Chapter 24: Chapter Twenty-Three

I looked up at the chain and tried out my new fire powers. I heated the iron until it melted, thankfully I could no longer be burned because my magic was back. I melted the chains holding my ankles, and stayed seated for a minute on the concrete while my joints healed and acclimated to being down for the first time in almost a week.

My tormentor walked in just as my joints felt fully healed. He looked stunned, “H-ho-how?”

“Melted the chains,” I said standing up from my spot on the floor.

“B-but iron stops your abilities,” he said, still a little stunned. He recovered from his shock, finally registering what I said, “Now I know what clan you’re from.”

I used the concrete to keep him where he was and he looked down, “Do you though?” I asked, putting my finger to my chin, “Let’s do a tally: I’ve melted through my chains so fire but I’ve electrocuted your friends so lightning only now you’re strapped to the floor with concrete so maybe it’s earth. Maybe just maybe did you ever consider,” I got in his face and melded mine and Niamh’s voices together, “I’m someone you truly should not have fucked with?”

He looked and smelled like he shit himself, “Wh-wh-what ar-are y-y-yo-you?”

I grabbed his throat, “The Goddess of Dragons.” I sent an electrical current through his body and undid his shoes from the concrete. Just to make sure they were all dead, even though I couldn’t hear any heartbeats, I hit them all with giant ice shards that sliced straight through their bodies and into the concrete.

I went through the entire place and grabbed hard drives and anything else that seemed valuable in tracking these bastards. I walked outside and sent Daniel a visual of what it looked like in the hopes it would help him find me quicker. I set down everything I was carrying and set fire to the barn, bending in some air to help it burn hotter. “Daniel. Just come to the smoke.”

“What? How did you set a fire?”

“I’ll explain when you get here.”

“Okay we’ll be to you in 5 minutes, maybe less.”

“Just know it’s bad. I haven’t looked because I can’t see some of it but just know if it’s as bad as it feels, it’s bad. Stay in control,” I linked before blocking the connection.

I was still pushing the fire with air, bending plant life into the building to help fuel it further when Daniel, Josie, Jax, Lavi, and Alanza came into the clearing. Lavi shifted quickly from her tiger into her human form, but she couldn’t get too close to the fire because it was burning too hot for her. “Amaya, come here so I can tend your wounds and start healing.”

“Hang on,” I opened the ground up underneath the building causing the building to be swallowed. I closed the ground and it was as if the building never existed.

Everyone shifted and was staring at me with their mouths opened in shock. “How?” Daniel finally said, completely disregarding the shape I was in, for now.

“The goddess said the heavens agreed I deserved the abilities of each dragon kingdom, especially after this,” I said, gesturing down to my still naked and deeply wounded body.

Daniel finally took in the state my body was in and let out a loud growl. He took a deep breath to regain control, but that caused him to breathe in the scent of the two men who raped me. I watched as his eyes flickered from his human eyes to his dragon eyes, a sign he had lost control. “Ruairi relinquish control,” Niamh and I commanded together. Everything went still. Daniel, who was a step away from shifting into Ruairi, froze, “Ruairi, relinquish control.”

He looked at me and I saw slowly his pupils change from dragons pupils back to his. “How? Ruairi had complete control. You can’t pull an out of control dragon back like that.”

I shrugged, “It’s something we need to talk about when we get home.”

“You won’t be able to shift for at least a week,” Lavi said from behind me where she had started working on my back. “These wounds are almost too extensive for just my hands.”

“Where are we exactly?” I asked.

“The backwoods of Kentucky. Still in acid dragon territory,” Josie answered.

I nodded and looked at Daniel, “Kachina is a gifted healer, Stefan too. Both are as good as Lavi. I say we go there.”

He nodded in agreement, “Jax go get the vehicle. You, Alanza, Lavi, and Amaya will drive there. Josie and I will fly ahead to give Kachina a heads up that you guys are coming.”

Jax nodded before shifting and taking off for the vehicle. Daniel started to shift but I stopped him, “Dad,” he froze instantly. I walked up to him with Lavi cursing me for moving away from her. I brought his forehead down to mine and we held there for a long moment, our dragons soaking up the contact. “Thank you for coming for me.”

He grabbed both sides of my head and gave me a kiss on the forehead, “I would cross oceans and destroy civilizations for you my darling daughter. I love you.”

Tears finally fell, “I love you too Dad.”

He backed up and shifted, Josie came to me before shifting. She placed her forehead to mine, “I’m so glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Love you Jos,” when we pulled away my dragon instantly missed the contact of hers.

“Love you too, Amaya. See you in a bit,” she shifted and she and Daniel flew into the clouds and headed for my aunt and uncle’s kingdom.

Just as they disappeared Jax appeared with the SUV. The adrenaline was finally wearing off and not only was I exhausted I was starting to feel faint from the pain. “Alanza you’ve driven there before, you take over for Jax.” Jax started to object, “I’m going to pass out so as much as I would love to argue with you or give you directions I can’t. Just do what I say for once for shits sake. It’s going to take us a while to get there. Let’s go.”

Jax helped me into the backseat, “I wish we could put something on you Little Duck.”

“Alanza, don’t forget the stuff I grabbed,” I said faintly.

“Got it boss,” she said with a smile, “You have no idea how good it is to have your bossy ass back.”

I gave her a quiet chuckle, “Yeah yeah. I missed your crazy ass too.”