Handlers of Dragons

by Kim Cormack

  This was true. She had issues.

  Her Handler teased, “And maybe a way to reign in your ego, just a bit.”

  She’d never had serious ego issues as a mortal. That had been Chloe’s thing.

  Zach responded to her inner thoughts, “Remember, you’re the same person now.”

  This was also true. Kayn plucked a buttercup out of the ground, leaned over and placed it under Zach’s chin. There was a shadow of yellow. She said, “You like butter.”

  He laughed as he picked one and countered, “So do you.”

  Visions of Chloe and Frost flashed though her memory. A hint of jealousy surfaced and she shoved it back down. She was both Frost’s girlfriend and his ex. She had memories of both relationships and it was confusing to say the least. Theoretically, she was jealous of herself and that was silly. Sometimes it was difficult to fathom what she was. Who she was...

  Zach had been quietly listening to her thoughts as he whispered, “Sometimes, I forget about how much bullshit you’ve had to sift through. It’s only been...What? Five months?”

  She met her Handler’s understanding eyes as she replied, “I know I haven’t made things easy on you. I’ll do better. I’ll try harder.”

  He started giggling as he tossed a handful of grass at her and sparred, “Sure you will.”

  “I will,” Kayn promised but she couldn’t even keep a straight face long enough to say the sentence.

  Zach gave her arm a reassuring squeeze as he warmly responded, “You can’t promise me anything and that’s okay. You’re a Dragon, being reckless and mentally unhinged is part of your mystery.”

  Kayn was gazing into her Handler’s eyes, grateful for who he was as she began to disintegrate into the air for she’d been healed and summoned back to the land of the living.

  With a gasp, Kayn awoke. The lights were off, she was shaking and there was this repetitive rattling sound. She could smell paint. There was music playing. What in the hell? It only took her a few seconds to determine she was in the trunk of a vehicle. Well played afterlife...Well played. Kayn was jostled around by a large bump and she silently cursed. What fresh hell was this? She’d woken up in some strange places but she’d never come back from the in-between separated from the rest of her clan before. Where were they? She felt around, found a bag and unzipped it. A roadside assistance kit! Score! She found a flashlight and cheered on the inside when there was still juice in the batteries. There wasn’t much room to maneuver. Something had obviously happened after she’d died. She wasn’t with her clan. They’d never chuck her soulless body into a trunk. What happened? Who had her? She still felt that same hollow sensation in her chest that she’d felt when he’d died and went to the in-between without her. Where was Zach’s body? Her Handler wasn’t with her! She dug through the bag using the light from the flashlight and found the road flares. She could use these. Think Kayn! Think! There was a large can of tire sealant, matches and a jack. MacGyver could totally make a weapon with this. She wasn’t MacGyver though and this wasn’t a T.V show. She was just an immortal girl trapped in the trunk of a car for reasons unknown. The vehicle went over another large bump and she began to suspect they were no longer on the highway. She scrolled through the list of feasible explanations in her brain. More Demons showed up after she was dead. No, that couldn’t be it...they’d eat her not take her for a car ride. The Lycanthrope put her dead body in their trunk because they knew she was immortal? No, that wasn’t it...Had one of the other clans kidnapped her? Now, that was a possibility...but why? They didn’t have any newbie Ankh to steal. The can of paint tipped over and the lid came off as they went over another bump. Come on! Seriously? She was covered in paint. Between the heat of the trunk and the paint fumes she was going to be stoned out of her mind by the time someone let her out of this trunk. This was bullshit! She shone the flashlight on it to see the colour. It was brilliant blue. Awesome, she was going to have to kick asses looking like Smurfette. That just shot her cool factor down about ten notches. Not like she’d ever broached semi-cool. Something rolled past her in her peripheral vision. What was that? She reached around for it and grinned when she saw what it was. Coffee whitener! Yes! She had fireplace accelerant and matches. Was paint also an accelerant? She patted herself down and grinned because they hadn’t taken her phone. Why hadn’t they restrained her? If it was Triad they would have, so would Trinity. They weren’t stupid. Kayn remained very still as she tried to listen to the murmur of the conversation up front. She didn’t recognize the voices but she was able to make out a few things. There were male voices and they were talking about the police. They were mortals! They had to be! Why hadn’t they put her in the backseat? Oh yes...They’d found a dead body in the desert. What were the rules regarding this? She wasn’t allowed to hurt mortals unless it was a Correction.

  From the front, she heard enough of the conversation to understand what happened, “If we bring her to the police, they might think we did it?”

  Another voice exclaimed, “If we left her there by the time we got into town the body would have been eaten by scavengers. Who would that serve?”

  “Listen. I’m going to college in the fall. I don’t want to be involved in this. Maybe we should just burn her and it’s done. She’s already dead,” a male voice urged.

  “Marisa is meeting us back at the ranch with the others. She’ll know what to do,” the other voice answered.

  They were all speaking English. That was a bit peculiar. How long had she been out? The vehicle slowed down and stopped. Oh, lovely. They’d obviously decided to burn the body. Kayn remained completely silent as she listened for more information.

  One male voice said, “Listen brother, you have to get your shit together and stop this whining before we get there. If Marisa even suspects you’re a weak link, she’ll just kill you.”

  Marisa...she’d never heard that name before but by the sounds of things, this wasn’t an honourable situation she’d found herself in. Whoever they were, a girl named Marisa was the one in charge. She needed to get out of the trunk. She was about to try kicking through to the backseat when it clicked, these people could have her clan. Being burned alive would suck but she’d been through worse. She needed to find them and this was the most obvious route. Zach, her mind whispered. You need to find your Handler. She heard the car door slam and the tires began rumbling down what felt like a gravel road. She needed perspective. She’d use this next slot of travel time to prepare an escape route... just in case. She used the jack to carefully and quietly pry up a corner of the trunk so she could see the environment outside of the vehicle. Maybe she’d get lucky and they’d pass a road sign? As she watched through her tiny area of vision, she wished she’d been wearing more clothing to hide stuff in. There was no room to hide anything in her tank top and shorts. How was she going to do this? Were they even still in Mexico? She’d had a hole in her stomach so large she had to hold her guts in. That would have taken a while to heal. It felt like she hadn’t had much time with Zach in the in-between. She felt around in the dark, faintly recalling a story about how some older models had escape hatches where you could push the seat forward and climb into the backseat. As her hand passed over a sticker she grabbed the flashlight, turned it back on quickly to read it. The vehicle was a 1989 model. The trunk may be super easy to get out of. She shoved handfuls of coffee whitener into her shallow pockets and tucked the package of matches into her bra. She put a few handfuls of whitener into each cup of her bra. They might not frisk her again and just assume it was done properly the first time. The car slowed and parked. She wasn’t incredibly concerned about anything happening to her. She was more worried about Zach. As much as she was his responsibility, he felt like hers. It was more than that...she could sense him. He was close by. She’d made the right move by keeping her cool. They’d brought her to the same place as the others. She heard footsteps walking around the vehicle. Should she play dead? Kayn closed her eyes and remained completely still. The trunk opened with
the glare of the sun.

  A female voice greeted her, “Welcome to Umbarto new Dragon of Ankh. I know you’re awake so there’s no point in playing dead. You’ve had plenty of time to heal.”

  Kayn squinted in the sunshine, unable to make out the features of the woman who’d called her bluff. Blurry vision again...Awesome. She needed some energy. Even though she couldn’t see the woman, she assumed it was the one they’d referred to earlier, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Marisa.” Kayn was about to climb out of the trunk when she heard multiple whooshes, followed by the sting of the five tranquilizers shot into her torso. What the? Kayn glanced down at her body and plucked them out. She stepped out into the gravel, while remarking, “Now, that wasn’t very hospitable Marisa.” There was a group of men standing around her with their weapons raised. Kayn couldn’t make out their features and their auras were all mixing together. She was lightheaded. Whatever they’d tried to subdue her with was starting to kick in.

  “Again!” Marisa commanded as another four tranquilizers whooshed at her, piercing her flesh.

  Irritated as hell, Kayn tugged them out. Oh shit! She staggered and her knees almost buckled. Hot damn she was crazy dizzy. She addressed the woman in charge, “It would be in your best interest to take me to my friends before I get upset. You can’t win this fight.” Her vision focused as her healing ability counteracted the drugs. She could see their black smoky auras with some purple, blue and green mixed in there. Most were Abaddon but there were also some mortals in the mix. She was extremely outnumbered but not the least bit concerned.

  “I’ll bring you to your friends once you’ve done something for me,” Marisa promised. “But I’m going to need you to stay down for a while longer so we can get everyone settled.”

  Good luck with that.

  Marisa answered her thoughts, “I don’t need luck with a 9 mm.” She brandished her weapon, aimed it at Kayn’s head and coldly pulled the trigger.

  Kayn raised her hand intending to try to freeze time but she wasn’t fast enough. The bullet went right through her hand into her head and the lights went out.

  Kayn awoke with her hands restrained behind her, inside of an almost see through rough material. She was so thirsty, drenched in her own salty perspiration. All she could smell was potatoes...Peculiar. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t rip apart her restraints. They must be Angel chains. They felt heavier than last time. Lovely.

  “Who’s in here with me?” Grey’s voice asked.

  Oh, thank God. “It’s Kayn,” she answered. “Where are the others? What is this place?”

  “I just came too but if this is what I think it is, I have to get to Lexy,” Grey’s rattled voice answered.

  She could hear him struggling with his restraints. He was grunting and groaning, seriously fighting to break free. What had he meant by that? Lexy would be alright. Dragons were durable creatures. She could feel Grey’s anxiety.

  “I have to get out of here! I need to be there when she comes too! Get us out of this! Hurry!” Grey panicked without a speck of concern for who might overhear it.

  There was obviously more going on than she understood. “Can you move at all? Roll towards me!” Kayn directed, knowing how she’d broken free last time. She heard Grey fighting to move himself closer.

  He quietly revealed, “I’m almost touching you.”

  She needed water and fresh air more than energy. It felt like she was going to suffocate in this bag. Her throat was so dry. Were Zach and Lexy in a similar situation? Kayn squirmed as close as she could to Grey, needing direct contact with his skin. She was also going to need at least one hand free of these extra durable chains. She might have to break her thumb.

  “That might work if the restraints weren’t spelled and we weren’t in sacks,” Grey commented.

  “I’m just pitching out random ideas quit brain stalking me!” Kayn countered as she tried to tear the material behind her. She could see through it and it smelled peculiar...Manure mixed with dirt?

  “There’s a small hole in mine. It’s close to my fingers in the back,” he directed.

  Kayn concentrated moving her fingers around until she felt the change in temperature caused by a lack of material. “Okay! I can feel air! We need to be back to back. I need contact with your skin.” They rolled around and adjusted themselves until their fingers touched.

  Grey asserted, “Take what you need but you have to heal me before you do anything else! Promise me! Lexy needs me!”

  “I promise,” Kayn vowed as she locked fingers with Grey and tried to take his energy. It wasn’t working. Why wasn’t it working? Maybe, she wasn’t strong enough?

  “Try again!” Grey frantically urged. “Come on Brighton! I have to get to her!”

  Kayn willed her ability to start but no dice. “It’s not going to work,” she gasped.

  “It has too,” he pleaded quietly. “You don’t understand. She was kidnapped at eleven years old and held somewhere like this by Abaddon for five years. She survived unthinkable brutality as a child. The details are the same right down to the potato sacks we’re in. If she wakes up in a potato sack and there’s hay beneath her, I don’t know what she’ll do.”

  Kayn’s blood ran cold. She hadn’t known that about her sister. That’s why she kept saying, you left me there. You left me on that farm to Seth.

  “Kayn! Are you still with me?” Grey prodded as he clutched her fingers with his.

  “I didn’t know that,” Kayn whispered as she fought to gather her bearings. Lexy was a Healer. She was already awake if they were. Hopefully, she was with Zach. She was so dizzy.

  Grey snapped her out of her thoughts, “Now Kayn!”

  She clutched his fingers once more and willed her ability to work with everything she had. She felt it! Her hands warmed as the energy travelled up her arms and gathered in her core. She snapped the chains that bound her and tore her way out of the potato sack as though it were tissue paper. It felt like being reborn as the faint breeze caressed her skin. Adrenaline was surging through her body as she crawled over, tore Grey’s bag off and broke his Angel chains. He wasn’t dead, just unconscious. She hadn’t needed that much energy. She lifted his shirt and placed her hands on his chest intending to revive him but she didn’t have the juice. She needed energy again? Had breaking Angel chains and tearing open a potato sack really taken that much out of her? There was noise outside of the door. Time to recharge her battery. She leapt up and raced over to conceal herself from those who dared enter. Please be Abaddon. Please be Abaddon. She was starving. It felt like Conduit meals on wheels as one lone man entered with a trail of black smoky aura. Silly demons. They never appear to have any foresight at all.

  He was about to call out and warn the others. In a flash, Kayn had him in a headlock, draining the life from his body. He slumped to the floor. The pull to find more sustenance was almost overwhelming as Grey’s words replayed in her mind... Promise me. She knelt in the hay, placed her hands on his chest and healed him until his eyes fluttered open. She declared, “Let’s go get Lexy and Zach!”

  As Kayn was helping him to his feet, the door swung open. She dove in front of Grey as Abaddon unloaded their tranq guns on her. She lost count at ten. How was she still standing? Weird? She tossed Grey into the hay, raced at the shooters in the doorway, snapped the first one’s neck and soccer ball booted the other in the junk. His dart gun emptied into her chest as he went down. Kayn smirked at the Abaddon, rolling around in agony on the ground as she rather nonchalantly tugged the darts out of her torso. She heard the click behind her. Shit! A shot rang out.

  This time when Kayn came to, she wasn’t in a potato sack on the floor of a stall. Her arms were once again bound but to a wooden post, with her ankles chained in front. These were all things she knew without even having to open her eyes. They opened to the commotion of the Abandon towing a struggling Grey into the room. They tied him to the post behind her. Thanks for making it super easy to escape. There was an old televi
sion set on a rolling cart in front of them. She was tied to a post, standing on what appeared to be kindling. Wonderful... She had accelerant and a pack of matches hidden in her bra. This would have gone badly. Luckily, she had a plan. Before she had the opportunity to put her plan to action, Marisa strolled into the room. That bitch shot her in the head... twice. She was going to eat her first. Kayn smiled as she politely enquired, “Are you planning to shoot me in the head a third time?”

  The dark featured woman countered, “Not a chance. I’m quite looking forward to watching you burn. Well, that’s only if we can’t come to an agreement.”

  Way to just put your evil plot out there. She wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed or barn as this case may be. Kayn sighed, “Stop pussy footing around and just spill it.”

  “Why don’t I show you what I have to bargain with first?” Marisa rebutted as she turned on the T.V in front of her. It was Zach, he’d been bound and gagged. Alright...she was irritated by the mistreatment of her Handler but Zach could handle being bound and gagged. He was fighting awfully hard to get away? Why was he freaking out like this? It was then that the camera altered its position and changed her perspective as he was tossed into a shallow grave. He was hysterical, screaming through his gag. During his Correction, his abusive stepfather had buried him alive in a cornfield. She’d heard the story but he was past that...wasn’t he? One of Marisa’s henchmen began pouring gasoline all over him. The person filming changed position and there was a man poised above Zach holding a pack of matches. Her pulse started racing, as she felt her Handler’s fear. This was a rather shitty way to die.

  Marisa announced, “Now that I have your attention, I’d like to make a little deal with you.”

  “What would that be?” Kayn asked as she watched her Handler’s predicament unfolding. She was going to rip these chains off and beat the shit out of this demonic piece of crap.

  “I wouldn’t try anything. Do you honestly think we were stupid enough to bring you to the same place?” Marisa interjected.