Chosen by the Dragon (Dragonspark Brothers Book 2) Read online

  She forced it down, chasing the saltiness with a bottle of spring water until her stomach calmed. Not the worst thing she’d eaten in her lifetime. Her bladder complained about the amount of water though. She could risk a quick trip to the bathroom while it was quiet, then back to surveillance within ten minutes. Elle made her way to the back of the roof and checked that it was all clear as she opened the ventilation window. It was an easy jump from this side, the slope higher and a dumpster that would allow her to climb back up.

  A noise startled her. Elle froze as her feet hit the earth. She hadn’t thought that anyone was in the vicinity. Bernie and Josie were inside.

  She cocked her head, listening, everything on high alert.

  A girl, no more than four years of age was at the back door of the grocery store. Her face pressed against the screen wire so hard that Elle was sure it would leave indents when she pulled away. The girl hadn’t seen her yet, that was good. There weren't many places to hide out here though, and if she attempted to climb back up into her hiding spot the girl would see her. While she doubted anyone would believe the girl had seen a woman here, she couldn’t take that risk.

  The handle of the back door opened and the girl wandered outside, curious of what would be out here. The screen door snapped back, shutting the girl in the back courtyard. One more step forward and the girl would see her.

  Elle crept backwards and used the cover of the dumpster to hide herself, hoping the girl would get bored from the lack of something to play with, and go back into the store to find her mother.

  The girl turned around, and Elle loosed a slow quiet breath.

  “Mama”, the girl said, looking back toward the door. She had realized her error in coming out here.

  Go back inside, Elle willed. Go back to your mother. There’s a good girl.

  “Mama!” the young girl screamed. She stepped back toward the screen door and banged her fists against the screen. “Mama!”

  Damn. Elle couldn’t have her mother or Bernie or even Josie coming out here, they would see her. She had to think fast.

  “Hey there,” she said, stepping out of her hiding spot. She kept her voice soft and calm. “You trying to get back in there?”

  The girl’s head whipped around so fast that her hair swept across her face before falling to her shoulders. Her eyes widened in fright and she stepped backwards.

  “It’s okay.” Elle held her hands up to try and calm the situation. “I can open the door for you, if you like.”

  The girl didn’t budge.

  From inside she heard the mother call out. “Pricilla, where are you darling?”

  “Pricilla,” said Elle. “Is that your name?”

  The girl nodded not once taking her eyes away from Elle.

  As Elle stepped forward the girl shrank back. Elle slowed her movements so she wouldn't spook the girl.

  “Pricilla, honey?” The mother’s voice had turned up in pitch, which meant she was beginning to get worried about her daughter’s whereabouts.

  Elle opened the screen door, keeping herself out of eye sight of those inside. “There you go,” said Elle. “You go back to your mommy, she’s looking for you.”

  The girl didn’t move.

  “Go on. Go inside.” She opened the door a little wider.

  The girl’s lip began to quiver.

  “It’s okay. Your mom is in there.”

  A ear piercing wail erupted as the girl began to cry.

  Shit.

  There was no point being quiet any longer. Elle let the screen door rattle shut and made a leap onto the dumpster and to the open grate. She had only just made it as a lady burst outside, her arms outstretched for her daughter.

  “Prissy, honey, what are you doing out here?”

  The girl pointed in Elle’s direction at the hole in the wall. The mother scooped the child up in her arms giving a cursory glance in the direction the girl was pointing, but didn’t make any attempt to investigate. Elle kept still, not daring to move.

  The woman disappeared back into the store. Soon after there was a heated discussion with Bernie over allowing her child to be able to wander out. Elle's breath caught in her lungs, not daring to breath anything more than the shallowest of shallow in case even that would give her away.

  Bernie apologized to the woman. Elle listened to his pleas as the voices muffled getting further and further away from her until she could no longer hear them. For the next ten minutes she stayed put, expecting someone, the mother or Bernie, to come outside and look up at her hiding spot. But nothing. She finally let her breath out, chiding herself for how reckless she had been to let anyone see her.

  No more toilet breaks. None. She’d have to hold everything in until dark when there wouldn’t be any chance a small girl or anyone else would give her up.

  She'd been lucky this time.

  4

  Lyson knew taking someone into town with him would draw too much attention. He wanted to go alone, but Mac had insisted that he couldn't. He was getting tired of his brother making such demands when he was more than capable of taking care of himself. But, for the sake of calm, he had agreed to bring John. John Manning had been with Dragonspark for many years and was one of the few people here, apart from his brothers, that Lyson enjoyed spending time with.

  The air was warmer today, unusual for this time of year where it was more common to see leaves browning on the trees rather than beginning to return to their bright green shades. Winter was giving up on them early it seemed. He wondered if that meant they’d experience a long hot summer.

  They travelled down the long winding road from Dragonspark. It would be another fifteen minutes until they were in the center of Greenslopes County. Lyson contemplated where someone would hide if they were in town. Which store or dark corner would they choose?

  “The work Caran is doing is interesting,” said John. He kept his gaze fixed to the road as he continued talking. “She was showing me some of her research into the DNA and, hell, if I don’t understand a word of what she’s saying, but if she can manipulate the cells, you think that’ll help, don’t you reckon?”

  “We have complicated blood. Our cells can change shape and function. It won't be as simple as she thinks.”

  “Of course, we all know that. Hell, it’s a bloody miracle what you and your brothers can do.”

  “Yes, well, we’ll see.” Lyson reached down to the back canvas bag at his feet and placed it on his lap. He opened the zip and rechecked the equipment he’d bought. Only the basics: camera’s, sound recording devices and a movement detector. Although if someone was watching them they would know exactly where he was placing everything. He frowned and zipped the pack back up, throwing it over his shoulder to the seat behind. He wasn’t going to need any of it. He'd rely on his instincts. They'd never failed him before.

  “Mind if we stop in at Bernie’s when we get into town. I’m hanging for a drink, this weather is parching me.”

  “Sure,” mumbled Lyson. Bernie’s grocery store. Hmm. He hadn’t thought about it before but it would be the perfect place to hide out. Large pitched roof, easy access to food and drink. And with it being in the center of town, if someone had managed to get into the cavity of the roof, which wouldn't be hard if you tried, it might provide a good vantage point.

  Bernie hadn’t reported any missing food or noises though. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to check it out once they got there.

  The car slowed as they reached the bottom of the mountain as John turned onto the main road into town.

  “Do you, for sure, think someone is hiding here in Greenslopes County?” asked John.

  “I wouldn’t put it past Tessa to order it.”

  John let out a low whistle. “She’s one to hold a grudge isn’t she. Never thought she’d be capable of shooting to kill though. Poor Mac.”

  “It’s Ash you should worry about.”

  “I’m not worried about him. He’s all patched up now, and he’s got Caran to attend to his wounds
. Not a bad catch, having a doctor that hot looking after you. He’s done alright for himself. Nah, it’s Mac that's all twisted up.”

  “Mac can look after himself.”

  “But you’ve noticed that he’s not all there lately. That hasn’t slipped your attention. I know you keep your head in your machines a lot, but he’s your brother.”

  Lyson had noticed. Mac always had trust issues after he and Tessa broke up, but now he was building a fortress around himself and there were times he was sure that he was even pushing him and Ash away. That was new and not something that he’d ever done before.

  “And then there is you, young Lyson.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Oh you think you are, but I know better.” Lyson glanced over at John who was grinning as he drove. “You could do with a bit more human interaction at times. Those computers and machines aren’t going to give you what you need. You need people for that.”

  “Machines can replace more than you realize. Technology is replacing people, John."

  John arched an eyebrow. “Oh, I don’t know about that. When was the last time you had a nice soft body next to you keeping you warm?”

  “Warmth is easy to get, and as for soft bodies, who’s to say that I haven’t had that recently? You don’t know everything about me.”

  The edge of town came into view. John slowed the car as he turned his head to Lyson. “There’s someone at Dragonspark that’s warming your bed? Who? Not Juliana. No, not her.” John shook his head as if answering his own question. “Shell?”

  They past the Greenslopes hotel at the edge of the town, the road rising then falling as the main road led them to the center.

  “I am not telling you my personal life.”

  “Well, I’d never guess it anyway. Good on you.”

  Lyson narrowed his eyes, eyeing the buildings and shops for signs that something wasn’t quite right. He was glad they were here now, it meant he could change the subject. Talking about his private life always made him uncomfortable because there was nothing to tell. Nothing that any of his brothers or John would find interesting anyhow.

  Truth was he hadn’t been with someone in a long while, the women at Dragonspark were not his type. And he had a type, he knew that. The late night searching online were enough to feed his interests, for now.

  The car pulled up opposite Bernie’s grocery store and Lyson checked his gun, tucking it in the back of his jeans before opening the car door and getting out. John did the same.

  5

  Elle replaced the grate that she’d used to gain access the roof. She turned the screws with her fingernail until it held. Not tight like it would be with the proper tools, but enough that on a quick glance no-one would have any idea that it was open a few minutes ago.

  She had to leave everything in the roof, she couldn’t risk taking it all. That meant it would be more than obvious that she had been staying up there if someone looked. Now she’d had time to process the situation this morning, she doubted they would care. Even if the young girl had told her mother what she’d seen, her mother wouldn't think anything of it. She would reason that her daughter was playing a game or seeing things.

  Yet the ramblings of a small child were always the most honest and people dismissed it as nothing. Children didn’t learn to lie unless their truths were never believed. She knew that more than most people. She had to learn fast that lying meant survival, because truth could sometimes be deadly. And that was when people believed you.

  The girl of course was nothing like she’d been at that age though. Even if, at the age of four, Elle still had a family. Family, ha! Okay, so calling what she had at four a family was a stretch even though her mother had still been in the picture at that young age. Even then she knew that it wouldn’t last though. The endless men that came in and out of her mother’s bedroom, night after night. The bruises, broken arms, sometimes blood that her mother graced on occasion, that no four year old should see. The only good thing was that none of the men touched her. That was why her mother got it so bad. She should thank her for that, at least.

  Still, that didn’t stop them ripping her away from her mother and shoving her into the system when she was eight. The system was no help although some of the families she’d stayed with had good intentions. They were as lost as she was about what she needed and didn't know how to help.

  Which was fine. Elle Wilde didn’t need anyone to look after her, she was capable of doing that herself. And she’d done a damn good job of it up until now. She was still breathing wasn’t she?

  Elle slung the backpack over her shoulder and after checking that it was clear, jumped the back fence. She landed in an alley, used, by the looks of it, for discarding items that people no longer wanted. A wooden fence, its texture faded to a silvery grey from too much sun and weather over the years, flanked the alley on both sides. She’d already checked this alley when she first got here so knew that there weren’t suitable hiding places she could use here. Not that it would be wise to be too close to her old hiding spot anyway. No, she had to get further out of town until she could form a new plan.

  She hunched her shoulders and kept her head down as she walked, fast, but not enough to draw attention.

  Elle turned left. Even though all she could see were green pastures and a few houses, it was a better way to go that way than back into the main center. Her first mission was to find shelter, and then once she had somewhere to sleep tonight, she would call Tessa.

  She didn’t want to. Didn’t want to hear the disappointment in Tessa’s voice that she had to abandon her post. That didn’t mean she was giving up. Not one little bit. She was still determined as ever to finish her task and find out where Dragonspark holed up. She just had to delay it for a few hours until she was sure she was safe.

  After walking for ten minutes, a structure to her right looked promising. She walked closer and could see that it wasn’t in regular use. The rusted corrugated iron walls made it solid enough and a tin roof would keep the weather out. It was more than big enough for a new base.

  Feeling lighter she crossed the road and trudged through the ankle deep grass to reach it.

  The door wasn’t locked, it swung, screeching and squealing as if in pain as the rusted hinges complained about the movement. Elle peered inside and smiled. It was dry, had enough dead grass littering the ground to soften a corner to sleep on, and there was a window on the side that faced the town. That meant she could see if anyone was coming before they reached her. Yes, this would work well.

  She slung off the backpack and pulled out her phone, turning it on and dialing Princess HQ.

  “I’ve been so worried, Elle, honey,” said Tessa. “I’ve tried to call you several times.”

  “I know.” She’d seen the missed messages pop up when the phone switched on. “I’ve had to move from the grocery store, it was a dead lead.”

  “You’re not giving up are you?”

  “Of course not. I told you that I would do it, and I will. I’m not going to let you down like Caran did.”

  “Speaking of, I’ve been thinking. She was always so interested in finishing her residency while she was here, what if she’s actually doing it now? Have you ventured near the hospital to see if she shows up?”

  “I’ve been there a few times. No sign of her.”

  “Hmmm. Caran could lead you straight to Ash Dragonspark.”

  Elle knew that. Truth was that even though she had watched the hospital a few times, she’d never spent more than a few hours at a time there. It didn’t seem likely that anyone, even Caran, would go there now. “If you want, I could spend all day tomorrow checking it out,” she said. “If nothing comes up before then.”

  “You’re being careful, no-one has spotted you?”

  “No-one knows I’m here.” Apart from a tiny human that Tessa didn’t need to know about.

  “Good. We’re going to get them, Elle. I swear to you, we are going to destroy them. All three of them. The whole go
ddamn group if we have to.”

  “I know, and I’m going to find them for you. I’m not leaving until I do.” She hung up and switched her phone off. Yep, Tessa needed her and she wasn’t going to let her down. She was the only person who had ever believed in her. That wasn’t something you threw away even if you didn’t think destroying a group of brothers was the right decision. There were other ways to make them pay, other ways that wouldn’t get Tessa into trouble. Elle had been in enough trouble through her life.

  “I'll find them,” she whispered to herself. She would.

  6

  “You’re saying that you haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. No missing food, nothing that didn’t seem right, a sense that something was off.” As Lyson waited for an answer from Bernie, he scanned the store for any sort of security system they might have. Cameras, motion lights, lock. Other than the front and back door, there was no other security. A town like this, there was no need.

  “No, nothin’ like that,” said Bernie, his drawl inflecting upwards at the end of his sentence. “We did have young Prissy get lost outta the back, this morn’ but that’s the extent of the excitement around here. Isn’t that right, Josie?”

  “Poor baby wouldn’t have gotten far, Lyson, it's fenced out there, and we don’t keep anythin’ that she coulda hurt her little self on. She up and wandered out the back on her own. But we found her good and safe,” added Josie. “Her momma must have got a fright though, is that why you’re here? Did she go and say we was being irresponsible, because I know we wasn’t.”

  “I’m not here about that,” said Lyson. “But, she went out here?” He started walking in the direction of the back screen door. You had to pass through a small corridor to reach it, the store office on the left and a bathroom on the right. Both doors closed.