Page 59 of Rurik
Charlotte’s mouth dropped at the mention of herbrothers.
“Oh yes. I know who you are,” Drakor replied. “I found great joy in turning the Brotherhood against the Barinovs. If they aren’t already killing each other, they soon will be. Your death will be made to appear like the other side was responsible. Blood calls out for blood, and when it is over, I will finish off whoever is still alive. But your drug intrigues me, so we will chat a littlelonger.”
Shit…Charlotte’s heart skipped a few heartbeats, the rush of terror hitting heranew.
Drakor finally let go of her throat. “How does it work?” When she didn’t answer, his hand erupted in fire. He held the flame painfully close to herface.
“Don’t make me ask again,” Drakorwarned.
“It’s an enzyme-reaction-based structure. The enzymes lock onto cells with dragon DNA and paralyzethem.”
This was, in fact, complete gibberish. The serum had originally been developed by John Dee five hundred years ago, and there was as much magic involved with it as there was science. She could spend years trying to unlock its secrets and trying to explain them in scientific terms. She’d been fortunate that her ability to replicate it hadn’t required any magic of herown.
“How long does it last?” heasked.
“About forty-eighthours.”
“Could you make a permanent version of the drug?” He moved his flaming hand away from her face alittle.
“I don’t know. It’s possible. I would have to research itmore.”
Drakor stood and walked over to Luis and took the vials. “Bring one of your men here. I wish to testthis.”
Luis licked his lips nervously. But then he opened the door and spoke to whoever was outside. The tall, hulking man came in, scowling as he closed thedoor.
Drakor studied the vial he held, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger. “Does it have to beinjected?”
“Yes.”
He filled a syringe with contents from the vial and held it out to the Braziliandragon.
The third dragon looked to Luis, who nodded. Then the shifter accepted the syringe and injected it into his arm. For several seconds nothing happened. The man stood there, staring at them. Then he laid a hand over his abdomen, muttered something in Portuguese to Luis, and then his eyes widened and he started to thrash. He fell to the floor, his body shaking from violent seizures, but eventually theystopped.
For a moment Charlotte thought the drug had killed him, but then he groaned and staggered to hisfeet.
“Ask him how he feels,” Drakorsaid.
Luis translated the man’s reply. “He says he feels emptysomehow.”
“Tell him to change,” Drakor said. “Bend fire, do something with hisdragon.”
The man frowned and for a moment looked constipated. He shook his head, then looked to his hand and frowned again, flexing the fingers like it might help. Nothing. He began to shake again and started repeating the same words over and over. His entire world was crashing down upon him, and it was making himpanic.
“Hearing, sight, he says everything is diminished.” Luis let out a stream of furious Portuguese. He raised his hand, and it erupted into flames. Charlotte tried to shield her face, but the attack neverlanded.
“Silva! Stop!” Drakor growled. “We cannot kill her. Don’t you see what she’s done?” Drakor held the two remaining vials in his hand, his dark eyes glowing a swirling goldnow.
“It’s witchcraft is what itis.”
“You’re right.” Drakor grabbed Luis’s arm and held him back. “The best possible kind. She didn’t just give us a weapon. She gave us a tool.” He turned a cold, terrifying smile upon her. “A fateworsethandeath.”
Charlotte shrank back in herchair.
“My people lost the Cold War, but we won’t lose this one, not withthis. With this, I will even make the Barinovs my servants.” He walked over to her and shook the vials tauntingly. “You are proving far more useful than I anticipated.” He glanced at Luis, who was still fuming. “Your men may have her, but they cannot kill her. I need her for theformula.”
Luis grabbed Charlotte’s arm and dragged her from the chair. “What will you do?” he askedDrakor.
“If the Brotherhood and the Barinovs haven’t killed each other yet, they might learn the truth. So we change tactics. I’ll make a ransom call and send them on a merry chase far away from us. Buy us some time.” Drakor pulled out his phone and dialed as she was hauled away fromDrakor.
