Free Shared By The Dragon Clan: Part Three by Rosette Bolter Page B

ground.”
    “Let me take
a look.”
    She went out
to the balcony with the servant and leaned over the edge to see the tree.
    “That’s…
That’s quite a drop.”
    “Do you think
you can do it?”
    Stacey looked
back at him. “Do I have a choice?”
    “You can wait
for Conrad’s return.”
    Stacey looked
back to the tree again. The branch was too far down.
    “He’s not
nice, is he?” Stacey said.
    “He doesn’t
treat women that well,” the servant replied.
    “Why are you
helping me?” Stacey asked.
    “Just because
I work with these strange folk, doesn’t mean I’m one of them.”
    “Alright,”
Stacey sighed. “I’ll give it a shot.”
    “Okay,” the
servant said. “Stay there and I’ll meet you on the ground. Perhaps I can help
you if you fall.”
    “Great,”
Stacey smiled. “Just don’t keep me too long.”
    “I won’t.”
    The servant
bowed his head and exited the balcony.
    Stacey turned
back to the rail, and rested her arms against it. She now became aware of
sounds traveling through the background. People were shouting at one another on
the other side of the house. Metal, was hitting metal…
    Smash.
    Something shot
through the door behind Stacey, shattering glass in its wake.
    Stacey looked
to the ground next to her and saw it was the servant’s severed head.
    “EEEEK!”
    Her jaw
dropped, suddenly consumed with nausea.
    “Well, well.”
    Standing in
the doorway, swinging a giant sword filled with blood, was Conrad.
    Looking very
mean.

 
    CHAPTER FOUR
     
     
    Stacey felt her knees buckling in
fear, but then her mind grabbed a hold of her.
    Be brave.
    “It’s amazing
what a harlot can do to some people,” Conrad said dragging his sword across the
ground. “That man had worked for me for six years. But it means nothing when
confronted with a pretty face.”
    “You’re a
monster,” Stacey whispered.
    “And you’re a
human,” Conrad whispered back.
    He stopped.
Then beckoned with the sword. “Come to me now, Slave.”
    “No.”
    “No? I’m
promise I won’t hurt you. I swear.”
    Stacey
climbed up on top of the balcony’s rail.
    “What are you
doing?” Conrad asked.
    “What does it
look like?”
    Stacey looked
down to the branch. She was at the wrong angle.
    Conrad edged
closer. “Why don’t you come down? You don’t want to jump.”
    “Step away.”
    “Why? Come
on, Slave –”
    “Step away or
I’ll jump right now.”
    Conrad
stopped. But didn’t step back.
    “Go on then,”
he said. “I dare you.”
    Stacey
blinked.
    “Foolish
girl. Even if you’re lucky enough to make it to the ground unhurt, I’ll have
you in my arms a moment later. I’ll break your neck in two if that’s what you
want.”
    “Why won’t
you just let me go?” Stacey demanded. “I’m nothing to you. I’m not important.”
    “Oh, I beg to
differ. I know one person you’re very important too.”
    And he was
moving towards her. Hands outstretched.
    “That’s it,”
he said under his breath. “Come here. Come down… Hey –”
    Stacey closed
her eyes.
    One. Two.
    Three.

 
    CHAPTER FIVE
     
     
    Conrad didn’t try to grab a hold of
Stacey as she fell. Instead, his sword came slicing through the air, aimed at
her abdomen. Thankfully, he was just a tad not fast enough, and Stacey
collapsed into the air unscathed. Conrad’s hands hit the railing’s edge and he
growled with tremendous anger as Stacey hit the branch.
    Pain shot
through the right side of her body and then she slipped off the branch
immediately, hanging on with both hands. She struggled to lift herself back up
but it was useless.
    And it was
still a very long way down from here.
    She could see
Conrad’s figure looming. He wasn’t wasting any time.
    He leaped up
to the railing and then pounced towards the branch.
    As he landed
on it, it shook and Stacey’s hands gave away into the air. She fell screaming,
with the ground quickly catching up to her. But then, just as she was about to
hit it, a magnificent force