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“And you would know that how?” Murtagh asked, his voice clipped.
“Past business,” Caspian replied.
“You stole something from him, didn’t you?” I asked, and Caspian turned his gaze on me, the corner of his mouth lifting in a slight smirk.
“Not everything is about stealing from other people. I had an artifact he wanted, I didn’t want to give it up, he tried to steal it, I stopped him, so I stole something he liked to send a message,” he explained casually.
“So you stole something,” I gathered, my tone flat.
“Well, yes. But it was during a complicated situation,” he replied. “It’s not like I was flirting with him until he opened a box, then snatched some valuable artifacts under his nose or something,” he added pointedly, as if our conversation wasn’t being listened to by guards who also still had guns trained on us.
One of the guards wasn’t having it. It was like he snapped. Maybe he’d lost track of the situation, maybe he only heard part of it, or maybe he just didn’t like the fact that neither Murtagh nor Caspian looked too worried. Either way, he started to bark at us in Russian, and after another moment, he lunged towards me. Caspian snarled, and in a flash, his body morphed, his human form giving way to the powerful, scaled physique of a dragon. His massive size quickly overwhelmed the room and the walls buckled. Dust rained down, and I covered my mouth, coughing. Fuck me. I didn’t need more dust in my lungs, not after what happened at the temple. At this point, I already felt like I could cough up a whole pyramid.
As I choked for air, I missed how the guards reacted to seeing a dragon. I bet it was something to see. I imagined at least one of them probably pissed themselves, but by the time I drew a breath, one of the guards was simultaneously raising his gun in the air and firing, the loud noise echoing off the walls. Caspian let out a roar, but the bullets simply ricocheted off his scales.
He spread his wings and one guard screamed, the other ran. The guard that ran was smart. Caspian’s tail knocked into the other one, and I heard the sound of crunching bones. Amid the chaos, Murtagh fired several shots off with the gun in his hands, and I slipped off down the hall.
I’d find the diamond myself. At least that would get me out of this madness.
“Zazie! Get back here!” Murtagh shouted, but I ignored him, ducking around a corner.
“I’m going for the diamond!” I called over my shoulder.
I kept going. I didn’t turn back. The two of them would be thankful when I returned with what they came for. I slipped through one hallway after the next, finding that most of them were abandoned. A few times, I ducked into a nearby closet when a guard ran by towards the back of the house. I could hear both Caspian and Murtagh roaring, and I had no doubt that both of them had now transformed into dragons to fight back.
Eventually, I found myself standing outside a heavy-looking wooden door. My body hummed, and I closed my eyes, focusing on the strange tingling sensation that told me what I needed to know. The diamond was on the other side.
I tried the doorknob and surprisingly, I found it unlocked. I pushed it open, expecting to be ambushed, but the room was empty.
It was an office of sorts, and I scanned the space, noting the heavy desk, the tall bookshelves, and the leather chairs.
“And who might you be?” a raspy male voice called out, and I practically jumped a mile high as I spun around.
My eyes flew across the room, and I realized that a large panel on the opposite wall had slid open, revealing a secret chamber.
And then, a man emerged from the darkness, his features hidden by the shadows. There was a gun in his hand, and I swallowed hard. His face was hard, his features angular and harsh. His dark hair was streaked with silver, and his eyes were cold, almost black.
“I asked you a question,” he snarled in a thick Russian accent, and I took a step back. He leveled the gun straight at my head, and I froze as he cocked it.
“I’m nobody,” I stammered, and he let out a sharp bark of laughter.
“Nobody wouldn’t have been able to break into my compound,” he hissed.
I blinked, realizing who he must be. “Gregor Drekov,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Very good,” he said, his lips pulling into a smile that didn’t quite reach the darkness in his eyes.
From behind me, the sound of footsteps scuffed against the floor, and I looked over my shoulder, only for a pair of men to burst into the room. One of them grabbed at me, and I fought him off, landing a punch to his gut. He laughed, so I kicked out, aiming for his knee. He stumbled, but the other was already on me, his arms like steel bands around my waist.
I elbowed him in the ribs, but it was like hitting a brick wall. They were well-trained, and all I’d had was a series of self-defense classes back in high school. I was no match. I twisted, trying to break free, but the first man recovered and struck me across the face.
Stars exploded across my vision, and I tried to blink them away. I hadn’t quite realized how much it hurt to get punched in the face. It was a new experience for me.
Despite the pain, I refused to give up. I managed to land another punch, this time catching the second man in the jaw. He grunted, his grip loosening slightly. I took the opportunity to wriggle free, only to be slammed against the wall by the first assailant. A punch to my stomach left me gasping for air, and a blow to my back sent me to my knees.
I groaned, pain shooting through my entire body. Through my blurred vision, I could make out Gregor Drekov’s menacing figure towering over me.
“You put up a good fight, little girl,” he said, his voice cold and mocking.
