Badass Dragons: The Complete Set

by Rosette Bolter

  “It’s true I don’t know what you had with Synrith,” Reiko said. “But if you really were close. If he really did love you. Then, well…”

  He trailed off.

  “What?” Cheryl demanded.

  “That just makes his betrayal that much worse.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Rafe stared up at and waved to the security camera facing the front gate. The iron gates ground open and Cheryl and Reiko stepped passed him out into the darkened road. Reiko turned back as the gates closed behind them.

  “It wasn’t always like this,” he said to Rafe. “You used to be where he is now.”

  “I’m not an idiot,” Rafe replied. “I know exactly how he did this.”

  “How?” Cheryl asked, approaching.

  “Your sister of course,” Rafe said. “She stole my secrets and gave them to him.”

  “Haven’t you ever thought about getting back at him?” Reiko said.

  Rafe shook his head. “I wouldn’t know how.”

  He then turned, his head bowed, and began making his trek back around the side of his former mansion.

  “What are you thinking?” Cheryl asked.

  “I don’t know,” Reiko muttered. He stepped away from the gate and looked out down the length of the road. He then turned back and walked past Cheryl in the direction of where they left Reiko’s bike.

  “What’s happening now?” Cheryl asked, joining him. “Do you have a plan?”

  “I think it’s over,” Reiko sighed.

  “What? What do you mean over?”

  “We came out here to rescue Synrith. I thought if we could do that, then maybe we could stop Rafe and Jet, and order would be restored. But since this was Synrith’s doing to begin with –”

  “That doesn’t change anything,” Cheryl said shrilly. “They’re planning a freaking apocalypse here. If we don’t do something then everyone will wind up…”

  “Like us?” Reiko finished for her.

  “Exactly.”

  They reached the bike.

  Reiko hopped on and keyed the ignition.

  “We could go back to the forest,” Cheryl said. “This happened in another timeline. You took me to forest where we met a witch named Hylee.”

  Reiko blinked. “Hylee Chandra?”

  “That’s her.”

  “I never brought you to any forest. That’s a load of crap.”

  “No,” Cheryl insisted. “You did before I went back in time. There was another witch in the forest –”

  “Hylee Chandra’s been dead for a hundred years. I don’t know anything about a forest.”

  “What…?”

  “Now are you coming with me, or not?”

  Cheryl shook her head. “Where are you going?”

  “Back to Cassandra,” Reiko said. “We’ll have to apologize and –”

  “What do we do after that?”

  “You go back to Cado. And you share an eternity with him. As a queen.”

  “I’ll never do that.”

  “If you want to stay here and fight, then that’s up to you,” Reiko said. “But it’s obvious to me. We lost. We can’t win this. We must accept what we cannot change.”

  “It hasn’t happened yet,” Cheryl pleaded. “If we find the time portal –”

  “And you make it right? What then?”

  “What do you mean what then?”

  Reiko shook his head. “I don’t know anything about time portals – but it just seems like even if you were able to fix everything, then there would always be someone out there to undo your good work. Synrith. Rafe. Your sister. Cado. It could be anyone. No. It’ll just go on forever. We have to let this play out once and for all.”

  Cheryl opened and closed her eyes.

  In the darkness behind her eyelids, she knew she could get lost forever.

  “What’s it to be?” Reiko asked her again.

  “I’m staying here,” Cheryl said. “I’m going to fight him.”

  Reiko shook his head. “Suit yourself.”

  He pulled away from the grass and passed Cheryl onto the road.

  She watched his outline disappear on the horizon.

  It was sad, watching him go. Sad because he had given up hope.

  But Cheryl would not.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Those walls. They looked so high.

  Reiko had been thinking about going over them earlier. Not knowing what was on the other side had kept them back.

  Cheryl now had a fair idea. She knew the garden below was pitch black. Outside of the path of surveillance. She wondered if she should attempt it. Or if she should try and get Rafe’s attention again.

  Cheryl blinked. She doubted Rafe was going to help her.

  It was up to her to help herself.

  She backed away from the road and moved out onto the grass plain opposite. She crouched down. One knee pressed against her chin. Cheryl focused on the base of the wall opposite.

  Her skin hardened.

  Her fingernails extended.

  Her cold heart beat fast within.

  “Okay,” she whispered to herself. “On the count of three…”

  Cheryl closed her eyes. She counted the numbers silently.

  One…

  Two…

  Three.

  She opened them and broke out into a rapid sprint.

  But she was soon cut short of the wall.

  The iron gates further down the road began opening and a series of figures emerged. Cheryl fell down by the hill of the road and rolled over onto her stomach, keeping out of sight.

  Squinting ahead she could see it was Sophie, accompanied by several of Synrith’s men.

  “She’s out here somewhere,” Sophie rasped. “I can feel her presence.”

  Alarm struck Cheryl like a hammer.

  The men had spread out, and half of them were headed right in her direction.

  She was out in the open. Soon she’d be spotted.

  Cheryl quickly got to her feet and turned back in the direction of the road leading outward. She began running as fast as she could.

  “There she is!” Sophie screamed after her. “Get her at once!”

  Cheryl’s feet hit the ground so quickly there was no trace of sound. The field of the road raced by her and she knew before long Rafe’s house and the people behind her were long gone.

  Hours. Minutes.

  Seconds.

  Cheryl made it to the end of the road unharmed. She looked to either side of the new road adjacent, not sure where she was going. Or perhaps even why she had run.

  She looked back to see if they were coming.

  Either on foot. Or by vehicle.

  Or through the sky.

  Cheryl squinted her eyes and listened for their sound, but there was nothing. Not even an echo.

  She let out a sigh of relief and turned back to the road.

  Sophie was standing directly behind her.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “How did you…?” Cheryl gasped.

  Sophie’s hand extended from her gown. She opened it up to reveal a ball of magnetic blue light.

  Cheryl was baffled. “Please. No more. I’m going just like Synrith allowed us –”

  “You had your chance to escape,” Sophie said. “You should have taken it.”

  Sophie’s fingers then became violently rigid, and the ball left her palm to slam into Cheryl’s chest.

  Cheryl immediately fell, and went to cry out in agony, but no sound emerged.

  She was paralyzed.

  And the electrical light ate into her like fire.

  “Okay,” Sophie said. “Finally…”

  The sound of heavy masses landed behind Cheryl. From the corner of her eye, she could see one of the dragons shift into his human form.

  “Sorry we took so long to –”

  “Yes, you ought to be sorry,” Sophie declared. “How do you –”

  “We had to speak with Master Synrith first,” the dragon said. “There was some c
onfusion as to whether she should be let go or not.”

  Sophie walked passed Cheryl and out of her view.

  She could hear some volatile whispers parting her lips.

  “I understand you feel that way, Madame –” the dragon interrupted.

  “Don’t call me ‘Madame’,” Sophie cried. “My name is –”

  She was again interrupted. This time Cheryl could hear the sound of giant wings flapping behind them.

  Another dragon was landing.

  “What is the meaning of this, Synrith?” Sophie shouted again. “Will you please tell these –”

  “Is it just her?” Synrith asked. “Is the other one gone?”

  “Yes, he escaped,” Sophie confirmed.

  Synrith’s footsteps soon found Cheryl’s path. He stopped in front of her.

  “Remove the spell from her,” he said to Sophie.

  “What?” Sophie barked.

  “I won’t tell you again.”

  Soon after, the light was disappearing from Cheryl’s chest and making its way back to Sophie’s hand. She sat up, trying to get back her bearings.

  “Are you alright?” Synrith asked her.

  “I think so,” Cheryl mumbled uncertainly.

  Synrith crouched down to her level. “Why didn’t you go with your friend?”

  Cheryl inhaled sharply. “Because … I wanted to see you again.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Because I don’t think you’re really capable of this. I think she’s put a spell on you or something.”

  “A spell on me?” Synrith muttered. “No. No that won’t do at all.”

  He stood up. “Come here, Sophie.”

  Sophie walked forward. “What?”

  “You’ve seen the future, haven’t you?” Synrith challenged her. “You’ve seen what happens here.”

  “I know that if you don’t kill her now she will be trouble for us,” Sophie said.

  “How do you explain that?”

  “There just will be,” Sophie snorted. She reached out and ripped Synrith’s sword from its sheath. “If you don’t kill her, I will.”

  ‘”STOP,” Synrith boomed at her. “How dare you take my sword from me?”

  Sophie stepped back, looking startled. “I didn’t mean to –”

  “Guards – seize them. Both of them. Put them in the dungeon.”

  “Me?” Sophie cried. “What on earth for? We just got married!”

  The men grabbed hold of both Cheryl and Sophie as Synrith moved round to face them.

  “I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with you two,” he said, “but if either of you tries to escape, you really will be killed this time.”

  “This is ridiculous!” Sophie screeched, trying to fight them off. “I don’t deserve this!”

  As the guards dragged her away, Cheryl was left facing Synrith.

  “This isn’t over,” she said to him.

  He leant forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  Then his lips moved up to her ear. “Say hi to Jet for me.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Jet Strongarm was barely alive by the time Cheryl and Sophie were forced into the dungeon. His wrists and ankles were bound to the wall of his cell with enchanted chains, forbidding him from shifting into his dragon. Sweat dripped in long thickened strands, leaving a puddle below his feet. His legs and abdomen were torn from taking several lashes.

  Synrith had not discussed his plan for human kind with him. Jet hadn’t even time to decide how he felt about it. Of course, the very notion that Synrith was giving power into the hands of vampires was enough to dissuade Jet – but still. Synrith had been a complete coward. Waited until he was asleep one night and then had Rafe’s wolves drug him.

  It wouldn’t have surprised him in the least if the other dragons under Synrith’s command knew nothing of his imprisonment.

  There were voices now, voices echoing through the chambers around the corner. They were faint at first; merging into his hearts beating drum at the side of his temples. Perhaps they weren’t really voices. Perhaps they were just words and whispers that his fragile mind imagined. It was hard enough for him to come to terms with his own thoughts, let alone get a grasp on his surroundings. But before long Jet realized, they were voices that he recognized.

  “This is your last chance!” Sophie shouted. “You will release me at once, or I promise you will pay!”

  “He’ll never let you go if you keep carrying on that way,” Rafe’s voice droned.

  The sound of a series of footsteps approached, and then Jet could hear keys jangling. They were unlocking the cell next to him.

  “This isn’t supposed to happen!” Sophie wailed. “Just you wait!”

  The cell door banged shut.

  A cluster of dragon guards emerged and stopped outside the cell opposite Jet’s. He could see they had Cheryl with them.

  Rafe unlocked the cell and silently shoved her in.

  They then closed the cell and returned whence they came.

  Jet could hear Sophie panting on the other side of the wall.

  Cheryl stared at him, her hands wrapped around the bars.

  “Jet…?” she asked. “Can you hear me?”

  Jet groaned.

  Sophie’s feet crunched against the floor.

  “Hey!’ she shouted from the door of her cell. “Don’t talk to him!”

  “What the hell do you care?” Cheryl demanded.

  “He can’t help you,” Sophie panted. “He – He –”

  “God I’ve had enough of your shit,” Cheryl snapped. She turned back to Jet. “I can see you’re awake. Can you say something?”

  Jet sighed. He clenched his teeth together.

  Then released them.

  “What do you want, vampire?” he spat at her.

  “Vampire?” Cheryl said shaking her head. “You guys … You guys, we’re in this together.”

  Jet closed his eyes. He thought perhaps it might erase the presence of his new neighbors. If he could just think them away. If he could just not see them. Then perhaps, they wouldn’t be there…

  “I saw what you did earlier,” Cheryl said to Sophie. “You’ve got magic. Why don’t you use it to get yourself out of here?”

  “I only know a few things,” Sophie replied sourly.

  “You couldn’t fight your way out before?”

  Sophie laughed. “There were too many of them.”

  “What about now? Is there something you can do? Something you know about this dungeon at least?”

  “Even if I did, why bother?” Sophie remarked. “Synrith will come around eventually. He’ll see who he really loves.”

  Jet’s eyes fluttered. “Synrith doesn’t love you.”

  “What was that?” Sophie screeched. “How do you know?”

  “Because I know him,” Jet said. “He doesn’t love you, or Cheryl, or me. He betrayed us all.”

  “He didn’t love you?” Sophie replied with sarcasm. “What did you have a little gay dragon thing going on there –?”

  “Foolish girl. How blind you are.”

  “Blind to what?”

  Jet closed his eyes again.

  He wished he never said anything.

  “Blind to what?” Sophie shouted. “Blind to what?”

  “Enough!” Cheryl shouted back. “You’re giving me a headache!”

  Sophie hissed at her.

  When Jet finally opened his eyes, Cheryl was staring back at him.

  “He’s not coming back,” Jet said. “Not for you, or me, or Sophie. We’re nothing and he is all. And as for Sophie –”

  “Yeah, what about me?” she interrupted.

  “ – She betrayed the only person who really cared about her. The only person who could have saved her life.”

  “You mean Rafe,” Sophie said. “Let me tell you –”

  “I mean Cheryl. And now that all three of us are here together, it is evident. We are done.”

  CHAPTER NINE
/>   Midnight.

  Master Synrith stepped out onto the balcony of Rafe’s Manor’s master-bedroom, and looked down at the courtyard below. His men were ready. So were Rafe’s. They stood at attention, side by side, awaiting his order. In the garden beyond them, tall trees blocked his view of the suburban and city lights. Synrith put the phone to his ear and spoke softly.

  “Cassandra?”

  “We’re ready,” she said after a moment of silence. “What do you want us to do?”

  Synrith continued to gaze out into the darkness of the trees.

  He heard the balcony door open behind him and Rafe stand at his side.

  As any loyal servant would.

  “Hello?” Cassandra asked. “Synrith?”

  “Await my call,” he whispered. He flipped the phone’s receiver shut and put it in his pocket.

  Then turned back to Rafe.

  “The world is yours, Master,” Rafe said. “To do whatever you wish with it.”

  Synrith blinked. “Something’s missing,” he said. “We’re not ready.”

  “What is it, Master?”

  Synrith stepped past his servant back into the bedroom. He looked across towards the neon blue bedspread, its colors sparkling in his eyes. “This isn’t the perfect image I had in mind.”

  Rafe stepped in from the cold outside and stared at him, mystified.

  “I need someone other than you at my side,” Synrith declared. “For this moment.”

  “Shall I send for Sophie?” Rafe asked.

  “Yes,” Synrith replied. “At once.”

  Rafe bowed his head and walked past him.

  Before he made it as far as the door, Synrith added something else. “Send for Cheryl as well.”

  Rafe glanced back at him. “Both of them? You know what trouble they are.”

  Synrith didn’t reply. He stared at the wolf coldly.

  A few moments later and Rafe was gone.

  As soon as he was out of the room, the thoughts blossomed in Syn’s mind.

  Yes, they said to him. Yes you do need her.

  And his heart was black as anyone might have expected it to be – but not from some overpowering evil, or demonic presence. It was black because there was nothing in there. It was hollow. An empty vessel. That needed to be filled.