{Blood~Sisters} –A Fantasy- *Scroll VI- Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder*

Scroll VI-

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Landing heavily on the shoreline Jeremy sprawled out in the sand on his back, the last of his dragon form fading from his body. He lay there panting for a moment before he opened his eyes and saw Seku land gingerly next to him, his riders still present on his back. “Juliana,” he called. “Do you think they really drowned?”

Julianna sat up slowly, sand pouring from the folds of her business suit. "I'm not sure," she replied slowly. "I haven’t used my Gift since I left Inaeis." She gazed up at the sky wearily. "I can't believe I just let her go like that. I should have followed her." Her eyes closed. 'If she's dead I will never forgive myself' she thought.

"Try it now," Jeremy growled.

"I have been!" she snapped, glaring at him. Her gaze was unflinching. "Do you think I'm trying any less hard than you?! I am their mother!"

"Seku," he said and the older dragon dumped the two from his back and transformed.

Skip shook and sat next to Julianna, his head bent low. She smiled at him and stroked his fur.

Jeremy sat up, brushing the sand from his cotton shirt. "You should go ahead and warn the nobles that I am coming and am not in any mood to be trifled with. Tell them that they will have twelve hours to settle their disputes before I settle them for them and take the throne by force."

"Is that even possible?" Seku asked. "And what about them?' A jerk of the head indicated Juliana and the dog.

Jeremy glanced at them. "I will bring them."

Seku looked about to protest, but wisely decided against it. "Donra and our sons should return to the continent within the week, will you be able to hold out that long?"

His eyes flashed oddly as he answered, "You've seen me in a rage before, what do you think?"

Seku stared at his former prince for a moment before giving a short bow and leaping into the air and transforming to carry out his orders. Jeremy watched him go for a moment before collapsing back into the sand.

"What is your plan now, Jeremy?"

"Wait," he grunted.

Julianna sighed, knowing there was no arguing with him. She gazed out over the open sea, thinking about Rose. If she was kidnapped, how much did she find out? It was imperative that neither of the girls found out whom their father was.

Suddenly Skip rose and faced the forest, sniffing the wind. His tail was raised and his fur began to bristle. Julianna stood up quickly and scanned the foliage.

Jeremy's nostril's flared as he caught a smell he had not scented for nearly a full dragon year. Quick as a flash he was on his feet. "Stop," he said quietly. "It is centaurs."

Skip immediately lay down in a docile position, whimpering slightly. Julianna glanced at him. "I thought that Lucas killed them all a few millennia ago."

"No. These are the centaurs of Dragonia. They give us their alliance in times of war and we lend them protection against outsiders," Jeremy said.

The majestic creature emerged from the shade, an arrow slung over his shoulder. His bright red hair and grey fur shone in the sun. He bowed his head respectfully to Jeremy. "It is good to see you well, Lord Jeremy." His voice was deep and had an accent not unlike a Jamaican.

Jeremy nodded in greeting. "Same to you, Lord Hmein. How goes it?"

"It seems our forest is no longer safe from intruders," he said grimly. "Two were apprehended a few days ago, and neither seems willing to talk." His eyes wandered over to Julianna, taking in her rumpled appearance. "One, however, managed to bring down a Forest Troll. The Sxerel is quite concerned."

"Mm," Jeremy responded. "Yes, I can see where she would be. How did this happen?"

Jeremy rose and casually walked after the centaur. Glancing over his shoulder he said, "We've got twelve hours to kill before I bash some heads in. Are you coming or not?"

Julianna glared at his back in irritation. "We started moving before you, tightass."

Jeremy snorted in amusement as he strode after them. "Why did you call me 'tightass'?"

Julianna jumped and blushed a deep crimson. "Ah... nothing."

He snorted and glanced past her. "Hmein, would you care to explain the intruders? If they're vampires again trying to invade your territory then I'll have to look into it and send a few of my dragons to take care of the infestation."

"We were hunting a troll from the Northern Bank when our scout reported that someone had already killed it. He said that the intruders looked like trouble, so we ambushed them and took them into custody. They're young. Probably sent by Fhredgar- you know he likes to enslave humans."

“Hm...Yes, he does," Jeremy said despondently as he absently flicked a tree branch out of his face. "I thought humans were unable to defend against trolls. How did these intruders manage?"

"We're not sure. They were unarmed when we arrived." HIs face darkened. "One was badly wounded. Whoever did that will pay." Julianna paled. To a centaur, harming a 'foal' was punishable by death.

Jeremy's eyes darkened for a moment. He understood their sentiments exactly. "How was he injured?"

"The wounds looked strange; I remember that...I was not told the details."

He threw his head back and stared at the sky for a moment. "Did they say their names? It might be a starting point from which we can begin back tracking them and perhaps find out what they are here for."

Hmein gave him a sidelong glance. “I’d rather you saw them yourself.”

They approached a lush forest glen over the crest of the hill. Tall structures crafted from loose river-stones towered above the four. Groups of Centaurs spoke softly in their soft, musical language. Hmein led them to a low circular building and bade them wait.

“The prisoners are in a separate building not far from here. The Hunters will provide you with refreshment while I fetch them.”

Jeremy watched him go with a slight nod of his head to indicate that he had heard and then turned to Juliana. “Why did you bring the butt?” he asked, mispronouncing the word.

She looked at the dog drooling on her knee with a slightly puzzled expression. “I’m not sure. He sort of…came on his own. Maybe he misses Rose?” As she spoke several centaurs entered with silver goblets of pure spring water and plates of the best bounty the forest had to offer. The left the room silently, watching the Dragon-King warily from under half-closed eyelids.

His eyes flicked to them for a moment before he tore into one of the deer legs that they had brought, eating ravenously as his body callously reminded him that he had not eaten for almost a full week. As he ate he thought, tearing his way through more than three quarters of the food before he finally slowed enough that Juliana wasn’t in danger of losing a finger for grabbing something he was aiming for.

Rina was a smart girl, he reasoned with himself. She probably wouldn’t have jumped without knowing that there a chance that she would survive.

Probably.

Then again, between being eaten by a vamp or dying in a storm by choice she most likely would have gone with the latter given a chance. And she had seized that chance. She had jumped. There was no mistaking the look he had seen in Lucas’s eyes that day: anger. Not only that, but when he had tasted the air for their scent, for her scent, it had been a faint lingering one.

He absently flicked a bone at the dog and looked away, pondering his options. There was only so much that he could do on his own and even with Seku, Donra, and their sons aiding him it was a slow process. If he wanted to expand his search he would have to return to Dragonia and take the throne, then again he could skirt the issue for a few more months and continue searching by his own strength. After all, he had something that connected her to him that they did not: Blood.

After pondering it for a moment he discarded it in favor of taking the throne. The connection between them wouldn’t work unless she was within a three-mile radius and in immediate danger. No, taking the throne would be his best choice even if it meant enslaving himself to the whims of the damned four great dragon families. Anything was better than losing Rina.

His slim fingers closed absently around the stem of a wooden goblet and as he brought it to his lips he drank without really tasting the liquid. It had been what…two hours since her had sent Seku to warn the other dragons of his coming. Seku was a swift flyer and should have reached them by now, so he still had ten hours to kill before he tore into some of his soon-to-be subjects and vented the rage that still boiled just beneath his skin. In another two hours Seku would return to him with a report of how they took the news and allow him to gauge how much of his strength he would have to unleash to force them to their knees.

Dragons were proud and arrogant creatures by nature and the Four Great Families, the very first of the dragons, were sure to be using his two dim witted sisters as pawns in their games since his father’s assassination. The heads of the families would, of course, have to be dealt with first, but they were easy enough once he found them.

Tipping the glass away from his lips he watched as the liquid touched the opposite rim and threatened to spill over. Rage briefly flashed through his eyes as he recalled the way Rina had been snatched from him. The vampires had formed a temporary alliance with the shapeshifters just to get their hands on her and the shapeshifters that had snatched her from him had paid dearly when he had tracked them down. Lucas still had yet to pay as he had been in too much of a hurry to find the girls when their paths had crossed, but when they met again, and they would, he would make the vamp suffer a thousand times what he had made Rina suffer.

Inhaling deeply, his eyes half-closed as he caught a familiar scent. The intangible something pulled, beckoning him forward. Lurching to his feet he crossed the room to the door where two centaurs stood sentry. A low growl issued from his throat as he watched Hmien approach with a solitary approach trailing reluctantly behind him.

He inhaled deeply and caught her scent…but not her scent. He snarled under his breath. “Rose.”

* * *

Rina crashed through the underbrush of the forest, her arms thrown over her face, the branches reaching for her and tearing at her clothes and skin. She had escaped from the centaurs not five minutes ago so they were sure to be on her tail.

* * *

The gaunt girl looked up, her black hair streaked with dirt. Her face paled for a split second at the sight of her mother, then she glanced away as if she'd never seen her. She looked at Jeremy defiantly.

Jeremy growled softly as she stared at him. She was so like Rina in the way she looked, but he already knew that her temperament was different, just as he knew they would irritate each other to death. "Juliana," he said softly. "Identify her."

Julianna had already stood and was pushing the Hunter's spears out of her way. She took her daughter's face in her hands, tears streaming down her face.

"It's her," she breathed. "Rose, I'm so glad you're safe..."

A second later she stared at Rose, wide-eyed in shock, a red mark spreading on her face. Rose glared venom into her mother.

"Rose," he said, his voice as cutting as sword's edge. "Where is your sister?"

Her eyes closed for a second as she closed off her mind- a useful trick she'd learned. The British teen looked calmly at the Dragon King and spoke, ice in every syllable.

"I don't know who you're talking about."

His eyes snapped fire for a moment before he snorted in derision. "The one that most likely smacked you with a wood plank when you first met," he said, his voice still deadly soft.

Rose kept her voice carefully neutral and aloof. "I'm an only child."

He smiled with cold amusement. "Juliana never told you that you had a twin and that you were separated at birth for your...ah...safety."

She blinked innocently. "A twin? Me? I think I'd know if I had one..." she glanced at her silent mother. "Why should my mother ever lie to me?"

"Because you're a bitch."

Fire seemed to snap behind her eyes as she turned to him sharply. "And what do you know, O Wise One? You just met me; how can you even think of passing judgment?!"

"I don't need to know someone to know their personality," he snarled. "Tell me where Rina is."

"Like I said," she snapped. "I have no idea who the hell you're talking about!"

She glared at him, a silent challenge of will.

He easily knocked Juliana aside and yanked her from Hmein’s grasp by the collar of her shirt. "Don't play games you can't finish," he said quietly. "Challenge me and I can promise you that you'll come out of it worse off than me."

She smiled coyly. "Who's challenging you? I simply wanted to see if the stupid bitch is worth more to you than your Alliance."

Something flickered in the depths of his eyes as he grinned. "Do you really wish to know how important she is to me?"

Rose’s smile faded. "Do you know what she's worth to me? A sister I never knew? I'm not going to hand her over to someone who claims he cares for her. Understand?"

He dropped her, glaring down at her from the corner of his eye. "I more than understand. I'm sure she's mentioned her Uncle Jeremy a few times. That's me and your mother can back me up. I've known Juliana since she was five." His nails were beginning to dig deep enough into his palm to draw blood.

He knew that he could have asked Heim what had happened to the other girl and get a straighter answer from him than what he was getting from Rina's twin, but it seemed important that he draw the information out of her first. Almost as though he were drawing something out of the cold girl.

She seemed to read his thoughts. "Why not ask them? They know just as well as I." Her rose-pink eyes narrowed. "Or is this a 'pride' thing?"

She ignored the shocked expression on Julianna's face. Finally her mother could take it no longer. "Rose, do you know who he is-"

"Or what," said Hmein softly from behind her.

"Yeah." Rose said. The tension was thick. "An overgrown lizard."

Jeremy stared at her for a moment. Then the damn within his chest broke and he doubled over laughing.

Rose started, looking at him with a puzzled expression. Of all things, this was not what she expected. Well, at least now she knew he was who he said.

Poor Lady Julianna seemed at a loss. The woman looked from the Invincible Dragon King laughing his arse off to the dark girl before him in puzzlement. What was going on?

He laughed so hard and long that his sides began to ache. Finally he got himself under enough control that he could straighten and say, "Well, I've never been told that to my face, but that's exactly what Rina would call me if she knew what I was."

Her eyebrows arched. "Then we both know neither of us are fakes. The next issue would be if your plans are in her- and my-" she looked at Julianna as she said this- "best interests."

He frowned. Returning to claim the dragon throne might not be in Rina's best interest after she was found, but it would certainly stop any assassins from coming after them and force the Four Families hands when it came to accepting a half-breed among their ranks. "Yes," he said, "They are."

"And mine as well? There are two of us, remember? For that matter, why are we so important? I'm tired of secrets."

She shifted, the coarse ropes biting into her skin. She would not show weakness, not to them. Especially not to her.

He deftly ignored the true meaning of her last question as he said, "You are not important to me the way Rina is, but if you decide to come with us, then yes, my plans are in your best interest."

"And the Alliance?" Her eyes narrowed. "What about this 'prophecy'?" Her expression hardened and her soft yet cruel voice echoed across the room. "They're all thinking about it."

"Screw the prophecy," he shrugged. "You two will make your own way in life whether you want to or not. As to the Alliance, Inaeis will not make a move to disband it over the simple fact that I bring two new subjects with me to my court, because he cannot take the risk of revealing the truth."