Page 6 of Dragon Unhinged

The basement looks like any other, I suppose. Shelves with boxes storing miscellaneous items for the house, washer and dryer facilities. It’s expansive of the most of first floor. It’s open with a few rooms that are more storage and other items for the staff to keep the house up to my father’s standards. The floors are done with a grey linoleum. It’s a clean space, maintained by the staff well. Not spooky like some of the basements I’ve seen in movies or television.

I carefully move through the space to the door in the corner. It’s made to blend into the space and not look like it goes anywhere particularly interesting.

There’s no keypad, just a simple lock. My father’s cockiness comes through loud and clear. No one would dare disturb this door without his permission.

With my rusty skills of picking locks, I manage to get it open in about five minutes. As soon as I open the door, I want to turn away, just from the smell coming from the basement. It’s more potent than any farm I’ve ever been to, and even worse than the time I had to meet with a gym teacher who kept his office in the boys’ locker room. It’s worse than it’s ever been.

Maybe this is a bad idea.

Shaking my head, I take a deep breath in through my mouth and take a few tentative steps forward, bracing myself for what’s to come. I take each step slowly, as I’m descending into darkness once again. I don’t want to turn on lights just in case, but I have my phone out, just the screen light leading the way through the shadows.

The doorway at the bottom of the stairs is open like always. The space hasn’t changed much. It’s still dingy and not well cared for. The wear and tear of having shifters down here is moreextensive than the last time I saw it. I take another step forward, cautious as I listen for one of my father’s security guards, but there’s nothing.

I’m always surprised by my father’s insane security, but he also must have a lot of faith in the magic he harnesses here, because there’s never a guard around watching this area unless they’re moving them to and from the trucks.

“Just go away.” A deep, rumbling voice comes from ahead of me and to the right. It doesn’t sound threatening or fearful. Just a monotone, almost bored sounding voice.

Following it, I walk deeper into the dark. Without warning, a light flicks on above me, and then two more in quick succession further down the hall, like I tripped a sensor. That’s new.

I hope it’s not a sensor or alarm that sends any sort of alert to my father. He’d likely lock me up and throw away the key if he knew I was down here. Or worse, he’d arrange for me to be married off to a horrid man. Though, that’s probably his plan anyway.

“Hello?” I call out tentatively, not wanting to frighten whoever spoke.

“I told you to go away.” A sniffing sound seems to echo around the space, and then he says softly, “Sending a girl in is a new one.”

“A woman.” I don’t know why that’s my retort, or why my voice didn’t give away my gender more than my scent did, but I keep moving forward. “My name is Brianna. What’s yours?”

“I have no name anymore. Isn’t that what you people want from me? To be nothing more than a monster? A beast who kills for your idea of sport?” His anger and annoyance come through clearly.

The door in front of me is nothing but a normal house door aside from the runes carved into it and written around the frame and the sliding window that is high enough I’ve usually had tofind something to stand on to look inside. I must’ve grown a little since the last time I was down here. It doesn’t seem so high anymore.

“I’m not one of your captors. I…” I sigh trying to find the right words. “I’m as much a prisoner here as you are.”

He lets out a humorless laugh. “You’re human. No one would dare imprison you and force you to commit the atrocities they’ve forced me to.”

He’s probably right. No one would put me in a ring to fight someone else, but I also wouldn’t be good at fighting someone. “I suppose you’re right. I am a prisoner here, but I’m not forced do horrible things.”

He snorts but doesn’t say anything else.

“Please, tell me your name. Tell me something,” I plead quietly.

“I’m dragon. That’s all any of you want to know.”

“His name’s Declan.” Another gruff voice comes from further down the hall behind another door, but this one has an accent. Scottish, maybe? It’s hard for me to place with only a few words.

“Declan.” I smile softly. “And you’re a dragon. Amazing.”

He lets out another snort of annoyance. “What do you want, girl? Have you come to trick me, to make me believe that perhaps not all humans here are evil, just to torture me more? You can’t give me hope. I do what you demand, don’t pretend I’m anything more than what you’ve made me.”

With a frown, I run my fingers over the surface of the door. My fingers tighten around the door handle. I give it a gentle turn, not really expecting anything.

But… it turns.

With a gentle tug, the door opens easily.

Just on the other side stands the tallest, broadest man I’ve ever seen in real life.

He’s at least six and a half, maybe close to seven feet tall, and his bare chest and arms are all muscle.

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