Dragon with the Girl Tattoo by Julia Mills
Chapter Nine
“She what?!” Lennox roared.
Immediately schooling his features, he tried with all his might to hide his anger, frustration and most of all, embarrassment. “It wasn’t like I didn’t want to see her again. I was pissed, and well, I… I needed…”
“You needed to yell, and show your ass,” Vulcan chastised. “Go on, Lad. Keep tellin’ yourself that. If it makes you feel better, tell the others, too. Who knows, one day you might even believe it yourself.”
Wanting to explain, Lenn didn’t even get as far as opening his mouth before Calysta smacked him on the arm. “She left because you treated her like complete and total crap. That’s what she did.” Shaking her head and hitting him a little harder, she scolded, “Tessa’s a great girl. Better. Than. You. Deserve.” Each word was punctuated by a poke to his chest as fury danced in her eyes.
Never one to miss kicking some butt, Maddox was right behind his Mate. “What the bloody hell?” Swatting Lenn on the back of the head, he fumed, “You’ve been whining and bellyaching damn near since you were old enough to spread your wings and fly about finding a Mate. Now she’s here, and you’re what…?”
Barely missing getting another smack on the back of the head, Lenn ducked and shuffle-stepped to the right. “You’re gonna try to outrun Fate?” Maddox sarcastically scoffed. “Deny what the Universe has had in motion since before you were born, ya’ hardheaded gobshite?”
And that’s when his luck ran out. Lenn literally saw stars when Maddox used the opposite hand from before and popped him in the head as he bellowed, “You think you know better?! Bloody hell, you really are a damned fool.” Shaking his head, the Mad Dragon stalked towards the sliding glass doors at the back of the room grumbling under his breath about dumb kids and how they never listened.
Silence filled Lennox’s home. The disappointment and frustration he felt pouring off his Brethren only served to fuel his own anger. Acting before he thought, the Mad Bomber railed, “Who the hell are you lot to tell me what I need to do? How do any of you know what it feels like to find out the one the Universe made for you is a blood-sucking fiend just like the ones who killed your parents?”
Stepping up to Kayne, he growled through gritted teeth, “What would you do? Run to her with open arms? Accept her no matter what? Pretend the past doesn’t matter?”
Turning on Maddox who had just returned to the center of the room, Lenn yelled, “And you, the freakin’ ‘Mad Dragon’ who grumbles and growls at everyone and never forgets a Heavens damned thing. Who are you to give me advice at all?” Beating his fist against his chest, he kept right on going. “You have no fucking idea what this feels like? You can’t even imagine. Yet all you do is stand here and judge me. Accuse me of being unfair to that…that thing, the Universe saw fit to give me as a Mate.”
Smack!
The loud slap of Calysta’s hand on Lennox’s face sounded a full second before a sting the exact shape of her fingers burnt his cheek. Looking down at the Witch, he saw pure fury and utter disappointment etched in her expression. “You, Lennox O’Lachtháin are an egotistical, arrogant, son of a bitch, who doesn’t deserve a woman like Tessa.” Seething, her Magic popping and cracking, electrifying the air in the room, she spat, “Or any woman for that matter. Ever think that’s why you had to wait so long?”
Stepping right up to him, Calysta shoved her finger in his face. “You will die sad and alone, because that is what you deserve for turning your back on the greatest gift any man could ever be given.” Spinning around so quickly she was nothing but a blur, the Grand Priestess stalked towards the door, denouncing him as she went. “I never want to see your face again.”
And those were the last words he heard before the slamming of the door, with such force the windows shook and the floor tremored.
Shocked, unable to move from his spot in the center of the room, Lenn tried to avoid the glares and looks of absolute displeasure from his Brethren. It was everywhere. He could smell the sharp, acrid scent of rotten milk and decomposing fruit. Their mortification at his deplorable behavior was a living, breathing entity growing bigger and stronger with every passing second. Worst of all, Vulcan agreed and slammed his own mental shields into place, leaving the Guardsman alone with his own failure.
Grabbing ahold of his anger because facing his guilt was too much to bear, Lenn clenched his fists and stalked towards the back door. Grabbing the handle, he threw a parting shot over his shoulder. “Well to Hell with all of you. I don’t give a shit if you agree with me or not. It’s not your life, sobutt the fuck out.”
Slamming the door so hard the window at the top shattered, he marched to his shed, pulled out as much C-4 and blasting caps as he could carry and headed towards the abandoned gulley about five miles behind the Lair. The longer he walked, the more his anger turned to embarrassment. Ten more paces and he was filled with regret.
Images of Tessa flooded his mind. One flash after another of her dazzling smile and dark eyes that danced with a zest for life and untold ability to love, drove the nail of his own stupidity deeper into his heart. The beauty of her soul, the purity of her very being, her ability to see the good in everything beat at him, taunted him, made him rethink everything he’d ever believed about Vampires.
No matter how hard he tried or how much he wished them away, the visions refused to leave. Instead, they grew stronger, came faster, and caused an ache in every fiber of his being.
Even behind the magically fortified mental shields Vulcan had constructed in Lennox’s mind, he could still feel the Dragon King’s howling sadness. Pining for the one woman, the only woman, who could complete them both.
Reaching for his earlier rage, Lenn came up empty handed. Searching the depths of his heart, there wasn’t a single shred of the anger or resentment he’d thrown in the faces of his Brethren. No, it had been replaced with a bone-deep sadness and outright fear that he’d blown his one chance at happiness.
Tessa and Tessa alone had made him feel things he never knew possible. His hopes and dreams for the future had been within his grasp and then…then…
“I found out what she was and acted like a total dick.”
Reaching the gorge, his heart aching so bad it was hard to breathe, he slammed his pack to the ground, threw back his head and yelled to the Heavens, “Why have you done this to me? Why have you given me the one woman in all the world I simply cannot love?”
“Cannot or will not?” Vulcan’s whispered recrimination almost set fire to Lenn’s mind.
“Oh, now you come out?” He ground out through gritted teeth. “Just to kick me when I’m down?”
But the Dragon King was gone. Back behind his mental shields. Retreating from the Guardsman with whom he shared his soul, out of complete disgust.
Staring at the clouds overhead, praying for an answer he knew wouldn’t come, Lenn let his chin fall to his chest and sighed, “Nope, not gonna get it, because life isn’t fair and I’m the Grand Poobah of Idiots, Patron Saint of the Morons, and General King Dumbass Extraordinaire, that’s why.” Huffing out a long breath, he added both aloud and mentally, “And while I’m at it, let us not forget delusional and already missing that blasted woman so much it hurts.”
Snorting sarcastically when Vulcan grunted his agreement with Lenn’s assessment of himself, the Guardsman knelt down and retrieved his satchel. Packing a charge without even looking, he stuck it deep in a tiny crevice at the far end of the gulley and ran back to where he’d left the ignition switch.
Carefully twisting the wires around the terminals, he murmured, “If you can’t think your way out of a problem, blow shit up. That’s my motto.”
“Well, it’ll be the second thing you’ve demolished today,” Vulcan growled.
Not answering, knowing his Dragon King was not only right, but needed time before he would accept Lenn’s apology, he looked towards the spot where he’d placed the C-4 and counted down, “Three…two…one…we have lift off.”
Smiling as the Earth shook under his feet, and rock and soil rained down like giant hail from the blast, he stuffed the ignition switch into his back pocket and walked towards the growing pile of debris. The closer he got to the blast site, the more the stench of burnt flesh assaulted his senses.
Running at top speed, the fear that he’d unwittingly harmed an innocent bore down on him like an avalanche. Diving into the rubble, he dug like a man possessed.
Rocks tore at his flesh. Dirt flew in his eyes. Mud caked on his sweat-soaked skin. It was as if the more he dug, the deeper the hole became.
Finally glimpsing the ledge, he reached into the dark pit created by his explosion. “What the fu…?”
Bringing into the waning light of the setting sun what was left of a human arm, he dug deeper. Less than a minute later, he’d found a foot and part of a hand. Gagging as the thick, coppery scent of dried blood and the sharp, pungent stench of rotting flesh assaulted his senses, Lenn laid what was left of some poor human to the side and continued to dig.
Almost an hour later, he’d unearthed five feet, six hands, two skulls and over twenty various bones. Everything he found was in different stages of decomposition.
Laying them on the ground in descending order of the anatomy he’d learned all those years ago, Lenn picked up what was left of a small delicate hand. “A woman,” he sadly breathed. “So small and fragile, she didn’t stand a chance.” Shaking his head, he sniffed, “A week ago, you were alive. Doing your job, living your life, being…”
“Being who she was meant to be,” Vulcan commiserated. Suddenly on high alert and growling deep in his throat, the Dragon King snapped, “Can you smell that? It’s…”
“Cambion,” both Lenn and Vulcan seethed in unison.
Behind the scent of death and rot was a cloying aroma, almost floral but with a more animalistic, musky scent. Inhaling deeper, he was hit with a wave of desire that made his heart race and his stomach turn. “The fuckin’ leeches used pheromones to bait their prey.”
Taking another whiff, he shuddered. Not only was there the lure used by the Cambion but underneath, a much more subtle, pleasing aroma, that pulled, poked and prodded at the pleasure center of his brain.
“Vamp,” Lenn hissed.
“With no sign of Black Panther,” Vulcan ridiculed. “No animal at all. Just ancient, pure, powerful, evil Vampire.”
“Son of a bitch, Max was right,” he murmured under his breath.
Waiting for Vulcan to chime in, Lenn had to admit he was disappointed that the King had gone back to radio silence. “But it’s no more than I deserve.”
Staring at the remains, his need to avenge the unjust dead of every human represented pushed his every action. Getting his pack, Lenn retrieved a handful of large Ziploc bags.
Placing one body part in each bag, he carefully loaded them in his bag, packed up what was left of his explosives and hid everything in a small crevice behind a rock with a peculiar, pointed peak. With the scent of both the Cambion’s and the Vampire’s bait locked into his mind, Lenn began to track the evil beings.
“I know you don’t want to talk to me,” Lenn appealed to Vulcan. “And you have every right. Today was not my finest hour. But not only do I need to findthese bastards, but I have to make sure Tessa wasn’t involved.”
“You know she’s not,” Vulcan deadpanned, his anger making every syllable feel like a fiery punch in his Lenn’s mind.
Before he could even think of a response, Pearce’s adamantly agreed, “Yeah, what Vulcan said.You know she’s not.”
“What the hell? What are you doing in my head? Haven’t you ever heard of privacy? Did you and the Old Man team up to be sure I feel like a piece of shit?”
“Haven’t you ever heard of shielding your thoughts?” Pearce countered. “Besides, did you really think I was going to let you run off half-cocked with explosives and not keep an eye on you? No, I did not team up with Vulcan, but he’s right. And finally, you should feel like shit. Actually, shit might be too good for you right now.”
The words had barely sounded in Lennox’s mind when his best friend appeared at his side.
“I really hate that you can do that,” he grumbled.
“What? Approach without notice or keep tabs on you?” Pearce grinned.
“Both… jerk.”
“That’s Mr. Jerk to you.” Winking, Lenn’s Brethren pointed to a small cabin hidden behind the full, low hanging branches of a willow tree. “Looks like that might be the place.” Standing to his full height, Pearce added, “I say we go check it out.”
“Since I’m sure I can’t get rid of you, especially since Vulcan is a rat…”
“I regret nothing.”
“No, didn’t figure you would,” Lenn wryly chuckled. “And before you slam those ironclad shields of yours back into place, I need to say, I am very sorry. I will find Tessa and make it right. I just have to…”
“You just have to catch the Cambions and the Vampire,” the Dragon King agreed. “So, get on with it.”
Knowing when to keep his mouth shut – at least this one time, Lenn went back to teasing Pearce. “…and will tell you what’s going on anyway.”
“He will, and I’m glad you apologized to the Old Man. It was the least you could do.”
“Yeah, I know,” Lenn nodded. “Now, lead the way. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m glad you’re here.”
Slapping his hand over his heart, Pearce feigned swooning as he joked, “Oh, my Great Heavens, Lennox O’Lachtháin is glad I’m here. HE actually wants company on his try-to-forget-I-royally-fucked-up-with-my-one-true-Mate pity party campaign and tracking expedition.”
“Shut up Pearce and come on,” Lenn pretended to growl, knowing the fault for his predicament lay squarely on his own shoulder and no one else’s.
“Besides, you need to think about our gorgeous Mate,” Vulcan matter-of-factly stated. “And how you are going to put your prejudices in the past where they belong and accept Tessa for exactly who she is.”
“Yeah, that.”
Knowing the conversation was over for the moment, Lennox led the way down the darkest side of the mountain. There was no conversation – not a sound. It was as if they were light as air, surveilling the area for the enemy as they’d done so many times before.
Focused on the tiny log cabin, the tiniest of details became more vivid with every step. Pointing, Lenn spoke directly into Pearce’s mind, “You go left. I’ll go right. See ya’ on the other side.”
“You have such a way with words, Lenn. Really, you should write poetry,” came Pearce’s chuckled reply.
Snickering as he bent his six-foot-six frame down as far as it would go, Lenn crept towards the small window at the back of the structure. Listening to the barely audible sounds of footsteps, he slowly lifted his head until just his eyes were above the windowsill.
Staring in disbelief, Lennox’s shocked whisper mirrored Pearce’s as both Guardsmen exclaimed, “They’re just kids!”
Then Lennox added, “Murdering, soul-sucking kids…”