The Lost Dragon (The Dragon Hunters Book 1) Read online

  Brandon pulled out an identical dagger. “We’ll be fine. We’ll just acquire a bigger one if we have to.”

  Vic drew his other gun and turned off the safety. “This must be my lucky night. I might actually get a workout.”

  “Here they come,” Andreas warned.

  An even larger group of the rogues appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, surrounding them completely.

  “I’m going to enjoy this,” Demun muttered.

  The four charged off in separate directions, right into the thick of the rogues. Brandon stopped directly in front of one with a straight sword in his hand.

  “Nice sword. Too bad you won’t get to use it,” he taunted.

  “Why you little--” was as far as he got before Brandon’s dagger sank into his chest, going right through the heart. Brandon took the sword and let the rogue fall, the heart coming out with his dagger. The others moved in and he switched the dagger to his left hand, keeping the sword in his right. He quickly flipped up high in the air to land on top of one rogue, who he quickly stabbed in the chest. As another moved in, he back flipped and kicked him in the jaw, knocking him back into several others. He turned and threw his dagger several yards into the chest of another rogue rushing at him.

  Meanwhile, Andreas had already taken down six rogues and was surrounded. “So, you want to go one at a time, or all at once?”

  The rogues charged in and Andreas flipped over their heads, letting them crash into each other. He landed outside of the pile-up, just in time to turn and stab another rogue through the chest. Andreas removed his sword and caught another the same way, but this one he lifted up and tossed onto the others that had piled up, preventing several from getting up. Turning again, he shot a bolt of lightning off, taking two others down.

  Vic had already emptied the magazines in both guns and was reloading, not that he was given a break. The rogues charged and he caught the first with a straight kick to the jaw. He swung the gun in his right hand, catching the next rogue across the face. Turning, he kicked another in the stomach, doubling him over. Vic finished loading the next magazine in his gun and shot the rogue in the forehead.

  “Lackeys are always so disappointing,” he muttered.

  He shot the other two he’d knocked down before, then raised his gun and shot down others as they ran up, hitting each one in the forehead until the clip was empty and he had to start again.

  Demun, as he was called, was a little different. While the first rogue fell to the dagger, the next he put his fist through his chest, literally. When he pulled it out, he held the rogue’s heart in his hands. The others surrounding him stopped, which only made him laugh.

  “Oh, now you’re scared?” he taunted. “Didn’t your maker tell you why they call me Demun?”

  When they didn’t move, Demun went on the attack. He shot forward and grabbed the face of the first rogue he came to, then dug his nails in until he drew blood with each finger. Another charged in and Demun kicked him in the groin, dropping him to his knees before kicking him in the jaw. The first rogue was screaming in pain and Demun released him, then hit a roundhouse kick to the head that sent him flying across the yard. Another charged in and Demun caught him with both hands and lifted him over his head, then tossed him onto several others. Without turning, he shot a ball of fire at one behind him, then shot a stream of fire at the pile in front of him.

  The rest of the rogues began to fall back, seemingly ready to retreat. Brandon retrieved his dagger before joining the others. Vic reloaded his guns again and took aim.

  “What, you guys finished already?” Vic taunted. “It was just starting to get fun.”

  “Looks like they’re waiting for the guest of honor,” Andreas commented.

  “No, actually Kalos turned back,” Brandon told him.

  “Just knew the little bastard wouldn’t make my job easy,” Andreas muttered.

  Demun cracked his knuckles. “So, can we finish these off?”

  The rogues vanished.

  “Well, damn it,” Demun muttered.

  Vic put the safety on his guns and put them back in their holsters. “I guess I’ll handle the cleanup. You guys can go inside.”

  Andreas sheathed his sword and led the boys into the house. The house was a split level, so upon going in the door, one had to go up or downstairs. The boys led him upstairs, into the living room. The furniture was black leather and cherry wood, consisting of a sofa, love seat, chair, and coffee and end tables.

  “Where’s your mother?” Andreas asked.

  “In the hospital,” Brandon answered.

  “She’s pretty much at the end now,” Demun added solemnly.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Shouldn’t you be with her?”

  “She doesn’t want us there,” Brandon replied. “When she passes, we’ll know.”

  “Can you sense her from this far?” Andreas asked.

  Brandon nodded. “But that’s not what I meant. Father will come for her when it’s time.”

  Andreas raised an eyebrow. “You speak to Julian?”

  “He shows himself regularly now,” Demun told him. “He chose to watch over us in his afterlife, and he’ll be here to guide her into hers.”

  Andreas sat on the sofa. “You boys are oddly accepting of the situation.”

  “Our mother is dying of breast cancer. Father has been appearing to us since she was diagnosed. It’s not a pleasant time, but he’s been trying to prepare us.” Demun leaned against the wall. “There’s really no way to prepare for it.”

  “So how did you guys wind up here alone?”

  “I had something to do with that.” Jarel appeared, sitting in the armchair in from of the window.

  “How long have you been here?” Andreas asked.

  “I’ve only just arrived, actually,” Jarel answered. “When I realized where you were, I realized the complications that would come up.”

  “What kind of complications?” Brandon asked.

  “Well, boys, let’s just say your father left behind unfinished business and will have to finally explain himself. Now off to bed, you’ve had enough excitement for one night.”

  The boys obediently walked off to the back without complaint, just as Vic walked in.

  “Well, just the god I need to talk to,” he commented as he looked at Jarel.

  Jarel held up his hand to silence him. “Now is not the time for your questions. I know what you want to know, and I am not the one to explain everything to you. Right now, we have business to attend to.”

  The look in Vic’s eyes said he wanted to press the issue, but he knew better. Jarel looked at Andreas.

  “I’m afraid I have more to ask of you here tonight. Their mother is passing as we speak. As such, I must instate a guardian for them here. And I can’t think of anyone better than you for the job.”

  “I have no problem with that,” Andreas told him. “But I still have the Odele woman to watch over.”

  Jarel nodded. “I’m aware of that. Perhaps she’ll relocate for the time being. Though I’m sure these boys can handle themselves, they need guidance and someone they trust.” He turned to Vic. “I’ll be seeing you on Solaris shortly. All will be explained there.”

  “We’re not finished here yet,” Vic told him.

  “Tomorrow, all of my children are ordered back to Solaris. I will pass judgment on Vacker and Deidre Devial, and all their children. My own child must face his past tomorrow as well.” Jarel turned to Andreas again. “Bring Odele and my grandsons. You’ll need to hear this.”

  “I’ll go get her in a few,” Andreas replied.

  “Good. I’ll see you shortly.” Jarel vanished.

  Six

  It was a harsh night for the boys. Just before midnight, their mother passed on. Andreas had brought Cassandra to the house to stay, and together, they had to comfort the two grieving boys. No amount of warning could truly help them prepare for the loss of their mother, the queen of their household and the most important woman in their
lives. Vic took care of the funeral arrangements at Jarel’s orders, feeling a strange amount of sorrow for the passing of this woman. He’d never met her, but the feeling remained all the same.

  The day of the funeral saw turbulent weather, as a storm raged most of the day. The attendance of the funeral was astounding. This woman was loved in the human and supernatural world, as several gods were in attendance. The church was packed, and Cassandra noted several demi-humans in attendance. She stayed at Andreas’ side, not very trusting due to Kalos’ attempts to capture her. Andreas, in turn, remained with the boys at all times. He wore his shades, but this was a softer side to the harder man, as he kept an arm around the boys during the ceremony. He escorted them to the casket for the viewing, keeping physical contact with them, and he guided them out to the graveyard. The storm calmed, but the rain continued. The large crowd from the funeral followed to the graveyard for a few last words.

  Vic stayed at a distance. He watched from a hill, the strangest of feelings going through him. He was not surprised when Jarel appeared at his side.

  “What troubles you, old friend?” Jarel asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Vic answered. “I feel strange today. So many emotions are going through me, and I don’t understand. I feel grief for a woman I don’t know. Why is that?”

  Jarel hid a smile. “Can’t you tell? The feelings you’re getting, they don’t come from you. You feel what the boys are feeling, though a much watered down version of it.”

  “But why? Did you do this?”

  Jarel shook his head. “No, child, this is not my doing. This is fate. Those boys will come to mean a great deal to you, and not just because of who their father is.”

  Vic turned to face Jarel. “I gathered that already. I don’t like this caring thing. I’m not used to it. I mean, I love all your children, but it never happened like this. This is strange.”

  “True enough, and perhaps it’s time for you to get some answers. I know you have questions, questions that have been unanswered for sixteen years. I think it’s far past time for you to get those answers and I’ve brought just the man to give them to you.” Jarel gestured behind him, where a very familiar old face was waiting for him.

  “Julian,” Vic whispered.

  “Hello, Victor.” Julian’s sons looked just like him, only younger. Julian stood as Vic had always remembered him, shorter than most of Jarel’s children, his arms folded across his chest. His face still looked young, and he was still as handsome as ever. His face had a few more lines, showing he was definitely an adult. His hair was tied back in a ponytail and he wore a slight smile on his face.

  “It’s time to stop running from the past, son,” Jarel said to Julian. “It’s time to finally talk to him and settle your issues.”

  Vic just stared at Julian. The last time he’d seen Julian alive hadn’t been very pleasant. The last time he saw him at all, he’d seen his mangled body, and briefly he saw a flash of it now. He shook his head to clear the image out. Julian hadn’t taken his eyes off him either.

  Jarel rolled his eyes. “Enough of the awkward silence, already. Talk to each other.”

  Vic kept his eyes on Julian. “I have no idea what to say to you.”

  Julian gave a full smile. “I know. But I think I’m the one that needs to do the talking; I have some explaining to do.”

  “I think I get it.” Vic looked down to the boys standing at the grave. “You were hurt. You never wanted to see me again. Of course you wouldn’t want me to know you had children.”

  Julian looked over at his father before responding. “That’s part of it.”

  Vic turned back to him. “I wish I hadn’t botched things so badly with us. That last argument was all because of my own fear. The things I said…”

  “I know,” Julian interrupted. “We both said things we didn’t mean, and I know now why we ended the way we did: I wasn’t meant for you. I couldn’t see it then, but I saw it over time. I’ll admit I was hurt, but that’s how I found their mother and for those few years we had together, I was happy. She gave me two wonderful sons; sons that were just so powerful and so like me. They are the two halves of me split up. Brandon gained more of my dragon side, the side from Father. Demun, as he’s called, gained my demonic side, the side from my mother. Their mother balances it all out by being human.”

  “You’re not being truthful, child,” Jarel said to Julian. “Tell him why you kept the boys from him. Tell him all that the Fates will allow you to tell.”

  Julian sighed. “Okay, honestly, I was hurt. I found their mother, and I loved her so much. But I couldn’t get past how you hurt me. I almost hated you and I was scared you would come to your senses. I was scared you’d want me all of a sudden and I’d have to choose between you and my wife. I couldn’t honestly say who I’d choose if it came to that.”

  “You should’ve known me better than that.” Vic’s normally hard face softened. “I would never have done that to you. If you were happy with her, I’d have been happy for you. We were best friends, and all I ever wanted was to see you happy. I just knew that you couldn’t be happy with me.”

  “Yeah, and I know that now. Like I said, I wasn’t meant to be with you. But a visit to the Fates scared me more. I was told your fate is intertwined with one of my sons’ fate. I couldn’t bear the thought that one of my children would be forcibly attracted to you, and end up with you, while I had been passed over. I immaturely kept them from you to protect my own unreasonable feelings. And then I was ambushed, so there was never a time to tell you.”

  Vic’s face hardened. “Julian, you appear to your sons regularly. You appear to your father regularly. Hell, I frequently make trips to the Underworld on missions. You’ve had years to tell me. Those boys are almost sixteen years old, and the only reason I know now is because your father is making you tell me. If you’d had it your way, I’d never have found out and I’d still be confused as to why the hell I feel grief right now for a woman I don’t know. I’d be drawn to these children with no earthly idea why. And even now, I still don’t understand. I’m a servant. I’ve never been fated to be more.”

  “That isn’t true,” Jarel intervened. “You’ve always had a destiny. If you recall, you were human once, and one of my loyal followers. You were caught in the crossfire of the war between Uranus and Cronus, you and your sisters. That was not what Fate intended for you. The Fates, however, cannot overrule the ruler of the universe, but I can, or at least I did. You phoenixes were created as a result of the need to correct the error of Cronus. This does not mean you are fated only to serve your master.”

  “Then what the hell am I destined for? I’ve served you longer than the gods themselves have been on Olympus. I’ve never asked for more.”

  Jarel had a glint in his eyes. “True, you don’t ask me for anything. You’ve been a faithful servant for your entire existence. But no one asks for their fate, my child. I can’t go into specific details without changing your fate and theirs, and there’s no guarantee that it won’t be for the worse if I change it. But you have chosen this for yourself. You, bird, have forsaken love. You have never been a monogamous person and you’ve never tried to be. You’ve run from relationships at every opportunity. Fate seems to think that’s not good enough for you.”

  Vic narrowed his eyes. “You’re one to talk. I learned from you.”

  A strange look passed over Jarel’s eyes. “My ways were not always as they have been. I missed out on my opportunity and as such I live this way. That’s not saying my way is right for everyone else though.”

  Julian looked towards his sons. “Either way, Victor, I’ve made a mistake. I stayed away from you and now there’s no way for us to be close again. I’m in the afterlife, and while I can communicate with you every now and then, Hades only allows me to watch over my children. They were the only ones I could arrange this for. My Elysia, my heaven, is watching my boys grow up.”

  Vic’s face softened again. “I understand, really I do. I j
ust wish I had been here for you so you could watch them grow up yourself. If I had just had the courage to come after you, you’d still be alive.”

  Julian turned and looked Vic directly in the eyes. “It was my time, Victor. There was nothing you could have done. I made a choice, and that choice ultimately cost me my life. It caused pain to everyone, and I alone bear the blame for that. My decision to keep you away left me open to that ambush. Now my sons are without their father or mother, and will be raised by their uncle. The only plus side is Andreas will be a great father figure for them, and it’ll give him something to look forward to. Maybe they’ll give him hope again.”

  Jarel looked at the graveside, where Andreas was leading the boys away. “The funeral is over. Julian, your wife will be looking for you shortly.”

  Julian nodded. “My time is pretty much up anyway.” He looked at Vic. “I hope I helped you to be at ease. I love you, Victor.”

  Vic smiled, a tear forming in his eyes. “I love you, Julian.”

  Julian vanished. Jarel put an arm around Vic.

  “Thanks,” Vic told him.

  “You may be a servant, formally, but I count you as a friend. I couldn’t take your suffering anymore. You deserve some kind of peace, but I know you have more questions, questions that even I can’t answer. Time tells all, my friend. Now come on, we have work to do.”

  Seven

  Andreas found himself in his own room for the first time in a long time. Solaris, the domain of his father, was a virtual paradise. It was filled with people, which Andreas looked down on from his window. Jarel’s children resided with him in the palace, and much like the realm of Earth, there were separate cities. Unlike on Earth, there was no questioning the existence of the gods, particularly Jarel, who made the rounds of his domain daily. There were few humans here, but there were some that Jarel gave the option to reside with him. The rest were all manner of beings, vampires, were-creatures, and demi-humans. Jarel’s word was law, and nowhere was this saying truer than here in Solaris. No other god held dominion here, and therefore none, not even Zeus, could overrule anything Jarel decreed.