“She was scratching her neck a lot when I was meeting with them,” Kate began. “And when I returned to the chopper, Lucy showed me in the binoculars where a few patches of scales were trying to shift on her neck and shoulders before she pulled her hair down to hide it.”
“But dragons learn how to control it,” Jason said, stepping forward and focusing on Kate as he spoke. “It’s one thing for Lucy to lose her temper and shift in patches, but for an adult, that’s not normal.”
“If she’s hiding who she is, she might be struggling with uncontrolled shifts when she loses her temper,” Anna interjected. “I remember the Mayor scratched his chest through his button up shirt when he talked to the town about tense issues. I don’t know for sure, but I would imagine that not shifting for months and even years will reduce whatever control they gained after puberty.”
“I think you’re onto something,” Kate said, getting excited. “This explains everything. This woman is obviously someone with a score to settle against her own kind. Ever since Pearce stepped in as President, he’s been on a mission to reabsorb the lost territories back under his government’s control. I knew him before President Johansson died, and he wasn’t like this. But since he married Marissa, he—”
Anna’s head spun, and her heart sank at the name. Kate stopped midsentence as Anna shuddered and tried not to panic, but she couldn’t help it. It wasn’t just any dragon plotting to end life as they knew it. It was Marissa, and she had the New Hope military on her side. It was only a matter of time before she found out that Eli and Anna were in New Hope, and once she did, all hell would break loose. But Anna wasn’t the only one in danger, and as she looked at Lucy’s sweet, innocent face, she knew that Marissa wouldn’t even bother coming after Anna and Eli.
When she’d attacked at Anna’s coronation, it wasn’t just because she’d missed out on the throne and marrying Eli. It was all making sense now. Marissa had been trying to prevent the birth of the chosen child, not realizing that the child of the Dragon King and his Queen would be borne of another couple and adopted by Eli and Anna. Maybe she still didn’t know, but with Eli and Anna in New Hope, Marissa was bound to put the pieces together and realize that the chosen child was Lucy. Lucy had run right into Marissa’s claws, and now that Lucy was here, Marissa would have no use for Anna.
It was Lucy that she was after, and Anna knew that Marissa wouldn’t stop until she had what she wanted.
*
“Where are the others?” Kate asked. “Surely, you and Jason didn’t come here alone. How could you?” Kate looked at Jason, smiling at him warmly despite the tense moment. “Unless you’re hiding something from us.”
A soft, manly chuckle escaped his lips, and he shook his head.
“I’m one hundred percent human. I barely survived the flight out here, and I may walk home when we’re done.”
It was Kate’s turn to laugh.
“That bad?”
“Worse,” he conceded. “It’s rough when your first flight takes almost a day. But we’re here now, and that’s all that matters.” A frown spread across his face, and he looked to Anna before continuing. “There are more of us, but we split up in groups.”
“They left you two alone?” Caleb asked, a smirk on his face.
Kate shot him a look, and he pushed off from the wall he was leaning on and headed into the kitchen, still smirking but turned so that they couldn’t see him.
“Where are my manners?” he said as he went into the refrigerator and got them each some water and an energy bar. “You must be famished from your journey.”
“They didn’t leave Jason and me on a team alone,” Anna said, ignoring Caleb and looking at Kate. Kate looked into earnest green eyes and knew that something had happened even before Anna spoke again. “Eli and Kieran were with us, but a guard found us, and they ran so we could escape.”
Kate perked up, surprised by this news and wondering why Anna hadn’t led with this information.
“A guard?” Kate asked. “Where?”
“Here on the base,” Jason offered.
“How many?” Kate pressed.
“I don’t know,” Anna said. “At least one, maybe two.”
“Do you know where they were when they were grabbed?” Kate asked, standing.
“On the other side of the large building just beyond the houses,” Jason said.
“Can you show me?” Kate asked, and Jason nodded. Kate looked at Anna, then to Caleb. “Stay here with them,” she said. “We’ll be right back.”
Caleb nodded and tossed the truck keys to her. Kate grabbed them in one smooth motion, then led the way while Jason followed. He followed close as they slipped into the garage that barely accommodated the truck. He was so close that Kate could smell his cologne.
She opened the driver’s door and motioned that he should slide across the bench rather than try to get around the truck in Caleb’s messy garage. She slid in after him and opened the garage door.
The streets were quiet and empty, the night heavy with a soft fog that was just rolling in. Jason pointed out the spot where they’d been hiding, and Kate knew instantly where the two men would have been taken. She turned the truck, headed to the guard shack that served this side of the base, and parked right in front.
When she got out, Jason followed her, walking just slightly behind her and matching her brisk strides.
When she opened the door, the two men that were holding Eli and Kieran captive stood at once, saluting Kate smartly and looking decidedly uncomfortable that the General was in their guard shack.
Kate’s presence usually meant trouble.
Kate took one look at Eli and Kieran, who sat in handcuffs on the other side of a flimsy table, their faces calm and unbothered, then looked at the two guards, who were still saluting.
“At ease,” she said, then smiled. “Congrats,” she said after a moment of uncomfortable silence. “You’ve passed the performance review.”
Both men looked confused, but Kate stood relaxed, waiting for what she had said to hit them. When they smiled uncertainly, she knew that they were buying her explanation.
“I’m assuming they didn’t put up too much of a fight, right?” Kate said, winking at Eli and Kieran.
“No, General,” the two men muttered, then looked at each other as if the ease of their capture suddenly made sense.