Dragon's Claim

Chapter 8-3

LAYLA SHIFTED UNCOMFORTABLY on her way to the place Drake thought Miri may have come from. They passed through a couple of small towns, not much more than a school and a diner, and her heart stuttered inside her chest. Barns had been toppled over, half burnt. Small banks were crumbled, blocked off in every direction as people cleared away the rubble.

She feared she already knew what had happened. It felt like stories she’d heard of, stories about the Wild West of the States. The dragons who chose not to be a part of Drake’s family and live on the territory had become nearly lawless, taking whatever they wanted and moving on. There was no honor among them.

“That is the result of the laws here,” Drake began. “Dragons are often barred from holding specific jobs, especially ones that put a dragon in interaction with the human population. The laws about dragon-kind aren’t expressed too loudly and a good number of dragons still come here to find the American dream only to realize they aren’t allowed anything.

“I do believe there are a good number of dragons who raid for the fun of it, but there are some who do it to survive. They squat in houses and steal what they can from the neighborhoods around them until it’s time to move on. Part of me wonders if it’s a life dragons are forced into that grows on them and eventually they truly grow into the role like the stories of raiding dragons in history.”

Layla closed her eyes against the broken scenery and wondered how she was going to stop this. Someone had to, or else the Embassy would never work. There had to be an understanding between the dragons and humans. There had to be some honor.

“Why don’t you take them in?” Layla asked, her throat tight.

“Not everyone wants to be under my command. I’ve approached some and brought them in, but I think some of them fear me. I’ve had a reputation here that works to keep some in line, but it also keeps some away from a potential home.”

Layla studied him, trying to figure out what kind of reputation he had. The man she’d seen had been warm and jovial, but she’d yet to see him truly take command of his family. She guessed he must have a stern hand if any stepped out of line. She remembered Drystan’s firm hand, often resulting in bloodshed.

The house Drake wanted to visit turned out to be a small, unassuming trailer. The convertible looked outrageous parked in front of it, but the brush helped to cover the driveway from the view of the street. Layla leaned out of the car and surveyed her surroundings, trying to cut off the voice that screamed Miri might have been here.

There was another car parked in the driveway, a small four door sedan that had seen better days, but the trailer itself was quiet. There was barely a rustle of wind in the trees around her and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end with anticipation. Something was going to happen.

It almost felt like they were walking directly into a trap. Her stomach flipped and she was glad it was nearly empty.

“Last I knew, the group was squatting here,” He said as he leaned to peer past a crooked curtain. “They did get caught by a GOE agent on vacation nearby and it caused a bit of a ruckus in the local news. Forrest could have caught them, or they could have moved on.”

Drake didn’t spare any time. He leapt over the steps and banged his fist on the front door. Layla stayed back, rocking on her heels as she looked around. No one answered the door. Drake glanced back and caught her eye. She shrugged. His hand wrapped around the door knob and she heard it break under his grip. The door swung open.

“Are you even sure this is the right place? Miri may not have even been with them.” Layla said that, not because she thought he was wrong, but because she hoped he was wrong. The thought of a family of dragons still raiding and devastating small towns made her stomach turn. What was even worse was that they’d involved someone innocent.

Drake shook his head. “Last night, I wasn’t sure. It was hard to see Miri beneath all that dirt, but this morning I recognized her. I’m not wrong.”

They worked well together, she thought. She wouldn’t mind working by his side for a while. He commanded his family with love and respect, acting as though he were less than them. As though he didn’t deserve them. Did he believe himself to be someone awful? She couldn’t seem to see why he would think that way.

Inside, Layla followed close. The trailer looked as though people were still living there. A basket of laundry saw, unfolded, on the couch cushion and a half-eaten sandwich was on a plate on the counter. Yet, no one sounded any kind of alarm. Their entrance should have alerted someone. They were not trying to be quiet at all.

Her hand clenched by her side. Ahead of her, she could see Drake turning pale. His sun-kissed face was draining of color. She almost wanted to go over to him and pull him into the safety of her arms, but she didn’t. She hung back and let him lead.

She watched him bend and pick up a piece of paper from the low table in the living area. His brows seemed to fall together and his face took on a shade of green she’d never seen on him before. Not when Raphael held her hostage or, even, when they’d lost Marc. He quickly replaced the look with one of anger, smoke pouring from his nostrils as his beast pushed forward. It wasn’t a soft, gray smoke like her flame produced. Instead, it was a faint purple color and made her cough when she stepped closer.

“What is it?” She moved closer and plucked the paper from his grip.

He held on and the sound of tearing paper cut through his silence. She looked down to find a note scrawled on the crumpled piece of paper.

Take care of your own or I will do it for you.

Her stomach churned. She looked up, a question in her eyes. What did this mean to him? Clearly, the simple, scrawled words meant something particular to Drake, a presence that had him shaken. His head shot up and he burst into movement.

“We need to leave,” He said, hurriedly. His hand grabbed her waist and ushered her toward the door.

Layla tried digging in her heels, but Drake’s presence was stronger. He nearly lifted her off her feet in his rush to get her out of the trailer. His body shook, with fear or anticipation, she didn’t know.

“No.” Layla spun out of his grip once they were outside. Her eyes scanned the trees around them, keeping an eye out for whatever had spooked Drake. He was normally so collected that this scared her. “You need to tell me what is going on. Right now, so that we can take care of it together.”

His face was pained as he watched her. She could tell that he was caught between his emotions. She was not having it. She would not stand there and let him treat her like a child, like something that could be broken.

She’d been through worst in her life and survived. He should know that. But, the look on his face said that he was going to try to protect her.

She cut him off before he could speak. “Drake, I am with you no matter what. You are not only my associate, but I’ve begun to think of you as my friend. I thought we could trust each other, but I’m guessing I was wrong.”

“I’m not asking for you to understand my actions, only obey them.” He growled as he whipped open her door.

Her eyes widened. She closed the space between them, ripping the door out of his grip and slamming it shut. “I am not part of your family. You have no right to ask me to obey.”

Drake had found whatever evidence they needed here, so she opened her own door and slid into the seat. He would tell her what was going on. She could only hope that he trusted her the way she’d trusted him. What had she been thinking?

Layla realized that sometime over the course of the past few days she’d let Drake dig his way deeper into her heart. He was slowly becoming a part of her and she couldn’t handle that. Reaching inside, she tugged him out and cast aside everything she felt. It hurt, leaving an awful ache in her chest that she couldn’t help but wonder was an echo of what Maggie felt before she left.

He was already working his way into her affections and that scared her. Would she ever be free of him now? Not if she had to live under the same roof. Not if they were going to care for Miri together.

But, she couldn’t even begin to love him if he wouldn’t trust her to help him, to protect herself.

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