Rose of Dragona: 2. Demitri

         I forgot about the now locked door as Nightshade kicked the stall door. I turned my head too quickly and the room spun. I lost my balance and fell flat on my back, getting the wind knocked out of me.

         Before I could gasp, something with a vice grip clamped my arms to the floor. I closed my eyes tighter, waiting to be killed, but the pain never came. I wanted to open my eyes, but fear kept them shut. A small whimper escaped my lips as I began to tremble.

         “Don’t be frightened. It’ll be quick, I promise.”

         “Get off me, Demitri! That’s not what I came here for.”

         “Oh, no? Came to see your boyfriend, did you? Well, I’m happy to say he’s busy with his own dinner. Even if he weren’t, I wouldn’t share. I prefer my prey to put up a fight, so…” he got off me and opened the door, “I’m letting you go, but I suggest you run.”

         I got up and dashed out the door just as it was slamming to re-trap me. I knew Demitri would catch me with me currently being in human form. I tried to

         “Why can’t I transform?!”

         I must have been too scared to concentrate on becoming my dragon self. I just kept running, too scared to react to the on-coming forest.

         His presence was everywhere! The only safe place for me seemed to be the sky, which was inaccessible to me at the moment. I had to calm down, but where to start?

         One: Demitri wasn’t usually like this. He was just thirsty. Two: I had nothing to fear. It wasn’t like I would be killed. Besides, I was wasting time by running. I still had to go to Lycansi.

         That did it. I felt the wind pick up around me and I wasn’t running anymore. I was flying!

         My first priority was to find Demitri before he found me. Although I can see in the dark, I cannot see through heavy, blinding rain. My fire breath would probably be extinguished as soon as I sighed, since water was coming down in six-foot pool sized amounts. I wished Leone would help me, as I flew passed what I thought was the first story of the house, but it seemed I was on my own.

         As I barrel-rolled left to dodge a tree, I slammed into something a thousand times as hard. Uh-oh. I turned to take flight again, but I was trapped in that vice grip, arms twisted behind my back against my captor’s chest.

         “I win. Now are you going to continue being a hassle, or are you going to behave yourself?”

         “What do you think, Demitri?”

         My response was laugher. It was a mix of evil and insane. I couldn’t take it, Demitri was my friend, but he seemed to be fine unless he was out for blood.

         I struggled relentlessly, but futilely. I refused to believe I had lost and continued struggling, but my greatest effort didn’t loosen the bone-crushing embrace.

         “Just tire yourself out. It’ll be easier to get you to my room that way.”

         I froze solid. I needed my energy to stay in dragon form. The black and red scales that covered my body were a test of skill to penetrate.

         “Ha. Ha…. That’s what I thought. I wonder if Leone will help me get you to co-operate. He seemed in a sour enough mood…”

         I trembled at the thought of Leone in a bad mood. Blood was the only thing that calmed him, and his thirst was so great that he’d have to kill what seemed like the entire wildlife, Vamtorian population to return himself to normal.

         “Shall we go pay Leone a little visit?”

         Despite the violent shaking of my head, Demitri slung me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and lugged me into the house and before I could say “no” we were in front of Leone’s bedroom door.

         “Leave me be!" The malice in Leone's voice seemed so out of place.

         “L-Leone?”

         Silence followed. I twisted in Demitri's grasp and opened my mouth to demand that he let me down, but Leone beat me to it.

         “Demitri, put Rose down. I wish to see her...in human form.”

         I quickly transformed back as if I hadn't even willed it. I swallowed hard as I was roughly set on my feet and stared at the door. Demitri dug his dagger-like nails into my hands, growling soundly, and muttering under his breath about Leone “always saving his damsel in distress”.

         I continued staring at the door as Demitri stalked off. I wasn’t sure whether to go in or not. By the sounds of Leone’s voice, I shouldn’t.

         “He might need your help! GO INSIDE!!” So much for the little voice in my head that keeps me out of danger.

         I swallowed the knot forming in my throat and put a shaking hand on the doorknob, still unaware that I was bleeding. I twisted it slowly and opened the door a crack.

         The room seemed to be fine. Everything was neat and organized, Leone wasn’t tearing any bodies apart. It was like he wasn't even in the room.

         I closed the door silently and closed my eyes. As the door swung open on it's own, I jumped backward, my back hitting the opposite wall from the open door. Holding my breath, I stepped inside.