Sister Ping found her chain whip within Helena’s coat pocket, she screamed a victory screech once it was recovered and began heading for a tunnel in the cliff.
The man in black opened the red velvet pouch reverently and found an ancient dagger with a Dragon handle, corroded in places it looked a thousand years old and highly likely unable to cut, anything.
“What is this? Is this a trick? You promised me the dagger to control dragons.”
Sister Ping turned the tip of her tail twitching slowly as she spoke, “That is The Dagger of Dragons. With that dagger, you can summon any Dragon once you have the true name. I’ve held up my end of the bargain. I’ve given you the girl, the ritual, the dagger, and I’ve given you the dragons true name. All you must do is say the ceremony like I’ve taught you and your Dragon will arrive. That blade is over two thousand years old, something doesn’t need to be bright and shiny to be mighty. You should learn to respect age and wisdom you would go far.”
“I’ve gone far respecting money and power I think I will stick with those two,” the man in black replied inspecting the dagger more closely in the overhead light.
Helena watched as Sister Ping slithered off out of the light and into a tunnel. “I guess some monsters are still human,” Helena said, looking up at the man from the ground, defeated next to Doyle.
“You understand we’ve been working for this moment for centuries. What for you has been a quest for seven days we’ve been working towards this goal since recorded history.”
“You’re insane!” Helena shouted.
Missy cried, “Can’t you let us go? We won’t tell anyone what you’ve done.”
“Oh, my dear Missy, you can’t leave. You’re the guest of honor. Helena come stand next to me.”
“Go to hell,” Helena spit.
“Child, a lady shouldn’t use such language. I was going to let Detective Longstreet leave without any further damage. However, if you refuse to do as you’re told, I’ll slit his throat with this rusty knife and throw his body into the sea,” the man held his black-gloved hand out for her.
Working her way up off the deck without the man’s help she brushed herself off, standing.
“The time has come for you to take your rightful place in your community, with your tribe.”
Helena recognized the words from the Count’s reception but not the voice behind them, she peered into the man’s mask trying to catch a glimpse who hid behind it.
“Who are you? And why would I follow one insane man attempting, I don’t even know what you’re attempting to do?”
“I am the Grand Witch of the Society of the Draco, and I am not alone,” with a circular motion of the dagger in his right hand. Two lines of similarly dressed people begin snaking out of the tunnels and walking along the walls of the massive indoor swimming pool. Impossible to count, Helena watched as she became completely encircled by hundreds of people all clad in the same black robes “This is your tribe.”
Defiant Helena saw no way out, she wanted answers, “I want to know who you are behind the mask, not your title,” Helena took a step back her arms crossed.
“One way or another it will matter not if everyone here sees who I am,” he pulled his hood off. Helena instantly recognized the man.
“Missy’s father?”
“That’s not my father.”
“If you’re not Missy’s father who are you?”
“I’m nobody, this is where my power lies. I’m in the background pulling strings, controlling people, getting things done so our tribe can make money, our community can become richer, and no one here knows who I am. When I told you, I was The Grand Witch of The Society of the Draco, my title and my name is the same.”
“You’re saying nobody has been controlling my life?”
“Ironic isn’t it?” Grand Witch made a motion with his arms, four cloaked figures approached the center. “I tire of this and time is money we need to begin the ritual. With or without you this is going to happen,” two men skulked behind Helena grabbed her by the elbows. Another two men walked behind the St. Andrew’s Cross and spun it around Missy’s back now to the pool. “We need a blood sacrifice, one way or another you’re going to be involved. You can be the giver or the taker.”
“I refuse to take anyone’s blood!” Helena stood resolute as possible with her jaw set.
“Would you change your mind if I told you that your father and mother worked for me? Your father’s grand expedition went missing locating this dagger,” he thrust the blade into the air.
“Liar,” Helena’s lip began to quiver.
Two of the men pushed the St. Andrew’s Cross closer to the edge, once the wheels were properly located they activated two levers dropping the cross, Missy’s head suspended over the pool. The other two men pulled Helena next to the cross. The Mister Nobody began chanting in an utterly incomprehensible language reading off a scroll.
“You should stop, Sister Ping is playing you for a fool. Chinese dragons aren’t like European dragons. You’re playing with a culture you will never be able to understand,” Doyle said still laying on the side on the pool deck.
“We know our dragons, we’ve done our research. We will use this Dragon to control the seas and destroy our enemies, we will make millions.”
“You’re going to destroy us all. That was Sister Ping’s plan all along,” Doyle added.
“Why am I arguing with a commoner? Two of you come shut him up, forcefully if you must,” two more figures came from along the wall grabbed Doyle by his elbows and drug him away.
“Now where was I... Oh yes,” the man began chanting again rising the dagger over Missy’s throat, she started screaming envisioning her impending doom clasped firmly over her head. The man with no name
