Chapter 136 136. Greed Makes Beasts

Chapter 136 136. Greed Makes Beasts
"We need to go to the Library," Drake said. He couldn't believe what he had seen; how had a dragon survived the hunters? Isolde told him and their friends that it was almost impossible for the hunters to put down all the magical creatures.

"Why? We need to find Lydia; she could be hurt. We need to find Lucifer; I had him off spying for us. We need to find out who set the bombs, and we can't stay here, Drake; they were chasing me- the keepers; they were chasing us. We fucking killed them, the trial." She said out of breath.  

While Isolde had mostly healed thanks to tonics, she was not in shape for the amount of running they had done. "They can't break the wards here at Thorne Castle, Isolde. We are safe for now; if they want to come here and take you or me, the wards won't let them in." Drake said.  

"What do you know about dragons? If you don't want to go to the library inside, you need to tell me what you know so we know how to fight them, because that thing was huge and fucking destructive." Drake said. Isolde stood there panting; she tried to think of what she knew.  

"Okay, dragons are creatures born from men, specifically, you know,  with insane greed, not just greed for money and riches but greed in every aspect. When they get something, they won't part with it to the point that they will die before that. Greed is the main aspect of their personality." Isolde said.  

"Could Ashford be one?"  

"No, he isn't greedy like that. I mean, yes, he has that attribute, but he wants more, and he would give something away to gain power; someone who is a dragon couldn't physically part with anything they considered theirs. There is this thing: even to protect their riches, they couldn't part with something."  

"So me is what you are saying?" Drake said.  

"No, you aren't greedy."  

"I am, though with you, I consider you mine, and I won't part with you." Isolde smiled; even amongst the shit they were deep in, he was being sweet. "No, for your name's sake, you would still part with something to have me, yes?" He nodded, and Isolde went on. "Exactly, so you would give up things for me. Someone who has this kind of affliction to become a dragon can't part with their things. When it happens, it drives them to become, well, a dragon, a fire fucking breathing beast with wings."  

"Anything else, please tell me they have a weakness," Drake said, and Isolde thought for several long moments.  

"Yes, they are a type of serpent." Drake didn't see that as any way to kill them. So Isolde went on. "Don't you see, we can talk to them in that form; we are split-tongued."  
"So you want us to reason with those monsters; that's how we are going to kill them?"  

"No, but it could distract them. I mean, the only way to kill them is to pierce that hide and stab their heart; at least that is how I think to do it. I haven't read up in a long while."  

Both tried to think, but Isolde reached an even worse conclusion. "Drake, if whoever it was who set this all in motion- I think Ashford- is using a dragon, it makes sense he is using other creatures, right?"  

He stood, struck by that idea; Isolde spoke again. "Think about it. Dragons were the first creatures put down because of the risk of exposing us, but a bunch of other creatures have gone extinct too. If he is using dragons, what else is he using? On that note, take it a step further. The bombs that went off in the Nexus earlier had to be snuck in; wielders can't sneak like that, but there is more than one creature that could."  

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Drake yelled; Isolde felt the same sinking feeling that he did. It was unbelievable to think that on top of fighting the Nexus, they would be up against creatures that have been extinct for years. "Do you think that old bastard recruited the hunters? Do you think he has been planning this for a long time?" Drake sounded nervous; Isolde could hear it in his voice.  

"I don't know, I think so. As I said, we need to get Lucifer. I sent him off to spy, but he hasn't come back before today's trial, and I honestly don't know. I know Ashford was behind the killing of mundane medical professionals; I understand why now. With a dragon attacking, they will have no one to help those who are injured, but to what end, I have no idea."  

Milicent came running out, wrapping her arms around the two of them. "What happened? You both are covered in soot?" Milicent knew that there would be conflict, but she had been at Thorne Castle and had no idea about the bombs or the dragon. Did anyone know about that besides them? Neither Drake nor Isolde knew.  

They had only seen it due to going to check on Lydia. What other wielders would have gone to where the attack was? Isolde and Drake remembered the outburst in court before all hell broke loose. They said an attack on the border of mundane and wielders, so someone else could confirm what they had seen with their own eyes.
"Your father isn't back. What happened?"  Milicent asked. She needed to know if her husband was safe. "Mother, there was an attack," Drake said.  

"Yes, I know the wraiths attacked Nexus; that was the plan, Drake."  

"That wasn't it, Mother."  

"What, what do you mean? What happened?"  

Neither Isolde nor Drake knew how to explain the circumstances of what had happened. Cassius wasn't in the courtroom, but he had been at the Nexus building, with everything going on; neither of them had thought Cassius might have been hurt or injured in the blasts going off all in the Nexus building. Now though, both were extremely worried; what if he had been crushed as the ceiling fell.  

What if he had been taken for questioning for the keepers they had killed? What-ifs ran rampant between the two of them. It was obvious they had been the first to return to Thorne Castle, which was the point where everyone was supposed to congregate after their attack. An attack that didn't go the way it should. Just then, Cassius appeared with a very bloody and limp Lydia.