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Chapter Twenty-Three
Scarlett
Around me, the wind was blowing through the trees and above the sky was gray. The gloominess of the grey skies seemed to reach into the deepest parts of my soul. It seemed like an eternity ago that I had last seen my father, and it felt like we had been living in a different dimension. A different world where things were more complicated, more real. It's not the first time I've thought about it, but this time seems so much harsher than before.
Not far from me was the building where my father was supposed to be, and I wanted to run straight to it. To see whether he was still alive, whether he would make his way towards me or at least just stand there with a stupid smile. My heart ached as a cold breeze blew by, making me shiver. Still, I stayed where I was and followed our plan because I knew what had to be done.
As I stared into the distance, I heard them approach and I knew there was no time to run or shift. They descended upon me with their wings stretched wide and I gasped at the sight of them. With a quick swing of a tail, I fell to the ground, unable to get to my feet. The pain seared through me, but I refused to cry out in pain.
A clawed hand reached for me, and I gasped. Something hit me from behind, sending searing pain through me.
I woke up in an empty house that was unfamiliar to me. Memories of hours before and the dragon who saved me from the dark dragon's attack came flooding back to me.
A blast of cold air filled the room, freezing me to the bone. I wrapped my arms around myself to try and stay warm. The icy wind whipped against my face, forcing me to blink rapidly. My heart began to pound in my chest as a thought struck me. It had to be one of the Star Crest dragons. I wasn't sure how many were out there, but I was pretty sure we were being hunted by at least one. With Drako and Grayson both gone, I had no choice but to face them alone.
The large door at the end of the hallway opened, letting in more frigid air that slammed into me like an invisible fist. A dragon stalked through the entrance with his black cloak billowing behind him. His dark eyes looked down at me from atop his long neck; he stared at me for what felt like an eternity before disappearing back inside the doorway. I shivered uncontrollably until I finally realized it was not just the cold wind that had frozen me. I was afraid, terrified even, and I had no idea why. I didn't know this dragon and he didn't know who I was for certain. There was nothing here to fear.
As if summoned by my thoughts, a second dragon emerged from the room with another cloaked figure following close behind. This creature looked more like a man than the other, with broad shoulders and muscular legs beneath his black leather armor. He also wore a black cape and mask over his head to conceal his identity. I watched as they approached me, frozen in place from the icy blast I had just endured. They stood less than ten feet away from me. I could see their breath forming white puffs as they spoke to each other.
"She will come with us," the first dragon said to the masked figure, "or you may kill her."
The masked man nodded in response then turned his attention to me. "You are Scarlett Connelly?"
I nodded my head in reply.
His voice was deep and gravelly, sounding almost foreign. "Good. We need your help. Come with us now and we can ensure you get home safely."
My mouth went dry, and I swallowed hard. I didn't know these men, yet they seemed to think I would trust them because they knew my name. What sort of a fool was I? I should run screaming from the building. I should have turned tail and fled into the night never to return. Instead, I found myself nodding my head again.
"What about my friends?" I asked. "What happens to them?"
They exchanged glances, and I could tell they did not want to answer that question. The cloaked figure reached for his sword. I took a step back and bumped into something behind me. The masked man held up his hand in warning.
"Do not move, or she dies!"
I felt a tug on the back of my coat and realized it was the dragon who had brought me here. He pulled me closer to him, and I felt like a rag doll in his grasp. I tried to fight him off, but I could barely lift my arms to defend myself. I had no weapons to use either. I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder, and I cried out in agony, dropping to my knees. When I opened my eyes again, the dragon's claws had sunk into my flesh, leaving me bleeding. I fell forward onto the floor, my vision blurring in front of me.
It was all over so quickly I hardly noticed the two men leave. I lay there on the ground, staring at the wall in front of me. I kept replaying the events leading up to this moment in my mind. How could I have been so stupid? Why couldn't I have run when I had the chance?
The pain began to flare up across my body. I could hear footsteps running towards me. Then I felt hands pulling me into a sitting position. I tried to focus my eyes to see who it was, but everything went black.
When I opened my eyes, a man stood in front of me with a curious look on his face. Pain shot through me as I tried to move, and I cried out without meaning to.
"Calm yourself, child," the man said as he stared, looking me over slowly, "You'll only hurt yourself."
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice barely audible and shaky from my weakened state.
"My name is Blaise," he said with a smile that made my blood run cold.
I glared at him as he paced in front of me, holding his hands behind his back. There were no quick exits that I could see, and I was unable to run.
"What do you want?" I asked to buy time until Grayson and Drako would see I was gone.
"Information," he said then shook his head, "but sadly your father had refused to cooperate."
"What do you want with my father?" I asked as tears filled my eyes.
"I am not a monster, child," he said softly, "though there are some who would make me one." He paused for several minutes and then continued. "You have been brought here to help us find the Queen dragon."
