Destruction's Ascent, page 23
part #3 of Dragon Ridden Chronicles Series
The lift arrived, and Thora stalked in, whirling to face them with a pronounced frown. Ryu prodded her forward and they all waited as the doors closed and the lift began to ascend.
They'd risen several feet in the air when Thora spoke, "What could have possessed you to do such an asinine thing?"
"It wasn't asinine," Tate said. "We found the children and your dragon. We just had a little hiccup trying to get them out."
"What are you talking about?" Thora asked.
Tate jerked her arm out of Ryu's grip, not missing how it tightened for a moment before releasing. Here in the elevator there was nowhere for her to go. Nowhere to run. There was no reason for him to continue his hold.
"As I told Ryu, we found the children and Jacob," Tate said in as calm a voice as she could muster.
"You found them," Thora stated.
"That is what I said." Tate tried for a patience she didn't feel. The tick-tock of time passing urged her to hurry.
Thora looked like he was giving her words consideration. "Tell me what you saw, and don't lie this time."
Something in Tate's expression must have given her away because he gave her a knowing smile, one full of cunning and sharp teeth.
"Yes, I know your story isn't entirely true."
Tate met his eyes, trying to keep the guilt off her face.
"We did come through the mirror," Tate said in a reluctant voice. "But we also may have left by way of that mirror."
Thora and Ryu worked through her logic, understanding dawning on their faces.
"You snuck into the temple and the guardians’ relic room?" Thora's voice rose to a near shout.
Tate winced. It sounded so bad when he said it that way.
"How did you get past my guards?" Ryu asked, ignoring the hissy fit Thora was throwing.
Tate's mouth twisted as she looked down at Night. He watched them with a smug expression.
Ryu followed her gaze, his face turning thoughtful. "I should have guessed. How many ways out of that place do you have?"
More than I'll ever tell you, Night told him.
Ryu's face twitched as if to say fair enough.
Thora managed to compose himself, his hair standing straight up from where he'd been running his hands through it. "Tell us the rest."
Tate told them as much as the ride would allow. About the row of cells filled with children, about their dragon and his condition. She’d just mentioned how one of the children had a dragon tattoo when Thora stopped her.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yes, I saw it myself."
"Was the child alert or was he a blank slate?" Thora asked, his voice urgent.
Tate stared at him. He knew what had happened to that child. She'd bet anything. "A blank slate. He didn't respond even when I spoke to him, just stared at the wall like his mind was gone."
Thora looked pensive and worried.
"That should be impossible," Ryu said, his eyes on the other man.
"Yes, it should," Thora agreed in a dour voice.
"How?" Ryu asked a bite in his voice. "The rift is protected at all times and there hasn't been a breech in centuries."
Ilith stirred in Tate's mind, the topic drawing her interest. Home. Yearning was in her voice.
The elevator came to a halt, drawing the conversation to a close.
"No more until we're somewhere prying ears can't listen," Thora cautioned. "We have to keep this to ourselves for now."
Ryu nodded. Tate stared at both of them, not quite understanding but willing to follow their lead now that she knew they believed her.
Thora held her gaze for a long moment, searching. Whatever he found there seemed to reassure him and he gave a firm nod, before his face switched back to a wrathful frown and he stalked out of the elevator, each hard strike of his footsteps warning those around him of the mood he was in.
Ryu took Tate's arm in a firm grip, his face back to that blank mask with rage banked deep in his eyes. She blinked at the instantaneous change in their expressions.
"Got to keep up appearances. You never know who's watching," Ryu murmured. He gave her a small wink before his face returned to the deep lines of before.
Initially dumbfounded, Tate’s mouth quirked up at the sides as she realized it was a carefully crafted ruse to show anybody watching that she was in deep trouble for her antics. They'd done such a good job in making her believe it she knew any spies would fall for it too.
It gave her hope. If their incursion down below was uncovered, people would assume the dragons had dismissed her claims out of hand. It might be enough that they'd spare the children from any extreme actions in response. This might just be the chance she needed to get back down there.
The walk to headquarters was short and accomplished in silence. It wasn't until they were in the library again that Ryu released her.
Thora let out a short roar that echoed throughout the house and reverberated through the room. There was a beat of silence before a roar echoed back.
Thora nodded, a satisfied expression on his face. "Blaise will make sure the house is clear of any listeners and then join us shortly."
Tate blinked at him.
"Your mouth is hanging open," Ryu murmured in an amused voice next to her ear.
She snapped the mouth in question closed and tilted her head back to glare up at him. "It is not."
He lifted an eyebrow as his lips tilted in a small smile.
"So, am I to take it that you two believe me?" Tate asked, still not quite able to bring herself to understand their quick turnaround.
"Of course. I've known you long enough to know you wouldn't lie about something like this," Ryu said, his words simple and his expression open before it shifted to a censorious look. "Despite that, there will still be repercussions for your complete disregard for our orders."
Tate supposed that was fair enough. Though, she still maintained it had been necessary.
He stepped closer and brushed a touch across her cheek. "You took a huge chance. Our relationship with the guardians has always been fraught with tension. The original dragon-ridden were not thought to be made by the Creators. It's been suggested by some historians through the years that our origins began with the Saviors."
"I bet the guardians just hate that," Tate said, picking up on the subtext. If the Saviors had made them, it meant they were little better than the Creators they fought. Tate could see how they might want to erase the blight on their heroes' records.
They must have had a very unpleasant surprise when Tate showed up, bearing the face of the woman in that painting as well as a dragon. That would give more credence for the Saviors breaking their own covenant.
Ryu inclined his head. "Of late, Keel has given much more support to the Order's agenda against the Creators and their creations. They're gearing up to discredit the Kairi, Silva and the rest of us who aren't pure human. Having the guardians on their side will give their argument a lot more weight with the populace than it would have otherwise. It’s made tensions run high."
Tate could see how her actions might have aggravated things. She wished he'd given her this explanation earlier. She didn't know if it would have changed things but having all the information upfront would have enabled her to make more informed choices.
She stepped away and ducked her head, some of the anger of earlier lingering. She hadn’t forgotten how Ryu had shut her out and sided with Thora. He might believe her now, but she could have used his help down in the tunnels. If any of the other dragons had been with her, they might have been able to get the children out already.
Blaise strode into the room. "Someone want to tell me why you’re roaring fit to bring down the house, and why I just had to turn on our emergency wards to make sure no one tried to get in?"
His eyes landed on Tate. "Ah, our little dragon lady has returned. Have you destroyed any other rooms lately?"
"No, but she might have ruined our relationship with the guardians for the foreseeable future," Thora said from where he was looking over papers on a desk in the corner of the room.
Blaise whistled, his expression suitably impressed as he looked Tate over. "I can see you're going for the record of most upheaval in your first year. One more incident and you'll have lover boy over there beat."
Ryu gave Blaise an unfriendly look.
"What? Surprised I know? Don't be. You might be older than me, but it's only by a century or two, and the others still spoke about what happened as a cautionary tale." Blaise gave him a dangerous smile. "Or is it just that you don't want her to know of the Ardent’s judgement?"
Ryu's body tightened, and he leaned forward as if preparing for a fight, a dangerous expression on his face. This time it was Tate's turn to catch his arm, her eyes intent on his.
"Ryu, leave it. There isn't time for a pissing match," Tate said.
The cool and collected Ryu—the man who never lost his composure and always seemed to look at her with wicked amusement —was gone, leaving in his place a dangerous being, one content to destroy anything he might consider a threat.
Ryu's arm relaxed under hers, and he gave her a small nod, acknowledging her words. He turned toward Thora, placing a hand lightly on the small of her back.
Blaise watched them with a knowing light in his eyes. "I guess it's true what they say. A feminine touch around here really will tame the beast." He looked at Ryu with a wicked smile. "And just think, I was almost the one assigned to watch her."
The muscles that had relaxed stiffened again before Ryu visibly shrugged off the tension. "Only in your skewed view. Jost has always been mine. I was the only one who would have ever been sent."
"Ah, I forgot how possessive you are of those in your hoard," Blaise said.
"Hoard?" Tate asked.
Blaise looked at her. "We all have them. It's the dragon in us. Thora's is relics, along with the corps and all its people. Ryu tends to collect informants and is quite protective of them."
"And you?" Tate asked, curious.
Blaise looked undecided for a moment before he sent a cocky grin her way. "You'll just have to survive long enough to find out."
"Enough distraction," Thora ordered. "We have important matters to discuss."
"And no one's bothered to explain what those are," Blaise said in a sardonic tone.
Thora sent him a quelling glance before answering, "We've found Jacob"
The playful look on Blaise's face disappeared and he looked alert and just a little fierce. "Where? And have we killed whoever took him yet?"
"It's a little complicated," Ryu said.
Blaise sent him an acidic look. "Un-complicate it. We kill everyone involved. How hard could that be?"
"They're making other dragon-ridden." Thora's crisp voice cut through the rising tension.
Blaise's expression was disbelieving. "That's impossible. No one gets close to the rift without our knowledge. The Emperor's personal guards ensure that. Whoever told you that is lying."
Tate gave him a cool smile. "Such strong accusations. And here I thought you were beginning to like me."
She'd thought nothing of the sort but wanted to needle him.
"You're the one with this outlandish claim?" Blaise asked, lifting an eyebrow.
She gave him an arch look.
"You're mistaken about what you saw," he told her in a flat voice.
"It's not exactly hard to miss," Tate returned. "The boy definitely had a dragon on his skin. Others looked like they were caught in mid-transformation. It may be impossible as you say, but they’ve somehow managed to do just that."
Blaise was quiet for a long moment as he digested her words. He didn't look quite so disbelieving now, more like sick. Being right gave Tate no pleasure. She would have preferred to be wrong.
Blaise looked over at Ryu. "That's not good. If they're caught in a half-transformation so soon after bonding, they probably won't survive."
Tate felt those words like a blow. There had been dozens of children down there. Some looked fine while others were in various stages of a change. For so many to be at risk; she didn't have words.
"They could have been down there for weeks," she offered, feeling sick to her stomach.
"It doesn't matter." Ryu's voice was a quiet rumble. "The first change is the true test of the bond. Fail it, and it's almost always a death sentence."
"But there's hope?" Tate asked, needing something.
Ryu and Thora traded glances.
"Not much," Ryu said, looking resigned.
"You said almost, that means another has survived a failed first change," she pressed.
"One," Blaise said, his eyes trained on Ryu, who looked like he'd been carved from granite. "Only one of us has survived when things went that far south."
Tate's eyes fixed on Ryu, noting how he seemed to be a million miles away, his thoughts far from her. His gaze shifted, pinning her in place. What she saw there kept her from asking if he was the one who had survived, as Blaise seemed to suggest. His expression indicated this was a subject he wasn't prepared to discuss.
She let him have that. There were things she didn't want to bring into the light and dissect either—most notably what she had discovered about herself that day.
Night jumped up onto a table, craning his head to peer over Thora's shoulder. He ignored them in favor of flicking through pages and drawings, some in books, some loose on his desk.
Blaise cocked his head, looking fascinated as the bearcat tried to paw at some of the papers. Thora huffed at him. Night, as was typical of his feline side, ignored the implied displeasure and continued trying to shift them around, his head tilting sideways as his claws speared one paper and lifted it up, revealing another right under it.
An inarticulate sound escaped Thora at the sight of the damage, and he forgot about the book in his hands to glare at Tate's friend, his eyes taking on a golden glow.
"What is that?" Blaise asked, sounding fascinated as he watched Night.
Tate gave him a dirty look, not liking the implication of her friend as a thing. Like an object to be referred to as that or an it instead of a person—albeit a furry person. "He is Night—my friend and he understands everything out of your mouth, so I suggest you choose your words carefully."
Blaise cocked his head in a mocking manner, although his next words were serious. "I meant no offense."
Sure, he hadn't. Blaise came across as the sort who lived to ruffle feathers. Tate recognized his type since she was guilty of the same habits.
Tate, you need to look at this, Night's voice echoed in her head, distracting her from saying anything unwise.
"What did you find?" she asked, moving over to her friend and mentally wincing when he used another claw to spear the paper, dragging it more fully out of the pile, which tilted precariously before beginning to topple.
Thora's hand landed with a loud smack on top, stopping the momentum and saving the pile from spilling all over his floor. A growling hiss echoed from his throat as he inclined his head so he was staring at Night from under lowered eyebrows, the force of his dominance a palpable thing.
Night pretended not to notice—whether because he enjoyed needling the older dragon or because he was getting back at the other man for some imagined slight, Tate didn't know.
"Night, how about you let me get any other papers for you?" Tate said, trying to stem the coming altercation she could practically feel brewing in the air.
Night made a small growl before batting the paper onto the ground, following it in a graceful leap.
"I'll get it," Tate told Thora when it looked like he was going to leap across the table at her friend. She sent a warning look Night's way. They were already in enough trouble as it was. She didn't need him making it worse with his antics.
He gave her an unrepentant look before lifting his paw and pointing. Tate stepped closer to see what he'd uncovered.
It was a drawing, the paper yellowed with age and crumbling around the edges. She could see why Thora was so protective of it. The paper showed signs of wear, and Night's rough handling probably hadn't helped matters.
The ink was a pale blue and had been written over in places that had begun to fade. Tate bent to get a closer look. Where at first it had looked like a symbol, it was in reality, part of a larger pattern.
She knew from her journey in the tunnels that the pattern she’d seen was incomplete, missing the inner ring and some of the symbols on the outer bottom edge.
She picked the paper up with careful hands and placed it back on the table where the others could see it. Pointing to the top of it, she said, "We've seen this pattern before. It was in one of the caverns near where the children were held. It's missing a few pieces but it's mostly there. It was much bigger in real life, of course."
Tate looked up to find herself the focus of three pairs of serious eyes.
"How sure are you?" Thora asked, his voice hushed and tense.
Tate shared a glance with Night. "Both of us agree; this is what we saw down there."
Thora looked frozen in place while Blaise released a harsh curse.
Ryu's gaze was grim. "That explains how they're creating new dragon-ridden without access to the rift."
Ilith's presence rose in Tate, her claws needling Tate's mind as she used Tate's eyes to peer down at the drawing. Sadness coated her as she took in the drawing, grief and resignation a sharp ache inside her.
She didn't say anything, receding after a short time, taking with her the emotion, a bone-deep emptiness that Tate knew had something to do with her referring to the rift as home.
Not for the first time, Tate was left wondering at the life Ilith had before their bonding. How had she come to bond with Tate, and why choose that, given the limitations such a bonding placed on the dragon side of the pair?
Tate was forced to consider that she might not be the only one who’d lost their entire world when she was put to sleep. She'd never asked Ilith what she remembered of the past, always figuring that the dragon would refuse to answer. She knew the dragon remembered more than she did, even if she’d been hesitant to share Tate's past.
