Claimed by the Dragon King (3 page)

Chapter Four

“Where is the Dragon Melinda Merrick?” Arralt questions me.

“I…” I want to tell him to go to hell but I have a feeling that it’s not going be good if I do. “I don’t know.” Lying seems like the best option. Maybe then I can figure out why he hasn’t killed me yet.

“So you helped free him and what? He just gave you this to say thank you?” He holds the bracelet up to the light. It’s not fully charged but it’s glimmering strangely. I know it’s going to hurt but I have to see why it looks so odd… I focus my Witchsight and breathe through the pain. The orbs on Arralt are brighter, almost like they recognize the familiar magic of the bracelet! They start to drift towards his hand until he closes his fingers around it and squeezes hard, crushing my gift and my only hope of escape. I can hear the gemstones cracking and grinding unnaturally. Arralt opens his hand and pours a pile of dust onto the floor. Damn, there goes my only hope of getting myself out of here. Michael runs over and obediently sweeps up the dust with his tiny hands.

“Well, since it appears that you can be bought, let me make you an offer.” A wicked smile crosses his face before he continues. “Your father has persuaded me that you should be given a chance to be,” he stops and leans in, “useful.”

“How so?” I ask. There’s no way I’m going to help him but maybe if he thinks I’m on his side I can manipulate this hopeless situation. My father is a double crossing bastard but maybe I am more like him than I thought.

“The Dragon boy is dangerous,” he says. “If the spells that bind him are not renewed, magic will fail across the Underground. The very spells that hold the city together will collapse and you will be responsible for the death of our kind.”

Could that be true? If it is…

“You will help me put him back. I will make sure you and your father are… richly compensated for your assistance to the crown.” I bite back the
fuck you
that’s hanging on my tongue.

“I can make you important Melinda Merrick,” he says circling me like prey.  “People will grovel at your feet. All you have to do is tell me where he is.”

“I honestly don’t know,” I lie. “He just told me that he needed me to break the spell. That’s it.”

“Lies!” Arralt screams. “You would be so stupid as to lie to me girl? Your father told me you had more sense than that! It’s no matter. Let me show you what we do to those who betray me.” He snaps his fingers and a shining metal cage appears in the space between us. A tiny body lay crumpled on it’s floor, wings shriveled and broken. Arralt shakes the cage cruelly and the sprite rolls over onto her side.

“Fee!” I scream, grasping for the cage. Arralt pulls it just out of my reach and casts a spell forcing my whole body to freeze uncomfortably. The tiny woman tries to sit up but she can’t. “No…” I say but it comes out as a desperate whisper. I try to fight the spell but there’s nothing I can do.

“Ah so you do know this traitor! She was caught by my Seekers inside your simple dwelling,” Arralt says with a wicked smile on his face. 
“Tsk, tsk.
Well, let’s find out where the Dragon is shall we?” He reaches into the cage and lifts Fee out by her already fragile wings. She swings her arms feebly, trying desperately to punch his arm.

Arralt looks at me squarely and pulls at her wings as Fee screams in agony. “Tell me where he is!” Arralt commands, looking at me without any remorse. Evil asshole!

“I dont know!” I cry. “Stop! Please, just stop, please,” I beg sobbing.

“You shouldn’t lie to your King, Miss Merrick,” he says calmly, pulling one of Fee’s wings off with a sickening rip.

“Noooo!” I shriek. “I’ll tell you, please just stop!”

“Where is he?”

A part of me wants to tell him, but Fee shakes her head almost imperceptibly and her squeaky voice echos in my head.
“Lindy don’t say anything!” 
I want nothing more than to see my friend stop suffering, but I can’t give in. I have to do what she told me to no matter how bad it hurts.

“I already told you, I don’t know,” I sob, turning my head so I don’t have to see what’s coming next.

“Not good enough,” Arralt growls. I hear the tiny screech and the ripping sound again. If I could collapse to the floor I would, but Arralt’s spell is still holding me in place. Another bell tolls and it echos throughout the room. Arralt snarls and then smiles as if he’s just had a wonderful idea.

“Lucky for you, she’s still alive,” he says casually, tossing my friend back into the cage. “We will continue our conversation tomorrow. Think carefully about your answer girl.”

He snaps his fingers and the cage disappears as Arralt struts out of the room. Bastard, if I could just get free I would love to get my hands on him. The door shuts behind him and the spell holding me in place lets up, sending me crashing to the floor. I race over to the door and try to wrench it open but the lock won’t give. My fists slam against the wood, over and over again. Blood drips from my raw knuckles but I don’t stop. I’ll beat down this door if I have to.

A gentle tug from behind me startles me out of my ferocious pounding and I swing around with my fists raised. I stop my arm from following through with a punch and jar my shoulder. Michael stands in front of me, looking up at me curiously. I take deep gulps of air and try to calm myself. The boy tenderly takes my hand, looks at my stinging wounds, and then back up at me. Almost like he’s trying to figure me out. I pull my hand away.

“Can’t you talk?” I spit at the boy harshly. He doesn’t respond in any other way than blinking his big brown eyes. “Of course not, you’re just another dumb kid. Another dumb stupid kid who needs someone to save them. Well heads up kid, I can’t save you. I can’t even save my own friends!,” I shout.

My chest heaves as I start to panic. The room spins and the walls start to press in on me. The door clicks open and two burly guards grab me by the elbows. I don’t put up a fight as they follow Michael through the castle. I don’t have anything left to fight with. After climbing a few flights of stairs, we stop at another thick wooden door. The guards unlock it and shove me roughly inside. Michael watches me intently as the door swings shut. His brown eyes full of sadness but his face as impassive as ever. Poor kid.

The room is sparsely furnished with a small cot and a chamber pot in the corner. The only source of light is a tiny window, just out of reach. The sun is setting and my room is slowly getting darker. I pull off my muddy pants and curl into a ball on the bed. The hopelessness of this whole situation is dawning on me. The memory of Fee getting her wings ripped off is too fresh so I push it away. I don’t want to know what Arralt is planning for her. It’s hopeless. I’m a horrible friend.

I disappeared from Asher, he must think I’m dead. I suppose that’s a good thing, it should keep him from trying anything impulsive. Who am I kidding, no one knows where I am other than a mad King, my terrible father, a bunch of zombie kids, and my half dead best friend. The frustration of not being able to do anything pushes me over the edge and before I know it tears are spilling over. I try to wipe them away but they won’t stop coming. A couple of drops hit my leg as I sit up and run down over the brand on my thigh. Holy shit! It’s glowing. I sniffle back my tears and watch as it pulses brightly then fades to a low glow. I have no idea what just happened but I don’t feel any different. The mark shimmers as I run my fingers along the symbol. I think of Ash and how he ran his fingers over the mark in the same way.

“Ash…” I whisper. The mark glows brightly again and then the light fades away completely leaving me sitting in the darkness. Alone with thoughts that are screaming. For Fee, for Ash, for revenge.

Chapter Five

A noise like grinding stones halts my sobs. A stream of dust falls from the mortar about halfway up the stone wall. My curiosity draws me off of my bed. The pile is growing larger and larger at my feet. Soon flecks of the stone itself start to fall into the dust. I scratch at the stone that appears to be falling apart and it crumbles to the floor. I guess this castle really is old! Maybe one of these other stones will come apart too. I run around the room desperately knocking on stones until I hear a slight cough from behind me. The pile of dust and rubble is gone and a strange little man is standing there looking awfully embarrassed.

“Billius?” I shout, running over to the gnome and throwing my arms around his neck. It’s like hugging a marble statue but I don’t care. I’m not alone! He might be the last person I would ever chose to help me, but at least I have someone.

“Miss, oh- um, you..” His pale skin blushes violently and I can tell that he’s trying hard to only look me in the eye. What? Does he not like hugs? Oh yea, I forgot that I’m not wearing any pants. I grab the sheet off of the bed and quickly wrap it around my waist.

“How did you get here?” I ask.

“I can get into the castle, yes. Billius has been working here, he does,” the funny little man says, rocking up onto his toes as he talks.

“You work here?” I ask, astonished. “I thought you worked for the council?”

“I do! I work for the council, I do. But I also work here, also for the council. I listen and remember, yes! I tell the council what I hears.” He swells up his chest proudly.

“Like a spy?”

“A spy… hmm, yes! A spy I am! Gnomesses are not smart, no they are not. Little brains they have, but not Billius, no. Big brains I have.” He chuckles but then stops and gasps.

“But you is in danger miss, yes!” he says suddenly. “The dragon king sends me here to find you, has all the gnomes in the Underground looking, all the Catfolk too. Find you, that’s what Billius is sent to do. Smart to remember, I am.”

Asher! He must know I’m here. A wave of relief washes over me. It’s going to be okay, he will rescue me. Won’t he?

“We must hurry, we must! The dragon is very angry, no more patience for the council, almost burned that traitorous Hazel. Did burn the rest of the plants, so many plants,” the gnome laments, shaking his head. “He is breaking the ceiling again he is, unless we hurry, we must!”

“But wait,” I say, a thought dawning on me. “Why isn’t the dragon breaking the ceiling?”

“Billius hasn’t told him yet, is told the castle is not safe, it is not! A trap is here, the Fae King is ready for him. He mustn’t come, no he cannot. Not the Dragon King, too important he is.”

“A trap! We have to get out of here Billius, as fast as possible!” If another gnome gets word to Asher, he’ll just bust in here. Trap or no trap. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out something green and faintly glowing.

“No way!” I say, grabbing the gem from my bracelet from his stubby little hand. “Arralt crushed it! How did you get this?”

“A boy gave it to us, he did. Very quiet this boy but he is kind to gnomes. He is not liking the king, no he does not.”

“Michael? Did Michael give you this?”

“Oh yes miss. He is curious, he is. Older than the gnomes and we is over 300, yes we are. But he is nice, he is helping your little friend! She is not very well, no she is hurting.”

“Oh Billius I could kiss you!” I say, and I do. I plant a big sloppy kiss on his forehead and laughs, gently trying to push me away.  Fee is getting help, we are going to get out of here! Take that Arralt! I take a closer look at the gem in my hand and my joy starts to deflate.

“It’s not charged up enough to work,” I say sadly.

“Oh it will miss, it will indeed! I is going to charge it!” he says taking back the gem from me.

“You can charge it?”

“Oh yes! Gnomesses can give their life force to another, they can. It’s a secret so don’t tell, no please do not.”

“Your life force? Like, you would die?”

“I will put mine in here,” he says nodding his head and pointing to the gem. “And then yes! You can escape. Escape before the Dragon King is trapped again. Then we is all doomed, doomed for sure.”

“But…but,” I stammer. “I can’t let you die just for me to escape!”

“You must miss! It is a choice, yes a big choice but Billius has made it. Only he can choose who he gives his life force for and I chooses you, I does.” He smiles up at me with his weird goofy grin and holds out his hand. The gem glows brightly and so does Billius.

“No!” I scream. Another person sacrificing themselves for me is too much for me to handle. Fee gave up her wings and probably her life. And now this strange little man too! He goes oddly still. Frozen, unblinking like a statue.

“Billius?” I whisper, knowing that he’s already gone. The green gem is glowing strongly now in his still outstretched hand. I tentatively reach out and take it. The minute the gem lifts from his palm, he crumbles into dust. My heart lurches but I know I’ve got to hurry. I can’t let this precious life gift go to waste.

I find my magic, ignoring the instant splitting headache, and reach into the gem. It’s not going to get me far but it should get me out of the castle at the very least. A portal opens up in front of me and as I step through it, my last little bit of energy drains away. The portal closes behind me and I collapse onto hot sand. The gem falls from my hand and rests against my bare leg. The mark on my thigh glows again, this time more brilliantly than before.

I lay my head against the sand and close my eyes. I faintly hear a roar in the distance and glance towards the horizon to see a tiny outline of Asher in his dragon form. Turning my head, I realize that I’m still far too close to the castle, the portal was only strong enough to take me just outside the walls. Arralt will surely notice that I’m gone soon, so I rise to my elbows and try to stand, but the best I can do is start crawling.

I stifle a cry of pain as my arms give out and I collapse. My eyes flutter open at the sound of a large thud and I see the massive black dragon landing, his body erupting in fire as he shifts.

“Lindy?” Ash whispers, kneeling beside me. I manage to groan in response when he brushes my hair out of my face and our eyes meet.

“Hi,” I croak, attempting to link my fingers into his, but he pulls his hand away and drags it across the brand on my thigh. The mark on his chest flares and his dark eyes burn red.

“Did he…” Asher trails off. Aw crap. I’m still not wearing pants, God knows what he’s imagining happened. “This ends now!” he roars, backing away from me.

“Ash, wait!” I plead when I see that he’s about to shift.

“No,” he replies before flames consume his body. The dragon lifts off the ground right as Arralt’s bell starts ringing loudly, probably signalling my escape.

“Ash, you can’t burn the castle!” I yell into the night as he ascends. “There’s probably a hundred kids in there, that’s where Arralt converts the Fae children!”

“What?” The dragon swallows the fiery breath he was about to release as he sinks lower to the ground.

“And the spell… the curse…. it’s…” My ears start ringing as my head starts to spin.

“Lindy?” the dragon bellows, landing on the ground. I can’t answer him. “Melinda!”

I vaguely feel his clawed hand wrap around my waist and warmth of his chest on my cheek before everything fades away.