Page 55 of Catastrophe

“Fafnir is going to free your dragon?” I repeated slowly. Can he do that? That doesn’t sound like something he can do, but what do I know?

“Of course. Dragons need other dragons to help them become freed.”

I shook my head. “That doesn’t sound correct. Otherwise, why would your family be so concerned about the births of boys?”

The silence was frigid. As was the glare she leveled me with as she crouched again to get close to my face and hissed, “What do you know about my family?”

“While you have been following Fafnir, we have been doing our own research. And you are foolish to believe in his power on faith alone.”

“It is not faith. We’ve seen his power. Felt it.”

“But none of you are dragons yet. Why?”

“He needs more magic first.”

“There is a cage full of witches here, yet he is not using them to turn you into dragons. I’m sure I just heard him say he’s discovered another dragon, and he’s gone to find them.”

Mary’s face turned red and pinched as she spluttered, “That was a lie. He’s going to turn one of us so it doesn’t look strange when another dragon shows up.”

“So he has already turned one of you and told them to keep it a secret for days?”

I knew this wasn’t the case since I’d heard Fafnir’s genuine surprise at the video of the dragon on the island, but Mary clearly hadn’t heard that part, but all I could do while I was captive was cause dissent in the family. Make her question Fafnir and his motives. Because he didn’t care about anything but his own goals and was just using the witches and the hunters to achieve them.

“No, no. They wouldn’t—He wouldn’t—” She pressed her lips together and let out a slow, angry breath. “I know what you are doing, and I won’t fall for it. You should be less concerned about me and my goals and more concerned about your fate.” Her evil smile creeped over her face again as she picked up something from the tray. My breathing stuttered.

A needle.

“This isn’t even the worst part. Look at you, shaking like a leaf.” She cackled wickedly. “Such a big man afraid of tiny needle.”

I was afraid. I was shaking. And I wasn’t ashamed.

Why is it always blood? Why can’t they take anything else? Blood is sacred. Blood is life. Haven’t I suffered this indignity enough?

“You won’t even feel this. Stop being so dramatic.” But as the needle brushed my skin, I panted, and my vision blurred. Too many emotions I associated with my past came rushing to the surface of my mind, along with the memories. I tried to push them away. I didn’t want to remember.

I didn’t want to react to something that seemed so nonchalant to her. Perhaps it was here. I knew little about the human realm. The few weeks I’d been here, I spent most of the time running for my life. Regardless, I didn’t want to look weak. But I felt it.

The thick metal around my wrists seemed to tighten and pin my body, and I whimpered as the needle pierced my skin and glowing purple left my body in a thin tube, continuously flowing into a plastic bag.

“Your veins glow with power, yet you’re being such a crybaby about it.”

“Why?” I choked out.

“I don’t know why you’re being a baby—” She stopped looking at the tubed liquid, and her gaze found mine. “Oh, you mean why are we taking blood? To learn more about titan blood, obviously. The hunters want to know where your power comes from, its properties, what it could do for humans. They aren’t just a group in the shadows these days. They have access to labs and scientists, politicians. They can do whatever they please.”

“And yet you believe they will let you go once you’ve helped them. Once you are a dragon,” I breathed, no longer hiding my disgust at her. “You’ve fallen into their trap, and there is no way out for you, just as there isn’t for me. You might walk freely around these halls, doing their work for them, but don’t get comfortable. You’ll be just another chained animal before long.”

Her eyes blazed, and she punched my stomach hard and fast, taking all the air from my lungs. But it was a welcome distraction from the blood draw and proved one thing; she, too, knew her freedom was limited. My chains clinked against my metal bed as I panted and stared at her.

“Don’t worry about me. Terry will be here soon, and he’s going to help the scientists figure out how glowing blood can help you heal faster. He’s going to start with your toes and work his way up until every bone has been broken and every healing time has been accounted for and your blood has been drained over and over again. Until, of course, your soul pair is captured. Then we’ll do the same to her.”

I closed my eyes and imagined myself elsewhere, ignoring Mary, but as the door opened and Mary greeted the male, “Terry,” I knew I wouldn’t be able to ignore what came next. I steeled myself, but you cannot temper torture.

CHAPTER 14

CLAWDIA

Icrouched in the bushes, catching my breath while scanning the area. Portal magic was hard. Really hard. The adrenaline at knowing I had to face my past must have prevented me from feeling the full effects last time. That, or healing the shadow portal had done more damage than I knew. Either way, I panted as though I’d run a mile in a bush only a short distance from the hunter compound as my portal vanished in a flash of blue behind me.

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