Dragons of Marak: Book 1, Wings & Sword

#26

 For a few moments, Ana stood, breathing heavy, in the hands of the hadra dragonbound. His rapier tickled her throat, and she didn't dare budge or try to escape his grasp. She struggled through the fear, trying to think of any way out of this that did not involve giving up and giving in. But even if she could have gotten away from him without him slitting her throat, she knew of no way to unlock the door.

"Unequip," her father's dragonbound said again, his mouth curling into a serious frown. "You have to do it. You know there are no other options..."

With the rapier at her throat, the implication was clear.

"Has my father given you permission to kill me?" Ana said.

Eli chuckled softly. "You've called my bluff," he said, then lowered the rapier and stepped away from her. "You have nowhere to go, though. You do know that. I can see your father's intelligence in those eyes of yours."

Ana tightened her grip on Cee's hilt. She wanted to fight. She didn't want to give in. She was nothing like her father. She couldn't accept what he was doing. She realized, though, by the way that Eli held his rapier, that he outclassed her several times over. She turned back towards the door, assessing it.

Jack and Luka needed her. Thinking of them brought strength to her sore muscles. All of the dragons needed her. She focused on trying to find a way through this one obstacle. One thing at a time. Once she made it out of the stairwell, she could worry about what was on the other side.

A roar came from below, and she remembered, with worry, that her friends were still downstairs. Were they fighting the guards? The sounds of battle had mostly ceased.

"If you don't unequip, we'll take your friends," Eli threatened. "We're not supposed to harm you, but your father has said nothing about your friends..."

Anger boiled up in Ana, but she quelled it. He left her no choice. She let go of Cee, and he reverted back to dragon form. Eli smiled, then motioned for her to follow him down the stairwell.

Their walk felt like it took ages. Ana watched Eli as they went, studying him, thinking. They couldn't have come all this way for naught. As they went down the stairs, something in his pockets jingled. They passed by the third floor, and Ana realized that what was jingling in his pockets must be keys. It was just a guess, but she couldn't help but hope...she hoped that they were keys to the elevator.

They reached the ground floor. Eli strode out of the stairwell first. Ana hesitated.

"Come on."

His voice came from the other side.

She came out, and immediately kicked him in the groin.

Eli keeled over. He cried out. Ana reached in his pocket and pulled out the keys. Cee whacked his arm as he tried, weakly, to stop her. He was still in agony, clutching at his balls.

Ana danced around him, racing for the elevator. He grasped at her, coming up with a piece of her dress. She didn't slow down, and it ripped.

The others were laying around. The guards were in bad shape, just like Luka's mother, her dragon, Leti, Taea, Sil, and all the rest. Ana pressed the key into the elevator, frantically turning it. The elevator opened, and she ducked inside. Cee followed her. She slammed the metal, grated door shut.

She locked it. Eli reached through the bars, and she jumped back, just out of his reach. The metal rang out as he shook the bars, trying to get in. Ana quickly operated the elevator, and it pulled up. He pulled back his hand. Her frantic heartbeat slowed. Eli howled below her. She left him and the others behind as she entered the darkness.