Chapter 19
I’m sure you’re wondering how I ended up coming to the rescue. We’ll need to rewind a tiny bit to the hotel room where I attempted to nap and failed because Nicky kept pacing and muttering to herself.
I thought about taking her to task. I mean, hello, I needed to rest! However, her agitation did prove founded. I, too, worried about the little human even as I had faith Bruce would bring her back safely.
A faith that found itself tested when Nicky exclaimed, “Joseph just texted me.”
“Are you sure it’s him?” I questioned. “I thought no one but Bruce had your number.”
“Joseph probably bullied the daycare into handing it over.”
“What does the cad want?”
Her lips pinched. “I am to come to him at once or he’ll harm Zaza.”
“He’d better not,” I growled.
“He will if I won’t obey.”
Being a wise dragon, I pointed out the obvious. “It’s a trap.”
“Obviously.”
“Why do I get the impression you’re still going to meet the miscreant?”
“Because I have no choice. I won’t let him hurt Zaza.”
“Shouldn’t we wait to see if Bruce is successful?”
Nicky’s phone dinged and she didn’t immediately reply but her face tightened.
“What is it?”
Instead of answering she turned the screen of her phone towards me. It showed an image of Zaza sitting on a floor, face blotchy from crying. But more disturbing? Someone held a gun pointed at her crown. It chilled me to the core.
“I have to go,” Nicky exclaimed as she jammed her feet into her boots and grabbed the car keys Bruce left behind.
No surprise, the human chose to let emotions make her decisions. To be honest, I also did not react well to the threat made against Zaza. How dare someone threaten the child who’d bonded with me?
When Nicky would have rushed out the door, I dragged my sluggish body from the nest of blankets on the couch and bellowed in a less than impressive tenor, “I’m coming too.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Percy.” Nicky’s lips turned down. “I doubt I’ll be coming back, and I won’t let Joseph get ahold of you. You’re much too special.”
“So are you,” I insisted. “I won’t let you go alone.”
She shook her head. “I love you, Percy. If Bruce survives, take care of him for me.”
With that, she dared to close the door, the handle out of reach, essentially locking me in the room.
Utterly unacceptable. Not to mention disrespectful. Disobeying a direct order. The nerve. The gall only heightened the annoyance of my being stuck inside the hotel room.
A draft tickled me, the cold of it soothing. It led my gaze to the sliding doors beyond which jutted a balcony situated two floors above the parking lot. Perhaps I could still join Nicky.
I ran on all four paws to the exit, my claws managing to slip into the track of the ill-seated glass door.
It took all my heaving and huffing strength to slide it open enough for me to squeeze outside.
Then I had a railing to contend with. The bars were too close together for me to pass through, so I climbed, my skin cracking and splitting as my limbs moved and stretched and even grew.
My next molt chose the worst time to manifest. Reaching the rim of the balcony where I gripped tight with my claws, I teetered and faced a dilemma.
Two stories were a long way down when you couldn’t fly, and I doubted I’d have time to climb.
Movement caught my eye and a glance to the left showed Nikki walking briskly from the hotel’s main entrance, aiming for Bruce’s vehicle. If I didn’t act soon, she’d leave without me. But if I jumped, I’d most likely be injured. What should I do?
The choice was taken from me when a strong gust of wind slapped into my body and I lost my balance. As I plummeted, my limbs thrashed, skin shredded, flesh expanded, and—
Pop. Pop.
I unfurled my newly revealed wings in time to slow my descent, but not actually fly. I managed a wobbly glide to the ground with my fresh appendages. My arrival didn’t go unnoticed.
“Percy?” Nicky’s rapid steps slowed. “How did you get down here?”
I proudly fluttered my wings. “With these.”
“Well look at that.” She offered a wan smile. “So glad to see you got them, but I have to go and I don’t have time to bring you back to the room.”
“I told you I’m coming,” I huffed. “Zaza needs us. What are you waiting for, woman?”
Nicky exhaled a heavy sigh as she grabbed and placed me in the back where I chose to use Zaza’s car seat as it provided me with a bit of elevation for a better view.
As Nicky sped off, driving quickly considering the slippery conditions, I felt like I should remind her, “Bruce will probably have taken care of Joseph before we get there.”
“Doubtful, seeing as how Bruce left only twenty minutes ago.”
“It doesn’t take long to kill the enemy.”
“Assuming Bruce succeeds. Joseph is a sly bastard,” she muttered, her hands clenched tight on the steering wheel.
“Have faith. Bruce is my servant for a reason.”
She snorted. “Don’t even try and tell me you chose him special because I know you only found each other by accident.”
“There are no accidents when it comes to a dragon finding its servants. It’s more akin to what you humans call fate.”
“It was fate that put you in his hot tub?” she queried as she took a turn rather sharply.
“Yes, just like it was fate that brought you into my service.”
“I would have blamed the storm,” she muttered.
“Believe what you wish, you met me for a reason. Just like I molted at this moment for a purpose.”
“Not sure how you getting wings helps.”
“Neither do I, but I’m sure the reason will present itself at an opportune moment.”
“I hope you’re right.”
The driveway Nicky abruptly swung into held the orange-hued car of the strangers who’d visited the chalet parked alongside a larger dark vehicle with smoked windows. The woman I’d seen spying through windows stood by the front door, seeming innocuous until she pulled a gun from inside her jacket.
“Stay here,” Nicky said, exiting the car and closing the door before I could follow.
Had she seriously abandoned me again? I really needed to have a talk with her about obedience.
Then again, perhaps me being out of sight would work to our advantage.
This Joseph remained unaware of who he messed with.
Daring to steal a dragon’s servant-in-training.
The gall! I’d enjoy plucking his eyeballs and eating them as an appetizer before I went after his savory liver.
“Look who decided to crawl back,” drawled the woman in Italian.
“Allegra. I should have known he’d send you,” Nicky stated in a flat tone.
Allegra smirked. “I volunteered. Even offered to take you out to save him the trouble, but the boss wanted to handle your punishment himself.”
“Where’s Zaza?”
“Inside with her father. Where’s your male friend?” Allegra’s gaze went past Nicky to eyeball the car.
“No idea. I came alone.”
“What a shame. Joseph wanted to meet him,” Allegra stated as she opened the door and stood to the side.
Nicky’s shoulders stiffened before she marched into the house, Allegra at her back, leaving me to ponder how I would escape the car. While I could yank the latch, the weight of the actual door kept it from swinging open. Annoying.
As I glared at the door—which refused to comply—the woman reemerged from the chalet without Nicky.
Where was Bruce? Had he arrived yet? Was he scouting? Had he been captured?
I had to get inside the house and check on the status of my humans. But for that, I’d need to escape the damnable vehicle.
An idea formed when I noticed Allegra coming towards the car, most likely with the intent to search it.
I ducked out of sight, dropping into the space with the gas and brake pedals.
I contained my bristling excitement as I heard the crunch of snow indicating Allegra approached.
The steps varied in cadence as she circled the vehicle, pausing every so often to peek through the windows.
Peek, but not open any of the doors, the one thing I needed her to do.
When it sounded as if she’d walk away, I had to act. The tip of my tail rose and tapped the glass.
The driver side door was ripped open so suddenly, I half expected the hinges to snap.
“Who’s there?” Allegra barked.
“Me.”
“What?” Her gaze dropped just as I lunged.
Now you might wonder how someone the size of a medium dog could prevail against a human several times my size.
Here’s the thing about dragons, we are natural-born predators.
Kind of obvious given, our teeth and claws.
While I might not be full-size, I had surprise and fury on my side.
Not to mention, I knew where to strike on the human body to cause the most damage.
In this case, I latched my teeth onto Allegra’s neck. She squeaked and thrashed, but couldn’t break my firm, crunching grip.
The gory details would be something I relived over and over.
My first human kill—and not my last. The rush of victory filled me with adrenaline and my mouth overflowed with blood.
Much as I wanted to slurp the yummy, warm juice, I had other priorities.
There would be no snacking while my servants remained in peril.
I unlatched from my first kill and headed for the home, noting the brightly lit bay window through which I glimpsed a Christmas tree. We didn’t have one at Bruce’s place. We’d have to rectify that. I liked the idea of getting presents.
Bang. Bang.
Someone fired a gun. Most likely Bruce. I told Nicky he’d come to the rescue.
Wanting to see the rescue unfold, I climbed onto the hood of the car for a better view.
What I glimpsed through the window didn’t look good.
I spotted Nicky, sitting in a chair holding Zaza in her lap.
A man pointed a gun at my chef’s head. The threat forced Bruce, who entered looking fierce, to disarm himself.
Although I did have a hint of hope when he flung his knife at the gunman.
When it failed to connect, I knew he’d die.
Without my permission.
Really, today’s humans had no concept of what it meant to serve a dragon and they’d never learn if they perished. Not to mention, the human with the gun needed a lesson on how to treat women and not piss off dragons.
But to lay down my law, I’d have to get inside. The closed door was beyond me but the window… Windows could easily break with enough force and this one wasn’t too high off the ground, especially given my vantage point.
The distance, however, required more than a leap. Could my wings handle it? They’d better.
To give myself momentum, I ran. From the roof of the car, down the sloped windshield, gaining speed, and across the hood before I launched myself. My newly sprung wings fluttered.
Had the gap been a few feet more, I would have failed. A good thing I hit that glass hard. It shattered, an explosion that provided me quite the spectacular entrance.
I barely wobbled as I landed and tucked my wings.
With my head held at a proud angle that all might admire, I said, “Unhand my servants at once.”
You might be wondering how everyone reacted at my timely and dramatic arrival.
Joseph gaped, jaw slack and eyes wide.
Nicky gasped loudly.
As for Zaza, she clapped and said, “Bravo, mio drago.” Yes, I was her dragon.
Rather than admire, Bruce acted and rolled towards Joseph’s legs, slamming into them and taking the miscreant down. The blow knocked the gun free and it skittered across the floor.
While Bruce tussled with Joseph, the pair evenly matched, it appeared, given they exchanged blows with neither achieving the upper hand, I glanced at Nicky who sat and stared. Stared instead of using the opportunity given to her.
It led to me snapping the obvious, “Now would be a good time to get Zaza out of here.”
“What? But Bruce?” Nicky chewed her lip as she rose with Zaza in her arms.
What about Bruce? He currently hammered a fist into Joseph’s face. Joseph replied with a slug of his own. At this rate, they’d be fighting a while, and I was getting hungry.
“Go,” I stated. “I’ll handle this.” After all, I’d killed one human tonight. Why not two?
Nicky fled with Zaza and I watched to see how the fight would unfold.
The exchange of punches bored until Joseph kneed Bruce in the thigh. Must have been a direct hit to his injury, because my servant yelped and arched.
Joseph took that moment to dive for his gun and whirled with it as Bruce charged.
Bang.
My servant took the shot in his arm. Bruce reeled and hit the wall before slumping with a grimace of pain.
Joseph spit a mouthful of blood and took aim again.
I yelled, “Don’t you dare shoot him.”
My order led to the man glancing at me. “I wasn’t mistaken. A talking lizard will be worth a fortune,” Joseph stated.
“Lizard?” I couldn’t help the note of affront. “It’s dragon, actually.” A dragon still feeling the effects of adrenaline, or was it something else? I tingled head to toe and my belly tickled, a fluttering not related to hunger for once.
Bruce groaned. “Why the fuck would you let him in on your secret, Percy?”
“Because he won’t be leaving this house alive,” was my matter-of-fact reply.
“Who’s going to kill me?” Joseph scoffed. “Your American soldier is finished. Nicky fled. It’s just you and me, and I’m several times your size. Plus, I’m the one with the gun.” Joseph crouched to point the weapon at my face, as if I’d be so easily frightened.
“You might be bigger,” I agreed, “but everyone knows dragons are superior to humans.” I’d no sooner finished speaking, than the quivering in my belly coalesced and rose, contracting my throat.
My jaw opened wide and I exhaled. Ice crystals and frigid air blasted from my maw and hit Joseph, freezing him in place—a process that took mere seconds as my breath acted like liquid nitrogen.
Bruce blinked. “Did you just turn that fucker into a meatsicle?”
“I told you he wouldn’t live to tell anyone about me.” I tilted my chin proudly. “It would seem this molt not only exposed my wings, it unlocked my ability, too.”
“And just in time. Now, while I’d love to listen to you gloat about your greatness and moan for food, I think I might need a hand from Nicky to stop the bleeding.”
A dragon ordered to fetch like a servant. I allowed it only because of the circumstance. It would be inconvenient if, after the heroic effort I put forth, Bruce died.
While Nicky exclaimed over Bruce’s scratch, I raided the kitchen with my sidekick, Zaza. After all, saving the lives of my humans deserved an edible reward.