AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chase pointed at the calendar. "We're deep into October, and by now, a good share of Rainier's roads are closed. We'd play hell trying to get through the park, so I'm hoping we find Lane where we need him to be."
A knock at the door told us Iris had arrived. She radiated concern and compassion, and just being in her presence made me feel better. Through those brilliant blue eyes, she'd seen a lifetime of misery, war, and famine, yet she still maintained her love of humans, for all their foibles.
Chase had arrived in a big old SUV so that we could travel together. While he and Delilah loaded it with supplies and—I assumed—discussed their tryst together, Morio and I showed Iris how to feed Maggie and keep an eye on the house. Despite her stature, Iris was more than capable of bringing down an assailant, and since she was of Faerie blood, she was adept in defense magic at a startling level of skill. As we finished up, I took one last look around the house, hoping that it would still be in one piece when we returned—and Menolly still as alive as she'd ever be.
Jocko's diary was still on the table. With all the excitement over the skinwalker, I'd forgotten all about it. I jammed it in my tote bag before heading out the door. We clambered into the SUV. Chase and Morio sat up front and Delilah and I behind them, as we set out on our quest to find Tom Lane.
* * *
CHAPTER 12
Along the way, we told Chase about our mysterious visitor and the notebook we'd found in his jacket pocket. He pulled to the side of the road when I flipped the notebook open to the picture and handed it up to the front seat.
"Shit, is that a dragon?" He looked ready to jump out of the car and, in the infamous words of the Monty Python clan, "Runaway!"
"Chase, your powers of observation astound me." I shook my head. "Of course it's a dragon. What did you think it might be? A gecko?"
Chase flashed me a scathing look. "I've changed my mind. I like your sister better than you. She's not so abrasive."
"She slept with you," I said, snorting. "Of course you like her better."
"Hey, I have ears, you two!" Delilah said, blushing. I realized that her nonchalance over Chase might just be a put-on. She had that smitten look in her eye, and so I flashed her a smile to let her know I'd been kidding.
"The dude beside the dragon's a big muthah," Chase said. "Faerie?"
I shrugged. "Hard to tell. Doesn't look like it, but that doesn't mean I'm right. Or, he could be just human."
"Okay then," he said, handing the picture back to me and starting up the car again. "Say, what happens if we come face-to-face with the big lizard? How do you subdue one, anyway?"
I groaned. None of us were ready to take on something of that size. "You don't, unless you happen to be a powerful wizard or witch. And I'm not nearly strong enough, even if my powers weren't subject to short-circuiting. If a dragon attacks, your only hope is to either beg for mercy, outrun it, hide until it gets bored—which may be weeks—or kill it."
Morio cleared his throat. "Killing a dragon is bad luck. Its kin will know who did it, and they will hunt you down for the rest of their lives. The only way to stay in one piece after you've slain a dragon is to vanish. Change your name, go undercover, and hope that you're lucky."
I leaned forward, peering around the headrest to look at him. "That's true, especially with Eastern dragons. They're a different breed than Western ones. Some of them aren't as bad-tempered, but they're all arrogant." Turning to Chase, I added, "Remember this: do not tromp on a dragon's ego. Bite your tongue, let them insult you, whatever they want. Just don't challenge them, because that's the quickest way to become a crispy critter."
He glanced at me in the mirror, then at Morio, who nodded. "Point taken. I won't forget it. Tell me, do you think the dragon's mixed up with the demons?"
"No," I said, settling back in my seat. "I doubt it. Dragons eat lesser and minor demons for lunch. If we could cajole one onto our side, we'd have no problem until we ran up against Shadow Wing, but I'm afraid we don't have much to offer. Dragons are mercenary creatures. You have to make it worth their while to help you.">I glanced outside. Dawn was breaking in the east, and I could see the glimmer of sunlight on the horizon. Though clouds were coming in, we wouldn't see rain for a few hours. "First light! Menolly, you have to get downstairs. Go, and make sure you barricade the doorway."
She stroked my face. "I wish I could help you today, but I can't. Be careful, all of you. I'll see you tonight."
As she disappeared into the kitchen, Delilah sat next to me as I clutched Trillian's hand. I might be making a huge mistake by getting involved with him again, but damned if I'd give him up to his ancestors without a fight.
"I called Iris," she said. "She'll watch the house and Maggie while we're gone today. The shop can stay closed for once."
I nodded, unable to speak. Morio slid down on my other side and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. Wearily, I leaned my head against his chest. As we sat there, watching Trillian's breath grow frail, the sound of sirens echoed in the distance. Help was on the way, but would they be too late to save him?
Chase came rushing in, an OIA emergency team behind him in a scene that was beginning to look all too familiar.
I forced myself to move so they could examine Trillian. One of the medics, a youngish elf whom I recognized as being Sharah, a niece in the elfin high court, patted me on the arm. If she felt any distaste over treating a Svartan, she kept it well hidden.
Morio and I told them what happened. One of the medics looked over the skinwalker, while the others concentrated on Trillian. I stood back, watching with a muted sense of horror as they stripped off his robes and jabbed his arm with a syringe full of a shimmering blue liquid. The elixir would keep his heart going while his body fought against the neurotoxin.
As I glanced over at Chase, I saw that his arm was around Delilah's waist. Neither one noticed me looking at them, and I suddenly felt very much alone. If only Menolly could have stayed up longer. Just then, Morio edged in next to me, and I reached for his hand as we watched the frantic scurry to save Trillian's life.
Finally, one of the techs sat back and wiped his forehead with a cloth. "He's stable enough to transport, but we have to get him back to OW immediately. If we don't, his condition will deteriorate, and he'll die. He received a lethal dose of the skinwalker's poison. If he wasn't so strong, he'd already be dead." The medic glanced at the rest of us. "Did anybody else get cut? Even a minor scratch?"
Morio shook his head. "I got bruised up, but no cuts. Not that I know of. Camille? Delilah? You were both attacked. Are you all right?"
