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Chapter 22: Zephyr
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
CooperUGH! Oliver survived, but then, maybe, Sunshine did too?
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The Assassin Chapter 23: Ishir
We convince Ancalagon to rest overnight. Zephyr and I have never been to the ranch where Everett and Kaylani have been bringing the juvenile dragons that I’ve helped save. Kaylani shows Ancalagon where he can rest, having created places that are high up on a mountain, places inside a cave and even some places that are out in the open, so each shifter can choose their preference. I stop, looking around after we get Cal settled. I lift my head back and take a deep breath. “It’s very peaceful here,” I say softly, keeping my eyes closed and smelling the scents of multiple dragons, hybrid shifters, and wild animals that live nearby, but otherwise, I smell nothing but some far off firepits and fresh, clean air. It’s a huge difference from being in the city. “My sister has always been much calmer than I am, much calmer than all of us really. Maybe it’s the water, I’m not sure, but everywhere she goes, she brings peace with her." I can hear the dragons calling to each other as the sun sets
The Assassin Chapter 24: Zephyr
The next morning, I go out to spend time with Ancalagon and the other dragons. I realize that their abuse at the hands of Oliver and The Chief may not have been the same as mine, but they are all suffering in their own ways. I let Ancalagon know that we’ll be checking out the space where we found him tonight and he immediately asks to join us. I really don’t want him to come, I want to protect him, but Ishir told me that he needs this. So, I tell him yes. I follow Kaylani and Everett around, checking over the dragonlings. Some are younger than others and some are getting closer to the their fifth birthdays when they will finally shift and get their human form. “How do you feel about having some of these little ones having your DNA, Kaylani?” I ask her. My sister as always wanted a child, but she was never able to have one, not even with Avani. “Mixed feelings I guess. It’s nice to know that I have what you could call true children, and that the water dragon line won’t die with me,
The Assassin Chapter 25: Ishir
I look at Ancalagon, well, what I can see of him. Even being mated to Zephyr, Ancalagon blends into the night. Everything but his eyes, which glimmer like jewels. I have an idea of what Oliver did to Ancalagon. While we’re there tonight, I want to see if I can find any paperwork at the burnt out laboratory. The Chief documented everything. It helped me to find his lairs, figure out how to save the laboratory dragons and ultimately, how to find and kill the man himself. ‘What do you think he did to my son?’ Zephyr’s voice filters into my head, catching on to my thoughts. I turn and look at her, her white hair standing out in the night. ‘I don’t know for sure,’ I tell her. ‘You seem pretty certain, based on your emotions,’ she presses. I sigh. ‘I think that Oliver has been pumping Cal with Tana, and Kaylani’s DNA. I think he was trying and apparently succeeded in creating a dragon that could manipulate all four elements,’ I tell her, latching on to her mind in case this sends her s
The Assassin Chapter 26: Eliane
I lay strapped to the bed, a needle in each of my arms and legs. My father told me I needed to think about what I had done. What had I done? I’m not even sure. I had been helping Ancalagon get free, trying to help him escape and my father had come in and found me. Cal had tried to reach down to grab me. My father says he was trying to kill me, but I think he was trying to save me. Of course, then, he blew his fire on me. He already knew it was too hot for me, I had told him, so then, maybe my father was right and he was trying to kill. He should have killed me, except….except, something happened. Somehow and I don’t now how, I blocked the fire. My father had grabbed me and I had put a protective covering over us. As soon as the fire stopping raining down on us and we heard Ancalagon scream as he flew away with the others, my father had yanked me out of the burning building. “Do you know what you’ve done, Eliane?” he had yelled at me. “Father, I’m sorry. I didn’t want him to die.”
The Assassin Chapter 27: Ishir
I love waking up with the smell of cold snow in my nose and my naked mate wrapped around me. There’s nothing better in the world. I take my time, slowly waking and savoring my mate before we crawl out of bed and shower. As we get ready to leave the room, I smell Kenna and Tana. They are already here. I pull Zephyr to me, stroking her cheek. “If it gets to much today, just reach out to me. I’ll be in your head, but apparently, I have my own class to attend. No matter what, you are the most important thing to me, so please, if you need me, don’t hesitate to call out to me.” She lifts up onto her toes and leans in, her eyes never leaving mine, her lips so close I can feel the coolness of snow. “I promise, tiger,” she says before quickly pecking my lips and dancing away as I growl my pleasure at her words. As she skips ahead of me, I begin to stalk her. “You know a tiger always devours his prey,” I say, my voice deep with my desire for her. She looks at me over her shoulder. “You hav
The Assassin Chapter 28: Zephyr
I know Ishir is worried about me, but I also know that Tana would never hurt me. She, Kaylani, and I were the last female dragons for a very long time. Kaylani and I are older than Tana, but there was never any animosity between us. And, I know that Tana killed innocents a lot longer than I have while she was in the Arena. She may not have killed that many more than I did, since Oliver was pushing me to kill more and more frequently, but she still has quite a list of supernaturals that she killed. As we walk into the forest, Tana takes my hand. “Do you mind telling me about the voices in your head?” she asks me. I think about the ghosts of the shifters in my mind and it’s Tana’s hand in mine that helps to keep me grounded. “They talk to me,” I say to her. She nods as she finds a place for us to sit. “They say horrible things to you?” she asks me. I nod. “Yes.” “Things that you believe?” “I believe them because they are true,” I say. “Are they, Zephyr?” she asks. “I killed t
The Assassin Chapter 29: Ishir
After dinner, Everett pulls out the documents that I gave him, and we all sit around the table. I can feel a shift in Zephyr’s feelings toward him. It makes me edgy, jealous. What if she wants him? I won’t allow it. She is mine. ‘Yes, I am, love. I am yours and I will explain the change in my feelings toward him later, when we are alone. For now, know that it has nothing to do with you and doesn’t change my feelings for you at all,’ she says in my mind. I’m still not happy about it, since I have no idea why she suddenly has warm feelings towards the human, so I pull her into my lap, needing to have her close. I relax when she snuggles up against me. “First, let me say that that, whether they have learned from their earlier mistakes or Oliver is just a better scientist than his father, the hybrids that they were creating in that laboratory are much more sophisticated than the ones I heard about before.” He passes around some documents that include images of young hybrids in the top
The Assassin Chapter 30: Ishir
The next morning, we’re up early. When I get outside, Morgan is already there with Kaylani. If she had a human form, she’d be bouncing on her feet. Instead, her scales are rippling and the excited energy coming off of her is palpable. “So, this is a good training exercise for both of you,” Kaylani begins. “Both of you need to learn to have control of your element. Watch as Zephyr and I show you,” she says, and Zephyr pulls a small tornado onto her hand. “The key is to trust each other, Zephyr and I are sisters and have grown up together, so we know that the other can control their element. But you also have the responsibility when you mix elements to maintain control of your element. If ones goes out of control, they both do,” Kaylani says, as she adds water to the tornado, making it a water spout. As we watch, she begins to add too much water, making waves around the tornado, making the tornado sloppy and eventually it falls off Zephyr’s hand and splashes on the ground at our feet
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The Assassin Epilogue 2: Zephyr
Three months later I’m in the kitchen of my new home, my daughter in a swing out of the way but where I can still see her and my newborn son in a bassinet in the next room. Having two children four months apart has been a challenge, especially when you add on that our house was being built and the surprise that we have planned for today. It’s a big one and I’m so nervous that I feel sick. ‘Easy Zephyr. Everything will be fine, you’ll see,’ my mate coos at me through our mind link. I tap into his mind and realize that somehow my mate snuck in, and my daughter is now strapped against his chest while he’s outside setting up the fire pit for the dragons. We decided to cover up our surprise with an ‘open house’, inviting everyone so all of our friends could be here ot witness the event today. “I can’t believe you had another baby before I had mine,” Merethyl says coming in with Terra, their little girl, another dragon. “Tiger and dragon gestations are similar so I’m only pregnant 3 mo
The Assassin Epilogue 1: Ishir
One month later “Take a look at this, Ish,” Cedric says to me. He and I have been hunting the hybrids that we know are out here, but so far, they are adept at evading us. However, they leave their trail of devastation behind them. “They’re getting more violent,” I say to him. “Yes, I’m starting to be able to distinguish between the two groups. The first group of hybrids seems to kill to eat and they clean up everything but the blood. This group…” “They’re starting to enjoy the kill,” I finish for him. “And they’re upping their game. It’s as if they are practicing, almost like they are planning on attacking something larger, or stronger,” he says looking at me meaningfully. “If they come for our dragons, they will meet their match, and their end,” I say. “If they come anywhere near my children or my pack, I’ll destroy them. I was willing to help them before and maybe we can still help the other group, but this one? I’m not sure they want our help.” “This is the group that had a
The Assassin Chapter 65: Zephyr
When we couldn’t find Sunshine, we went back for Oliver, only to find that he’d been killed and eaten. “Hybrids,” Ishir had confirmed when we landed and saw the blood everywhere, more blood than when we’d left behind. Through our combined senses, I could smell them. “Should we go after them?” I ask him. I stay in my dragon form in case I need to quickly attack or defend, as Ishir is kneeling on the ground near the blood. “Zeph, this is violent. There's a lot of blood here. I mean, you and I are used to violence, we’re animals, but this is something else, this is vicious. I don’t want you near this,” he tells me, standing. “Ishir, I’m a dragon. I can handle vicious.” “You’re my dragon, Zephyr and you’re the mother of my kitten. You may be a strong and powerful dragon, but you have a soft heart. Let me protect you from this. I’ll get Cedric and we’ll go searching for them. You’ve suffered enough violence at Oliver’s hand. I’ll take it from here,” he says, stroking my snout as he ta
The Assassin Chapter 64: Eliane
I lay here, strapped to the bed, like I have been for what seems like forever. It’s been a long time, two weeks, if my calculations are right, which is questionable since there are no windows in this room. But if I’m right, it’s been two weeks since my father was here. I’m not sure which is worse, the pain or the hunger. It only felt like a couple days after he left, that the man who gives me the injections left too and he hasn’t been back. I was okay for awhile because I had the IV fluids dripping into my body, but that dried up over a week ago. I’ve relieved myself multiple times and now everything in here smells terrible, the area between my legs feels raw and I'm worried it's getting infected, which it probably is. I hear the pitiful sound of the creature in the other room. He sounds so much like Ancalagon. I have no idea if it’s him or not, but I hope not. Once again, we’re trapped underground. “Cal, if you can hear me, I’m here. I know, I’m hungry too. I’m sure my father will
The Assassin Chapter 63: Oliver
I hadn’t expected them to be back so soon. They’ve never returned so quickly after finding one of my laboratories. In fact, the last time, they burned it down, releasing all my subjects. This time, my subjects had escaped on their own. I had been watching from my personal laboratory since my lead scientist told me that the shifts were imminent. He wasn’t wrong, but what we didn’t expect was that they would grow to sizes that burst through their cages. They had become wild, killing the scientists before helping the others escape. The dragon and the tiger wouldn’t have known that some of the humans that had been laying on the ground, had become snacks for the vicious creatures, as they fed on their way toward freedom. Once again, I’ve been thwarted because my scientists don’t seem to know what they are doing. Thank goodness my “daughter” and her future mate are both still under my control. Eliane has been responding well to the treatments, almost as well as the dragon. I’m hoping tha
The Assassin Chapter 62: Zephyr
The voices in my head have started screaming again, only this time, they are telling me to do something, anything to help the children that this monster is killing. I’m stronger now, so I shut my mind off from Ishir. He is helping that boy, helping Everett and Kaylani try to save him, and while he does that, I go to Cyrene. I know what I have to do even if it kills me. I pick her up, kissing her and smelling her sweet, exotic scent, a mix of mine and Ishir's. “Zephyr?” Nova’s quiet voice asks from the doorway. I take one more deep breath of my daughter’s scent, then put her back in her crib before turning to Nova. She’s breathing heavily and there are tears in her eyes. “What’s going on?” “I have to go end this Nova. I can’t let Oliver and his men hurt you or any of these children any more. It will never stop while he’s alive.” Her lips quiver and she rushes to me, wrapping her arms around me. “Please come back to me. You’re the only family I have, Zephyr, you and Ishir. I love
The Assassin Chapter 61: Ishir
I pick up the boy, which is about all I can tell about this poor creature. He shifted and his body didn’t take it well. Whatever his primary DNA is, it isn’t elf or dragon. “Here, call Everett and let him know we’re coming in with one," I say, handing Zephyr my phone. "Did you check the other rooms?” “Yes, the others are dead, but he’s alive,” she says as she dials and heads outside. I race back to the office, grabbing as much as I can carry in one hand including the computer, while carrying the boy with the other. I don’t have time to rip out the cameras, so it’s possible Oliver will see that we were here. Hopefully, I can tap into the feed online and block it, but I need to take care of this boy first. I run outside, picking up my phone where Zephyr left it before racing up her back. I’ve barely gotten settled before she’s lifting off and flying faster than she’s ever flown before with me on her back. “Hang on, buddy. We have a doctor that can help you. Just hang on until we ca
The Assassin Chapter 60: Ishir
‘Have you ever been to this city?’ Zephyr asks me in the mind link as we fly. ‘Just once,’ I say hesitantly. It was when I was searching for the assassin, before I knew that it was her. ‘Oh,’ she says. ‘So, anything in particular I need to know about this city?’ ‘It’s smaller than the one where Tana’s penthouse is,’ I tell her. ‘So, hopefully it will be easier for us to find him?’ she asks. ‘Let’s hope,’ I say. We land outside the city and once again, I take in the gorgeous view of my mate in her dragon form. She is spectacular. I missed seeing her while she was pregnant. I stroke my hand down her chest and under her wing. She turns her head to watch me as her body quivers at my touch. “Truly, I have no idea what I did to deserve such a beautiful, wild and fierce creature like you,” I tell her, opening up to her so she can feel my love for her. At times like right now, it hits me like a freight train. “Sometimes, I love you so much that it hurts, Zephyr,” I tell her, leaning ag
The Assassin Chapter 59: Zephyr
After Ishir told me that the hybrids must have been close when we were there and that they came back and finished off the animals that they had started to eat, I knew we needed to get back out and start looking for them again. Avani took Merethyl to his cave of treasures. He has done that with all of her pregnancies because his DNA in their child mingles with hers and she begins to talk and act like a dragon. This time seems a bit easier than what I’ve heard of the first two, or maybe Avani is better at reading the signs and getting her away earlier. He took her early this time, so they will most likely be gone for two to three months, meaning we've lost one of our search party. He told Ishir that he will continue to search for the hybrids near his cave of treasures, but he won’t leave Merethyl for long periods of time and once she is completely overwhelmed by the dragon DNA, thinking she’s a dragon, she won’t leave the cave until she delivers. They’re having a girl this time, anothe
