by Tully Belle
33
“I’m disappointed in you, Elle.” Tessa furrowed her brow and leaned back on the office chair behind her computer. She peered over her glasses like she was a headmaster and Elle was the naughty student.
“I thought I was out?”
“Oh honey, I was angry, you know how I get sometimes.”
“Tessa, I’ve done everything you’ve asked of me.” Elle kept her voice cool and measured even though her insides were somersaulting. She could feel her throat constricting so concentrated on breathing to calm herself. All those years of pretending she felt nothing were good practice.
“He doesn’t care for you.”
“I never said he did.”
“But you care for him.”
“I barely know him.”
“Exactly.” Tessa turned to the computer screen, twisting it on its base so Elle could watch the video link. “Did you tell him to escape? Did you warn your new lover that we don't let threats stay for long.”
Elle blinked at the screen, watching as Lyson changed from a man to a dragon. She’d never seen anything like it. His flesh tore away from his body like an explosion, as if the creature inside was bursting out of him. The whole change took less than ten seconds from man to beast. She watched as Lyson, now a dragon, spread his long leathery wings out, lurching forward and leaping into the air. The three Princess members tried to attack but were left gaping at him as he flew away from them. “No, I didn't.”
“You don’t seem very surprised.” Tessa arched a brow over one eye. “Obviously your tactics to keep him here weren’t very persuasive.” A smirk tugged at her lips.
Elle bit back the temptation to respond with emotion. If she wasn't careful she could be in danger herself. Her survival instincts kicked in full force. “How can I make this right? Tell me what I need to do.”
Tessa leaned back in her chair and steepled her fingers in front of her. She studied Elle in a way that made her unnerved. “Tell me where Dragonspark is. We’ve got enough people now, we can take them down. If you're truly on Princess's side, tell me where they are.”
Elle could feel the dryness in her mouth. If she told Tessa where they were, all of them, including Lyson was done for. Yet if she said nothing, she could be hurt with them. She had to think fast. “The facility is inside a mountain about thirty miles west of Greenslopes County. There’s only one road that leads there and if you follow it, you won’t miss the entrance.” She hoped her description was vague enough that it wouldn’t be easy to pinpoint. At least give Dragonspark enough time without drawing Tessa's anger.
“Good. Very good, Elle." Elle tried to smile in response. "Now, I want you to head up the attack, since you know where they are. You're the leader, honey, isn't that what you've always wanted?”
“You're attacking immediately?”
“Of course. That was the whole point of you going out there, Elle. Find them so we can destroy them. You knew that.”
Elle cleared her throat. “Yes, but we should plan first, come up with a sound strategy. Besides, they’ll know we are coming, if we delay they won't know when that will be.”
“Honey, it’s not like Lyson can warn them. Not in his dragon form anyway, so lets strike now. He can’t change back for days. We need to grasp the advantage we have.”
“He's too powerful as a dragon. We should wait until he's human again.”
“Right now, Mac and Ash are vulnerable, as well as all their pathetic minions. Lyson won’t attack if we have his brothers.”
“They could change too. It’s suicide to take on three dragons.”
Tessa smiled. “Or victory for us. We know how to take a dragon down, as long as they stay separated. We can win.” Her eyes sparkled with powerful intensity.
“By killing them.” It was madness.
“Yes. All dragons must die. And that includes those god forsaken Dragonspark brothers.”
Elle had to warn Lyson. But how? She couldn’t contact him by phone and she was too far away here.
She pushed open her bedroom door and stared at the bed. Less than half an hour ago she’d been wrapped up in his arms thinking about a future with him and now he was gone, and she was supposed to fight to kill him.
No, no!
Tessa was crazy. Actual batshit crazy. She couldn’t go through with this. Elle ran her hands through her hair as she tried to think. She ran to the closet and grabbed her pack, stuffing clothes in it, anything she would need to run and warn him before Tessa did.
She threw her pack on the floor and began to reach up for weapons when she heard something. Elle turned, wondering what the noise was, as she looked at her pack. She bent down and emptied the contents. There was nothing in it that would have made that sound. It sounded like metal scraping against itself. Elle shook the bag and sure enough heard it again.
There was something hidden inside it.
She grabbed the knife from the nightstand and cut open the lining. Wires, cameras, microphones. All so small that the entire collection could fit in the palm of her hand.
Surveillance gear that Lyson had bought with him. He knew. The whole time he knew.
She sank to her knees, the equipment still in her hand as she stared at the small pieces of wire and aluminum. He’d set her up. The whole time she’d thought that she had escaped on her own, but he knew the whole time what she’d do.
The knife he had tucked into his jeans, planted there so she’d think she had the advantage. Having no one else around to take as hostage but him. He’d planned every last detail.
She felt the sucker punch in the stomach of betrayal. He’d used everything he could to find out where Princess was. She didn’t know him at all, he had used her. She was nothing to him. He didn’t care about her. Was it all a lie? All of it?
She was falling for him and he knew every move to make so that she would. Was it all part of his plan, to make her care so he could destroy her and everything about Princess?
A tear stained her cheek as she closed her fist over the metal. She stood up, a new determination in her face.
He betrayed her. Lied to her.
Tessa was right. All dragons, including the Dragonspark brothers deserved to die. They were monsters.
34
Lyson landed at the edge of his cavern. His lungs gasped for air, his wings leaden from flying non-stop. Now he should rest. Should, but couldn't. A surge of anger and frustration enveloped him and he roared out a long jet stream of fire into the wall of his cavern.
The walls shook from the force, the floor blackened as sparks shot across it and bounced into the distance. Lyson roared again, stomping his great leathery feet, swishing his hardened tail. He knew now that it was a mistake to come back here. He thought he had no choice, but he had every choice.
He’d chosen to come back here instead of stay there and fight and save her.
She’d wanted him to go. She’d told him to escape, and he ran. Just as things got hard he leaped from the roof leaving her there in Tessa’s clutches. She was in danger. Why did he leave her?
He had to get back. It didn't matter that exhaustion threatened him.
He turned, his tail scraping against the wall leaving sparks spraying up the side.
“Lyson!”
Mac and Ash were behind him. Ash hung back against the wall, but his hands extended palms up in an attempt to calm him. Calm him? He had no idea.
“Lyson,” Mac repeated. “Are you okay?”
Lyson growled, the floor shaking so much that even he had to be careful to keep his balance.
“He’s not okay,” yelled Ash. “Something’s happened.”
“Get Caran,” Mac ordered. Ash left the cavern, gone to do his duty. Mac took another step closer keeping enough distance between them so he wouldn’t get hurt. He knew Lyson wouldn’t harm him deliberately, although he was smart to stay away.
The concern in Mac's eyes slowed Lyson. He didn't want his brother to suffer any more because of him, but he had to get back. He
turned his head over his leathery shoulder.
“We have the coordinates,” said Mac. “And you’re here now. It’s okay. It's okay, Lyson”
No, it wasn’t okay. Elle was still there and she was in danger. He growled to show his frustration at not being able to tell him that.
“Okay, okay,” said Mac. He took another step forward, now getting dangerously close. “We’ll figure it out. You need to slow your breathing, relax. Calm down.”
This wasn’t a time to relax, it was a time to fight. Tessa knew what they were planning and everyone was in danger. His brothers, Elle, anyone who got in her way.
He must get back. He moved toward the exit at the far edge of the cavern.
“No, no, Lyson, come back here.”
Mac didn’t understand.
Ash and Caran rushed into the room, Caran held her medical supplies hugged to her chest. Whatever she thought she could do, she was mistaken.
“This will help you change back,” said Mac. “Caran thinks she’s closer now, it might work fast.”
No, he couldn’t change back. Not right now. Because if he was human again, he couldn’t fly to Elle and save her from whatever was happening there.
Mac took a bucket of water from Ash and poured in the murky liquid that Caran handed to him. “You need to drink this,” said Mac.
Lyson roared again heading toward to exit. Mac ran in front of him, holding up his hands.
“Please Lyson, please drink it.”
He couldn’t. He had to be strong and powerful. Had to tell her that he was wrong for leaving her there.
“Drink it now!”
Lyson lashed his head from side to side. He stalked around Mac.
“Lyson.” Caran was in front of him now. Her voice was soft and pleading. “Think of it this way,” she said. “If it works, you can tell us what’s wrong and we can help you. Then, if you need to, you can return to being a dragon as soon as you like. We need to know what’s wrong.”
Lyson paused. What Caran said made sense. He could change back and warn them. They could plan for the inevitable attack and then he could go and save Elle. He could bring her back here where she was safe. Safe away from Tessa and the rest of the Princess enemies. It could work.
He turned his head, staring at the bucket that Mac was pushing toward him. The liquid looked cloudy, muddy. It smelled sharp and pungent. He looked at his brothers, then at Caran and finally back to the bucket.
There was every chance this wouldn’t work and he wouldn’t be able change back, but if it did then it might help to have his brothers on his side, at least so he could explain everything to them.
He let out one last breath and lowered his head to the bucket and drank.
35
Elle stared at the handwritten note she found under her pillow. Can’t stay. Must fly. The anger in her stomach was bubbling like a cauldron yet something wasn't right. Was he mocking her? Was he rubbing it in that he had won and never cared about her at all?
She crumpled the paper up and threw it to the far side of the room. It hit the wall and bounced off, landing on the floor. She stared at it for a second longer before she stalked over and stepped on it. Squashing the paper into a flat mess.
Must fly. What an arrogant, son of a bitch, jerk. Oh, he must be laughing now. Laughing how he was able to seduce her and trick her into liking him.
And the fact that she’d slept with him, that he’d bedded her twisted the knife further. She clawed at her skin, shuddering as she remembered all the places he’d kissed, touched, caressed.
Her chest was rising and falling, her breath coming fast and hard. Her bottom lip trembled so she clamped down her jaw, clenching her teeth and grinding them until her neck ached.
She reefed the sheets off the bed, throwing them to the ground, stomping on them. She held a pillow, twisting it and pulling it. Elle took the knife that was still beside the bed and slit the pillow down the center. Foam and cotton exploded until her bedroom looked like it had been ransacked and destroyed.
But her room was nothing like how she felt inside.
She could feel the tears welling again, mostly at herself and her own stupidity. She had been played so well that she didn’t see it coming. He acted like her friend, her lover, so well, so convincingly.
She’d believed every word. She thought he was falling for her just like she was falling for him.
No wonder he’d picked her. She was too vulnerable. Being with Tessa had softened her. She couldn’t rely on anyone, and it was better that she never let anyone in again. Not when they could crush her this hard and destroy her.
Physical injuries were nothing compared to the pain she felt now.
Elle held the knife in her hand, throwing it up and catching it again. It was a good knife. Strong with a solid handle. Your hand wouldn’t slip when you held this.
It was her knife now, her consolation prize for messing up the true game.
She sheathed it and tucked it into her belt as she left the room.
The dragon they used for training was beginning to smell, its leathered hide now greying as if it had a soft coat of dust all over it. It wasn’t dust though, it was decay. They would need to dispose of the carcass and find something new to train with.
Elle walked over to the beast, it’s hide pockmarked from gunshots, arrows, and knives. They never penetrated the skin though. That was the whole point of training, to show the recruits what didn’t work, before they showed them what did. You had to get inside the beast for it to work. Poison was their preference. If you could pierce a vulnerable part of its body it wouldn’t be able to heal itself fast enough.
She coated the blade of her knife in the poison, watching as the thick syrupy liquid clung to the sides, daring to drip off. It smelled sweet, honeyed, but it wasn’t edible. At least not for a beast like this one.
She dragged the knife up and down her arm, wiping the treacle poison onto her skin. If she was covered in the stuff, a dragon couldn’t hurt her without injuring itself. Interestingly it didn’t harm humans. At least touching their skin didn’t cause any bad side effects. No, this poison was specific and deadly and made for one creature only.
“Elle.”
She spun to see Tessa standing in front of her. Tessa’s hands were on her hips, her head cocked to the side. “When are we attacking?” asked Elle. “I’m ready.”
“Good,” said Tessa. She walked over and smiled, clucking her tongue sympathetically. “We will win this.” She cupped Elle’s face in her hands, like you would a small child that you were trying to ensure listened to your every word. She’d done this to Elle hundreds of times before. It had never bothered her then, but now it did.
“I know,” said Elle. “I’m ready.”
“I knew you’d see reason. You belong here, Elle, with me and the rest of Princess. You always belonged here. You’re my best friend and the closest person I have to a sister. And now, I feel we’re even closer, we’ve both been betrayed by a Dragonspark. Mac betrayed me, and now Lyson has betrayed you. We have a bond, you and me.”
“We do,” said Elle. She knew Tessa spoke lies. Tessa didn’t think of Elle as a sister anymore than the feeling was mutual. All Tessa wanted was to was placate her, manipulate her, make sure that Elle fought on the right side.
But there were no right sides. This wasn’t about sides. Not anymore. Now it was about self preservation and making sure no one ever hurt her again. There would be no lies, no heartbreak, no feeling as if you would never be able to get out of the dark hole again. Nothing was left. No one to rely on.
It was just her.
“We leave now. We’ll arrive just after dusk,” said Tessa. “You think you can lead us to the mountain in the dark?”
“Absolutely,” said Elle. “I know where they are.” She narrowed her eyes. “It’s time to destroy them.”
36
As soon as the contents reached his stomach, Lyson lurched to the right. He glanced down at the muddy liquid bubbling an
d popping and retching a foul stench into his nostrils. The concoction swirled in his stomach like a tornado, ready to throw up the contents all over the floor of his cavern. He stumbled to the side, groaning.
His legs buckled underneath him, at first he fought it, then he let himself fall. A crashing thud reverberated around the room as he landed on his side, hitting the hard rock. The experiment wasn’t working. He didn’t feel the regular tingle and tightening as his body shrunk and changed and transformed. Instead he felt drunk, like he had no control over his body or his thoughts. And sick. His whole body was rejecting it, trying to force it out of his system. He tried to lift his head up, his focus fading as if the room was a swirl of mist.
“Is it working?” whispered Mac. “He looks sick.”
“Give it some time,” said Caran.
Their voices sounded far away, as if they were in a different room, yet he could make out their shapes close by like shadows.
“It’s been an hour,” said Mac. “We don’t have time.”
An hour had passed? No. It was only minutes ago that he was drinking out of that bucket. He looked around for it, trying to focus, but it wasn’t there anymore. Unless he was looking in the wrong direction. He turned his head. Splinters of pain shot through his skull and he winced. No. Don’t move his head. That was not a good idea.
He lay back on the ground, closing his eyes, trying to listen to the sounds around him.
He was still in the cavern, he knew that. The damp musty odor was the only thing comforting him. That and the fact that soon he would be changing back and he’d be able to get on with convincing his brothers that they had to be on alert. Unless he was dying?
Because, something, was happening to him? What? He had to warn them about . . . something. His head was fuzzy and his thoughts unfocused. Elle. Was she here? He wanted to see her.
