Betrayal: Book 3 of the Guardians Saga

Ch. 4.3 Hello, Razz!

Alex took off the next morning, claiming "girl stuff." The dragon brothers were as scared of "girl stuff" as human men and let her go without further questions. When she finally strolled back into the apartment, they all stared at her.

"What happened to your hair, Alex?" Rile wasn't one to mince words.

"It's best to change the color after what happened. Why are you looking at me that way? Brown is considered an inferior color anyway. This is more acceptable." Alex shook her now-blonde hair to emphasize her point, but the brothers' expressions didn't change.

She put her hands on her hips and stared back.

"It wasn't only brown. It had copper, gold, and red strands all mixed in. It was pretty. Now it's just all yellow," Rile said.

Gabe scowled at Rile, who grinned wickedly in challenge at his oldest brother that he had noticed the small details of Alex's hair.

Before a fight could erupt, a portal opened. No one hesitated to gear up and step through, but Alex stopped so short after entering the portal that Rile plowed into her.

"Are you brain damaged by hair coloring dye? Move." Rile's shove didn't budge her.

Alex stared at the world before her, immobilized. "I recognize this place."

"You don't have to stay, you can go back." Gabe motioned to the sparkling light of the portal.

"Not a chance. I'm a hero here," Alex replied.

Cale ran circles on her back with his claws. "You're a hero everywhere. Let's find a friendly face and get caught up."

"Zilik's." Alex was firm. When Gabe looked unhappy, she asked, "Would you prefer the Anolis palace?"

"We're not going to start this again, are we?" Gabe asked.

"Please Portal Guardian, yes," Rile whispered and Cale nudged him.

Alex sighed. "No, we're not. Where should we go?"

Gabe was silent a moment before he said, "Zilik's would be the easiest."

Alex fought to keep from rolling her eyes.

Rile kicked her foot and whispered in her ear, "Don't you hate it when he does that?"

They walked in silence, keeping out of sight until they reached that palatial apartment building, which was quiet at night. Gabe told Alex to wait in the bushes until they signaled the all clear.

It wasn't long before Rile waved at her and said, "Hurry."

The apartment was trashed, furniture overturned, and all of Zilik's precious photos were scattered, frames smashed. Alex pushed aside her friends, who were crouched by something on the floor.

That something was Zilik, a badly beaten and bloody Zilik.

"Zilik." Alex cradled his head. "Zilik what happened? Who did this?"

He opened pain-soaked eyes. "I must be dying. I'm seeing those who went before."

"No, no, I'm not dead. I'm really here." She put a glowing hand on his chest. The pain in his eyes faded, but he still looked weak, sick. "Who did this?"

"Jealous girlfriend."

Alex scowled. "Really?"

"Not really. It was Cla."

They all went very, very still.

"She's been the perfect little assassin." He coughed wetly. It sounded like death.