by Rinelle Grey
“What was that?”
Her surprise was real, he could smell it. She had no idea who he really was. Even if she was one of the other humans or had been recruited to work for the Trima clan, they had hidden the details from her.
There was no choice, he was going to have to admit the truth and hope he could trust her. It couldn’t be any worse than what she was already thinking.
“I’m a dragon.”
Chapter 4
Karla stared at the man in front of her. What he was claiming was impossible. And yet, nothing else explained what had just happened.
There was no denying it, she had definitely seen scales around his eyes. Golden scales.
There had to be an explanation. A reasonable one. There had to be. Maybe it was some sort of weird skin condition. Or some sort of movie magic. But even as she thought it, she knew it couldn’t be. But a few scales did not a dragon make. He was still human, like she was. Mostly.
“You don’t look like a dragon.”
He rocked back on his heels and smiled at her. “Dragons don’t have wings and scales all the time. This is my human form. I don’t have the energy to fully shift into dragon form right now, and even if I did, it would be a little cramped if I tried inside this cave.”
He sounded so normal. So not crazy.
Karla couldn’t reconcile his completely ordinary appearance with the crazy things he was saying. Then again, he had looked anything but ordinary a few moments ago.
Not that he exactly looked ordinary, she had to admit. If he wasn’t crazy maybe it made sense – wouldn’t dragons look hot in human form?
His barely clothed body was more like Michelangelo’s David than any modern man she knew. But even that brilliant piece of sculpture had seemed cold. She flushed, remembering how warm his skin had been under her hand. She shook her head. This was a crazy dragon person. She wasn’t going to feel his chest again so it was irrelevant.
She decided to humour him while she worked out what trick he was using. “So if you’re a dragon, what are you doing here?”
A frown crossed his face. “I was in the Mesmer trance, recovering from my wounds. I’m not sure what happened while I was asleep, but I suspect it was not good. I need to find my brothers and sisters. They will be able to tell me.”
There were more of them?
The hairs rose on the back of Karla’s neck. One was bad enough.
But then, this was probably just one more part of his delusions. She needed to call him on them. “Are your brothers and sisters dragons too? Because if so, I suspect I would have seen them somewhere. I’m assuming a dragon would be kind of hard to miss.”
“We have kept to ourselves for many years, we have had problems with humans before. It is best if our people stay apart, and that means not letting humans know we are here.”
The thought that dragons existed in this world and had been hiding from humans all these years was unbelievable. Karla didn’t want to believe it could be true. “We have explored and photographed every part of the globe. If there were dragons out there, someone would have noticed by now.”
A frown creased his brow. “Photographed?” He stumbled over the word. “What does this mean?”
He really didn’t have a clue, did he? Well, that one she could demonstrate at least. Karla pulled her phone out of her pocket and held it up. He stared at her in confusion as she snapped a picture, blinking at the flash. She crossed over and showed him the image on the screen.
He stared at it, his eyes wide. “What sort of magic is this?”
Karla laughed. “It’s not magic, it’s technology.”
It was plain he couldn’t comprehend the distinction. He stared at the image, shaking his head. “You must be powerful,” he decided. “You are the perfect one to help me find my clan.”
His need was so great, she could almost feel it. She was oddly tempted to nod her head and agree. For some reason, she really wanted to help him, even though logic and all she knew about the world screamed that this couldn’t be real.
Maybe it was because it seemed so fantastical. If his story was true, it would be quite an adventure. It wasn't like there was anyone waiting for her back in England. Bruce had broken up with her and told her not to come back until she knew what she wanted.
And part of her really wanted to go along with his story, just for a while, to see if he really was telling her the truth. A part of her wanted to throw all her grown up responsibilities to the wind and just see what happened.
How much she wanted to believe him scared her. This must have been the pull her mother had felt. Her dad had always been so sure of his latest expedition, and had always made it sound so exciting, like a big adventure he was sharing with all of them. Her mother had spent her whole life chasing those adventures and had missed out on any opportunity to explore her own.
Karla wasn’t going to fall for that. Especially not given that this was just crazy. It wasn’t even real, no matter what strange things she had seen.
“I can’t,” she said. “I’m getting on a plane and flying back to England tomorrow.” Her voice wavered. That was the sensible decision, the realistic one. She needed to stick to it.
“You’re leaving?”
His flashing gold eyes disconcerted her. Somehow, she felt like saying no, even though that wasn’t the right answer. She looked away, noticing the sky outside was darkening as the sun set. It was easier to talk when she wasn’t looking at him. “Not immediately. Tomorrow. I’m going home. My ticket is already booked.”
“You can’t leave. I need you.” Taurian had moved around to stand in front of her. He took both of her hands in his.
The intensity in his eyes stirred up a turmoil of emotions in her belly.
No, she wasn’t falling for his act. Especially not from someone she barely knew.
Karla jerked her hands out of his and headed for the stairs. She needed to get away from him, outside into the open air. Perhaps the air in here wasn’t so fresh after all. Her head swam. She was beginning to feel claustrophobic.
“No, don’t go outside, it’s not safe.” He followed a step behind her, his presence winding her tension up until it felt like it might burst. Not safe outside? It certainly wasn’t safe in here.
Karla raced up the last few steps and outside. It was a relief to get out into the open again. She gulped in great lungfuls of fresh air.
The sun was low in the horizon, about to slip behind some clouds. If she wasn’t home soon, her dad would be out looking for her.
Everything would be normal again once she got away from the dragon/human/person thing. He was right, he did need help, but not from her. She could call the police, and they would see that he got the right help. Psychiatric help. That’s what he needed.
She headed for the ute, but before she’d made it more than a few steps, a high pitched screech raised the hairs on her neck. She turned around slowly, afraid of what she was going to see. Nothing would surprise her today.
Even so, the sight of an honest to goodness dragon, long tail, wings, horns and all, silhouetted against the setting sun, made her legs feel weak. She stood, frozen to the spot, unable to tear her eyes away.
Bloody hell! He wasn’t making it up. He really was a dragon.
“We need to move, now.” Taurian grabbed her elbow, pulling her close to him, and Karla did a double take. That wasn’t him? There was another dragon? She looked from him, to the dragon, rapidly growing larger in the sky.
“What the…” She didn’t even know where to start.
“He’s from a rival clan, my enemy. Yours as well now.”
“Mine?” Her voice came out in a squeak. “This has nothing to do with me.”
“It does now,” Taurian said, right before his lips claimed hers.
If Karla had thought his eyes were intense, that was nothing compared to the feel of his lips on hers. She’d had plenty of kisses before but this was completely different. His breath was hot and ragged, and his hands tangled
in her hair, holding her tight against him. Liquid fire surged through her veins, burning the taste of him into her.
The other dragon shrieked again, the sound like fingernails down a blackboard, bringing her back to her senses. What was Taurian doing kissing her at a time like this?
What was he doing kissing her at all?
She jerked back. “How dare you!”
“No time for that,” Taurian said sharply. He turned away from her and lifted a hand, claws sprouting where his fingers had been. Before she could even ask what was going on, a ball of fire erupted from his fingers and sped towards the oncoming dragon.
It dove swiftly to avoid the fireball, the movement costing it time and altitude. It flapped more intensely.
“Where is your tribe? We will be safe if we are among others, he won’t dare attack if there are too many witnesses.”
Karla stared at him. Tribe? Despite the strange phrasing, if they needed to be around people, they had to get to Mungaloo. Only problem was, the town was at least an hour’s drive away. Did he really think they could outrun the dragon?
She took a moment to evaluate the dragon’s speed. Was it faster than the ute? The way she usually drove, yes. But top speed? Maybe not. It was better than being cornered in the cave below, so she took a chance.
What she really should do was leave Taurian here. He was the one the beast was after, not her. Alone, she could probably get away easily.
Somehow, she found herself grabbing his hand and tugging him towards the vehicle. “This way.”
Chapter 5
Taurian followed Karla readily, only baulking when he saw the strange tiny shelter she tried to push him into. Even though it was metal, it would not be strong enough to withstand the other dragon’s lightning blast.
She tugged on his hand more firmly. “Come on, it’s our only hope of outrunning him.”
Hiding in a box wasn’t outrunning a dragon. What was she talking about?
Taurian remembered the strange device she’d shown him that had captured his likeness. Perhaps this was some more of her strange magic.
Anything had to be better than standing out in the open waiting for the dragon to blast them.
The one brief kiss had done little more than wet his appetite. It certainly hadn’t given him enough energy to shift into his dragon form. He didn’t know the other dragon, so he couldn’t judge his strength, but it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be able to withstand a full battle against any dragon in his present condition. Any alternative was worth a shot. Taurian let the woman push him into the box, then moved over as she slid in after him.
She fiddled with something on the other side of a large circle in front of her, then suddenly the shelter gave a loud roar. It jerked sharply, then started moving forwards. Slowly at first, then picking up speed. Its flight was rougher than his own, and it didn’t appear to leave the ground, but for a human, it was amazing.
Taurian looked at the woman with new respect. He’d heard that humans had weapons that could rival a dragon’s claw, but this was far beyond anything he’d imagined. She must be powerful amongst her people. Certainly a prize worthy of his attention.
In the absence of a dragon, she was the perfect candidate for the Mesmer bond. She would help him regain his strength and be ready to reclaim the rightful place for his clan. If Ultrima’s clan had sent her to him, then the other dragon had made a grave mistake.
So long as she didn’t leave.
He could worry about that later though. First, they had to escape from this dragon. He twisted around, grabbing onto anything he could find to stop himself being shaken about. The dragon was easy to spot, his wings beating strongly to keep up with them. A longer look just confirmed what he had guessed earlier, he didn’t recognise the dragon at all. Its silver colour indicated it was a lightning dragon, and probably one of Ultrima’s clan. How long had he been asleep, that Ultrima had dragons he didn’t recognise?
He pushed the worry aside. There would be time to puzzle over that later. After they’d escaped.
The woman must have been thinking along the same lines. “Can’t you throw some more of those fireballs? That might slow him down.”
“I’m still weak from the Mesmer, and one kiss wasn’t enough for me to be able to do much. But I can try.”
She gave him a strange look, but it vanished almost immediately. “Do what you can.” She fiddled with something next to her, and the clear wall next to him began to move, sliding down out of sight.
Was there no end to this woman’s magic?
He gripped the edge of the opening and pulled himself close enough to stick his head out and check the dragon’s position.
The dragon was gaining on them slowly but surely. This ‘ute’, while impressive, wasn’t fast enough to save them.
He needed to do something. Now.
Taurian focused, trying to summon up enough energy, and just as he was about to throw his fireball, he heard a familiar hissing sound.
He pulled his head back inside the metal structure, getting as far from the edge as he could. At the same time, he shouted out, “Duck!”
Lightning surged around the structure, cracking and hissing. The woman screamed, and jerked back, and the roar of her beast cut out abruptly. The thing bucked to one side, throwing her against him, and he grabbed her soft warm body and held on.
Luckily, the land all around them was flat as they rolled off the two tracks they had been following, bumping across the dirt, before coming to a gradual stop.
Taurian soaked up the woman's energy for as long as he dared before she pushed herself off him. “What on earth was that?”
“The dragon’s lightning attack.”
“The dragon breathes lightning?” Her voice was faint.
“Throws it actually, the same way I threw the fireball,” Taurian answered as he twisted around in the seat, trying to see where the dragon was now. It should be easier now that they weren’t moving, but he couldn't see the beast. Where was he?
“This is way over my head,” the woman said flatly. “You're on your own. If we’re going in separate directions, he has to pick one of us to follow. I'm betting he’ll take you over me. Get out of the ute.”
“We will be weaker apart. The dragon can easily blast both of us if we separate, our best chance of survival is to stick together. Unless you have some sort of weapon?”
Taurian hoped she would say yes, but he wasn’t surprised when she shook her head. “I don’t need a weapon, he’s only interested in you.”
“He has no need to pick or choose, he can easily kill both of us.”
It was the truth. Or close to it. He didn’t think now was a good time to mention that if the dragon killed him, the Mesmer bond would drain her as well.
Neither of them would survive this encounter if they separated.
“Fine, if you won't get out, I will.”
Taurian stared at her in shock as she reached for something and pushed the door on the ute open. He just managed to grab her hand as her feet hit the ground outside. He pulled as hard as he could, dragging her back inside the ute as lightning hit the ground right next to where she had been standing.
At least now he knew where the dragon was. Directly overhead.
She muttered some word he didn't get the meaning off, her face white as snow. “On second thought, what’s your plan?”
Taurian watched her for one more second, but she made no more moves to leave the dubious shelter so he twisted around, trying to catch a glance of the dragon without actually exposing himself. “Will the ute still move?”
“I don't know, the electricals are probably fried after that.”
But she reached for the big circle in front of her and fiddled with something. The ute roared to life again.
“Hold on,” she instructed and pulled on the circle. It appeared to be how she controlled the beast. It struggled up the slight incline, then back onto the tracks. “Warn me if there's more lightning coming,” she ordered.
Taurian could do better than that. He intended to do his best to make sure there was no more.
In a straight fight, in his current state, the other dragon would have the edge on him. Luckily, surprised by the sudden movement of the ute, the dragon had dropped back. He would quickly regain the lost ground, but it gave Taurian a few seconds. Looking out the clear space at the back of where they sat, he only had to put one hand out the opening to launch a fireball at the dragon.
He held his breath as the fire sailed through the air and the dragon desperately backswept. But he was close enough that he didn’t have time to completely dodge. The blast hit him on a wing tip.
Taurian smiled as the dragon’s screech of pain filled the air, and the ute swung wildly from side to side.
“What’s happening?” the woman demanded. “Did you get it?”
“Winged him,” Taurian said. He watched as the dragon faltered. He kept flapping, but his beat was off and his speed had slowed considerably. The ute sped on, pulling away this time.
The woman twisted around, trying to see out the back window, causing the ute to swerve again. “Is it still following us?”
Taurian looked back as well, but the dust the ute was kicking up now had almost hidden the dragon. “I think so. He probably won’t for long though. How long until we get to your tribe?”
She looked at him strangely. “The town is about an hour away.”
“An hour? What’s that?”
“Look, you need to start telling me what is going on. Do you really not know anything, or is this some elaborate prank? Everyone knows what an hour is.”
Her assertion worried him. “Everyone?” he asked. “Who is everyone? When I entered the Mesmer, there were only a few hundred people living in this region. And they never mentioned anything about hours. They didn’t look anything like you either.”
The ute slowed a little and the bumping eased. Though Taurian kept glancing outside, the dragon didn’t reappear. It seemed he had given up the chase, for now at least.
He turned back as the woman spoke again. “What is a… Mesmer?”
