“Who iswe?” Tegan asked as she pulled her hair over her shoulder, she watched the Drakhyn watch her as she ran her hands through the ends.
“We are always watching,” the Drakhyn’s voice was quiet as it watched her play with the ends of her hair, it looked transfixed.
“Well, that doesn’t sound creepy at all,” Tegan looked up from her hair as she smiled at the Drakhyn. “You were in the woods, watching,” flicking her hair over her shoulder she looked back at the Drakhyn, “for the female?”
The Drakhyn scowled at her, it pulled uselessly on its chains as it tried to move in the chair.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Tegan murmured softly. “You can talk to me, or I can get the others, they are heavier handed than me.”
“Because you are female, you are weak,” the Drakhyn nodded in understanding. Tegan kept her face straight as she smiled softly at the Drakhyn. “You are not meant to be wearing these weapons, female. These males do not treat you right.”
“The males treat me just fine, Drakhyn,” Tegan said as she glanced at the door.
“You are scared of them?”
“No,” Tegan replied firmly.
“You look to the door,” it sat back as it watched her. “You seek their assistance or are you scared they are going to remove you from us?”
Tegan leaned forward as she searched the Drakhyn’s black eyes. “Is it you that speaks to me Drakhyn or the others that watch behind your eyes?” The Drakhyn smiled at her. “It’s you,” Tegan whispered. “The one in the woods.” She glanced quickly at the door. “Tell me who the female is, whom do you seek?”
“Why would I tell you?” the Drakhyn’s voice shifted slightly, became less of a hiss, more pronounced and refined.
“Because you wanted me here, you wanted to see me,” Tegan tilted her head as she watched it. “You are fascinating,” she admitted.
“I fascinate you?” the Drakhyn bit out a laugh, Tegan marvelled at it in silence, she never knew they could laugh. “You think to twirl your hair in front of me and play demure, you think I would be fooled, Tiger?”
“I am not here to fool you,” Tegan stood from the chair. “I am here to learn – don’t you want to teach me?”
The Drakhyn threw its head back and laughed, Tegan’s eyes widening in wonder. “I will teach you to be demure, hunter, when I have you under me,” it smiled revealing all its teeth, “when I breed you.”
“I am not the female you wait for,” Tegan mused as she watched it, unnerved by the words but giving nothing away – as her father had taught her.
“How do you know?”
“You said she would give you many Drakhyn,” Tegan paused, “I know it is not me.”
“It is not you, although I will take you, never fear.” The Drakhyn watched her with a confident smile.
“And I will have your head,” Tegan smiled back.
“I look forward to seeing you again, Tiger.” The Drakhyn slouched a little in its seat, its head dropping to its chest and Tegan knew that the other Drakhyn had gone.
“Raise your head, Drakhyn,” she commanded softly.
Dazedly the Drakhyn lifted its head, shielding its eyes from the bright lights. “Tiger,” it moved in the seat, again testing the chains.
“You don’t like it when he takes over?” Tegan searched the Drakhyn’s face.
“It burns,” the Drakhyn hissed.
“What burns?” Tegan asked moving around to the Drakhyn, she saw smoke gathering at its feet. “Castor!” she yelled. “They are killing it.”
Cord came running into the room and straight up to the Drakhyn, Salem followed, pulling Tegan away from the Drakhyn.
“By the Ancients,” Cord cursed as he whispered a spell. The smoke dissipated but the Drakhyn suddenly let out a scream, causing those in the room to jump.
“You will get nothing from him, Tiger, your time is done.” The voice that came out of the mouth of the Drakhyn was the other one from the woods, a sinister smirk crossed the Drakhyn’s face and then the whole body slumped forward. Flames burst all over the body causing Cord to jump back with a curse. In moments, the ashes of the Drakhyn sat where his body once had.