Destiny (Experimental Heart Book 1) Read online

  The dragon swiveled his head back and forth, scanning the forest for the other Hunter. This has to be my dragon. I couldn’t rationalize his lack of interest in killing me any other way—unless you counted that failed tail attack and attempt. It could have been a poorly misjudged swipe for all I knew, and my lack of trust was skewing my opinion.

  “Don’t trust him.”

  A sudden movement in the forest caught my eye, and before I knew it my dagger flew out of my hand. I silently cursed myself when the blade disappeared into the underbrush with no target met.

  “Idiot.”

  The dragon above me moved forward, the trees around us moaning, cracking, and eventually falling under the strength of the large creature. His actions flushed out the remaining Hunter.

  From the indecisive look on the Hunter’s face, I could tell he was torn between his orders to kill me and saving his own life. Unfortunately for him, disobeying orders wasn’t easy for the average creation of Zarda. As a result, the Hunter tried to get around my dragon comrade. That proved to be a mistake.

  The Hunter, as their design intended, was quick, but the dragon happened to be quicker. Even with his large size, he raked his enormous talons into the man’s soft flesh. The Hunter cried out in pain as the dragon gored him, spilling his innards across the ground. An ordinary person might have blanched at the sight, but my bloodstained past left me unaffected by the grizzly visage.

  With both Hunters now dead, I was left to retrieve my thrown dagger and discarded timber, mindful of the wound I now had.

  “Are you all right?”

  I turned to find Raikidan back in his human form and swiftly returned to my side. “I’m fine.”

  “I smell blood on you; are you sure?”

  My upper lip curled into a snarl. “I said I’m fine.”

  The human-dragon let out a long sigh. “Very well. Can I know why you’re out here?”

  I held up a small stack of timber in front of me. “I don’t know about you, but I’m going to need a fire to keep me warm in that damp cave.”

  Raikidan’s eyes widened as if the thought had never occurred to him. It was probably one of the perks of being a dragon. I guessed it took a lot before they suffered from the cold.

  As I finished collecting up the wood, I noticed a patch of mushrooms growing by the base of a tree. Upon closer inspection, I found them to be edible. I wasted no time harvesting them, even popping a few in my mouth while securing my fire fuel in my arms. My foraging did not go unnoticed.

  “Wait, are you hungry?” Raikidan asked from behind me. “If you were hungry, you only had to say something when I went hunting earlier. I could have brought you back something.”

  “I’m perfectly capable of fending for myself.”

  He ground his teeth together. “Does your species know nothing of working together? Or is there something just wrong with you? I’m offering my assistance because we need to work together.”

  Timber and food in hand, I ignored his question and headed back to the cave. There’s a lot wrong with me, Dragon. You don’t want to waste your time knowing what kind of mess I am. “Thanks for the help with those Hunters. Next time just watch where you swing that tail.”

  Raikidan caught up with me. “I realized how stupid that was to do. It wasn’t my intent to attack you as well. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t accept those words.”

  “Apology accepted.”

  “What is wrong with you?”

  The two of us remained silent on the rest of our walk back to the cave. When we reached our destination, I went about crafting a fire and roasting a few of the mushrooms to add a different taste to my palate. Meanwhile, Raikidan had slipped out of the cave again. He returned once I’d settled down in front of the fire. I nearly jumped when he threw something at me, but managed to catch it thanks to my quick reflexes. In my hands, I now held a dead rabbit. I eyed the human-dragon with suspicion. “Why do you insist I eat more than what I’ve collected?”

  “Because you’re too stubborn for your own good. That will sustain you more than those mushrooms.”

  “Don’t eat it.”

  I looked at the meal he provided and then back to him.

  Raikidan shook his head then shrugged. “Listen, if I really wanted to kill you, I’d have already done so instead of poisoning you like some coward.”

  I half grunted and half laughed. “Poison isn’t for cowards, and you did attack me earlier.”

  “That was an accident. Had I meant to, you would no longer be alive.”

  He has a point.

  “No, it’s a trick.”

  I decided I’d have to risk the chance. Even if it was poisoned, I’d get the death I asked for earlier. I went about skinning the rabbit, and eating everything edible it could offer. Raw or cooked—it didn’t matter to me.

  Raikidan didn’t take his eyes off me the entire time.

  Even after I finished my meal, his gaze hadn’t left me. It was really starting to bother me. As I cleaned up, I decided to find out his problem. “Why are you staring at me?”

  His response was rather simplistic. “You’re wounded. You said you were fine, but I can see how you favor one side.”

  “Just because I’m wounded doesn’t mean I’m not fine. I’ve dealt with worse. It’ll heal in time.”

  “I can heal you.”

  I snorted at him derisively. “Sure you can.”

  He continued to speak as he drew closer. “I healed the other life-threatening wound you had. So, let me help.”

  I shoved him away and started to stand. “Don’t touch me.”

  Raikidan fell over and his eyes narrowed. “What’s your deal? I’m only trying to help.”

  “And I said I didn’t want it!” He didn’t flinch at my loud tone, but his eyes darkened. My eyes narrowed. “There’s that anger. I was wondering when it’d come back.”

  His expression almost immediately softened. “What are you talking about?”

  “This fake concern; did you really think I wouldn’t see it? Heh… I saw you trying to hide the hate you have when you look at me. While you do well concealing, I’m all too accustomed to that look for you to succeed. You associate me with someone who has caused you pain, at least enough to justify anger toward me.”

  The human-dragon moved with a speed I never saw coming. Before I knew it, my back was slammed into the cave wall and Raikidan’s arm was pressed into my neck, cutting off the air to my lungs. The bundle in my hand clattered to the ground. “Don’t you dare start making assumptions as if you know me.”

  “Fight!”

  I struggled to breathe, but I didn’t fight him. “But it’s… true. Otherwise… you wouldn’t be… choking me… You want… me dead…”

  His eyes narrowed, his gaze so intense it nearly burned. “You have it wrong.”

  “He’s lying.”

  When I remained impassive, his brow furrowed. “Why are you so calm?”

  “You think… you’re the first man… to ever try… to beat me…” My lips spread into a sick, twisted grin. “You’re years late… to that party…”

  His eyes widened at my confession. He paused a moment, then jumped back. Air flooded into my lungs and I fell to my knees. My side pulsed with pain, but I refused to show weakness in front of this dragon.

  I glanced up at him as I rubbed my throat. “What’s wrong? You had the perfect opportunity… to end me and… get some sort of twisted revenge. I may be strong… but I’m no match for a dragon.”

  He stared at me as if frozen, mixed emotions playing across his face.

  What is with him? It’s not like what I said was all that shocking.

  Raikidan finally composed himself and knelt down. “Stop being stubborn and let me look at your wound. I can smell the fresh blood. All this moving around has caused it to open back up.” He peered at me with soft eyes when I refused to budge. “Please.”

  The way he’s looking at me… My face felt a bit warm for some reason. I could
n’t explain it. I sighed and showed him the damage the Hunter had caused. “Consider yourself lucky. I wouldn’t show this to just anyone.”

  He chuckled. For the first time since I met him, I noticed how handsome he was. Funny what a smile can do.

  “Someone as stubborn as you, I wouldn’t doubt it. Now let me see.”

  I kept a close eye on him as he leaned in to inspect the wound. It didn’t escape me when he noticed the deep horizontal scars on my sides, but he didn’t say anything. For the best. No way would I allow him to know about the origins of those.

  Raikidan peered up at me with sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry for attacking you. That was wrong. I don’t hate you. I don’t even know you to be able to do that.”

  “It’s easy to hate someone if they remind you of someone else.”

  “You’re wrong about me.” He held my shirt out of the way. “Now hold still. This shouldn’t hurt, but it might.”

  Well at least he gave me warning.

  Raikidan took a deep breath and then exhaled a thin flame at my skin. He can breathe fire in this form? I tensed, expecting pain, but instead, a soothing sensation fell over my wound and my body. What is this? Before my very eyes, the wound closed and then disappeared.

  “See, not so bad getting my help,” Raikidan said as he pulled away.

  I touched the spot he healed. Nothing was left to indicate I’d been harmed during that attack, though my prior scars remained. “Is this how you saved me last time?”

  He nodded. “Yes, though for some reason that time left a scar. Sorry.”

  I cocked my head to one side and shrugged. “It’s not like I don’t have others.”

  His eyes darkened but he didn’t say anything. I continued to watch him. I didn’t understand this dragon. I was so sure I’d figured him out. But if he really did want me dead, he had the perfect opportunity. And yet, here he is showing me… kindness.

  “It’s a trap.”

  I didn’t believe he could be trusted. I’d now have to be extra careful with him.

  I started picking up my dropped mess. “I’m going to clean this up and then get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow.”

  “Right.”

  I got up and started to leave, but stopped and looked back. “Thank you.”

  I then left the cave to deal with the rabbit remains.

  Light hit my eyes, stirring me. My eyes fluttered open and I looked around. Soft rays of light filtered through the cascading water outside the cave, and Raikidan’s “soft” dragon snores echoed against the cave walls. He’d kept his distance, as much as the cave allowed, at least. My body was on high alert, and I woke up every time the smallest sound echoed through this cave, even if it was just him moving in his sleep. Sometimes, when I’d wake, I’d catch him watching me or staring out at the water falling in front of the mouth of the rocky chamber.

  I gazed down at the dagger in my hands. I always slept with it there, just in case. It wouldn’t deter a dragon, but it helped me sleep at least. Sheathing it, I quietly made my way out of the cave.

  The sun hung low in the morning skies, maybe a few hours after sunrise. Later than I expected to wake, but with my years of military service behind me, and running for as long as I had, that internal clock had changed. And I’d learned, the safer I felt, the longer and more soundly I’d sleep. It’s been a long time since I slept through the night. And just as long waking up so late after sunrise. I wouldn’t let Raikidan know, but for some illogical reason, his presence helped me sleep. Even though I couldn’t trust him, I had this strange sense of ease resting near him.

  I looked around to find the forest quiet of anything unusual. A light breeze rustled the trees, and birds sang their morning song. Following the path, I made my way down to the pool below the falls. The agitated water churned beneath the cascading water. I could handle the flow, but… that’s too deep for my liking. I moved down river a few yards and found a small spot that would work for a quick wash up.

  Wading into the hip-deep water, I suppressed a shiver as the icy water seeped into my clothes. Spring river water wasn’t the most comfortable to bathe in, but I’d dealt with worse. Part of my training in the military had me completing tasks while water elementalists assaulted me with both frigid and scalding water.

  Removing my hair clip, I sloshed and scrubbed my neglected body and hair, cleaning myself as best I could without modern beauty products. The next time I decide to run away, I should think about taking a route with better access to water. I gazed down at the moving water, but it was too agitated to give a clear enough image. I would have to wait to see just how bad I looked. Couldn’t be too bad, or the dragon would have made some sort of comment. At most I suspected I merely looked malnourished and unkempt.

  As I cleaned myself, I sensed I wasn’t alone. I did my best to act casual as I looked around, trying to figure out who else was out there. My eyes fell on the waterfall as movement caught my eyes. Raikidan. He didn’t come out from where he hid, but I could tell he watched me. Creeper. “You know, it’s rude to stare.”

  I didn’t get an answer right away, but I never stopped looking at the rushing water. Raikidan finally moved out from behind the falls and maneuvered his way down to the ground. My eyes, unhindered by the low light of dusk and night, got a perfect view of his impressive natural form. I couldn’t lie to myself: he was a magnificent-looking creature.

  His scales were polished and black, save for a small section of red scales. His head was triangular, with several small ivory spikes on his jawbones on each side of his head. Heavy black cascading plated scales covered his neck and chest as well as his hips and thighs. Heavy plated scales also lined the tops of his eyes and merged with his long heavily plated horns. Under the plating I could tell his horns were ivory, contrasting with his dark scales. Ivory spikes lined the undersides of his eyes, and large ivory spines grew down his neck and body until they reached the heavy plating on his tail.

  The red scales created a stripe that began at the tip of the center point of his eyes and flowed down his body, ending at his tail. At the end of his tail, a spade-shaped club flexed, revealing malleable spikes on either side of the base.

  When he reached the shore next to me, he lay down, watching me. I held his gaze for a while, unable to find the ability to go back to washing up. Some strong unseen force pulled me away from that task to this one.

  Raikidan lowered his head next to me. His breath was warm, but non-threatening. Involuntarily, my hand stretched out and rested gently on the tip of his snout. A part of me screamed to stop, but the other was much too curious to care.

  I didn’t understand what was going on with me. It had been so long—a distant memory at best—since I had been so curious about something. The small, almond-shaped scales were smooth and almost leathery, and as I slid my hand across them, I felt the separation between each of them.

  Finally snapping out of my daze, I stepped back. Get a hold of yourself, Eira! I really was losing it. I went back to bathing, my mind going to plans for the next few days. I’d need Raikidan to show me the way to the village he mentioned. I was sure I knew this place. It made sense, based on my erratic path to lose these Hunters over the years. Even if it wasn’t the right place, I could obtain a map and plot out our path.

  Once we reached Dalatrend, we’d have to sneak in and then make my presence known with the resistance. If luck was on our side, which it wasn’t for me most of these days; there would be a path to sneak in under the city.

  Strong hands pressed the back of my neck and shoulders. “Let me help you with that.”

  Surprised, I whirled around and knocked Raikidan in the face. He stumbled back, the water barely covering his now human lower half. He stood a few inches taller than me, so I was lucky the water covered him at all. “Don’t touch me!”

  He rubbed his cheek. “You didn’t need to hit me.”

  “Then learn personal space!” I lashed out. “And don’t touch people without their permission.”<
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  “I only wanted to help.” He continued to rub his face. Is… he pouting? As I watched him, his lip was in fact sticking out a bit. It was cute. Wait, why am I thinking this way? Keep yourself together, Eira.

  “I don’t know a lot about humans. I’ve only learned from those who have wandered through my territory, and I kept tabs on them without interacting. Not too long ago, an elven pair, male and female, chose this river to wash up. The male helped his female companion. I know humans and elves are different, but they have a lot of similarities.” Raikidan cupped his chin with his hand. “Oh wait. While doing that, it did entice a pursuit that—”

  My hand flew up into the air, my cheeks warming at the unwanted image he’d planted in my head. “Stop! I don’t want to hear what they did.”

  Raikidan tilted his head. “You look to be of a human equivalent to mating age. I would have thought that topic wouldn’t have bothered you. How old are you?”

  “Don’t tell him anything.”

  My eyes narrowed, and my teeth remained clenched as I fought the uncomfortable feeling plaguing my body. “I’m twenty-seven.” I spun around, indicating I wasn’t going to continue the topic. Raikidan let me be, but for once I wasn’t satisfied by that. “You know, it’s rude to ask someone’s age without giving your own.”

  “You didn’t ask for it.”

  I crossed my arms. “Well, I am now.”

  “Only about two centuries hatched. I had been in my shell for almost another two.”

  “So, based on how you act, and the age you present yourself in human form, if I’m correct in believing you can’t change that look, you’d be the equivalent to my age.”

  “I guess so. But what do you mean by ‘act’?”

  I chuckled. “An older, wiser dragon would know when to leave someone be.”

  “Are you saying I’m not wise?”

  I glanced back at him to find him annoyed. The side of my mouth twisted into a smirk. “Precisely.”

  His upper lip curled, and he crossed his arms, looking away from me. “Whatever.”