Captured By The Dragon
Episode 65

Dylan – third

They were back on the road before a maid could knock on their door and ask why they stayed so long past their check out. Erik had gone and bought sweatshirts and sweats for all of them to rid themselves of the bloody clothes they had before. Hopefully no one decided to go through hotel trash bags.

Ethan sat calmly in Patara’s lap. Dylan knew how much she longed to comfort him, but his silence made it hard to understand him. They didn’t know if all the soft words and light touches were welcomed or if they were something he endured because he thought he had to.

Dylan wanted to say something that would help, but nothing came. All he could do was offer small smiles and hope that they made some sort of difference. Perhaps one day he would know how to be a father.

The young boy demolished all of the food given to him in seconds. Dylan remembered well what it was like to be growing that fast. Food was gone in seconds when it should have lasted days. He knew that Ethan would never be full until he was full grown. Even if he ate all day.

He knew they had to get back to his home fast. Human food would never satisfy him like shifter food would.

They drove for hours and hours. No one stopped them once—perhaps because Dylan stayed in the backseat the entire time. Erik was the one that looked most human. He blended into crowds like no other and looked like any average Joe driving a working van.

Once they neared the border, Erik pulled off to the abandoned mall where they first got the van. He turned in his seat to look at the rest of his group. Dylan knew his question before he even opened his mouth.

“How are we going to get back over the border without them noticing?” He asked. His voice was tired and lost. He had driven for hours without a single stop and only a bit of food. Dylan didn’t know how he would ever repay him for all he’d done for them. Not even a lifetime of favors would make up for it.

Dylan looked over each of them. They all looked at him for the answers since he usually had them. Ever since the police had doubled up on their security of the border, the pathways were harder to find and made the ones he used to use completely useless to them now.

“I can get all of you over on my back.” Dylan finally said. He leaned over to gaze up at the sky that was already darkening again. The day had bled into night. “They won’t see me, but the sensors will go off.”

“Dylan, they’ll shoot you down man.” Erik rubbed his eyes. “There has to be another way for all of us to get through.”

“It’s hours across the border to the next point I can get us through. Even there it might be covered now that the police have built their watch.” Dylan raked his fingers through his hair. “The sensors will go off, but they won’t be able to follow me in. I can get us over and straight home and they wouldn’t be able to find me.”

“You’re still risking them shooting you out of the sky. I know you’re fast, but they’re clearly prepared to take down shifted that try to fly over. We don’t know what kind of weapons they might have.” Erik peered out the window at the border that was a mile down the road.

“It’s a risk I’m going to have to take. Even if they shoot me, they won’t be able to hurt any of you.” Dylan said and started to gather all of their bags. “I need you guys to secure these to yourself—“

“Dylan, if Erik is saying that it’s dangerous… I don’t think your body can handle another shot like that.” Patara said gently. She moved forward to grip his hand. “We can go the long way—“

“No. Ethan needs to be home, he’s traumatised enough.” Dylan opened the doors and stepped out. The sun was almost down and there was an orange glow in the sky. “I can make it over. I’ve done it before and survived their fire.”

“You might be putting him in danger, Dylan.” Erik said as he stepped out of the van to near him. “If they shoot at you, the bullet could hit one of them or even go through you and hit them.”

“I wouldn’t let that happen.” Dylan said and shoved his hands into his pockets. He refused to look at any of them. His mind was already far from this van and back where it was safe.

“Dylan, you’re already wounded—“

Dylan turned and put his hand up to silence his friend. “We’ll be back home before midnight.”

Without another word, he walked off to check his bandages. The wound still felt as if it was wide open. Normally his wounds would have been healed and gone, but this one felt as if it just happened. It didn’t matter. He could barely focus on that when there was so much more to do.

When night came, they were all silent. Patara held Ethan to her chest with her bags strapped to her back. She watched Dylan with a concern that was hard for him to look at. Erik held the rest of the bags on him and he only looked at Dylan with annoyance and concern.

It was surprising that Patara could carry all that weight on her. Ethan wasn’t light and her bags were even heavier—but she didn’t complain once.

“It’s time. Hang on for your life and don’t let go. Erik, I’m trusting you to make sure they don’t fall.”

Erik tilted his head in understanding but said nothing. Dylan shifted into his dragon form when it was darkest and the rest of them stepped back the larger he grew. Ethan stared in wonder and made small noises as he watched his father. Perhaps he saw some of himself in him finally.

Erik hurried Patara forward and helped her on the back before he climbed up as well. Dylan felt their hands grip tightly into his back and only then did he shoot off into the sky.

Their muffled screams were lost in his ears. He went as high as he possibly could before he shot out straight across the border. Even as high as he was, the alarm still went off as he passed.

Screams and shots hit his ears. He was going as fast as he could but they still managed to get their guns out even faster. Shots hit the sky and he zig zagged across the stars to miss each one of them.

Soon, they were too far to reach him. He didn’t stop his speed until he saw his villa. Only then did he swoop down to let them all off.

In the high of his adrenaline, he didn’t even realize that he had been shot until he hit the ground.