Shards (Dragon Reign Book 2) Page 6

  “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she whispered, sounding confused.

  “With the dragon thing? You could be doing a lot worse,” I commented. “You haven’t killed either one of us yet, so that’s a plus.”

  “No, well, yeah that,” she said sighing, “but I meant with you and Forrest. There’s too many rampant emotions running around in my head and everything’s fuzzy. And I keep telling myself it’s crazy, but… never mind, I’m not explaining right.”

  “You feel like your world’s been turned upside down,” I said quietly, and she sat up, but I kept my gaze on our hands. “Like everything you do feels right and wrong at the same time?”

  “Yeah, something like that.”

  “You’re not alone, trust me,” I admitted. “Ever since that morning you awkwardly walked over to my table at the diner, I’ve felt about the same.”

  “But it’s weird.” She held up their clasped hands. “I feel a connection to you, a strong one, and I uh, I liked this morning.” Her cheeks flushed, and I smiled, letting her know I quite enjoyed it, too. “But with Forrest, I feel the same kind of connection, but it’s different, and just as strong.”

  “He’s a dragon and so are you. It’s not unexpected that you should feel comfortable around him.” I stiffened thinking of their kiss and shook my head. “It’s not like either one of us is going away soon.”

  “Meaning?”

  I lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “Meaning you have time to figure out where your heart really lies and no matter what happens… I’ll always be your friend, Kate. I think I owe you at least that much.”

  “Just a friend?” she asked, and I finally let my gaze find hers.

  “That’s up to you now, isn’t it,” I murmured, her green gaze locked onto mine.

  I wanted to kiss her again, gods did I, but it didn’t feel right with Forrest so close. I might be half-demon, but I still had a strong sense of morals, whether Forrest wanted to believe it or not. I settled for draping my arm around her shoulders and letting her move in close.

  We sat there, quiet for a long time, before she spoke again. “Do you think we’ll find what we need? At the ruins, I mean.”

  “I’m hoping. Any clue we can find will help us onto our next step of the journey.”

  “A journey I never thought I’d be on.”

  “What, you never dreamt of finding and eating an entire den of fractorns?” I teased, and she elbowed me hard. “Ouch, damn, love, you’re going to have to watch that strength of yours.”

  She cringed and rubbed the sore spot on my ribs, making it even harder to resist kissing her. “Sorry. Still adapting to the changes and all.”

  She settled back into my side, and after a while, her breathing grew steady and deep as sleep took hold again.

  I couldn’t move and contented myself with holding her close, watching the night pass by.

  When my eyes started to droop, I knew I needed to wake Forrest up to take over. I picked up a few wood shavings and tossed them towards his face.

  His nose twitched, and finally, he opened his eyes, jerking upwards and swatting at his face.

  “Your turn,” I whispered, and he swung around to stare at me annoyed.

  When he saw Kate sound asleep under my arm, his eyes narrowed, and his dragon flickered to life in the depths of those green pools, but he appeared reluctant to wake Kate, as she was half laying on me.

  “Quiet so far,” I told him as he sauntered over and sat down on the other side of Kate.

  “Good. Sun should be up in five hours or so. Get some sleep,” he told me stiffly.

  I started to close my eyes, then stopped and poked him in the shoulder.

  “What?” he grunted.

  “Just tell me something. When this is all over, and Kate makes her choice, what will you do?”

  “You mean if we all survive, and she is forced to choose?” he replied sharply, but when his eyes slipped to Kate, his tone and face softened. “I don’t understand these feelings I have for her… but I know I do not wish to hurt her.”

  I bobbed my head in agreement. “Good to hear.”

  “However, the chances of her winding up with a half-demon are laughable.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but was cut off.

  “You know what else is laughable? Listening to you two bicker about my affections as if I’m not here,” Kate said, catching us both off guard. “You talk too loud.”

  Forrest lowered his gaze, aggravated.

  But I grinned, laughing quietly. “Sorry to disturb your sleep.”

  She shifted against my side, but made no move to leave. “Whatever, just go to sleep, Craig.”

  “Whatever you say, love.” I sheathed my dagger back at my hip, laid my head back on the log, and waited for sleep to take me away, at least for a few hours.

  9

  Kate

  Someone jostled me awake, and I was ready to grumble at them to let me sleep longer when a warm hand covered my mouth.

  My eyes shot open instantly, and I stared up into the stern face of Forrest.

  I nodded, briefly and he removed his hand from my mouth.

  Craig was awake, too and crouched low, glaring into the trees. The sun was barely rising, and the sky was overcast with darkening storm clouds. Craig lifted three fingers, and I saw Forrest nod.

  I waited for one of them to explain what was happening, but their focus was solely on the trees. My sword and dagger were within reach, and I stayed low as I crept towards them, quietly slinging the strap over my body and picking up the knapsack of supplies as well.

  Forrest took it from me and placed it on his back. I poked him hard and glared, motioning with my hands that I wanted to know what was up, but the sudden appearance of fear on his face said maybe I didn’t want to know.

  “Shit,” Craig growled. “We have to move. They’re coming this way.”

  “What’s coming?” I asked, but again neither answered me.

  Each took a hand and together, we stayed low, winding through the trees. I sniffed the air as we went, but there was no hint of fractorns around.

  I smelled nothing at all which was strange. “Guys? Tell me what we’re running from?”

  They exchanged a glance over my head, and I heard Craig gulp before he replied, “I’m not sure.”

  “What? How can you not be sure? Are they dragons?”

  Forrest was already shaking his head. “No, not dragons… at least not dragons I’ve ever seen.”

  All that answer did was confuse me more, but then the strangest sound met my ears, and Craig and Forrest dragged me down to the ground, both shielding me as they stared in the direction we just came.

  It sounded like clicking, but it was weird. I wasn’t sure what I was hearing, but Craig paled, and even Forrest’s dark complexion seemed lighter as his neck strained and I sensed his dragon lifting its head, preparing for a fight.

  Mine started to do the same, and I lifted my head, ignoring Craig trying to push me back down.

  The second I saw it, I wished I never had. My jaw dropped and the notion that I’d witnessed the scariest thing yet vanished.

  Traipsing through the trees were three figures, but they weren’t solid. Not that they were see-through, they literally were missing chunks of their bodies, skin, and muscle.

  The clicking I heard earlier was their bones, creaking and cracking as they walked. I couldn’t tell what they were, but when I sniffed the air again, still smelled nothing, and grunted in annoyance.

  One of the figure’s heads turned in our direction, and Craig glared at me.

  I shrugged in apology, but it was too late.

  The thing threw its mouth open wide, and a screech that sounded extremely familiar to the plagued we faced, reverberated off the trees.

  “Run,” Craig growled, shoving me and Forrest ahead of him. “Run!”

  As déjà vu slammed into me, I took off at a dead sprint, following Forrest’s wild path as he dodged trees and leapt over
rocks. I worried Craig wouldn’t be able to keep up, but he was right behind me, throwing looks over his shoulder every few seconds.

  “Where’d they come from!” I yelled as we ran.

  “Can we worry about that later?” he demanded. “Just keep running!”

  “We have to get out of sight!” Forrest threw over his shoulder as he slid beneath a low hanging branch and I followed, Craig sliding behind me in the underbrush before he was back on his feet, boots pounding loudly on the packed mud and leaves.

  “Where are we? How close to the Darrah lands?” I asked.

  “Not far, but there’s no standing structures left to hide in! We’ll have to kill them.”

  “Can’t,” Craig yelled. “Not without that potion, and Lucy was still working on making more for me when we left!”

  “What?” I snapped.

  “There weren’t supposed to be any of these things here!” he replied in a growl.

  I shook my head, not believing we didn’t have the one thing with us that could destroy a plagued one.

  A bright flash of light made me blink and glance at my arms. With my shirtsleeves rolled up, I could see the runes on my arms, and they were glowing, giving off a bright flash of light every few seconds like a pulse.

  Voices whispered through my mind, old voices, growling, filled with power. The words made no sense, but I felt what they were telling me to do.

  “We have to get to Darrah territory!” I told Forrest.

  “I told you! There’s nowhere to hide!”

  “We don’t have to hide,” I told him.

  He frowned, concerned at the runes glowing on my arms.

  Trying to catch my breath, I panted two words. “Trust me!”

  There wasn’t time to come up with another plan, so he nodded and shifted directions, veering to the right. I took off after him and heard the creatures growing closer, no matter how fast we ran.

  But the voices in my head grew louder, and before Forrest even said we were close, I knew we were only yards away from stepping onto the territory that belonged to my family since the beginning of the dragons.

  The trees ended abruptly, and we stood at the edge of ground, blackened and dead looking. Trees jutted up every so often, nothing but sticks in the ground.

  I expected Forrest to keep going, but he hesitated, his foot hovering over the darkened ground.

  “Move!” I urged, but he still wouldn’t go.

  Craig rushed up behind us and grabbed Forrest’s left arm, dragging him along.

  I turned and prayed I knew what I was doing as the three ambling figures screeched again, their limbs cracking in the most disgusting way.

  I stepped backward onto the land, and my feet were stuck to the ground.

  “Kate!” Craig yelled, but I couldn’t turn to look at him.

  The words the voices whispered poured out of my mouth, so rough on my tongue.

  It was like I was possessed and could do nothing, but watch.

  The runes on my arms flared even brighter, blinding me. Then my hand reached for the dagger, and I watched as I sliced my palm.

  Inwardly, I cried out in pain, but my lips never stopped speaking those strange words.

  My blood dripped to the ground at my feet, sizzling as it started to glow just as the markings on my body.

  The three figures burst through the trees and sprinted straight for me.

  “Kate!” Forrest and Craig screamed at the same time, but the light exploded from me, shooting outwards.

  It struck the three figures, sending them flying back through the trees.

  I flew backward, right into the arms of Craig and Forrest.

  I felt numb and weak, shaking as the power left me, and the runes on my arms returned to normal.

  I had a brief second to notice the shimmering shield hovering over our heads before I passed out.

  10

  Kate

  Voices filtered through to me. Familiar voices. I groaned inwardly. My mind was unfocused, thoughts scattered.

  “—seen this much power before. It’s insane.”

  “She has to be careful. She’s going to kill herself.”

  “You don’t think I know that? But if she really is this powerful, then there is hope. We can do this. All we need are the right answers.”

  I frowned, hearing the voices, but my eyes refused to open. My limbs were heavy, and my hand stung from where I’d sliced it open with the dagger. I attempted to recall what happened, but my mind was blank and rebelled, throbbing until I winced.

  “Kate? She’s waking up.” Two hands held my shoulders before one cupped my cheek gently. “Kate, open your eyes, love. Look at me.”

  Craig, that was Craig.

  And Forrest.

  They were both here. I managed to squint open one eye and then the other to see Craig hovering over me, breathing a sigh of relief.

  “Ouch.”

  “That’s what happens when you’re thrown by an explosion,” he explained with a grin, but he was worried.

  I saw it in the strain of his face as he helped me sit up. I was too weak to hold myself up, and he sat down beside me, keeping me upright.

  “How do you feel?”

  “Besides being in pain? Fantastic,” I growled, holding my head. “What happened?”

  “You don’t remember anything?” Forrest crouched before me, but it wasn’t him that I stared at blankly.

  Behind him was a shimmering blue and white wall of light. It rose high up into the sky and appeared to form a dome. I tried to lean back and see, but Craig was in the way.

  “Did I… did I do that?” I asked in disbelief.

  “Yes, which is why you passed out,” Craig explained. “You used quite a bit of power to create a shield.”

  “And the skeleton guys?” I asked in a panic.

  “Can’t get in, as you can see.” Forrest moved, and I saw the three horrible figures pacing around the outside of the light. One of them raised its hand and pressed against it, but it couldn’t get through. “What did you do to make this?”

  I held up my cut hand, but one of them had already wrapped a bandage around it, tying it off securely. “I don’t know. I just… I heard voices in my head in some weird tongue. I knew if we reached Darrah land I could keep us safe.”

  “I think you did that,” Craig murmured. “And nearly killed yourself in the process.”

  “No, it wasn’t that bad.”

  The way both their brows shot up told me it was that bad.

  “Can you stand?”

  Craig and Forest helped me to my feet, but I started to wobble, and Craig scooped me up in his arms, moving away from the wall I created and towards ruins in the distance. They looked like something I’d seen before, but another throb of pain through my body distracted me from thinking too hard.

  Keeping my eyes open was a struggle, but I was starting to feel more like myself.

  Flashes of faces I knew I’d never seen before appeared behind my eyelids. Ancestors maybe? A woman’s face, and two men… they kept repeating themselves over and over again. Were they the voices that told me what to do?

  The dome of light seemed to stretch for miles around us in either direction, and I wondered if I managed to block off all the Darrah territory. No wonder I was weakened.

  Craig and Forrest didn’t say a word and walked with a stiff set to their posture like they were pissed, but something told me they weren’t pissed at each other for once.

  “Are you both mad at me?” I asked.

  Craig’s jaw clenched, and Forrest refused to meet my gaze.

  “Wow, seriously? I’m sorry for saving your asses, again,” I muttered and pushed against Craig’s chest.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Put me down. I don’t need to be carried like a child.”

  “You’re not strong enough,” he growled, and his face shifted more towards that demon side of him I had yet to fully see. “Kate, stop it.”

  “No, just let me walk.”


  He stopped and dropped my legs before I was ready and I started to fall, but he caught me. He went to pick me back up again, but I pushed him away and after a few seconds of wobbling, managed to stand on my own.

  “Answer me,” I demanded. “Are you mad at me?”

  “Yes,” they said at the same time.

  “For what?”

  Craig crossed his arms and paced away, his usual smirk replaced by an angry scowl.

  I waited for one of them to answer.

  Forrest finally gave in. “You nearly killed yourself using that much power,” he explained.

  “But I didn’t.”

  “Not the point,” he snapped. “Do you have so little regard for your life? Do you know what we saw when that happened? Damn it, Kate, we watched your body thrown through the air as you bled.”

  “It was one scratch,” I argued, tugging at the bandage around my hand.

  “He’s not talking about that blood,” Craig growled fiercely.

  I patted down my arms and thighs, reached around my sides confused. “What blood?”

  “The blood that came pouring out of your ears from using too much power that you don’t understand!” He stomped away headed towards the ruins.

  I watched him walk away as I reached up and felt my ears. “There was?” I whispered, and the excitement I had at doing something incredible faded away as Forrest nodded. “Was it that bad?”

  “You were unconscious for a long time,” he said softly. “We couldn’t wake you, and your pulse was weak. We had no idea what you did."

  “I was trying to save us.”

  “But you did it not knowing what you tampered with.” He hung his head, kicking at a clump of dirt at his feet. “You can’t use magic like that. There’s consequences, and if anyone knows about how serious it can get, it’s Craig. We thought we were going to lose you.”

  I swallowed around the lump in my throat, my anger at their reaction ebbing. “I didn’t know.”

  “We know, but that is an image that will take a long time to erase from my mind.” He turned around and without a word made his way after Craig toward the ruins.