Riding My Dragons (The Dragons Of Tellus #1)

CHAPTER 16

Cade

After Byron and Elliot left, things turned from bad to worse.

My mirror chimed.I was so keyed up, wanting to hear something about Jenna, that I jumped.Guessing how long it would take the guys to fly to the University, I thought it was too soon for them to be calling with news.So, who was this?

The ID on the glass said it was Ross.I got a hot flash of nerves, seeing his name.Ross calling me now couldn’t be good news, especially after that message Elliot got from Jenna.I screwed up my courage, touched my thumb to the glass, and let the call go to open audio.

”Ross?” I said.“What now?”

”I just got word from the client,” my cousin said.“They’re demanding immediate delivery.”

Breaking out in cold scales on my forearms, I tried to keep the edge of fear out of my voice.“Do you know what’s going on out there?The stops, the searches–I just checked the media; they’re still at it.”I glanced down at the old data box lying in the rumpled sheets on my hotel room bed.This damn thing had put the torch to my life.I hated it.I hated the idea of even having to touch it.“And they’re demanding it now?” I asked Ross.

“They’re as nervous as you are,” my cousin said.“They’re calling for the thing before anything else happens.It’s got to be now.”

My heart felt like it was on fire.“Now?Why now?”

”Because it’s important, they say.Because they have plans that have to move forward.”

”Plans?What plans?” I demanded.I didn’t care if I was in a place to make demands or not.I was scared, I was angry, Jenna was in trouble, and no way was any of this a coincidence.“Ross, you made me steal this damn thing and I don’t even know what’s on it.What’s this really about?What’s in this damn antique box that’s so important?Why do these swamp lizards want it?What are they gonna do with it?And why does my life have to get screwed up for it?”

”So many questions,” Ross said, and I could see him in my mind’s eye, shaking his head at me.“We’re not to question things, Cade.We’re just to do what we were hired to do, hand over the item, and collect payment for it.You haven’t finished your part.This is the deadline.They want it now.”

”Why now?!” I snapped the same question at him as before.Then, hearing my voice raise and feeling how I was fit to morph into full dragon just from the racing of my heart and the pumping of my blood, I shut up, closed my eyes, and inhaled deeply.I could have gone wild and trashed this whole room, which would have brought me attention that I didn’t want.Forcing myself to be calmer, I said, “Why now?Why does it have to be now?What are these people after?”

”Because it’s important, like I said,” Ross answered.“All I know is what the elders tell me.All you know is what I tell you.And the item has to get into the hands of the people who sent for it immediately.They’re set on it, Cade, set in cold stone.They want this thing.And they’ve made arrangements to make sure it’s delivered to them.Immediately.”

Those last words gave me a crawly, sick feeling.“What ‘arrangements’?What are you talking about?What did they do?”

”I’m sending you something,” said Ross with a calm that twisted my stomach.“Watch your mirror.”

I did as Ross said and looked at my glass while the conversation paused.A picture came up in the mirror, sharp and clear and shocking.It froze my breath and my blood.The breakout of scales on my skin went away, shrinking from stark terror.I felt as if I could drop down to my knees or fall back onto the bed.

It was a figure lying on grass—a girl, dark-haired, slender, not too curvy.She was pretty—not “stand out in a crowd” pretty, but a soft kind of prettiness, the kind of pretty that makes you look twice and wonder.I’d gotten to know not just the way she looked, but the way she talked, the way she smelled, the way she felt.Seeing her lying there in the grass, I was more scared than I’d ever been in my life—and more angry, more furious.But my fear choked my anger.I almost couldn’t find the voice to talk again.And all I could force out was the sound of her name.

”Jenna…!”

”When we picked you for this job,” Ross said, “the clients decided to have a look at you for themselves.So, they sent out some scouts to see what they could see and report back.You and your friends took a boat ride the other night.You and your friend Elliot Ladon and this human girl were your friend Byron Ledger’s guests.Since the boat ride, the clients’ scouts kept an eye on all of you.When the human girl went back to the University…”

Now the anger started to overtake the fear at the thought of anyone going near Jenna.Scales broke out on my face and horns on my forehead.My voice turned to a growl.“What did they do to her, Ross?Damnit, you tell me what they did!”

”Calm down, Cade…”

”Damnit, don’t you tell me to calm down!What did they do to her?Is she all right?Where is she?You’d better tell me, or…”

”Or what?Don’t be making any threats and demands, Cade; you’re not in a position to back them up.The clients haven’t hurt the human girl.It wouldn’t serve their plans to hurt her.She’s only leverage, a way to make sure the deal is sealed and what they need is delivered.There’s no reason for them to do anything to her as long as they get what they need from you.”

I took the growl out of my voice, but not the fear.The fear had me by the throat.I gulped and said, “Listen, Ross.Please, just listen.Her name’s Jenna.She’s a good kid.She’s just a student; she’s never done anything to anybody.”

”From what the scouts said, she did a few things to you and your friends, though.And you guys did some things to her…”

Hearing him talk that way about her, I couldn’t help myself.My rage came back.“Damnit, Ross, if they did anything to her…!”

“Relax, relax,” he said.“They didn’t hurt the girl.One of the scouts just used a tranquilizer claw with a perfectly safe sedative.No one wants Jenna hurt, Cade.They just wanted to take her to a place where they could keep a close eye on her and have her there to ensure the deal was followed through immediately.She’s not hurt.She’s just in safekeeping.When they have what they paid for, they’ll pay us, Jenna will be released, and you’ll get your cut.No harm done to anybody at all.”

Shaking, I wiped the scales over my eyes as if they had a human sweat on them.“Just tell them not to hurt her.They’ll get the damn box; just don’t let them do anything to her.”

“Nothing will happen to Jenna, Cade.Just follow instructions and she’ll be just fine,” said Ross.

“All right, all right.What do I have to do to get her back?Do you still want me to bring the data box to you at the pub?I’ll go there now, Ross; I’ll be out the door right now.”

Ross said, “No.There’s another change in plans.Don’t bring it to the pub.There’s another place where you’re to take it; a place where the clients will be waiting for it.You’re to take the thing there.And stay in your human shape and take side streets and back roads as much as you can.I’m going to tell you where you have to go.”

I listened to Ross’s directions.I looked again at the old data box, which was now not just the thing that I stole for some mysterious party; but had become the bargaining chip for Jenna’s life.When Ross was finished, I ended the call and took my shirt from where I’d put it over a chair.Then I grabbed the thing and was ready to move.

But first I hit my mirror again and called my friends.