Dragon Blood (Completed)

Desma

Dean had lit a fire and pulled Paige close to its flames. She lay on the floor, still wet, her hair plastered to her face, and a small pool of blood had formed under her body. She was shaking violently from the cold. Zane stood over her, but she didn't open her eyes when his shadow loomed over her face. She was so small, so wet, and so weak.

Putting his hand over her heart, he could just barely make out its faint beat as it struggled to keep her alive. It wouldn't last much longer. He could easily watch her die and no one would be the wiser that he could have gotten help, that he could have saved her. Not even Dean would realize what was happening.

"Paige," Dean cried, picking up her hand. "Please don't die. Look, Zane's here."

But she was too vital. Zane understood this fact outweighed his anger and hatred. She wasn't just vital to Dean, she was vital to the realm, to his life, so he couldn't let her die. Death was not her fate, he knew that. He would seal her fate by picking the dragon that he knew would bring her the most pain, the one that wouldn't allow her memories to distract him from bringing her misery.

Cain's life was too short. Twenty or thirty years of him then she would be free. That was not good enough. Hudson was all talk and would be swayed by her past. He would soften his heart to hers. Randy was the one she wanted, which would defeat the purpose of Zane's intent. Vic would cheat on her, his loyalty was not a guarantee. But would that be enough to bring her the magnitude of pain she deserved? Daynon would bow too easily to her. She was right, she would break him down and he would never want to hurt her.

There was only one dragon who could guarantee her suffering. There was one who wouldn't let the magic of the Desma find sympathy in her past hurts. One that understood she needed to feel the pain she caused others. There was only one choice that could guarantee she would feel the pain of what she'd caused him every day of her life, and she would live a long time.

He would see to that.

In some perverse way, he thought Lavender would be pleased by his actions. The thought brought a feeling of triumph and joy. For some reason, the thought of doing something to make her happy, even after what she'd done to him, was magnificently important.

"Paige," Zane said firmly, shaking her until her eyes opened. She looked back at him, blinking her shifting eyes a few times before she registered what was going on. "Paige, I need you to focus. We are going to exchange hearts. I'm going to save you."

"No, Zane. Not you." She reached for his hand. "Quick...get Whitetail...I can't ask...You don't understand."

The fact that she didn't want him to be the one to enter the Desma with her only solidified his resolve. "There's no time. Besides, she doesn't love me the way I love her. I've lost her." The look on Lavender's face flashed in his mind. She'd never see him as anything but a monster. He knew there was no going back from what he'd done.

And it's entirely your fault.

"No, Zane." There was something sad in her eyes that would have softened his will toward her before. Now he just saw her as weak, and he could control the weak. Not only would he control her, he would possess her. Her knowledge of Balaan's world, his language, her dual-nature, her wealth, it would all be his. Once she understood what she'd done and felt it the way he did, she would give him all she possessed whether he had to take it from her by force or not.

"Trust me, I want to do this."

"Thank you," she said, nodding.

Zane smiled darkly, thankful she wasn't using her abilities on him and that her perceptions didn't extend to mind reading. If she had, she would only see pain, anger, and hatred. She would think it was all to do with Lavender and Ryder. She would not see that she was the source of his agony. She wouldn't see what he had in store for her.