Page 36 of Awaken the Dragon
“Do you hear those sirens? You’re the only one out here standing near a bunch of singed bodies. So guess who’s going to wear the handcuffs and take a ride to the jailhouse?”
Shola looked back to the street where there were still burning bodies along with trails of black smoke filtering up to the sky. Had she noticed those bodies there before? No, maybe because she was too busy staring at the giant black dragon with those beautiful—and familiar—eyes.
Assuming this woman must be with Theo’s company, Shola bent down and grabbed her spear before running into the building behind her. The woman kept them running until they burst through a door and went down two flights of stairs. There was a black truck waiting on the other side of the next door, and the back passenger door was immediately pushed open. Shola retracted her spear and climbed inside. When the door closed and she sat back against the seat willing her mind to stop racing with all that had just happened, another jolt came when this time she did stare into familiar eyes. Bleu sat close to the opposite door, giving her a look of pure anger and disappointment.
Chapter Thirteen
“You shouldn’t have left the property,” Bleu said while they sat in the truck.
They were not driving at a high rate of speed. In fact, there seemed to be no rush at this point, and Shola figured it was their way of blending in as the truck turned easily onto the street and out into regular traffic. A speeding truck would likely draw the attention of the enforcer vehicles, which had whizzed past going back toward the building.
“I am not a prisoner,” she said even though after seeing vampires and a dragon, she was thinking that maybe he had a good point.
“We’re being paid to protect you. That would be a lot easier if you would cooperate,” Bleu insisted.
He was the oldest of the staff, at least she thought so because of his graying beard and the way he moved with such a dignified air.
“This is not how this was supposed to play out,” she admitted. “And I do not owe anyone any explanations.”
“You do when you may have cost someone their life.”
Her head snapped in his direction. “Me? Vampires attacked me! They were going to kidnap and or kill me. I had a right to defend myself. And the dragon killed them! Have you ever even seen a vampire or a dragon for that matter? A damn big and fiery dragon?”
Bleu turned to her with a look that probably matched the anger he was feeling. “If you had stayed on the property, this wouldn’t have happened. Now there’s been exposure that we have to try and contain. You were selfish and reckless.”
“You are not my father, so you do not get to chastise me for doing my job,” she replied even though his words had infused just enough guilt in her that she turned away from him to stare out the window.
They didn’t speak again during the ride, but she shivered as they pulled up in front of the Office and she suddenly turned to look at Bleu once more.
“It did not surprise you,” she said quietly trying to digest the weight of what she just realized. “I told you there were vampires and dragons out there tonight and you did not even blink. Did you know they were going to be there?”
Bleu didn’t respond, he simply stepped out of the truck and came around to the passenger side where she’d already opened the door and jumped down.
“I know my way,” she snapped and headed toward the front door. She grabbed the handle and tried to pull, but it was locked.
With a sigh she tossed what she knew was an annoyed look over her shoulder, and Bleu came up slowly. She watched as he leaned in so that a blue light from the security box scanned his eyes. She heard locks disengage and frowned when he opened the door and let her in. “You do not want me to get out, and you do not want me to get in. Cute.” Her tone was drab and insolent, she knew, and didn’t care. She was pissed off.
“We’re back,” she heard Bleu say but he was not talking to her.
They all wore devices on their wrists and used them to communicate with each other. If she were inclined to feeling any type of way about this company and the people who worked for it, she would admit that it was because she was an outsider. But, she was used to that feeling so it was easily pushed aside.
“So am I supposed to wait here for Mr. Masters to come and give me his speech about running off?”
Bleu walked past her and down the short set of stairs to the main hallway that branched off into different rooms on the first floor.
“You can do whatever you wish, Ms. N’Gara. I doubt you’ll be heading out again so soon,” he replied before disappearing through a door.
He had no idea what she would do next, because he didn’t know her, none of them did. Perhaps she would leave for good this time. That was the plan last time. If things had gone as she’d meant for them to go, she would be at the nearest airport by now, heading back to Mobo to tell her parents and her people that they were safe. Now, she not only sounded insolent, but she could also toss naive into the mix. She believed she could do what Oya said she was meant to do, and she’d tried, but failed.
The irritation she felt now as she walked to her room was not because of shock at seeing vampires and a dragon—she knew there was more to this world than the humans who walked the earth. She was a prime example. But perhaps if she thought about those things, it would take her mind off failing yet again.
She entered her room, wondering what her next steps would be. Exhaustion had her shoulders sagging while the sight of the bed had her body overruling her mind. A shower, clean clothes and sleep was what she needed at the moment; she could think about the rest afterward. That sounded like the perfect plan, and she was headed to the bathroom to proceed when she saw the note on the bed.
Meet me at the river.
It wasn’t signed, but it didn’t need to be. She knew it was from Theo. He hadn’t met her at the door when she returned because he wanted her to come to him. Well, she was damn tired of running after men tonight. She dropped the note on the bed, walked into the bathroom and began taking off her clothes. If Theo was waiting at the river for her, then he could just wait a little longer.
She stepped into the shower stall immediately after turning on the water and lowered her head beneath the spray. It felt good. Not only cleansing in a natural sense, but spiritually. Water washed away all inequities, doubts and fears. She stood there with her eyes closed feeling as if tonight’s events were also being washed down the drain. She would have another chance, and she swore she would not fail again.
