Ryan

 

Ryan’s feet hit the marble floors of the hallway of the dragon’s palace with a dull slap. The dragon queen was certifiable and he wasn’t go to spend another minute here, answers or no answers. But he didn’t know where he was going and afraid he ran deeper into the underground compound rather than out.

Behind him the queen’s roars rumbled through the halls though they were getting fainter. Ryan didn’t know what this meant. Either she changed form to pursue him or she sent other dragons to chase him. Ryan’s only hope was to get away from here. Now.

But Ryan’s shins hit a hard surface and he flew forward to crash into the solid floor below him. He turned to see a man who looked to be about his age standing with a staff.

“Sorry,” the man said. “I had to stop you and this was the fastest way to do it.” He held out his hand. “I’m Evan Waters.”

Ryan took the offered hand and stood as he tried to place the name. “Wait. You’re one of the dragons that escaped the English prison.”

“Well, I escaped but I landed here, so I don’t know if I’m better off. But you managed to get the queen royally pissed off. What did you do?”

“She read my thoughts.”

Evan shrugged. “Well, that could do it depending on the thoughts. Come on, we don’t have much time. They’ll be watching the courtyard and that is the best place for launch.”

The man turned and sped in the direction that Ryan had come, but soon turned down a hallway perpendicular to the other. Ryan followed and Evan entered a stairwell leading up. They broke onto the courtyard where Ryan had arrived hours earlier. It was dark and no moon shined so they were both shrouded in darkness.

Evan pulled the robe off him.

“Shift and go now,” Evan whispered, then he backed away.

Ryan stood in terror, his heart beating wildly. Now when he needed to transform he couldn’t seem to do it. So far shifting had been totally involuntary and in response to immediate danger. The white fire he breathed was involuntary too and he was shocked that it did nothing to harm Rhea. Right now he was standing in the dark, totally naked, and doubting his ability to do anything.

“Shift!” urged Evan from the shadows.

“If I could I would!”

“Don’t you know how?”

“Only when something dangerous happens.”

“Well, think of the most terrible thing that can,” suggested Evan.

Ryan remembered Calvin’s warning that should he leave Steph’s life would in danger. That made him furious. Ryan saw for himself how volatile Rhea Gentrix was and it wasn’t hard for him to imagine the dragon queen harming Steph and that he could not tolerate. His anger sparked and rose through him and the prickly sensations on his skin drove him mad. But he was a dragon, and he spread his wings and roared.

“Oh, god,” Evan said from the shadows. “Fly out of here now. I can hear the queens’ guard arriving.”

Ryan did feel the rumble of many feet on the ground. With a great leap, he hurled his body into the air and immediately caught a thermal under his wings. He spiraled upward into the clouds as the sounds of other dragons trumpeting followed him. He beat his wings looking to gain height, but he realized quickly that he had no idea where he was, other than he was flying above a very spikey mountain range. He could be in the Rockies or Tibet for all he knew.

The cries of dragons grew louder and the beating of wings filled the air. He was surrounded. One dragon flew above him and then dove straight at him.

Ryan dove and tried to twist out of his way, but the dragon’s fore claw struck Ryan’s snout painfully, and knocked Ryan off balance. He spun out of control and fell. If he didn’t pull out of this dive he’d smash into one of the mountain peaks below him.

Ryan thought how desperately he wanted to be home. If he ever saw his father again he’d apologize for all the problems he gave him.

And then suddenly the sky cleared of clouds and the air was thicker. Ryan was still falling and he couldn’t seem to get his wings under him. He spun crazily and tumbled but in one of the rotations he noticed a large swimming pool below him. In fact the distinctive shape was that of the pool on at his, or rather, his father’s house. He twisted his body to aim for the pool thinking the water would be an easier landing than the ground.

Bam! Water sprayed around him as he hit the pool. A wave of pain surged through him because the landing was not soft as he imagined it would be. It felt like a very painful belly flop from a diving board only worse.

He bellowed from the pain as two people ran from the house. Ryan thrashed his tail trying to get it under him so he could get upright, but nothing seemed to fit in this damned pool. Why did he think it was big?

“Ryan?” called Steph.

Steph. Thank god it was Steph. He bellowed though it came out a throaty whine.

She jogged to his head and threw her arms around his neck.

“Where did you go?” she said.

Ryan huffed. He must be in shock because not a lot was making sense right now. All he knew was that he scented Steph and that made things a little better.

“Ryan, be human again, okay,” she urged.

Human? He was a dragon, not human. He thought he was human but he wasn’t.

“What’s wrong?” said a deeper voice. He struggled to place the familiar voice. Father. That’s it. It was his father. Only he didn’t have a father. Or a mother. Just Rhea Gentrix—one scary evil mother.

“He’s confused. Probably shock from the fall.”

“Son! I need you to be yourself. Can you do that? Be the Ryan that I know.”

An image of his human body filled his mind and he knew it was how Steph saw him. Blond, tall, muscled, sexy. Everything she wanted. Except he couldn’t have her. Rhea would kill her. He had to get her to leave and stay far away from him.

“No, no,” he said. The pool grew bigger. Water swirled around him to his neck. Steph held out her hand and Ryan pulled up and out of the water and he promptly dropped sit at the lip of the pool. Droplets dripped down his face from his hair while someone draped a large towel on his shoulders.

“Are you okay, son?” asked his father.

“What?” Ryan said, “Is she doing here?”

“I hired her,” said the elder Kaur.

“No!” croaked Ryan hoarsely. “She has to go. Take her away. She mustn’t be here, ever.”

“Ryan!” chided his father. “Ms. Brooks has done nothing but help.”

“Out!” he ordered. “Out of here.”

“No, that’s okay, Mr. Kaur,” said Steph in a steely voice. “If Ryan doesn’t want me here, I’ll leave.”

Her heels clicked away on the patio and Ryan slumped.

“Here,” said his father. “Get him to bed. I have some business to take care of.”

Two of the estates security men hauled Ryan to his feet, and between them dragged him up the stairs to his room. He fell into the bed, grateful for the give in the mattress that eased his bruised body. His stomach was aching badly and he wondered why. He had tried to burn Rhea Gentrix but nothing happened to her.

For some time he lay on the bed going in and out of consciousness, when his door opened. A man he did not recognize flashed a penlight in his eyes and asked him some questions. He pulled down the towel which Ryan used to cover his stomach.

“Yeah. That’s a bruise.” He felt around Ryan’s stomach and asked if it hurt when he pressed on certain areas. Ryan shook his head.

“That’s the fastest healing bruise I ever saw.”

“But, how is he?”

“Exhausted, more than likely. But his fall didn’t damage any bones or organs that I can see. You should take him to the hospital and get a CAT scan.”

“No. We have legal issues to deal with. The hospital is not a good idea. I want him in tip top shape before we deal with the courts.”

“As you wish, Mr. Kaur. Quiet and rest is the best thing for him. If he loses consciousness or starts vomiting, call me.”

“Thanks, doctor.”

Ryan was alone in his room with his father who pulled a chair to the side of the bed.

“So what happened?” asked his father. “Where did you go?”

“I don’t know. But I met my biological mother. She lives in some mountains underground with a bunch of other dragons. My god, dad. She found out about Steph and went nuts. I barely got away.”

“Why would she care about Ms. Brooks?”

“I didn’t get a chance to find out. But, dad. She can’t be around me.”

“I can’t?”

Steph walked into the room with her arms crossed.

“Why are you here? I told you to go.”

“Silly me. I was worried about you.” Steph sounded angry but she didn’t understand.

“Look, Steph.”

“Don’t ‘look’ me, Ryan Kaur. You told me I was fired, left me at the hospital to deal with by myself, and then the first thing you tell me is to leave you. I suppose I will. I know when I’m not wanted.”

Steph stormed out of the room.

“Wait, Steph, that’s not—”

But Steph slammed the door and he was alone with his father.

“Is that your technique with women?” said his father. “Now I know why you are single.”