Dragon Unbound

The scream tore through her head, jerking her awake immediately. Her gut clenched with dread as fear pooled in her belly. Before she could fully register the first one, a second scream filled her mind, the echo making her clutch her head as her lungs seized.

Not again.

Tamlyn didn’t hesitate to jump to her feet and make her way through the winding hallways until she burst outside. She tripped, caught herself, and ran as fast as she could, letting her connection guide her up the canyon wall and across the field to Ferdon Woods.

The killings have to stop.

Tamlyn wasn’t sure that day would ever come, but she couldn’t think about that now. She had to focus all her energy on the connection. A sound above caused her to glance up. For just a second, she thought it was a dragon, though dragons never crossed onto their land. She tripped and stumbled again but managed to right herself before she went down. She didn’t dare look up again. If a dragon found her, so be it. She had more important matters to worry about tonight.

Her lungs burned as she pumped her arms and legs, forcing herself to keep going when all she wanted to do was collapse. Time wasn’t on her side. It never was, but there was a particular urgency in the scream that night. She didn’t allow herself to think what would happen if she didn’t get there in time.

The forest was just ahead. She knew Ferdon Woods all too well. It would hide her approach, but it held many dangers—some traps and…other things she would rather not think about.

Yet, she didn’t have time to go around. If she was going to succeed, then she had to go through the woods. She pursed her lips and continued. The quarter moon offered little light. Not that Tamlyn needed it. She had used this path so many times she could walk it blindfolded.

At the last moment, she diverted her course. Something within urged her to use a different route, even as a rational part of her warned that it was suicide to walk through the brush.

Once inside the forest, the thick canopy of trees refused to permit any light to slip through their foliage. Tamlyn halted, her breaths harsh as her lungs sought to fill with air. Her gaze scanned the area with trepidation for the things that lurked in the night.

The trees were massive. Not just in height but also girth. Her gaze swung to the right. Dense growth that hid most of the gnarled tree roots covered the ground. One wrong step would be all it would take for her to find herself wounded…or worse. A look to the left gave her a glimpse of the road. It was likely safer, but not by much. Especially if someone were waiting for her. Forward was more of the same impenetrable brush.

Tamlyn swallowed and squared her shoulders as she started forward. She wanted to run through the woods. Instead, she would have to carefully pick and choose her path. Her boots gave her traction to keep from sliding over the roots. Twice, her ankle rolled, but her boots were thick and sturdy, keeping her from becoming severely injured.

Her palm scraped against the bark of a tree when she reached out to right herself. She kept her attention on where she placed her feet, but she made sure to look around often. It would be foolish to forget what lived within the forest.

She jumped when she heard a sound to her right. Tamlyn froze, listening. After several tense minutes, she spotted the wings of an owl flying away. She hated that she had to traipse through these woods, hated what forced her to put herself in danger time and again. She couldn’t let herself linger on those thoughts, though. She had tried to ignore the call, attempted to ignore who she was.

That hadn’t turned out so well. She still carried that guilt, and she probably always would. She had to be in these woods just as the owl had to hunt. It was her destiny, no matter how much she wished otherwise.

The longer it took her to get through the forest, the more anxious she became. Time wasn’t on her side. Just as she was about to throw caution to the wind, she heard it. The whisper. Tamlyn hurried to the next tree and hunkered down as she tried to determine which direction it had come from. Her lips flattened when she heard two human males talking. She had to lean to the side to find them, but then she spotted the soldiers hidden near the main path through the forest. Was this what her intuition had warned her about? It wasn’t normal for anyone to be out in the woods, especially not soldiers.

They didn’t know who she was, but that didn’t matter. They knew they were after someone who’d escaped the city. That meant they would capture anyone they saw and sort out the details later. Bastards. Every damn one of them.

The snap of a twig behind her made her heart jump into her throat. She heard the heavy breathing. Tamlyn began to shake. Every fiber of her being told her to turn and see where the beast was so she could get away. The breathing was a dead giveaway that it was a brineling. The four-legged beasts were twice the height of a human, covered with thick, green skin, and had two curved horns jutting from their foreheads. The animals were huge, but they moved with a speed that defied their size.

If the brineling had seen her, it would’ve already attacked. Her only hope was to not draw its attention. If she avoided that, she might survive the night. It took all her willpower to remain still when she wanted to run and hide. Sweat dripped from her forehead and into her eye. She blinked against the sting, but she didn’t move.

The beast’s breathing grew slower, deeper. It sounded as if it were right on top of her.

Her attention had been on the men. A mistake since there were more dangerous things in the forest than the soldiers. The ground trembled slightly beneath her at the brineling’s approach. The bush beside her rubbed against her neck, making it itch.

Tamlyn bit back a yelp at how close the brineling was. She could’ve reached out and touched it. She didn’t know how it had missed her, and she didn’t care. Only once before had she seen a brineling, but that had been from a distance. And she didn’t dare tilt her head back to get a better look at the creature when it was this close.

Its breathing suddenly hushed as it lowered itself, readying for attack. Tense seconds stretched on for an eternity as the animal grew still and quiet. Then it leapt forward with a roar. The great horned creature rarely lost its prey, and it had its sights set on the two soldiers.

At its roar, the men screamed and turned to attack with spears and swords. Tamlyn started running at the sound of their bellows of pain amid the brineling’s noises. She prayed her feet found solid ground as she put distance between herself and the hungry animal. Limbs ripped at her face and body as she ran, and roots fought to trip her, but she kept upright. The last thing she wanted was a brineling on her tail. She’d never outrun it.

One minute, she was racing through the forest. The next, she was flat on her face. She gasped, pain radiating through her body at the air having been knocked out of her. Even that didn’t stop her. She pushed herself up and started running again.

When her lungs finally unseized and she was able to take a full breath again, she felt lightheaded. Tamlyn had to force herself to slow to a walk. If soldiers had been stationed that far into the woods, there could be more.

She was nearly out of the forest. As much as that pleased her, it didn’t mean that things would be easier. Because she was looking, she found two more soldiers hiding near the road. They were intent on the brineling. That was likely the only reason they hadn’t heard her barging through the forest so recklessly. Tamlyn skirted them and hurried from the woods. She sighed in relief at the same time a chill ran down her spine. She was leaving one lethal environment for another.

Tall, stone gates with soldiers stationed along the battlements stood before her. Beyond the gate was the city of Stonemore and the Tunris Mountains. The city had been built into the tallest peak of the mountain range, rising from the ground to the very top where the ruler of Stonemore lived and reigned. The mountains on either side of the city curved inward. And that, along with the wall, created an impenetrable fortress.

Tamlyn had been in the city far more than she wanted to admit, but she knew very little about it, other than where to sneak in and out, and what level the temple was on. Stonemore looked pretty in the night with the moonlight reflecting off its reddish stones. Except she knew what kind of wickedness lived within the thick walls.

She remained close to the woods and ignored the closed gates. Another hundred yards, and she glanced up to make sure the soldiers weren’t looking her way, then dashed across the empty expanse and right to the storm drain. Tamlyn plastered her back against the wall and listened to hear if anyone raised an alarm at spotting her. When all remained quiet, she gripped the lock and pulled. The metal came undone easily in her hand. Every time she took this route, she was surprised that no one had checked the storm drains or the locks. She lifted the heavy metal grate overhead so she could slip inside. Her muscles screamed in protest when she slowly lowered the cover back into place so it didn’t bang. She turned to look around the four-foot, arched drain.

Tamlyn’s breathing was loud even over the tinkling of water that rushed past her feet in the drain. She ignored her wet feet and crouched, walking until she reached the other side of the drain without a grate. She paused at the entrance and peeked around the corner, first one way and then the other. When she didn’t see anyone, she eased out and straightened, careful to remain in the shadows.

This was the part she hated the most. It was almost too easy to get into the city. Getting out was another matter. She shoved aside those thoughts and turned right, walking close to the wall. She made it up the first level and then the second without incident. The third was trickier because there was more housing than shops, which meant more people. She managed to dodge soldiers and residents alike to get to the fourth level.

Once there, she stared at her destination—the temple, its beauty marred by the horrors committed within. Memories tried to surface, but Tamlyn shoved them aside. The past was the past, and it needed to remain there.

It took forever for her to reach the temple since there were more soldiers on this level. Thankfully, their attention was on other things. When she made it, she still had to get across the wide square in front of it. All she could do was hope that her timing was right when she pushed away from the wall and walked across the open expanse.

She ducked out of sight when she rounded the left side of the temple. Tamlyn braced her hands on her knees and drew in deep breaths. That was the worst part of her mission. Every time, she feared she would be stopped and questioned.

Once she had composed herself, she stood. Tamlyn ignored the doors. Instead, she looked up at the windows. The one she needed was the highest of them all. The climb was perilous, the stones worn nearly smooth. But someone had once climbed the temple because there were footholds or handholds that couldn’t be seen unless you were scaling the wall. She always wondered if the person had made it out. She liked to believe they had.

Tamlyn had made this climb before, so she knew exactly where to go to get to the window quickly. She took a deep breath and sent up a silent prayer that the soldiers on the battlements didn’t look her way. If they did, she would be spotted easily. She reached up and got a good hold of the edge of a stone before putting the toe of her boot on another and hoisting herself up.

It had been a life-or-death situation that’d brought her to this side of the temple years ago. She’d never imagined she would return time and again, but here she was once more. Would she make it out this time? She didn’t want to think about what might happen to her if she got caught.

Her muscles screamed in protest as she made her way up. Every time she did this, she swore it would be the last. It was a lie she told herself to get through each event because she would continue this journey until they finally killed her.

Finally, her hand gripped the windowsill. She slowly pulled herself up to look through the glass window. She saw the boy sitting on the floor, his frightened gaze locked on the door. Tamlyn was shocked at his age. Normally, the children she came for were much younger. The boy had to be seven or eight. There was no way she could carry him like she had the others.

Her mind raced to find a way to get him out. No matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn’t come up with anything. She either had to leave him to his Fate or take him as she did the others and leave things up to chance.

She looked at his face. Tears fell down his cheeks. He knew what was to happen. His terror was palpable. There was no way she could leave without him. Her course had been set the instant she heard the scream in her head earlier.

Tamlyn made sure her footing was solid before lifting one hand from the sill and tapping her finger on the glass. His head snapped to her, but he didn’t move. She was fast losing her strength. She couldn’t stay in this position much longer. Tamlyn motioned him to her. Still, he hesitated. She tried once more. Her arms were shaking, her fingers beginning to go numb. She was about to lose her grip. If he didn’t come now, they would both die tonight.

To her relief, he jumped up, rushed to the window, and opened it. She pushed up and sat on the windowsill to give her arms and legs a rest. Then she looked at him.

“Who are you?” he asked, his blue eyes wide with fear.

“Tamlyn. I’m here to help you.”

He glanced at the door. “No one can help me.”

“I climbed this wall for you. We can go down together, or you can stay here and see how things turn out.”

He shook his head before she finished. “I don’t want to stay. But…”

“I know,” she said softly. “It’s scary. There’s a chance we won’t make it. But it’s a choice you alone can make.”

He lifted his chin, his slim shoulders squaring. “I’ll do it.”

“Good lad,” she said with a wink. “I’m going to get into place. I need you to climb out and onto my back. Be sure to close the window.”

He glanced down and then nodded jerkily.

“You can do this,” Tamlyn told him.

That seemed to bolster him. She flexed her fingers and hoped she would be able to maintain her grip with his added weight. Tamlyn held onto the sill and dropped down, using her arms to hold her until she got both her footholds.

“All right. Come on,” she urged.

The boy climbed out and scooted to the edge of the sill on one side of her. He closed the window behind him.

“Good,” she said with a nod. “Now, get onto my back. Use my body however you need to, but make sure you have a good hold on me. Just be careful not to choke me.”

The instant he told her that he was in place, she began climbing down. She hadn’t gotten very far when she realized that she would never be able to hold them both. Her fingers were slipping, and her arms were shaking so badly she could barely move them.

And then she lost her grip.

Air rushed past them as they plummeted to the passageway below. Just before they hit, they jerked to a stop. Somehow, they hung suspended in midair for a heartbeat before falling the last few feet. The impact jarred her, but nothing like what could’ve happened.

She sat and turned to the boy. “Was that you?”

He shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Thank you.” She jumped to her feet. “Come on. We’ve got to get out of the city.”

Those at Stonemore didn’t know who was rescuing the children, but each time she came to the city, there was something else that hadn’t been there before. This time it was the soldiers in the forest. What would be next? They would catch her eventually. Until then, she would save as many as she could.

She took the boy’s hand and turned to retrace her steps. The only way out was to go down, and that meant walking across the empty square again. She kept a tight hold of the boy while also making sure their steps were easy and casual. One of the nearby soldiers turned to look at them. He started toward them, but another soldier told him to forget them. No doubt those two would be in trouble shortly, but she couldn’t let her thoughts linger on that. By her reckoning, everyone who didn’t stop the sacrifices was complicit.

Once they were off the fourth level, it took no time before they neared the drain. Tamlyn kept watch as she nudged the boy inside. When she knew that no one was coming, she ducked in after him. Then she lifted the grate on the other end and slipped out.

The boy looked at the forest. His face was pale, but he didn’t shrink away. He knew what was at stake, just as she had that long ago night when she escaped. It was either die in the temple or take a chance in the forest. Tamlyn hadn’t had to think twice about it.

“We’re going to be moving fast,” she told him. “Keep a hold of my hand. No matter what, stay with me. When I stop, you stop. When I go, you go. Don’t look back, and don’t hesitate. And don’t make a sound.”

He met her gaze and nodded.

She held out her hand. When he placed his in hers, she ran toward the woods.

Tamlyn wanted to use the easy path, but the soldiers were there. She was forced to retrace her steps from earlier. The thought of the brineling made her hesitate a bit, but she didn’t have another option. They moved slower since the boy jumped at every sound. Eventually, he blocked out the night sounds and focused on her.

Every step got her closer to freedom. She was hypervigilant. That’s what allowed her to spot the brineling. She didn’t know if it was the same one from earlier or not. The safe thing to do would be to stay put and wait for it to walk away. She was about to tell the boy that when the toll of alarm bells sounded from Stonemore.

Shit. They knew the boy was gone. She couldn’t see the city from the woods, but she didn’t need to in order to know that they were rallying the army. They would track her and the boy. Hiding from a few soldiers in the forest was one thing. Being tracked by them was another.

The boy’s breathing grew erratic as he looked back at the city. She touched her finger to her lips as she looked at him. The brineling might just save them. If it wasn’t there, they would be cornered quickly enough, but the beast would be drawn to the noise of the soldiers.

Already, the beast’s head turned in the direction of Stonemore. Tamlyn heard the clang of weapons as the soldiers rushed into the forest. She watched the brineling, waiting to see when it would attack. The warriors had fanned out, but there wasn’t enough of them to cover the entire woods. She’d head to the left if she thought she could get away, but her best chance was to go straight through.

When the brineling crouched, she tightened her hand on the boy’s. “Get ready,” she whispered.

The soldiers walked slowly through the forest, thrusting their swords into bushes in case someone was hiding. Animals scattered from them and their noise. The brineling had gone still as stone. It waited for them to get closer. Tamlyn spotted soldiers coming near. She wanted to bolt, but she knew that timing was everything.

When the brineling leapt to attack, she jumped and pulled the boy with her. The soldiers’ shouts joined the creature’s bellows as the men rushed to help their comrades. Tamlyn didn’t look back. She ran, half dragging, half pulling the boy with her. Their only chance was making it out of the forest.