Chapter 3
THREE
CARINA
“I’m heading out,” I announce, my work bag on my shoulder, my suitcase at my feet.
After the ride with Baba, I need to get out of here. I don’t want to take the chance of that dragon showing up here. My heart has refused to calm down since well before landing back on the ground.
“Why all of a sudden?” Bamba asks. My grandmother had been home when we got here. If I weren’t panicking about everything, I’d have been excited and shared with her how much I’ve missed being in the sky.
“I just need to get to Shiverborn. I was already supposed to be there.” I shrug, rolling my suitcase to the door. If I don’t get out of here ASAP, I’m going to end up freaking out in the worst way possible. I don’t want to do that in front of them, let alone at all.
“We’re supposed to do dinner with your brother and Francie.”
I close my eyes and take a breath to calm my nerves. “I’ll call him from the car.” I don’t look back toward Bamba or in Baba’s direction as I push through the screen door. “Maybe after I finish this article in Shiverborn, I’ll come back and visit again,” I tell them both without looking up.
“That would be lovely,” Bamba remarks as both of them follow me out to the car.
“You’re running away,” Baba grunts, leans against the side of my car, arms crossed.
“Leave her be, Clay,” Bamba murmurs, placing a hand on his arm. “You know the fates will see to her future.” Her eyes come to me. “Whether you like it or not.”
I don’t want to think about what she means by that little comment. I don’t care what the fates deem right for me. I will make my own life for myself. I won’t let them or anyone else declare whatever for me.
Closing the trunk, I move into my grandparents without a word.
They’re not going to talk me out of leaving, and I’m not going to hurt their feelings by saying anything.
It’s not that I have something against dragons, because I don’t.
I just refuse to become the freak that so many have called me in the past.
“Love you, I’ll call you when I get there.”
“We love you too,” Bamba murmurs and presses a kiss to my cheek.
“You know you’re always gonna be my little girl,” Baba grumbles. “Don’t like you leaving and being away from us.”
He’s always hated me being so far away from them.
“I know, but I’m always careful.”
“If you need me for anything . . .”
“You’ll be the first person I call,” I finish for him.
Pulling from both of them, I round the car and climb in the driver’s seat. I let out a heavy breath as I start the car, put it in gear, and press my foot to the gas.
It’s time to get out of here. Definitely before my brother can catch up with me.
My grandparents don’t live too far from where my brother’s club is located, and I want to put some distance between us before he has a chance to find out what is up with me.
Cason has always been able to read me. Just as our grandparents have, only he’s able to dive deeper somehow, and it freaks me out.
He knows how to get into my head like no one else.
Okay, that’s a lie, but I refuse to acknowledge how much of a lie it is.
Letting out a shuddered breath, I shake my head and focus on the road.
I have a good five-hour drive ahead of me.
It’ll definitely take a little longer, though.
I still need to stop for gas, get something to eat, and I’m sure I’ll have to stop to use the facilities at some point.
I don’t have an endless bladder like some folks do.
My phone rings, and I glance at the car’s screen only to huff in frustration. I hit the ignore button as I don’t have time for UNKNOWN freaking callers.
Knowing I still have to call my brother, I put the call in to him while turning onto the main road, pointing my car in the direction I need to be heading.
Pressing the button on the steering column, I command, “Call Cason.”
“Calling Cason,” the automatic voice repeats.
Thank God for technology. Well, most of it. Some things could be done without, but being hands-free in the car is good for me. I’m not good at texting and driving. Or anything that takes my hands from the wheel except for a quick sip of a drink.
“Where the fuck are you going?” Cason answers, his voice filled with anger. I could imagine his eyes filled with the fire he breathes.
“I’m heading to Shiverborn. I told you I had a job to do,” I tell him sweetly, hoping he doesn’t hear the truth in the words. I’m running.
“Bullshit, you’re running away. Why?” There’s no hiding from my brother even through the phone.
“I’m not running,” I lie.
“If that’s true, then why didn’t you wait until you saw me and Francie?” I shudder at the accusation filling his voice. He knows me. Knows how I am. “You’re running away again, Carina, and I want to know why.”
I don’t answer him for a long time, finally I breathe heavily and feel the tears burning to be spilled. “I’ll let you know when I get to Shiverborn.”
Cason curses, and his next words scare a part of me.
“You can’t hide who the fuck you are. Who you were meant to be.
You keep running, and you’re nothing but a coward instead of a dragon’s mate.
Dragons don’t want bullshit scared shitless little girls who can’t do nothing but cower in fear.
Grow the fuck up, Carina. You don’t, then don’t bother coming back here. You don’t belong.”
He disconnects the call before the words fully seep in and make their mark.
Am I a coward?
Yes, I am.
I’m a coward because I felt the desire pull me to the dragon I saw in the sky. I don’t want to be just a dragon’s mate. I don’t want to be seen as just a woman with the mark of the dragon. I’ve worked too hard to make a life for myself that doesn’t include dragons in it.
I shake my head, refusing to let the first tear spill down my cheek. I have a long drive ahead of me, and a job to do. To hell with what Cason or anyone else thinks.
Screw the fates.
Screw the Gods.
Screw them all.
I create the path I’m on, and no one can change who I am and what I’ve become.
Cason doesn’t know everything I endured growing up.
No one does. They only know the basics. I’ve kept everything I went through a secret from them all, having written it down and hiding my journals from all who would find them under my bed.
Those journals were still there when I checked. They hadn’t been touched. I should have grabbed them, but I didn’t. They’ll have to stay there until I finally get the courage to pull them out and do something with them.
For the time being, I hope no one finds.
Not that I have any worry they will. It’s been years, and still they haven’t been found.
No one knows the truths I hide, truths I’ll never speak word of.
It’ll only hurt those around me more than I’ve hurt them in the years I’ve refused to listen to reason and come home.
It’s all I can do to push the thoughts out of my mind. Cason’s words haunt me and aren’t easy to block out. My brother can be mean, hurtful even, but never in our lives has he ever told me that I don’t belong with them.
My breath hitches, and I tighten my grip on the steering wheel, unable to keep the tears at bay as I try to do.
The ringing of my phone causes me to scream. Frustration. Hurt. Agony. Fear. All of them consume me, and I end up answering the phone, my voice raised. “What do you want? Why can’t you just stop?” It was the unknown caller again.
They don’t say anything, and I was done.
“Just leave me alone,” I scream into the phone, the tears spill down my cheeks faster. “Just leave me alone!”
“But I can’t,” the voice is grated and harsh. “I can’t leave you alone. Not when you belong with me. Soon, you’ll be just where I want you. See you soon, my dearest.”
The call ends, and a cold shiver shoots through my body, chilling me all over. It’s the first time the person has spoken. The voice sounded so evil and sinister, a part of me wants to call my brother and tell him. To confide in them all about what’s going on.
You don’t belong here.
Those four words pop into my head, and I know I can never call my brother about this. It’ll just prove to him just how much of a coward he thinks I am.
Through the tears, I look to the darkening sky. Clouds were coming in, and with them one hell of a storm. One I have a feeling I won’t make it through.
I should probably find somewhere to stop, but I can’t stop yet. I’ll drive until I can’t drive anymore. The storm won’t be that bad. Besides, I’ve driven through worse, I’m sure of it.
I should have stopped. Driving through mountains during a storm like this is not a good idea.
Stupid really.
So, so, stupid.
Just like me.
My phone rings, and I ignore it, not wanting to let it distract me. I can barely see the road in front of me. It’s pitch black, no lights, no moon, nothing but my headlights shining into the bleak darkness with the rain coming down in sheets, making it so I can’t see past the hood of my car.
I let out a frustrated cry when my phone rings yet again. I take the chance to look at the screen to see it’s Baba calling me. He won’t stop until I answer him, so I press the answer button on the steering column. Before I can say anything, though, he’s speaking.
“Tell me you pulled off and aren’t driving through this storm.”
“I’m driving, Baba, I can’t talk now.”
“Find somewhere to pull off and let the storm pass,” he orders.
“I’m fine, Baba, I’ll call you later,” I tell him and end the call, wishing I hadn’t hung up on him like that.
I blink more tears away, not needing to cry anymore. Not now, at least.
Starting my descent to the other side of one of the many mountains I have to pass, I let the car coast, not needing to press the gas, not with this decline grade. Gravity is doing it for me.
I do keep my foot leveled over the brake just in case.
The ringing of my phone has me screaming, but I don’t answer it. I can’t. One second, everything was okay. Next, my car is spinning, something had hit the side of the car, sending me spiraling.
Fear clogs my throat, and I can’t regain control of my car.
Glass shatters. Metal creaks, bends, and crumbles. Everything seems to happen at once, yet in slow motion as the car rolls.
My legs are pinned under the steering column as the car is upside down. I can feel the blood. Pain unlike anything I’ve ever felt, well, I have but not in a long time, radiates throughout my body.
So many things swarm in my head as darkness comes over me. One of those being how I wished I could have proven my brother wrong and that I wasn’t a coward, but I was, and we both knew it. The other is wishing I’d been able to see the dragon from the sky one last time.