Dragon Lord (Dragons & Phoenixes Book 1) Read online

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled as we drove through the ruins of our past. Maybe it wasn't completely empty. I didn't really believe in ghosts. But isn't this where they would be if they existed?

  "Does anyone live here?" Omari asked in a quiet voice, his eyes scanning the windows just like mine were.

  "No," I said, catching movement out of the corner of my eye. But nothing was there when I turned to look. Unsettling to say the least. I really wouldn't want to be driving out here alone at night.

  As we took another turn and I judged we were nearing the city’s edge, a giant shadow flew over us. A giant dragon-shaped shadow.

  "Ashur!" Omari exclaimed, looking up with a big grin on his face.

  I immediately felt a little safer.

  Damn it.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The desert spread out in front of us, the sun beating down on the dry earth. Ashur glided lazily above us, high enough now that the sound of him cutting through the air couldn’t be heard. So far, the journey had been pretty uneventful, which I was thankful for. I'd had enough excitement to last me a lifetime.

  We'd stopped to rest, with Ashur coming down and eating with us, sleeping in the back of the car. When morning came, we started out at the first light of dawn. As we kept driving, the flatness of the land slowly started to change, with large rock formations appearing. I would have gone around them, but it would add more time and distance to the journey unnecessarily. According to the map, the distance across wouldn't take too long if I drove straight through.

  Still, I made sure to angle away from the city dome that I knew was to the east. I didn't particularly want to run into anybody. I didn't trust anyone inside a city dome and I definitely wouldn't trust anyone leaving one.

  The rock formations grew until parts had actual overhangs over the path I had to drive under. Though, honestly, I didn't even know if it could be called a path. Path implied it was used pretty regularly. The ground continued to slowly dip until the rocks rose up on either side of the car. They were beautiful, their deep orange striations glowing in the light.

  I glanced over at Omari, who was playing with a handheld vid game one of the kids must have given him. At least he wasn't bored.

  The area in front of us dipped down once again, steeper this time, until the rock walls on either side were at least three stories tall. The overhang extended far enough that I couldn't see the sky directly above us. It was almost a tunnel. I turned on the lights as the area in front grew dimmer. Hopefully there was a way out of there or I was going to have to double back and try to find another route through.

  The headlights hit a pile of rubble directly in our path.

  "Shit," I muttered. And immediately looked over at Omari guiltily.

  He finally looked up from his tiny screen at the abrupt stop. "Where are we?" he asked, looking around.

  I started reversing. "We hit a dead end," I explained as we slowly passed by the smaller connecting tunnels and paths. "I'm just going to head back and try to find a different way out."

  I came to an abrupt stop once again. There was a large rock behind us, blocking the way we'd just come. I knew it wasn't there just a minute ago when I came in. My stomach sank. Turning in my seat, I grabbed my sword, my knives already at my hips.

  "What's wrong?" Omari asked, his eyes frightened as he watched me.

  Shapes started to emerge from the shadows, from the various crevices in the rocks.

  I'd driven right into an ambush.

  Who or why, I didn't know. But there was no innocent reason to set up something like this.

  I looked up, but I already knew there was no way Ashur could see what was going on. Not unless he had x-ray vision. The rocky overhangs completely hid us from aerial view.

  And I would need Ashur's strength to move that rock.

  If I was by myself, I'd make a run for it on foot. There was still space to shimmy by the side of the rock. If I ran fast enough, I might have been able to get to a clear area and flag Ashur down.

  But I wasn't alone.

  "Stay in the car, Omari," I said grimly as I counted at least eight people.

  "But—"

  "In the car," I ordered, opening the door and stepping out. Chances of getting out of this unscathed were slim.

  I closed the door behind myself.

  "What do you want?" I called out, gripping the sword's hilt in my hand.

  A spare man in his fourth decade, hair shaved down to mask a receding hairline, stepped forward. His shirt was open down to the middle of his torso, showcasing his concave chest. He looked to the side and revealed a tattoo of a chain link covering the right side of his neck.

  Slave traders.

  Shit. If they just wanted to steal things, I might have been able to bargain with them. But they didn't want things. They wanted people.

  I braced my feet, watching the others slowly inching closer.

  "Hello, sweetheart," the first man cat-called, spreading his arms wide. "What brings you out here?"

  He grinned and that was apparently their cue to attack.

  I didn't waste time. I speared the first man who lunged at me. This was a life or death situation and Omari was counting on me not being the one to die. I considered shifting, but I knew there was no way the slavers would let me stand still long enough to concentrate.

  I braced my foot against the man's chest and pulled the sword out, hacking out at another man, this one burly with a goatee and no shirt. He might have looked ridiculous, but he knew how to fight. He blocked me easily with his own sword and started pushing down, smiling at me. I pulled back.

  A contest of strength would get me nowhere.

  Shrugging, I stepped back and threw the sword at him.

  He was not expecting that at all. He jumped back and I used the distraction to throw one of my smaller knives at him, the hilt sprouting from the side of his neck. He went down as a stocky woman came in with her fists.

  I knew I wasn't going to win, but desperation gave me strength and stamina I wouldn't have otherwise had. I dodged her attack and managed to land a good shot to her stomach. And another to the side of her face.

  I was fighting against a fate that really was worse than death.

  "Mia!"

  My blood chilled in my veins and the woman caught me with a right hook, though I blocked enough of the blow that it took away the brunt of the power. I took two quick steps back and looked over to see the man who had spoken cradling Omari against the front of his body.

  Holding the tip of a short dagger near his vulnerable throat.

  "Let him go," I growled, taking a step towards him.

  "Stop right there," he ordered as he brought the knife closer to Omari's neck.

  I froze, my chest tight.

  "Drop your knives."

  There was no choice. I dropped them.

  "Hold your hands out in front of you, wrists together."

  Another man, this one with an eye that was sewn shut, came over with rope and quickly tied me up. He'd obviously had plenty of practice.

  "Good," the leader said with satisfaction. "Now, we're going to the city dome with the two of you. And I'm going to keep the little guy here with me the entire way." He smiled, his eyes cold. "You aren't going to try to pull anything, are you now?"

  I shook my head, picturing slamming my knee into his face. But he had Omari. I couldn't do anything while it would risk him.

  "Excellent." He turned to his people. "Get rid of those bodies and let's move out." He looked at the car, his eyes calculating. "We'll come back later for that."

  The guy who'd tied me up pushed me forward, making me stumble. Catching my balance, I walked forward, through one of the crevices that led to an open space not that far away. It was still under an overhang, in the shadows. I didn't know which way things would go if they realized neither Omari nor I were fully human.

  They had a couple of enclosed vehicles and I was led to one while Omari was led to the other.

  "Mia?" Omari ask
ed, seeing that we were being separated.

  "I need to keep him with me," I tried.

  "He'll make do on his own," the ringleader said.

  I swallowed, really wanting to strangle the guy. "It's okay, Omari," I said, knowing that wasn't much reassurance. "I'll see you in the city dome, okay?"

  He nodded, shrinking into himself. These guys were really going to regret this. I'd make sure of it. But for now, I cooperated and watched.

  "Get in the car." Another shove. Excellent manners. I slid into the car, between two men who really needed showers.

  "She'll fetch a good price, huh?" the driver commented. He had a short beard and a build that had once been athletic before he'd packed on the pounds, though he still looked strong. "Even has all her teeth!"

  The other men laughed.

  "Yes, but who knows how long that will last," the stocky woman snapped, glaring back at me from the front.

  "Don't touch the merchandise, Ellie," the one-eyed man next to me warned. "You know the boss will make you regret it. Cuts into our profits too much."

  "Shut up, Ernie," she muttered, turning to the front again.

  They kept bickering back and forth while I tried to hold my breath and not take in the stink of unwashed bodies. At one point I shut my eyes and pictured my dragon self, but the jerky drive, my roiling stomach and the occasional jab of an elbow meant I never felt the familiar tingle.

  The drive wasn't actually that long, and most of it was in and out of the rock formations, with good cover. I didn't know if Ashur would be able to track us. I had to figure out how to escape on my own.

  When we reached the city dome, I wondered how we were going to get in past the guards, which showed I still had some naivety left after all. The clean-cut guard looked in the car and glanced at my tied hands.

  I wondered if this was the time to kick up a fuss. Maybe the guard could actually help me. Then I realized the driver was transferring money to the guard's account. He raised his watch and tapped at it.

  "Pleasure doing business with you, gentlemen," he said with a wide smile. "Go on in."

  There went that idea.

  We went through the familiar two-chamber system and entered the dome. I felt claustrophobic for the first time ever. I'd gotten too used to the open sky. And if possible, the streets we inched through were even narrower than the ones I was used to. Or maybe I'd just gotten too accustomed to the dragon way of life with the wide streets and generally spacious areas.

  I watched as they drove us deeper into the city, but I knew I wouldn't be able to keep things straight, not when we wove in and out of cramped streets, twisting and turning too many times to count.

  The farther we went, the worse the surroundings got, which I guess wasn't all that surprising. When we finally stopped and got out, the reek of trash greeted me. Liquor and drug stores lined the streets. Working women strutted around, swaying their hips to properly display their wares. Most looked as high as the latest street drug could make them.

  The other car, the one with Omari, was nowhere in sight.

  "Where's Omari?" I demanded as I was pushed forward once again, this time to a staircase that hugged the side of a gray building in a narrow alley.

  "Not here," Ellie replied shortly. "Best you worry about yourself now, bitch."

  All right. Step one—slam Ellie's head against a hard surface, preferably multiple times.

  Step two—escape.

  Step three—find Omari.

  Step four—get out of the city dome and make our way back to the car and Ashur.

  I climbed up the steps as I made my list. What I found when we walked through the door at the top was the stuff of nightmares. The stench of unwashed bodies, alcohol, and decay was almost overwhelming.

  I was led into a small network of apartments that had probably started off their lives separated. Now, I couldn't even make out the exterior doors that must have been sealed shut. I glanced around at the barred windows and the women wandering around in various states of undress. Some were lying on dirty mattresses, passed out. Sleeping, drunk, or high, I didn't know.

  Others were awake, their eyes watching me, though with a dullness that told me they'd never get out even if by some miracle they physically escaped. This place would forever live inside them.

  I looked away as I passed a room full of women on their backs, men, who'd no doubt paid for the opportunity, on top of them.

  Bile rose from my stomach and burned my throat.

  Some of these women had likely chosen to be here, drawn by money, drugs, or both. But most had been forced into this. I was finally led to a tiny room that had must have been a closet at some point. It had room for a mattress inside. That was it.

  "In here." I was pushed inside. Couldn't they just tell me where they wanted me to go? The door closed and locked behind me. The only light was from the tiny barred window, maybe a foot wide, at the other end of the miniscule room.

  Yup.

  I was screwed.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I leaned against the wall. The lighting wasn't great in there, but I knew I didn't want to touch that bare, dingy mattress. They still hadn't taken the rope off my wrists, so I started there. It wasn't as tight as it could have been. I'd made sure to keep my wrists slightly apart when he'd wrapped them.

  After twisting, turning, and more than a few curse words, I was able to shove the coil off my wrists, sacrificing a little skin in the process. I stowed the rope in my pocket. Might be able to use it later.

  I stepped over the thin mattress to look out at the street below. I was guessing the few skimpily dressed and heavily made-up women out there were part of this operation as well. I couldn't see these guys allowing anyone else on what they considered their turf.

  Okay.

  My plan was simple. When the door opened next, I needed to be ready to break free. I was certain most of those women out there didn't start out like that. They were probably going to try to inject me with whatever drug they used to keep everyone in line, to addict them until they became a slave to the drug and were really stuck here.

  Until they'd do anything for another hit.

  I couldn't wait around for that to happen to me. I had to get out as quickly as I could.

  I stood against the wall, behind the door. I took the rope back out of my pocket, wrapped it around each of my hands, and tested its strength.

  It would do.

  Then I stood still, waiting for the door to open.

  It didn't take long before someone decided to come check up on me. The door creaked open and the big guy with the beard stepped inside, his hands already undoing his pants.

  More nervous bile. This crap was going to give me ulcers.

  "Time to break you in..." he started, but then trailed off as he noticed the room was seemingly empty.

  He took another step in to look. How convenient.

  I stepped up behind him and threw the loop over his head, tightening the rope against his throat and pulling him back with it. He was strong, but he hadn't expected an attack like this one and he wasn't trained for it. His hands grabbed at the rope, clawing at his throat when he would have been better off trying to get at me.

  He panicked. Poor baby.

  I pulled on the rope with all of my strength, my arms straining as he tried to get traction with his feet and failed. It took some time for him to stop struggling. I didn't let up even then, not until I was sure he wasn't going to get up.

  Breathing hard from the effort, I pulled the rope off his throat, looking away from the raw gash that had opened up his skin. He chose this life. I refused to feel badly. The world was better off without him.

  Pressing my lips together, I quickly searched him. They'd taken my weapons but Beard here had decided to keep one of my knives. Liberating it from him, along with a retractable baton, I stepped out of the room and closed the door behind me. Nobody was directly outside the door, giving me a chance to gather myself.

  Moving quietly, I re
traced the steps we'd taken through the maze of melded apartments. I passed women who stared at me suspiciously, but no other guards.

  Sloppy. I appreciated the lack of effort.

  Then I reached the room that had an actual exterior door. Ellie was standing in front of it, her eyes on the three girls at work to one side. She didn't look up until I was almost on her.

  Her eyes widened as I swung the baton at her head. She ducked down quickly. But I was ready with my knee. The crunch when I made contact with her face was really satisfying.

  She cried out, but her hands didn't go to her face. She wasn't quite as idiotic as her friend. She swept my feet out from under me, sending me to the floor.

  That was my fault.

  Then she was on top of me, her broken nose dripping blood and her face twisted in rage. I guess she didn't like to be on the other end of the abuse. Too fucking bad, bitch.

  Grunting, I managed to get my feet between us as she tried to wrap her hands around my throat. And then I heaved, causing her to fly across the room. It would be satisfying to finish this, but I'd thrown her far enough that it had left the door clear, and I didn't know when or if anybody else would show.

  I needed to run, not waste more time. No matter how gratifying it would be. I yanked the door open and almost flew down the stairs as Ellie's shouts followed me down.

  Reaching the street, my eye fell on the nearest alley and I bolted straight for it. I needed to get as much distance between me and that hellhole as I could. I was so focused on that, I didn't realize the alley wasn't empty. A tall figure stepped into my path and I ran right into him.

  I tried to step back, but strong hands closed over my elbows. Oh no he didn't. I slammed my foot down on his instep and twisted free of his hold as he cursed. No way was I letting someone manhandle me again. I skirted around him, ready to keep running.

  "Mia!"

  Huh? I stopped, whirling around. The man pushed his hood down.

  "Ashur?"

  "Yes, Ashur," he said in a strained voice. "That's the welcome I get for sneaking my way in here to rescue you?"

  I blinked at him.