The Dragon's Bride
Chapter 28

The two girls glanced at Leona, not wanting her around to hear anything they had to say.

“What?” Leona asked.

“Can you give us some privacy? Because nothing in our conversation as has anything to do with you,” Catori told her.

She frowned. “You little bitch, just because you went away with that mountain man, you think you are all that? But you are not. You are still that ugly girl that no man likes.” Was Leona wisest retort.

“I have no time for you. All you do is try to compete with me, but it is useless.”

“Compete? There is no competition here, you are-”

“Can you just shut up and go!” Halona yelled. “Neither of us wants you around. We don’t like you.”

Leona’s mouth fell open at those words. “You both will be sorry, and just know that when those mountain men are all dead, you won’t have a place to run to, Catori.”

Leona walked away at that, but for some reason she stopped, span around, and tried to slap Catori. But she caught her hand easily with a smile.

“You were always jealous of me.” Leona tried to pull away.

Catori laughed. “Of what? You have no class, no education and will be stuck in this place just like everyone else.”

After saying all that, Catori sent a punch flying in her face. Leona sprawled to the ground, screeching, and holding her bloody nose.

Halona glanced at her friend with a grin. “That’s why I always liked you.”

“What do you have to say?” Catori asked. She had no time for small talk or distractions.

“The truth about this place. Chief Stone isn’t who he said he is.”

“What do you mean?” Catori raised a brow.

Halona looked back at where the men were still exchanging words.

“My father lied about me being able to see the future for a reason. It was so that he could somewhat control the Chief.”

“Control him?”

Halona nodded. “He killed my father the day you left.”

Goose bumps raised on Catori’s arms, she even felt dizzy from that piece of information.

“My father knew the true nature of the Stone’s and their descendants all along, all because of the Diaries his father passed down from his father. There was a fortune teller in my family, but that power got washed out.” Halana took a deep breath.

“After my father died, I was cleaning out his things because my mother couldn’t bring herself to do it.” She pulled out a brown leather book from her sleeve. “I never let this out of my sight. It contains so many stories and after seeing some weird unexplainable things, I know them to be true.”

Halona paused to look around.

“The Stones’, they are dragons, and before you laugh at me like the few others that I have told, just hear me out.”

Catori gave a half smile, mostly because she wouldn’t doubt or think her friend would lie to her like this.

“The diary dates back to a time when this place was inhabitable. The Stone’s pretended to be men, tricking a group of nomads out of this place and the riches it has. They did it so that the first dragon that came here wouldn’t suspect them. They wanted to replace the power it was hiding. But that dragon never trusted them, eventually there was a war, much like the one that might happen today but that was where the story ends and from the bloodstains on the pages, I’m guessing that whoever wrote the diary was killed before they could finish it.”

“Interesting. My father would love to hear this. Because when he came here, the humans came and lived among him, then came those Stone’s. But it was all a ploy.”

“Your father?” Halona frowned, but realization dawned on her face.

“Oh, so you knew.”

“I didn’t know that the Stones were dragons. He only detailed them as men that came at night. How did you replace proof of Akara being a dragon?”

“After my father was killed, he came to our house asking for me, saying that he would take me under his wing since I had such a great gift. I only went with him to get revenge, but I lost my wits after seeing him lose his temper one night and just transform into this big scaly creature with sliver eyes. He isn’t the only one either, but the others didn’t look like the creatures he changed into. While he had four legs and two wings, the others only had two legs and two wings. It’s kind of hard to explain.”

Catori touched her friend’s shoulder in a reassuring way.

“I know what you are talking about. I have seen those creatures, too.”

“That’s because Chief Stone keeps sending them into the mountains. He had hopes of one of them returning with everyone’s head. Catori, you have to warn your friends, or it will end badly for them.”

“It’s fine.-”

Halona cut Catori off by shaking her.

“It’s not fine. This is an ambush. They were called here to their deaths.”

“Halona, don’t worry. Just think, if my father is a dragon. The very first one to come here, then that means I’m a dragon, too.”

“You can’t protect all of them, though.”

“They are dragons as well. That was why I left. My father told me the truth. I already knew about this place but never knew about the Stone’s being dragons and clearly he didn’t either. He told me that Farrah wasn’t my real mother, and that man. The one with the blue hair is my mate. He knew that this day would come but was avoiding it as best as he could, but I would still warn him. In the meantime, I think it is best if you go hide somewhere.”

Halona nodded. “And the nuns, they are the ones that are the creatures with the two legs. Beware of them.”

Again, that came as a shock to Catori, and now understood why they said to never trust a Murdoch.

“Thank you, Halona. But now please go and be safe.”

“I will. My father told me of a place to hide if this time was to come. I think he knew he would have died because it only has space for my mother and I.”

Catori hugged her friend. ″I’ll come replace you when it is all over. Did you tell anyone else?” Catori asked.

“I did, but they only laughed at me, even when I warned them of a coming war and told them to leave. Only a few listened and left. But I don’t care about the others, they are too foolish to have understanding.”

“Ok.”

With one last glance at the villagers that were gathered, Halona hurried over to where her mother was hiding behind a few rocks with a bag on her back. Halona picked up a bag for herself, and together they ran off.

Catori just hoped that no one saw them. She hurried back to Rydstorm’s side and was about to tell him what her friend just told her, but before she could. Chief Stone let out a loud roar, then began to transform.

Turning into a large beast, those around him gasped and ran. While others seemed too shocked to do anything.

The dragon let out a loud roar, and as Catori stared at him, she realized it to be the said dragon that attacked her that day down by the beach.

The dragon swung its tail, hitting away those that seemed frozen in fear.

There was a roar in the distance, as if responding to the cry of Chief Stone.

“Shit is about to get real.” Fang laughed before transforming.

Just then, Lucian seemed to drop out of the sky. “Stone!” He yelled. His voice was so powerful that it caused the ground to crack. “It’s time to die.” He pointed at the dragon, then he turned to look at Rydstorm. “You better protect my daughter with all that you have boy, I have a score to settle.”

Catori couldn’t do anything but stared on as the place erupted in chaos.