Leash?What?
Shock rendered me mute.A rarity.
A Red Cap reached for me, and I didn’t bother fighting.What would be the point?I couldn’t exactly escape anywhere.
It tossed me over its bony and very smelly shoulder.Its uneven gait caused me to bounce painfully as it removed me from the cavern into a hall large enough to accommodate the tall blue man ahead of us carrying Alistair, but definitely not Nessie.I had to wonder how much of her underground palace she could actually access.
After several turns, which left me completely lost, we entered a cathedral-like space.Massive.I mean, the ceiling was so high I had to squint to actually make it out.The room stretched wide enough across I couldn’t make out the walls on the far side.In the center of it, a small lake that acted as Nessie’s throne, for she rose from it like a goddess, liquid streaming and splashing from her head and body.The light from the many opaque sconces bounced off her hide, refracting from the slick scales.
So distracted was I by her appearance that I didn’t immediately notice the cage.Barely tall enough to hold a person, not wide enough for anyone to lie down.Into this metal prison they shoved the still-unconscious Alistair.As for me?I got dumped on the floor beside a coiled chain with a collar.Guess what happened next?
The metal ring snapped around my neck and a key turned, locking it in place.Cold and heavy, quite depressing, too.This wasn’t at all how I’d pictured my day.I should have listened to Alistair.Then again, I didn’t get the impression avoiding Nessie would have mattered.She wanted Alistair in her custody, and I apparently provided the means for her to accomplish that feat.
“Poor Ali,” The soft crooning voice took me by surprise, as did Nessie’s movement.Her head swayed back and forth, her sinuous neck undulating.She paused while facing the cage and whispered, “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
I frowned.Why would she apologize when she engineered his capture?And why did she suddenly call him Ali when moments before she’d used Shamash?
Her head shook wildly, and when Nessie next spoke, her tone dropped an octave as she hissed, “Be quiet.”
I couldn’t tell who she spoke to, but just in case she meant me, I kept my lips clamped tight.
“I see you were successful.”The new voice had me glancing to see a man had entered and now strode toward the cage.Seemingly human in appearance, if one ignored the mask covering half of his face.He wore slacks and a cable knit sweater, and when he reached the cage, he tucked his hands behind his back and stared at Alistair.
“As if there was any doubt he’d come.”
“He’s smaller than expected.You’re sure he’s a dragon?”
Nessie snickered.“Yes.As I told you, Shamash has a very unique ability, one I’ve been coveting and wanting to take as my own.”
Wait, what?Take his power to shift?Was that even possible?
The man crouched and cocked his head, still observing Alistair.“It would be easy for you to eat his heart while he’s unconscious.The sleeping agents we administered worked better than expected.Guess his human shape isn’t as tough as his dragon one.”
“As I’ve told you before, I’m not taking the chance that consuming him in a non-dragon form might not transfer his ability.”
The man glanced at her.“I remember what you said, but the fact remains, you might not have a choice because, as a dragon, he outclasses you.”
“Only if he’s awake,” Nessie crooned.“Which is why you’re here.You will find a way to immobilize his dragon that I might consume his flesh.”
“I’m working on it.It’s not just getting the dosage right that’s the problem; it’s the administration of it.Dragon scales and needles don’t get along.”
“As if Shamash would let you get close enough to jab him,” Nessie mocked.“And you can forget about putting it in a drink.”
“Which doesn’t leave many options, other than gassing his ass after we convince him to shift.”
“Oh, he’ll shift, and when he does, you’d better be ready to put him to sleep.”
“It would help if you’d let me test my formulas on you to see if they even work.”
“Never,” Nessie snapped.“I will not be vulnerable to a human.”
“Well then, don’t blame me if the time comes and it doesn’t work.”Rather than keep arguing with Nessie, the man in the mask turned his attention to me.“This is the female he’s become attached to?”The guy sneered.“I would have thought someone of his age to have better taste.She’s already past her prime.”
Well, that was offensive.“Who are you?”Might as well ask since I had nothing better to do.
He stood as he announced, “I am Dr.Malone, renowned cryptozoologist.”
I snickered.“Oh, you’re one of those.”
