Wucaii

Chapter Seventeen

Aelana opened her eyes slowly. Her body felt heavy, her head like it was underwater. As her vision came into focus, she realized she was surrounded by padding. At her feet was a metal door with a small glass window and tray slot. She opened her mouth and attempted to lick her lips, but her tongue stuck to her teeth. Who had attacked her? And what did they attack her with? The only thing they could have possibly done was take her oxygen. She didn't feel any plant material around her, and magic had its limits. It would explain why she passed out.

She propped herself on her elbow and looked around. The entire cell was padded. Apparently, her captors were trying to prevent her from being in contact with the earth. The room was a good plan, and it did block a lot of the communication, but she wasn't a novice. She had more skills than any human could ever know about. There was no need to raise suspicion, though, in case someone was watching her, so she stayed in the propped position and focused on the pulse.

Once the earth's heartbeat was located, she felt for others around her. There weren't many, twenty or so, all scattered around the large building. One sat outside her door. She felt for the magic that brought her down. It wasn't the same magic that surrounded Kalen, but it was more than likely the same people. Their lack of hygiene was easy to sense. She also felt their motivation. They weren't looking to make friends. They probably figured that if they destroyed her, they'd destroy the dragons, but they were wrong. Part of her may have been human and vulnerable, but her other half was dragon, and no one knew what her capabilities were.

They took Bayn and Kalen as leverage. It was the only advantage they had. Where was she? That was the first thing she needed to figure out. She sent out feelers to take in her surroundings. The building was large, decrepit, with three different floors. It was surrounded by a chain link fence and acres of land. They were outside of the city, but not far. The history of the earth told her she was in a mental institution; one that had been closed and abandoned years previously. She frowned. She'd have to be cautious. With Kalen in a different area, the captors could send orders to kill him faster than she could get there. There was no reason to risk his life. Bayn was in the building with her, though. His energy signature pulsated a floor below her. Good. She'd figure out what was going on; then when the opportunity presented itself, she'd get him before going after Kalen.

A face appeared briefly in the window of her door, followed by the sound of metal clanking on metal. The door swung open silently. A man stood before her holding a rifle across his chest. He opened and closed his grasp around the barrel nervously. Aelana refrained from rolling her eyes and laughing. The weapon was useless against her. Still, being led out of the door was better than having to rip it off the hinges. She'd play along—at least long enough to be assured nothing was going to happen to Bayn and Kalen.

"I don't want any trouble." His voice shook. "I know you can probably hurt me, but if you do, they'll kill your friend." He jerked his head over his shoulder. "Let's go."

"Where?" Aelana asked quietly.

"You'll find out soon enough."

Aelana jumped to her feet, causing the man to flinch. She enjoyed being able to mess with people. The rush of power thrilled her. The man directed her down the hall and through another metal door, which opened onto a communal gathering room filled with plastic tables and chairs that were bolted to the floor. A few other guards lounged in the room. They snapped to attention when the pair entered, grabbing guns from tabletops and holsters. Aelana smiled. Bullets couldn't hurt her. Nothing could. But if it made them feel better, she'd let them have their false sense of security.

They proceeded through the room and down another hall. Barred doors lined the walls on either side. She glanced into one of the rooms and noticed a bed and sink in each room. Sleeping quarters. At the end of the hall were a set of double doors, which opened for Aelana and her captors. They led into a brighter hallway, one with carpeted floors and high windows that let in sunlight. More doors lined the walls, but these were made of wood and spaced further apart. Offices. The doctors' wing of the hospital. Again she smiled. Did they have a point? Nothing she'd seen so far had impressed her. And she certainly wasn't scared or intimidated by it. Still, she had to play along for a little while longer, just until she could get more information.