Dracon (1st book of the Draconon Series)

Chapter 11

I groaned when there was a loud banging on my door and opened my eyes groggily. "This can't be happening," I groaned, laying my head back on the pillow, debating on whether or not I should go try to see what the meaning of the banging on my door meant.

The banging on my door continued, and it didn't take long for Ghost to intervene and throw open my bedroom door and turn on the lights. This was the Ghost's signal for me to check out whatever was happening at my front door.

"Ok, ok," I said, closing my eyes to the sudden brightness. "Just turn off the lights, will you, or dim them? They are too bright, stupid Ghost."

The Ghost turned them brighter before turning them dimmer just to spite me.

I sighed and got out of bed, annoyed. I didn't take my time to get to the door because the knocking on the door became frantic.

Throwing the door open, I was about to give the person a piece of my mind when I noticed Miguel clinging to a bleeding Antonio, looking barely conscious.

"Can you help?" Miguel asked, looking better than Antonio but also in bad shape. His clothes were ripped, and he had small scratches him. However, they were healing before my eyes, and I knew he'd be alright. "The pack hospital is too far away."

I grunted and nodded my head, letting them into my apartment. Quickly, I looked around outside my apartment building before closing and locking the door. "What happened?" I asked, walking over to where Miguel laid Antonio on a blanket that I had in the living room.

"Don't know," he replied, sitting down and moving a hand through his hair. He looked conflicted and scared as if he had never faced what he had seen before. "They came out of nowhere."

"They?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and glancing at him. I flicked my gaze over Antonio, kneeling beside him, and started to take off his shirt. "Who are they?"

"El Diablo, (The Devil,)" Antonio moaned in pain. He grimaced and groaned out again. Sweat beaded his forehead, and he tried to curl up into a ball but didn't when I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Muchos diablos. (A lot of devils.)"

I paused in what I was doing and looked at Miguel. "Explain," I said, my tone sharp. "What does he mean by a lot of devils?"

Miguel shook his head. "That's what they looked like," he replied, his voice shaking. "They were covered with scales and had these long tails behind them. They were not human at all."

An image of something attacking me appeared in my mind, a scale-like creature with sharp teeth and claws for hands. My whole body grew tense, and it took all of myself control not to panic.

They had found me. Whoever and whatever these creatures were had found me.

"What about their face?" I asked, my voice void of any emotion. "Did you see their face?"

"Not really," Miguel replied. "Why? Do you know anything?"

I let out a low breath, the sound coming out like a hiss. "Sort of," I admitted, standing. I walked to my old bookcase and shoved it out of the way to reveal a small, barely visible door.

"Sort of?" Antonio asked. He struggled to sit up and look at me, but he couldn't because Miguel pushed him down. "What is that supposed to mean? Do you know how to help?"

"I hadn't been told what they were, Antonio," I replied coldly, "but I think I can help. Did you get bitten by one?" I touched the wall and slid my hand down until I felt a small lever. Pulling the lever, I opened the door until I revealed a dark room with a single chest occupying the whole space.