Rylee Adamson: Shadowed Threads Part 10

aOaShea, she is not Milly.a His ears flattened to his skull. Not quite the reaction I was going for.

aAlex likes Pamie.a Alex slunk forward, being submissive as always, but putting himself close enough that he could reach out and touch Pamela. aBoss no hurt Pamie. Please.a I wasnat sure if it was Alex, me, or the combination, but OaShea backed off, growling still, but nothing more, his hackles slowly lowering.

aThat was not pleasant.a Eve hobbled toward us. OaShea gave her a glance, but again, nothing more, seemingly dismissing her. aAre you sure that is the agent?a aYes. But whatever a whatever the other witch did to him was bad enough to make him hate them all.a I carefully got to my feet, and then reached down to take Pamelaas hand. She stood, wiped her eyes and choked back the rest of her tears.

I put one hand on her shoulder, and with the other I tipped her chin up so she had to look me in the eye. aIf he comes at you, you do what you have to do. Got it?a aI canat hold him forever.a aI know.a Her eyes were still dilated with adrenaline. aDo you think he will attack me again?a I looked over at OaShea, who stood on the edge of the clearing, glaring at us.

aYes, yes I do.a

CHAPTER 17.

HOW COULD HIS mate stand for a witch? Had he been wrong? No, he was sure the one with the three colors in her eyes belonged with him, but she did things that he hated. Put a rope on him, cared for a child witch. The desire to run free and wild coursed through him the second his mate left with the witch child. To escape the confines of the human world.

But he couldnat leave her. Whatever bindings were between them were too strong to fight, even for the wolf in him. Which, for the first time in many days, he saw as separate. He was two, made one.

He shook his head and laid down, head on his paws. The other wolfa"the half creaturea"played with the large bird, some sort of game that involved touching her and then bounding away when she squawked. Her feathers would puff up and shead dance around as if to try and catch the half creature.

Perhaps she would be worth killing; a large bird like that would provide much meat. His stomach rumbled, reminding him it had been too long since head had any sustenance.

But the bird seemed to belong to his mate too. Perhaps this was her pack?

Yes, that much was clear. This was her pack. The thought stalled him, made his head tip to one side. Her pack. Could he accept them, accept even the witch child? Because if they belonged to his mate, and were hers to protect, then they were his to protect as well.

They were his pack by rights too.

He rose to his feet and gave a soft bark at the half creature, stopping him mid-game. The bird screeched a victory, smacking the half creature first, knocking him over on his back.

aThere, you take that!a She clacked her beak and the half creature laughed, rolling onto his side.

The wolf barked again, a deeper, commanding call. The time to hunt had come. And even though this was surely the strangest pack head ever seen, it was his.

And he would care for every part of it.

His eyes narrowed. Even the witch child.

Pamela went with me to see Blaz. Iad left Eve with Alex and OaShea, and while OaShea was not happy, he at least didnat follow me this time. I didnat tell Eve where we were going, since I wasnat even sure Blaz would help. No need to get the Harpy all riled up.

aI thought the dragon threatened you?a We were picking our way through the boulders toward the mock canyon Blaz inhabited.

aHe did.a aThena a"she placed her hand on a large outcropping of rock and swung her legs overa" awhy are we going back there?a I let out a sigh. aWe need someone to get us to Venice and then back to London. Eve canat fly yet, though she looks like it might only be another few hours before her wings finish healing.a I lifted my head to the breeze that blew toward us. Smelled like a charcoal BBQ, and my stomach growled. Pamelaas stomach answered mine. She ducked her head, but acted as though it hadnat grumbled at all. aBut that doesnat explain why we need Blaz.a aEven with her wings healed, Eve canat carry all of us. OaShea is too big. Shead have to make multiple trips, and if we need a quick getaway a .a I let her fill in the blanks. Wead be royally screwed if we had to move fast. Or at least OaShea and I would be. Because I would send out Pamela, Alex, and Jack first if it came to that, and I would stand with OaShea against anything that was coming at us from behind, covering the othersa escape. At least, that was the plan in my head, if it came to that.

We made our way through the rocks and I peered around them to see Blaz pa.s.sed out on the canyon floor, the remains of something still smoking to one side of him. I knew I was hungry when the sight of it made my mouth water. Pamela licked her lips.

I blocked her with an arm, stopping her from going any further. aStay here. I donat think I should need your help.a aYou just didnat want to leave me with the werewolf. I know.a She backed up, putting herself against the flat of a big rock. Again, she was showing just how mature she was for her age. Taking everything that had come at us, pretty much in stride. No hissy fits, no tantrums.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out into the mock canyon and strode toward Blaz like I owned the place.

Please donat let me be wrong about him.

Yet, as I drew closer, my confidence grew. He was watching me, one eye tracking my steps.

I thought I told you Iad eat you if you came back. His voice rumbled through my head.

I shrugged, and then pointed at the carca.s.s. aLooks like you already ate. Besides, Iam quite sure Iad taste like s.h.i.+t.a His eye widened and he let out a bellow of a laugh. Yes, youare probably right. Youad taste awful. Youare far too scrawny for me.

I made my way to the carca.s.s, pulled my sword and hacked a piece off. The meat was still warm, lightly charred and smelled a-f.u.c.king-mazing. I bit into it and groaned, the juices flowing down my throat, coating my tongue with a perfect blend of savory tang. af.u.c.k, youare a good cook for a lazy-a.s.s lizard.a His head swiveled around to mine and he picked at his teeth with one long claw, and then pointed to the rocks where Pamela waited. You going to invite your little friend to eat too?

aYou going to try and eat her?a I didnat think he would, but s.h.i.+t, I had to ask.

Nah, too young. Besides, sheas got a deadly aim with those rocks.

aCome eat, Pam.a I gave her a wave and she made her way cautiously to my side. I hacked her off a piece of the carca.s.s.

aWhat is it?a I was already shaking my head. aDonat ask, just eat.a Blaz grinned and by the look on Pamelaas face, she was hearing his words as clearly as I was. Apparently he could project to more than just me. I wasnat sure if that was good or not.

It is a Harpy. Seems that when you flew through with your nestling, you stirred up the whole f.u.c.king continent of them. Which is just fine by me.

Maybe not so good. c.r.a.p, I swallowed hard. aDonat tell Eve.a Pamela shook her head, eyes wide. aI wonat.a We sat for a few minutes, stuffing ourselves with Harpy. I tried very hard not to think about how good it tasted, but by the look on Blazas face, he knew.

Best thing you ever ate, isnat it?

Pamela nodded, as did I, but I wouldnat agree out loud. I just let the juices flow down my throat, hacked another piece off and ate it too.

aIave had better,a I said, slicing off another piece.

Why are you here? Blazas back leg stretched forward and he scratched at his head with a back claw. His tail flicked at the end, like a nervous twitch. Like he was trying to play it cool.

aI need a hand with something. Iam hoping you would consider a trade.a You have nothing I want. No, thatas not true. I would take Harpy off your hands; sheas young and tender. He gave an evil grin that Pamela reacted to.

aIall smash you with those boulders if you even touch Eve,a she said, popping another piece of meat in her mouth.

Blazas head snaked forward. Little witch, you perhaps do not realize that I could eat you quite easily. One bite would do it.

She put her hands on her hips and I just watched, wanting to see how much p.i.s.s and vinegar the kid had.

aIall crush you with boulders, you canat stop that.a Iall fry you with lightning.

Her lips thinned. aIall pull down your mountain on your fat stupid head.a Blaz laughed in her face and what happened next was one of those things that I will never forget.

Pamela glared at the dragon, lifted one hand and the ground began to shake, the rocks and pebbles rattling and dancing across the earth. The shaking intensified, except for where she stood; the earth heaved, throwing Blaz backward. Along the edges of the mountain, the cliffs where the other dragons had perched crumbled, cracked and fell to the ground. This had gone far enough.

I scrambled to her side, grabbing her arms, nulling her magic.

aHey, so you know that being a show off will make you a target?a I stared into her eyes, didnat let her miss the fact that I wasnat going to let this pa.s.s without saying something.

aHe thinks Iam weak.a No, I donat think youare weak. Blaz moved closer, a wary eye on the witch. But I had no idea you had those kinds of abilities.

aYou arenat going to try and hurt my family?a He blinked several times, as if her words had been a foreign language. His eyes slid to mine.

I shrugged. aWe are tight-knit. I wonat apologize for it.a I wonat make any such promise. Now what kind of trade do you want?

I put Pamela behind me, just in case. Though to be fair, I already knew that he wouldnat hurt us. He would have killed us by now if head been going to.

aRound trip flight. Thatas it. Done. Youall never see me again.a Which I knew without him saying so was what he wanted. Whatever binding had happened between us, he didnat want it. Didnat want to be responsible for me. Which was fine by me. If Eve was right, it was just a bunch of stupid ridiculousness anyway.

His eyes narrowed and he drew a line in the dirt between us. Where are we going?

aYou would take me, Pamela, and one werewolf to Venice. Weare going to pick up someone there, and then you would take us all back to London.a Sounds simple.

aIt isnat.a His tongue flicked out and ran along his teeth. And I get what out of this?

aIall owe you a favor, to be cashed in when you need it.a He laughed, his sides heaving with mirth, scales glittering in the dull sunlight. What could you possibly do for me?

aI could Track for you.a Blaz went very still, and then slowly nodded. Done.

For some reason I suspected I should be more worried about making a deal with a Dragon than I was. Head agreed far too quickly.

Yes, I had a feeling I should be much more worried.

Letas go. I have other things I could be doing.

I motioned for Pamela to step up and I lifted her up onto Blazas back. This was happening faster than Iad planned, but I wouldnat get another chance at the kind of help I would need to get us all home in one piece.

As I mounted up on Blazas back, I Tracked Jack, his life throbbing dully in the south. Like he was being hurt, or maybe like the cancer was making a resurgence. I wasnat sure, had never Tracked him before and thisa"what I felt inside my heada"was more of an ache than an actual pain.

I settled in behind Pamela, then flicked my whip out and around Blazas neck for a handhold. He turned around to stare at me, arching his darkly scaled eyebrow.

Iam not going to try and dump your a.s.s this time.

aYou say that now. I know how fast I can p.i.s.s people off. Iad rather have something to hang onto.a He chuckled and the muscles underneath us bunched. With a shot of power, he launched himself into the air, wings driving downward, and he actually used them to push off the ground as well. A few sharp wing beats and we were high in the air, circling around the mountain. I pointed out the direction where Eve, Alex, and OaShea waited.

Pamelaas hands clutched my wrists, and her blonde hair streamed back around me. And for a moment, I could think that she was Berget, that I hadnat failed my little sister again. A heavy ache spread through my chest, like the weight of one of the boulders crus.h.i.+ng me.

Tracker, I do not want to know, but I will tell you this: If you go into battle with a grief like the one coursing through you, you will put not only yourself in danger, but that of your family.

aYou always spy on peopleas thoughts?a I snapped, giving the whip a jerk, wis.h.i.+ng I could tighten it around him enough that he would actually feel it.

Your emotions come through to me. Just one more reason that you need to be far away from me. Far, far away.

I wanted to ask him what the other dragons had meant when theyad spoken about the binding, what had happened to him and I?

Then again, maybe I didnat want to know. Yeah, at this point in my life, with all the s.h.i.+t I had going on, that was probably better.

CHAPTER 18.

IN ORDER TO pick up OaShea, Blaz had to land, and that meant crus.h.i.+ng trees. With a glee I could feel as if I were Tracking him, Blaz went to work, hovering just above a cl.u.s.ter of trees, taking them out with his claws and tail, a grin stretching across his face so wide I could see the corners of it from his back. Leaves, mud, rocks and branches flew as he cleared a patch large enough for him to land.

Pamela turned to face me. aKinda destructive, isnat he?a aYeah, kinda. But he is a dragon. Iam not sure theyare known for being quiet and humble.a Humble, yes. Quiet, no.

Tucking his wings in tight, Blaz dropped into his cleared area. I slid off his back first and then caught Pamela as she slid down his scaled side.

aWeall be right back,a I said as we turned and headed toward the shack where wead left the others.

Please let them all still be there and not fighting. Even taking Pamela with me, Iad been unsure of how OaShea would handle being alone with Eve and Alex. As we stepped out of the thick bush and into the smallish clearing, a spurt of relief washed through me. Which, considering what was waiting for us, was kinda weird.

OaShea stood between us and Eve and Alex, who huddled back against the shack. OaSheaas hackles were standing straight up, making him look even bigger, and his teeth were bared. As we came into view, he lifted his head, took a sniff and relaxed. With a shake of his head and shoulders, the tension was broken.

Head been protecting them.

Eve let out a squawk, flapping her obviously just healed wings as she ran toward us, b.u.mping into OaShea as she ran by him. OaShea gave a grunt, but didnat make any move toward her.

aRylee, what was that great cras.h.i.+ng noise? It sounded as if the forest was being destroyed.a She bobbed her head several times, golden eyes watching me intently.

aBlaz brought us here.a Soon enough, I would have to tell her that the dragon whoad wanted to eat her was going to be with us for a little while. But not yet.

aWho is a?a aThe dragon,a Pamela said.

Ah, f.u.c.k, I hadnat counted on the kid.

Eve squawked and let out a screech that made my skin crawl.

I held a hand up to her. aEve, stop it. Heas not here for you, heas here to help get us all to Venice, get Jack, and then heall take us home. There are too many of us for you to f.u.c.king carry.a aHe wanted to eat me!a Her wings were spread as wide as they would go and her feathers were most certainly ruffled.

I let out a sigh. aFine, then you can take Alex with you back to London and wait for us there.a Alex let out a whimper. aStay with Rylee.a The Harpy flapped her wings a few times, stirring up the bush around us. aI donat like it.a aI know.a I stared up at her. aI can do this salvage without you, Eve. Itall be quick, you cana"a aNo. I will come. You are my mentor.a She seemed to pull herself together. aI can take more than Alex, though.a aYou may have to, on the way back. Depends on how Jack is doing.a I led the way back through the trees to where Blaz waited, sprawled out on his back. The dragon was snoring lightly, eyes shut against the light mist that fell, but it was a ruse. I could sense that he was awake. b.u.g.g.e.r, this blood mingling thing on top of my Tracking was making my head hurt. Too much of other peopleas feelings inside my head at once was not a good thing.

OaShea took one look at him, glanced at me, and then looked back at the dragon.

aYeah, I can hardly believe it, either.a I reached over and slid my hand along the top of his head, the tension easing out of me as I did. He gave a soft woof, shook his head and plunked his a.s.s down beside me.

Eve was not so subtle. Her body fluffed up, wings spread with alarm that she couldnat seem to contain. Her eyes tracked every breath the dragon took, and her beak clacked together in fast, rapid clicks.

Iave already eaten Harpy today. Iam quite full. Blaz rolled to the side to stare at our group. He moved slowly, and I could tell, without knowing why, that he was worried about freaking Eve out. It didnat work. Eve hopped from foot to foot, wings flapping, lifting her a few feet off the ground.