Wicked Thing (C.O.A Series Book 2) (16 page)

It was then that she saw them approaching
. Five of them? How was there five of them?
They were walking towards them in the distance against the backdrop of a breath-taking sunset. They were still too far away to make out the faces of the five people coming in their direction. Some of the group broke free from the pack and began to sprint towards the three that went in and the two mystery Ankh. She squinted and focused in on them.
Holy crap, it was Astrid and Haley. How in the hell?
Kayn remained behind the others as the four dashed towards the group. The new Dragon simply observed as the others laughed and embraced. Zach noticed Kayn’s absence; he grabbed her hand and towed her towards the rest.

Jenna strolled over, hugged them both at the same time and whispered, “Dragons need a Handler. Zach, you are now Kayn’s Handler.” Jenna walked away and embraced Haley without any further explanation.

Really…Zach was Kayn’s Handler?

Kayn released a burst of laughter towards Zach and said, “I don’t think so.”

Zach hollered at Jenna, “She’s not going to listen to me. This is a bad idea.” He shook his head and grimaced at Kayn. “I know you’re not going to listen to me.”

Kayn grinned as she shook her head at him and responded, “Probably not.” Zach took off, chasing after Jenna.

I guess they didn’t have many people to choose from? This was going to be seriously entertaining.
She noticed Frost hugging Astrid.
He’d gotten his friend back even if Kayn was going to take a little bit of time to warm up to him again
.
She should probably go and greet the new Dragon.
At first glance Kayn didn’t appear to be changed but as she approached Lexy saw the tell-tale flicker of darkness in Kayn’s eyes. She took the final steps towards Kayn, embraced her and said, “I’m glad you made it.” As Kayn stepped back, there were so many questions in her eyes. She probably could use a private chat with the only other person that was capable of understanding what she was going through. Lexy smiled at the fledgling Dragon and steered her away from the group. Lexy listened to Kayn’s thoughts,
‘she knew the expectations that would come with the Dragon ability. It made her nervous. She was supposed to be hurricane, a plague, an apocalypse. She was a method of destruction. It was an intimidating job description.’

Lexy whispered as they wandered away, “From one Dragon to another, you don’t have to listen to anyone. They won’t expect you to.” Lexy tuned in to Kayn’s thoughts once more,
‘She had to lose one version of herself, in order to find another.

Tiberius had been wrong. She wasn’t a lion or a lamb. She was destined to become a Dragon.’

They strolled with warm sand underfoot for what felt like hours into the backdrop of the glorious crimson sunset. Something changed and the warm soothing sensation of her steps in the sand gave way to the rustling of grass underfoot. They were now standing in the center of an endless field. Lexy smiled for she knew she’d had no part in this destination. Kayn’s soul had brought her to a familiar place. Brighton had always loved places like this but she appeared to be distressed. Lexy understood where she was in her soul. The scenery that she’d adored was now a devastating symbol of her mortality. The field was overflowing with delicate purple flowers. It was a vision to behold. Grey would be all over this but Kayn closed her eyes. Lexy closed hers for a second out of curiosity. She could hear the soothing hum of the bumble bees.
Well, that was boring.
Out of nowhere Kayn ran towards the bees, waving her arms wildly, and they took flight. She crawled around on her hands and knees, yanking the flowers from the soil. Lexy made no attempt to stop her.
It was rather entertaining. If her fellow Dragon wanted to destroy the whole damn in-between she wasn’t about to get in the way.
Lexy smiled as Kayn screamed while tearing handfuls of grass from the earth. She de-winged and squished some unsuspecting bumble bees in her fit of rage. She felt her, sometimes she just needed to break things and nothing that was broken here would really be destroyed. This wasn’t reality and it was the safest place to carry out a fit of rage. Kayn randomly stopped murdering imaginary things and stayed there, kneeling in the grass.

Should she say something?
Lexy broke the silence by saying, “I didn’t know about the plot to make you a Dragon. I understand why it had to be done, but I didn’t know beforehand.”

Kayn looked into her eyes and said, “I knew we had to kill our enemies during the Testing, but when he slit my throat… I guess on some level, I never believed he’d be able to do it. When I woke up I felt nothing, but all-encompassing rage. I killed everyone that crossed my path until I caught up with him. I’ll never be able to forget the expression on his face, or the feeling of embracing the hollow sensation inside of myself as I slit his throat. I was lost for a while after that and my memory of that time is sketchy to say the least. All I can recall is the warmth of the blood as it sprayed on my skin, and how good it felt. I fought and died over and over again until the pain didn’t matter anymore. When Kevin coldly tossed me into a room full of demons, I was eaten alive, and that was the moment I understood that we were both gone.”

It had been worse than she thought.
Kevin must have lost it too while he was in there. The demon thing was a little bit excessive for someone that truly cared about her.
There was a long drawn out moment of silence while Lexy carefully thought out her reply and when she’d found the words, she said, “You’re not gone. Your perception of everything has been altered. All you have to do is embrace the change, and accept the new version of yourself.”

“How do I do that? I used to imagine myself as a noble creature, a golden stallion, or perhaps a lion. I know better now. I’m a hurricane, a plague, I’m an apocalypse. I am a Dragon. I’m a method of destruction.”

She was saying that like it was a bad thing. Well, I guess she wouldn’t know how it felt to be anything else. Maybe, that had been a blessing in disguise?
Lexy pointed to the lush landscape before them and said, “We can burn this field to ash, if you want to. My instinct has always been to burn it. Even though you are meant to be a warrior, you will always have a choice. We choose to work with the clan instead of against them. We choose right over wrong. We choose when to be a lion and when to be a Dragon. We choose to be warriors instead of methods of destruction. You’re still the same person. You just need time to sort through what happened to you during the Testing. Some of the dark things you’ve done will stay with you always, but those acts are important. You now know that you can survive the darkest of times. You will always know you led your clan through that dark place and came out on the other side. You found your way back to the light, because you’re a survivor. You can choose to be a lion. My attachment to Grey allows my Dragon to sleep. I know having Zach as your Handler, might be complicated. It takes time and it’s not always easy. You’ll both make mistakes while you’re maneuvering through this situation you’ve found yourself in.”

Kayn glanced down at her foot and a tiny red ladybug was taking a casual stroll across her skin. She scowled but didn’t do anything to stop it.

Lexy grinned and teased, “Is that big bad ladybug bothering you?” She smiled as she listened to Kayn’s hamster wheel spinning inside of her head. Brighton’s inner commentary had always been hilarious.

Once again, Kayn appeared to be fighting the urge to stomp on the tiny insect. It remained there, taunting her as it continued its ticklish stroll across her foot. Lexy couldn’t help herself. Her fellow Dragon was teetering on the edge so she playfully shoved her and the lady bug spread its tiny wings and flew away.
Kayn wanted to kick her ass. She’d heard that part of her inner commentary loud and clear. This Dragon version of her was seriously cocky.
Lexy winked and teased, “I wouldn’t try it. You can’t take me, Brighton.”

She grinned at Kayn and shook her head as they continued their stroll into the scenic backdrop of the in-between.

They wandered aimlessly for quite a while in silence before Lexy continued her, it’s good to be a Dragon speech, “Being a Dragon isn’t a bad thing. The good and the light need Dragons to do what they can’t. They don’t want to step into the dark. Not even to do what’s right. It’s not always light outside when it’s time to make a stand for what is right. Dragons can be beautiful things when properly attended to. I love my Dragon and every once in a while. I let it out to play. My Dragon enjoys the kill. My Dragon’s a warrior and that’s what warriors do.” She heard the rustling sound of footsteps in the grass. Lexy knew it was Grey without even looking.

Grey began his apology, “We didn’t know about what Kevin had been asked to do, until after the three of you were already in the Testing. They were right not to tell us.” Grey cautiously inched closer. Kayn scowled at him, her furrowed brow, a silent suggestion that she still required some personal space. He paused, gave her one of his overly charming grins, and said, “Kevin was ordered to kill you. It was a means to an end and you know I liked the kid. In destroying you, he more than likely destroyed himself. He was asked to do this to help you evolve into what you needed to become to survive. Your survival outweighs the trauma you went through, in the long run. You don’t see it now, but someday you will. The plan was set in motion so the three of you could make it back home. People tend to lose their marbles in the Testing. It could be that Kevin lost his while trying to do what was best for you.”

That had been her take on things too. He’d lost it in the in-between. She’d seen the love between them.

Kayn wiggled her toes in the luxurious grassy carpet of brilliant green underfoot and frowned.

To be quite honest, the hostile version of Kayn intrigued her.
They walked away as a trio, their footsteps rustling in the grass. Kayn stopped moving and just stood there staring at the grass. Lexy grabbed Grey’s arm and towed him along with her giving her well-meaning Handler a silent hint that their new Dragon needed some space. Lexy glanced back as Kayn began to stomp on bees again. They stopped to watch her as Kayn placed her hands on her cheeks, obviously confused by her reaction to the pain of their stingers.

Lexy’s lips slowly turned up into a knowing smile.
She knew how the pain had made her feel.
Lexy raised one of her fingers to her lips and signalled to her to keep that a secret between Dragons. Kayn glanced at her wounded foot and there was nothing there. No stinger and no mark. The in-between was a magical place, a place where you could feel the pain, but not suffer any permanent physical repercussions because your body was elsewhere. Kayn looked into Lexy’s eyes and pressed her lips together so she wouldn’t ask the question that threatened to spill from her lips.
Had he made it out?

Lexy nodded at her and from behind Grey she responded to the question she’d only asked in her mind, “Kevin made it out.”

Grey cautiously added, “Triad was the first clan out of the Testing.”

Kayn responded with a question, “That means Trinity didn’t make it out?”

Grey sweetly cupped Kayn’s chin in his hands and said, “It’s okay to be happy that he survived. The Testing is meant to destroy what’s left of your mortal emotions. Don’t let them do it. That’s why we fight to keep them. Your spirit can only be broken, if you choose to allow something to break you. You are truly immortal now, in every way. You fought your demons and survived in the Testing. Now fight like hell to get the Kayn we all know and love back. You have to try to find the joy in everything again. If you spend time looking for it each day, you’ll find it. If you consider yourself ruined, then you will be. It’s quite simple, cause and effect. They can’t destroy you physically once you are claimed by a clan, but they can and will continue to try to destroy you emotionally.” Grey pulled her into his brotherly embrace, but her body remained as stiff as a rail.

He stroked her hair gently and whispered, “Let it go. That is the secret to a happy life. When somebody hurts you… Let it go. Take it as a learning experience and move on.”

Lexy joined into the sappy conversation Grey was having with her and this was a peculiar thing for her to do, “I know where you are inside of your head right now. You don’t want to feel anything and until you do, you won’t. Just take all the time you need.” Lexy stepped in to join the embrace. She wrapped her arms around both of them and whispered, “I wish I could heal you emotionally, but that’s the one thing I can’t heal.”

When, they finally freed her from the unwanted embrace, Kayn took a deep breath and sat down in the grass. She plucked a handful of grass from the ground, motioned like she was going to toss it behind her, but stopped herself. She allowed it to slip through her fingers and settle on the bare skin of her legs instead. Kayn brushed it off of herself, laid down and rested her head in the lush greenery. Kayn inhaled the fresh scent of the grass as she quietly observed the clouds drifting across the sky above her. They found a spot in the grass beside her. Melody and Zach had joined them. Kayn’s absentee Handler maneuvered himself between where Grey and Kayn were laying. He sat beside her and Kayn glanced at him.

Zach spoke, “I’m sorry I reacted unfavourably regarding my new job.”

Kayn nodded and replied, “I’m sorry you have to be my keeper, Handler, whatever it means. I don’t think I’m going to need one. It’s going to be easy. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

Grey started to chuckle and Lexy socked him in the stomach. Zach squeezed her knee tenderly, and Kayn didn’t punch him in the face
. It was a good start.

Zach grinned and continued, “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry, and I’m in.” He pointed at the clouds as he observed the sky above and said, “I see something in that cloud to the left. Can you guys see it?”

Melody brushed her auburn hair away from her eyes, stretched out in the grass, stared at the clouds above them and answered, “I’ll bite. What do you see?”

“Can’t you guys see that Moose? It’s completely obvious. The antlers, and wait… there’s Frost driving the motor home in the next cloud.”