Page 21 of Fated to the Dragon King (Alpha Dragons’ Fated #4)

Alaric

I didn’t sleep that night.

Instead, I flew over the city, searching, searching. For what, I didn’t know. I’d never locate Hayley from the air. Both Damon and Fiona knew better than to challenge me, which was why they stole Hayley in the first place. Until Henry found an address for me, I could only soothe my fears by flying.

I soared on the warm sea winds, gazing down at the black Pacific, the tiny dots of light indicating ships sailing to distant ports. I could cross that same Pacific in a matter of hours if I chose to. Pop over to Manila or Tokyo for lunch, then pop back in time for supper here in California.

Dawn teased the eastern skyline when I descended to land on the beach that bordered my house. Willow stood on the sand, watching, as I first circled over her head, then back winged to alight not far from her. She walked toward me as I shifted.

“You look terrible,” she murmured, hugging me. “You need to eat.”

I draped my arm over her shoulders as we walked up the beach toward my home. “I’m not hungry.”

“You’re eating anyway.”

I didn’t bother to argue. Against Willow’s determination, such an action was useless. While she cooked bacon and eggs at my stove, I searched the Internet for Rolls Royce dealers or rental agencies on my laptop. I knew I duplicated Henry’s work, but I had to do something to keep myself occupied.

“The nearest Rolls dealership is in San Francisco,” I mused, rubbing my chin. “I don’t see any agencies that rent them, so Fiona had to have bought that car.”

“It’s too early for the dealer to be open,” Willow observed, bringing me a plate of hot food. “Let Henry call them when he can. It’s why you pay him.”

The odor of bacon frying ignited an appetite I didn’t know I owned. Joining me at the kitchen table, Willow picked up her own slice of bacon and started to munch. We ate in silence for a time, me dreading the coming confrontation with Fiona, and Willow contained in her own thoughts.

“We’ll find her.”

I glanced up from my almost empty plate to see Willow smiling gently. “Inside information?”

“Maybe. Or maybe it’s just that good will win over evil. Fiona won’t kill Hayley unless she has to. She’ll keep Hayley as her hostage. The longer you hold out, the better Hayley’s chances are.”

“And give us more time to find them?”

“Exactly.”

I sipped my coffee, thinking. “They’ll keep Hayley with them, correct? So where they are, she is.”

“Once we have the location,” Willow continued for me, “you distract them while I get Hayley out.”

I pondered the orders Fiona gave me the previous evening. “They’ll suspect something. They know I won’t give in so easily. But, what makes you think they won’t suspect you’re in cahoots with me?”

“Damon will not believe I’d ever move against him,” Willow answered with a wan smile. “He thinks my first loyalty is to him, not you.”

“And that you’ll hang back from this fight?”

“Yes.”

I studied her face, the lines of care around her eyes and mouth, lines I’d never noticed before now. “Stay out of it. If I win this, Damon will die. I’ve no other choice.”

“I won’t stay back, Alaric.” She looked down at her empty plate. “My son has done a great wrong. Not just to you, but to our people. To this world. He’ll support Fiona in destroying everyone just so he can say he bested you. I can’t let that happen.”

“You don’t have to,” I argued. “I’ll do it. It’s my prerogative.”

“I don’t care about prerogatives,” Willow snapped, now glaring at me. “I care about Hayley. I care deeply about you. It’s my duty to stand by you, no matter what happens. If Damon loves me at all, he’d have never let Fiona rule him. He’s permitting her to lead him into destruction.”

I glanced aside. “I made you a promise.”

“I know. I also know you may not be able to keep it.”

***

An hour later, Henry called with triumph in his voice. “She rented the home of a very wealthy Hollywood producer,” he said, chuckling. “He rents it out when he’s on location, which currently is in Spain. Got a pencil?”

I grabbed a pen and paper from a drawer nearby. “Go.”

“It’s 121 Ocean View Road,” Henry said. “I looked it up, it’s a huge estate. It sits on the edge of a cliff that drops down to the sea. But they can see the road approaching it from the upstairs. They may see you coming.”

“That’s okay,” I said. “I want them to see me coming.”

“Do you need backup?”

I glanced at Willow. She sat in my recliner, staring at the floor and hiding her thoughts.

“I have backup. Just stay by your phone, however. I may need you for something else.”

“I’ll be here. Good luck.”

I clicked my cell to hang it up and held it in my hand, while still watching Willow. “There’s time. You can change your mind.”

Willow shook her head. “Make the call.”

Gritting my teeth, pissed off, I opened my cell to the number Fiona called from the night before. I clicked it and put the phone on speaker, while glowering at Willow.

“Well?” Fiona said by way of answering. “Do you have them?”

“The proper papers are being faxed to me any minute now,” I replied. “Where do I meet you?”

“Good boy.” Fiona all but purred in my ear. “We’ll need a table where we both can go over them and sign. We’ll also need champagne to celebrate.”

“Where?” I growled.

“Oh, poo. You’re such a grouch. I’ll meet you at Len’s Bar and Grill. You know where it is?”

“I can find it.”

“One hour. If you’re not there, Alaric my dear, your little toy will die. And not by dragon fire.”

“Touch her and you’ll die,” I snarled, but I spoke too late. Fiona had hung up.

Willow glanced up from where she’d been perusing her own cell. “From that address, she’ll need more than thirty minutes to get to Len’s. It’ll take us that same length of time to get to the producer’s estate, if not longer. So we should hit the road now.”

“All right.”

While dragons had little use for guns, since we carried our weapons with us, I possessed a nine millimeter automatic in case of a house break in.

I pulled it from its drawer, and tucked it into the waistband of my jeans.

Willow turned her face away, but not before I saw the tears in her eyes and the weary set to her mouth.

“Willow,” I began, helpless.

“Stop it. Let’s go.”

Unable to argue, I followed her from my house to my truck.

She sat without speaking, her face turned toward the window, as I drove northward along the coast. The highway twisted and turned back on itself, following the curves of the shore.

I ached for her at the same time I cursed Damon for doing this to her.

He knew his mother was my chief advisor, as well as my loyal companion, and still he chose Fiona over her.

He chose this life of crime and evil. He knows damn well what Fiona seeks for the earth and its populations. And he follows her anyway. If Da’arvass comes for his soul, he’ll wish he’d made better choices.

Of course, I’d never tell Willow that. True, she already knew. But I have no desire to rub salt into her wounds. If Lanokota wills it, her son will soon die. I will hurt for her, comfort her as best I can, and help her to move on.

That’s all I can do except love her.

“Stop here.”

I obeyed, pulling the truck to the shoulder of the highway. Willow gave me a long searching look, then gripped my hand.

“Do what you have to do, my son.”

Tears burned my eyes as I stared at the steering wheel. “Walk with the gods, mother of my heart.”

“And you.”

Willow exited the truck, then paced away from it.

In the mirrors, I watched her shift into her silver-gray dragon and take to the air.

She circled overhead a few times, gaining altitude, then banked toward the north and the low, rolling hills between us and the estate.

I knew she’d hug the ground, flying low, and come to the house from the rear and the sea.

I put the truck in gear, and drove further up the highway until I found the unmarked yet paved road leading up and into the hills. The truck climbed the steep grade easily, even as the road doubled back on itself many times.

The Hollywood producer must be very wealthy indeed. The road turned into a long curving driveway that passed acres of manicured lawns, shrubbery, and low stone walls before finally arriving at the multi-million dollar house. Beyond it, the blue ocean moved like a restless animal in a cage.

With Fiona away on her mission to meet me, Damon should be alone in the house. With Hayley. It occurred to me that should he hold a gun to her head, I’d do exactly what he ordered. If he said jump, I’d ask how high.

Nothing at the house moved as I parked the truck and got out. I knew I was being watched, however. My dragon’s instincts told me. With Damon’s attention on me, Willow should be extracting Hayley at this very moment.

“I know you’re there, Damon,” I called. “Let Hayley go.”

My demand was met with silence. The feeling of being watched intensified. Uneasy, I shifted into my dragon –

Damon came at me from the left, from behind a low hill, flaming.

I leaped into the air, my wings wide, and caught his fire with my own.

Our fires met and mingled, doing neither of us any real harm.

He banked away, hurtling up and over the house, and toward the open water.

Terrified he’d already killed Hayley, I gave chase.

“I’ll kill you,” Damon screamed, switching his head for his tail in a tight roll, and came at me with his talons extended, ready to slash and maim.

I didn’t bother to answer.

We hit with the power of two freight trains colliding, cutting, ripping, tearing each other’s hides. I dodged Damon’s attempt to bite my throat, and sliced my talons at his jugular. I missed by a fraction, opening his neck but failing to do much harm.

Roaring, he flamed at my vulnerable eyes.

I swung my head aside just in time, and bit deep into his shoulder.

Yelling in pain, Damon twisted and bucked midair, trying to get me off of him.

I tightened my grip, sinking my teeth deeper into his muscles.

He furled his wings, dropping both of us like stones toward the sea below.

I let go a moment before we struck the surface. Throwing myself away from him, I slashed my front talons across his vulnerable neck while at the same time I dug my rear claws deep into his belly. I knew I’d just gutted him as I would a deer.

We both hit the water.

Under the waves, I opened my eyes.

I watched as Damon sank.

A cloud of scarlet blood filled the water around his body as he thrashed, trying to swim, trying to fight for his life.

I knew I’d opened his jugular this time.

His struggles finally ended as he dropped lower and lower into the dark depths.

Swimming upward, I breached the surface. Beating my wings, I gained altitude and circled over the sea where his blood floated atop the waves.

“Feed the sharks, you bastard.”

Banking toward the house, I flew fast, shedding my own blood from the deep cuts from Damon’s talons. Willow flew toward me, and even from this distance I recognized the despair in her eyes, her expression.

Willow banked around to fly at my side, her grief etched across her face. My survival meant Damon, her son, was dead. She must live with his treachery, his evil, for the remainder of her days. No matter how justified I was in taking his life, would she ever forgive me?

“Willow,” I began. “I’m so sorry.”

“No. Don’t say anything. Let me have my grief.”

We reached the vast estate on the cliff’s edge and circled over it. I half thought of seeing Hayley waiting to greet us as we descended over the lawns to land.

“Where’s Hayley?”

“She wasn’t in the house.” Willow furled her wings to drop lightly to the grass. “I found the rooms where she was being held. I think she went down the cliff, but I saw nothing of her.”