Daughter of the Dragon Read online

  Deedee covered her mouth in shock. “She cheated on Karim’s father?”

  “Yes … and I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors. Most of them are … true. She was caught with her lover, and Nassir was in a rage. He was about to confront her, but rather than face him, she threw herself off the balcony. Karim was there. He saw it all. And he was only eight years old.”

  “No!” She couldn’t stop herself from crying out this time. That poor woman. Poor Karim. Was that what he was dreaming about when he cried out for his mother? Tears burned at her throat.

  “Nassir was grief-stricken. He wouldn’t … he withdrew from everyone for weeks. And the scandal it caused … Lord Crawford was bitter and angry over his daughter’s death and blamed Nassir. He went back to England, but Nassir wouldn’t let him take Queen Grace home to be buried or publish his manuscript. So, he talked to all the newspapers, talk shows, anyone who would listen to him. He insinuated that Nassir killed her in a jealous rage.”

  Desiree’s instincts flared. There was something about the way Zafirah said it that seemed like there was a grain of truth there. Ludicrous. She shook the thought out of her head. “And so that’s why Karim went crazy when he saw I had the book.”

  “Yes. Nassir had all of Lord Crawford’s papers and books tossed away. I don’t know how that book survived but …” She sighed. “Karim … he’d gone through so much, and Nassir never really recovered. He married again, but she was never elevated to queen, just consort. I think … despite what she did, he still loved Grace.”

  Oh, that poor man. “What happened to her, the consort? That’s Amaya’s mother, right?”

  “Fatima was in love with Nassir, despite their age difference. She was broken-hearted that Nassir would always see her as second best, and so when she became ill, she just couldn’t fight. She died when Amaya was just three years old.”

  So much tragedy in one family. Amaya. Karim. “I think I understand.” She brushed the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. “I just wish … I wish I could tell him I’m sorry for opening those wounds again.”

  “He … has carried them all his life, and he is strong. Perhaps he just needs time.”

  “Time,” she echoed. “How many more days until the Easifat ends?”

  “We should be halfway through, so maybe four or five days?”

  “And he really doesn’t want to see me?” she asked. The look on the other woman’s face told her the answer she didn’t want to hear. Her wolf yowled in despair. “Zafirah … if you do see him, please tell him I’m sorry I upset him.”

  “I will try.” The older woman stood up. “My time is running short. I wish you well, Deedee.”

  She stood up and embraced her. “You too, Zafirah. And tell Amaya … tell her that I hope she does well in her lessons.”

  “I will be able to tell her that, at least. When she finds out that she has been forbidden to see you, she will be distressed.”

  Deedee didn’t want that, but she didn’t have any choice in the matter. “Goodbye, Zafirah. And thank you.”

  She gave Deedee a slight nod and then left the room. Now all alone, Deedee sank into the couch. Her “sentence” here was halfway over, but it seemed like a million years away.

  She wanted to hate Karim for locking her up and leaving her alone like this. It wasn’t like she wanted to hurt him and remind him of the past. But she couldn’t bring herself to hate him. Not when all she could think about was the eight-year-old boy who had seen his mother plunge to her death. And she so desperately wanted to reach out and comfort him.

  I’m a fool. It was better this way, for them to be apart before things got too out of hand. Soon, I’ll be home. Maybe a few days in New York wouldn’t be too bad. Her best friend, Astrid, should be giving birth any time soon, and she’d been pestering Deedee to come visit once the baby was born because she had been assigned as Godmother.

  Yes, it would be nice to go home, to her house and her own bed. She could see her family and then put this whole thing behind her.

  Despite everything that had happened, a small part of Deedee had some hope that maybe, just maybe, Karim would cool down and come to her again. However, as the day wore on and she spent it alone, it was getting more and more evident that he was not coming. When Ramin had come to clear the remains of her evening meal, she knew she would be spending the rest of her time here alone.

  The young boy seemed even more angry at her now. She could see it in the stiffness of his stance and the way his lips pursed together tight whenever he came into the suite. Not that she cared much for what he thought. It was his fault anyway that she was here in the first place.

  It was a good thing she had brought the other books with her from the library, so she at least had those to read for the next four or five days. Also, while she paced around the living area, she found Lord Brandon’s manuscript on the floor where Karim had presumably tossed it. She couldn’t bear to touch the vile thing, and so she left it where it was. That Lord Brandon … sure he’d been grieving, but King Nassir was still his grandson’s father. And Karim had seen his mother jump off the balcony, so the king couldn’t have killed his wife, so she could only imagine how dreadful it was for him knowing his grandfather was spreading those lies.

  There wasn’t anything else to do after dinner, but she couldn’t bring herself to go back to the bed she had shared with him. So, she curled up on the sofa with a blanket and read until her lids were heavy and she fell asleep.

  It was sometime in the middle of the night she suddenly woke up. It was her wolf, yipping at her restlessly. What was going on? Her animal had been quiet and desolate all this time, and now it was excited.

  No, not excited.

  It was fear and worry. And she didn’t know why, but she shot to her feet, her blood going cold.

  And then she heard it. The loud shriek from a distance.

  Karim!

  “No, no, no, no.” She dashed out onto the balcony, running all the way to the end. Her hands gripped the cement handrail until her knuckles grew white, her eyes searching.

  There!

  In the distance was a blur. A large silver one, falling down to the ground.

  “Karim!” she cried, her heart twisting in horror. Dear Lord, what happened to him?

  Her wolf howled in despair, and it was like her body went into overdrive. She dashed out toward the living room and toward the door. “Ramin!”

  The young man had been sitting on the floor, leaning on the door so when she yanked it open, he fell over.

  “Ramin!”

  He let out an annoyed grunt as he rubbed his eyes with his hands.

  “Ramin,” she repeated, helping him to get up even as he glared at her. “I … Karim … he’s in danger. He was in his dragon form, and he was flying and …”

  But he was just staring at her, his brows wrinkled in confusion. How was she going to make him understand her? “Please … Ramin. It’s Karim. Karim … danger. Hurt!”

  He cocked his head at her.

  “We have to help him! I saw him falling!” She put her hands together like they were wings, making them fly across the air, then falling down.

  He seemed to understand some of it, because he started chattering in an excited tone. Oh Lord, this was taking too long. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I have to do this.”

  She pushed him aside with all her might and then dashed away. Ramin’s indignant yells echoed down the halls, but she paid him no mind. With her Lycan speed, she was able to outrun him anyway.

  She tried her best to recall the path she had taken to escape the first time, but she had taken so many turns back then and didn’t really do anything to keep track. Her best bet was to find an exit and figure out where he had fallen.

  I can see the sun rising from the windows in the bathroom, she thought as she rounded the next corner. If the balcony is directly in front of the living area then—“Oomph!”

  There was something solid in her way, and she staggered back. Ho
wever, as she brushed her hair back from her face, she realized it wasn’t a something. It was a someone.

  The man in front of her was tall—not as tall as Karim, but still two or three inches taller than her. He had a shock of midnight hair on his head the same color as the thick beard that covered half his face, but his eyes were a light hazel. His face went from surprise, to shock and anger, as he spouted out a string of angry words.

  “Please!” She held her hands up. “I don’t have time to explain, but Karim’s in trouble.”

  His mouth formed into a perfect O. “You are English?”

  “American,” she corrected. “I know about Karim and The Great One.” He let out a snarl. “He was out for his nightly flight. I was looking out of the balcony, and I heard him cry out and saw him fall from the sky.” She bit her lip, hoping he wouldn’t ask her exactly how she saw and heard him from such a long distance.

  “How did you … wait, you say The Great One fell?”

  She nodded.

  His brows wrinkled. “I do not … I cannot believe you. You are an outsider and you should not even be here.”

  “Please, I beg of you.” She narrowed her eyes at him. There was something familiar about him. He had a similar facial structure to Karim, but those eyes … “Ask Princess Zafirah.”

  His expression turned to hot anger and he seized her arm. “How do you know my mother?”

  “Karim trusted her with my secret. She knows about me … you can ask her. But it might be too late for Karim. We have to get to him, now.” Urgency made that last word almost an inhuman growl. “I swear to you, I’m not lying.”

  The man hesitated for a moment. “If you are, then I will ensure you pay for it,” he said through gritted teeth. “Where did you see him fall?”

  Relief washed over her. “I was standing on the balcony outside Karim’s rooms and he was far away … that mountain range was behind him. I think it was south.”

  “Southwest,” he murmured. “The Grand Balcony has a direct view of them. You say he fell between the capital city and those mountains?”

  “Yes. What’s in that area?”

  His eyes went hard. “Nothing but vast amounts of sand.”

  Which meant no one would have known he was gone if she hadn’t seen him fall. “Then we have to go. We can’t waste any more time.”

  “Come.” He tugged at her arm, leading her down the long hallway. Hopefully there would be no one around, but she didn’t really care right now. All she wanted was for Karim to be safe.

  They walked swiftly through the darkened palace, down a maze of hallways and a large set of staircases. When they stopped outside a humungous metal door, he put his finger to his lips to indicate that she should stay silent, then pushed the door open and stepped inside.

  Through the small crack, she saw him talk to two burly men. After exchanging a few words, the two men disappeared from her view. His head turned back, and he crooked a finger at her.

  When she stepped inside, she realized this was some kind of garage. Several cars, ranging from luxury convertibles to hulking SUVs, were parked in a line.

  The man was already walking toward one of the vehicles, and he pointed to the armored Humvee. “Inside.”

  She did as he said, climbing into the passenger seat as he slipped into the driver’s side. “We will drive toward the general area you indicated. This vehicle is heavily tinted, and there shouldn’t be many people out here, but if you do see any, duck and hide.”

  “I will,” she said. “Um, who are you?”

  He switched the ignition on, and the engine came to life. “My name is Arvin,” he said without looking at her. “Karim is my cousin. But shouldn’t I be the one asking questions? Like who you are and what you are doing here?”

  That’s right, he said Zafirah was his mother. “My name is Professor Deedee Creed.” She gave him a concise version of what had happened to her and how she ended up in Zhobghadi and that Karim had been keeping her presence a secret.

  “I can’t believe Karim would …” He muttered something unintelligible under his breath. “We will have to deal with this once we find him.”

  She agreed. Once they find him. Not if.

  The rest of the drive went by in silence. She couldn’t help but stare out of the vehicle as they passed the near-empty streets of the capital city. It was strange, to have been in here for a few days, yet to have never seen the sights. And much to her surprise, everything around them looked modern. Sure, the buildings were smaller and the architecture was different from western cities, but the roads were clean and paved, the streets well-lit, and even in the middle of the night, it all looked safe. There were also a lot of trees, and they passed a large park on their way out. It was vastly different from the cities and towns she’d passed by in the last six months.

  As they passed over the large walls at the end of the city, Arvin stepped on the gas. “You said you saw him fall between the end of the city and the mountains? From the balcony?”

  “Yes,” she confirmed. Now that the adrenaline was starting to drain out of her, she finally realized something. “Has he ever fallen before?”

  “Not that I know of,” Arvin answered. “And as far as I know, The Great One cannot be taken down by any normal weapon.” His lips pursed tight. “But then, it’s been less than a year since he became the bearer of The Great One.”

  Dragon scales were bulletproof, though they weren’t completely invulnerable, as her father had told her. She supposed something like a rocket launcher could injure a dragon’s wing, but surely, she would have heard an explosion of sorts? Of course, there could be another way a dragon could be taken down, but she didn’t want to reveal to Arvin what she knew of magic.

  “Do you think someone may have … harmed him?”

  “There is only one road out of the city that heads to those mountains where the silver mines are located, and this is it.” His fingers gripped the wheel tighter. “If anyone were lying in wait for him, they would have had to take this road.”

  “And Zhobghadi doesn’t have any other cities?”

  He shook his head. “A few small towns scattered about. Our country is small, the city is about the size of Berlin, and beyond that, there’s not much. If Karim did fall where you say he did, then we should be able to—there!” His hand flung out, pointing toward her window.

  She immediately saw it—a large, silver lump in the distance. When Arvin revved the engine and the vehicle lurched off the road, she clung to the grab handles in surprise. As the Humvee sped forward, the silver lump began to grow larger and larger, and she could make out its shape—the long neck, large horned head, the tips of its wings, great claws reaching out like it was struggling to get up, its shrieks growing louder. How badly was Karim injured?

  The Humvee stopped a few feet away, right by the dragon’s massive head. Arvin unbuckled his seat belt and dashed out, and Deedee yanked the handle of her door and followed him.

  “Is he hurt?” she asked. “What did—” She sucked in a breath. There was something covering the dragon, like a thin net. “Is he caught in something?”

  Arvin’s body stiffened, then he leaned down. “Zhobghadi silver,” he stated. “But how …” He shook his head then knelt down beside the dragon. “Quick! We must get this off him!”

  Deedee ran to the opposite end and grabbed a corner of the silver net. “It’s no use, he’s too big. Why can’t he move or take this thing off?”

  Arvin’s shoulders sunk. “Zhobghadi silver is the only thing that can hold The Great One,” he stated. “It’s a … necessary precaution.”

  “Precaution?” she echoed.

  “Our history with The Great One is over a millennium old,” he began. “And not all the princes and kings of Zhobghadi have been wise or just. This is a safety net.”

  A literal one. “So, this … silver can hold The Great One? But why doesn’t Karim just transform back?”

  “I do not know how it works exactly, but if the bearer is bo
und with the silver, then it affects his ability to call upon The Great One.” His dark brows knitted together. “But I have never heard of The Great One being trapped while in this form. Perhaps the effect is the same.”

  “So … Karim is trapped in there, unable to change back?”

  “That’s the only explanation I can think of.”

  Dread filled her. “We have to find a way,” she said. “Can you call and get some help?”

  “I could, but …”

  “But?”

  “This …” He nodded to the beast, who had stopped struggling, “is a sign of weakness. Karim’s standing is shaky enough as it is, this might put his status in peril. There are some people in high places who want him gone from the throne.”

  Karim was having problems within his government? She had no idea. But what were they supposed to do? The only way they could get this off him was with a crane or if Karim shifted back. This was hopeless.

  Suddenly, her inner wolf yowled and yipped, scratching at her. What do you want? It seemed to go on and on …

  Not sure what else to do, she followed her wolf’s instincts. She knelt down by the beast’s gigantic head the size of a small car and reached inside the net, rubbing a hand on its snout. “Karim.”

  A gigantic eye snapped open and looked up at her, the thin-slitted pupils focusing. A shiver ran through her, and while the great silver orb was nothing like Karim’s eye, she couldn’t help but feel he was looking out of it.

  “Karim,” she repeated. “Please. Please, come back. We want to help you, but you need to come back. Oh … Great One, let him have his body back.”

  The air went still, and the silence was ringing in her ear. Her wolf let out a deep, longing howl, and she jumped when the scales under her palm turned hot.

  A hand pulled at her shoulder, tugging her back as the dragon was suddenly engulfed in fire. The blazing form grew smaller and smaller, though the heat of the flames were still scorching. When the fire dissipated, a naked, prone form lay underneath the net.