The Dragon Blood Guardian *COMPLETED*

Last Step

"This is your fault Silas. Had you let me do my job..."

"She'd be dead! We'd get the ransom, but you'd be a murderer. You know the boss..."

"I wasn't going to kill her, you fool. Just immobilize her so she didn't run off and make a fuss."

"Yes, because the sound of a gunshot wasn't going to cause a disturbance."

The two growling voices pulled me from the quiet embrace of a dreamless sleep. One I recognized as Kent, his timbre full of far more gravel and annoyance than the screechy panic in Silas's voice – a voice that I believed to be that of my less than helpful attendant.

"Disturbance or not," said Kent with a gruff rumble in his throat, "had you not pulled her out of the way, she wouldn't have left a bruise on your back and Darla's fingers wouldn't look like they got nipped by a dragon."

"Blame me all you want old man, but you're a loose cannon and the boss won't be having it for much longer."

"Don't you put words in the boss's mouth! I'm the only one around here willing..."

"How you feeling?" A new voice, closer and softer, must have noticed the exploratory twitches of my fingers as I felt around the firm mattress I lay upon. My body went rigid upon discovery, but eventually the warm tones of his gentle question seeped into my muscles and I relaxed enough to allow my eyes to open. However, the harsh light above me burned my bleary eyes and I squeezed them shut again.

"Take it slow," he said. "Boss isn't in any hurry."

"But, I am," I said, my voice raspy as I pulled myself up on to my elbows. "I need to speak with him now." Having managed to get myself into a seated position, I opened my eyes with caution and after a few blinks, I was able to drink in my surroundings.

I found myself in a long wooden room without windows that housed eight beds, four on each side. On the far end was a cluster of wardrobes and cabinets, as well as a small table with a few chairs, an assortment of tinted glasses, and a centerpiece with flowers long since dead. There Kent sat with an amber colored drink in his hand, while Silas paced by a door.

"Si, go get the boss," called Reggie, who sat on the bed next to mine. "Our guest is up."

"Guest?" I mumbled with a bit of snark laced in my voice. However, as I inspected my own situation, I found that neither ropes nor chains kept me in place. My bare feet were free to run should I dare to challenge Reggie.

"You said you'd cooperate, didn't you?" asked Reggie with a smirk as Silas dutifully headed out the door. "Boss will treat you kindly should you do just that. He'll treat you kindly even if you don't, but you may find yourself a prisoner nonetheless."

I watched my large guard from the side of my eye, uncertain how to take his words, but I didn't spend too much time thinking on it. With one twist of my torso, my ribs cried out in pain and only their fiery rebuttal filled my mind.

"Takes some time to learn how to mount dragons properly," said Reggie as if that was any consolation for my discomfort.

"It also helps if one is informed that a dragon needed to be mounted," I replied through clenched teeth.

"Yes, well, what did you think he was doing when he jumped off the train." A deep, hearty laugh bounced his massive chest and I failed to see the humor in my point or his. "He's a dragon rider — one of the best. So, of course he had his dragon at the ready."

"Silly me," I mumbled. I looked to the far end of the room, where Kent kept his sentry at the table, drinking his spirits in silence. He sat not far from the door, the tight space cramped with furniture and making access to the single exit in the room difficult. Once Silas returned with Vincent, it'd be myself against four men should things turn south. Not to mention I had a case of bruised ribs to deal with. Still, out of all of us, I had to be the most spry, bruised or not. Perhaps if I got hold of a chair...