Page 8 of Stolen By Dragons

I watched as two guys tried to pry it open with no luck.

“What the fuck is this bullshit?” Someone snarled. “They can’t keep us prisoner!”

“She said we’d get answers soon, perhaps we should just do what we’ve been told and be patient. They’re freaking dragons,” someone else added.

“It’s insane. This whole damn thing.”

“They’re not wrong, but I can feel the magic here. We should just wait,” Christopher murmured beside me.

As some began to disperse, heading down their respective hallways, I stood rooted to the spot, watching the two same guys battle with the doors with a few watchers, although even they were becoming defeated since it was refusing to budge.

“Can’t you feel the magic?” Christopher spoke up. “The power from these dragon shifters?”

“Yeah, and what do you propose we do? Sit on our thumbs and wait? I’ve got a newborn at home!” One of the guys, a blond, blue-eyed man, snapped.

“We’ve all got people at home, but we’re in this together. We should explore the area, and I guess go to the dining hall when it’s time to get more answers,” he said carefully.

“Exactly what I’d expect of a damn mutt like you, listening like a good little pup,” the man’s companion shot back.

Amazingly, Christopher just sighed.

“Guys, again, we’re in this together. But be my guest, keep fighting their magic. We’ll see how far you get,” he said with a shrug as he turned to me.

“Everyone’s tense,” I stated, and he nodded.

“You can’t blame them. We all just got snatched up by dragons,” he said as he glanced around at the few others milling in the area uneasily. A few had even wandered down to the dining hall, probably looking for another way out. I had a feeling the magic on this place was not going to let us leave our designated area.

Magic. To think I was using that term so freely. This was insane. Christopher must have noticed my unease because he gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze as we moved closer to the halls. "Hey, you okay?"

I forced a smile. "Yeah, just... processing, I guess. It's a lot to take in."

He nodded sympathetically. "I can't imagine how overwhelming this must be for you. Listen, why don't we meet back in the communal area in about half an hour? I can fill you in on the whole 'supe' thing, answer any questions you might have."

"Supe?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Like tweedledee and tweedledum over there?”

Christopher chuckled. "Short for supernatural. It's kind of an umbrella term for all of us - werewolves, vampires, fae, witches, shifters - living amongst humankind. And yes, blondie there is another werewolf, his companion is a tiger shifter, hence the hostility. Big cat shifters tend not to mingle well with other sub-types,” he explained, and I nodded like I understood.

"Wait, witches?" I blinked, surprised. "They're real too? But I don't see a hall for them."

"Good catch," Christopher said, looking impressed. "My guess is they'll probably be grouped with the humans. Witches are the most human-like of all supes, after all."

"Oh," I said, feeling a mix of relief and unease. "So I might have some company in the human hall after all?"

"Maybe," he agreed. "But either way, I figured you might want to talk through all of this. Plus, I'm guessing you don't want to be alone right now."

I nodded gratefully, touched by his kindness. "Thanks, Chris. I'd really appreciate that. It's... it's really sweet of you to offer."

He smiled warmly. "No problem at all, Aria. We're all in this strange situation together. I'll see you in half an hour, okay? I’m going to go pick a room. Might as well see what the rooms are like,” he said with a shrug.

"Okay," I replied, managing a small but genuine smile in return. "See you then."

As Chris headed off to choose his own room, I took a deep breath and stepped into the human hall. It stretched before me, empty and uninviting.

The thought of being the only one here still made my stomach knot, but knowing I had someone to talk to later made it a little less daunting.

Besides, I also wanted to see what my room was like in this magical new place.

I chose a door near the middle of the hall, stepping into the quaint room. Nothing too flash, a bed with an armchair off to the side and desk. It was oddly modern, with lighter colors. For a magical fantasy world, it wasn’t too different. A quick peek in the adjoined bathroom showed that even it looked similar to home, a toilet, shower, and basin. There were some towels, along with a welcome basket of soaps, washes, and a toothbrush. Fascinating. I’d half-expected a world with dragons to be medieval.