letting himself look towards Lisa. “Why are you here?” he asked her quietly.
Rita snapped another picture, then turned around to look at him. “Because this is an important moment, don’t you think? I mean all this,” she waved her hand at the police and the dragons, staring at each other, “the first meeting of our people. This is history in the making here. And no one is here recording it. One day, our children are going to want to know what happened here, and who’s going to tell them?”
For a second, Verrian felt a strange connection to Rita. Dragon’s didn’t have cameras and phones to
record history with, but they recorded it just the same. In fact, that was part of his role, to see that his people’s history was remembered in the form of song and dance. In his case, most of the songs about dragon’s interactions with people were full of death and danger, but that hadn’t been his experience. When this was all over, he’d have to make his own records of this historical moment.
He crouched down next to her. “So why are you hiding? Why don’t you tell them that? Surely they’ll realise it’s important?”
Rita made a face. “You really think so? The police, the authorities, they’d just be furious that these pictures were out there. Right now, they think they can hide all this. Not tell people. That it’ll all go away. They’re not thinking about history, they’re just thinking about right now.”
Verrian could sort of understand that. He wasn’t thinking much past right now either. He already had enough to deal with without worrying about tomorrow. “You think they’d just tell you to go away?”
Rita gave a laugh. “They already have. I’m not supposed to be here. They’d probably arrest me if they knew.”
“But you’re here anyway?” Verrian was a little surprised at her admission.
“Some things are more important than being told what to do,” Rita said firmly. “And anyway, they didn’t exactly tell me not to come…” She gave him a lopsided smile.
Verrian stared at her, a little impressed.
Rita stared back, then she winced. “Are you going to put some clothes on?”
Verrian stared at her for a moment. Clothes? Of course the humans were concerned with clothes. They always were. However, he’d left his behind when he transformed. Lisa had put them into her…
He pulled the backpack off his back and stared into it. Sure enough, there were his clothes. This obvious signal of Lisa’s concern for his wellbeing brought tears to his eyes. Even though she wasn’t here, she was still helping him. How was he going to manage without her?
Rita looked away as he dressed, then scrambled for her camera. “Excuse me, I don’t want to miss this.”
This time, Verrian couldn’t help following where she was looking.
