Drakon's Promise (Blood of the Drakon)

by N. J. Walters

  “I’d love to see inside it again.” Tarrant rubbed his jaw. She could tell he was mulling over the problem. “There’s so much knowledge trapped in those pages.”

  “Think you could read it? It seemed to be a mishmash of ancient languages and symbols.” Some of which she’d never encountered. The researcher in her was intrigued by the idea of deciphering the information written on the pages. Then she remembered that it wasn’t written in ink. “Do you think the drakon-blood ink is making the book more powerful?” she asked Darius.

  “Undoubtedly,” Darius told her. “You know from your gift that people and actions leave psychic residue or memories attached to objects. The rituals the Knights have performed over the centuries have added to the power.”

  Darius reached out and covered her hand with his, giving it a squeeze. “And, yes, if anyone can read what’s on the pages of the book, Tarrant can. He has a gift for languages and codes of all kinds.”

  “That’s a handy talent.” She could read and understand several languages, but if Tarrant could do what Darius said, it opened up the secrets of the world to him.

  He picked up his coffee mug and saluted her. “I do what I can.”

  “It’s probably best the book is destroyed and whatever secrets it holds go with it.” Even though Darius was sitting next to her, he seemed lost in thought. “If the rituals exist in any form, they can be used against us.”

  “Still”—Tarrant sighed—“if I could just decipher the knowledge before the book is destroyed, we’d gain a giant foothold in our war with the Knights. We might even be able to discover how to counter their potions and spells, maybe even defeat them. Whatever power the book holds, it’s helped imprison many of our kind. It might also hold the key to releasing them.” He stood and began clearing away dishes.

  “What do you think?” Darius asked her. “Fear aside, do you think it’s possible for Tarrant to get another look inside the book?”

  “Anything is possible, but the danger is too great. What if he reads something that imprisons him in some way? We won’t be able to read the book to find out how to neutralize it.” Just the idea of touching the book again gave her the heebie-jeebies. “I never believed in magic before, but the book scares me. I have no idea just how powerful it is.”

  “She has a point,” Darius told his brother. “If you read something that traps you in any way, you’re basically screwed.”

  She liked that he took her concerns seriously. Considering his age and experience, it wasn’t something she’d expected, but he’d treated her opinion with respect since their first meeting.

  “Yeah, I’d thought about that, but it might be worth the risk.”

  Darius shook his head at his brother. “It’s not worth your life. We’ve survived this long without knowing the secrets of the Knights, and we’ll continue to survive without them.”

  Tarrant nodded. “Then you two had better get ready to go. The quicker the book is destroyed, the better.” He leaned against the counter, and she’d have sworn she could see flames flickering behind his blue eyes. “And we’d better pray they don’t have another copy of it.”

  She pressed her hand against her stomach. That was a huge concern. “They needed me to find the missing book,” she pointed out.

  Darius stepped behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “They did. That could mean one of two things. Either it’s a one-of-a-kind book and they’re desperate to get it back, or there are only a few copies and Herman Temple is desperate to find this one before the leader of the Knights discovers it’s missing.”

  Tarrant picked up the theme. “Could be there are a small number of these books, held by the most powerful of the Knights.”

  Sarah nodded as her understanding grew. “To admit to losing it would jeopardize Temple’s standing in the group.”

  “And put his life in danger,” Darius asserted. “It would be seen as a weakness by an organization that does not tolerate mistakes.”

  She shivered and leaned back against Darius, grateful for his body heat. “They seem to have no qualms about killing.” Not from what she’d overheard.

  “If the leader of the Knights finds out, he might pay Temple a visit,” Tarrant pointed out. “We might be able to use that to our advantage.”

  “How?” Darius asked.

  Tarrant began to smile. “I’m not king of the satellites for nothing. I’ve been recording the street view of Temple’s home to see who comes and goes. I just need to review it.”

  “Brilliant.” It was also scary and illegal as hell, but since Tarrant was on their side, she wasn’t going to worry about the legalities of the situation. Nothing about these circumstances was normal. They called for extraordinary measures.

  “Let’s get the book and get the hell out of here.” Darius stepped back, and she slid off the stool. “The quicker that book is destroyed, the better.”

  Sarah agreed. She only hoped their plan worked. They didn’t have a Plan B if this one failed.

  Tarrant led the way back down to his computer lab. Knowing what to expect, she didn’t find the security measures as off-putting anymore. Darius stood beside her, a quiet but commanding presence.

  Computers hummed and the air seemed charged when they stepped into the room. Tarrant went straight to his desk and scanned the three screens that displayed a multitude of information.

  “Anything?” Darius asked.

  Tarrant sat in his chair and began typing. “Give me a minute or two.” With that, he ignored them, his entire being focused on the keyboard and screens in front of him.

  “We should get the book.”

  “Yeah, we should.” She really wasn’t looking forward to this, but it had to be done. She took a deep breath and followed Darius to a cabinet at the far end of the room. Even with the metal door between them and the box containing the book, she could feel the pulse of power it emitted.

  Darius paused several feet away from the cabinet. “Its pull is stronger.”

  “You feel it, too?” She was glad it wasn’t just her.

  “Yes, I do.” He turned and caught her shoulders in his hands. “Are you sure you won’t stay here with Tarrant?”

  He was trying to protect her. While she appreciated it, she couldn’t allow him to face the danger by himself. He was in this mess because of that book, and she was the one who’d stolen it and brought it to him.

  “I go with you.” She was adamant about that.

  He kissed her. It was a soft kiss, but it still curled her toes and melted her heart. She kissed him back, tasting promise and possibility. She knew even if they destroyed the book, until the Knights of the Dragon were defeated, she’d never be safe. Her lifespan was extremely limited, but whatever time she had, she wanted to spend it with Darius.

  Some might call her foolish, but he made her feel alive in a way she never had. Whatever the outcome, it was worth it.

  “If you two are done, you’ve got a plane to catch,” Tarrant reminded them.

  Darius slowly lifted his lips from hers. “Don’t mind my brother. He’s just jealous because he doesn’t have a woman of his own.” His husky murmur made her tingle from head to toe. She wanted to ask if she really was his woman, but that smacked of neediness. She reminded herself to stay in the moment and take each one as the gift it was.

  “He’s also right,” she reminded him. “We need to destroy the book.” She pushed past Darius and pulled open the cabinet door. The knapsack sat on a shelf with the box and book inside it. She took a deep breath and grabbed the leather strap. The hum from the book grew louder. “Let’s go.”

  “Let me take that.” Darius reached out and snagged the knapsack. She held on for a brief second before releasing it.

  “I’m not sure who’s in the most danger from the book, me or you.” Better to be honest with him.

  “I can hear it humming, almost make out words but not quite,” he admitted.

  It was terrifying to her that the book still seemed to be growing in
power. “We need to get rid of it. Maybe we could drop it in a volcano or something?”

  A smile flickered on Darius’s lips even as he shook his head. “The flame from holy candles and holy water, remember?”

  “And only after the exorcism,” Tarrant reminded them. “I’ll contact Father Simon and let him know to expect you. He’ll make sure someone meets your plane.”

  “I pray your trust isn’t misplaced.” Darius gave his brother a one-armed hug and thumped him on the back. Sarah noted he was careful to keep the knapsack away from Tarrant.

  Even so, Tarrant canted his head to one side as if listening to a voice only he could hear. “Are you sure I can’t have another peek at the contents of the book?” He started to reach for the bag.

  “We need to go. Now.” Darius held the bag out of Tarrant’s reach. Tarrant’s eyes narrowed and he emitted a low growl.

  “I want to see the book.” His face began to morph, shifting to drakon form.

  Sarah stepped between the two men and shoved them apart, or at least tried to. No way was she moving either one of the massive men. It was a supremely stupid move, but not the first time she’d done it. Like the last time, the shock of it drew their attention to her.

  “The book is beginning to affect you,” she told Tarrant. “You don’t want to hurt your brother, do you?” It was a gamble, but one she felt secure taking. The love and respect between the men was as solid as bedrock. She was banking on it.

  Tarrant shook his head and dropped fully back into his human form. “Get the hell out of here and fast.” He turned away from them and stared at the wall.

  Darius started to reach out to his brother, but Sarah grabbed him by the arm and yanked him toward the door guarding the elevator. “The best thing you can do to help him is leave.”

  “Take the truck,” Tarrant told them. “I’ll run up later to retrieve it.” He reached down and tapped several buttons, and the door swung open, allowing them to step into the elevator.

  “I’ll call you from the plane,” Darius told him.

  The door slid shut, trapping them inside. Sarah held her breath until the doors opened and she stepped into the apartment hallway.

  “I hate leaving him like this.”

  Sarah rubbed his arm, wishing there was something more substantial she could do to reassure him. “It’s for the best. The sooner the book is gone from here, the better for Tarrant.”

  “I know you’re right.” He glanced at the door, but it had already shut and the locks were engaged. They weren’t getting back down to the computer lab unless Tarrant let them in. She was guessing nothing short of a major earthquake or nuclear bomb was getting anyone inside.

  Darius gripped the leather straps of the knapsack. “Why is it affecting Tarrant more than me?”

  Sarah led the way to the living area, knowing instinctively that Darius would follow. Her bag was still on the end of the counter where it had been dumped when they’d arrived. She grabbed it and headed for the door to the secret staircase. The bag didn’t contain much, since her laptop and phone had been destroyed, but it did hold her identification and bank card. Not that she could use any of it, at least not for the foreseeable future. Still, it was her last link to her life, and she wasn’t willing to let go of it just yet.

  She went up the stairs with Darius right behind her. She thought about his question as they left the cabin and made their way to the truck. Darius stowed the knapsack behind his seat and both of them climbed in. She got in through the driver’s side so they didn’t have to worry about securing the bungee cord on the passenger’s side.

  “As weird and unlikely as it sounds, I think the book somehow knows he can read it.” It was only speculation on her part, but it felt right.

  The keys were in the ignition, and Darius started the truck. He put it in gear, swung the vehicle around, and headed back down the dirt road. She caught a glimpse of the dilapidated cabin in her side mirror and realized she was going to miss the place, and Tarrant.

  “It makes as much sense as anything about the book does.” Darius wrestled with the wheel as they went over several nasty bumps in the road. Sarah grabbed her seat belt and snapped it closed.

  “If the book is becoming sentient, as it seems to be, then it wants someone who can read it. You and I can’t. Well, I can probably read part of it.”

  “I know many ancient languages.” His voice was stilted.

  “I know you do, but you don’t know as many as Tarrant does, do you?” She slapped her hand on the dashboard as the truck went down in a nasty rut. “And the two of us might be able to decipher some of the code it’s written in, but it would take us a lot longer.”

  Darius sighed and swung the wheel hard to the left to avoid a large rock. “You’re right. Tarrant is much better at languages and communication as a whole.”

  “It’s what fascinates him, like the earth and mining does you, and books do for me. We each have our strengths. Tarrant can’t destroy the book. Only you can.”

  Sarah was glad the landing strip wasn’t any farther away. Her insides couldn’t take many more jolts. It was only when they pulled up on the edge of the airfield a thought occurred to her. “Oh God, we’re going to have to take off on that short runway, aren’t we?” The book aside, she didn’t want to die in a fiery blaze when the plane crashed into the trees.

  Darius just laughed and climbed out of the truck. “You’ll have to trust me.” She scrambled out on his side and grabbed her bag. Knapsack over his shoulder, Darius headed for the plane.

  “I trust you,” she muttered. “Just not the shortness of the landing strip and the tin can with wings.”

  He pulled down the stairs and ushered her inside. Darius went straight to the back of the plane and stowed the knapsack in a cabinet. “I figure the farther away from us the book is, the better.”

  “Smart.”

  “I need to refuel.”

  “I’ll come with you.” She didn’t want to be alone with the book. It wasn’t smart to underestimate its power. “Until the book is destroyed, I don’t think either one of us should be alone with it. The more time we spend with it, the more it seems to be affecting us.”

  Darius nodded and took her hand. “You’re right.”

  She dumped her bag on the floor and went with him. Like everything he did, Darius was efficient, and in no time the plane was refueled and they were seated in the cockpit. The engines roared to life.

  Darius flicked several switches and turned on the radio, not bothering with the headset. “Baby bird to eagle’s nest. Come in, eagle’s nest.”

  Sarah swiveled as far as her seat belt would allow. “Seriously?”

  He grinned just as Tarrant’s voice came through the headset. “This is eagle’s nest. What’s your status?”

  “Package is stored and we’re readying for takeoff.” Darius began to maneuver the plane, turning so it was facing the runway. She clamped her hands around the arms of her seat and held on for dear life.

  “Keep in touch. I’ll let you know if I find out anything more that might help. Just get where you need to go, do what you need to do, and get the hell out.”

  “Roger that,” Darius told him.

  “Just land where I told you to and you’ll be fine.” Tarrant went silent and Sarah could almost picture him tapping away at his keyboard. “Your contact will send someone to pick you up. Stay safe.”

  “Ready for takeoff.” The engines began to rev, and Sarah gripped the seat until her fingers turned white. “Here we go,” he said. The plane began to roll down the runway, gaining speed as it went. The trees in the distance loomed closer and closer.

  She wanted to close her eyes but couldn’t. If her end was coming, she wanted to meet it head-on. “Oh God.”

  Darius laughed and pulled back on the controls. The nose of the plane went up and the wheels left the ground. They needed to get higher. The trees were right in front of them. Then just as she thought they’d smash into them, the plane suddenly shot upwa
rd several feet in the air.

  She let out a yelp as the bottom of the plane scraped over the tips of the trees. An angry squirrel glared at her from its perch in a nearby pine.

  Darius laughed. “Tarrant must not have trusted my piloting skills.”

  “What do you mean?” It was hard to talk and pray at the same time.

  “Air drakon. That extra boost to get the plane above the tree line was all Tarrant.”

  They were in the air, but they still weren’t safe. Darius maneuvered between the giant walls of the mountain. Sarah only released the breath she’d been holding when they left the shadows of the mountain and entered the clear sky.

  Her top was stuck to her skin, damp with sweat. Darius, on the other hand, was cool and relaxed. “You enjoyed that.”

  He grinned and fiddled with some buttons on the control panel. “We all have our talents.”

  She shook her head, unable to be angry with him. He really was skilled when it came to flying. “I’d love to see you fly high in the sky. Not in a plane. Just you in your drakon form.” It was like an ache in her soul. To see him free and wild was a yearning in her heart.

  “Maybe someday you will.”

  “Maybe someday.” She held on to the hope like a talisman as she settled in for the ride to Salvation, North Carolina.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  It was dark when they finally landed. Darius taxied the airplane to the assigned area and shut down the engine. The resulting silence seemed deafening. “We’re really going to do this?” A part of her wanted him to restart the plane and get them out of here.

  “We have no choice,” he reminded her.

  “I know.” She unbuckled her seat belt and pushed out of her chair. “Do you think Father Simon sent someone to pick us up like he said he would?” She’d silently fretted for hours over the loyalty of this priest that Tarrant trusted.

  “Tarrant said there would be someone waiting.” He left the cockpit, and she followed close behind. “And there is.”

  “How do you know?” she demanded. She hadn’t seen anyone.

  He stopped so suddenly she almost plowed into him. “My vision is as good in the dark as in the day,” he reminded her. “There’s a man in a truck waiting not far from here. We’re on the clock as of now. We don’t know who the Knights have working for them or how far their reach is.”