The Hailey Holloway Complete Series

by K. C. Stewart

  The moon, forest, night air, it all was calling to him. His eyes were already transformed, his breathing heavy with smoke. Dacea waited until Darby was safely inside before he let the dragon free.

  Chapter Seven

  Hailey had no problem admitting she was scared shitless. Dak was so far gone into his anger that he didn’t acknowledge her, didn’t even hear her. She had been trying to talk him down but he was ignoring her. When the cabin door closed and Darby was inside, Dak started to run. Her body changed with each footfall. Everything tingled, then burned. It was like she was running through a fire, each bone being charred, broken, and reshaped. She itched as the scales broke out of her skin, and as they emerged, they covered her in a thick red armor. There was a slight sheen to them, allowing them to glisten in the moonlight. She might find it beautiful if she weren’t in so much pain.

  Dak was oblivious to it all. His focus was only on running further, going faster. When the blaze died down and she could breathe again, Hailey realized she was running on four legs. The air rustled around as massive wings flapped behind her. Dak sent out a roar as their feet left the ground.

  The wind rushed past her, it was like sticking her head out of a car window but a million times better. Dak dipped and turned, speeding through the trees. With a few flaps of the wings they were out of the tree line and flying above them. His speed decreased, and his movements became more relaxed. As they flew, Dak calmed down.

  He soared over the mountains and stayed in the clouds when there were houses below. Being this far off any main roads gave him some freedom in the air.

  “Dak?” He blew a puff of smoke out his nose in acknowledgement.

  “Can’t talk in this form, huh?” He growled in response.

  “This is amazing.” He took a hard left and then circled back toward the cabin. From here she could see everything. The mountain they sat on, the lake on the other side of the dirt road they had come in on, and even where the closest neighbors were. She should have just savored the freedom, but ruining moments like this was more her style.

  “You know, none of this is your fault. If you were dead, Silas would just be picking on someone else.” There was no confirmation that he heard her. Hailey decided to let it go for now. His chest vibrated with a happy sigh. After a few more circles around the cabin, Dak took them down. There was a nice size clearing a hundred yards or so behind the cabin. She figured it was the official dragon landing pad.

  The change back was not as painful. Her bones reshaped but there was no breaking, no fire searing them. What seemed like minutes to change into a dragon, only took seconds to reverse. Hailey found herself naked on her hands and knees, heaving in air. She rolled onto her back, which was a mistake, because now she would never get up. Her whole body was sore and aching, but it was worth it to have had that experience.

  “I’m sorry, Hailey. I should have controlled that better.” She didn’t think so but there was no use arguing about it.

  “Can I ask you something?” She took his silence as a yes. “Who was Lennox?” She couldn’t figure out if he was a friend or family.

  “My best friend,” he said simply. They sat together in silence once more. The elation she had felt while flying vanished while his hurt settled in. His sadness was tearing at her heart and Hailey had no idea what to say. She could feel the love he had for Lennox and the sorrow he felt for Darby.

  “We were at war with Green,” he began, “had been for years. We had just won a battle that would change the tides of the war. The end of the fighting was so close; Lennox and I both yearned for it.” Hailey repositioned a hand behind her head as he continued. “He had come across a deserted town in the mountains of Maine. You could tell most of the people had fled overnight. Lennox’s family had lived there, a whole group of Blue settled in the town many years prior. Most were untouched but a few of the houses contained vast amounts of blood, it was obviously a slaughter.”

  “His family?” she asked quietly.

  “Yes. We searched all of the houses, praying someone was still be alive. As luck had it, we found a woman. There was something off about her, but with no one else around we had to talk to her and figure out who did this.” She wanted to gather him in a hug. His heartache felt like it was her own, but the guilt he felt is what stung the most.

  “What happened?”

  “To this day, I don’t know. She pointed her boney old finger and started spewing words at me. She was a witch and had cursed me. I fell to my knees, unable to stand on my own when the magic hit me. It felt like she was pulling my heart from my chest. Then there was a knife...” He stopped speaking but she could fill in the blanks. Knife plus curse equals death. “I should have died that night, but Lennox he knew some magic. He pulled my soul from my dying body and took it into his.”

  “What was the curse about?”

  “It was in French, but the basic gist was my body was to die but my soul live on trapped in a dead prison.”

  “So you could be alive inside a bunch of bones buried in Maine. Fun times. I’m sure this is a stupid question but have you tried to remove the curse?”

  “Yes but with no success. Darby is a witch, a good one. Don’t worry, I trust her,” he said to ease the spike of apprehension she felt. “She researched for years, we tried a few spells but none of them worked. A witch might have cast the curse but dragon magic changed it.” He sounded utterly defeated.

  As Radar O’Reilly would say “Ahh, Bach.”

  “Did you just quote MASH at me?” he laughed at the absurdity.

  “What if I did?” She bit her lower lip to hold back her own smile. Most of the time her random remarks were a way to fill the silence, even if it was a bad time, but every now and then it was just what was needed to lighten the mood.

  “No reason. I just find that horse-and-buggy thinking.”

  “That’s highly significant.” She was grinning as he roared with laughter. This was good, this share time. Hailey felt closer to him knowing some of his history. It was a baby step towards letting him past her own emotional walls.

  They sat under the night sky for a little while longer, neither of them wanting to return to the cabin and reality just yet. The clouds from earlier had passed leaving behind only stars that twinkled by the billions.

  “You know any constellations?” she asked.

  “I’ve been around awhile. So yes, I know a few.”

  “Yeah I guess you would, Grandpa.” She grinned. “When I was younger, I would go on camping trips with a friend of mine and her family. Her dad would test us every night on constellations and stars.” She searched the sky for her favorite star, Spica. “It’s been awhile but I still remember some of it.” Those were some of her fondest memories. They would find a clearing, even if it was the road, and lie down to point out the patterns and hear all the stories that went along with them. She could still feel the gravel of the road digging into her skin and the sense of smallness she got from watching the stars glimmer. It wasn’t a sensation she would ever forget.

  “You sound happy,” he remarked.

  “I am.”

  He laughed, “Surprised by that?”

  “Kinda.” She felt a wall tumble down inside of her. Who would have thought she could have fun with the voice in her head? “What’s your favorite constellation?”

  “Can’t say I have a favorite. Although, I’ve always been fond of the star, Sirius.”

  “Why’s that?” she wondered.

  “Its name means scorching.”

  “Of course it does.” Hailey closed her eyes and inhaled the fall breeze. When she opened them back up, she knew it was time to get back inside.

  “Ready?”

  “If you are,” he answered.

  She stumbled on the way back. Hailey was never an outdoorsy person. Plus, she was naked. Lia hadn’t locked the car so she found her duffel bag and slipped into some sweats and a t-shirt.

  The door to the cabin was open. She stepped inside but neither Darby,
nor Lia were at the table. The sounds of a shower came from the back of the cabin. She would need to take advantage of that in the morning. But for now Hailey would settle for a bed.

  “There is a guest bedroom toward the back on the left.”

  “Can you read my mind?”

  “No, I just know you.”

  “Doubt it.” She yawned and shuffled her way into the bedroom. It was small but cozy, like the rest of the cabin. Hailey crawled under the quilt and melted into the mattress.

  “You sleep on your stomach but always wake on your back,” Dak said a few minutes later. “If you don’t read before bed you are restless all night. You take your coffee light and sweet, but your tea black. I know how you look at your stomach and wish it was flat like the magazines portray women, but you are beautiful and your curves give your body personality. You like to sing country songs while you clean.” Hailey was wide awake now. He surprised her with each and every fact. It was all true, every little stupid thing she did, and he caught it.

  “You miss your brother everyday but especially when watching Disney movies, which you do every Tuesday night. You have a strange obsession with office supplies. It takes you 38 minutes to get ready in the morning, from shower to makeup. Peanut butter makes you gag, and I’m pretty sure you sold your first born child for a bag of all red gummy bears last week at that candy store you stop in all the time.” She blinked at the ceiling unsure of what to say. No one had ever paid that much attention to her. Most days she felt invisible, just going through life as another face in the crowd. Dak talked of her like she was somebody.

  “I stand corrected,” her voice croaked. “You do know me.”

  “Sweat dreams, Hailey.”

  “Goodnight, Ace.”

  *****

  Someone was talking. Correction, two someones were talking. Their deaths would come swiftly. Once she was able to stand, that is. Hailey had been dreaming of flying, full out dragon flying. Unlike tonight, she had a companion flying next to her, a dragon companion. They soared over lakes and forests, miles of land passed beneath their wings. She had recognized the small landing site of Darby’s cabin, and the witch herself on the porch. The dream was Dak’s memory of Lennox and Darby, and she was interrupted by two chatterboxes.

  Hailey swung her feet to the ground and plotted their demise. The plan was set by the time she got her feet working. It involved chopsticks, a staple gun, and a dog wearing an orange tutu. The doorknob was halfway turned when she heard her name. Slowly, she released the handle and placed her ear against the door. Not usually one to eavesdrop, Hailey had a gut feeling that this was something she should hear.

  “You will need the knife,” whispered Darby, “the spell will not work without the knife that killed him twice. Silas is the kind of man who would use the same knife both times, sentimental reasons.”

  “I’m not liking where this is headed,” Lia chimed in.

  “Look, he’s the one that wants to sever the bond.” Darby didn’t sound happy about it. “She will need to cut herself, deeply I’m afraid. My magic will keep her alive but the bond will be broken. I’m not sure what will happen with Dacea. I’ve never done this before.”

  “Why does he even want to do this?” Points for Lia, she was asking what Hailey wanted to know.

  “Hailey…” Dak pleaded, “Please don’t listen to this.” She ignored him.

  “I’ve known Dacea a long time; he was a brother to me and my Lennox. I have never known him to want a Mate. He is a loner at heart and independence means everything to him. To be stuck inside someone else, unable to control anything, it is killing him. It has been for years. But Hailey is different; their bond isn’t the same as what he had with Lennox.”

  “You don’t want me?” she whispered to the dark room. It hurt, she realized. The moment they shared only hours ago meant nothing to him, she was just a way of surviving, the means to an end.

  “It’s not that Hailey. I never believed in the whole Mate business.” He sighed. “This really isn’t the time for this conversation. Why don’t you go back to bed, we can talk in the morning.” She wanted to hash it all out but when her mouth opened nothing came out. Her fear of confrontation outranked the betrayal she felt.

  Hailey nodded numbly and sank back into bed. What was so wrong with her that the people in her life rejected her so easily? There would be no talk tomorrow, she wasn’t stupid. But tomorrow she would start on rebuilding those walls Dak had been tearing down.

  *****

  “So let me get this straight. You were following them; they caught on and lost you in a parking lot. There was a GPS on the car, which somehow they figured out and put onto another car that led you to Newark. Now you don’t know where they are, but you are also in another state. Did I get that right?” Silas asked.

  “Uh, yes Sir. That is correct,” the soon to be dead soldier said into the phone.

  “Fix it or don’t bother coming back.” He hung up and tossed it onto his desk. Fucking idiots, he thought.

  This sept would be run into the ground if it weren’t for him. He wasn’t even in line to rule yet but that hadn’t mattered to him. Silas saw a chance for power and he took it. Not how things were usually done, but it all worked out in the end. He didn’t have a problem killing to get where he wanted to be, even if it was his father. The man had taught him early on that things didn’t get handed to you. You had to take what you wanted. Well, unless you were Dacea, he had things served to him on a silver platter.

  Silas leaned back in his chair, elbows on the arm rests, he steepled his fingers against his chin. Dacea had ruined his life from the moment he was born. The dragon was the golden child of his generation. His father used to compare Silas to him. “Did you see that Quinton’s boy, Dacea, can shoot a bow as well as wield a sword? When will you stop disgracing us and learn to do something worthy of your name?”

  If things didn’t fit in his father’s box of a world then they were disposed of. Just ask his dead infant sister. Dragons were all male, so a female held no use to his father. She was born and killed within the same day. Slaying his father was the easiest decision Silas had ever made. The man actually had the foolishness to taunt him in his last moments. “You don’t have what it takes,” he told Silas, “You’ve never had to balls to stand up to me, what makes you think you can kill me?” Silas laughed, “A life for a life,” and then slit his throat.

  Glancing at the map that lay on his desk he scanned the state of Pennsylvania. “Where would you go?” Red X’s littered the map. Markers for Red he had eliminated. There were three possibilities in his mind. Silas would send people out to each to investigate his hunch.

  Chapter Eight

  She woke in a strange bed; her stomach was quaking with anxiety. Hailey hadn’t slept the night before, but it didn’t come as a surprise. Dak had proved a few hours earlier that he knew her better than her own family, and then a short time later, that she was just a vessel to get him what he needed. She sat up and ran a hand down her face. Today they would see what was needed for this spell and then they could get it over with. The thought of stabbing herself was not appealing, but she would do it to end this whole ordeal and get back to her life, or what was left of it. Hailey doubted she would have a job to go back to when everything was said and done.

  Speaking of the Asshat, she mused, Dak was awake. When he was conscious, it felt like a tickle on her brain.

  “Good morning,” he said cautiously. She was pleased that he was so wary; it meant he knew he screwed up. But there was no point in answering him. They would be rid of each other soon enough.

  The smell of coffee broke the last bit of reluctance and she got out of the warm bed. The kitchen was just down the short hallway but Hailey followed her nose anyway. The muse was already up with a mug of her own.

  “You my Dear, look like shit,” Lia pointed out as she handed over a mug of sweetened caffeine.

  “Thanks for noticing, took me all night to get this look.” The mug was acce
pted and was already being emptied with a content smile. “So couldn’t help but over hear a little conversation between two loudmouths last night. Care to share?” Hailey pulled out a chair and sat at the table.

  Lia smirked and leaned against the counter. “Heard that, huh? Good, I was hoping you were listening.” Hailey raised a brow at that. “I’m not thrilled with the plan, but I don’t see any other options. What does Dacea think?”

  “My dragon counterpart would like this bond broken as soon as humanly possible, granted humans are inferior to dragons so he understands it will take a little longer than he’s used too. I will do whatever is necessary for that to happen in a timely manner.” Someone had their snarky pants on this morning.

  “Hailey,” he sighed, “don’t be like that. You know this is how it has to be.”

  “Lia, could you tell Dacea that he can take his ‘this is how it has to be’ and shove it up his ass sideways?” she asked with a smile.

  “I have a feeling I missed more than a dragon flying over the cabin last night. Wanna talk about it?” She grabbed the coffee pot and moved to the chair next to Hailey.

  “Yes, but no.” Her hands were wrapped around the mug, letting the warmth ground her. “Captain CrotchWaffle would hear and I’m just not ready to face that reality just yet.”

  “Captain…Crotch?”

  “CrotchWaffle.” Hailey nodded as Lia shook her head smiling. “You know, the asshole who is trying to escape out of my head?”

  Lia looked confused. “I’d ask, but think I’d rather not know.”

  “Probably safest that way,” Hailey agreed.

  Lia steered the conversation back on track. “Darby left a little while ago. She needed to borrow a book regarding the spell.”

  “Sounds good. When do you think we can move on this?”

  “Well, we have to get the knife. I know you are not speaking to Dacea at the moment but maybe you could relay back to me if he knows where Silas might be keeping it?”