Page 74 of Prince of Storms
“I have one idea already,” Ty said, looking back and forth between us. “It has to do with the Vorgan.”
Tor immediately swayed closer to me as I shivered at the mention of the creature that had kidnapped me. It was just another reminder of why I needed to get away from that world where I did not belong.
“It’s dead,” Tor rumbled.
“I know. But, Tor, think about it. About what happened now versus the first time,” Ty said.
“It killed a lot of people both times,” Tor replied. “It nearly killed Mia this time, too.”
“But it didn’t kill me,” I said. “It didn’t try. It could have at any point, but it didn’t. That’s what you mean, isn’t it, Ty?”
“Yes!” he exclaimed, pointing at me. “It didn’t try to kill you. It kidnapped you. Took you with it.”
“Okay, so?”
“So, how did it know to do that?” Ty asked.
I frowned, feeling uneasy. “Are you saying shetold itto kidnap me?”
“Vorgans are beasts,” Tor countered.
“Not this one,” Ty said. “She clearly gave it orders to take Mia. It wastrained.”
“Trained?” Tor echoed. “How? There’s no way she could have smuggled it through when she was banished. A Vorgan would have attracted attention. It’s much too large.”
Ty shrugged. “I don’t know, but she got it through somehow, didn’t she?”
“What if it wasn’t a full-size Vorgan?” I put in.
“She shrunk it?” Ty asked. “We don’t have that sort of magic.”
“No, she didn’t shrink it,” Tor said, his gray eyes staring at me. “It just hadn’t grown. She brought an infant, or an egg, if that’s how they’re born. That’s what you mean, don’t you, Mia?”
I nodded. “You don’t train adult dogs if you can avoid it. You train them as puppies, so they don’t know any different.”
“A pet Vorgan,” Ty said, shaking his head. “At least it’s dead.”
“That one,” Tor said. “But I think this is her plan. She probably has more. Offspring of this one, perhaps, or maybe she brought more in. We don’t know a thing about how they reproduce. But if she trained one to kidnap a target she set, then there’s no reason to think she can’t have trained them to do other things. We must be extremely careful.”
“Agreed.” Ty’s glance slid to me. “We don’t want to get caught alone.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“Ty …”
“Yep. Got it. I’m out of here,” Ty said, heading off, the other dragons going with him.
“I’m not staying here again,” I said, having figured out what Ty’s comment was. “Unless you force me.”
“I can’t force you to do anything, Mia,” Tor said gently, his eyes softening. “Much as I wish I could force you to see my logic if nothing else. But you are your own woman. I … I can’t protect you out there, though.”
“Am I your prisoner, then? Is that what you’re saying? You’re keeping me here against my will. Again?”
“No,” he said heavily. “Daylight is here now. You can travel freely, the Vorgan, if there are more, and likely my sister won’t be around. Come.”
We headed into the underground hallway and up the stairs to the main floor. Instead of heading for the door that would take us to the garage, however, he turned swiftly at the top of the stairs, showing me to one room in particular. His room.
“I’ve been here,” I said as he pushed the broken door open.
