Dragon Down

by Casey Knight

  I whispered for Zane to cover his eyes and I waited until the three were almost even with us. Then I sent a ball of fire at their heads. They were temporarily blinded and that was all the opening we needed. Zane and I cut them down where they stood. It wasn’t much of a fight and that worried me. It was too easy and where was Corbin. My senses detected movement on my right so, I crouched and aimed my staff in that direction. I was immediately stunned by a bone chilling cold, an overpowering feeling of dread. My teeth chattered involuntarily and my fingers were getting numb. A fine mist filled the tunnel in front of us. The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was Corbin.

  When I came to I was in a dark place. I couldn’t see a thing. I tried to move my limbs, but I was tied up and gagged. Whoever had me knew enough to gag me so I couldn’t use my bracelet or magic period. Once I realized I couldn’t get free I relaxed and studied the area. I was definitely in a cell. I was alone and I had no idea if Zane was taken or not. The last thing I remembered was seeing Corbin. He had betrayed us. I didn’t want to believe it. Realistically I knew he was a vampire. Maybe he wanted the bounty on my head. If I got out of this fix I’d find out. I heard voices and sagged back against my restraints. I heard a key in the lock and someone came and lifted my head up by my hair.

  “She’s still out. What about the other prisoner? Has he come around yet?”

  “Yes, but he isn’t talking. I can’t get anything out of him. He seems impervious to pain.”

  “I’ll see about that. Take me to him. I wager I can loosen his tongue.”

  I heard their footsteps receding. At least I knew Zane was here somewhere, which meant Corbin turned us in. When I got out of this mess I’d find him. Focusing all my energy on getting myself free, I pulled on the ropes holding me. I couldn’t loosen them. The harder I pulled the tighter they got. Good. It was a risky because I could do permanent damage to my legs. If I could get the slack out, I’d try and pull one of the stakes free. My arms were fastened to iron rings that held them up above my head, but my feet were only staked down.

  I yanked. Twisted, and kicked until I thought I felt a little wiggle. Exhausted I stopped to catch my breath. My foot was getting numb if I didn’t get these bonds off soon I might lose my leg. That thought gave me renewed enthusiasm. I’d paid too much for my heels not to wear them. Yes, there was definitely some slack in the rope. Again I moved my leg from side to side and up and down in a widening pattern. I felt the stake start to dislodge. My left leg pulled free, making it much easier to kick out the remaining stake with my free foot. Wiggling my feet to get some circulation back into them, I struggled to stand. I regained my footing on the third try. The wall at my back was rough and I slid my gag back and forth. It too loosened and I spit it out.

  I gulped down huge mouthfuls of air and then muttered a chant. The restraints at my arms sprang free and I couldn’t afford the time to celebrate. I ran to the cell door and held my bracelet against it. The lock smoldered and I waited a second before pushing it open. Hurrying in the direction the men went, I slowed down at the sound of voices. I was getting closer, inching along as quietly as I could, while straining my ears to hear. They were interrogating the prisoner. I heard curses, slaps, and moans.

  “I told you he wouldn’t talk. Why would he do this for her? What is she to him?”

  “Let’s go see if we can get her to talk. Remember don’t kill her. There is a bounty on her head and I intend to collect. Understood?”

  My curiosity got the better of me. Who were these clowns? It didn’t matter because I’d be asking the questions.

  “I’ll save you boys the trip. Don’t even exhale or I’ll kill you. Now move back into the cell and kneel down with your backs to me. You don’t want to make me any madder than I already am.”

  To emphasize my point I sent a stream of fire at their feet. They did a neat little two step and threw themselves face first to the ground. I moved closer to them and set my bracelet to stun. Firing off two quick rounds, I rendered my two prisoners unconscious. I moved over and lifted up Zane’s head. I gasped and fell to my knees in front of the man. Corbin hadn’t turned us in. He had refused to talk.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Corbin staggered to his feet. I steadied him and we headed out of the cell. I looked at him to see if he knew which way to go. He nodded for me to go back the way I’d come. We hadn’t gone far when Corbin pulled me to a stop, pushed me into and open cell and quietly closed the door. Then he slumped to the ground and turned on his side. I dove down beside him and burrowed deep into the straw strewn about the floor. God alone only knew when this straw had last been changed. I felt Corbin snuggle up beside me, effectively shielding me from view. A second later I heard voices and I tensed. It didn’t take long for the footsteps to reach our cell. Whoever it was hesitated before continuing down the tunnel. It knew it wouldn’t take long for that person to find the bodies and sound the alarm.

  Corbin led us away from the cell. He seemed to be regaining his strength making it hard for me to keep up with him. A roar behind us announced our captors knew we escaped. Corbin slowed and stopped to examine a nearby wall. He ran his hands along the wall’s rough surface. I didn’t know what he was looking for, but I guessed a door. I saw him push on a brick and a door swung silently inward. We darted inside and the door closed soundlessly behind us. I couldn’t see a thing, but I felt a breeze on my face. Corbin reached back and took my hand. I let him lead me forward. Vampires after all can see very well in the dark. The breeze was blowing stronger on my face. We must be nearing an opening of some sort or at least I hoped so.

  Unfortunately, I wasn’t that lucky, the cool air began to vanish the deeper and further we went. Corbin was leading us deeper underground and the thought alone was making it hard to for me to breathe. Claustrophobia threatened to engulf me. Just when I felt myself slipping over the edge of sanity the ground under my feet began to slant upward once again. Thank you, Jesus. It took us another ten minutes of brisk walking and then the room opened into a vast cavern. Light streamed down in small shafts from somewhere overhead. Water dripped from large stalagmites and formed shimmering pools of iridescent water. This place was breath taking. I slumped to my knees and stuck my head in the cool water. I was tempted to jump in, but I doubted that we had the time to linger. Corbin stared at me without comment. His pure white skin nearly blended into the surroundings. He looked like a Greek statue.

  “What just happened back there? Did Zane betray us?” I managed to croak. My breathing was still labored.

  “No, he is dead. They animated his corpse and it took us right to them. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  I looked at him with unbelieving eyes. Slumping down, my emotions a jumbled mess, I fought to regain my control. Zane. How is it possible that I didn’t know?

  When I finally became aware of my surroundings again the light had faded. A small fire was burning near the center of the room. It took me a moment to remember where I was and to spot Corbin. He was sitting motionlessly right where I’d last seen him.

  My lips cracked as I opened my mouth to speak. “Ouch. How long have I been sitting here?”

  “You haven’t moved since mid-day. There is about an hour left until nightfall. Are you hungry? I caught you a rabbit. It is over on the fire.”

  Licking the blood from my lips, I gave an involuntary shudder when I realized Corbin was staring at me. Was the rabbit my last meal? I moved toward the fire, not taking my eyes of Corbin.

  “Lauren, relax. I’m a vegetarian. Seriously, if I meant you harm I could have killed you while you were frozen in shock. Eat. You’ll feel better and then we need to get moving.”

  It was amazing how good that rabbit tasted. I’m afraid I inhaled it, very ladylike indeed. Wiping my hands on my pants I leaned in drinking deeply from the water. Sated, I turned to face Corbin.

  “Why did you help me? You could have turned me in.”

  “You saved my life. You could have left me in that cave or killed me.
I’ll help you find Traygen. Now if you are ready we should go. Sooner or later they’ll search these caves, besides it’s time to see if Traygen is here.”

  “Where do you suggest we begin? They will certainly be on the lookout for us now.”

  “There are only a couple places that they would have him stashed. The Red Court’s prince resides in Arhecion or the fortress at Dreuss. Archecion is here in the city, while Dreuss is at the far side of the island.”

  “Archecion it is then. We may get lucky and find Traygen there. Tell me what you know about the prince’s estate.”

  “Lauren, it is heavily guarded as you would expect by vampires and worse. We need to find a place to hide until daylight. Come on I have an idea.”

  I followed Corbin deeper underground until we could hear the sound of waves crashing on the rocks. What did I ever do to deserve all these underwater adventure? I wouldn’t even go to Soak City at Knott’s Berry Farms. Let’s be real here. I’m not wasting a good make up job and outfit to frolic in a large public toilet.

  Corbin honed in on the ocean like a cat on a mouse. I could smell the briny scent of the water. It was growing increasingly lighter and damper. Every surface I brushed against was slick, icky and covered by some type of mossy looking plant. Traygen was going to owe me big time when I got him home. I realized I hadn’t been paying enough attention when Corbin stopped suddenly and I nearly collided with him. He motioned for me to step carefully around a Volkswagen sized circle of boulders. Then he came to an intersection and without slowing he headed down the tunnel on the right. The surface again rose up under my feet. Yet, the air seemed cooler. I wondered where we were going.

  Corbin stopped, got down on all fours and crawled through a manhole sized opening. Just like that he was gone. Before I could utter an appropriate imprecation a disembodied hand reached for mine. I took Corbin’s icy hand and let him pull me through the mercifully short space. I scampered to stand awestruck by the breath taking view. We were standing in a small hollow in the cliff face, protected from the wind, and bedazzled by the stars.

  “We’ll be safe here. I’ll watch the cavern and you can get some sleep.”

  “What about you? I could…”

  “I don’t need to sleep like you do. I’ll be fine, now rest. Tomorrow will take every ounce of skill we can muster.”

  Before I could respond he was gone. I seriously doubted sleep would be possible that is until the warmth of the sun on my face woke me. I stretched and was pleasantly surprised I could still move. Rolling on to all fours I pushed myself up. I stretched, yawned, and felt hunger’s persistent rumble. I was hungry enough to eat almost anything. My stomach growled abnormally loud. Before I could do anything rash Corbin appeared and handed me some roasted rabbit. Nodding numbly, I ate in silence. Corbin just stood still as death while gazing out at the ocean. He looked like a statue. The only evidence to the contrary was the wind that ruffled his hair. When I’d eaten every last morsel and licked my fingers Corbin spoke.

  “It is time to discuss the castle’s defenses. It is next to impossible to breach their security.”

  “How so?”

  “The entrance is enchanted. You can get in, but then you will have no idea where or in what century.”

  My face must have looked as exasperated as I felt.

  “Think of the entrance as a revolving door that can and will drop us in any century.”

  I had to let the significance of his remarks sink in. How in the world would we find Traygen if he was even in there? I sat in silence racking my brains. There had to be something, some way around this dilemma.

  “Isn’t there something, some way to tell or at least narrow it down? There just has to be.”

  Corbin ran his fingers through his short, coarse, black hair. He paced around the small landing, lost in thought. Then the faintest of smiles seemed to crease his face.

  “There might be. If you have a strong connection to Traygen and if he is still alive you can trace his life force. It works like an invisible web of emotion connecting you to him.”

  “What are we waiting for? What do you need me to do?”

  “Well, first you need to establish a connection to Traygen. The easiest way is for me to hypnotize you.”

  I must have looked alarmed. Did I love Traygen enough to trust a vampire to hypnotize me? Still in the next breath I thought what good was my life without Traygen in it?

  “Okay. The sooner you get started the sooner we will find him. What do you need me to do?”

  “Relax, get comfortable…”

  “No offense, but let’s not get carried away here. That is like the spider telling the fly that his web provides four star accommodations.”

  The faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Point well taken. Do your best to relax and focus on Traygen. Draw his energy to you. Allow me to follow the line of your connection.”

  “Voyeur,” I muttered as I fell under his spell.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I sat up with a start, dazed, unsure where I was. I realized someone was carrying me. Traygen, is it you? You are alive. I muttered, I thrashed, as I tried to pull myself from the abyss. When I finally opened my eyes I was staring into Corbin’s concerned eyes.

  “Where are we? Did it work?”

  “Shush, it worked. Now you need to be quiet, before you give us away. We are in the castle and from the looks of things we have landed in the twenty-first century. That should give you an advantage. Now we better find some place to hide before someone notices we aren’t dressed for that century.”

  I struggled to get down, but Corbin held me close. I hated to admit he could move faster this way. I’m just not into the whole caveman thing. Come to think of it, I doubted he was either. Corbin was all about logic making him the ‘Spock’ of vampires. He hustled us forward. We were moving downward, deeper into the castle. He apparently had a destination in mind. I relaxed marginally and returned my focus to Traygen.

  “Lauren, are you concentrating on Traygen?”

  “Always, I can feel the faintest of threads. Unfortunately, the feeling is no stronger than when we arrived.”

  “I know. He isn’t here. We may as well check the dungeons anyway. We might overhear something useful.”

  Corbin set me down and motioned for me to be silent. There were voices coming from somewhere below us. I activated my bracelet and staff while we inched slowly forward. I could clearly understand the voices. The vampires were playing poker. I shuddered to think what the stakes were definitely, not silver I’d bet on it.

  Frozen as still as statues against the tunnel wall, we eavesdropped on the vampires. I heard four different voices and unfortunately, poker seemed to be the only thing on their minds. That is until someone wagered a dragon’s eye pendant. My heart skipped a beat before it lurched wildly in my chest. Could it be?

  “Don’t move boys. Keep your hands on the table or I’ll turn you to ash where you sit,” I said as I moved into the room. I took them totally by surprise and Corbin hastily removed their weapons.

  “Now I want you four to stand up and move over against the wall. Turn your backs and put your hands behind you. Tie them up and gag them.”

  I kept my bracelet trained on the vampires until Corbin had them bound and gagged. Then I walked to the table and rifled through the loot on top. Oh, my god. It was Traygen’s pendant. Corbin reached out his hand to steady me and in reality he was holding me up. A tear trickled from my eye and I brushed it away.

  “Let’s get them turned around and find out where they got this pendant.”

  Corbin turned the captives around, forcing them to sit.

  “I’m only going to ask this question once. If I don’t like the answers I’m going to kill you all very slowly. Now where did you get this dragon’s eye pendant?”

  No one spoke. I could tell that they weren’t properly motivated yet. I raised my staff, pointed it at the nearest vampire and fired. I set its shirt on fire, watching i
mpassively as the vampire rolled around trying to extinguish the flames. Corbin finally reached over and put out the blaze. I took aim at the second vampire, raised my arms, and prepared to fire. That’s when the third vampire stood and I dropped my arms. Corbin moved over and removed the gag. He stayed close enough to silence the vampire, if it was foolish enough to try anything.

  “Where did you get the pendant?”

  “I won it in a poker game.”

  “Talk to me. I want to know when and where.”

  “Dreuss. We went to pick up some prisoners and the man lost it to me. He said he took it from a prisoner.”

  “Did he say who the man was or when he got it?”

  “He didn’t say who the man was. Just that he was a prisoner there.”

  “Does this guard have a name?”

  “His name was Drom and you can’t miss him. He wears an eye patch over his left eye and there is a jagged scar running across his right check.”

  “Gag him. Then we better get out of here. I’ll stun them and they won’t remember a thing.”

  Corbin gagged the man and stepped back. I pointed my staff at each man and sent a stream of energy lancing through their bodies. By the time they remembered their own names we would be long gone. Corbin turned and jogged further down into the bowels of the castle. I loped along behind him. The adrenaline from finding Traygen’s pendant put wings on my feet. Hold on my love. I’m coming for you. Just when I was sure Corbin was lost, he stopped. We had come to a fork in the tunnel. Where ever we were headed I had a bad feeling about it. He sniffed the air, before he moved off deeper underground. The air felt close, muggy, and I heard the sound of skittering feet. Occasionally, I caught sight of movement. Unwilling to take any chances, I turned up the light from my staff and everywhere I looked there were giant cobwebs.