Chapter 32 - Lex

We had followed Damon's aerial grid and had been systematically combing the north rim for several hours when I spotted the faintest glow of light coming from what looked like a cave high up on a rock face. I had almost thought I had imagined it, as when I looked again, it was gone. As pre-dawn broke through darkness of the night, a movement caught my eye deep down in the gorge. I looked down to see a dragon. He was the color of the rocks in the gorge, which offered him a perfect camouflage. I was of two minds, should I try and capture this dragon shifter and force him to take me to Nic, or did I continue my search for Nic. It took only a moment for me to decide. I breathed flames into the sky, a signal we had agreed upon if we found something, to get Damon's and Pat's attention. They would go after the dragon shifter while I tried to find the cave.

I flew closer to the cluster of rocks from where I had seen the light emanating. But there was nothing there. And then I saw her! I saw Nic looking out of the mouth of the cave. I went so weak with relief that I almost fell into the gorge. When I finally held her in my arms, she promptly passed out. The shock of seeing me shift was evidently too much for her already stressed mind.

In a way, I am glad she passed out. I flew her out of the cave and stopped only when we landed on the roof of one of the best hospitals in LA. Luckily, the doctors here are very discreet and I know a few of them personally.

Nic has been slipping in and out of consciousness ever since we landed here. After the preliminary examination, the doctors were able to confirm that she is largely unharmed. They wheeled her in for an ultrasound to see if the baby is alright.

Damon and Pat aren't here yet, but TJ and Liam are expected any minute. I spoke to them over the phone once Nic was examined by the doctors. They have uncovered an important lead. I'm pacing impatiently in the waiting room when I see them.

"It was a dragon shifter that had kidnapped her, just as we had suspected. He is a Carnelian," TJ says once they've asked after Nic.

"I suspected as much." I fill him in on all that has happened. "How did you arrive at the conclusion?"

"Well, we traced the tracking device and ended up in an abandoned underground tunnel that is a favorite haunt of shifters. A bobcat shifter told me that the Carnelian frequents the haunts from time to time, looking to ‘save' dragon shifters who have lost love. As you can imagine, he has a lot of temporary teenage dragon shifter recruits. A girl dragon who was there when I was questioning the others was acting particularly shifty. It took all my charm and skills of persuasion to get her to share her story with me. And she told me she was involved in Nic's kidnapping firsthand." TJ says.

I'm flabbergasted when I hear this.

"He's recruiting teenagers to do his dirty work?"

"It's a lot more complicated than that. She wouldn't say a single bad thing about him. All she said was that she pitied the Carnelian. But apparently, after the kidnapping, she decided not to go back to him. But she did tell us that he was on some sort of a mission to save dragons." Liam says.

"So what, he is the leader of some sort of a cult? But I didn't see any other shifters lurking around," I say.

"We don't really know how he operates at this point." TJ shrugs.

"I guess we will know more when we talk to Nic. Oh before I forget, here—Nic's handbag. Most of the money's gone, but everything else seems to be there. The girl took it from the car since she needed money," Liam says.

I thank our lucky stars that we decided to place that tracking device in her bag. Without it, we might still have been searching for Nic.

Before I can say anything, I spot the doctor coming towards us.

"How is she?" I ask worriedly.

"She is still in shock, but physically both she and the baby are doing just fine," he says, smiling at me reassuringly.

"Thank God!" I say, closing my eyes for a moment. "Can I talk to her?"

"Yes, but only for five minutes. She needs to rest."

I nod and follow him. The nightmare seems to be finally ending.