Consumed by fire, p.22
Consumed by Fire, page 22
Holy fuck!
I roll my eyes. Are they for real?
“Really?” the prince asks. “He will slit my throat unless you bring the female,” he says, sounding slightly panicked at this point.
The guard’s eyes go wide, and he scampers off.
“Move back!” the prince instructs the other guards. “For the love of scales, move back!” he yells.
The guards do as he says.
“More! Move further away,” he adds. “Can’t you see that my life is in danger?” he shouts, sounding far more together.
All of the guards dash off a little ways down the hall, where they all start talking together at once in panicked, hushed tones.
“Stay calm,” the prince tells me. “I’m not going to try anything. I don’t want to die.”
“I am perfectly calm.”
“I have to say that I’m impressed,” he says, swallowing thickly.
I don’t say anything. What he thinks of me is of no concern. I couldn’t care less.
“Can we talk? I have a proposal.” His voice has gone back to being like silk.
“No!” I growl.
“I think you’re going to want to hear this.”
I frown because I think he might be smiling.
29
Trinity
Once again, I find myself shackled to the table in the interrogation room. The light buzzes in the ceiling above us. The chair is hard and uncomfortable.
“How many times did you have sex with the Draiger?” the general asks me. The mask seems to mock me from across the table.
“I don’t see how that is even relevant,” I tell him in a voice filled with exasperation.
What! The! Hell?
“It is relevant. How many times?” he demands.
I roll my eyes. “Three, okay…just three,” I tell him.
“Three is three times too many. What were you thinking?” he snarls. “Sex with a Draiger. A Draiger!” His voice gets louder. “We have perfectly good males here on Mistveil. Unless he forced you. Did he force you?”
“No,” I tell him. “Octane is a good male. A kind male. He would never do such a thing. I wasn’t seeing him like the enemy anymore by the time we had sex. I felt like I knew him.” It’s true; despite all my bravado in that cave, I didn’t see him as my enemy. I didn’t hate him, even though I wanted to. I didn’t want to feel the things I was feeling.
“Kind?” he snorts. “You say that the Draiger is kind, but he held you captive and threatened to take your baby. How is that kind? He threatened to torture and then kill your mate. That’s not kind at all. That is barbaric, which is the true nature of a Draig Dragon. Out-of-control misfits, the lot of them,” he sneers.
“Let me think about this.” I scrunch up my face for a moment, pretending to think things through. “So, he threatened to torture my mate in much the same way as you actually physically tortured him, General? Frankly, it wasn’t the same at all. He merely made threats, whereas you actually tortured him. Who is truly barbaric here?”
Bastard!
“That was different,” he splutters.
“Not different at all. It’s exactly the same. He never intended to keep my baby. It was all a ruse to get me to talk.”
“And did you? Tread carefully, female. The male was found on Mistveil, so I pretty much know the answer to that particular question already.” He narrows his eyes.
“Not at first…no.” I tell him about the events that unfolded after that. About Octane being injured. How I thought he was dead.
“Four Reds, you say, on Draig Island?”
“Yes,” I state immediately.
He snorts like it’s an absurd notion. “Are you sure?”
I sigh. “Of course I’m sure. They searched for us, but we got away to the cave. I told you this part already.”
“Thing is, you never actually saw them, did you? And then the dragons you saw were very far away. Perhaps you were mistaken about them being Reds.”
“I didn’t have to see them. I recognized their voices, especially Titan’s voice. It was him, Ranger, and Rocky. I am sure as sure can be.”
He makes a noise that tells me he doesn’t believe me. “So, Octane was injured, and you were detained. You said that they questioned you repeatedly?”
“Yes, they tied me to a chair without food and water,” I tell him. “Much like you’re doing to me right now.”
“Let me guess, you folded.” He lifts his brows. “Just like you folded today. You told them everything.”
“No, I did not fold,” I rasp, having to work hard to school my emotions.
“When did you tell the Draigers about the tunnel?” he asks, leaning forward and glaring at me.
“I didn’t tell the Draigers, I told him. I told Octane.”
“What else did you tell him?” his voice booms, his eyes are filled with disapproval. I don’t need to see his face to know that’s how he feels.
“Nothing else. I don’t know anything of importance,” I tell him, shrugging. “Why won’t you believe that?”
He makes a noise that tells me he isn’t buying it. He keeps making it, and it’s grating on me. Why am I even bothering?
“What then?” he asks.
“I left willingly in order to protect Octane. It was time to go home.” I sigh, licking my lips.
“At that stage, you hadn’t given the exact location of the tunnel.”
“That is correct.” I clear my throat. “I’d told him of its existence and roughly where it was situated, but no details.” I tell the general about the chopper ride and Octane chasing us down.
“He came after you. I thought you said he wasn’t bonded to a human.” He eyes me suspiciously. “This part of your story doesn’t make any sense. If he came after you, there would have been a human with him to control him. There would have been a rider. That’s normal for a Draig Dragon. Did you forget, female?” It sounds like he’s smiling, but I can’t tell for sure. He seems happy to have caught me in a lie.
“Octane is in control in his dragon form,” I state simply. “Therefore, he did not need a human rider.”
I see confusion in the general’s eyes. “That can’t be.”
“It’s true, I assure you. Octane is controlled. He insisted on helping me off the island himself.”
“Of course he did,” he snorts. “He wanted to know where the tunnel was located before you left. It was in his best interests to do so.” His voice is cold and stern.
“You’re wrong.” I don’t harp on about it because I know I’m wasting my breath. I tell him about Igor and the others arriving, catching us off guard. I don’t go into too much detail about what we were doing at the time.
“So, the Red Dragons took you back to Mistveil, leaving Octane alive. That doesn’t sound right.” His voice is gruff. “This story of yours has holes.”
“They wanted to kill Octane. I had to promise to mate with Igor. To be a willing bed partner.” Again, I don’t go into all of the sordid details. “Only then did he agree to let Octane live.”
“Igor is the father of your child? Is that right? You thought that he had died. That’s why you were so vulnerable when the Draig seduced you.”
I frown. “That’s not it at all. Igor and I were not together when he disappeared.” I shake my head.
“This Igor lied about using a condom, and you were upset?”
“Yes.” There was more to it, but I don’t want to rehash all of it again. “We’ve been over this part.” I’m starting to sound frustrated. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. It feels like all my words are being twisted.
“Right.” He taps the side of his mask. “What happened when you got back to the house?”
“Bad things,” I mutter, feeling the blood drain from my face.
“You will need to expand on that.”
“Igor wanted me to make good on my promises almost as soon as we got home.” My tone is hollow, which is how I feel inside just thinking about it.
“He wanted to mate with you?” He leans forward, placing his elbows on the table.
“No. He wanted me to give him a blowjob. I explained very carefully to Igor that I had lied to save Octane. That I didn’t want to be with him in any capacity. That I didn’t want to mate with him or have sex with him. I made it very clear that a blowjob was out of the question.”
“What then?”
“He didn’t take it well.” I chew on my lip for a few moments. “He hit me. He pushed me onto my knees.” My voice hitches.
“What did you do? Did you end up conceding?”
“I got him onto the bed. I begged him not to force me. I told him it was rape, but he didn’t care. He threatened to punch and kick me in the stomach. He threatened to kill our unborn child.” My voice is small. “And so—”
“General! General!” There is a commotion from the hallway.
His head snaps up. “What is it? Can’t you see that I am in an interview?” he barks at the guard who just blustered in behind me.
“The prince…your brother…Prince Ice!” he shouts. His mask is skewed, and he is breathing heavily.
“Spit it out already. And this had better be important.” The general gets to his feet.
“The prisoner…the Draiger has taken Prince Ice hostage.” The male gestures with his hands as he talks. “The Draig Dragon is demanding that we take the female to him. He is threatening to slice Prince Ice’s throat if we don’t comply. What should we do?” his eyes are huge behind the mask. He can barely stand still.
The general hits the table so hard that it cracks. My heart is pounding so loudly that I hear it ringing in my ears. What now? How can this ever end well? I clutch my trembling hands together, hearing my shackles rattle.
I need to trust in Octane. I’m sure he has a plan.
30
Octane
I grip the male a little tighter. “I’m not interested in a deal. I need to see Trinity, and then the two of us are leaving Mistveil. You’re not going to try to stop me. In fact, you are our ticket out of here.”
“That’s risky. Have you thought this through?”
No!
Using the prince is the only thing I can think of, though. It’s the only thing that just might work. I need to get Trinity off this island as a matter of urgency. We’ll figure the rest out. If we stay, it won’t end well for either of us. I’m sure I’ll end up dead, and I just have no way of knowing what kind of recourse there will be for Trinity. I can’t risk it. I won’t!
“It’s the only way out of this that I can see,” I tell the Red. “If you cooperate, you—”
“Here’s the thing. Your plan… Well…it’s a big risk for all three of us. There’s a good chance I could get killed in the crossfire. I can’t have that.” He shakes his head.
“Tough shit! I’m sure you’re used to having your every wish obeyed, seeing that you’re a prince and all, but unfortunately, that’s not going to happen this time. If your people follow my every instruction, you will get out of this unscathed.”
“My brother – the general – he can be a loose cannon and a hothead. I don’t fully trust him to handle this with the care and the finesse required. We don’t have too much time; hear me out. I’ll give you another option. One that is far less risky. One that will make better sense.”
I sigh. “Fine, I’m all ears.” He’s wasting his breath, but we may as well pass the time.
“We could do with someone like you on our team,” he says.
What?
It’s the last thing I expected to hear from him. It puts my back right up.
“Go on,” I say when he doesn’t do so of his own accord.
“My brother, the king, wants to forge peace with your people. It is his vision for the future. It’s his dream to see all dragon shifters reunited and living in harmony.”
His vision.
His dream.
His!
I note that he doesn’t include himself as being a part of this vision.
“But you don’t agree?” I ask.
“Can we talk about this face to face?” he asks me in a smooth-as-silk voice.
“No!” I growl. “Stay right where you are.”
“Okay…okay…fine.” He keeps his hands up. “It’s not that I don’t agree with him; it’s just that I think it’s probably a fanciful dream. I don’t see how it can ever become a reality, but perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps it will work after all.” He starts to sound excited.
“So, you are in agreement with your brother? You want peace as well?” I ask.
“Yes, of course.” It sounds like he is smiling.
After a few seconds, I roll my eyes. “Go on! Give me the proposal,” I bark.
“You work for us. You stay and live here on Mistveil. You can tell us more about the Draigers to start…enlighten us. We want to know—”
Does he think I’m that stupid?
“So that we will be more easily conquered.” I’m not falling for this bullshit.
He snorts. “Not at all. You think so little of us. We want peace. It will be easier to forge peace with a people we know and understand.”
Suddenly, it’s “we.”
It sounds hollow, even though he is saying all the right things.
“So you keep saying,” I rasp.
“It’s true. I am the king’s advisor. I will talk to Arctic about bringing you on board. We can learn about the Draigers. You can be our go-between when it comes to peace talks with your HQ and the rest of your people. It will work perfectly. I am sure that Arctic will love it. It’s right up his alley. We can all finally live in peace.” Once again, he sounds animated, talking quickly.
In principle, the idea makes sense, but I have this little niggle. I’m not sure what it is. I always trust my gut, and right now is no exception. “I’m not sure I can trust you to make good on your word. I don’t know you.”
He chuckles. “Of course you can trust me.”
That’s what they all say.
“You will have to,” he goes on. “The alternative is risking all three of our lives. The general won’t let you escape. I know him. He can be like a dog with a bone. I suggest you try doing it my way.” He has a forked tongue. He’s too smooth. Too damned confident. I don’t like it.
“What will happen if the king declines? What if he doesn’t want me on his team?” I think it’s a crazy notion. “Surely the people of Mistveil would have something to say about it? They wouldn’t be happy with a Draiger staying here.” The niggle turns into a scratch. I can’t see it working.
“Arctic might lose some ground for a while, but I am sure that you would prove yourself to be useful in the long run. You seem like a resourceful fellow. As to what would happen to you if I were unable to convince Arctic… Well, I give you my word that you would be permitted to return to Draig unhindered.”
His word isn’t worth much to me.
“What about Trinity?”
“Her too. You can take the female.” It feels a little like he is telling me what I want to hear. I don’t like it. I don’t trust him.
“No! I think that we will take our chances. We have more chance of making it out if I use you to do it. If we all die, then so be it. The way I see it, we’re probably dead already. I have nothing to lose, Red. The bottom line is that I can’t trust you. It sounds to me like you’re telling me what I want to hear. That you would say just about anything. I don’t believe you. I think you’re lying.”
“You can trust me. I swear it. Is there anything I can say to change your mind?”
There it is again.
“Nothing. Sorry! It was a nice try. You almost convinced me there for a second, but only because I, too, have a vision of peace between our people.” I sigh. “I hope it happens one day.”
“This is your chance, Octane.” His voice has an excited edge. “You should—"
“You can stop there. Didn’t you hear me? I don’t trust you. It all seems a little too…I don’t know…convenient.” There’s that word again. The word has popped into my head several times since we were captured.
It’s convenient that they got an anonymous tip-off. Convenient that I managed to overpower the prince, who practically offered himself to me on a silver platter. Now, his offer is also convenient.
I don’t trust him.
“Unless you have something else to offer, I’m not interested.”
He sighs. “You got me. I’m going to come clean with you, Draiger, but you need to know that if you tell a soul of what I am about to tell you, I will deny it all.”
I glance up at the camera. Perhaps it doesn’t record sound. Maybe the esteemed prince has forgotten about it. It’s not my problem. In fact, I’m pretty sure that whatever he tells me will be more bullshit and that my answer will be the same. A resounding no.
“Okay…fine. This had better be the truth, and it had better be good,” I growl. “You’d better hurry, because when Trinity gets here, we’re leaving. Your window of opportunity will be closed.”
“It is the truth, and it will be good. You and I are about to become friends.”
I frown because I highly doubt it. I am going to use the prince as a way for Trinity and me to escape. There is literally nothing he can tell me that will make me change my mind.
Trinity
“How did this happen?” the general screams as he rips off his mask. “How did the Draiger get to him?”
“The prince insisted on being let into his cell. He insisted we move away. He said that there was something he wanted to discuss with the Draiger. The next moment, all hell broke loose.” The guard looks down at the floor.
“Of course it did. What else did you expect?” the general spits.
“He insisted, my Lord.” The guard bows. “We had no choice but to comply. Prince Ice threatened to take our names.”
“Bloody idiot!” the general snarls. “What the hell was that imbecile thinking? He’s normally more intelligent than that.” He frowns.
“May I unlock the female?” The guard winces. “I need to take her to the Draiger. He is insisting that he will harm the prince otherwise.”
