Page 54 of Catastrophe

With my mouth agape and the air in my lungs seeming to evaporate, I watched, horrified, as she walked into the room and smiled cruelly at me. I couldn’t feel fear, the shock was so great. It was a good thing, but I knew it was only a temporary reprieve.

Did Mary say her master’s name was Darren? Was that not the name of Clawdia’s husband? Is Fafnir disguised as a hunter? And is he indeed the dragon they are discussing controlling? Is he working with them as both a human and a dragon? But then who is the other one?

The answer came to me in a flash as Mary slowly walked over to a small camera in the room's corner before reaching up and pressing the side of it.

Charlie. It must be Charlie. His birth mother feared it would happen, and something on the island had caused his change.

My worry for my friend and our family increased tenfold, and my limbs trembled as my thoughts swirled.

If Charlie was indeed the dragon, then he was now being hunted by Fafnir to be brought into the hunter’s fold. If Baelen kept his promise, Clawdia, Charlie, and Baelen would all be together. Which meant they were all now in grave danger.

Gods, we really have underestimated our enemies. This is too much.

My breathing had quickened to the point of panic as Mary entered my cage. While I didn’t want her to believe I was afraid of her, I couldn’t calm down enough to cover my reaction. She stood over me with sharp eyes; it was too late to hide anything. She could see my wide eyes and gaping mouth, and the twinkle in her eyes told me how she relished in it. This revelation was a pleasure for her.

“I’m so glad you’re here. He’s going to love you. A golden meal rather than the snacks he’s been munching on.” My fists clenched as everything I assumed was confirmed. Fafnir was indeed working as a hunter and draining magic from the captive witches to satisfy his desires.

Being drained by him would offer him the power of a titan and their soul mate, and who knows what he could do then?

I was silent as she circled, her heels clicking loudly against the stone floor. The noise seemed to echo around and the mental bars chimed. “Do you remember me? I know it’s been a while, but I’ve been told I make an impression.” Her mocking smirk made me grit my teeth.

I couldn’t stay quiet. “I know exactly who you are. You are the evil witch who stole my friend’s fire and murdered Clawdia’s witch.”

“Winnie had outlived her usefulness. Although, it was such an interesting development to learn that Clawdia survived. Transferred her bond to another witch and survived because she had a bond to the titan who cried over her dying body. A soul pair.” My heart pulsed loudly in my ears as she leaned close to me. “Fafnir was most interested in learning the cat he saw in the warehouse, spying on him, the cat that turned into a human which resembled his ex-wife, was, in fact, his ex-wife. Finding you was a stroke of luck. He won’t stop looking for her. Call him sentimental, but he’s looking forward to a reunion.”

My breath caught, and my fists clenched. The powerlessness I felt made me nauseated, but I couldn’t hold my tongue against her smug expression. I growled, “You won’t find her. He won’t touch her.”

“You can’t do anything to protect her here. Worry about yourself.”

“You are underestimating her.”

“Her? That whimpering mess of a girl?” She laughed loudly and threw her head back. “She probably wets herself at the sound of Fafnir’s name. Winnie told me she killed herself in her past life, and Fafnir’s diary mentioned a wife that took her life on their wedding night. She’s a coward through and through. She’d flinch when I slammed a door. She won’t stop anything.”

I wanted to defend her. My little cat was anything but cowardly. She was so strong and so fierce and had grown so much since Mary saw her as a frightened cat and human. But it was better for us all that she underestimated us.

Instead, I asked, “Why are you doing this? You are a witch. You should help your people.”

She huffed as she stood up and walked out of the cage and into a corner I couldn’t see. “Helping them doesn’t serve me. I’m a descendent of dragons and portals. I should have more power than I do.”

“And Fafnir is going to help you get it?” I asked as she came back into view pulling a small trolley with metal trays on it. The squeaky wheels made my hair stand on end. I was so distracted trying to see what the trolley had on it that I almost missed her next words.

“He’s going to help us gain the dragons we should have.”

I blinked. It was possible, especially if Charlie was a dragon, but Fafnir definitely didn’t cause that since he wasn’t even aware of him …

“You want more power? Being a witch is not powerful enough? You want to be a dragon, too?”

“Witches have no power. My family, for all they say they have power, do not use it. They hide. We all hide. From hunters. And for what? They are a blind bunch. They’ve not once questioned the man who claims to control the supernaturals supporting their cause.” She laughed, and it sent shivers down my spine.

She truly believed herself untouchable.

“And has he told you how you become a dragon? How might you gain this power? Because you have already had power. You held the fire of a daemon, and nothing is as powerful as that. Why is Fafnir claiming he can give you power?”

“You ask a lot of questions for a captive. Why should I tell you anything? I didn’t come here to monologue.”

“Perhaps not. But you cannot tell the hunters and have probably exhausted your family’s ear. Satisfy my curiosity, because if I die here, the mystery of it all will make my spirit restless.”

“I don’t care about your spirit.” I said nothing, and she continued to stare at me until, eventually, she shrugged, and said, “But I suppose you’ll be dead as soon as Fafnir finds Clawdia and your merry band of freaks, so there’s no harm in telling you. He’s going to unlock our power. Our dragon is locked up inside of us, and he is going to free it.”

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