Leland couldn’t look away. She was beautiful, more so now that she’d cleaned up and her hair wasn’t tangled and matted with oily residue. Her skin was freshly scrubbed, and a clean nightgown wrapped her svelte figure, adding to the effect.
He swallowed, turning his attention to the map once more. How could a dragon shifter make his insides knot up like this? She was feral, a wild thing which deserved death. She’d been kept alive for research, but that was something he wasn’t involved in. He’d been trained to hunt her species, not to talk with them and get to know them as people.
How much of what he’d been taught was real, and how much had been fabricated to condition all Paladins to view dragon people as inferior, wildlings that deserved extermination? Talking with her made him doubt everything he’d known.
“I’m searching for the last of my people,” Catori finally whispered. “My tribe. Jack, my friend who died trying to escape with me, told me where they went, but I’m not exactly sure where it is, just the general direction. Whenever we were together, he’d put his finger against my palm and draw these imaginary maps, over and over, telling me to try and memorize the shapes. It got so that I could almost see the lines in my mind as he traced them. He’d whisper what some of the things were, but he didn’t want to say too much out loud in case we were being recorded. Still, he wanted to give me something to go on if I ever got out. I guess the Order never caught on to what we were doing, because they never tried to stop us. Maybe they just thought we were comforting each other—and we were.”
She tapped the eraser of her pencil against the map. “But if I can find them, the others of my kind, we can fight the Order so that we are no longer hunted and treated like lab rats. Your Order is not humane. It has to be stopped, and if we must kill every Paladin, then I swear it will be done.”
She eyed him, waiting for a reaction. It never came. Leland had been trained to keep his cool and never let his stoic mask break. He just nodded, looking satisfied as he studied the grains of wood on the table, his jaw tense.
“I will help you with your mission. I told you, I’m bound to guard you for life, so from now on, your secrets are safe with me. And I am no longer a Paladin.”
He snapped his eyes up to observe Catori, challenging her for a rebuttal, but she said nothing as she looked back down and continued to draw, chewing on her lower lip. The gesture was innocent, but Leland couldn’t look away as easily as she had.
The girl had magic writhing around her like a halo, threatening to drown him if he dared reached out to touch her. He inhaled sharply, feeling dizzy at her presence, but it was pleasant, alluring in an odd manner he couldn’t put a finger on.
Tarek wrung his hands together next to his brother, saying nothing, but from the glazed look on his face, he was thinking of home. Anyone could see Tarek was not happy with the outcome. Would he follow his brother to the ends of the earth and betray his Order, forfeiting his right to becoming a Paladin? Or would he cower and return to the Order, possibly to be sent back out to hunt his own flesh and blood?
Catori glanced at the youngest of the brothers, making a note to keep an ever-keen eye on Tarek. He was still bound as a Paladin apprentice. It made him dangerous, chaotic. It might be better if he left them and didn’t follow along, but she knew he probably wouldn’t. These brothers had done everything together since birth; it was obvious. They were stuck to each other like glue, fused not only in spirit but in mind as well. It would be an impossible task to sever their bond. If he came along, would he be a threat?
Tarek caught her staring, throwing nasty glances at him every now and then. Matching her scowls, he crossed his arms and sighed. He would never be a Paladin if he stayed; he’d never be promoted in the Lucidium Order. As the night burned on, his thoughts were full of turmoil, and his dark eyebrows furrowed tightly together, giving him a splitting headache.
Farryn and Gabriel observed the trio the entire time, wondering what to make of these magical people. They were mere humans, though Gabriel had some experience with the supernatural. Farryn had nothing but her father’s journals and books which told them a bit about this Lucidium Order and about the dragon shifter tribe the girl belonged to, but there was so much about this hidden world they didn’t know.
Listening to the two sides arguing in the same room was more than enough to send anyone screaming into the dark woods. At least they were all young; older dragon shifters and Paladins wouldn’t be so tolerant of each other. They would’ve offed each other and burnt the house to a crisp to end whatever battle they had begun. As the night wore on, it was apparent the trio would not be fighting anymore tonight. At least not right now.
This fact gave Farryn some relief as she jumped to her feet and entered the kitchen with the empty bowls to rinse them out. Gabriel followed and opened the dishwasher for her.
“What do you think?” he asked, taking one of the rinsed bowls and loading it into the machine. “Who could’ve expected this when you came back to settle your father’s affairs?”
Farryn laughed. “Yes, who knew? You’re right, I could never expect anything like this. It’s all so surreal, like a nightmare I can’t wake up from. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with this knowledge. I can’t sit back and do nothing. I’m not that kind of person.”
Gabriel straightened. “Neither am I.”
“We need to help them, you know,” Farryn sighed while Gabriel leaned on the counter, nodding in agreement. “Who else could help them? I still have my job in the city, and I need to sell this place, but….”
Gabriel reached out and took Farryn’s hands into his own. The gesture calmed Farryn, and she looked up at him, feeling her heart speed up. The man was breathtaking, she had to admit. His long dark locks slid over his hypnotizing brown eyes. They seemed to absorb the apprehension overtaking her. She had to flick her gaze down to their hands to focus again.
“Don’t say any more,” Gabriel said. “Just hear me out. I know this wouldn’t be the logical thing to do, and I know your father was having some financial issues with this place, but let me help you with all that. I have a sizable fortune I don’t really use much of, and I’d like to invest some of it in this place. Not as a lodge but as a center for supernatural studies and a refuge for people like Catori. Heck, even people like those boys who are obviously misguided.
“I studied many supernatural things and searched for more in-depth proof of it with your father, though we rarely found anything like an actual dragon shifter. We were obsessed with knowing more, and with a place like this, we can really find some answers as well as help people like Catori. And even rehabilitate people like Leland and Tarek; help them understand each other.”
“I don’t know. It sounds overwhelming.” Farryn shuddered, feeling the comedown from the earlier adrenaline surge. “They’re dangerous. How can we possibly help them? We have no powers.”
“I know, but this is the perfect place for it, don’t you think? I’ve always known that I’m meant for something more. Maybe we were all brought here for a reason. Maybe we’re supposed to help these factions live together in harmony—stop the fighting or at least offer a haven for those in need of sanctuary.”
Farryn nodded, relaxing as he continued. “Okay, but how do we go about this?”
“Well, I’m suggesting we become partners running this place, and we start with these three kids. We seek out those who want the same things that we do and try to form some alliances. Maybe we can make a difference.”
Farryn watched Gabriel as he spoke, her eyes widening as he offered his suggestions. The idea was appealing, but she had never thought she would turn the lodge into a sanctuary. She wouldn’t even know where to start. With his help, she could keep the place, but was that something she really wanted to do?
In her heart, she knew she did. Yes, to keeping the lodge. Yes, to working with Gabriel. Yes, to helping people like Catori. This place deserved a second life; it was full of good memories and was perfect for what Gabriel was p
roposing. Would her father have loved the idea? She had to think so, but the more it percolated in her mind, the more she felt excited about the future.
“All right. If you can help me keep the lodge, we can see about converting it into a sanctuary.”
Smiling, Gabriel gave her hands a gentle squeeze. “I know your father would’ve loved the idea.”
Farryn returned the smile, elated. He was more than right, and after today, nothing was ever going to be the same.
Chapter Eight
Leland, Catori, and Tarek piled into Gabriel’s car—a generous donation to the cause—along with bags of clothes and a cooler of food. Catori eyed the vehicle suspiciously, having never ridden in one. Almost her entire life had been spent in her cell and the labs where they studied her. She’d occasionally get thrown into a larger room with Jack—probably to keep them from going insane from a lack of contact with their own kind—but apart from what Jack had told her, she knew nothing of the world beyond the Institute. She’d been given a basic education but had been told little about history or current events. She knew what cars were, but riding in one had never even entered her mind as something she would get to do.
“What if it crashes?” she asked, her cheeks flushed from distress.
“Don’t worry,” Leland offered, turning the ignition and revving the engine of the sweet, souped-up black Honda. “I’ve driven tons of times. It’s just harder to track when not on foot, so most of our hunts are spent on our feet.”
Catori watched his movements as he shifted it into drive and waved at Gabriel and Farryn. She stared wide-eyed, frowning at their two benefactors. They’d given them money, food, a place to stay for the week, and a car. What more could they ask for?
Their company to ensure my safety, thought Catori. She didn’t trust these brothers one bit. There may have been a magical oath hanging over Leland’s head, but that didn’t make them any less lethal. It didn’t make her any less dangerous to them either, but that was beside the point.
As they pulled away and Farryn and Gabriel faded into the distance, Catori turned her attention toward her makeshift map. She’d compared it to a real map, and while she’d gotten many details wrong, she’d discovered some similarities which had helped her catch her bearings. Jack’s efforts had paid off, and now they were headed to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, high above the desert landscapes of California and Nevada. They were in Colorado, far from where she needed to be. She still couldn’t believe how big the world was. She’d known vaguely of North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, but looking at a map of the Western United States, the distance between Colorado and their destination seemed almost impossibly far.
“How long until we reach these mountains?” She pointed toward the Sierra Nevada’s as Leland wove his way onto the highway headed toward the West Coast.
“It’s going to take a couple days, with rest stops. We have to cross several states to get there. Relax, it’ll be a while.”
“And when we get there, what are you two going to do?” Catori flicked her eyes from Leland to Tarek, who was sitting in the back seat. Tarek had his shades on and was staring out the window, earphones stuffed into his ears blaring music she could barely hear. He was oblivious to them and looked like he wanted it like that.
She sighed. “What do people do while sitting for hours in these things?”
“What’d you do sitting in your cell for hours?” He bit his lip, but Catori didn’t seem too upset by the comment.
“I told myself stories,” she said.
Leland motioned to the radio. “Well, you have more options here. We can turn some music on, talk, you can read one of the books Farryn gave you. Umm… there’ll be a lot of new things for you to see. Truth is, I don’t get to drive as often as I’d like, and I need to pay attention to the road. As I said, the Order does things the old way; hunting on foot.”
“Your order sounds outdated in more ways than one.”
“You can say that again.”
“Why did you become a Paladin?”
Leland pressed his lips together. The road was hypnotic, but he liked the numbing effect of driving. It let him dissect all the things clogging up his head. It was cathartic, but her questions seemed to stir the sludge of soupy thoughts still lingering inside his mind.
“Well, my father before me was a Paladin. So was my mother. And my grandparents. Tarek and I were expected to follow in their footsteps.”
“That sounds oppressive.”
“And you? How did you grow up before you were taken?”
Catori frowned, returning her eyes to the scenery speeding by: cows in pastures, woods, mountains, clouds threatening to dump more rain onto them. Anything but Leland. He made her nervous.
“I don’t remember much. Jack was a bit older when he was captured, and he told me some. Like I said, he died because of me. We tried to escape, and he got caught. I heard his screams of agony as they stabbed him.”
“He might still be alive.”
Catori scoffed. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Why? He was a dragon shifter. If they thought they’d lost you, they wouldn’t kill him.”
“I know because I don’t feel him anymore.”
Silence filled the cab of the car.
“You can feel another dragon shifter?”
Catori shook her head and closed her eyes, leaning her temple on the cool glass of the door.
“He was my friend. We promised each other we’d both get out of there. When dragons get close, we can feel each other’s life force. As time went on, I could feel his heart beat in my head when I searched for him. Now… now it’s silent.”
“Wow. That’s impressive. Was it like that with your family?” Leland tried to change the subject away from Jack. He could see it was a painful spot for Catori and didn’t want to hurt her anymore.
“I don’t remember. I get flashes of my mother’s face, the warmth I felt when she was around. Sometimes I think I remember my father’s face, but he wasn’t around as much as she was. I think I had a sister, but it’s been too long, and I was so young, my memories are unreliable.”
“You and Jack were from the same family?”
She shook her head. “No. He was from another clan, but the same tribe. Not related, but our families were close. That’s how we ended up being captured together. We were both young, but he was about three years older than me. His memory was clearer than mine, obviously. I’ve told you how he traced the maps on my palm. He also told me about some secret entrances. I guess I should’ve known we wouldn’t make it out together.”
“How old are you, Catori?”
“I don’t know. Sixteen? Maybe fifteen? I can’t remember. Enough with the questions.”
Leland nodded and closed his mouth. Hours later, he peered over to find her asleep, murmuring to herself. Watching her snoozing was more pleasant than he liked to admit. She was pretty. Frail but tough as iron. At the Institute, he had not had the pleasure of seeking out females for companionship. The men and women were separated until they were fifteen. He was eighteen and had spent the past three years training with not only men, but also women. But none of the trainee Paladin women had captured his attention. Not like this dragon girl… the only one he couldn’t have.
They drove for nine hours, stopping only three times for gas, and to use the restroom. Leland began to feel beyond tired, and he frowned, rubbing his forehead as he spotted a sign for Elko, Nevada. He had to take a break, and his stomach had been rumbling since they’d left the outskirts of Provo, Utah. The snacks Farryn and Gabriel had provided had burned right through him.
He looked over at Catori. She had been dozing off most of the ride. He peered into the rearview mirror to find his brother Tarek also fast asleep. “You guys hungry?” he called, trying to rouse them. His own weariness was making him crabby, and a good full stomach and a nap would be nice right about now.
He pulled off the highway and into the parking lot of a diner attached to
a motel. He turned off the engine, pulled out the wallet Gabriel had stuffed full of cash for them, and flipped through the bills.
“Hey, Catori, Tarek, wake up!” He tapped the girl softly, not wanting to startle her. She roused slowly, sitting up and wavering for a moment as she yawned and smoothed her messy hair down.
“Where are we?” Tarek asked as he stretched his arms and legs in the back seat. “Are we there yet?”
Leland rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “No, we’re not there yet, but we need to eat and rest.”
He watched Catori reach for her bag, pull out a brush, and drop the visor down so she could tidy her hair in the mirror. She’d discovered it when he’d lowered the visor to shield her eyes from the sun and had thought it a rather novel concept.
Leland was not so easily impressed, but the brush running through her dark strands was hypnotizing. The brush forced a sweet flowery scent from her strands, which made it even more spellbinding.
“Hello! Earth to Leland. Where are we?”
“Elko. There’s a diner and motel here. We can eat and catch some rest. I’m exhausted. It’s time to stop for the night.”
“Well shoot, I just napped. I’ll be up for hours.” Tarek frowned and peered around for something to do. His eyes settled on the strip mall across the road. “Hey, there’s a bookstore. I might hit it up.”
“Okay, but after we eat. Who knows when the next hot meal will be? And try to act normal; I don’t want the locals inquiring about us too much.”
“All right, I get it. Let’s get some grub.” Tarek tapped his brother on the head and jumped out of the car before Leland could grab him.
“Wow, the weather here is nice today. Kind of on the cool side, but I’ll take it.” Tarek stretched as the other two got out of the vehicle and shut the doors behind them.
“It is nice. I like the cold.” Catori sniffed the air, finding it fresh enough to take a deep breath. “It’s different than the air at the Institute. Not so acrid and old.”