Dragonfire: Freedom in Flames (Secrets of the Makai Book 3) (4 page)

“Maybe he’s having a vision?” Victor asked.

“No.” A stab of anger pierced his core with cold fire. How could he forget being pulled underground by a cage of roots? Around him, the trees looked completely normal, but in his mind, they were waiting for him to acknowledge the fact that they would kill on his behalf. He just had to give the order. He reined in his anger to sort out the situation logically.

There were no enemies right now.

The ghosts were gone.

Yet he couldn’t risk going back to Samara if the people never intended to let him out again. What was in it for them?

“Shut up!” he told himself. This wasn’t the time to second-guess the people in his life when he desperately needed their help. Maybe the battle he remembered was just a past dream? Maybe Victor was right, and it was a vision?

We were trying to save you!

“By burying me alive?” The vivid colors of the forest faded to a dull gray as his heart raced faster. The people shifted into bright orange, except for Donovan. Pink blended with Landon.

“Inside, Tristan. Now.”

Tristan ignored Donovan and stared at Landon, remembering the death-grip they shared and Landon’s promise to get him out. Then Victor announced he was a pyro…and he had to decide who to trust more. “How did you get me out?”

“We’ll talk inside,” Donovan said. “It’s not safe out here until we know what we’re dealing with.”

“It’s not safe inside either! How do I know you aren’t planning to let me rot down there? I want to know what happened when the…the trees, the roots…how could I possibly forget something like that?”

“Take your anger out on me.” Donovan stepped in front of Landon. “We had no reason to trust you, and you had no reason to trust us.”

“So it did happen? You put me in the middle of some monster-plant pit? To see if I’d live?” His skin crawled, threatening to snap.

“We had to know if you knew what you were doing. If you were stupid enough to attack us from within.”

He had that sword at your throat,
said the shrub.

“He says you started it with that sword.”

“Who says so?”

Were there no secrets? Tristan sighed. The rush of adrenalin drained from his will to argue. Donovan had more than proven himself—he was not an enemy. The colors returned to the forest, undergrowth, and sky. The surrounding plants groaned in a chorus of defeat. “The plants.”

Donovan motioned for Landon and Victor to move closer to the castle. “So tell me. Were the plants acting on your authority?”

“I—” He couldn’t remember. The dull throb in his shoulder ached and he tried not to slump against the staff. “I was afraid. I think I asked for help, but I didn’t expect anyone to respond.” Tristan eyed the sword. “Can you blame me?”

We took your plea as permission, and if these humans harm one hair on you, we will hunt them down and devour their flesh. Tell them.

Tristan opened his mouth to speak, then changed his mind.

“You may as well say it,” Donovan said. Landon and Victor looked sick. Pink stayed hidden.

“How could I forget something so…unreal?”

“You were not ready for the world to change so drastically and you had enough to deal with.”

“How do you know what I can and can’t handle?”

Donovan rolled his eyes almost laughed.

“Fine. I wouldn’t have handled it. But you can’t just erase all my memories—”

“They weren’t erased.” Donovan paused a moment to scan the surrounding trees. “I concealed the event and saved you anyway.”

“Why?”

“Gwenna Winters. She believed you to be a part of this dragon legend, and I had to find out for myself if it was true. Also, I needed the Seraphim Council to expose themselves for personal reasons.”

“So you used me as bait? Made me forget I had a mission and threw me back empty handed?”

“You had no clear mission at the time and we let you keep the map.”

The one secret he thought he’d kept from Landon and Victor.

“To be fair,” Donovan added, “Landon and Victor would have preferred to keep you here.”

Landon and Victor agreed instantly.

“Keep me? Like a pet?” They were certainly keeping him like a pet now. And the council still hadn’t shown itself, had they?

“You can’t have it both ways.”

Tell them.

“Fine.” Tristan let the last little burst of anger drain out of him—every cell in his body craved sleep. “They want you to know…if you turn on me for any reason, they’ll kill you.”

“The council?”

Tristan shook his head warily. “The plants.”

A HELPING HAND

TRISTAN REFUSED
everyone’s help getting down the spiral staircase. Donovan didn’t force the issue and instead assembled an emergency meeting with all of the Makai, requiring Landon and Victor’s immediate attendance.

Tristan took his steps alone in the stairwell, with who-knew-how-much farther to go.

“Can’t have it both ways,” he mumbled to himself. They could have left Pink with him, but he suspected Donovan wanted him to fail at doing this one thing, to prove he did need help in the most basic ways.

He had to be getting close to the bottom—closer than going back outside for sure. Besides, Donovan would never leave the way out unguarded. Landon or Victor or both were probably waiting for him, just in case he flipped out and tried to escape.

There would be other chances. He could be much better prepared to make a serious attempt when the time was right.

Strong or weak.
The shrub’s antagonizing accusations wormed in deeper.

There was no sense in wishing things were different, and certainly no going back to a pathetically normal life. So why all the resistance?

A dragon could kill everyone and feel no remorse.

Donovan was smart to keep Landon and Victor busy with some distance. They were probably making tactical plans for how to handle him if the worse should happen—certainly a higher priority than getting him down the stairs safely. Besides, immortality would keep him from dying if he fell the rest of the way. Though they could talk him down if the warning signs threatened to take over, making him shift in the narrow space.

But without Landon and Victor babying him along, the atmosphere was oddly silent. Peaceful. Being agitated and anxious seemed to be the trigger, and the plants knew it, deliberately provoking him into taking some action.

Tristan sank against the wall, unable to find the strength or will to move up or down the stairs. Captivity was still the best option, even if he was acting like a stray pet in a foster program. Bitterness swept through him like a winter chill. If he could just focus on something other than his own self-pity trip.

Dorian?
Tristan tested calling her name, curious if it was Samara blocking communications or the castle itself.

Tristan?

Tristan froze, startled by the instant response, suddenly unable to get his brain to think straight.
Can the plants be trusted?

I’m fine!
she said in a sappy-sweet tone.
Thank you for asking. How are you?

Tristan groaned. Why was he constantly apologizing to her?
I’ve been better, I think. It’s hard to remember.

You sound better.

I need some advice. And maybe some help. Do you have a minute? I understand if you’re too busy.
Tristan shut his eyes to follow the sound of her voice.

I can talk, but I can’t see you right now. Oliver’s here.

Tristan forced his shoulders to relax.
Where are you?

California. How have things been? Did they let you out?

A hazy mountainside came into view. Oliver sat on a nearby stump, while Dorian dug up a collection of small wilting plants, placing them gently into a wooden box. Sawed-off stumps protruded from the ground like tombstones and most of the remaining undergrowth was brown and dried to a crisp. A smoky smog surrounded them both.

They let me out temporarily, but I’m on my way back down now. Is there a fire somewhere? What are you doing?

Spying?

I’m not spying.

Dorian straightened, took a quick look around with a lopsided grin, then continued digging.
Don’t let Oliver catch you. He’ll wring your neck.

I’m just curious about what you’re doing in California. Didn’t you say the plants should be transplanted at night?

Her eyebrows shot up as she searched the hillside again.
There’s a drought going on, if you didn’t realize, and since all the trees have been cut away for some reason, all the plants are dying. And yes, there’s a fire coming.

Tristan held back arguing over the need for lumber in the real world, sensing how angry it made her.

I’m not saying the trees shouldn’t have been cut,
she said, reading his mind.
I’m saying these plants won’t survive in the full sun and some of them are endangered. And with the fire coming, they’ll have zero chance of surviving unless someone does something.

Wow. I’m sorry. You’re right. I didn’t know.

It’s not your fault. I’m just frustrated.

Tristan nodded, though he knew she couldn’t see him.

I’m beginning to understand why Gram wouldn’t let me off the island before—half the plants out here don’t even speak. It’s rather disturbing.

Tristan cringed. He wouldn’t have believed her before, but now he knew better.
Can’t speak, or won’t?

I’m not sure. It’s like they’ve forgotten how, and a lot of the food plants don’t even realize they have a purpose. It’s like...how does Philip say.... The zombie apocalypse.

Tristan tried not to laugh.

It’s not funny, assuming I understand the phrase correctly.

No, I know it’s not funny. And it probably is a good way to describe things. I just didn’t expect to hear those words from you. Do you plan to save all of them?

From the drought? No, just the rarest. The rest will have to hope for the best and wait for water like everyone else.

An idea struck Tristan so squarely in the chest, he sat forward and wondered if he was truly onto something.
I have a question for you, and possibly someone I want you to meet.
He didn’t wait for her to respond.
Can you get Philip to take you somewhere so we can get together? He can come along if you want. But there’s something I need to do, and I know I’ll need your help.

Dorian sighed and sat back on her heels.
We’re not really seeing each other anymore.

Great! I mean...oh. Sorry it didn’t work out. If I met you on the island at midnight, can we talk? Oliver wouldn’t have to know.

Can’t we just talk now? I’m sure I’ve got a few minutes before he starts suspecting anything.

No, I think this needs to be in person. I’d also like you to go with me back to Ireland.

What on Earth for?

I can’t be sure the place is abandoned, but I want to check on that forest project. I thought maybe you would too?

Really? Why the sudden interest?

If I needed to find an extremely rare plant, but didn’t know what to call it, or where it might be considered native, could you figure it out?

What are you up to?

It’s for Pink. She’s a...you’ll never believe me if I tell you like this. I’ll bring her with me when we meet.

You are unbelievable. Why are you even involving me?

Because, when I was outside, I heard the plants speaking. But it’s your specialty and I really need your help with this. I don’t think I have much time and there’s a lot of things I need to get done.

Why, are you dying again?

By her tone, he couldn’t tell if she was bothered by the idea or not, and while he might not be dying, his human body could be replaced forever by some beastly animal that would be forever kept in captivity.
Everyone dies eventually, but I’m making a list of things I’d like to do before it’s too late, and I need you for two of them. Help me check on the forest, and help me find a certain plant for Pink. It shouldn’t take too much of your time, and I think you’ll enjoy meeting her. The plants will too.

Great. Is she some new-age herbalist on the biggest breakthrough of the century?
Dorian shook her head and rolled her eyes, catching Oliver’s attention.

Not at all.

Oliver wants to pack it up. I gotta go.

When can I see you?

Tristan, I really don’t think it’s a good idea.

She’s not my girlfriend, if that’s what you’re thinking. I just need to help her while I can. Isn’t that what you strive for? Helping people? You’re the only one I can think of who might have access to this kind of information. And if you can’t help, maybe the plants can?

Fine. I can respect the possibility that you
might
respect the opinions of the plants. Get in touch with me later and I’ll let you know when.

Thank you! There’s something else I need to do, so it might be a day or two.

Fine. Talk to you later.

If I don’t contact you, it’s not because I’m not trying. Okay? It might be because I can only talk to you when they let me out, and I don’t know when that will happen again.
Tristan kept his thoughts silent as Oliver picked up the wooden box. Dorian spotted one more plant she wanted and dug it up.

One more huge favor before you go,
Tristan said.

Sure. Since you asked so nicely and said please.

Ugh! You’re right. I’m sorry. But we’re out of time and this is very important. I really need you.

She smiled and said something to Oliver, something that made him sit back down.
Okay. What is it?

I need you to track down any information you can about dragons. Ask the trees by the cave entrance if they’ve ever seen one. I want to know everything, no matter how trivial it seems, good or bad. Without sugar-coating. Okay? If there’s anything urgent and you can’t reach me, ask Oliver to send a note to Donovan.

He doesn’t deal with Donovan.

Then Landon or Victor. It’s important.
Especially if she happened to find out that dragons like eating people.
Even if you feel like it’s something I don’t need to hear, I need to hear it. If that makes any sense.

Alright. I’ll do my best. But those trees at the cave don’t speak to me.

Maybe they will if you told them I asked you to?

She rolled her eyes and dug up another plant.

Thanks, Dorian. I know we don’t always get along, and I’m pretty sure I can never repay you for this....

It’s fine. Anytime you want to chat, I’m all ears.

Really?
Tristan studied her carefully, waiting for some sort of jabbing joke or insult.

Sure! I kind of miss having someone around to take out my aggressions on.

So glad I could be useful. Haven’t you ever heard of a punching bag?
In an instant, she disappeared and Tristan was left standing by himself in an empty clearing.
Dorian?

Oliver got tired of waiting and transported us back to the island. And I’m sorry, okay? All I was trying to say was, I’m willing to chat with you and you shouldn’t feel like…

Like what? Attacked?

Sheesh!
she said.
You’re impossible. What I’m trying to say is, I would like it if we talked more often. Okay? I admit it.

All right, guess that’s good. I figured you were still angry about...you know. But don’t forget, Samara has me locked up pretty tight. I don’t think I can communicate at all—

Who’s Samara?

Did he detect a note of jealousy?
She’s the spirit of the cavern they’re keeping me in. She runs their training facility. Heck, she IS the training facility.

But you’re not there now, so why not just leave?

Because, Dorian. What if, as a dragon, I like to eat people?

Oh. That would be bad.

Yes, it would.
They remained silent for several moments.
The plants outside don’t seem to trust the Makai. Or maybe they just don’t trust people, I’m not really sure. But they were trying to provoke me into shifting, just so I could escape.

Well, Oliver doesn’t trust Donovan, that’s for sure.

Do you know why?

Something about Donovan trying to recruit him into a Special Forces unit when Oliver was in the military. Oliver refused, then lost his whole squad and thinks Donovan was responsible. I don’t know the whole story.

Tristan nodded.
All I can say is, I’m not in a good position to call the shots around here and for now, being locked up is the safest thing for everyone. I really do believe they want me to be well. I just have to prove I’m not a danger to the public. And I’m not entirely sure if I can do that.

Okay. I’ll see what I can find out and if I don’t hear from you within a week, I’ll send a report to Landon or Victor. Or maybe I’ll send a potted plant to fill you in, if it’s something they shouldn’t know.

Really?

Sure. And Tristan?