The Hunt for Freedom

Chapter Thirty Three

    "Hold on tight. If you fall, I won't come to help."

Lainey gulped but did what she was told. Up, up he rose. Past the cliffs and on towards the stars. The night air was cool on her face, but for the first time in weeks, the air was not wet. She forced herself to open her eyes, and when she did the cliffs looked like pebbles on the sand.

She was soaring on the back of a dragon, she thought. A stinky, slimy dragon that wants nothing more than to hunt for more slaves. She held on tightly to a strap he had fastened around his neck. From her vantage point she could see that they were above the mist, but she could still make out lights down below. They were flying over a town, and although no sound reached her ears she could imagine the sounds of babies laughing and dogs barking. He never got low enough that she could see individual places or things, but she could definitely tell that the cliffs were connected to a larger piece of land.

He went into a spiral spin downward, faster and faster till she felt like it would be easier to just jump off. Her stomach wretched and she fought back the bile rising inside her. His spirals created a dust storm so enormous it appeared that a tornado spontaneously formed. He used this shield to cover himself from human eyes. As fastidious as he was about surveillance, he naturally assumed there were cameras on him anywhere he went. By the time the dust settled, he had shifted into human form with his arm around his little girl, playing the role of a worried dad.

Lainey felt him shift a moment before her feet contracted the ground. She looked around and saw that they were in a parking lot with very few cars. She was looking at a do it yourself warehouse just to the left when the scent of grilled burgers overtook her. Her stomach leaped and gurgled. She clenched her stomach muscles as tightly as she could to prevent the rumble of protest she knew was to follow. It would not do to displease him.

"If you do not cause a scene, you may eat until your heart's content." He said, almost nicely. She made the mistake of looking up at him to thank him. That was the last thing she remembered.

When she awoke they were in flight again. The pain in her bladder would not allow for more sleep. She couldn't remember the last time she had been in a restroom. The thought of releasing her bladder while on his back was terrifying. She tried to maneuver into a more comfortable position and discovered the pain she felt was caused by the knee of another child. Her body started to shake, and her stomach started to wretch. The taste of onions and pickles in her mouth as she turned and vomited into the night air. She had helped kidnap another child.

He must have felt her waking because his barbed tail coiled up to strike at her. She saw the blow coming and moved her head as much as she could. She was strapped to the other child, and together they were tied to his back. She lay still and hoped he would believe she was unconscious.

From under heavy leaded lids she could make out the lights of cars underneath her. They streamed like a curvaceous snake and she recognized it as a motorway. The night had cleared and some and she could make out more and more. We must be getting ready for landing. As the cliff's came into view she could see that there was a town not far from them. An hour's walk, maybe two. The escape plan began to take shape.

Lainey let her weight hang dead as they landed. She felt hands reach up to unstrap them and she and the other child fell to the floor. She pretended to let the cold wet stone landing wake her and drowsily she looked from one face to the next. She had not seen many women here but now two women began to lift the new child and carry her inside. Based on their clothes it was obvious that they were slaves also. Had they been here since they were children? She took one last look at the newest slave, wished her well in her mind, and drowsily made her way to her room.

The next time she opened her eyes she noticed that she was the only one in the slave quarters. They must have gotten in very late to be left alone when there was work to be done. She hurriedly dressed and started in search of food. Creeping into the kitchen she had a plan. She would pack her pockets with as much food as she could get ahold of and then set out in search of her alcove. If she was discovered she could always try saying that she was looking for Essam.

She snuck down to the kitchen and tried to stay in the shadows. The counter was piled with dishes and she decided to try to stay and be the dishwasher. Hopefully Essam was sleeping in and she would not be summoned. So much food was being discarded that by the time she made it halfway through the pile she had full pockets. She heard a noise that made her jump and turned to find no one in the room. The sound came again and Lainey could tell it was coming from the slave cages.

She peeked over at Dakari's cage to see him staring right back at her. He was about to hit the cage again with an errant rock when they made eye contact. He dropped the stone, and beckoned her over.

"I am sorry you are still here, brave one. I was hoping you had made your escape." He gestured to the sleeping form in the cage next to his.

"I have no memories of last night." She handed him a half eaten sandwich.

"Early this morning, they brought this one here." Dakari nodded towards the cage next to his. "There was a lot of commotion when they realized how young she is. Essam seems to keep stealing them younger and younger. "

She handed him more food as he swallowed. He had such kind eyes. Should she trust him with her escape secret? She was debating this when a loud banging sound came from outside. She ran back to the make-shift sink and started washing dishes again trying to get the blank look on her face they had come to expect.

Essam staggered into the room, bloodied and bruised. One eye was swollen and he had a noticeable limp. Far different from his usual look and Lainey wondered who could have done this to him? Then she remembered Lord Hassan had been in the hallway.

"Where the hell is the cook?" He shouted at no one in particular.

"Your father slit his throat this morning for not serving his eggs hot enough." A weredragon named Julian replied. "We haven't replaced him yet."

Essam roared with fury, and threw a plate against the stone wall sending a spray of ceramic bits to the floor. "Clean this up!" He shouted at Lainey, grabbing her arm and throwing her to the floor.

"Maybe one of these can cook?" Julian said, gesturing to the slaves still in cages.

Essam's eyes fell on Dakari. "This one has lost his usefulness, his people are no longer even trying to find him. Kill him at once. Matter of fact, sober him up, and kill him tonight. I want him to know that he will die tonight, because the werecats didn't care to rescue him."