Dragon's Curse (Heir of Dragons: Book 2) Read online

  Definitely time to get away from here.

  Dani had made it all the way across the pipe and was now frantically gesturing for her to follow.

  “Hurry!” She squealed.

  “Trying to, Dani!”

  Kaylee stepped onto the pipe. The metal groaned. Another step—was it shifting beneath her? She wouldn’t look down. She wouldn’t—crap! The ground was much further away than she’d first thought.

  Eyes up and ahead. Focus on Dani.

  Kaylee placed one foot in front of the other. She ignored the crumbling bits her shoes scuffed off. Or the swaying metal.

  Or the vibrations as the Slayer behind her clambered to the top of the boiler again.

  “Look out!” Dani cried.

  Kaylee instinctively crouched, keeping her center of gravity low. A black mass of buzzing insects flew just over her head. She twisted around.

  The Slayer had opened the jar. Scarabs poured out of the top, forming a tight mass of black above his outstretched hand. A ring glowed on one of his fingers. Magic. He had to be controlling them with magic.

  The Slayer spread his hands towards her and the scarabs re-formed into a glittering black wall.

  Screw being careful.

  Kaylee ran, her feet barely touching the narrow metal. Her breath tore at her throat. The sound failed to drown out the buzz of the scarabs gaining on her. Dani was just ahead, reaching out a hand—

  Then they were on her.

  A thousand tiny feet pierced her clothes. A thousand mandibles bit at her exposed skin and snipped at her hair. Kaylee screamed and dropped to the pipe, pulling her magic close. The insects continued biting up until Kaylee released a blast of electricity through her skin.

  The black cloud surrounding her vanished. The pinpricks of pain all over ceased. When Kaylee opened her eyes, tiny beetle bodies fell from the sky, tinging off the metal like a hailstorm.

  Then she was falling.

  Her feet scrambled to grip nothing. Dani’s outstretched hand slipped away. Kaylee felt the air at her back as she picked up speed. Then she felt something else at her back. A slight tugging in her shoulder blades. The agonizingly wonderful feeling of stretching a muscle that had been tight for too long.

  But still, as she twisted, the ground came up fast.

  Storms can do far more than summon lightning. You’re only using a fraction of your power.

  Kaylee called on a torrent of wind. Her ears filled with a void of sound. Her breath raced out of her as a cushion of air swept beneath her body, slowing her just enough so that she merely stumbled when her feet hit the ground.

  She clenched the cool grass beneath her fingers, never happier to feel the ground. The tightness in her shoulders was gone. What had that been? Had she imagined it?

  The thump of feet pounding metal snapped her back to the fight. The Slayer was rappelling down the boiler’s siding. He kicked off and Kaylee had a moment to scramble back and try to absorb the blow as his fist met her stomach.

  “Those scarabs cost me a fortune, girl,” the Slayer snarled. He whipped his foot around. Kaylee caught it, but the man twisted and kicked again and Kaylee barely managed to re-direct it before it hit her face. The man sneered.

  “If you think one of Lesuvius’ hand-picked officers is going to be beaten by one lousy dragon-kin then you’re dead wrong.”

  “How about two dragon-kin?” Dani said.

  A gush of water slammed into the Slayer’s side, tossing him against the boiler. He sputtered, looking at the stairway across from him in disbelief.

  Dani held her arms out, looking furious. She swayed slightly when she began to walk down, holding herself against the railing. Kaylee wondered how much energy that attack had cost her.

  “Don’t. Touch. My friends.”

  The Slayer laughed.

  “A two-fer! You just made my day, girl. Didn’t think finding the new dragon-kin would be so easy.”

  He snapped his hand out. His knife line shot across and nearly sliced Dani’s side, sticking into the metal just beside her head. Dani let out a squeak of alarm. She stumbled again, nearly losing her balance.

  Kaylee drew one claw down her opposite arm. Ice solidified over it, creating a short blade which she used to slice through the Slayer’s line.

  “Dani, get back to the—”

  She grunted as the Slayer caught her in the side with another kick. Dani had begun making a break down the boiler stairs.

  “Not this time, monster,” the Slayer barked.

  He fired a second knife. The line it was attached to wrapped around the staircase’s rusted support beam. He pulled. The stairs screeched as they tore away from the boiler’s side. Dani gripped the handrail for dear life.

  Kaylee saw the moment as if in slow motion. Watched as Dani’s grip failed and she went flying.

  Kaylee dove, summoning a burst of icy wind to jet her forward the last few feet. Dani landed on Kaylee as she hit, and it took all Kaylee had to keep her scales shifted along her back, cushioning the blow. They skidded the last ten feet before grinding to a halt.

  “You break anything?” Kaylee groaned.

  “No, I-I think I’m good.” Dani’s eyes were wide in shock. “I was—I thought I was dead—but you—Thank you!”

  “Welcome to the Convocation,” Kaylee said. “Get back to the van. I’ll handle this g—”

  Dani’s arms moved before Kaylee realized the Slayer was behind her. A blast of water jetted from her outstretched palms, sending him hurling back. Dani gaped at the space where the man had been.

  “He was about to stab you!”

  “Yep, that’s what they do,” Kaylee said. “Don’t think too much about it.”

  A chilling laugh made Kaylee spin around. The Slayer had pulled himself to his feet. Another pair of wicked knives were angled at them. What would it take to make this guy give up?

  “I guess capturing just won’t do with you two,” he said. “It’s time to stop holding back.”

  He took a step towards them. Kaylee readied herself for a fight. She was beat, but she could hold him off long enough for Dani to get away.

  Thunk.

  The Slayer froze. Teetered. Then collapsed, out cold.

  Damian raised a hand and caught the metal boomerang as it whirled back to his hand. He pressed another button and it collapsed. He glared at the Slayer. Then at Kaylee.

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you bring Slayers here the last time you came around my place?”

  “Technically those were Stymphalian birds.”

  “Sent by the Slayers.”

  “Well, yeah, if you want to get specific.”

  “Oh, I do. See, you’re becoming a problem that I—is your friend okay?”

  Dani had stayed kneeling on the ground, her arms splayed on either side of her in exhaustion. Her scales were vibrant in the low light and she was staring at them; not with fear, Kaylee realized, but not quite with admiration, either. It was as if she didn’t know whether to be horrified or ecstatic at what she had just done.

  Kaylee heard Damian suck in a sharp breath when he got closer.

  “Great. Another bloody dragon-kin. You better have a good explanation for this one, Kaylee.”

  “I don’t,” Kaylee said. She crouched beside Dani. She put a gentle hand on the other girl’s shoulder.

  “Good job. That Slayer was levels beyond the others I’ve fought. I don’t think I could have gotten out of that one without you.”

  Dani slowly nodded. “Did you see how I hit him?”

  “I did.”

  “And all that water. I did that.”

  “Yep.”

  Damian gave Dani a funny look. “Yeah…you did. Is she in shock or something? Here.” He dug deep into the pockets of his tattered jeans and pulled out a few brightly colored discs with runic markings on them. These he tossed into Dani’s lap.

  “Pain subduing charms. Ingestible. Pawned ‘em off a Merlin here a week ago so I’m pretty sure they’re still good
.”

  “No,” Dani held up her claws. “I’m not hurt. I just need to…”

  Kaylee caught her as she almost slumped over.

  “S-sorry. Just really tired.”

  “You used a lot of magic you weren’t ready for,” Kaylee said. “Adrenaline will do that.”

  Dani breathed in. Once. Twice. The scales on her arms receded. The claws shrank to fingernails.

  “Nice,” Damian said, clearly impressed. He stuck out a hand and helped them both up. “I would have remembered if we’d met. I’m Damian.”

  “Dani.”

  “Dani…You seemed pretty shook up there—not that you did bad, but how new are you to this whole dragon-kin thing? I think I would know if another one was hanging around Scarsdale.”

  “I’ve been one for a little while, but I’ve officially been one for about a week.”

  Damian whistled. “Even more impressive.”

  Dani blushed.

  “There were more Slayers around here,” Kaylee said. “Are my friends okay?”

  “They’re fine,” an unfortunately familiar voice said. Zaria emerged from the darkness, surrounded by a few rogue dragon-kin. She grinned at Kaylee. “You can thank us for that.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Kaylee kept Zaria in her sight at all times as the group made their way over to Damian’s warehouse. It was more habit than helpful, as Zaria’s goons surrounded her on all sides. Kaylee tried to resist rolling her eyes. She found it hard to be too intimidated by kids who looked like they’d just been let out of elementary school, dragon-kins or not.

  “Sure you don’t need any pain charms?” Damian asked Dani for what had to be the fourth time.

  “Positive,” Dani said.

  “That was pretty incredible. What you did back there.”

  A faint smile ghosted across Dani’s lips. “Thanks.”

  Damian nodded. He looked befuddled, as if he couldn’t decipher her, this newest addition to their mix. And Kaylee could understand. She still didn’t know how to feel about this new, slightly more aggressive, Dani.

  Rather than going through the front, Damian pointed them around the back to a padlocked door.

  “You’d be surprised how many Merlins and dragon-kin can’t even undo this,” he said proudly. Zaria held up one metal-covered arm.

  “Bet I could.”

  Damian’s expression soured. “Yeah, bet you could.”

  He unlocked it. They went up a narrow staircase to what might have been a foreman’s office. In here Damian had shoved in couches and a flat screen T.V. Against one wall was a fridge and a pinball machine.

  Jade sprang up from the couch where she’d been wrapping Maddox’s arm.

  “Kaylee! You’re all right—”

  Zaria stepped into the room. There was a flash of steel. When Kaylee blinked, Jade had Zaria pinned against the wall, a blade at her throat. Maddox and Edwin faced off against the rest of the rogues as both sides began summoning magic.

  “Hey!” Damian barked. “My place, my rules! Weapons away! And magic!”

  Jade didn’t move the knife. “Kaylee told me you kidnapped her,” Jade snarled. “Tell me what you’re doing here.”

  “Same as you, darling,” Zaria drawled, unfazed. “You aren’t the only one who uses Damian for information. Now,” she gripped the blade with a metaled hand and bent it away from her. “Why don’t we talk?”

  “Put it away, Edwin,” Kaylee said. “They actually did help us.”

  Edwin reluctantly squelched the ball of magic in his hand. Maddox slowly uncurled from his attack stance. Jade backed off Zaria who brushed herself off, grinning.

  “Oh, I like these guys, Damian. You didn’t tell me you had such violent people frequent here.”

  “That’s because they’re not supposed to be violent,” Damian said. “But every time they come over they bring unwanted guests.”

  Zaria gave Damian a significant look. “Unwanted, but not unsurprising.” She snapped her fingers. “Billy, Claire. What’s happening with the Slayers?”

  A skinny boy with a slight overbite said, “I think Kim and Danny are helping the others take care of them, Zar.”

  “Danny?” a stubby girl said. “He couldn’t ‘take care’ of a cactus.”

  “Like you could?”

  “My group, out!” Zaria said, rubbing her forehead. “You’re giving me a headache! Take care of the Slayers, then scout. Chances are those were the only ones, but we need to be sure.”

  “You three go help, too,” Damian said to Jade, Maddox, and Dani. “We’re crowded enough already.”

  “You don’t tell us what to do,” Jade said. “And if you think I’m leaving Kaylee with her, you must think I’m an idiot.”

  “I’ll be here,” Edwin said. “We’ll be fine.”

  “Really, Jade,” Kaylee added.

  “And while you’re out there please don’t maim any of my rogues,” Zaria said. “They have a lot of bark but they’re harmless. Mostly.”

  “Are not!” Billy said, straightening up his skinny figure.

  “It’s all right, Jade,” Kaylee said again.

  Jade shot one last death glare at Zaria, then followed the flow of people out the door. Damian closed it behind them with a satisfying click. He eyed Zaria.

  “I hope ‘take care’ of the Slayers doesn’t mean what I think it does. I won’t have murder on my grounds.”

  “Aw, is someone concerned?” Zaria flopped onto one of the couches, hooking her legs over the armrest.

  Damian leveled his gaze at her. “Zaria…”

  “Relax, Damian, of course I don’t mean kill them. You think I’m gonna let those kids commit first degree murder? We’re rogues, not monsters. They’ll take them somewhere else and alert the Convocation. What happens when they get them isn’t my issue. And you’re welcome for cleaning up your mess.”

  “Sounds like you’ve done it before,” Edwin said.

  “I’ve done it enough. When you don’t have petty rules holding you back from where you can and can’t go, you tend to run into problems more than usual.”

  “But you have no problem using the Convocation as your garbage crew,” Kaylee said. Zaria grinned.

  “If they’re there, might as well make ‘em useful. Speaking of the Convocation, that offer still stands, Kaylee.”

  “What offer?” Edwin said, giving Kaylee a questioning look.

  “To join our little group, of course,” Zaria said. “She didn’t tell you? I thought she told you everything about our meeting.”

  “The answer’s still no,” Kaylee said.

  Zaria shrugged. “Pity. I’ll keep trying. You might change your mind after what I tell you.”

  “And what’s that?”

  Zaria gave a Cheshire grin, and Kaylee had the strong urge to punch her teeth in.

  Damian opened the fridge, snagged some Cokes and tossed one to each of them. He popped the tab and sank into the leather armchair. Kaylee and Edwin sat on the couch beside him, Edwin facing Zaria in case she tried anything. But despite the other girl’s attitude, Kaylee trusted her. At least enough to know she probably really was here for information from Damian. Plus, Zaria had the type of crude personality that didn’t lend itself to deception. She was brutally honest, whether you wanted to hear it or not.

  “First thing,” Damian pointed at the door, “that new girl. The water dragon-kin. What were you thinking bringing her out here? And tonight of all nights when the Slag Heap wasn’t happening and the Merlin protection charms were down.”

  “We were thinking the same thing as when I came out here,” Kaylee said.

  “So, absolutely nothing.”

  “To relax and get to see the world she’s entering into, Damian. You have no idea what Dani’s been through. She just found out about her magic this week. She needed support from others like her. She needed to see she wasn’t alone.”

  Damian gave a dark laugh. “I’d say she knows now. She had any training?”

  �
��Not yet.”

  “Hm...pretty good without it. But you guys are still idiots. You realize the Slayers will be—”

  “Flocking here because another dragon-kin has appeared. We know,” Edwin said. “Though, as Zaria alluded, that’s not the only reason they’re coming to Scarsdale, is it?”

  Zaria stopped flicking the tab on her can and looked up at them. “Pretty sharp, nerd boy. They told me you’d be on the ball, unlike that old man Alastair of yours.”

  Edwin started to get up, but Kaylee put a hand on his arm.

  “Easy.”

  “What does my dad have to do with this?” Edwin demanded.

  “You tell me. It wasn’t my negligence that led to the Slayers almost killing Kaylee last year.”

  “My dad’s not perfect, but at least he stands for something.”

  “Oh, dear, the classic honorable excuse. Don’t make me puke. You know, Damian, I’m not thinking I want to share my very special information anymore.”

  “Don’t be a jerk about it, Zaria,” Damian said with a long sigh. He rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration, as if he was mediating between two groups of warring toddlers. “You insulted the dude’s dad, what did you expect?”

  “A man who’s done more for Merlins and dragon-kin than you ever could hope to,” Edwin said.

  “You mean like letting dragon-kin slip through the cracks like that girl out there?” Zaria said.

  “He’s not perfect,” Kaylee said.

  “I’ll agree with you on that. Far from it. I wonder how many dragon-kin have been overlooked or abandoned by men like him over the years. The ones who think bringing everyone into their club brings unity, when really it just abandons others.”

  “We didn’t come here to listen to your sob story,” Kaylee said. “Whatever your problem with Alastair is, get over it.”

  Zaria laughed, flopping back on the couch. “I knew there was a reason I liked you! Not afraid to call me out. Good, good. Fine, I’ll leave Alastair alone as long as he does the same to me. But,” at this she met Kaylee’s eyes. “I’d take a hard look at the other people you choose to associate with.”

  A flash of memory crossed Kaylee’s mind. An unknown girl’s picture. An empty shed. Randy’s tight grip on any and all secrets he was carrying.