Dragon's Treasure (Book 1)

Chapter 14 - Honorable Man

”Charlie? It’s us.” Theo called out as he and Damien approached the tree Charlie was bound to.

Her eyes snapped up to them, relief washing over her when she saw them, and the fact that they were also unharmed. She had heard the yells, the bang, sounds of battle and the dread filling screams. She could only imagine what had been going on.

Theo kneeled next to her and removed her gag while Damien went around to cut the ropes that bound her.

“You okay?” Theo’s voice was low and filled with worry.

“Am I okay? I should be asking you that. What the hell happened? Those screams…” Charlie shivered involuntarily.

Damien unwound the ropes from around her. “It was Colin. He’s dead,” he said glumly.

Charlie brought her hands forward and rubbed her red wrists as she looked at her friends, now both crouching in front of her, waiting for them to explain.

Theo sighed. “The dragon burned him to bits…”

Charlie sucked in a breath. “Shit!” she exclaimed. “Did you kill it?” She tried to run her fingers through her mane of red curls but her fingers only got tangled in it. She frowned at her offending hair.

“No, but… it’s complicated,” Damien supplied as he sat back on the forest ground, crossing his legs, pulling them up and wrapping his hands around his knees.

“What do you mean complicated?” She turned around and searched for her dagger which was hidden in the grass near where her hands had been tied. Theo and Damien had given her the dagger as a precaution, and whenever she had been bound, they would hide her dagger close so she could cut herself free if in real danger or if they didn’t come back.

Theo joined Damien on the ground and leaned on his lover’s shoulder who in return kissed his head covered in red hair.

“He talked,” Theo said.

“Who he?” Charlie asked as she tucked her dagger away in her belt bag and looked down at her dress. It could use a washing. It was a simple dark green cotton dress with silk trimmings, and four buttons going from her neckline to down between her breasts. She always had the top two unbuttoned. She had a brown leather belt wrapped around her slim waist, accentuating her curves, with one belt bag on each side.

“The dragon,” Damien said as he handed her his waterskin.

Charlie started to take a sip to sooth her dry throat so when the words registered in her brain, she almost choked on the water. “Wait! What? Talked? He?”

Theo then told her everything that had happened, especially that the dragon talked, was obviously male, that the woman was actually named Olivia and had called the dragon Kaden, and that it seemed he was protecting her. He left out the details about Colin’s death. It had been a too gruesome sight.

“Oh wow.” Charlie’s eyes were wide with wonder. “Never knew I’d see a real dragon, and definitely never thought he’d talk.” She shook her head with disbelief. “Actually, when I think back now… all the so called dragon attacks… no one was ever even seriously hurt... never heard of anyone getting killed… until now that is. Don’t you find that odd?”

“Actually, I’ve never thought about it myself but yes… it seems he only stole things, mostly scaring people away but…hmm... this is all so weird and complicated… I don’t know what’s right or wrong anymore.” Theo ran his hand over his face, suddenly looking older than he really was.

They were all quiet for a few moments, trying to wrap their minds around it.

“We need to go back. We were supposed to have returned by now. Magnus sent us to fetch you and the horses and then we have to go and scout around the cave to see if there are any other entrances.” Damien was the one to break the silence as he stood up and pulled Theo with him.