Page 20

Chapter Twenty

I t wasn’t long before Antony and Iris met up with the others and headed toward Birkwood Castle. Even though Antony should focus on what Max had discovered a few days ago—a hatch in the woods near the derelict building that led to a man-made tunnel—he kept thinking about his time alone with Iris and how he’d nearly spilled his feelings.

He regretted not telling her how much she meant to him already, how he wanted to know every little thing about her.

And for the first time in a long time, how she was his biggest weakness because if he lost her, he didn’t know what he’d do. Probably spiral and seek out revenge, uncaring about his own life.

Stop thinking like that and focus. He needed a clear head and to not do anything stupid. How many times had he told his new recruits that, during training?

Maybe, just maybe, it was time for him to move to a job that was more behind the scenes than leading missions.

But that was something to sort out later. For the moment, he trekked through the forests near Birkwood Castle, under the faint moonlight, making as little noise as possible. Iris was behind him, and Kai and Trina a few feet further back. They’d all approach in a fan shape, just in case there were sentries. The scouting hadn’t revealed any, but while Max had found one hatch into the tunnels, there was a good chance there were more.

As he approached the entrance, he halted and made the signal for Iris to do the same. Per the plan, they each placed the chain with a small inhaler around their neck, tucked under their protective vests, and then drew their stun guns. Antony had a pistol as well, but would only use it in extreme circumstances. He’d rather not kill if he could avoid it, and not just because of the amount of paperwork.

He waited for the other teams’ flashes of light from small metal disks to signal they were ready. Once all five checked in, he glanced over at Iris. Even though she wore protective gear, including a close-fitting protective cap, she still made his heart skip a beat. She would be beautiful, no matter what she wore.

However, he packed away his feelings and desires. He wouldn’t get anyone killed.

She nodded, and he returned the gesture. He flashed his own metal disk, catching the moonlight in a specific sequence, and counted to sixty. Once done, he waited as Joseph and Kaine from Northcastle approached the hatch. Joseph could unlock anything, and Kaine’s hearing and sight would help keep his human partner safe.

He kept one eye on the pair and one on the surroundings. Only once Iris touched his arm—she could see far better in the dark and had agreed to signal success with two pats—did they slowly make their way toward the hatch. Kaine and Joseph would enter first, then Antony and Iris. After that, the others would approach in intervals. If there was an ambush, they needed to be prepared.

After stepping through the opening, which was about a foot shorter than him, Antony could just make out the walls and the floor, thanks to his special contacts. While not quite as good as night vision goggles, they were a vast improvement over regular human eyesight.

The walls were brick, as was the floor. However, a few were cracked and some of the mortar was missing. At first glance, he thought these tunnels had been here for decades.

Tucking that information away for later, he motioned for Iris to proceed him, so he could take up the rear.

The tunnel seemed to go on for miles, although he judged it to be only one before he spotted two doors—one at the very end and one to the right of it.

He and Iris stopped about a hundred feet behind Joseph and Kaine, waiting for a signal that it was safe. Joseph carried a small heat detection device, which would let him know if there were any people behind the doors.

Eventually, he pointed to the one on the right and gave the signal for safe. Antony signed back for them to enter.

As soon as Joseph tested the door for traps, he opened it.

At the same time, the floor under him and Iris slid open, and they fell.

Within seconds, he hit the ground. But despite the pain he’d feel in the morning, he was alive. Antony rolled over and jumped up, only to find Iris was on her feet already. She gave the okay signal, and they both surveyed the space. It was dark, with a few faint lights flickering on the walls. However, he didn’t see a door.

Which didn’t mean there wasn’t one, just that it was probably hidden.

Before he could signal Iris to help him look, a loud scraping sound filled the room. Turning, he saw a large opening and a second later, a small dragon, probably an older child’s size, roared and barreled straight for Iris.

The space was too small for Iris to shift. And even though she jumped out of the way, the small dragon’s tail swung and smacked her against the wall. The dragon roared again, foam dripping from its mouth as it stalked toward Iris’s still form.

He refused to think the worst and focused. After pulling out his stun gun, he shot a few barbs. And while they penetrated the scales and it went off, the dragon barely grunted.

The beast did, however, turn toward him.

The eyes were glowing, which wasn’t normal. Add in the foaming mouth and one broken horn on its head, and the small dragon looked possessed.

He didn’t waste time drawing his mini-tranquilizer gun. He fired, and again, but the small dragon didn’t falter. No, it headed toward Antony.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Iris remained unconscious on the ground. In that second, he knew he had to get the dragon out of this room and back through the door.

But the only way to do that was to leave his dragonwoman.

Faint shouts from Joseph and Kaine overhead told him help was on the way, but since sound echoed in tunnels, he didn’t know how long it’d take. He couldn’t wait and hope someone would show up in time. Especially since the beast was gearing up to charge him.

If he was going to act, it was now or never.

So Antony walked backward, toward the door, and hit the dragon with another tranquilizer dart, hoping it would follow.

The beast roared and in the blink of an eye, it raced toward him, opened its mouth, and clamped its jaw up around his middle.

The dragon’s teeth pierced his skin, pain shot through Antony’s body, and he screamed. Breathing became harder, and his vision began to swim.

As the small dragon raced out of the room, carrying him like a toy, Antony hoped his distraction had worked and that Iris was okay and would escape.

Then the world went black.

A scream jolted Iris awake, just in time to see the dragon carry Antony away in its mouth.

And he was limp.

She struggled to move, every nerve hurting. Her only thought was that she had to go after that mad dragon, had to help Antony.

And yet, she could barely crawl along the floor toward the door. The closer she got, the more blood she saw on the floor.

No, no, no. She wouldn’t think of him dying. She couldn’t.

Her dragon spoke up. He’s strong and resourceful. If there’s a way to survive, Antony will find it. Now, pack away your emotions like in the army and help him.

Her dragon’s words snapped her back to the present. And while it was harder than any time in the past, she slowly pushed her panic and worry and fear down, deep down. The best way to help Antony was to remain calm and try to get up.

She stood slowly, ignoring the jolts of pain, and studied the open door and hall in the distance. As far as she could tell, no one was there.

However, investigating the passageway alone would be stupid. She needed help, no matter how much she wanted to charge after Antony.

Just as she debated how to get out and ask for help, a rope dropped close to her, and Kai slid down it. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he surveyed the area as he said, “You’re hurt. Where’s Holbrook?”

After taking a deep breath to steady herself, she quickly explained what had happened and added, “We need to rescue him.”

The door grunted as it slid closed inch by inch. Panic rushed through her—if it closed, she might not be able to get it open again. Antony might be lost forever.

Her training faded away as she tried to dart toward it, but Kai’s arms wrapped around her middle and held her back. Struggling, she didn’t even notice the pain. She blurted, “We can’t just abandon him.”

“Look at me, Iris.” After a beat, she slowly turned her head until she complied. Kai continued, his voice firm but a wee bit softer, as he said, “We’ll find him. But charging after a raging, unstable dragon will most likely get us all killed. We need to be clever about this, or we’ll all die.”

Her first instinct was to say Antony could already be dying. However, her dragon spoke up before she could spiral. Antony is not only a valuable asset to the hunters, but also a fighter. If anyone can find a way to hang on and survive, it’s him. Let’s be clever and not make things worse.

But—

No buts. We’ll find him, end of story.

Her beast’s reassuring voice helped calm Iris a fraction. She’d watched emotions get others killed before. She needed to be strong, to be the bloody good tracker she knew she was, to find Antony and help him.

Not alone, though. She had some of the best Protectors in the country nearby, as well as Antony’s team. Together, they could do this. She just knew it.

An unusual sense of calm came over her, and she stopped struggling. She said to Kai, “They’ll probably keep him alive as long as they can get information out of him.”

Although she knew Antony would rather die than share secrets.

Kai grunted. “I agree. Now, we need to retreat.”

She wanted to shout no, she couldn’t leave him behind. Even if she’d been unconscious, she knew Antony had garnered the dragon’s attention to save her life.

Still, as she glanced at the blood trail on the ground—at Antony’s blood—her throat tightened. Humans were so much more fragile than dragon-shifters. Had he survived?

He will. And we’ll give him as much dragon’s blood as needed to get him back to full health.

“Iris?”

She cleared her throat, nodded, and looked back at Kai. “Aye, we’ll retreat. For now.”

Especially since there could be listening devices anywhere. They’d been kitted out with mini-signal jammers, but she had no idea if they were still working.

Kai tied the end of the rope to make a sling seat, and Iris ignored her pride to sit on it. There was no way she could climb the rope unless her life was on the line.

And as they hauled her upward, she glanced at the now-closed door and the blood in front of it.

Right then and there, she vowed to rescue Antony, no matter what it took. Even if she eventually had to go in alone because of the danger, she would. Because he was her human, and she would finally claim him as hers, or die trying.