Shadow King

Chapter 9

Everything went dark the moment he grabbed me. Did I faint? Was I dead? No, I couldn't be dead, because I was still breathing, I think. I wanted to call out, ask what was happening, but I couldn't speak.

Then something moved, a large mass of dark smoke was forming. Even though it was dark, the smoke stood out. I gulped in fear, watching it double in size, shaping into something. What the hell was that? As the thought crossed my mind the shape turned, and I knew without a doubt whatever it was, was looking at me.

I gasped, falling back into Leah. "Hailey? Are you ok?" She asks, concern lacing her words.
Adrien watched me intensely, a look of rage on his face. "Adrian? What happened?"

He grabbed my arm, yanking me from her hold. I stumbled into his dark room, wincing at the tight grip which he held me. "I told you to leave this alone." He snarl at her, then slam the door in her face.

"Adrian!" She started beating on the door, "Adrian! If you hurt her I swear!" Hurt me? Is that what he planned to do? I moved as far away from him as I could, and he noticed.

"Stop." He didn't raise his voice nor did he whisper the word, I stopped moving instantly. "What did you see?"

What did I see? Did he mean back there? "Nothing." I blinked and he was in front of me, gripping my arm again.

"Don't lie to me." He looked down at me, a warning in his glare.

I shook in his hold, recalling the darkness. "S-something was there, it looked at me." I felt dumb admitting out loud. Were they going to sign me up for a mental institution?

"Fuck!" He hissed, pulling away. I watched him grab a fist full of his hair tugging on it. "Fucking Leah!" I flinched when his fist made contact with the wall, a hole the size of my head   now in it. I had a strong feeling that he wished I was standing there.

"I-i just fainted, it's no big deal." I'd say anything to get out of this room right now. I was trying hard not to freak out at what I saw. He punched a wall, and didn't seem effected in the slightest.

He gave a humorless laugh, goosebumps formed on my arm from the madness in it. "You have no fucking clue what's going on."

"Got that right." I mumbled, biting my lip nervously. I need to get out of here, now. "Look, whatever Leah did she meant no harm by it. I'm just gonna go have a talk with her." I reached for the knob intending to pull the door open, only for a large hand to slam against it. I flinched back, a surprise squeak leaving my mouth.

I looked up in surprise, he was staring at me, a bored look on his face. He shifted, and that's when I took note of how close we were. His front was flush against my back, my cheeks heated. "You're not leaving until I explain everything, what you saw..."

"I saw nothing."

"You saw my dragon."

My brows knitted together, then I laughed. Thank God he was joking this whole time! I knew he couldn't be this scary. He stepped back, eyeing me. "What's funny?"

I tried to collect myself long enough to answer him. "Your dragon? Really? Next I'll be seeing your unicorn!"

A snarl left him, and I was slammed against the door. "Does it look like I'm joking? My dragon seen you, and now he wants you." The look in his eyes made me freeze, there was no humor on his face. He truly believed he had a dragon. Is this why he scared people away from him? He doesn't want people to realize he's a few marbles short? "By the look on your face you don't believe me."

I shrugged, looking towards the window. I couldn't look directly into his face without wanting to touch him. The man was threatening me and all I wanted to do was rub my hands on him. Maybe I'm the one a few marbles short. He pulled the door open, dragging me out and down the hall. "What are you doing?"

"Adrian!" Leah was at the bottom of the stairs, fear on her face. "What are you doing?" He ignored her, pulling me through the kitchen towards a door I'm assuming is the back door.

"What's going on?" Novah eyes widened when she saw who was dragging me through the house.

"I don't know!" They both rushed after me, and I sighed in relief. He wouldn't kill me with an audience, right?

"Don't move." He released my arm, stepping a few feet away from me. I cocked my head curiously.

"Adrian! Don't, she's not ready!" There's an urgency in Leah's voice that I've never heard before.

His dark eyes pinned her with a glare. "She has no choice now thanks to you, she touched me and he's seen her."

"Oh no," Novah whispered from behind me.

I looked at them in confusion. "Can someone explain what's going on?"

"Eyes on me!" He snapped.

I rolled my eyes focusing on him, only for him to pull his shirt off. I swayed on the spot, my eyes zeroing in on his abs. Holy cow he was ripped. Large pecs, a glistening six pack, and a golden v line dropping down into his jeans. Jeans that he was now unbuttoning. My hands flew to my eyes. "You brought me out here to watch you strip!?" Not that I was complaining, it was better than what I originally thought.

There was a shift the in air so strong that I stumbled back, like I was pushed. What the hell? I removed my hands, falling back with a scream. "T-t-thats a-" A large scaly black creature now stood where Adrian was before. It pawed the ground, giving a snort. The thing was as wide as a house, and stood at least fifteen feet tall. The black scales shone like a freshly polished floor, and the tail was long. So long that it wrapped around the lower body, occasionally whipping out. Huge wings curled in on the side, there was no doubt in my mind what I was now looking at. It was a dragon.

I stood, getting ready to sprint back in the house. Only for the dragon to let a growl, that sounded almost like a warning. "Don't run, you'll only upset him." I looked at Leah like she was crazy. Upset him? That's when it clicked. Adrian was gone, and in his place stood a dragon.

I choked on a sob. "Is that Adrian?" Now I really was in danger.