Chapter Seventeen
“I know it's a lot to take in, but I know what I'm saying is right,” he asked, propping himself up on his elbow as he looked at me. “I've done a lot of research over the last couple of weeks and it explains everything.”
We were in his bed, lying together naked, enjoying the afterglow of some really good, really intense sex, and he brought up the topic of my past. It was uncomfortable and awkward timing, to say the least.
“I don't know what to believe,” I said, drawing circles on his chest with my finger, mainly to avoid looking him in the eye. “It's all a bit overwhelming.”
He took my hand, brought it up to his lips and kissed it gently. “I understand, Astrid. I'm only trying to protect you. And I think one of the best ways to do that is to tell you everything.”
“I know you're protecting me,” I said. “And I appreciate it. But everything else you just told me – I don't know what to do with it.”
Quint told me the reason the Shongtal were after me was because I was a child of prophecy. A child born of two worlds – humankind, of course, and something else called the Dragonborn. He'd said that my father was born of a clan that could harness the power of lightning – and that the bright white light that had apparently knocked me out the last time the Shongtal tried to grab me, had come from inside of me. From the powers my father had passed on to me.
He knew I'd been adopted though I never told him and he'd said that I was originally born in Chicago. According to his story, the night I was born, the Shongtal showed up to claim me. My father fought them, but both he and my mother died in the attack. They'd ensured my survival by sending me away with a friend who'd birthed me.
It was true that my adoptive mother was named Chelsea. I never knew my real parents – she never spoke of them. But that didn't exactly prove anything. It certainly didn't prove that I was some child of prophecy who had magic powers or could call down lightning.
How was I supposed to believe that? How was I supposed to believe any of it? Yeah, there was a lot I couldn't explain. A lot I wasn't sure really had an explanation. But that didn't mean I was what Quint thought I was.
I wasn't special. I never had been. There was absolutely nothing remarkable about me. Which was why at twenty-three years old, I'd had exactly one serious boyfriend. I'd just never fit in with people. I was always the outsider. The black sheep.
“The reason you felt like you never fit in your whole life,” Quint said as if reading my mind, “was because you didn't. Not really. You're human, yeah. But you're also something else. Something more.”
I looked at him, my head spinning. “What then?” I asked. “What am I?”
“You're – different,” he replied. “It's why the Shongtal want you. And it also explains that instant connection you and I felt – because we've got a lot more in common than just a love of reading.”
I let out an exasperated sigh. “Yeah, because that's not vague or anything.”
He looked at me, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Here, I want to show you something.”
He sat up and moved to the edge of the bed before standing up. He walked over to his closet – or rather, into his massive closet – and pulled out a box from a shelf inside. But the entire time he was doing that, all I could do was stare at his toned, tight ass. Because there was no two ways about it, he had an amazing body and I found it hard not to stare at him – especially when he was in the nude.
I giggled to myself. Just a few weeks ago, I was a shy, quiet wallflower type. And now, I was some sex maniac or something. Piper had told me I'd changed, but I didn't understand it. I didn't know when the shift in me had happened, or what the shift was, but I felt different. I felt bolder, more confident. I had to say, I liked the change for the most part.
He came back over to the bed and sat down, giving me an inscrutable look. Quint placed a book down between us and I could tell just by looking at that it was old. Very old. The cover appeared to be made of a soft wood and was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. The writing was done in a beautiful, ornate calligraphy that I wasn't able to read.
“What is this?” I asked.
“Being that you're a history buff and someone who loves books,” he said, “I figured you'd appreciate this.”
He opened the book and flipped through a few pages that still looked to be in good shape – considering the obvious age of the book.
“Here,” he said. “Read this.”
I scanned the page, reading what sounded like a really good fantasy novel. It was a story about how there would be a child born of two worlds -- both Dragonborn and human. And that child, had the potential to alter the two worlds forever. A smaller passage spoke about this child's potential to close the Dragon Doors, as well as a few other things that made no sense to me.
It was crazy to even consider, given that dragons didn't really exist – that much I knew.
“Just because it's written down in a book doesn't make it true,” I said.
“Keep reading,” he said.
I read more, and they described the child's powers – and much of it described what I'd been experiencing as of late. The rest of it, well, the rest of it sounded way too ridiculous to be true.
“Come on, Quint,” I said and giggled. “Do you really expect me to believe that dragons really exist? And that I'm part dragon? Why couldn't I have been part unicorn? I mean, at least then I would have been pretty and sparkly.”
Quint took my hand, didn't say a word as he got me to my feet and led me out of the bedroom.
“You have to promise me something, Astrid,” he said, his voice serious. “If I show you what I'm about to show you, you won't freak out. You won't say anything to anybody. Ever. I'm serious, not a word. Not even to Piper.”
“I won't freak out, silly,” I said, shaking my head. But Quint looked serious. Too serious. “Fine. I promise. And I swear I won't breathe a word of this even to Piper.”
He looked at me and nodded to himself as he opened his patio door and stepped outside. The cool, night breeze filtered inside, as I joined him on the patio. It was a private patio, so no one could see us, or else I might have thought twice about stepping outside completely in the buff. But honestly, it felt nice and freeing to be outside like that – especially with Quint.
“You might want to step back inside for this,” he said.
“Why?”
“Because there's not much room out here,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Not much room for what –”
He shot me a look that said I was asking too many questions, so I did as I was told and stepped back inside the apartment to wait for – whatever he was going to show me.
Then, right before my eyes, I watched as Quint transformed into – something large. Something large and red, with scales, claws, a long tail and wings. I didn't know what I was seeing at first. I couldn't put a name to it. My mind couldn't rationalize what I was looking at, so I just stared, mouth wide open, as I found myself backing away slowly.
“You're a –”
For someone who loved reading as much as I did, who lost herself in worlds of fantasy and science fiction, I couldn't bring myself to say the word. I couldn't find the right word to describe what I was looking at. Beings like that didn't exist, they were fictional. They were fantasy. Nothing more.
But there we were, in reality. And the large, red dragon craned its long neck down to stare me in the eyes. In its eyes, I could still see Quint – but he was a dragon.
Quint changed back into his human form, rushing over to me as I sat down on the couch in his living room, nearly fainting of shock.
“What in the –” I stammered. “How in the –”
“I am Dragonborn,” he said as if that explained everything. “That book I showed you – that's part of my legacy. And part of yours too.”
“Mine? How?” I asked. “I can't turn into – what you just turned into. How is it part of my legacy?”
“Because your father was Dragonborn. Like me,” he said. “Except, he was of the Lightning Clan. That's why your gift is the ability to harness the power of lightning.”
I looked at him, my stomach twisting in knots and my eyes growing wide. “You spit fire at those Shongtal,” I said. “So, that means –”
“That I am of the Fire Clan, yes,” he said. “Each clan has their own special powers and attributes.”
I sat back, stunned. Trying to wrap my head around what I'd just seen. The world as I knew it was – well – not the world as I knew it. Creatures from fantasy novels walked the Earth – and were hunting me.
“I just – I –”
“It's overwhelming, I know,” he said. “But time is running short and I need to know if you're ready to learn how to use your powers? Because I can show you. I can help you, Astrid, if you let me. If you don't learn to channel your power properly, you could kill yourself. But if you do learn to channel it properly, you might just be able to get the Shongtal to leave you alone forever.”
“How?” I asked, hope blossoming within my chest.
“Let me show you,” he said, giving me a lopsided grin.