Chapter 3 #2
He’d allowed her to roam freely through the lair even if she had become a queen in name only since they’d entered hibernation, now she was locked in the crystal cell, cut off from her magic as well as any dragon foolish enough to try to help her escape.
His only concession to the arrogant female’s various demands was giving her the gem-encrusted throne that she’d sat on for thousands of years. Until the hibernation ended and a new leader was chosen, it was a meaningless chair. Why not let her have the thing?
He strolled around the cell. It was too sparse and brightly lit for anyone to be hidden in the space, but he wanted to make sure there were no objects of power that had been smuggled in, and more importantly, no changes to the crystal walls.
Only when he was confident that the queen had no means to touch the outside world did he turn to face her.
She was currently perched on the throne in her human form since the cell was too small for her dragon.
As usual she was wearing the heavy black shroud she’d requested as a symbol of her martyrdom, but Azh wasn’t fooled.
She hadn’t given up her raw ambitions. Even now her flame-red hair was braided and coiled to resemble a crown on top of her head while the aura of her beast blasted around her like solar flares around the sun.
Meeting the dark female gaze that held a ruthless arrogance that could never be diminished, Azh offered a respectful bow of his head. No matter what had happened, Zanna had devoted an eternity to leading her people. She’d earned his respect if not his trust.
“Well?” she demanded in impatient tones, the reflective bronze tint to her skin hinting at scales. “Did you find what you were seeking?”
Azh shook his head. “No.”
“Then why did you return?”
Frustration smoldered through him. He should be with Wynn.
Everything inside him screamed at the thought of leaving her alone and vulnerable.
He told himself it was a natural reaction.
How could he investigate the ancient dragon magic that pulsed around her from this prison?
Or discover why she fascinated him in a way that felt dangerously like destiny.
“I didn’t. I was forced back.”
“Forced? How?” Zanna’s nostrils flared as if she’d caught a nasty whiff.
“No, don’t tell me. There’s only one creature who could impose his will on a dragon.
That bastard,” she hissed. “I knew he intended to destroy us. I warned you that the treaty had to be broken before he handed our world to the leeches on a silver platter. We’re sitting ducks here. ”
Azh arched a brow. “Ducks?”
“You know what I mean,” Zanna snapped. Her sense of humor had never been great. Now it was nonexistent. “The Watcher has us trapped in this place. There’s every reason to assume he will leave us here to rot. Or worse, allow the vampires to enter and destroy us.”
“This has nothing to do with the Watcher.” He refused to take her bait. Zanna’s grievance with the creature who’d forced them into hibernation had driven her over the edge.
That was why she was sitting on an empty throne in a crystal cell.
“Then what is it?”
“I’m not sure.”
She made a sound of disgust. “I thought you were our most powerful hunter? The male who has been chosen to replace me?”
“No one has been chosen to replace you. Not until the treaty has come to an end. I only seek to protect my people.”
“Our people.”
“Yes, our people.” He held her smoldering gaze without apology.
She waved a slender hand. “Tell me about the power. You must have discovered something.”
“Not as much as I hoped. There is a female who seems to echo with our magic, but she is most certainly not a dragon.”
“Echo. What does that mean?”
“It’s in her, but not fully a part of her.” Another wave of frustration rolled through him. “I need to return.”
“The opening remains?”
“No.”
“Ah.” Zanna’s lips twisted into a mocking smile. “Then you intend to bend the rules to suit your ambitions? Like I did?”
Azh shook his head. “I trust it will open again. The Watcher is unaware of the danger, but the magic of the treaty will ensure that I’m allowed to protect us.” Azh turned to leave the cell. “First, however, I have some research to do.”
“Research on what?”
“Kazak.”
“Kazak? Our mythical homeland?” A sharp laugh echoed through the cell. “Only a fool would believe that’s anything but a fairytale.”
“Maybe it’s a fairytale, maybe not.” He shrugged. “I chose to believe the warnings of our forefathers.”
“Trust you to waste time with looking through moldy old books instead of taking action against our true enemy, the Watcher,” the queen taunted. “You’ve always been more a scholar than a warrior.”
Azh halted at the barrier, turning to regard the older woman with a vague sense of regret.
There’d been a time when dragons had exalted in their brutality.
They delighted in battling each other as much as they did their enemies.
The bloodshed had eventually been contained by Zanna’s cunning leadership, directing their violent tendencies to destroying anything that wasn’t a dragon.
Vampires, demons, and the increasing tribes of humans.
The future, however, wasn’t going to belong to those stuck in the past. As technology expanded and times changed, they would need intelligence to survive, not mindless cruelty. The only way to continue as a species was to adapt. He truly believed that.
Still, looking to the future didn’t mean forgetting their history.
His earliest ancestors had warned of a darkness that remained a threat to his people.
And that there would come a time when they would have to prepare to battle back the evil with an ancient magic that would be returned to the dragons when it was most needed.
He had no idea if the female was somehow involved in the warning, but he was going to make sure he’d searched through every damn book in their vast library that referred to the mysterious magic.
“Knowledge is a formidable weapon,” he assured his companion.
“Might makes right. Never forget that...” Zanna deliberately paused, her black gaze searing over him. “Son.”
Azh bowed. “I’ll keep that in mind...Mother.”
He stepped through the barrier and left behind the female who might have given him life but had never seen him as more than a competitor for her position as queen.
* * * *
Wynn was running on empty by the time she plodded up the stairs leading to Hexx’s apartment. She’d managed to return to the abandoned building with the skipping stone, but her magic had been sputtering on empty.
The only good news was that there’d been no stalker waiting for her in the darkness.
She huddled in the corner of the old fish shop for over an hour, assuming that he was waiting for his moment to pounce. When nothing happened, she’d slowly inched her way out of the building and down the silent streets.
Could she have finally gotten rid of him?
She grimaced.
She wasn’t overly modest. She knew that she was smart, quick to adapt, and capable of making the hard choices. That had been the only way to survive. But she was no match for a dragon.
Dragon...
A shiver raced down her spine. She was too tired to try to wrap her brain around the fact that there was a mythical creature roaming the streets of New York City. But wait. He wasn’t just roaming the streets. He was following her around like a hunter stalking his prey.
Her luck had been trending south lately, but this was ridiculous. Strange nightmares, weird magic she couldn’t control, and now a dangerous, sexy, majestic...had she mentioned sexy...dragon chasing her?
Releasing a harsh sigh as she reached the top of the steps, Wynn pushed open the door. There was no surprise when it easily swung inward. Hexx was a true rat. As soon as he sensed a sinking ship he’d bailed. Which was why she was there.
Unless she got a few hours of sleep she was going to pass out.
Once she was rested she would try to figure out what she’d done to attract Azh’s attention, and more importantly, how to get rid of him. He might be the most gorgeous male she’d ever encountered, but he was a complication. A huge, delicious, sexy...there it was again. Sexy.
No, no, no.
She sternly banished any thought of Azh and his sexy complications.
Entering the apartment, she crept through the stacks of boxes and totes, her muscles tense as she prepared to flee at the least hint of danger.
By the time she reached the recliner set near the window, she had convinced herself she was alone.
If there was anyone or anything hidden in the cramped space, she couldn’t detect it.
For now that was good enough.
Flopping into the chair, she winced as a rusty spring jabbed into her butt. Hexx had worn the cushion as thin as a pancake. Unfortunately, beggars couldn’t be choosers and she was too exhausted to try to find something more comfortable.
With a deep sigh, she pushed back the chair until it was in full reclining position and closed her eyes. With a speed that would shock anyone that had never been sleep deprived, physically exhausted, and magically drained, Wynn tumbled into a welcomed puddle of nothingness.
She drifted in the abyss for what felt like a second but might have been several hours before the nightmare found her.
It started as a regular dream. She was strolling through the streets of London, enjoying the sound of the nightly crowds spilling out of the local pubs.
She didn’t know where she was headed, and it didn’t matter.
It was enough to share the vibrant sense of joy that oozed from the locals.
Humans might not be immortal, but they made up for their shortened life span by embracing each moment.