SEVENTH DRAGON By Tyler Blackwood © copyright October 2006 Tyler Blackwood Cover art by Vanessa Hawthorne, © copyright October 2006 ISBN 1-58608-977-3 New Concepts Publishing Lake Park, GA 31636 www.newconceptspublishing.com This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence. Chapter One Vashon Island, Washington October 2002 The Bermudan Water Dragon had taken a human life. One minute the old man was standing, the next he was on the ground, gasping for air, gnarled fingers clutching his bloodied neck. Whatever breath he’d had caught in his throat and then he died. The dragon had been fast. Though several people milled about farther down the rocky shoreline, no one saw the small, scaly creature explode from beneath the water’s surface. No one saw the razor-sharp talons breach the man’s neck to take what it needed. No one but Christopher Bartholomew. Most of the time, the dragons hunted near the Pacific coast, far from where they were now. Why this small school had ventured into the Puget Sound, he didn’t know. Didn’t care either. That they were here was enough. They'd already been deemed threats to humanity, so his duty was clear. Eliminate the threat. Permanently. He’d been waiting for this particular dragon, the leader of the school, to make a mistake. They were intelligent, but not infallible. It took a few nights, but his patience finally paid off, and now the damn thing was dead. Christopher was pissed off anyway. He should’ve been faster. If he hadn’t been tired and distracted by a hundred other things, maybe the old man wouldn't have died. Maybe. Who knew? Maybe it was just the old man’s time and nothing would’ve made a difference. Christopher let out a small snort. Yeah, right. Reaching into the pocket of his rain coat, he pulled out his cell phone and punched in the number for his commanding officer. “I’m done. The dragon’s dead,” he said after Blair picked up. “Some other dragon has already assumed the lead and now they’re heading out toward the ocean. I suspect we won’t see them for some time.” “Excellent. Well done, Christopher.” Christopher mentally shrugged. He’d been doing this so long, the accolades really meant very little. His gaze dropped to the dragon. “Yeah, thanks.” “I’ve got one more job for you,” Blair said. “That demon wolf you were tracking was seen near the marina just before dawn this morning. Find it, kill it, and you can call knock off early. Sounds like you need it.” “Maybe.” And do what? “I’m close to the marina, but I left my bow at the house. Can you have someone bring it to me? I still need to get rid of the dragon carcass.” “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Christopher snapped the phone shut and tucked it back into his pocket. Closing his eyes, he called his telekinetic energies into focus. Summoning the fire was difficult and exhausting at times, but necessary. It wouldn't do to have humans discover a slain Water Dragon. There would be too many questions, too many investigations. Too many ways for them to overlook important details and make a wrong decision. Better they not know about this hidden world. Easier for everyone. He inhaled deeply, then turned his energies outward. The dragon’s body exploded in a single, white-hot flash. Christopher took a step back, pulled dark sunglasses from his coat pocket and put them on. The fire consumed the dragon in less than a second--before anyone even noticed--reducing it to soft, gray ash. His people were dedicated to the destruction of the myriad unnatural threats to humans, like water dragons, demon wolves, and a thousand other beings, all determined to destroy mankind or the planet. The battle was always waiting. And he was always ready. Had been now, for over two hundred years. He bent to rinse off his dagger in the salty black water of Puget Sound. Sore muscles protested the move, but he ignored them. An early night, an old movie, maybe a small pot of Livendium to soothe his mind as well as his body, and he’d be good as new. Probably. “Nice work.” Christopher sheathed his blades and faced his commander. “That was quick.” Blair approached with Christopher’s old wooden bow and quiver in his hands. He nodded toward the thicket of trees just to the west. “I was at the park. Anastasia’s got the grandkids today. I'm trying to help without getting in her way.” Funny thought, considering Blair looked like every other thirty-year-old man, save for, maybe, the shoulder-length black hair. Never mind that he was really as old as time itself. “You actually left your bow at my place yesterday,” he continued. “It’s not like you to forget things like this. How are you feeling?” Christopher shrugged and took the bow. The quiver he slung over his shoulder. “I’m fine.” Blair nodded, scanning the surface of the water. “Sure you are. Let me see what I can do to arrange some time off. I think it’s time you took a little vacation. Maybe take a trip somewhere. Go do something fun.” Christopher thought about that. “I guess I could do that.” He scanned the calm waters of Puget Sound and drank in the transient calmness of the moment. A wisp of dark hair wafted over his eyes, carried by the afternoon breeze. Absently, he pushed it aside and scanned the ground. The shadows had become very long. Nightfall approached. Soon, they would awaken. He huffed out a breath. All he did was think about this threat or that one, or like now, what the time was. When would the demon wolves awaken? He was always scanning his surroundings, searching for something out of place. Waiting for water dragons or sand demons or even that Black Diamond witch, who had some weird thing for Joshua. “Yeah.” He nodded. “I really should go somewhere.” “You should. I know how hard you’ve been working.” Blair returned his obsidian gaze to Christopher. Sunlight caught in his eyes, highlighting the silver iridescent rings at the outer edges of his irises, one of several unique attributes of their kind. Christopher instinctively pushed his sunglasses further up the bridge of his nose. Those rings were visible only in bright light, and while he didn’t expect to see any humans before the sun set, it was better to not risk exposure like that. Glowing eyes did not sit well with most people. In fact, some got quite upset. Christopher was used to it, of course. He’d been hiding the glow in his own eyes since he became immortal--an Eskarian--two hundred and twenty nine years ago. “You know what I'd like to do? Take off on a month-long cruise to Alaska,” he said, not waiting for Blair to answer. “Just Ivan and me, for at least a month. No, make that six months. We’d do the inside passage. He’d love it.” Blair smiled. “I’ll bet. Sounds like a good time.” “Yeah, it does.” Christopher plucked a toothpick from his shirt pocket, popped it into his mouth, and thought about the Siberian Husky he’d rescued as a pup. Ivan’s former owner had lost a battle with a demon wolf two years ago. Christopher couldn’t bear to see the little guy homeless, so he’d taken in the small black and white pup, given him a name, and built an elaborate house for him. Never mind that Ivan slept with Christopher most of the time. “Wouldn’t it be cool to just drop everything and go without telling a soul?” He waved away thoughts of responsibility and duty. Protection. His life as a Defender wasn’t much of a life, truth be told, but pride filled him when he thought about the human lives he'd saved. It was an honorable life, but he was tired. Christopher’s gaze swung to a sailboat gliding out from the harbor. “You know, I can’t keep fighting like this much longer, Blair,” Christopher admitted. “The demon wolves alone breed like rabbits. Have you noticed that? I feel like I’m fighting a battle I can’t win. It’s starting to wear on me.” He shook his head. “It was easier when they weren’t so smart. Easier when they just morphed into animals at sunset. Now that they keep their human intelligence and emotion, it just takes too long to chase them down. What’s worse, every time I corner one, I hear the human thoughts inside the wolf. I hear him plead for his life. It’s difficult, even when I know that wolf has been killing humans. It’s a hundred times worse when I know it’s a woman.” Blair sighed. “I understand completely. Several Defenders from other regions have complained. They feel the same as you. The wolves are taking more and more of our resources. I’ve already put out a call for volunteers. Griffin, Jason, Alex, and Michael have responded. They should be arriving over the next few days. Randy and Aaron will come from Canada in a week or two. Unfortunately, I still need you here a little bit longer.” Christopher shook his head and smiled. “Sucks to be me.” The demon wolf population was more concentrated in the Pacific Northwest than other parts of the country. Christopher’s elite position in the Defender ranks was unchallenged, so it was logical that he’d have to remain and finish the job. Damn it. He spat the toothpick into the black water. Blair continued. “The sooner we can exterminate these wolves, the better off we’ll all be--and the sooner you and Ivan can take that trip. Right now, we need your speed to gain an advantage over them. Once all the boys are here, you’ll work in teams, at least for the next few days. I want you to pair up with Griffin.” Blair paused and held up one hand. “I know what you’re thinking, but I need you two to work together. You’re both fast and accurate hunters. Our best. Set aside your differences for a little while. Let’s see if we can wrap up this problem once and for all.” “Sure,” Christop...
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