He swallowed hard, his body reacting viscerally to the woman before him. When he met her gaze once more, her sculpted brows were drawn together in confusion. Varek drew in a deep breath to get a handle on his emotions and the primal need raging through him, uncontrolled and unbridled. He wasn’t at all ready to speak, but he had a feeling if he didn’t say anything or the right things, this female might not return. And that simply wouldn’t do.
“What kind of information?” he managed to say despite the blood pounding in his ears.
Her chin lifted slightly as her face smoothed, devoid of all emotion. She then crossed her arms over her chest. “Everything.”
“That’s a lot,” he said with a chuckle. “Perhaps you could be more specific.”
“I want to know everything there is to know about the Dragon Kings.”
It was a good thing Varek was sitting down. Otherwise, he was pretty sure his legs would’ve buckled. He was so used to hiding his true identity, as all Dragon Kings had for eons, having someone know what he was unsettled him.
She rolled her eyes. “Is this where you tell me you aren’t a Dragon King? Don’t waste your breath. I know what you are. We all do.”
“And how is that?”
The woman issued a snort of laughter as her arms dropped to her sides, and she glanced to the right. “If you think by asking me idiotic questions it’ll somehow help you, you’re wrong.”
Varek’s shock was gone, replaced by simmering fury. “You want information? Well, lass, so do I. Perhaps we should start with something simple. Like your name.”
“My name?” she asked with a frown. “Why does that matter?”
“What’s the harm in giving a name? I’m Varek.”
For several long, tense seconds, she simply glared at him. Finally, she said, “I’m Jeyra.”
“Jeyra. An unusual name. I’ve no’ heard it before.”
“I doubt you would.”
It was his turn to narrow his gaze at her. “Is that because I’m no’ from this realm?” The lack of response was telling. “I see. Care to tell me how I got here?”
“Not really,” she replied.
Which told him that he hadn’t come of his own volition. He’d known something wasn’t right, and now he knew why none of the other Kings had answered his calls. Varek looked down at the shackles on his wrists. If he couldn’t break them, then he couldn’t get free of the prison and get back to Earth and his brethren.
“Are you ready to give me information?” Jeyra asked.
Varek looked up at her, not bothering to hide his seething anger. “Why am I being held here? Who took me prisoner? What crime have I committed against anyone on a realm I’ve never been to before?”
“I take that to mean you aren’t ready to talk.”
In a flash, Varek was at the bars, his fingers around the damp metal. It infuriated him that he couldn’t stand straight, that he was made to remain on his knees as he glared up at Jeyra. “Free me. Now. Or you and your people will rue the day you ever brought me here.”
“Strong words for someone behind bars and bound. The best thing you can do is accept your Fate.” She then pivoted and walked away.
Varek wanted to throw back his head and bellow. He wanted to smash the rock around him, yank out the bars and crumple them into balls as he knew he could. But he wouldn’t give anyone listening or watching the satisfaction of seeing how close to the edge he was.
If only he had his magic and the strength he had been born with as a dragon. Was it this realm that kept his powers away? The prison? The manacles around his wrists? Or a combination of everything? If he was going to get free, he needed those answers. Unfortunately, in order to get those, he would have to play along with whatever Jeyra and her people wanted of him.
Varek crawled back to the farthest corner of his prison. His stomach rumbled with hunger. The last time he had felt such cravings was before he had become a Dragon King. He’d had to fight for everything from the moment of his birth, and that had included food. The endless millennia he’d spent as a Dragon King should have removed the memories of the clawing hunger and weakness from starvation. Varek had sworn he would never feel either again.
“Fuck me,” he murmured.
He closed his eyes as the truth settled around him. He was alone. No magic, no powers, no ability to shift into his true form or contact the other Kings. Even back on Earth before he’d become a Dragon King, he’d had the magic of the realm. He’d had his strength. Now, he was stuck in human form with nothing but his wits.
His early years had prepared him for just such an event. He’d used his strength and magic at times, but many other times he’d relied on his intelligence. In order to get free—and he would get away—he needed to be smarter than those who held him captive. He’d need to be calculating, shrewd. Clever.
He released a long breath and went over what he’d discerned from his brief encounter with Jeyra. Without a doubt, she was a warrior. It wasn’t just the way she stood or what she wore. It was an attitude that only another warrior could detect.
His mind went over her clothes. They had been without adornment, but the quality was good. That in itself showed that she was a decent fighter since most communities rewarded their warriors. Another sign was her armbands. While they didn’t have jewels, they were silver and as wide as his thumb was long, which meant they cost a considerable amount.
What he hadn’t seen were any weapons. If he were at their mercy as Jeyra had hinted, then she wouldn’t have feared coming into the dungeon without a weapon. For the first time since waking, Varek smiled. He needed to get a weapon. Any weapon.
He was fairly certain Jeyra wouldn’t return to talk to him, but perhaps someone else would be foolish enough to bring a sword or even a dagger with them. If Varek could get them close to the bars of his prison, he might be able to take it from them.
Then what?
His lips twisted ruefully. He didn’t know. More importantly, he knew very little about this realm or the people who had taken him prisoner. He needed to understand their weapons and how advanced they were. Based on the dungeon and Jeyra’s clothing, he didn’t think they were as evolved as those on Earth. Then again, he was making an assumption based on speaking with one individual for a very short time. That was stupid.
In order to make a true, full assessment of his situation, he would need a lot more information. Since Jeyra seemed to want data from him, it was the perfect opportunity for an exchange. He’d made a mistake with her. He would be more careful and in control of his emotions with whoever they sent next.
Varek yanked his arms to the sides and heard the clank of the chains and felt the pull of the manacles. He would keep trying. Because, eventually, he would find a way to get free. Everyone and everything had a weakness. He just had to figure out what those were.
Stay calm. Stay in control. Use your head and be ruthless to get what you want.
It was the same mantra he’d used to battle his way from the very bottom of his clan to becoming King of Lichens. He knew what it was to lose, to be stepped on, beaten, and forgotten.
“I survived once. I will again.” Varek whispered the promise softly in the dark.