Chapter
Thirteen:
The Past
"What is going on here?"
The voice was quiet with an edge to it. Firm. And it
originated from the back of the room.
Rayne whirled, taking Selena with him and she saw.
She finally saw. Saw the one whom Rayne would protect to his dying breath.
The Prince of Dragons appeared to be young. Young but
older than Selena. Perhaps older than Rayne. His hair was black, like Rayne's,
and his eyes were also black, shining quizzically. It was eerie, his gaze. As
he came further into the hallway from the room in back the dragons came forward
to crowd around him.
"My Lord, the witches-" one began.
"They come." Another said simply.
Selena stared at the dragon prince from Rayne's side,
watched him as he stared from one dragon guard to another. And then he seemed
to sense Selena's presence for he looked toward her. Selena burrowed further
against Rayne, suddenly very afraid. Had Rayne ever told him the things she had
thought of him? Did he know how much she blamed him for? What she held him
accountable for? Rayne's arm was strong against her, if nothing else a bit
comforting.
"Rayne." The prince said, summoning him. "Bring her."
She looked up at Rayne, wanting to say no. 'Please,
no, don't make me go over there, I'm scared, don't make me go over there…' she
said in her mind, wishing he could hear, only him.
But Rayne was pulling her, reassuring her gently with
his amber eyes. And then the crowd of dragon guards were parting, allowing her
to pass. She looked at them as she moved, felt their eyes on her. And when she
looked up the Prince was before her, gazing down at her blankly.
Rayne stopped before the Prince.
Selena felt cold.
"Are you the one who has brought the news?" The
Prince asked quietly.
Selena swallowed, trying to hold his gaze. "I am,"
She answered. And she realized she was receiving strange feelings from him. He
wasn't looking down at her in disgust, the way most dragons and witches did.
There was no malice in him that she could sense.
"Tell me." The Prince commanded.
And she wasn't afraid of
him. Rayne's arm tightened once more around her and she felt the strength to
speak. "The Witch Mother, of the small village not too far from here-"
"Hecate." The Prince nodded. "Witch Queen. I know who
you speak of."
Selena blinked. "Yes. The Witch Queen." She echoed
dumbly before shaking her head. "She comes. Armed with a spell to put the
dragons to sleep. She wants to end it all. They're almost here."
The Prince was staring at her wordlessly. Then his
gaze traveled toward Rayne and as if finally seeing his personal guardian he
began to give orders. "We have to be ready for it. Rayne, take your soulmate
and-"
A small voice rang out, cheerfully young in the Hall
of the First House. "Brother!"
The Prince whirled as a side door opened and a small
child came out, hesitating curiously when all eyes came to rest on her. A woman
appeared behind the little girl, looking flustered. "I apologize, my Lord. The
Princess-"
The little girl ran forward, small nimble body
slipping around dragon guards and springing toward the Prince. He caught her in
mid-leap, lifting her into his arms and cradling her tenderly to him. Selena
stared at the little girl, stunned into silence. A princess. There had never
been mention of a princess. Before the king had passed there had been mention
of a younger brother to the prince but never a sister. She gazed at the child,
her eyes running over the black hair that was so much like the Prince's and yet
it was streaked through with blue, shimmering strands of cobalt blue. And the
eyes were just as blue and wide, childishly innocent.
"Dayra." The Prince was saying sternly. "I have told
you many times-"
The girls delicate expression of happiness slipped a
bit as she wound her arms around the Prince's shoulders. "I was bored. There is
nothing to do."
The prince nodded, laying a finger against her lips
to silence her. "I know. I know." He said patiently. "But now is not a good
time. I will come for you later. For now you need to go with Jana and do as she
says. All right?"
The little girl's blue eyes widened and now the smile
was gone. "You'll come visit me later?" she asked quietly. She glanced at
Selena and Rayne, grip on the Prince tightening. Almost as if to declare her
possession of him.
"Yes, I promise." The prince nodded, lifting his hand
and threading his fingers through her soft blue-streaked black hair. "Later you
will have me all to yourself and we'll do whatever you want to do. All right?"
The little girl suddenly beamed. "All right." She
agreed. She allowed him to put her down but maintained a grip on his hand, her
small one holding onto one of his long, slender fingers. "Remember." She said,
"You promised to see me later."
The Prince smiled down at her. "I'll remember." He
whispered to her.
The
Present:
Chime opened her eyes and
blinked. The sky over head was dark and there was a soft noise to her right,
the gentle lapping of water. She blinked again, moving her body a bit and
soreness washed over her. The dull pain in her side and the overall weakness in
her entire frame. She had been lying on something hard and it had left a mark
along her arm. She looked at the object sleepily.
A box with familiar symbols on
it.
She blinked once more as she
realized she understood the writing on it. The box of dragon scrolls. Her mouth
came open as she remembered what had transpired, the day's events. And with the
memories came a sharp sense of betrayal, a sorrowful pain as she realized that
once again a friend had let her down. She clenched her jaw, rising, and felt
the weakness follow her. It seemed to be a part of her. She had hoped before
losing consciousness along the beach that the spell would go away as she slept.
But hadn't the dragons been
sleeping for thirty thousand years?
Now she would have to wander
around for the rest of her life weakened. The thought made her pull up short.
Oh, Goddess. Countless years hiding from the Night World, hoping to escape them
with her body nearly human, her senses and black energy hampered. She saw it
all as it would be, from this day forth.
And she realized she would never
make it.
Those damn tears almost welled
up again. She closed her eyes to blink them back. She needed someone to blame,
someone to focus her anger on because she knew that saying it wasn't fair
wouldn't make her feel any better or accomplish anything. But no. She wouldn't
cry. She hadn't cried in sorrow since the day Rayne had been to put to sleep
beside his prince. Not even after everything Hellewise had promised her. She
hadn't cried, sobbed, in so long that she wondered if perhaps there was
something wrong with her, if she had forgotten how to.
There was nothing wrong with
her. Nothing but the fact that her damn powers were at half strength because of
a damn witch and a spell that refused to stay in the past where it belonged.
She felt the beginnings of her rage and she wanted to turn it on someone. Who
else but the Prince? She could always blame the prince…
"Dayra, I have told you many times-"
Chime looked out over the water,
unseeing eyes focusing on the white reflection of the moon. And her anger
melted away because she remembered that on that day she had seen a different
side to the prince. Had seen his first side and it had been tender, loving
toward family and friends. What had happened to Dayra? She hadn't been put to
sleep, she had been too young. Had she been killed after all? No, she had
started the Drache line, Galen Drache was the latest of her line of dragon and
shifter blood. But after that? Had she been cursed to the same eternal sleep
her brother had been punished with?
He had loved her. The Prince had
loved the little girl. It had been evident, obvious on his face. The way he had
allowed her to maintain her grip on his finger and how he would have promised
her the world for a smile. It made Chime's anger toward him lessen further.
She looked at the dragon
scrolls. Soon enough, but not here. She had to stop thinking because thinking
wouldn't get her out of her problem now. Now she had to move, and keep moving
until she was safe, far, far away. With a wince and a groan she rose to her
feet, clutching the box that held the answers she needed. And she began to
trudge, heading for the lights of the city.
Thea stared at the far wall of
the room she was in, hands clasped in her lap. She was still in Iliana's
sanctuary being held until she was questioned. Thierry had arrived an hour
before and Mother Cybele would soon be arriving also. She cringed inwardly. She
was going to die.
A soft knock at the door made
her look up slowly. "Who is it?"
The door was pushed open and her
dark cousin peeked in. "Thea? It's me." Blaise said quietly, a sad look on her
face. Rarely did Blaise show emotion but Thea's sorrow seemed to be affecting
everyone. Her cousin managed a sympathetic smile and held out a long, lean arm
to her. "They want to talk to you downstairs."
Thea stood up in one movement,
anger painting red spots in her cheeks. "Who wants to speak to me?" she
demanded stonily.
Blaise's lips tightened into a
line. "So far only Thierry. Mother Cybele will be here shortly. Right now
Thierry wants to have a word with you."
Thea stormed toward the door,
wrenching it from her cousin's grasp. "They will not have words with me." She
said darkly, staring her cousin in her widening gray eyes. "I will have words
with them." And then she brushed passed her cousin, marching herself toward the
staircase. She didn't need Blaise to tell her where the meeting was. She
already knew.
Thierry was inspecting the new
window when Thea entered the kitchen. Keller was beside him, murmuring quietly
but he seemed oblivious to her presence, running his fingers over the glass
thoughtfully. Galen and Nissa stood to the side, quietly watching Thierry.
Winnie was at the table, slouched far into her seat, a smirk on her face.
Iliana was in the corner of the
room, looking lost and wounded in a chair. And Rashel and Quinn surrounded her,
playing the part of bodyguards.
Thea looked about, glaring as
Blaise came up behind her quietly.
Thierry seemed to sense her
immediately. He turned from the window, looking down at his fingertips. "Sit
down, Thea." He ordered and while the tone was soft his words were not. He
expected to be obeyed and when he raised his eyes to the witch there was no
doubt that he was waiting for her to do as he had asked.
Thea stared back coolly but did
as she was told, sinking into a chair at the table beside Winnie. The
red-curled witch glanced at her cautiously but she turned her eyes away.
Thierry came forward, dark eyes
shining. She looked at him and she couldn't read anything in those black orbs,
couldn't distinguish the pupils from the irises. It scared her to no end.
"Thea," he began, pausing before
her, several feet away, "I have heard five different versions of what happened
yesterday. Now I want to hear yours. From the beginning." He said gently.
Thea stared at him, eyes
narrowed. "Now you want to hear mine." She echoed and she cocked her head at
him. "And what good will that do me, Thierry?" she asked boldly, anger
simmering under the surface. "I still went against the witches to help a
dragon. What can I possibly tell you anyway that you don't already know?"
Thierry leaned down, placing his
hands on the table top and exhaled, shoulders falling. He paused, didn't move
and the tension in the room only grew. Thea wondered what he would do. Was he
the type of person to become violent? She doubted it but there was much inside
him that she didn't know and that she probably would never know. She stared at
him, goosebumps rising on her arms.
Then, in one swift movement he
grabbed the back of a table chair and spun it around, straddling it
comfortably. Thea watched him wide-eyed as he rested his arms along the back of
the chair and then turned those dark eyes on her. "How about you just tell me
the truth?" he shrugged.
From the corner Iliana's eyes
flew to Thea, fingers pressed to her small mouth.
"The truth." Thea stated. She
pulled her head back a bit. "You want the truth?"
Thierry shrugged again
wordlessly.
Thea smirked. "All right, then.
The truth." She slapped her knees and then sprang to her feet, alarming
everyone in the room except Thierry who stayed in the exact same position he
had put himself in. His eyes followed her patiently as she held up her hands
and began. "I came with Chime to this sanctuary because we wanted information
on the resting places of the dragons." Her hand came up immediately as Winnie
moved to speak, "And it was me who suggested coming to Iliana for the
information. Chime would never even have been at Thierry's if Blaise and I
hadn't saved her from Mother Cybele's henchmen, but that's not the point, is
it?" she waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, "of course not. Moving on,
Chime and I arrived and were welcomed by just about all."
Winnie exhaled loudly, a dark
look crossing her face.
Thea continued, ignoring her,
"Keller explained how the alarm system worked. The dragon scrolls arrived and
Winnie looked them over. By the time Chime and I came down Winnie had already
discovered that Azhdeha had been Chime's father, a fact Chime herself had not
known. And obviously she switched to defense because everybody was moving in on
her. She happened to demonstrate her power and Winnie started casting that
sleep spell on her." Thea paused, frowning slightly. "I think it affected her
because she seemed hurt but she wasn't put to sleep." She sighed. "She used her
black power, fogged up the room and, I guess, knocked Nissa out."
"Taking her place along the
way." Winnie murmured.
Thea turned a searing glare on
her. "I really can't say I'm surprised she did that." She looked at Thierry
again, "Keller ordered Winnie to give the scrolls to Nissa, who was actually
Chime, and like a second after everyone ran off it turned out to be Chime."
Thierry was gazing at her
intently. "And what did she say?"
Thea stared at him for another
moment before scowling. "That she trusted me. Had trusted me." She answered and
she shook her head, chuckling. Through the laughter tears began to rise and she
swiped at them angrily, taking a step back and falling into her chair heavily.
"Hellewise always put the sake of the witches before friendships and love." She
whispered.
Winnie lunged forward, sitting
up straight in her chair. "And why is that so bad? Hellewise was our savior!"
Thea's head snapped up to look
at her, tears rolling down her cheeks. "And to what extent did she take her
duties? Putting the dragons to sleep but keeping Selena awake. You see it as
mercy, don't you?" she demanded, frame trembling, "don't you?!"
"She didn't deserve even that."
Winnie said in a low voice, face dark. "They were dragons, Thea. They played
with us as if we were toys. Killed our people, hunted us. Our deaths meant
nothing-"
"You weren't there!" Thea
shouted, voice nearly cracking. "You weren't there, Winnie! Stop acting like it
was all done to you!"
Winnie recoiled, stunned into
silence.
Blaise took a step forward and
placed a gentle hand on her cousin's shoulder, face sorrowful.
Thea exhaled, shrinking into her
chair. She lifted her hands to wipe at her cheeks, rubbing at her skin roughly.
"I see both sides." She said softly. "As a direct daughter of Hellewise I
understand the anger of the witches. I understand that what they lived through
can not ever be made up to them." She sighed wearily, "But I also understand
Chime. I lived her life with her, through her memories." She shook her head, staring
at her lap, "And you were too quick to judge, Winnie. Too quick."
Keller came forward. "She was
Azhdeha's daughter, Thea." She reminded the witch gently.
Thea continued to shake her
head. The fight seemed to have gone out of her, leaving behind nothing but the
husk of a person in its place.
Iliana lowered her hands to her
lap. "She was his daughter." She said faintly.
All eyes flew to her, Thea
raising her head. She stared at the Witch Child, feeling a small twinge of
hope, praying that she wasn't the only one on Chime's side.
Iliana blinked slowly, eyes
trained on the floor before her. "But she didn't know. Selena didn't know she
was Azhdeha's daughter. And after we turned on her she knew she had to escape."
Her shoulders slumped and she raised her hands to her face, covering her eyes.
"Wherever Selena is…I am sorry."
Thierry looked from Iliana to
Thea and finally to Winnie. He clasped his hands together with a weary
exhalation of breath and he began to rub them thoughtfully. "It's obvious where
she's going." He said after a moment.
Thea chuckled again, a snort
escaping her.
Blaise came forward, her hand
leaving Thea's shoulders to allow her to cross her arms over her chest. "All
right, stupid question, please forgive my ignorance." She said with a smirk.
"Where is she going?"
Thierry glanced at her. "The
First House of Dragons, of course." He answered.
Thea looked at him, eyes
widening. "It still stands?" she whispered in disbelief.
The Night Lord nodded. "Under
the cover of a museum. Over the years it has been renovated. But most, not all,
of the old dragon writing is gone. The Aryans, later the Persians, used it as a
temple to their Gods and to this day it stands because it is one of the biggest
pieces to the past, to the beginning of human civilizations without the Night
World."
Thea seemed to be searching her
memory. "Persians. Middle East. The First House is in the Middle East."
"Iran, actually." Thierry said.
"It's a museum but it's owned by the witches. So they can watch over it, I
would guess." He shrugged.
Iliana was shaking her head.
"They're going to kill her." She said softly, purple eyes tilted sadly. "She's
going to walk right into it because of her soulmate, because she'll want to
wake him."
"She has the spell to do it."
Keller said with a lift of her eyebrows.
"But she can't use it. She isn't
a witch." Winnie said flatly.
Thea turned a glare on her once
more, feeling the fight inside her well up. "But she's a dangerous dragon,
right, Winnie? She'll do just about anything to get her way?"
A loud chime cut the red-haired
witch from retorting.
Galen came off the wall in a
smooth movement. "My guess would be that the Mother has arrived. Nissa?" he
looked toward the vampire and motioned with his head.
Together the vampire and shape-shifter
left the room, heading for the front door.
Thierry sighed, leaning forward
in his chair. "If it makes you feel any better, Thea, you're not the only one
in trouble."
Thea looked at him and felt like
an utter fool. It was all her fault. He had made her swear that should she be
caught she knew nothing of him, nothing of Daybreak. And now he was going to
face her punishment with her. Her confusion was replaced by regret. "I'm so
sorry, Thierry. For dragging you into this." She said gently.
Thierry motioned away her
apology as the red bulb in the corner of the room began to blink. The group was
silent, all eyes on the light, the only sounds being the gentle breathing and
the soft tapping of Rashel's bokken against the floor.
And then the bulb ceased to
blink and there were voices in the hallway.
Thea closed her eyes tightly,
fighting down the fear that was knotting inside her stomach. Blaise's hand
gripped her shoulder once more, squeezing it, and Thea clutched at it tightly
as if it were her lifeline. A fine trembling rose, her skin prickling.
An older woman entered the room,
a slender curly-haired young man at her side. Galen and Nissa followed, the
shape-shifter putting a key back in his pocket.
"Thierry." The woman said with a
nod and she looked around the room, scanned every face. "Everyone. Unity.
Please, explain to me what has happened."
Winnie rose automatically.
"Unity, Mother Cybele." She greeted the woman respectfully, motioning to the
seat she had vacated. "Sit. Please."
The woman nodded again, by way
of thanks, and she sat, plump body settling into the chair. Her eyes flew to
Thea sitting close by and she frowned slightly. "Something is wrong, isn't it?"
she asked slowly.
Winnie's lips tightened into a
firm line, hands clasping before her. She glanced toward Thierry, obviously
looking to him to begin the explanations. But Thierry was staring at Mother
Cybele strangely.
Iliana sat up with an impatient
sigh. It was obvious, if no one else was going to open their mouth she would.
"The dragon escaped." She said simply.
The Mother of Witches looked
toward the Witch Child and blinked. Her mouth parted as she leaned forward a
bit but no words seemed to make it passed her lips. Instead she blinked again
and finally said, "What?"
Thierry's eyes narrowed and he
looked smug, the slightest bit. "The dragon, Cybele." He repeated. "The dragon
you sent vampires after. She escaped."
Mother Cybele shook her head
quizzically, looking at him with a startled frown. "What dragon?"
