Venom and Earth Read online

  When I next open my eyes, I’m back in the stall, one arm draped over Rocky. Slowly everyone starts to stir, opening their eyes to the familiar world.

  “Thank fuck we’re back,” Mason breathes, hauling Sadie to her feet.

  “‘Back’? Where the fuck have you been?”

  Marco.

  Before my boyfriend can say anything more I’m in his arms, relishing in the familiar warmth and feeling of safety.

  “Haze? What’s wrong?” he whispers, combing my hair behind my ears.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll tell you everything,” Braith sits up, playing with the ring on her finger and effortlessly pulling it off. “Now that you’ve seen the truth, you don’t need these anymore!”

  Glancing down at the bracelet on my hand I’m uncertain if I want to take it off. Although it has been physically stuck to me this entire time, I’ve become used to it.

  “Fuck you!” Sadie yanks the pendant off her neck and throws it down the toilet, her hate-filled gaze directed at Braith. “What have you got us into?”

  “Nothing. You were chosen by Draca to help years ago,” my friend says. “Though why he chose you I have no idea.”

  The blonde girl curls her lip before storming out the room, blasting a beam of light at the wall in frustration.

  “What happened?” Marco asks.

  “It’s… a long story,” I say, unsure of how to start.

  “You can tell it later! Right now we need to find those other people. They are Terrain and Opaque,” Braith jumps up and down excitedly. “Did you recognise either of them?”

  “The girl is Melia Moore-West,” Mason says. “She’s in Hazel’s year. I’ve heard that she’s an absolute bitch.”

  “And what about the guy?”

  The group shrugs, apart from Marco, who looks confused.

  “We can figure that out later.” My brother balls his hands into fists. “You have some explaining to do.”

  Braith flinches at his harsh tone. “After Draca took me, he dropped me off at his lair – well, what was left of it – and showed me everything. I trust him. He showed me the Wyrms in his memories. They’re fucking terrifying. I’m scared that they have already made their way into society. They need to be stopped.”

  “How?”

  “I really don’t know. Look,” she reaches out to hold Rocky’s hand when he curls his lip in disgust. “I know this is weird, but we need to do this. You saw that scale! The black lines were the Wyrms before the experiments that sped up their evolution. This has been going on for years, guys. Who knows what they’ve already done?”

  Before anyone can reply, the earth shakes violently, making me fall backwards and cling to the sink for balance.

  My own voice echoes in my ears, making my stomach flip. “I am here.”

  10

  Chapter Ten

  Aqueous rises groggily to his feet, his head thundering with each movement. His head felt as if it were on fire. Damayanti rushes to his side, helping him balance on his unsteady legs. He growls a thank you, making her yellow eyes light up. They glance around. There are now many sleeping bodies, all missing horns.

  They had finished.

  “Now what do we do with them?”

  The voice makes many dragons raise their heads, their eyes blazing with hatred for the men who had mutilated them.

  “Let them go?” another man suggests.

  “Is that a good idea? I mean-” The other man cuts off as a Wyrm slithers up to him and opens its mouth in a hiss.

  “Why not kill them?”

  The scratchy voice makes Aqueous shiver. These beasts were dangerous, and for whatever reason the humans did whatever they wanted.

  “We’ll kill them,” the man announces. “Send the Wyrms in.”

  Almost immediately, at least a dozen Wyrms snake towards the cage door, their eyes glowing in anticipation. Their long bodies curl around each other, flicking their thin tongues hungrily like hunting dogs waiting to pounce on their prey.

  Damayanti whimpers next to Aqueous as the Wyrms throw themselves at the door, laughing maniacally. Again, Aqueous tries to create a stream of water from his mouth, but it is bone dry. The Wyrms prevented the dragons from using their elements to fight back. Although they still had their claws and teeth, and outnumbered the Wyrms by ten to one, they were weak from the loss of their horns.

  The men open the door, and the Wyrms dart in. One snakes towards himself and Damayanti, baring its long, yellow teeth. Hoping to take the beast by surprise, Aqueous lunges forward and pins the Wyrm down by the head, leaving only its long body flailing wildly in an attempt to throw him off. Before it can work out a way to escape, the black dragon sinks his teeth into the beast’s body. A bitter tang fills his mouth as the creature bleeds, screaming and writhing in pain. This gives Damayanti the courage to also attack the vile creature, scraping her claws down its face, successfully tearing out an eye.

  A dark figure knocks him off his feet before coiling its body around him. The Wyrm hisses in his face, its breath rancid and hot, making his nostrils flare in distaste. The screams of his friends now hit his ears, and he realises that they are all fighting for their lives.

  “I’ll enjoy killing you,” the Wyrm hisses, tasting his face with its sloppy tongue.

  This Wyrm is different from the others. It is twice the size, with sharp horns spiralling around its long snake-like body. Unlike the others, it has a blockier face with thicker teeth.

  Wriggling is no use; the Wyrm coils around him tighter and tighter until it becomes hard to breathe. Black spots fill Aqueous’ vision and he starts to panic.

  He is going to die.

  A breathless whimper escapes his lips at the thought of Hazel breaking down once their bond was broken. She will be devastated. He hadn’t realised how desperately he wanted to see her again until he lay powerless in the creature’s grip.

  His lungs feel as if they’re about to explode with a lack of air, and he feels the end coming.

  “Carry the name Thula with you in your death,” the creature taunts, unhinging its mouth to deal the final blow.

  But then the ground shakes violently, throwing the Wyrm off Aqueous with a surprised hiss. Once the earth stills, Damayanti is at his side once more, a large gash in her shoulder bleeding profusely.

  Dust falls from the ceiling like a waterfall as the roof of the building is ripped open. Dazzling sunlight blinds him for a few seconds before his eyes adjust to the natural light. Fresh air blows into the hot prison. At first, Aqueous is grateful for the chance to escape until he spots their rescuer.

  Draca.

  The large orange dragon roars in fury, making the Wyrms cower slightly before screaming back at him.

  “Quickly, fly away if you can. I’m here to help.”

  Some dragons bravely dart upwards into the sky, roaring their thanks to the giant beast. Most, however, stay on the ground, unsure of whether to trust the dragon that stole Braith. Damayanti opens her mouth in an angry roar, so intense that it makes Aqueous flinch.

  “She’s here, she’s safe, I promise you.”

  Damayanti roars again, darting towards the giant dragon to attack. Draca swats her away with ease, ignoring her cries of pain and anger.

  “Please hurry; your companions are waiting.”

  Aqueous decides to escape. Cerberus stares at him in awe as he leaps upwards, catching a current into the dark sky. Crisp air fills his lungs as he soars, and he is grateful to feel water rise in his mouth. Firing a stream in happiness towards the sun, he turns his attention back to the others.

  Hundreds of dragons explode from the building, twisting and turning excitedly at the sight of freedom. He spots his friends flying towards him, their eyes full of wonder. Damayanti reaches him first, her eyes still blazing with fury, but also happy to be outside.

  Fortune flaps his golden wings and orders everyone to return to the camp. Remembering their companions, the group float towards the ground, thankful for the familiar buildings and
the thought of home. Cerberus crashes awkwardly into a line of bins, knocking rubbish in all directions, making her friends hum in laughter.

  A hefty roar pulls their attention back towards the sky. They see Draca flying away, heading south towards a mountain range in the distance.

  Aqueous proposes that it must be where he is living, to which Damayanti replies that she’s going to follow him to find Braith. Instantly the others break out in a frenzy of pleading yaps, begging her to stay. The black and white dragon shakes her head softly, reiterating that she needs to find Braith. The group goes silent, unsure of how to convince her to stay.

  “Damayanti!”

  The black and white dragon whirls around at the unmistakable voice, and rears on her hind legs as her companion rushes towards her. Braith throws her arms around Damayanti’s neck, and the black and white dragon pulls her close for a hug.

  Cerberus yelps as she spots their companions running towards them. Aqueous rests his head on Hazel’s as she crashes into him, sniffling slightly at the sight of her partner.

  “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she whispers, looking up at him with wet brown eyes.

  He grins and ruffles her blonde hair with his snout, yapping about how grateful he is to see her again.

  “What the fuck happened to your horns?”

  11

  Chapter Eleven

  Sadie’s screech tears me out of the moment with Aqueous. Looking up at him, my heart sinks as I spot the smooth scales on his head.

  “What happened? Where are your horns?” I reach up and touch the scales, making my companion cringe in pain.

  “I’m sure Draca will tell us all later,” Braith says, still practically glued to Damayanti’s neck.

  “You have so much fucking faith in that man-eating demon spawn!” Sadie spits.

  “He’s not the bad guy; the Wyrms are. You know that.”

  “No, I don’t. All I know is that I’ve got fucking dragon markings all over my tits and I’m supposed to defeat some Wyrm thing that I’ve never seen before!”

  “Your markings are on your boobs?”

  “Yeah, so?”

  “Can I see?”

  Exquisite is forced to hold Sadie back with a claw as the blonde girl screams profanities at Braith, waving her middle finger madly at my friend.

  “Maybe we should look for Melia and that other guy,” Wes suggests.

  Mason nods curtly. “Good idea. Melia usually hangs out in a café next to Camp Three.”

  “How do you know so much about her?” Sadie demands.

  Her boyfriend shrugs, only angering her more. “She’s hard to miss. Her laugh sounds like a strangled dolphin; not to mention she’s one of those ‘super fans’ who practically stalks me.”

  It’s easy to forget that Mason is a singer, although he’s kept out of the spotlight quite well in camp. I’m not surprised that some people in camp follow him around religiously, he’s the only celebrity here.

  “Shall we head over, then?” Wes butts in as Sadie is about to speak again.

  “Let’s wait for Violet first. She’ll find us. I highly doubt the protectors took the First Year’s dragons,” Rocky answers, patting Cerberus on the neck, making her tongue loll out of her mouth like a dog.

  My brother was right. Violet soon found us, clutching Utopia in her arms even though the small dragon must be extremely heavy to carry.

  “Draca found them!” she exclaims.

  “Yes. And now we need to find the other two.” Braith climbs onto Damayanti’s back. “Melia Moore-West and some random dude.”

  “Eryk.”

  “Who?”

  “Eryk Baranowski. He’s in my cabin.” Violet shrugs, uncomfortable as everyone turns their gaze towards her.

  “Well, you losers can go find them. Exquisite and I are going home,” Sadie announces, prancing off with her companion before anyone can argue.

  Mason sighs and rubs his eyes in exhaustion. “I’ll go with her. I don’t want to leave her alone while she’s stressed.”

  “Go on then,” Marco hisses darkly.

  The two brothers glare at each other before Mason turns away, clicking his fingers to make Fortune follow.

  “You okay, dude?” Braith probes.

  “Yes, I’m fine. Let’s go. I don’t want to be anywhere near them anymore.” Marco replies dryly.

  * * *

  We all walk silently, trying to process everything that has happened today. There’s been so much going on that I’ve neglected Marco. My boyfriend trudges hand in hand with me as we look around for the two others with markings. He hasn’t spoken much, but I can see that he’s both angry and tired. It must be hard for him to be around Sadie so much, especially after what she did to him.

  “Marco, do you want to talk?” I ask.

  His brown eyes flicker towards me and he smiles slightly. “About what?”

  “Mason?”

  His gaze darkens slightly. “It pisses me off how he can stay with her, knowing what she did.”

  Squeezing his hand slightly, I murmur: “I’m sorry.”

  “Of all fucking people, of course it had to be her to have markings. What a load of dog shit. She’s able to run around scot-free after what she and Maya did, and she obviously has zero fucking remorse. If anything, it’s as if she’s proud of it.”

  “I’m sorry. I know this is hard for you. But you don’t have to see her anymore if you don’t want to, okay? We’ll keep you out of this whole markings thing.”

  “No, I don’t want that. I do want to support you, after all.”

  “I don’t want you to feel-”

  My reply is cut off by Braith’s over-the-top scream: “Are you two a thing now?”

  Marco raises our entwined hands. “What do you think?”

  “Oh shit! Have you banged yet?”

  “No, Braith,” I hiss, hoping that she’ll catch on and shut up.

  “You need to! Marco masturbated while thinking of you almost every night!”

  My boyfriend’s face reddens. “Shut up!”

  She giggles and bats her long eyelashes innocently. “You know it’s true!”

  In front of her I can see Rocky shiver in disgust, but thankfully he doesn’t wade in on the conversation. Braith does know how to make everyone feel awkward.

  Drea nudges Marco from behind, amusement glowing in her pink eyes.

  “Don’t you start,” he mumbles half-heartedly.

  The white dragon winks at me, her lips curling in a chuckle.

  “There she is!” Wes’ shout from the front turns the atmosphere serious.

  “Oh, not you freaks! Get away from me!” Melia growls, springing up from her seat outside the café.

  “Melia, we need to talk to you,’ Braith begins, only to be stopped when a black dragon with grey spots lands in front of her, its red eyes blazing with fury.

  “Well, I don’t want to talk to you! Sick ’em, David!”

  David grins sinisterly, opening his mouth slightly to allow a sea of dirt to pour out. He’s demonstrating his power.

  “Melia-” Braith begins again.

  “No! I’m normal! I’m not like you freaks! I-” She suddenly stops when her gaze falls on Marco, who looks incredibly confused. “You’re Mason’s brother.”

  “Yes?”

  For a second she bites her lip thoughtfully. “Fine, you know what? I’ll help you freaks. But only if I get a date with either him-” she points at Marco “-or Mason.”

  Marco stiffens. “I’m taken.” He waves our entwined hands around.

  “So’s Mason. I’m sure I can persuade either of you to be mine,” she smiles flirtatiously, revealing several missing teeth.

  This girl is bat-shit crazy.

  “Great, we’ll talk to Mason and get back to you,” Braith agrees, carefully patting David on the snout. He looks confused for a moment before becoming steely again.

  Melia looks surprised but doesn’t argue. “Good. Mason will know which cabin I’m in. But if he ref
uses, I look forward to seeing you, Marco.” Her mouth opens in a toothless grin once more and she waves her hand flirtatiously at my boyfriend. A wave of jealousy washes over me as she winks at Marco, sticking her tongue out playfully.

  “Believe me, Mason will do it,” I snap.

  Giggling softly, she replies: “Whatever, you fucking freak.”

  * * *

  The encounter with Melia has me seething. She’s a stupid bitch.

  “Uh, Haze? I think you need to calm down a bit; you’ve cut off the blood supply to my fingers,” Marco mumbles, struggling to keep up with my pace.

  “Sorry.” I slow down and release my harsh grip on his hand slightly.

  “I know she’s a bitch, but I would never in a million years…”

  “I know,” I cut him off before he can finish. “She just… irked me.”

  “I think everyone can see that,” Marco comments, nodding behind us to the rest of the group, who are keeping their distance.

  “I’m sorry about Braith earlier too.”

  “Pfft, that doesn’t matter. She’s always saying shit like that.”

  “So… You weren’t masturbating to the thought of me every night?” I elbow him playfully.

  His face reddens once more. “I will neither confirm or deny that statement.” His expression quickly turns serious again. “What happened while you were all asleep?”

  “Well…” I’m unsure how to start as he looks at me expectantly. “Draca is a good guy.”

  “The big dragon?”

  “Yeah. We’re basically fighting against ‘Wyrms’, which were created by scientists but that can manipulate people into doing whatever they want them to.”

  The dragons start yapping in unison, and Cerberus even pulls Drea’s head down to point at the spot where her horns were.

  “You’ve met them?” Rocky asks, making me jump, as I hadn’t realised he had been eavesdropping.

  Cerberus barks once more as Drea forcefully releases herself from the brown dragon’s grip. My companion shakes his head vigorously, his turquoise eyes wide with fear.

  “Did they take your horns?” Wes strokes Asteroid’s forehead softly.