“I’m fine,” he said again. “Victoria. Victoria, look at me.” She raised her gaze from his wound. “I’m not human.”
He ripped open his shirt and dug into the wound with his fingers. The bullet had lodged in one of his thick bones, but it was already working its way out. He gave it a little extra help.
Victoria swayed on her feet, her gaze never leaving where he was calmly digging the bullet out of his own body. He reached for her but stopped when he saw how bloody his hand was. It was Oscar who caught her before she fell.
They both watched as his wound closed and began to heal. Luther knew the time had come. It was now or never. “We need to move.”
Chapter Fifteen
Victoria didn’t want to leave Luther. But there was no time to question, no time to think. They either moved, or they’d all end up dead. Well, she and Oscar would. Once Caine discovered Luther’s secret, she had no doubt he’d find himself in a cell alongside his father.
“Come on.” Luther grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him. She didn’t want to look at the men lying on the floor but couldn’t stop herself from glancing at them one final time. They were really dead.
The quest she’d been on for most of her life was truly coming to an end. It was also very real and very deadly. She shook herself and tried to catch her breath as Luther towed her behind him.
Oscar was already at the end of the hallway. “We go left. You go right,” he told Luther.
Luther loosened his fingers and released her. She wasn’t ready for him to let her go, not yet. She surged toward him, dragged his head down, and kissed him. It was passionate but quick. An outlet for everything there wasn’t time to say. “Be careful.”
He nodded and licked his lips, as if tasting the kiss. His eyes darkened. “I will,” he promised. Then he pinned Oscar with the most ferocious glare she’d ever seen. “Watch over her. If you make it out alive and she doesn’t, you won’t live long.”
As a threat, it was effective. Her stomach was doing summersaults. Oscar, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed.
“I’d expect nothing less,” Oscar replied.
Luther turned and rushed down the hallway. Victoria watched him until he turned a corner and was out of sight. She stood for a single moment, paralyzed, not able to make herself move. A part of her wanted to race after Luther, even though she knew she couldn’t. He was counting on her to rescue Sergei.
“Come on,” Oscar called over his shoulder. He was already moving in the opposite direction. “We need to go.”
She took one last look in Luther’s direction before hurrying after Oscar. Her shoes were making noise on the tile floor, so she slipped them off and carried them. If necessary, she could use the heels as weapons. It wasn’t much, especially against guns, but they could do some damage at close range.
Oscar paused by the stairs and listened. Before he could go any farther, the phone vibrated in her pocket. She gingerly lifted it out and handed it to him. “It’s for you.”
He flashed a quick smile and answered. “Go.”
She couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but they moved quickly. Sometimes Oscar would pull her into an empty room for a couple of seconds while footsteps rushed by. Then they’d hurry again.
Whoever was on the other end of the phone call seemed to be guiding them. Victoria didn’t even know how such a thing was possible. She wanted to ask but kept quiet. They couldn’t afford to attract attention, and Oscar needed to concentrate.
They went down several sets of stairs and through empty corridors until she began to recognize where they were. Her heart was racing, a combination of fear and excitement. The holding cell was right in front of them.
We can do this.
There was no one around, which didn’t seem right to her. In fact, just getting here should have been a lot harder. “Is it a trap?” she whispered. Surely there would be a guard around.
“No,” Oscar whispered back. “They probably don’t think we’d dare release a drakon who has been drugged and locked up for years.”
Now that he mentioned it, the idea did sound crazy, but there was no other choice. They couldn’t leave him.
“Stay here.” Oscar strode to the panel by the wall and tucked his phone between his ear and his shoulder so he had both hands free. Within seconds, he had a panel open and had yanked out several wires. The panel in front of her dropped to reveal the drakon trapped inside. The walls were thick, and the reinforced glass distorted Sergei’s image slightly, but he was there, curled up in the small space.
Oscar continued to work, and a second later, the walls ceased to glow. The creature slowly raised his head and stared at her.
Victoria swallowed hard. She had no idea if Sergei would recognize her or if he’d believe she was with the Knights and kill her. But he was her friend. He was also Luther’s father. No matter what happened, she wanted him to be free.
She walked over to Oscar. “How do I get inside?”
…
Luther’s instincts were all screaming at him to run back to Victoria. She was his, and she was in danger. He trusted Oscar to protect her, but Oscar was only one man and human, too. He could easily be killed. And if that happened, she would be at risk.
Only the deep, abiding love he had for his mother allowed him to keep going forward. That and the belief that Caine wouldn’t kill Victoria, at least not right away. He prayed it would give him enough time to complete his mission and get them all out of here in one piece.
His skin tingled, and every muscle in his body went taut. He wanted to shift. His dragon wanted out. He forced that part of himself back under submission but knew he wouldn’t be able to hold the dragon at bay much longer. He hadn’t shifted in months, and it was wearing on him.
Oscar’s contact had given instructions on where his mother was being held. Luther only hoped the man was right. Otherwise, he’d have to start tearing the place apart. And that wouldn’t be pretty or quiet.
He stopped and listened, hearing footsteps not far behind him. He swiveled his head around and growled. If they were after him, he must be getting close.
He was worried about Victoria, but he couldn’t be in two places at once, and it was killing him.
He put on a burst of speed and raced toward his destination. Several guards stood in front of a door. This had to be it. His heart was singing. His mother had to be in there.
Luther didn’t stop, didn’t break stride. Like a deadly hurricane, he swept in before they knew what hit them. He punched one in the head, sending him flying. The guard hit the wall and slowly slid to the floor, his neck at an awkward angle.
One of the remaining guards managed to get off a shot, but Luther dodged in time to avoid it. The guard coming up behind him wasn’t as fast or as lucky and took the shot right in the throat.
Luther grabbed the shooter, wrapped his hand around his throat, and crushed it.
He heard movement inside the room.
The door was locked, but that wouldn’t stop him. Luther put both hands on the thick panel and pushed. Metal creaked, wood splintered, and the lock gave way under his power, imploding inward.
He surged forward, only to have to duck a chair before it was brought down on his shoulders. He turned and got his first look at his mother. In spite of her years of captivity, she was as feisty as ever.
The chair fell to the floor with a thump. “Luther.” Like someone sleepwalking, she stumbled forward, both hands held out in front of her. “My baby.”
“Mom.” He caught her in his arms and held her close. Emotion welled up inside him, a combination of sadness and relief that brought tears to his eyes, but he managed to fight them back. There had been times he’d despaired of ever feeling her warm embrace ever again, of hearing her say his name.
“What are you doing here?” She sounded bewildered. “It’s not safe. You have to get out of here.” Now she was worried and slightly scolding.
In spite of the seriousness of the
situation, Luther couldn’t help smiling. It was the first time he’d really done so in years. “I’m not alone,” he told her.
She ran her hands over his arms and face, almost as if she was afraid he wasn’t real. “I’m not dreaming, am I?”
Her underlying sadness almost broke him. “No, Mom, you’re not dreaming.”
“Your father?”
“The others have gone to free him.” Luther slowly moved her to the side. There were men coming toward their location. He could hear the clump of their boots and the swish of material as they took their positions, could smell the sour scent of sweat and the metallic aroma of metal and gun oil.
His mother shook his head. “I have to be there. He’ll kill anyone else who goes into the cell with him. If they simply free him, I’m afraid he’ll come out attacking. It’s been so long. The drugs and the long captivity have affected him. He’s not always himself.”
Fear skittered down Luther’s spine. Victoria wouldn’t hesitate to free his father, and he wasn’t sure Oscar would be able to stop her.
“Okay. We’ll go, but I’ve got to get rid of the welcoming committee first.” While mother and son had been having a reunion, Caine and his men had assembled in the hallway.
“There’s no way out, Luther,” Caine called out.
“What are you doing, Henderson?” Temple demanded. “Get out here now.”
Luther slowly smiled. It was time to sow seeds of mistrust among the Knights. “But I’m only following your orders, sir,” he added, even though it almost killed him.
“He’s lying,” Temple protested.
“Probably,” Caine replied. “But I can’t afford to take any chances. I’m sure you understand.”
A single shot sounded.
Luther heard Saunders yell. Two more shots rang out. He knew both Saunders and Jenkins were dead. He didn’t feel any remorse at the death of the three men. They would have killed his mother and Victoria in a heartbeat to save themselves. That was three men he didn’t have to fight.
“What now?” Caine called. “Where do you think you’re going with the woman?”
Luther lowered his head and took a deep breath as the dragon inside him stirred to life. He no longer had to cover his tattoos in case he was discovered, no longer had to live a double life, no longer had to hide what he was. He was a drakon, son of Sergei and Katherine.
He was an air drakon.
He slowly released his breath. It started as a breeze but quickly built up power.
“What’s going on?” one of the guards asked. “Is the air conditioning broken?”
Luther took another breath and released it more quickly. Then another. Soon a fierce wind whipped through the corridor. He stepped out into the hallway and glared at the men struggling to keep their footing against the powerful gale.
Rage filled him, until he could no longer contain it. Evan Caine had cheated his parents out of twenty years of their lives so he could benefit, not caring he’d ripped a family apart.
The seams of Luther’s jacket and trousers burst. Fabric shredded. Several of the men screamed and shot at him. But he was no longer human. His dragon emerged, the powerful creature covered in plate-like armored scales. Claws burst from the ends of his hands and feet, and his head became wedge-shaped and large. Wings erupted from his back but had to remain folded because of the narrowness of the corridor. Luther didn’t care. For the first time in two long years, he allowed himself to be who he truly was.
He’d kept his dragon chained during all the time he’d been infiltrating the Knights of the Dragon and Temple’s organization. Now it was time to break free. He had no idea how his father had been able to bear being held in chains all these years.
Then he felt his mother’s hand on his flank and knew. His father had survived for his mother.
“Holy shit,” one man screamed. He dropped his weapon and ran.
“Get a tranquilizer,” Caine bellowed.
Their fear perfumed the air, along with the stench of their sweat. Luther inhaled it deeply before releasing a huge breath. This time, the fire stoked deep inside him ignited. It shot forward like a giant flame thrower. One of the guards caught fire.
Caine ducked behind one of his men and shoved him forward. Then he ran, the cowardly bastard.
“Luther.” He swiveled his head and blinked at his mother. “We need to find your father.” She motioned to his body. “And I don’t think you’re going to fit down the stairs like that.”
He wanted to laugh. He wanted to cry. But most of all, he wanted all the people he loved to be safe.
People he loved…
Victoria was down at the holding cell, and Caine was on his way there. Luther shifted and grabbed his mother’s hand. “Come on.”
She hurried ahead of him since she knew the way better than he did. “Do you think he’ll hurt your father?”
That had never occurred to Luther, and it should have. If Caine couldn’t have the dragon for himself, would he kill him?
Luther swept his mother off her feet and pounded down the stairs. She could run, but he was faster. He was also a shield in case they hit any resistance along the way. “Just give me directions.” He only prayed he made it in time.
…
Oscar’s doubts were written all over his face. “I should be the one to go inside,” he insisted. “If something happens to you, Luther will kill me.”
She shook her head. “I know him. He knows me.” Or she hoped Sergei remembered her. It had been years, and she’d changed a lot since then. He’d also been heavily drugged and contained for all that time. She had no idea what they’d done to hurt him.
“Just get me inside,” she told Oscar. “We’re running out of time.”
“What do you think?” It took her a second to realize he was speaking to whoever was on the phone. Oscar nodded and indicated she should move closer to one of the walls. “Take it slow and talk to him.” He put his hand on one of the buttons on the panel. “If I tell you to run, you run.”
She nodded, even though she had no intention of obeying him. She had to get through to Sergei. “Do it.”
Oscar pressed a button and threw a switch and the wall pulled back. It was thick, far thicker than she’d imagined. Victoria didn’t mind admitting to herself she was scared out of her mind. She had no idea what would happen.
She set her shoes down by the entrance and walked slowly forward, her stocking-clad feet making no sound on the cold floor. Sergei gaze was pinned on the entrance to the cell and on her. His breathing was slow and deep. There was no sense of recognition in his steely-blue gaze.
“Sergei.” She swallowed heavily and forced herself to keep moving forward when all she wanted to do was turn tail and run. He was still chained, but with the force field down, he wasn’t nearly as contained as he had been. Plus, she knew how deadly his tail could be, had seen it in her vision.
The fearsome creature lowered his head and growled. She had no idea if he would even talk to her, if he could talk to her. Maybe he was still too drugged. She didn’t know what kind of schedule they had him on.
“It’s Victoria.” She took another step forward. She needed to talk to him, to get him to recognize her. It was the only chance she had to get them both out of here alive.
“Remember me. We met when I was a child in upstate New York.” She laughed, but it was nervous laughter. “I was playing in the woods by myself.”
The dragon tilted his head to one side and studied her. At least he wasn’t trying to kill her. That was something.
“Hurry up,” Oscar whispered. “We’re running out of time.”
Sergei’s head whipped around to the door. He released a roar and tugged at his chains. Victoria fell to her knees and covered her head, both to try to block the noise and save herself if Sergei attacked.
Then he fell silent. She wanted to take a peek but didn’t dare.
Then she felt something nudge her. She slowly raised her head and peered into Sergei’s eyes.
There was something else in their blue depths, something that went beyond anger and mistrust. This time she saw what she thought might be concern.
Then he sniffed her again, nuzzling her hair and her jacket. He had to smell Luther.
She licked her lips and prayed she would say the right thing. It would either calm him or make him attack. “I came with Luther. We’ve both been searching for you since you disappeared and our paths crossed. He’s looking for his mother.”
It was a bold statement. It let Sergei know she knew what Luther was and who he was to Sergei.
When her statement didn’t end in her quick and painful death, she carefully pushed to her feet. “How do I remove the chains?” she called out to Oscar.
“I can do it from here,” he answered.
When Sergei huffed out a breath, she shook her head. “He’s a friend. Without him, we wouldn’t have gotten this far. So please don’t hurt him.” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Do it, Oscar.”
The huge chains rumbled and began to retract. There were several heavy clicks as the shackles were unlocked and began to fall away from his limbs and body. Sergei stretched and roared.
Victoria stumbled back and ended up sprawled on the hard metal floor. Oscar was beside her in a heartbeat. He grabbed her under the arms and started pulling her out of the cell. “Luther will kill me if something happens to you.”
As soon as Oscar spoke, Sergei’s head whipped back around. He took one step forward and then another. He wobbled and righted himself. This had to be the first time he’d walked unfettered in years, perhaps since he was captured.
Tears trickled down Victoria’s cheeks. He’d been through so much. But there was one problem. “How do we widen the door? He’s not going to fit.”
Oscar swore and grabbed his phone out of his pocket, where he’d tucked it for safekeeping. “Any ideas?” he asked the person on the other end.
Sergei poked his big head out into the corridor, but his body was just too big.
“Give me a second.” Oscar found another hidden panel and began pushing buttons. “They got him in here, so there has to be a way to get him out.”
Drakon Unchained Page 17
