Chasing Atlantis (14 page)

He held the door open for a minute examining my anxious face. “After all the years that I’ve known you, I still don’t know what kind of girl you really are, Amy.” He grinned, waiting for my reply.

“I’m human. Why? What kind of guy are you?” His only reply was to grin wickedly before shutting the door. He trudged to his side with heavy footsteps.

“Adam I really need to talk to you about something. It’s not that—,” Adam interrupted me before I was able to complete my speech.

“Oh. Hold on Amy, I really like this song.” He turned up the radio to full blast, blaring a loud rock song that I never heard before. The lyrics were a little too conventional for my taste, although the rhythm was very soothing. I had to admit he did have fairly decent tastes in music. I became sidetracked as we got in a discussion of the top twenty greatest bands of our times. Surprisingly we did have several of the same bands. His tastes were a little too heavy metal for me. I prefer more complicated beats than he did.

All in all, the date was not the terrible disaster the first one turned out to be. Throughout the date I tried to find an opening to tell Adam how I really felt. There never seemed to be the perfect moment to tell him. Adam supplied most of the conversation, very carefully maneuvering his way through topics to avoid awkward silences. He also prevented me from finding an opening. He never even noticed that I had desperately been seeking a way to break his incessant rattling. It was sad how little he actually knew me, even if we had been friends for years.

I may have become increasingly suspicious since I came to Vero Beach, but Adam had the same haughty air that my mom and Steve possessed. He never looked at me with the warmth that Ty did, rather like a shiny trophy glistening in the intense light. I felt slightly uneasy around Adam. He didn’t know the full force of his own strength. He crushed the first ice cream cone with one very light twitch of his hand. I couldn’t get past how rough looking his skin looked in the light. It almost retained a scaly quality about it; each little segment of skin had an outline around it that shone in a very unnatural way. He reminded me of a lizard somehow.

On the drive home I knew exactly what I would have to do. No matter what happened I was not, under any circumstances going to chicken out now. I had to tell Adam no matter what his reaction. This much I owed to Ty, not to mention the increasing change in Adam’s attitude towards me. I was not an object, and I certainly didn’t deserve to be treated like one. As we rounded the last bend in my driveway I inhaled very slowly, closing my eyes to steady my nerves. My hand twisted several sections of my hair into unmanageable knots. He slowed the car to a complete stop in my driveway.

It was now or never.

“Adam, I really need to talk to you about something that’s been bothering me for the last couple of weeks.” I blurted out. His light eyes instantly turned serious. He placed one hand on his face while leaning back in his chair. He nodded for me to continue.

“Look, you have been a great friend to me over the years, but that’s all I want us to be. Just friends. You are a great guy, and all, I just don’t feel that way about you. I’m sorry, but that’s how I feel. I think it’s best if we distance ourselves from one another for a little while. Just to give our parents some time to accept it. I really am sorry.” My eyes never left his face. My breath caught in my chest as I waited for his reply. It was an agonizing time before he let himself show any emotion. When he did it shocked me.

Instead of the rage, or tears that I had been dreading, his lips pulled back over his teeth in a harsh smile. The laughter that escaped his lips didn’t sound human, it was raspy and tough. Not at all like the soft laughter I was used to. He grabbed his side, doubling over in the strange wheezes and grunts, unable to contain it any longer. I pulled back from him, as far back as the small car allowed me. Every instinct I had ever been taught begged me to run screaming from the car, but I was fixated by this sudden change in personality. I was torn between running out of the car, and staying to wait for his response.

“Amy,” he spoke my name condescendingly, a mother reproaching a child. “Did you really think it would be that simple? That you would just decide that it would be over between us? I don’t think so.” His hand snaked out trapping my unsuspecting one. I pulled with all my force to no avail. I screamed out in pain as his hand lightly wrapped around my wrist, his rough skin felt like tiny daggers as it cut into mine, his eyes sparkled with a horrible delight. That’s when the terrible truth became clear.

He was not human.

He took his free hand, quickly ensnared it around my neck, pulling me closer. The skin on his hand chaffed my neck, causing a small stream of blood to spill down my back. I was trapped. I fought back the nausea that threatened to surface, pushing down the fear so that I could think clearly. His usually friendly eyes turned to dark menacing pools as he watched with delight, while the horror I couldn’t hide in my eyes took over my reactions.

There was only an inch between us. I swallowed hard, it sounded so noisy even to me. Adam’s wheezy laughter filled the car. “We could have everything together; power, money, glory. I won’t let you take that away from me.” He whispered threateningly to me. When his breath blew on my face it resembled an oven opening up, burning my unprotected skin. I whimpered slightly, he smiled broadly.

“I’m the kind of man that knows exactly what I want. I will not stop at anything to get it. Right now, I want you. Nothing you can do or say will dissuade me in this quest. I will have you, willingly, or not. You are worth too much to just let you slip from my grasp.” For one brief instant his appearance flickered between a human façade and a much larger scaly image. He closed his eyes, gaining control of himself before he locked his eyes onto mine. I knew what he wanted instantly. I screamed, “No!” but it was too late.

His scolding lips scraped against mine, I recoiled as the tender skin was singed, in his deadly kiss. I screamed with all my force, which only angered him. His arms formed steel walls around me. Every time I rubbed against his arms it scraped the skin off my arms causing me more pain. I thrashed blindly against the pain as my worst nightmare came true.

He forced my mouth open. His scorching breath spiraled down my mouth. My eyes watered with the force of his burning vapors, climbing down my throat. He released me, watching as I rubbed the dead skin on my lips with my fingers. “You monster! Don’t ever touch me again!” I screamed. I turned to throw the door open, when he reached to grab me again. I spat in his face. He froze, shock widening his eyes. I took the opportunity to jump out of the car, slamming the door in his face.

The inferno in my mouth blazed, pushing out all thoughts.

It hurts, it hurts. It hurt, hurt, hurts!

I didn’t look back as I ran inside the house, bolting the door while fresh tears spilled down my face. I flew up the stairs, cursing bitterly. I didn’t know any medication that could heal my lips, or stop the burning.

Please stop the fire! Please someone, put out the fire.

It raged on and on, incessantly. The fire kept getting worse until death would have been a blessing. It burned my tongue to nothing more than a shriveling weed, parching my throat. The scream that wanted to burst forth died in my throat, as my attachments to my family died along with it. Still, the fire raged on.

13.

Starlight

I raced into my room momentarily baffled to see Ty sitting on my bed, his hand clasped tightly around a long silver chain. Quickly he stowed the chain in his pocket. He took one at my tear streaked face, then my charred lips.

“What happened to you?” he whispered. The only answer I could give him were the sobs that poured out uncontrollably. The realization of it struck him first; he jumped up pole straight, like a thunderbolt hit him. His eyes were wide in horror and anger, the hypnotic orbs glinting murderously in the dim light. He wrapped his slippery arms around me pulling my face up to his.

Lighter than a cloud he placed his lips on mine. His wet lips felt soothingly cold against the desperate burning. Once he was sure that the blistering pain had eased from my lips he carefully opened my mouth. His cool breath flowed over every inch, replenishing the burned skin. There seemed to be no rational explanation for what occurred, but I was beyond looking for explanations. The painful inferno was pulled from my depths. He saved me, yet again. Gently he wiped the last remnants of tears off my face.

Even though I should have been more concerned that he saved my life I couldn’t get over the fact that he actually
kissed
me. I wasn’t sure if that technically counted as I kiss, but it took the breath out of me, no pun intended. In that one instant, he had tipped our relationship past the breaking point into a higher level.

He pulled his face back after he was sure that there was nothing left of the pain Adam caused me. He never let me go, making sure that he only gave me enough room to speak. After the urgent pain had been vanquished a new wave of fear washed over me. It tightened my stomach as my eyes fluttered to the window, making sure that Adam had left the house. The driveway was empty.

My breathing was labored as the realization that once again I knew he wasn’t human hit me full force. I became afraid of everyone and everything around me. My world used to make sense. People were themselves, and the world continued. Now, nothing was what it should be. I felt like everything had turned upside down.

Fear of the unknown locked my heart in a vice grip.

I wasn’t sure who I could trust or who was left to turn to for help. There was only one person that had my best interests in mind. Ty.

I looked up, riveted by his hypnotic eyes, expecting the murderous look to glare ominously at me. It wasn’t there. Instead, fear, anger, and despair sparkled brilliantly in his eyes, playing across his handsome face. His voice was harsher than usual, yet still possessing the seductive quality.

“I’m sorry. I will murder him for this! He won’t get away. I will make him pay for every single second you had to spend in pain.” The melodic quality of his voice lowered until it was only a whisper. “I’m so sorry about this. I shouldn’t have let him get that close to you alone. It’s all my fault. Henry should have killed him when he had the chance the other night on the beach.” He pressed his face into my hair, caressing my face with his hands.

“I don’t blame you for anything, Ty. I want you to know that. But, what the hell is he? He can’t be one of you. There’s just something not right about him. His skin is rougher than sand paper. When he opens his mouth it is like being put in an oven. You know more than you’re telling me. Please, I’ve been patient. I deserve to know.” I clasped my hands reassuringly onto his, not daring to show him any weakness.

His sturdy chest heaved a low sigh. “I never wanted to be the one who had to tell you this. I can’t even expect you to believe what I’m about to say. Although, with all the odd occurrences that have happened to you over the past few weeks you might just be ready to believe me.” He surveyed my face for any sign of fear. I held it blank, so as not to disturb him with my impatient thoughts. He sighed again before continuing.

“As I’m sure you have already figured out, we are not the only mythical beings to exist in this world. Every single creature that you humans have deemed as fantasy is real. Vampires, Merpeople, Werewolves, Prophets, and everything else you humans believe you have the imaginations to dream up. We are all very real. We have plagued your doubts about it being silly to believe we exist, so that you either lock one of your own up in a nut-house, or tell them to grow up. It makes things so easy, really.” He added bitterly.

“I wish you humans would realize we exist, just so that you would believe one of your own over my kind. It really ticks me off how easily your brush off the worries of another, when they know for certain what they saw.” His eyes glittered angrily, at how frail humans held their beliefs. It made me happy how much he wanted to protect humans, even though every natural instinct told him how wonderful they would taste. He was much closer to his human instincts than he realized.

“I can’t, in good conscience, ask you to believe what I’m about to tell you. I’m hoping that these last few experiences let you know that I’m telling you the truth.” He set me down on the bed. His eyes never released mine, as mine never moved from his scrutinizing stare. I had come too far to show weakness now.

“Come on. Just spit it out already, Ty. It can’t be that bad.” I thought impatiently.

“Adam is one of the worst kind of creatures. He is one that has never been told ‘no’. That added with his new, um, capabilities, has led him to be one of the most deadly of assassins, to creatures and humans alike. He is a
dragon.
” He slurred the word like a curse. “A horrible, disgusting, excuse for one, anyway.”

After he was done he fidgeted nervously for my reply. I was too stunned to speak at first. Normally, I would have burst out laughing, telling him to stop playing around with me and tell me what was really going on. This was no laughing matter. Ty’s face was deadly serious.

His conviction left me silent for a few moments, unable to fully understand the now confusing world that I faced. Ty felt he had to explain more as the silence dragged on between us. Something like this just could not be real. At least it can’t happen to me. Me! I’m just boring I’ve never been ordinary, somehow just slightly abnormal. Why would all of this happen to me?

A new fear gripped my heart as I pictured Ty, with only his tale and claws taking on a very large dragon. He was too frail for that, I was sure. Adam would rip him limb from limb. I would never forgive myself for that. I had to keep them separate, at least until we could come up with a plan to be rid of him for good.

“Not that my people and dragons have been on the friendliest of terms before Adam, but now it has escalated to nothing short of warfare. Adam with his family’s new powers, and his risky behavior have left many of our kind embittered. Once they find out what he did to you there will be anger on both sides. I’d like to rip him limb from scaly limb, if given the chance. I know that it’s hard for you to take this all in. I’m sorry for not protecting you more. Some things should be cleared up for you now.”

He picked up both my hands in his, turning my arms over so that he could look at the now dried streaks of blood. For a fleeting instant he let his anger cloud his majestic eyes before blinking, wiping them clean once more. “I can’t believe he has this little lack of self control, to nearly transform with you in the car. It would have been murder right there. The stronger the—,” he paused to think of a normal word, “person is the closer they look and act like humans. They have the power to project the image of being human, but not always the power to hold it up.”

H paused to take a breath.

“He uses much of his power projecting his human image so that he really doesn’t have as much power as he would in his regular form. Once he became angry he couldn’t fake the smoothness of his skin as he lost control on the mask he now wears that once resembled his human form. That is when his rough scales striped away your fragile skin.” My stomach did cartwheels as he bent forward, pressing his lips to my arms. His soft lips sent chills down my spine. I felt my face redden slightly.

Once I found my tongue it took me several attempts to work up the nerve to ask my question. “Ok. So let’s say this whole world full of mythical creatures is real, for the moment.” I took a deep breath to steady myself. I couldn’t believe what I was about to ask. It sounded so stupid, even to me. “What do you mean your kinds haven’t been on the ‘friendliest terms’?”

He sat down on the bed next to me. The small smile on his face didn’t reach his eyes. “We all have our histories don’t we?” He didn’t mean for the question to be answered, despite that fact I found myself muttering in agreement. He watched me warily before he was obliged to continue.

“Before we had any fear of humans finding out our secrets, which wasn’t that long ago you understand, dragons and my kind worked as a team. We would lure humans to our depths, taking… only our share.” He sputtered out the last phrase obviously terrified of my reaction to his words. I stared, blank faced, so as not to let him know my terror.

“We would then give the dragons the rest once the skin was gone. For this, the dragons protected us, and our secrets. Dragons are different from us, in the sense that they can turn back into the people they once r
esembled before they were recruited to become monsters. They can walk on land, among your own, going unnoticed until one of them gets carried away, like your little friend Adam. He and his family have just joined a new herd of rising dragons. Adam is the strongest they have seen for many generations. Their race is dying out, but Adam presented them with a golden opportunity to carry on the name with pride and ruthlessness.”

“But you and your brothers walk on land, and interact among humans? So maybe you’re not that different.” I offered.

His dark brow furrowed, instantly he was shaking his head in exasperation. “That is because we are part human. I have human wants and desires, they just get buried under the more pressing inhuman desires, Amy. I am NOT like them.” He spat the words.

“They are nothing more than filthy over grown lizards.” His fists clenched tightly. In his smooth dark brow, a throbbing vein was the only indication of the rage that threatened to surface. “As I’m sure you noticed, once they become full dragons, they are able to pick their own features, so long as they can hold up the illusion. I would have found it comical that he was able to hide so many imperfections if not for him nearly killing you in the car with his foolish antics.” I realized that’s how Adam got rid of the parasite he called a nose. Steve had nothing to do with it. My clues had been wrong on so many things lately. I wondered how many other little clues I had missed.

My slow eyes missed him leap from my bed. He simply just appeared in front of me on the other side of the room, pacing back and forth. My eyes opened wide in shock as I realized that he was much quicker than I ever thought possible, even on land. He raised his hands in obstinate gestures while he paced, letting the anger in his voice seep through my bones.

“To think I was almost too late. I waited far too long to intervene. I won’t make that mistake ever again. I didn’t want to force myself on you. I just wanted you to be able to make your own decision. I can’t believe he tried to make you one of his kind. Disgusting over-size—,”

I interrupted. “What exactly do you mean ‘make you one of his kind?’” I held back the nausea, hoping that I might have had the wrong meaning.

“The bastard tried to turn you into a DRAGON! Right there in his car. Lucky, the fool used the wrong technique. He followed a myth, that by blowing a different type of fire down a human you could change them. The son of a—ugh!” He edited the last word clearly for my benefit. Though I’m not sure why. I had been cursing him out mentally all night.

“He damn near came close to killing you. I will never forgive him for that.” His voice never became louder than when he ordinarily spoke. This frightened me more than if he had screamed. His words were spoken so calmly, with only an underlying layer of menace, I couldn’t deny the terror I felt. Ty wasn’t lying when he said he would murder Adam.

My voice was nothing more than a strangled whisper. “So there is a way to turn a human into a dragon? How is that possible?” I couldn’t imagine a world where this would be true, much less my own

Ty stopped mid-stride. His eyes shifted uneasily, torn between what he wanted to tell me, and what he wanted to protect me from. He heaved an exasperated sigh before slowly coming to sit by me, once again. His shoulders sagged as he took my hand in both of his.

“Yes, there is a way. It’s very dangerous and very rarely works without killing the human. It takes an experienced dragon to pull it off, one who has lived for a few hundred years. Adam was ludicrous for thinking he could ever possess the skill, or the restraint to do it. Once the blood started pouring he would have been engulfed in his selfish desires to take your life instead of transforming you.” I could feel my pulse quicken at the mention of the pouring of my blood. It wasn’t exactly a picture I wanted to paint for myself.

“In order to correctly transform a human, you must be in a state of transforming, possessing the talons and fangs, while not allowing your true form to completely become exposed, otherwise you take the risk that your desire for blood with overtake your desire to transform the target. Next, you must remove all barriers around the chest cavity.” My face flushed a brilliant shade of crimson as his eyes instinctively looked at my chest, before darting away in embarrassment.

“After that, a sharp talon is used to make the sign of the cross above the heart, tearing away the skin to reveal the blood beneath. Though, not far enough in so that it cuts the heart, that would mean death because the human would no longer be usable. Finally, the dragon has to breathe a different type of flame into the exposed flesh. I’m not sure what makes it different, other than I know it’s hotter than ordinary fires, but with a different characteristic. After that, it’s up to the human to survive the twenty three hours of constant pain.”

“The human’s heart will beat at one hundred times the normal rhythm, to spread the fire through every crevice of the body. If the body takes, the human will spend the next few months fighting off the new hunger while learning to provide the illusion that they are still human. A risky feature because they could lose control at any given moment, though not as deadly as vampires.”