Page 43 of Claimed by the Savage Dragons
‘But… I… I don’t understand,’ I finish lamely. ‘How are they not true? The one with the blonde hair and the other with the scar on her cheek. You killed them. They disappeared. Others too. The things you did to them… I’ve heard Aziel and some of his allies laughing about it.’
‘I mean I didn’t hurt them or kill them. They’re alive. They’re just…far away.’
‘But their scents?—’
‘They’reveryfar away, Tor,’ he shrugs. ‘And once everyone thought they were dead, why would anyone go sniffing around for females who were meant to be corpses?’
My mouth opens and closes about ten times before I can speak. My dragon is as perplexed as I am.
‘Why?’ I ask finally, throwing up my hands. ‘Why make everyone think that you’re?—’
‘What? A violent fucking monster who tortures and kills human girls for fun?’
‘Yeah.’
‘It was Drey’s idea.’ He looks away. ‘Glad I’m such a great actor that you didn’t even doubt it for a second though. Jesus, Tor, how long have we known each other?’
I rub my tired eyes. ‘I thought… A lot of us who are older…who remember how the world used to be, are different now,’ I say. ‘The humans… There are none of them left who know the world as it was before the Fall except through stories and what little technology survived that they actually control. I thought you had changed too, or maybe that you were always like that, and the world being destroyed allowed you to be who you really were. Like Aziel.’
‘I’m pretty sure Aziel was always an asshole, even back then,’ he mutters with a snort, and I have to agree.
‘He’s known about Aziel since before he took Morcai down. He wanted me close to him, and he couldn’t demote me. It would look suspicious when we’ve been close for so long. So, he thought it would be best if I pretend I’m like them, that I hate the humans, that I only want them around to…’ He shrugs. ‘They lap it up, especially the young ones who Aziel has corrupted. It’s gotten to the point where they give them to me. The broken ones they’re finished with. They think I kill them when I’m done with them. But that’s not quite what happens.’
‘What does happen?’ I ask, trying to figure out what he does, how no one finds them.
‘I keep them in my private caves. I help them as much as I can. Let them heal. And I tell them what’s going to happen. I make sure they act the part – scream when I’m meant to beplaying with them. And then I ‘kill’ them and take their bodies away from the caves, so they don’t stink.’
‘But you take them somewhere instead.’
He nods. ‘To another place. A place Drey and I set up to make sure they’re safe and none of the others find them.’
I frown at my friend. I might have kept myself out of the loop for a while, but I thought Drey and Brax were still my friends.
‘Why didn’t I know any of this?’ I ask, almost not wanting to know the answer.
He’s silent for a beat before he answers. When he does, he looks me right in my eyes.
‘We weren’t sure we could trust you,’ he says plainly. ‘You haven’t been yourself for a long time. You aren’t the dragon we knew.’
He puts up his hands as if he thinks I’m going to disagree.
‘Look, you loved Fiona and Toramund. We understood. To be honest, we’d given up hope that you’d ever come out of it, buddy.’ He stands up and approaches, putting a hand on my shoulder. ‘But you seem like yourself here with her. Morerightthan you’ve been for too long, my friend.’
‘Was I really that bad?’ I ask.
‘Yeah,’ he says bluntly. ‘We know you…tried to off yourself a few times.’
‘It didn’t work,’ I mutter with a dry laugh.
He looks commiserating. ‘I’m glad it didn’t.’
He looks at Mari whose eyes are still closed as she rests.
‘Anyway, you don’t need to worry about me with her. I won’t hurt her.’ He winks. ‘Not unless I know she’ll like it.’
I chuckle in spite of myself.
‘C’mon,’ he growls playfully. ‘She doesn’t know it, but she’s gonna be… What did they used to call it? A freak in the sheets!’
