Hunted (Book 2) (26 page)
"Bastian's being taken care of by that woman. Let's
end this." Tressa withdrew her sword from Jayne’s back. The woman thumped
onto the ground, blood leaking from the wound Tressa had inflicted. Tressa spun
the sword from side to side, the blood flinging off the blade. It was a little
trick she'd learned from her mentor, Leo. She nudged Jarrett. "Are you
with me?"
"Do I have a choice? If I said no, would you sheath
your sword and walk away with me? Let the dragons fight it out?" He placed
a hand on her arm. "Your people are dead."
Tressa forced her eyes away from the charred bodies.
"Just the adults. The children are here. Somewhere."
"Then let's fight," Jarrett said. "We didn't
start this, but we might as well do our best to finish it."
A smile spread across her face. He was brave. So handsome.
She might even allow herself to truly love him someday. "Let's take down
the red dragon."
"That's your father." Jarrett pulled out his
sword. "Are you sure?"
"That
was
my
father," she said. "I don't know what he is anymore. Connor changed,
but he still fights for us. My father," she snorted, hating even calling
him that, "fights for death."
Tressa didn't look at Jarrett to see if he was following.
She ran toward the dragons, still circling and feigning attacks. Raising her
sword over her head, Tressa struck the red dragon's foot. She twisted the
sword. The dragon screeched in pain as Tressa tugged her sword out of his
scales. A sticky green substance covered the blade. It wouldn't come off as
easily as the blood. Tressa ran to the side, hoping the dragon would follow
her. She wanted him to turn his back on Connor. Her friend could strike, and it
would all be over.
But he didn't. The red dragon kept an eye on Connor,
ignoring the girl under him. Tressa cursed. "Do something to distract
him," she shouted to Jarrett, who had stuck his sword into the dragon's
other foot. Nothing seemed to bother him enough to draw his attention.
"It's not working," Jarrett said, running to her
side.
They watched as Connor's right claw slashed at her father,
who sidestepped the attack. Neither had drawn first blood, or green goo, yet.
"They could do this for forever," Jarrett said.
He looked up to the night sky, taking in the stars. He grabbed Tressa's arm,
starting. "Did you see that?"
"See what?" She looked up at the heavens above.
"Now isn't a good time for star watching, Jarrett." Then she gasped.
For just a moment the stars blinked out of existence. Then they reappeared
again as if nothing had happened. "What was that?"
"I don't know," Jarrett said. "I've never
seen the stars simply wink out for a few breaths."
A keening rang through the sky. Low and ominous.
"Oh no," Jarrett said.
"What is it?" Tressa asked.
"Run!" Jarrett grabbed his sword, then grasped
her hand with his free hand. Tugging, he urged her to follow.
She didn't hesitate. If Jarrett told her to jump off a
cliff with him, she'd do it. Her trust in him had no bounds after everything
they'd been though. The scream grew in intensity and pitch.
Jarrett stumbled, pulling Tressa down with him. They
cowered on the ground, their hands over their ears. "What is that?"
Tressa shouted.
Jarrett didn't answer. Not with words. He pointed upward,
his finger trembling.
Tressa looked up and finally saw what had made the stars
disappear.
Dragons. A horde of black dragons flying through the night
sky, completely undetected by those on the ground. It was their natural
camouflage. No one had seen them coming. Least of all Tressa's father who had
changed back into a human. He took off in a run, heading for the old building.
Against her better judgment, she hopped up and took off after him. Her legs
ached. She'd traveled hard and far to get here. All in an effort to save a town
full of people who'd just been killed.
All that remained were the children, and she wouldn't leave
them behind. She would find them.
Her father disappeared into the doorway. Tressa took a deep
breath and followed him in. Her heart pounded in her chest as the darkness
overtook her vision. With her arms out in front of her, Tressa walked carefully,
listening for any sound. A kicked pebble. The scrape of an arm against a rock
wall. Anything that would alert her to her father's presence.
The silence overwhelmed her. Only the sound of her breathing
tickled at her ears. Tressa stood still and closed her eyes. She'd traversed
the darkness once before. She'd survived beasts, evil queens, and being dumped
in the ocean to drift. She would survive this.
"My daughter." The voice, tinged with anger, echoing.
"You can choose to join me. Your love lies dying outside. You have nothing
left."
So he thought she was still in love with Bastian. Someone might
have been watching her, prepared for her to come to this city, but they didn't
know everything.
Tressa forced a wet sniffle. "I think he's already
dead."
"As my Jayne lays dead at your hands. It was a stroke
of genius, you know. Attacking her from behind. It wouldn't have worked on me,
but Jayne never thought far enough ahead. She was more of a follower than a
leader. Not like us. You and I are of the same blood. We come from a long line
of leaders." He stopped, taking a loud, deep breath. "If you come
with me, if you work with me, you will reap rewards beyond any you can
imagine."
Tressa remained quiet. He was a tool, guided by a strong
hand. But whose? Who wanted Connor and his honey so badly that they would
kidnap an entire town of people?
"Your offer intrigues me," Tressa said, allowing
her voice to shake. Let him think she was still nervous. "But who would we
be working for? Who do you report to?"
There was no answer. Only silence.
She cursed herself. She'd gone too far. He'd see through her
ruse. Sweat dripped from her palms.
"If you join me, you will meet my masters. But only if
you drink all of this. Every last drop." He snarled just in front of her
face.
Tressa leapt backward. How could he move so quickly without
a sound?
He snapped, the braziers coming to life again. Her father
stood in front of her, dressed in a robe, holding out a cup carved from a bone.
Grotesque figures writhed across the body of the cup, their mouths open in
agony, eyes bugged out and fearful. "Drink this, and be my daughter again
in every way."
She took the cup in shaking hands. A liquid splashed in the
cup. She took a sniff, recognizing the coppery scent. Blood.
Her father smiled, his teeth filed into points. He hadn't looked
like that when she'd met him in the forest. He hadn't seemed so evil then
either. Now, though, he was beyond her help.
She thought of Connor. He was out there somewhere. He'd
become a dragon, yet he still fought for good. The madness she'd seen in her
father, Stacia, and Jacinda hadn't swallowed him. Maybe it wouldn't swallow her
either.
"Drink from the cup of life, my daughter." Fenn’s
voiced dripped with malevolence.
Tressa looked up. Her eyes met his. Red and slitted,
bloodshot and angry. If giving in would save the children, she’d take the risk.
"If I drink from this cup, will you take me to whoever
controls you?"
He laughed. "No one controls me. I fight for what I
believe in. The power here is beyond anything you can imagine. You've only seen
a bit of what I can offer you."
Tressa stood still, feeling her heart thud in her chest. The
cup touched her bottom lip. She tilted it, a droplet of blood washing over her
lips as they parted. The thick liquid ran down her throat like silk over her
naked body. Luscious. Sexy. Perfection.
The cup flew out of her hand at the same time a sword cut
into her father's abdomen.
Jarrett kicked her father, pushing him off his sword. He crumpled
to the floor. "Did you drink any of that?" Jarrett asked. He stabbed
Fenn another time in the chest, just over the heart. Fenn didn’t even have a
chance to fight back.
Tressa shook her head no. It had only been a little. Not
enough to matter. Not enough to make her feel any different. No one needed to
know.
“How did you —"
"I followed you and snuck in a window. Let's go,"
Jarrett said, grabbing her hand. "Connor, Elinor, Bastian, and Avital have
already flown off toward the Drowned Country. The black dragons are still here.
One has agreed to fly us there too."
Three women emerged from the back of the building, holding
hands with the children of Hutton’s Bridge. Hazel held onto a fourth woman, shuffling
past Tressa and Jarrett. She offered Tressa a small smile.
Tressa followed Jarrett blindly, stumbling through the building.
They emerged into the night, a black dragon with blue eyes waiting, down on one
knee. Jarrett lifted Tressa on its back and mounted behind her.
“The children,” she gasped, pointing to the huddled mass of
dirty orphans. Hazel sat on the ground, her two boys in her lap and Bastian’s
daughter sleeping in front of her.
Jarrett waved to a woman with black hair, black eyes, and porcelain
skin. She nodded, waving to the other dragons. They were hissing at the
townspeople who cowered in fear at the edges of the square.
"Fi will make sure they’re brought back with us.”
Jarrett said.
Fi? Who was Fi? The world swam in front of her eyes.
Hang on to its scales," he whispered in her ear.
"I've got you from behind."
She nodded. She felt so strange. Maybe she’d swallowed more
blood than she thought. Tressa leaned her head back, resting it on Jarrett's
chest. Her heart danced in the cold night as they ascended into the sky.
"We have to thank the gods that the black dragons
showed up. I don't know how they knew or why they chose to help us now."
Tressa could feel Jarrett shake his head behind her. "We thought the Black
had died out. Now rest. Sleep if you can. I have you."
Tressa agreed. She needed sleep. She was suddenly and
overwhelmingly exhausted.
Jarrett laid Tressa down on the fluffy bed in the room
Elinor had shown him to. He'd carried Tressa in his arms after the black dragons
left them and the children of Hutton’s Bridge at the castle at Ashoom. They’d
flown into the dark of the night, leaving behind only one of their kind.
Elinor had greeted them with a whisper, telling Jarrett the
rest of the castle was asleep. She snuck them through the hallways to an
expansive chamber.
She didn't ask if Jarrett wanted a separate room. He didn't
request one. It would take an army to pull him away from Tressa now.
Tressa had slept the whole flight back. The sun was nearly
rising when he finally laid her in the bed in her shift. He stretched out next
to her, stroking her hair.
Tressa was beautiful. The most exquisite woman he'd ever
known. Her beauty lay in the simple lines of her face. In the lofty standards
she expected from people. Jarrett didn't need, nor want, obvious beauty. He
didn't crave a title or a throne. He wanted the woman sleeping in front of him,
but only if she would have him too.
Tressa moaned in her sleep. Her arms jerked, as if fighting
an invisible enemy. Of course she would have nightmares. After everything she'd
seen, he'd be surprised if she could have another peaceful night's sleep again.
He had grown up with the threat of war. He knew of the dragons. He could
perform the smallest of magic.
But Tressa was an innocent who'd grown up isolated from the
world. None of this was common for her. It was the things nightmares were made
of.
She rolled onto her back, still fighting her dreams.
"Shhhh," he whispered. "I'm here. I will
protect you." He left a small peck on her ear. It was the most he would
dare while she slept. He desired her, but he would only act in the moments when
she desired him as well. It was dishonorable to take advantage of a woman while
she slept. He didn't just honor her. He thought that perhaps he truly loved
her. Not just the love of a new relationship with a woman who intrigued him,
but the kind that might last for the rest of his life.
Tressa moaned again, and her eyelids snapped open. Jarrett
started to say something reassuring, then stopped, his mouth slack.
One of her eyes was the same blue it had always been.
The other was red, slitted with the black of a dragon eye.
-end-
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The story will continue with…
RETRIBUTION
Dragonlands, Book Three
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