Opulent (The Opalescent Collection Book 1) (4 page)

F
inally, I stood before the wondrous Bridge of Secrecy with Minx in hand and Fitzray at my side. Fitzray stood closer than what I would have liked. One hand was gripping my right arm while the other fingered the hilt of the knife at his belt.

“How long did it take to make this Bridge?”

“It took about two hundred years to make but that’s only because the mortals had to finish it.”

“Were we ever at peace with the mortals?”

“At one time, yes, the mortals didn’t mind us, but over the years we have become very greedy creatures. We’ve been taking so many mortals over the past few past years that they declared that we could only cross the Bridge at the time of an eclipse. If we disobey their wishes, they will slay any immortal creature on Earth after the eclipse.”

“What about the dragons? Do you think we can save them?”

“I’m not sure. Gems are a big part of the jewelry business on Earth. The mortals would not be happy with us if we cut off their supply.”

“What would they do to us if we did so?”

“They would probably proclaim war or blow up the Bridge.”

“What good would that do? I mean, if they blew up the Bridge they wouldn’t get any dragon scales.”

“But
that
would cause
us
to suffer. With vampires and werewolves, the protectors of the dragons, now gone because the Bridge was destroyed and none could get across to feed on the mortals, the other creatures wouldn’t know what to do. The mortals would probably wait a few hundred years or so until the vampire and wolf race were gone and then build another bridge so they could kill all of the dragons they would need. They would probably take over this world
too
.”

“So what does that mean then? No matter how you cut it, the dragon race will diminish? What about the other creatures on Catastrophe? Couldn’t they help?”

“Well the dragons will someday be protected. I’m not sure
when
or
how
or
who
will come up with such a plan to protect them, but I’m sure that day will come.”

“And the other creatures, what about them, could they help?” I repeated.

“I’m sure they could, but they refuse to. They have said repeatedly that the vampires and wolves are the ones who
cross
the Bridge
and
need
the Bridge and that we are the reason why there
is
a Bridge to begin with, making the mortals have access to our world. They want no part of it.”

              I hugged Minx close to me. “That’s selfish of them.”

“It is, but they have a point.”

“What if-,”

“Stay close and keep your voice quiet,” Fitzray warned, cutting me off as a distant howl echoed across the Bridge.

An immortal man, an assumed werewolf, and a big gray wolf approached us.

“Look here, a couple of vampires. How lucky for us,” the man said.

“Yeah and look there, the girl’s got a little dragon! It
is
our lucky day,” the wolf said.

              I looked down at Minx and nudged Fitzray. “What do they want with Minx?”

“I don’t know,” he replied in a hushed voice.

“Why don’t we take a look at that dragon? It looks so helpless.”

“Back off,” Fitzray growled.

              The wolf let out a growl in response. “Oh now leader of the fangs has something to say about
us
? Let’s see if your bark is worse than your bite!” The gray wolf launched and backed him up against one of the Bridge walls.

              There was a loud scream and Fitzray and the wolf were out of sight. Only the immortal and I remained on the Bridge. I swallowed hard. Tears gathered in my eyes.

             
Fitzray was right, right all along. This werewolf will kill me right here. By the time Fitzray gets back, I will be a pool of blood at his feet.

              He strode toward me, his dog-like teeth exposed as he started to transform into a wolf. I turned and ran as fast as I could, the monster close behind. I stopped once I saw Fitzray.

              His back was against the high side of the stone bridge. The gray wolf’s claws extended deep into his neck. Blood dripped from the deep gashes.

              Paralyzed, I helplessly watched as the wolf’s teeth came close to his face and snapped his jaws viciously.

“No!” I screamed. Minx slipped from my hands onto the Bridge.

              The gray wolf turned his head and leapt toward me, leaving Fitzray.

“Go! Go Chenille, run!” Fitzray said hoarsely. His hands clutched his bleeding neck as he fell to his knees.

              I hesitated and bent down to pick up Minx, but the wolf snapped at my hand and I quickly withdrew it, stumbling back. I fell against the cold stone unable to move. The gray wolf walked close to Minx and carefully carried him away in his mouth, joining the other wolf.

“No, no Minx, they have Minx!” I whispered in desperation, my throat dry and sore.

              Without my consent, my eyes closed, shielding me from the horror that now walked away with my precious dragon.

              A high fever woke me hours later, my eyes stung, my lips burning. My eyes opened slowly. Tears flooded over my lids. I was on a small bed with clean, crisp white sheets. The smell of over-sanitation filled my nose at once, but I disregarded it. Fitzray sat on the corner of the bed with his head in his hands. A pale scar on his neck was the only evidence that I did not dream the incident on the Bridge.

“How are you doing?”

“I…I don’t know. I feel really hot.” I felt around the bed, suddenly panicked. “Where is Minx? Where’s Minx!”

“Minx was taken away by the wolves. I tried to stop them, but I couldn’t.”

“No, no! This is my fault! Oh, my poor Minx is out there in the cold world with those wolves!”

“It’s
my
fault. I shouldn’t have taken you over the Bridge. I knew something would go wrong.”

“We have to go find him,” I said, sitting up.

“You will have to wait,” Fitzray said, pressing lightly on my shoulders. “The doctors are still trying to figure out why you passed out and why you spiked such a high fever.”

              We waited for what seemed like hours in silence until finally, a striking vampire, dressed in a long white lab coat entered the room.

“Ah, Chenille East, I ran a few tests and I think we’ve got our answer.” He nodded toward Fitzray. “Have you kissed her within the past few days?”

              His face deepened to a glow and he cleared his throat with a nod.

“That explains it then. A vampire possesses a poison, I’m sure you are well aware, and you must have had an allergic reaction to it. It’s fairly common with young vampires.”

“And my fever and symptoms, will they go away?”

“They will subside soon.”

“Does that mean I will always be allergic to his poison?”

“No, you will soon be immune to his poison and no longer get that allergy, but that doesn’t mean you are immune to
all
of the vampire poisons. Each vampire has a different poison and causes a different allergy, that in which may range from burning of the lips to slurred speech to paralysis and in the rarest of cases, death.”

“Death?” I got a chill at the very thought of such a strong poison.

“It is mainly caused from a very,
very
strong vampire feeding off a mortal.”

              I sank back into the warm sheets and noted the doctor’s bright blue eyes and caramel brown hair.

“Ah, I didn’t recognize you in this light, Caspian.” Fitzray laughed. He turned to me with a smile. “This is Caspian, a fellow clan member and partner in crime.”

“Right, sorry, I didn’t introduce myself.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Caspian is the City’s finest doctor.”

“Is that so?”

“I suppose it is,” the doctor replied humbly.

“Could you tell me where to go for help to find my lost dragon?”

              Caspian stuck one hand in his coat pocket and shifted his weight over to his left foot. “Well, since you’re already here, at the City of Lights, you could go to the reservoir and look for Taj’. He should be able to direct you from there.”

“Taj’?”

  “Yes, I know Taj’. He’ll help us,” Fitzray assured me.

              There was a sudden cry from a distant room in the hospital and Caspian flew toward the door.

“I’d love to chat, but as you can see I am needed elsewhere. Good luck, you are free to go, and feel better.” He smiled quickly and left.

“Come on, let’s go!” I sat up quickly and peeled the white sheets off my burning body.

“Take it easy, we’ll find Minx, don’t you worry. Just try to rest a bit.”

“I don’t care! I have to find Minx!”

              He sighed and helped me to my feet. Reluctantly he offered me a hand, which quickly transpired to a full arm around my waist due to my inability to stand up straight.

“Let’s go, this is the last day of the eclipse,” I urged, more to push myself forward.

              The crisp warm sheets lingered behind me, called out to my tired bones. If I returned to rest it would only be another minute – another minute I could not afford to lose.  

              Outside, it was cold and a harsh wind chilled my skin to my bones. If not for my urgency to move on I would have stopped to admire the glorious city. Unfortunately, I did not have the time.

“The City of Lights,” Fitzray said with a gesture to the skyscrapers that crowded around us.

              Large old lampposts lined the streets, making the buildings around us visible as though it were day, despite the heavy overcast and shadows cast from the two moons.

              I had been in this city only once or twice since the walking distance from the house was too far and Zaire never offered protection to me from the strong werewolves and vampires that lurked.

“I know where we must go.”

              After a while of walking, my pace slowed almost to a stop and we sat on an old wood bench to rest. Each time I struggled to go on, but the vision of Minx and his loud cries were still fresh in my mind and Fitzray’s words helped sustain me.

“We are almost there, you are doing great.” He would continue to say. More than once he had offered to carry me or to stop, but I knew it would only slow us down.

“The reservoir, there it is,” Fitzray said at last and led me to its edge.

              A mermaid sat on a large stone in the middle of it and turned to us skeptically.

“Hello. What brings you here?” She inquired, her peremptory gaze falling on Fitzray.

“I’ve come for Taj’.”

“Humph,” she tossed her head, her blond hair cascading down her shoulders like a soft gold wave. “You’ve come to see
that
old lizard? Oh,
please
.”

“I must speak to him.”

              She sighed in frustration and crossed her arms before she dove into the water impatiently.

              Huge waves rolled over onto the land before us and splashed at our feet. A massive column of water shot up to the sky, revealing a licorice black snake with silver spikes down its back.

“Fitzray my good friend,” the snake exclaimed, bending his head down to our eye level.

“Hello Taj’,” Fitzray greeted with a large, flawless smile.

              Taj’s huge eye moved slightly to look at me.

“You’re a beauty.” His thunderous voice made the ground quiver.

“This is Chenille.”

“What an elegant creature you are.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“What brings the two of you here?”

“My…my dragon was kidnapped by a couple of werewolves and I need help to find him.”

              The snake lifted his head, as big as an elephant, and flicked out his tongue. “Savages!” The snake said, spraying out a streak of water. “Not to fear, for I know someone who can help.”

“Who, a fortuneteller or a sorcerer?”

“No, no dear, they don’t exist!” The snake shook his head. “Princess Pearl.”

“
Princess
, how can a princess help?”

“Do not underestimate her. She has a way with her powers.”

              He looked at Fitzray with his large bronze eyes.

“Do not look into her eyes. She can hypnotize any man. She can control his actions,” he warned.

“Where can I find her?”

“Go onward through the City to the border of the woods and you will find a path that will take you to a river. Follow it until you see the Frozen Waterfalls and you shall find her there.”