Bane's Dragon: Exile (Bane Dragon Wars Book 3) Read online

  Beth tried to fall back asleep, but all she could think about was the man with a puncture wound. It made her sick. Gerald was the shining hero and the ultimate villain. He saved but terrified her. She didn’t know what to think.

  Beth didn’t even know what he was.

  Eventually she got up and brushed the hair from her eyes. Perhaps she would go to her shift early that day. Sighing, she looked over at her stained apron, placed carelessly on her desk chair, taunting her. She had forgotten to wash it.

  Beth’s hair danced across her shoulders as she made her way into the bathroom. It was so small, it made her claustrophobic. She put her hair up into a ponytail, turned the tap on and started splashing her face with water. Then she slipped into her uniform, a lavender knee-length dress with a light ruffle, then put on her apron. She despised her uniform.

  * * *

  Beth couldn’t get her mind off Gerald. The moment she walked in she looked for him, but he was nowhere in sight. It was too early, anyway. There were barely a few people with enough waiters to cater for them. Eventually she sat down by the window and gestured towards Lenny, the coffee guy.

  “You’re here early,” he said with a raised eyebrow.

  “I couldn’t sleep,” she replied, crossing one leg over the other. “Can I get a coffee?”

  “Sure, it’s on the house,” he said before walking away. It wasn’t long before he came back with the coffee jug. Beth smiled to herself; it was strange being on the other end of things.

  “Here.” Lenny burst in there again, a grin plastered to his face. “Hey, you okay?” he asked as he poured her a cup of coffee. “You seem a bit off today. Also, your apron has a strain on it.”

  “I’m aware,” Beth nodded, not making eye contact. The truth was that she was dying to tell him what had happened last night. She was dying to tell anyone. But she fought with herself because for some strange reason, it felt like the wrong thing to do. Deep down, she knew she wasn’t only imagining things. There was a truth to what had happened, and surely you could recognize a living, breathing werewolf when you saw one, right? “I just had a rough day yesterday.”

  “Is it Billy? Because he was on my ass all day yesterday, too! Said I wasn’t filling the customers’ cups to the very top.”

  Lenny’s voice seemed distant. Beth was too caught up in her own head. Eventually the lanky waiter walked away, that same smile plastered to his face. He was too good for this world, Beth thought, sipping her coffee and squinting at nothing in particular.

  The hours passed and Gerald never showed up. She had waited for him, in fact all she could think about the whole day was him. She saw his face in every customer, his work uniform everywhere. If anything, she was starting to question her own sanity.

  When Beth’s shift was over, she left the diner in a haste. Her feet carried her to the dock, which was about a mile away. She didn’t mind the walk, just as long as she found him. Gerald had saved her, after all, and the least she could do was thank him.

  Beth had a habit of getting involved with the wrong men. During the night she often went to clubs to play pool, and for the most part, it got her into trouble. One brush with a drunk guy led to all sorts of trouble, from random marriage proposals to bloody brawls; Beth’s late night presence brought her nothing but danger. That night, she had refused a bald man’s advances, often looking the other way when he sent her drinks and forfeiting when he joined the pool game.

  He got angry, so angry that he brought a friend along to intimidate her. As she got ready to leave the pub she felt his eyes on her, but she ignored him. As soon as she walked out they ambushed her, their tentacle like fingers grabbing at her, tugging at her clothes. This wasn’t the first time.

  Feeling frustrated, Beth lit a cigarette. She walked with a fervor, determined to find Gerald and thank him. The lake came into view; the water wasn’t so still today and the fishermen were all lined up with their sticks and ice boxes. Beth searched for Gerald’s overalls, later realizing that all the men who worked on that dock wore the same clothes. She snickered and moved on, eventually arriving at the dock where he worked.

  As she took one final drag of her cigarette she looked around for him. She eliminated all the men wearing caps and looked for bear-headed men with ebony black hair like his. “Hey, excuse me,” she chased one of the workers. He was twice her height with a buzz cut. When he heard her, he quickly spun around.

  “What?” he barked. “What do you need?”

  Beth paused, staring at him. He wore a badge with the name “Alexander” printed on it. “Does Gerald work here?” she asked, finally snapping out of it.

  “Jerry, of course her works here!”

  “No, Gerald.”

  “Jerry, Gerald. I prefer fun names, alright?”

  “Alright, um, did he come into work today?” If anything, Beth was getting a bit freaked out. Alexander seemed like he was in a hurry to leave, but she wasn’t going without answers. She followed him as he scanned around the dock, seemingly distracted. His eyes darted back and forth frantically, not landing on anything in particular. He then balled his hands up into loose fists and continued walking, barely even noticing Beth. “I asked you a question.”

  “I’m moving ‘em up there, my men,” he mumbled under his breath. Beth picked up speed, trying to catch up. “No, I haven’t seen him,” he said finally, almost like he was talking to the air. “You know why? Because he didn’t come into work today!”

  “Is something wrong with him?”

  “How the hell would I know? Come to think of it, I should call him.”

  “Do you know where Gerald lives?”

  “Is there something I should be concerned about?” Alexander stopped suddenly and spun on his heel. Beth was taken aback, blinking at him.

  “Not really,” she shook her head. “But I need to go visit him.”

  Alexander’s lips twitched to a smile. “Oh, I see how it is,” he said. Beth rolled her eyes, but then told herself to wait a little while longer. His boss seemed like a madman, but she was willing to put up with him if it meant getting Gerald’s address. “He lives on two thirty-three Myer’s street,” he said conclusively before hurrying away.

  Beth opened her mouth to speak but her words refused to take flight. Before she knew it, Alexander was gone, but at least she got what she wanted. She braved the winter wind, hopping onto the next bus and clasping her hands in her lap. The windows frosted over as the bus raced across the city; Beth watched the mountains zoom by, eventually disappearing behind racing trees.

  She was nervous for some reason. She didn’t even know why she was going to him. She had never gone out of her way for any man, but he had saved her. But it wasn’t just that. She had to admit, the mystery surrounding Gerald and his alien physique was pulling her to him. She wanted to know who he was; what he was. What was that thing that saved her? Was she just imagining things?

  The four fifteen pulled over. Beth hopped off and looked around. Gerald sure did live in a shabby neighborhood, probably even shabbier than hers. The sky was overcast and the clouds rolled overhead, like an omen. She wondered if she should even be here at all. A red brick building stood tall amid others. “Number thirty-six,” Beth muttered under breath, wandering around like a tourist. She had never been to this place before. There were trees, but not too many of them. The neighborhood was far from beautiful, overcast in the middle of the day, not just with clouds, Beth entertained, but with smog.

  In the distance there was a factory of some sort, and less than a block away was a broken neon sign flashing faintly, almost unnoticeable in the day. It looked like a diner, and a run-down one at that. There was a motel also, and a supermarket and a sad looking pet store. Beth wondered if they were treating the animals well in there, but then she shook her head, not wanting to get side tracked.

  She went into the apartment building, realizing there was no elevator. Gerald lived on the fourth floor, she gathered from the intercom. As she walked up the steel stai
rs, Beth felt cold. It was almost like this side of the city was freezing, salt-smelling, looking onto a grim lake. Finally she landed on Gerald’s floor, walking down a slim red carpet that had turned into a dusty maroon with time. When she got to his door she balled her hand up to a loose fist and knocked.

  Chapter 4

  Gerald was taking forever to answer the door. Beth was growing more and more nervous, wondering why she was even there. Snap out of it, she thought. You have every right to know. She looked around. That hallway was a rut. His apartment building, she thought, was no different than hers. She smiled, suddenly feeling reassured. Seeing someone’s house meant knowing them a little bit better. She imagined his apartment to be a tiny one, decorated with all sorts of knick knacks and peculiar house plants. Perhaps he had a dog, although he didn’t seem like the type of man who had time to care for pets. A goldfish, perhaps? But no, Gerald encountered fish every day at work; surely he wouldn’t care for more fish.

  She clasped her hands together and waited. She even pressed her ear to the door. Suddenly she heard something; the sound of slippers scraping the floor. Beth jumped away from the door and dusted herself off.

  “Beth?” Gerald inched the door open and stared at her. She only saw one eye and a chain across. “What’s up?”

  “Hey,” she said, visibly uncomfortable.

  “Come on in,” he muttered, unchaining the door and letting her in. He was in a towel and his hair was dripping wet. “Sorry it took me so long to answer the door. I was in the shower.”

  “I can see that,” Beth nodded, her pearly teeth showing through her smile, which quickly faded once she realized that was her cue to explain why she was there. “So, um… you didn’t show up to the diner today.”

  “Oh, you noticed?” he raised an eyebrow at her, spinning around, fastening his towel around his waist. He held onto it as he paced the room, like he was looking for something. Beth just stood there, feeling awkward more than anything. “Want some coffee? I’ll make you some coffee,” Gerald said before disappearing in the doorway.

  She smiled to herself. She had to admit, she had missed him today. Gerald had become an obscure part of her daily life, a puzzle piece she didn’t even know was there, but when it disappeared, although temporarily, surely Beth noticed that it had gone missing.

  As Gerald floundered about in the kitchen, Beth stared around his apartment. It was small like a shoebox, almost unfurnished with the exception of a couch and a few chairs and light bulb hanging from the ceiling. Not exactly what she had in mind, yet somehow it made sense. He seemed like the type of man who spent little time at home, roaming the streets often, engaging in activities that she knew nothing about. She wondered if he had lived in West Haven his entire life, or if he had moved here from somewhere. She had never been so curious about someone before. The aroma of coffee traveled up her nostrils, signaling Gerald’s impending return. A while later he appeared in the doorway again, only this time he was fully clothed.

  “Sorry it took me too long. I was trying to perfect your coffee the same way you do mine,” he smirked, heading in her direction.

  Beth felt the blood rush to her cheeks. “Why, thank you,” she said, waiting for him to settle down somewhere. Gerald seemed like he was always on the move, always in a hurry to do something.

  “So, how did you find out where I live?” he looked up at her through curious eyes.

  “I have my sources,” Beth replied, sipping her coffee. There was a pause. “But seriously, though. I wanted to thank you for… for last night.”

  “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, really,” he shrugged, averting his gaze to the floor. He seemed uncomfortable all of a sudden.

  Beth couldn’t hold it in anymore. “But what was that?” she asked suddenly, inching forward in her chair. Immediately, it felt like she had said the wrong thing.

  “What was what?” Gerald’s face drooped to a visible scowl.

  “Come on, there was no way you could’ve taken those men on all by yourself.”

  “You underestimate my strength,” he rolled his eyes. He was clearly trying to joke his way out of this, but Beth wasn’t having it. His denial triggered something in her, an urge to prove herself in the same way that she did with her mother.

  “But I saw you, you weren’t looking… normal.”

  “And what does that mean?” he tilted his head.

  “You had fangs, Gerald. I don’t know where they came from, but I saw them.”

  Gerald scoffed. “Fangs? I had fangs? You know it was pretty dark out there, Beth. Fangs? Seriously?” He sat back in his chair and shook his head from side to side. His eyes were wide and his eyebrows raised, like he was mocking her. Beth got even more motivated to find things out.

  “Gerald, I know what I saw. I even saw fur grow out of your neck. Now, I can’t be imagining it all!”

  Gerald burst out laughing. The truth was that Beth was beginning to doubt herself, but there was a look in his eyes, a psychotic glimmer that told her he was hiding something. “So let me get this straight. You saw actual fur grow out of my neck as I beat up the guy who was hitting on you outside the pub?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, I don’t know what you saw. But that sounds pretty fucking scary,” he said.

  “You’re mocking me again. What’s up with that?”

  “Do you not realize how ridiculous this all sounds? I’m sorry, but none of this makes sense.”

  Beth set her coffee aside and looked at him. “How do you explain the puncture wounds, then? The ones on the bald guy’s neck?”

  “They were both bald.”

  “No, they weren’t. One of them had a head full of black hair and-”

  “What are you trying to get at? I mean, where are you going with this, Beth?” At that point Gerald just seemed angry. He rose to his feet and looked at her, almost like he was about to snap. But Beth wasn’t afraid of him. She continued her line of questioning because she knew something was up, something very, very strange.

  “You tell me, you tell me where I’m going with this,” she said, her eyes fixated on his. “Because I know what I saw, Gerald. And what I saw wasn’t human.”

  “You’re just imagining things,” he snapped. Beth felt her cheeks getting hot.

  “Why are you treating me like a child?”

  “I’m not, but I’m asking you to let it go.”

  He had fear in his eyes. At that point, Beth had made sure Gerald was hiding something, something big. He was getting awfully defensive; perhaps that was her cue to leave. “Fine!” she said, heading straight for the door. “I was here to thank you, you know.”

  Gerald stormed after her.

  “Don’t bother. I’ll show myself out,” she said before storming out and slamming the door behind her. She waited for a moment, two moments. She waited for him to chase her out there, but then he never did. Beth marched down the hall, arms swinging by her side. She was fuming and she didn’t know why. Gerald had shut her out, and there was nothing she could do about it. Perhaps she was waiting for him to reveal one hell of a divine secret, perhaps she was waiting for him to trust her.

  She walked out into the frigid wind and tilted her chin up towards the sky. It was starting to rain. Then she averted her gaze to Gerald’s window. A part of her swore she had seen him peering at her through the blinds. Or maybe I’m just imagining things, she rolled her eyes, starting towards the bus station. She had come out of this visit with nothing. She didn’t even tell him she had missed him.

  As the sky started raining hard, Beth cursed the weather and this day altogether. Her eyes swelled up with tears at the remembrance of certain things. Gerald had lent himself to her mother and everyone who didn’t believe her, who didn’t believe in her. Beth walked with her head down, her thoughts weighing her down.

  It wasn’t long until she made it up to her own stale looking apartment, realizing how similar it looked to Gerald’s. Perhaps they had the same taste, or per
haps they were both equally as unmotivated to decorate. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh, deciding to fall asleep for the rest of the day.

  Chapter 5

  Beth wiped the tables angrily. She scrubbed them with all her might, trying to forget about yesterday’s confrontation. Gerald crossed her mind more often than she would’ve liked, and she wondered if he would stop by that day.

  “You seem a bit off today,” Lenny said with his hands pinned at his hips. Beth sighed, wiping the tables even more aggressively. “Trouble in paradise?”

  “What paradise? This?” she gestured around the diner. The place was smelling off today; it was making her stomach turn. “What a great life we live,” she said, twirling around and smoothing her hands over her apron. “We mop floors and serve stale coffee for a living!”

  “Oh, excuse me, my coffee is not stale,” Lenny rolled his eyes and smiled. He never failed to make Beth laugh, even on her worst days. “Come on, is it a dude?”

  “Kind of, but it’s not what you think.”

  “What, oh! Oh, are you pregnant?” his voice boiled down to a hoarse whisper.

  “No!” she yelled, waving him away. “I just hate it when people don’t… open up to me.”

  “What, you want a dude you just met to trust you with his deepest darkest secrets?”

  “I’ve known him for a year now.”

  “So you guys are friends?”

  “Not really.”

  “You’re stalking him, aren’t you?”

  “Not exactly. I’m just… curious about him.”

  “Curious is another word for stalker, you know.”

  There was just no winning with Lenny. Oftentimes he got into trouble at work for gossiping too much. But the truth was that Beth needed him to get her mind off her reality.

  Gerald didn’t show that morning, either. Something must’ve been up. Beth finally collapsed on a chair at noon, catching her breath after a vigorous morning session of table waiting.