Chapter Fourteen

Arabella floated in darkness again. She knew this time she was dreaming. She could sense Denrisi. His sadness and pain poured into her. Her heart hurt in sympathy.

“Denrisi,” she whispered. “I am here.”

“Arabella,” he whispered back. She could feel him crying. “I am so sorry. Please forgive me.”

“It is all right,” she said quietly. “I feel deeply for you as well. It is new to me. I have never been close to someone else. Not like this.”

She sensed Denrisi staying perfectly still.

“It scares me a little,” she admitted softly.

Relief and understanding washed over her from Denrisi. She felt a touch of his old happiness. It made her glad that she would see his smile again.

“You did hurt me though,” she felt she had to tell him.

“What?” he sounded shocked.

“I am still burned very badly,” she said. “When you touched it I had to get away.”

Denrisi was quiet.

“It still hurts. I can feel it in my sleep. Can you take the pain away?” She said shyly.

“I can,” he stated quickly. “I will come to you.”

“Will you wake me with a kiss?”

“If you wish it,” he said.

“I do,” Arabella said. She felt joy course from Denrisi to her. She knew he was coming to her.

She was still awed at the thought that he loved her. When connected to him through the crystal ball, she could feel his love and care for her. This was so new that she was still confused. She hoped that she could return his love as fully as he gave it to her.

She felt something heavy on her shoulder. She opened her eyes expecting to see Denrisi, but a stranger stood there. His long black hair swept back over his shoulder. His skin was pale in contrast to his dark short beard and mustache.

“Hello my pretty,” he said in a husky voice. Arabella thought that he must have been standing there watching her sleep. He reached for her and she dodged away.

Arabella started to scream but his hand clamped down over her mouth. He yelped as she bit his hand. She hoped she drew blood. He slapped her hard, and then held her arms above her head at the wrists. He smiled at her as he wrapped her wrists with a black cloth. She noticed sharp teeth similar to Denrisi’s teeth. Her eyes widened in fear.

She started to kick at him. He threw a leg over her and tied her knees and ankles together. She brought her hands to her mouth and started using her teeth to untie the knot. The man turned and slapped her hard again.

“Do not make me tie your hands behind you,” he leaned down towards her face. “It would be very uncomfortable for you.” Arabella saw the malice and evil in his black eyes.

She screamed into his face. He slapped her again and she thought she saw bright lights behind her eyes. He looked swiftly toward the tent door. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

Arabella tasted blood in her mouth. She hung over his shoulder. She started pounding on his back with her fists, but it did not have the desired effect. He did not let her go; he spanked her hard. The pain to her backside brought tears to her eyes.

He stepped swiftly out into the cavern. He stared at the treasure pile. He shook his head as if dismissing the idea of claiming the horde for himself. He walked to the middle of the cave.

“Koaner Rhakan,” Denrisi stood at the top of his horde. He was still in human form. “You dare enter my lair.” He shouted. Arabella twisted to look at him. He slid down the side of the treasure pile causing small avalanches of coins.

“Denrisi Isriru,” Koaner spit out. Arabella could feel the tension in his body. “The smart thing would be to let me leave with the girl. Her mother bids her to return to her.”

“Since when did you follow the bidding of a human? Becoming soft in your old age?” Denrisi taunted. He strode forward. “Give her back to me, now!”

“You never were very bright,” Koaner faced Denrisi. Arabella wriggled trying to get another look at Denrisi. “You always were braver than smart. She is mine and I am taking her.” Koaner turned and walked toward the entrance.

“Let me go!” Arabella pounded on Koaner’s back again.

“As you wish,” Koaner said flatly.

She watched Denrisi reach for her and then she was flying through the air. She landed on the hard cave floor. All the air knocked out of her. Pain filled her head and her left side.

“Damn you,” Denrisi shouted at Koaner. “You demon spawn!”

He made a lunge at Koaner. Denrisi tackled him low and they both tumbled to the cave floor. Koaner put his fists together and brought them down on the back of Denrisi’s neck. Denrisi sat on Koaner and punched him in the face.

Koaner dislodged him by kicking him in the back. Denrisi went flying over Koaner’s head. Both men were up on their feet circling each other looking for an opening. Koaner attempted to kick Denrisi, but he danced away. Denrisi hunched down and held his arms loosely in front of him ready to block Koaner’s next attack.

Arabella watched then worked her hands free. She started at the cloth around her knees. She heard both men grunt in pain as they crashed together again. She glanced up. Koaner had grabbed Denrisi around the middle and was pushing him back. Denrisi punched upward and hit Koaner in the nose. Koaner started bleeding. His blood was a deep dark red that was almost black. He retaliated by clubbing Denrisi alongside the head. Arabella hoped that Denrisi had broken Koaner’s nose.

She had her ankles nearly free. Koaner tackled Denrisi again and wrestled him down to the ground. Arabella looked for something to smash over Koaner’s head. Koaner smashed Denrisi’s head against the cave floor. Denrisi lay stunned for a moment. Arabella screamed.

Koaner produced a long wicked dagger. Arabella recognized it as the one her mother had used to torture Lann with. She screamed again as Koaner plunged it into Denrisi’s stomach. He smiled into Denrisi’s face. Denrisi grabbed Koaner’s hands as he drew the dagger up for another thrust.

Arabella got to her feet and grabbed one of the heavy candlesticks off the table. She started forward, but it was too late. Koaner had shoved the dagger under Denrisi’s ribs and into his heart. Koaner stood up and stepped back. He paused a moment to watch Denrisi spasm in pain then lay still.

Arabella froze in horror. The candlestick fell from her limp hand. It clattered on the floor. Denrisi lay in a pool of his blood staring at the cave ceiling. He lay so still. Arabella felt her heart shatter and she wailed in pain. He was dead. She ran toward where Denrisi lay with the dagger sticking out of his chest.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Koaner scooped her up under his arm. Arabella reached out to Denrisi’s body. As Koaner walked her picked up speed and ran to the entrance. He did not stop at the cliff edge, but jumped off.

Arabella screamed in fear and rage again. Koaner’s body grew and twisted. His arm extended and grew a claw at the end replacing his hand. His neck lengthened and great wings sprouted from his shoulders. His skin changed to a fiery red color. He flapped his wings and they flew high into the moonlit sky.

Arabella screamed and screamed. Koaner laughed. She felt it reverberate through his chest. It cut her screaming short.

“Go ahead and scream some more,” he said. “It is like music to my ears.” He laughed again. Arabella clamped her mouth shut. She would not do anything to please him. If Denrisi was right then this monster was her grandfather. She hated him.

She looked down and watched Mount Tully dwindle in the distance. Denrisi had sought peace there but he found death instead. It was her fault. Twice she was the cause of Koaner’s attacks on gentle Denrisi. Tears streamed down her face. The freezing air caused her tears to numb her face.

She twisted around and bit down on Koaner’s claw. He did not even feel it through his tough scales. She could see the high meadow whiz by below her. It only took minutes to sail over the mountain pass. Soon the air warmed and they were over the desert. Towering rock formations gave way to smooth desert sand.

Her long painful journey was just reduced to a quick flight back to her home. Cardew came into view. Koaner did a couple of back flaps and they were on the ground. Arabella fell to her knees. She was cold and very angry. Koaner changed back into his human form. It only took seconds for him to do so. He stood before Arabella unhurt. His wounds were gone. It looked as if changing forms healed him.

“Arabella,” shrieked her mother. Orinda ran over to her and embraced her in a big hug. “I was so worried about you, naughty girl.” She kissed Arabella on the cheek.

Arabella just stared at Koaner. Hatred for the dragon filled her. His evil blood pumped in the veins of her and her mother. Arabella knew that this was the source of the strong magic that her mother wielded. Arabella thought that if she could do magic she would smote Koaner with a lightening bolt where he stood.

“Did I do good,” Koaner looked at Orinda with a love struck expression on his face.

“Oh yes,” Orinda said breathlessly. I made Arabella look sharply at her mother. Did she know that she was speaking to her father?

Koaner took Orinda in his arms and gave her a deep kiss; the kind of kiss exchanged by lovers. The kind of kiss Denrisi tried to give her. Arabella sat and began to sob. Her mother stared at her.

“Arabella,” Orinda said. “Please do not start that. Come and kiss your father.”

“No!” Arabella shouted. “No!” He could not be her father and her grandfather. Koaner could not be wrong. Someone must be wrong, but she doubted that it was Denrisi. She knew Denrisi’s heart and he did not hold a shred of deceit in his make up. If this was true then Koaner was more evil than even Denrisi knew.

“Leave her be,” Koaner said as he took Orinda’s hand. He led her inside.

Arabella crawled to the shore of the pond. The setting moon lit the pond. She stared into the water. It looked like liquid blood; like a pool of dragon blood. She could still see Denrisi lying there on the cold stone floor. Her mother’s dagger buried deep in his heart. She remembered the noise of his breath as it left his body. All light went out of his blue eyes.

Arabella’s heart was pierced with pain. A knot formed in her throat and she had trouble breathing. She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them to her. She clasped her good hand around the necklace that Denrisi gave her. She looked at it carefully. The mist swirled slowly inside, but Denrisi’s beloved dragon form did not show in the crystal ball. She pressed the crystal to her chest. She put her head down on top of he knees. She sat there as the moon disappeared entirely from the sky.