Chapter 55 Secrets
Secrets
Kit/Kat
Ihave no idea what in the actual fuck is going on right now.
Okay, that’s not true; I know fully that I’m flying through the air in a giant body that apparently belongs to me.
However, the ability to control what I’m doing has been taken away by the infuriated lizard that popped out of me earlier.
The dragon was so blindingly enraged at the Major’s abusive tactics that this girl came rushing out in a flood of fury and weird black fiery power.
Before I could process what happened, she grabbed the son of a bitch and squeezed the life out of him.
That’s when we took off into the sky, and Jasper shifted to follow us as we circled the stadium.
I thought we were going to crash and die, but instead, his dragon coasted alongside us until our wings steadied.
The absolute joy that filtered through my dragon as we soared through the air, chasing one another and shooting shadows playfully was indescribable.
I’ve truly felt nothing like this; it’s beyond any positive emotion I’ve ever felt.
But I don’t know how to take back control or what to do if I manage it.
Ducking a shadowy warning as it passes by me, we flap our wings hard, then bank left to avoid the next turn his dragon executes.
We don’t have his precision movements down yet; in fact, I’m pretty pleased we’re still in the air and in the game.
The dragon tosses our head, making a huffing sound as we do a loop-de-loop so our body ends behind his.
I suspect the prince is going easy on us, but every time we pass near one another, I feel his dragon’s happiness like a wave of energy pushing toward me.
A movement on the ground catches our attention out of the corner of our eye, and I realize that the rest of the guys have arrived.
Looking around, I see Oriel and Anton in the air, monitoring the boundaries of the arena as we dart around.
They’re watching for other demons, and I suppose that’s to keep anyone from discovering the body I left down there before taking to the skies.
Probably not the brightest move, but I didn’t have a choice in the matter.
“Jasper, for fuck’s sake, man! You gotta land. We need you, not the lizard, and KK has to shift back. C’mon, dude!”
I think our face smiles as Oriel pleads with the prince.
His dragon huffs, stubbornly leading mine away from the half-shifted crow demon.
Jasper’s dragon doesn’t get allowed much time here, I remember the guys saying, and now that it’s found a friend?
It’s not letting go just because O asked nicely.
My dragon is of a similar mind, it seems, because we’re just following him happily.
My internal pleas are ignored as I try to reason with her, and I wish I could speak so I could say something Jasper might hear inside.
“Prince, we must land. Get your dragon under control and do what you know is necessary.”
That’s Anton this time, and he’s using logic—something that isn’t surprising, but also isn’t what Jasper’s dragon gives a shit about.
I wheedle with the enormous beast controlling my form, asking nicely and demanding.
It’s not working because she’s eager as fuck about getting loose, just like Jasper’s beast, and together, we’re being led by the reptilian equivalent of dangerous, excited puppies.
I have no idea what the fuck we’re going to do; neither of us seems capable of stopping this display.
“Ab antiquis usque ad bestias, vobis impero ut audiatis et oboediatis!1”
The booming words aren’t in a language I know, though I think it might be Latin.
However, for the first time since I shifted, my dragon is paying attention.
It’s like her ears perk up inside of me and everything stops—including both of our enormous, scaly bodies.
She turns her head, looking down at the field curiously, and Dragon Jasper does the same.
“Tempus tuum hic finitum est, bestia fidelis. Transforma te et iterum dormi.2”
Feeling the immediate change in my body, I panic.
We’re high enough in the air that we will definitely die if we shift and hit the ground.
I have no idea what to do, and my dragon doesn’t listen to me yet.
Our head whips around to gaze at the bigger onyx dragon, and he bobs his head at the field before tucking his wings to head downward.
My panic subsides as she follows Jasper in the dive, taking us to the grass a lot more elegantly than I would have expected.
When our feet touch the grass, the change begins without a second to spare, and I scream as my body reshapes itself into a form that isn’t big enough to crush a house.
Panting as it finishes, I’ve barely opened my eyes when I feel a cloak drape over my shoulders, covering me from all the eyes staring down at me in shock.
I clutch the sides, pulling it around me as I shiver.
I think I’m recovering from the warmth that the dragon body provided—something I didn’t even realize until it was gone.
“H-h-h-holy…. f-f-f-f-fuckkkkk,” I stutter around my thick tongue.
“Don’t rush it, Master Kit. I am here, and we will discuss everything you need to know.”
The voice startles me, and I turn, wincing at the pain in my body from the fight that’s come roaring back in this form.
Dank is standing there, his mask off, and his weird, skeletal, fiery-feathered form revealed.
The damn cloak must be his, and I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so grateful to see someone.
When I first got here, this would have scared the fuck out of me, but now?
I look up at the ancient demon with a huge smile.
“I… Dank.. dragon?”
His spooky visage forms what I’m pretty sure is a smile as he nods.
Flaming feathers molt and fall as he does so, making me frown.
Is being without his protective garb hurting him?
I don’t know. Hell, I don’t even really know what kind of demon he is, or how ridiculously old he must be.
I just know that even if it is harming him, this kindly old demon made certain that no one saw me for real if I didn’t want them to.
“Yes, Master Kit. You have several secrets, and some have become… less hidden today, it seems.”
I snort and then grunt as it makes my torso ache. Probably cracked those damn ribs again. “Yeah, it’s been a real peach of a day, Dank. Did… they call you?”
“Aye! They called him and me.” The gruff voice of the Keeper echoes behind me, and I blink in surprise. “I didn’t know you’d made such good friends with the royal physician. Had I known, I would have added a few suggestions for you to ask him during our last visit.”
His enthusiasm is a bit much for me right now.
Swaying at the sudden influx of emotions and power around me, I put my hand out in case I crumple, but there’s someone behind me immediately. I turn my head slowly, smiling when I see Salem grinning at me. “Thanks, Salem.”
“Don’t worry, KK. We’ll always catch you, even if some dickhead is leading you into a dive you might not have the mechanics to handle yet.”
There’s a growl from the periphery of the circle at the dig, and I sigh in relief when it tells me that Jasper is okay.
“I appreciate it. I really have no idea how I managed that. The dragon was in the driver’s seat from the moment it popped free.
I could only watch and yell inside, but it didn’t give a fuck what I said. ”
“That’s not surprising, lad. All new shifters struggle with control and trust with their animal, and the more powerful the beastie is, the harder it is to learn.
” The Keeper backs up, his bearded face barely concealing the smirk.
“I believe it would be worse for someone who has more inner beings than they know what to do with.”
“Gee, I can’t imagine,” I mutter grumpily.
“Master Kit, may I speak with you privately? I would like to examine you briefly to ensure we are not ignoring serious injuries and to discuss your condition with you. The others can decide what they will do to clean up this… situation… while we do so.”
I would kiss that flaming bird demon if I didn’t think it would burn me to ash.
“Yes, that sounds like a good idea, Dank.”
Slash lumbers over, picking me up without a word, and stomps over to the bench with me in his arms. The big guy is clearly upset, but he’s gentle as can be, cradling me close, and then finally depositing me on the toilet in the bathroom of the changing area.
“Close the door and be cautious. I must go assist the others, little demon.”
Since we’re not in view of the others, I dart forward, kissing his cheek lightly as I whisper, “Thank you.”
“As the panda said, we will always keep you safe.”
I smile to myself as he pulls back and exits the small restroom, so the doc can enter.
As soon as he’s inside, Dank chants a few words in the demonic language, and the door glows purple.
I assume he’s using magic to lock it in a more serious manner than the handle, so I just sit on the cold ceramic lid as I wait.
“You have chosen your allies very well, Katarina,” Dank says in his rusty voice. “I believe those young demons would truly sacrifice themselves in order to keep you safe. They are not lying to you or themselves anymore, it seems.”
Scoffing uncomfortably, I scuff my foot on the ground. “Maybe. I mean, some of them. I don’t know about everyone. They’re all being better, though.”
“You’re not giving yourself or them enough credit.
However, such is the fallacy of youth, I believe.
” He laughs, the sound making more feathers fly, and I frown.
“Do not worry about that, Katarina. My feathers have molted and grown back so many times over my long life that I lost count before the current royals took the throne.”
I guess that might be a hint to some, but it leaves me completely at a quandary on age and shit.
“Okay, I just… it looked painful, and I thought giving me your cloak and keeping your mask off probably made it worse.”
Dank laughs again. “No, those are devices for others’ comfort. You do not look at me in abject horror as so many do. I am perfectly comfortable and not in pain. You, however, cannot say the same, I gather?”
My nose wrinkles as I whisper, “Jasper and I were practicing sparring. It was fine until the Major showed up out of nowhere.”
“I see,” he hums as he pulls the cloak off of my shoulders so he can see me. “And then what transpired?”
The darkness inside me rears up again as I think about it, and the doctor puts his hand on my shoulder, making it melt away somehow.
I give him a wide-eyed expression, but he just goes back to examining me.
“Um.. well, The Major ordered Jasper to spar with me again, and um… He said the prince couldn’t hold back this time.
It was an order, and I could tell Jasper didn’t want to do it, but we couldn’t say no. ”
Pausing, Dank looks at me sympathetically—I think—and shakes his head.
“The soldiers loyal to the crown, especially those in the highest ranks, have lost their way. Sadism, cruelty, and lust for power run amok in their midst. Ordering a powerful, elder demon to attack a young one is never helpful and often leads to the thinning of their ranks rather than filling them. You cannot lead soldiers you gravely injure or kill.”
“That’s what I thought, but obviously, this asshole wasn’t taught logic,” I grumble.
Dank’s hands move to a spot that makes me cry out, and he stops, turning to look in the bag on the floor.
“He seemed determined to fuck me up, and it’s probably because we metaphorically gave the King the middle finger on Halloween. Well, Jasper did, and I was involved.”
“Ah, so you believe he was instructed to look for you during his visit and make you pay for that affront.”
“Definitely.”
The bird demon tsks as he mumbles, “Young royals should know better than using those who are not ready for vengeance in their schemes. However, I am certain the Major was quite shocked when you not only withstood the assault, but shifted into a powerful beast as well. Am I correct?”
My face heats as I look at the floor. “He didn’t really have a chance to think much, I don’t think. I shifted into a dragon—which I didn’t know I could do—and well, you saw what my dragon did. It was over pretty fucking quickly.”
“I see.” The doc tilts his head as he waits for me to meet his gaze. “Why did your dragon do that?”
Shrugging, I say, “He was an asshole.”
“Perhaps, but that does not warrant the rage that forces a shift of such a powerful animal. Think harder, Katarina.”
I frown, biting my lip as I consider what was going through my mind when the dragon took over. When it comes to me, I blink and then swallow hard before I answer. “I didn’t like that he violated Jasper’s boundaries. It was obvious he didn’t want to hurt me, and the Major was forcing him to.”
“Have you ever been in a situation like that before?”
My body locks as I remember the incident, and I feel my pulse spike. “Yes.”
“And what happened then, I wonder?” The demon muses as he applies cream to the injuries carefully. “What did you do when it happened before?”
“I didn’t know until just now, but… I think I set the place on fire,” I whisper.
I’ve never seen a flaming bird skull look quite so pleased as he does right now, but it’s almost like Dank is gloating.
1 From the ancients to the beasts, I command you to listen and obey!
2 Your time here is over, faithful beast. Transform yourself and sleep again.