The Vampire Queen's Dragon Lord

Chapter 13

Anastasia stepped into the turbulent night. Crisp sea air purged her lungs of the stale scent of the compound. Now, if only it would purge her mind, she thought with a groan. Tightening her coat around her neck, she followed the dirt path around the cavern to the cliff's edge Ivan had told her about. One hundred feet below, the ocean beat against rocks and sand, drowning out any other sounds. Tucking an unruly lock behind her ear, Anastasia stepped alongside the scouts, looming at the edge of the cliff.

"What is it, soldier?"

Without turning around, Malik reached back, holding something in his outstretched hand. Anastasia grabbed the binoculars and set the device to her eyes, pointing them in the direction he looked. The sophisticated display monitor flashed, the bright red bullseye locking on to targets moving alongside a cliff not a hundred feet away. Her blood gelled.

"Dragons," Malik stated.

"I can see that."

"What do you think they are doing?"

"It's obvious they are looking for something," she said, trying to sound unconcerned as she tossed the binoculars back.

"Or someone."

Or both.

At the thought, Anastasia tightened her arms around her. Goddess, what should she do? Her mind leapt from one possibility to the next. Most of the outcomes were brutal. She needed time to think. "Inform me when they either leave or move within range," she said, turning back around.

"You're leaving?" one scout said.

"Without doing anything?" said the other.

At their questions, Anastasia looked over her shoulder. "Do we have a problem?"

Malik flexed his jaw. "Pardon, princess," he said through obviously clenched teeth. "But they are right there. If you'll but call a few of our best archers up here, we can drop them like flies."

"Yes, we could," she said, pivoting to face them again. "But without discovering their reason for being here. Without knowing if more will come in their place while we are not so ready," she shouted. "Perhaps they will find the back stairs next time, and it's our women and young they run into instead of you."

His massive head shook, and a disgusted snort grunted out of him. "Luthur was right about you."

An icy shiver ran up her spine. "What did you say?"

Malik turned to face her. Even with his dark sunglasses, humor lay evident on his meaty face. "You are too weak-minded and pathetic to rule."

Anastasia snarled, her fangs sliding past her lips. "There is only one step left on this road you're taking, soldier." Her claws lengthened and the gun at her hip suddenly magnified in weight. "I'll warn you now. You don't want to take it."

A crooked smile spread across his face and he bared his fangs. "Wanna bet?"

Anastasia didn't wait for the second syllable to fall from his lips before her leg shot forward, driving the heel of her boot into Malik's nose. His head kicked back, and a loud roar bellowed out of him. The second soldier made a move for her. Anastasia swirled into a crouch and thrust out her leg, laying him flat on his back with a sweeping kick.

Without pause, she stood and reached out for Malik. Snatching a dagger from his chest holster, she stabbed it into his chest. His arm dropped from his broken nose to the weapon's handle. The glasses slipped off his face, falling to the ground. Anastasia's mouth slackened. "Your eyes," she breathed.

His face contorted into a mask of rage, and he shoved her backward. Although she stumbled, she regained her footing in time to see him charging toward her. Reflexively, Anastasia shot out her leg, landing a sidekick on the dagger, driving it deeper. Malik flew back. However, instead of landing on the edge, he tumbled over it. Panting, Anastasia scooted toward the edge, wanting to make sure he didn't dangle from an outcropping below. Keeping her arms in front of her, fists tight, elbows tucked close to her body, she peeked over. Only blackness and the faint churning of the ocean lay below.

A rock trickled down the cliff wall behind her. The second soldier, she thought, pivoting around. Frantic, her gaze darted to where she'd laid him out on his back. He was gone. Panic and worry washed over her. Questions rolled over and over in her mind. Without stopping to work them out, she ran back into the catacomb. She had to warn her mother.

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Declan didn't even try to catch himself when the soldiers tossed him back in the cell and slammed the door. Not that he felt his flesh and bone slamming to the ground anyway. His insides blistered and throbbed from the liquid silver they'd pumped into his veins. Every nucleus of every cell in his body vibrated in sharp pain. Declan writhed on the floor before slumping upon it in defeat, letting his cheek sink against the rough surface. Blood rushed to his head and his throat closed. Grunting, he sipped a breath between his lips, crying out at the flood of anguish that washed through him anew.

Great, now even breathing hurts.

He choked, and almost blacked out, would have blacked out if Luthur's voice had not cut through the pain-induced haze blanketing him.

"Did he crack?" Luthur asked, his voice low and commanding.

"No, sir," the soldier replied. "He's got a strong mind. We've learned nothing from him."

"Then drag him out of there until we do."

"But sir, we used the silver injection on him."

At the memory, Declan's veins burned, and a moan slid past his lips.

"So?"

"Well, he's unconscious."

"He sounds awake to me," Luthur countered.

"Awake yes. Responsive, no."

The jangle of keys sounded in the room, followed by the shuffle of steps ushering closer to the cell door.

"With all due respect, if you want to kill him, then string him up and continue to beat him. But if you want that crystal, you have to be patient."

"I do not need you to tell me how to do my job, Ivan. In case you've forgotten, you'd still be a mindless drone if not for me."

"I---I," the soldier floundered. "Yes, sire. I meant no offense. I'm only saying, breaking a mind such as his takes time."

"Well, time is something I don't have!" Luthur let out a curse. "I need that stone. The ascension is tomorrow."

The soldier grunted words Declan couldn't decipher as a new spike of pain wedged between his eyes in a dull throb. He gritted his teeth against the pain, straining to hear the vampire's next words.

"....and the Queen's daughter? You know what happened at the cliff tonight?" The tone of his voice rose as if he'd asked a question, and Declan fought hard to stay awake, stay conscious. To find out what had happened to Anastasia.

"Of course," Luthur spat. "I heard firsthand when the soldier came to me on his knees, begging for his life."

"And did you spare him?"

"Are you mad? Because of him, we now have no way of knowing what Anastasia may have seen. What she might have learned from Malik before she killed him."

Declan groaned. Anastasia killed a soldier tonight? At the thought, a new wave of agony moved through him. Something big was going down, something bigger than anything Declan or his flock had anticipated. He had no idea what it could be yet. All he knew was that Anastasia was in danger.

"We must keep her cloistered until the ascension ceremony tomorrow. I can't afford her going after the crystal on her own. Or worse, telling the Queen anything." Luthur swore.

"I'll keep an eye on her," the soldier stated.

"You?" Luthur said with a laugh. "I think not. I will keep the princess...occupied until tomorrow.

Oh, gods. The blackness pulsing around Declan became nearly impossible to resist as Luthur's dark words sunk in.

"You will stay here and keep working on finding me that stone." Again the sound of keys rattling against one another echoed in the darkness, followed by steps leading away from his cell.

"What if the dragon doesn't talk? What if I cannot break him?"

Luthur's heavy footfalls quit thumping against the ground, vibrating the earth beneath Declan's ear. "If he doesn't divulge the crystal's location by dawn, he'll have outlived his usefulness. Kill him."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh and Ivan," Luthur said, "When you dispose of the beast, be sure to leave his body intact. I shall like to feast on dragon blood on my wedding day."

With that, Declan finally let the darkness swallow him.