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She stepped closer to him, her face pale. “Han put you in a coma for thirty-nine years?”
He winced. In his anger, he’d said too much.
“Jia.” Rajiv waved her over. “We must hurry with the evacuations.”
She touched Russell’s arm. “We’ll talk later, okay?” She turned and accompanied her cousin up the stairs to the palace.
Russell watched her go, his gut twisting into knots.
“ ’Twill all work out,” Angus assured him. “When Han comes with his army, ye’ll have yer chance to avenge yerself. And when the God Warriors send Darafer to hell, there will be no one left here who will want to call him back. We will finally have peace.”
“I hope so.” Russell started up the stairs. There was something still bugging him, something he’d missed. He replayed the conversation with Wu Shen in his mind. The officer had recited Han’s orders quickly and precisely. What was there to be confused about?
With a jerk, Russell came to a halt. Wu Shen had received those orders tonight. He couldn’t teleport, so he must have taken one of those trucks to see Han. When Russell had talked to Wu Shen, the sun had been set for about an hour and a half.
Russell charged up the stairs and into the palace. Rajiv and the women were taping up signs on the wooden pillars, a different sign for each of the were-tiger colonies. “Rajiv, do you have a map?”
“In my office.” Rajiv pointed to a hallway to the right. “First door.”
Russell ran into the office and spotted the big map on the wall with all of Han’s campsites marked. He located the northernmost one where he’d been earlier that night.
Within driving distance, he thought. Han was hiding close to that camp. Probably within an eighty-mile radius.
“I have you now, you bastard.”
Chapter Fifteen
For two months, I have believed that it is possible to escape Master Han. When the moon is full, perhaps this month or the next, I will shift into dragon form for the first time and gain my wings. Somehow, I will escape this underground prison, and as soon as I see the sky, I will fly away.
But last night, I saw Darafer make all the birds plummet to their deaths. What if he does the same to me? I know Master Han is dangerous and I should fear him. But I fear the demon even more.
When Lord Liao and his guards formed a circle to bring the demon back from hell, I shot fire at them to stop them. The flames burned the vampire lord and his guards, but they had no effect on Darafer at all. I have no defense against him.
In the morning, I hear the soldiers grumbling. They wait until Master Han is hidden away in his death-sleep before they dare to complain. They have orders to shovel all the dead birds into a pile so they can be burned.
I mourn for the birds and wonder if the eagles have left behind little ones. Are the eaglets in a nest, hungry and calling for parents who will never return?
My hope is waning. The only comfort I can find is the knowledge that the other dragons survived. They will live on. The remaining eggs will hatch. Queen Nima will raise them well. They will fly and breathe fire for five hundred years.
As for me, I hold on to the truths I repeat to myself every day. I am dragon. I can never surrender. Nor will I submit.
I used to think those truths would set me free. Now I fear they will cost me my life.
Breakfast and lunch trays are brought to me, but I do not eat. In desperation, I consider breathing fire upon the soldiers in order to escape. But I cannot bring myself to harm the soldiers, who have been good to me.
After lunch, half of the soldiers prepare to leave. I hear them grumbling about a long drive to Darafer’s secret enclave, where he is growing the demon herb. They have to be there to guard Master Han during the ceremony. Tonight Darafer is changing more mortals into supersoldiers.
A spark of hope ignites inside me. Master Han and half of his soldiers will be gone tonight. Darafer will be occupied, too, at the ceremony. If I set this place on fire, the remaining soldiers will be busy putting out the flames, and I can make my escape.
I pace my room, waiting for sunset. Waiting for the man in the golden mask to leave. When my dinner tray arrives, I eat. I need my strength tonight.
Master Han knocks on my door and enters. “How are you today, son? Did you sleep well? Do you have enough to eat?”
I bow, hoping I will never hear those words again.
“Are you ready to go?”
I stiffen at his question. Does he know I plan to escape?
Master Han extends a hand toward me. “Come. I want you to attend the ceremony with me.”
Panic flares inside me, a spark of fire simmering in my belly, and I step back.
Han keeps his arm stretched out. “You didn’t think I would leave you here alone, did you? We’re family now. We will go together.”
I shake my head and retreat another step.
His extended hand curls into a fist. “Come here.”
Hot tears burn my eyes. My feet refuse to move.
With a whoosh, Master Han swoops toward me and grasps me by the arms. “Don’t think you can defy me. I’ve been good to you so far. That could change in a second.”
The spark in my belly withers away, and I bow my head. I will not escape tonight.
“That’s my boy.” Han pats me on the shoulder.
Everything goes black as he teleports me away.
When we arrive, I look around. The moon is half full. The sky is clear. The land is green. A field stretches out before us, line after line of carefully tended green bushes. Workers move between the plant rows, their shoulders slumped, their eyes devoid of life. Like me, they are trapped by a power greater than them.
A thick forest surrounds the field. I am tempted to slip away into the trees, but Han does not release his grip on me until his guards encircle us and escort us to the end of the field. Wu Shen is waiting there with about thirty soldiers. They have brought the mortal volunteers who will be changed.
A stage has been erected at the end of the field. Wu Shen’s soldiers position the mortals in a row facing the stage, then they form a line behind the mortals. They are armed with swords, and I fear they will strike any volunteer who changes his mind. Wu Shen orders the mortals to kneel.
Master Han leaves me with his guards as he inspects the mortals. “This is it?” he yells. “There are less than fifty. I need at least a hundred!”
Wu Shen bows. “My apologies, master. This was all we could gather on short notice.”
Han marches down the row of kneeling mortals, eyeing them with disdain. “Some are too old. Or too sickly to be soldiers.”
“That is why they volunteered,” Wu Shen says as he follows Han. “They want the potion that will give them superstrength so they can be healthy again.”
Han clenches his fists. “They should come for the honor of serving me!”
The mortals bow down, their foreheads touching the ground. I suspect they have been warned not to anger Master Han.
With a deafening crack of thunder and flash of lightning, Darafer suddenly appears on the stage. I have seen Darafer arrive quietly and stealthily, so I know his theatrics are designed to illicit fear. And they do.
The workers in the field run to hide in the forest. The mortal volunteers tremble with terror. Some sneak looks at the soldiers behind them. The soldiers grip the handles of their swords.
Wu Shen comes to stand beside me. He glances at Han’s guards, who are still close by, then asks, “Is this your first time to see the ceremony?”
I nod.
On the stage, Darafer waves his hand, and with another crack of thunder and bright flash, a black cauldron appears beside him.
During the crack of thunder, Wu Shen leans close and whispers, “I will try to help you.”
I look at him, surprised, but he is watching Darafer as if nothing happened. I follow his example and keep my face expressionless even though my heart is pounding.
Master Han climbs onto the stage and bows to Darafer. “Your servant, always.”
The demon gives him a twisted smile. “Together we will rule the world.” He turns to inspect the mortals. “Tonight, you will join us on our noble quest. No longer will you be mere mortals. Your strength, speed, and agility will be greater than you ever imagined. You will live longer and be superior in every way. While I will be a god among men and Master Han will be emperor, you will be kings. Are you willing?”
The mortals say yes. They are willing.
Darafer lifts his arm, and a golden chalice suddenly appears in his hand. He dips it into the cauldron. “By drinking my potion, you will be transformed. You will be so powerful that no mortal will be able to defeat you. In exchange for this gift, we require only two things. The first requirement: you will give your complete obedience to Master Han and myself. Are you willing?”
