Dragon Roar 1st Chapter

 Jewel

A tiny sliver of blue sky that I could see outside my window taunted me. What would it be like to fly again? The steel band around my wrist clanked against the metal arm of the chair when I shifted positions. I ran a finger along the matching choker circling my throat. I couldn’t escape. How could I make it through the guards without changing forms? If I escaped, where would I go? My kind had given me over as tribute. At least that’s what that brown and white dragon said as he helped them place the steel on me that kept me locked in this human form. How many years had passed since then? I’d stopped counting a long time ago. No, other dragons wouldn’t want me. Gods above, I hated the medicines. They must have put it in my water this time. They always dragged my thoughts into dark depths. The door opened and clicked shut. My owner’s sickening scent spiked in the air. Slowly I stood and went to my knees, a little dizzy as I bowed to press my forehead against the tops of his shoes. “Up, pet.”

His voice was gruff, holding no warmth or kindness and I sat up, remaining on my knees, swaying a little with the dizziness, my hands resting on the tops of my thighs. I clenched my hands into fists when his fingers combed through my hair and my gaze drifted to the window, trying to focus on something other than his hands on me. A crow perched on the sill. When had it gotten there? It’s gaze focused on my owner. If a bird had emotions, I’d swear it was glaring at him with murder in its mind. But wasn’t a flock of crows called a murder? I couldn’t remember.

“Did they give you too much, pet?”

The horrid sound of his voice grated on my every nerve. His show of concern sickened me, even through my drugged haze. He didn’t care about my feelings at all. All he cared about was what pleasure he could take from me. He wouldn’t now though. He preferred it when the drugs were just starting to wear off. When the drugs wore off, a little piece of me was reborn. The more I fought him, the more he enjoyed it. He always had a syringe prepared and near, though. The son of a bitch wasn’t stupid enough to allow me to fully come to my senses. I would gut him. At least, I thought I would. Worse, he knew it.

“We’re going on a little trip.”

Not that it mattered. I had no choice in it. Another bird landed on the sill. Black as the darkest night, another crow. This one was much larger than the first one. It tilted its head, looking at me. Could it be real? Or was this the medication? Hallucinations? That was new. For some unknown reason, a tiny spark of hope flickered to life as I stared into the bird’s dark eyes. The bird had more intelligence, wisdom, and affection than it should have. But hope for what? Langley gripped my upper arm and hauled me to my feet. I swore the crow dipped its head at me before dropping off the window ledge again.

I had to let myself be dragged along. My limbs worked and complied with the movements Langley forced on me, but I had little control over it. He stopped in front of the coat closet, pulled out one of my coats and helped into it, then tied the belt to make certain it did not expose me to the cold. All done with a show of caring for his servants and security team that made my skin crawl. A deep, almost forgotten part of me want to attack him. They believed I was his troubled niece. I didn't know how they could believe him after so long. Or maybe they knew the truth and were worried about their own safety. Easier to go about their daily lives and feel better about themselves? Or were they too afraid of Langley to question his word? Once outfitted for the winter weather, his security escorted us out the door. I didn’t ask where we were going. He wouldn’t tell me, and it didn’t matter anyway, not like I had a choice in it. Where Langley went, I went. I was his pet.

Next thing I knew, I was in the dark interior of the car. After buckling my seatbelt, he sat in his own seat, grabbed a stack of papers out of a case and began studying them, ignoring me as he always did around others. Thankful for his concentration, I leaned my head against the window, watching the city roll by.

We were stopped at a red light when I saw him. A male, taller than those around him. However, the way he stood with rounded shoulders made him almost indistinguishable from the humans around him. Something in me recognized this male. He was a dragon, like me, and my instincts screamed blood bond. I put my hand on the glass of the window.

“Help me.” I tried to reach out to him before I could stop myself. It was stupid. Why would he help me? He was male, and he was a dragon. No matter what my addled mind was telling me about family bonds. There was no one willing to help me. The man sitting next to me scared almost everyone.

Except his head snapped up, and he looked around. “Where are you?”

“Langley,” I sent desperately, then the car was moving away and I couldn’t reach him anymore. The awareness of him fading as the car moved further away. Could I never reach another dragon because of the medications they gave me? Or was that male blocking me out? And what made me do that? It had been pointless, but there was hope for the first time in a while.