Taryn stood back against the wall, she was dripping wet and in a room she didn’t know. The cold stone that pressed against her skin was all that separated her and the open ocean she had just been dragged through. A few meters away stood the reason she was there. He had his back to her, his head hanging down between his shoulders as she watched him return to his human form.
Taryn’s mouth hung open as she saw the massive blue wings fold up and vanish within two open slits in his back. The scales that decorated his body were absorbed back into the skin which was now closing up around the gills down his side. The shock of what she was seeing dried up her libido faster than dildo shopping with your grandmother.
Attor couldn’t face her yet. Confirming her disgust at what he was, would be too much for him to handle right now. Instead, he turned his head, and he spoke to his shoulder. “Do you hate me?”
After a moment’s silence, the words he dreaded hearing floated to his ears. “With all that I am. Yes.” Her tone held a malice that made his face wince with pain.
“Taryn…” Payton came around the corner with a towel in hand. “Welcome.”
“Pay…” She swallowed her shock. “Payton?”
“The one and only.” She smiled softly, she was sure that the first time she’d come through that door in the arms of Volos, her face looked very similar to the one that Taryn was now showing. “I’m guessing you have a few questions. Want to grab a coffee?”
Taryn froze for a second, then shook her head. “No!” she stated loudly. “I don’t want a fucking coffee. I mean… what the actual fuck, Payton? Coffee? Really?” Taryn’s panic grew with every word she shouted. “This is kidnapping. This is illegal… this is… this is…” she pointed to Attor who was still facing the wall not making eye contact with her, “… this is fucking batshit crazy.”
Payton looked at Attor, his chest was deflating with the anger that bounced around the room. “V is looking for you.” He turned to the sound of Payton’s voice. “Off you go. I got this…” She nodded with a wink. “It will be okay, I promise.”
Attor nodded and left to the sound of Taryn’s voice screeching obscenities about him. Payton handed the towel to her new guest. “It’s a shock, isn’t it?”
Taryn snatching the towel and started wiping the dripping water from her body. “How?” she said. “What?” Stuttering out, “I-I mean… w-what’s happening?” She suddenly stopped and held her hand up to stop Payton’s words. “On second thought, I don’t want to know,” she said. “Just take me home.”
“Can’t do that. Sorry,” she said with a shrug. “I’m not like them if I try to take you out there…” she pointed to the door she’d just entered through, “… we will be a shark’s next meal.”
“If you are not… then…” Taryn flicked her eyes from the door to Payton.
“I am human. Completely normal, just like you,” Payton said. “You know this would be far more comfortable over a cup of coffee.”
“You don’t know anything about me. I’m not who you think I am,” Taryn said, her voice climbing again with panic. “I have to get out of here. I can’t be here… they are…” Her eyes locked with Payton’s. “Dragons!” The last word disgusted her, it was like pure acid pouring from her throat.
Something about the way that last word sounded made Payton pause. “You’re perfectly safe here,” she confirmed. “The brothers will help you with whatever is threatening your life.” Payton nodded with encouragement. “This is a good thing.”
“Good thing?” Taryn spat. “How can being kidnapped by a monster ever be a good thing?” her stare at Payton was of disbelief. “You want to protect me from my demons by offering me as a sacrifice to these monsters?”
A cough from the door made the woman both look up. Volos stood tall and proud, trying his best to not react to the names his people were presently being called. “I understand this is a shock, Taryn, but name calling will do nothing to help your cause,” he said with the presence of a true leader. “Besides, sacrifices are so last century.” He winked at Payton.
“Look,” Taryn said with a mildly contained panic. “Just take me home. I won’t say anything.” She shook her head. “You don’t know who and what I am,” she pleaded, with sincerity in her voice. “I need to get out of here before they find me… and you.”
Payton listened to what her friend was saying. It was odd that she hadn’t actually reacted to the fact that dragons existed, only that she couldn’t be here. Maybe that’s just the way she reacts, Payton said to herself. Just seems odd. After all, how many times do you get to see a set of dragon wings spring from a man’s back? Shrugging to herself, Payton decided to brush it off as nervous energy. Taryn had always seemed a little odd to her anyway, and who was she to dictate the ‘proper’ way to react to seeing a dragon anyway.
“I will make a deal with you,” V said. “Stay for the night, seeing as you’re here already.” He smiled. “Tomorrow, if it’s safe, we will return you, and you can choose to forget this ever happened,” V said with empathy to her situation. It can’t be easy to be thrust into an underwater cave and told to relax. “If that’s what you choose to do.”
Taryn looked at Volos then to Payton and back again. “One night?”
V nodded. “One night.”
“Okay,” Taryn reluctantly agreed to the terms as she looked to Payton. “Anything stronger than coffee in your bag of tricks?”
Payton laughed. “Of course. Come this way.” She motioned for her to follow as they left the room together. An uneasy truce being called for the time being.
Volos walked out and nearly ran into Attor, who had been standing just out of view but heard everything that was being said. “Brother,” V said on an exhaled breath. “You have your work cut out for you, and one night to achieve it.”
“You would return her?” Attor asked with surprise.
“I never break a deal. I suggest you don’t fuck around…” he went to walk past him, “… you have a woman to win over.” Snorting with a swallowed laugh, he’d been there and done that. Volos didn’t envy the chaos that Attor was about to subject himself to, all in the name of fate.
“Thanks, I think,” Attor mumbled as he cast his eyes left to the empty hallway that Payton and Taryn had disappeared down.