Eternal (Dragon Wars, #2) Read Free

destroy our population from the inside out. I’m sure you’re all familiar with what happens when you destroy the eggs, yes?” She had their attention. If only she could keep hers where it needed to stay.
    The blond man, her former pack although she couldn’t recall his name, spoke again. “They scream.”
    It took her a second to register what he’d said. “You’re referring to the noise when you break the egg?”
    “What were you referring to?” Dougal interrupted. “How do you have this information anyway?”
    “I know what the eggs do because I am part of a lab who has been, for some time, trying to figure out where the sudden influx of a drug called GSX122 or, as it is called on the street, Dragon’s Doom came from. As I’m sure you all know, a large portion of our population, including a huge number of veterans, are completely addicted to the stuff.”
    “It’s a shame.” The commander shook his head. “What’s more of a shame, gentleman, is what it turns out the dragons have been doing.”
    She interrupted, “When I asked you before about the eggs, you mentioned the screaming. I’m sorry for the confusion. I meant their shells. The shell dissolves immediately into the ground. It liquefies. It seems the dragons have been addicting us to their liquid.” She took a deep breath. The next part was where she usually lost her audience. “It’s all very technical, and I know the science is not what you do. We need you to fight this second war, here on the front lines because we’re losing it at home. The only way to save them is to change how you destroy the eggs.”
    “Are you telling us that every time we smash an egg by going through hell into the nests and the fields and we...do what we do, it’s actually helping the dragons to attack the people we’ve left behind?” She hated the touch of sorrow in Dougal’s voice.
    “The way you’ve been managing the egg kills has got to change. Instead of breaking them, you’re going to have to burn them.”
    “Sorry.” Another male toward the back of the room shouted out, “Sweetheart, it’d be a great idea, and I think it’s adorable you and the other females at home think it’d work, but I’m afraid eggs don’t burn. We’ve all given lighting them to smithereens a real good go, trust me. We’d rather not have to rush in and smash things. It’s not pleasant and, like Brett said earlier, they scream. Be good, baby girl. Go home.”
    Several of the males laughed, and she steeled herself. The rejection and dismissal were very familiar. What she didn’t expect was the way Dougal growled at the ass shouting to her.
    “A member of my pack is talking, Andrews. You’re going to give her the respect of listening or I’m going to arrange for you never to speak again.”
    “Ah.” She put her hands out in front of her. “Look, I get your reluctance. I know, the eggs don’t burn. Yet. Once I’m on site, I can figure out how to make it happen. I need real eggs to test. It’ll eliminate a whole bunch of problems all at once. Burning the eggs stops them getting the liquid to put in the drug. It eliminates more of them at once. Fewer eggs hatch, fewer Dragon soldiers come after you. So unfair they hatch fully grown, isn’t it?” she rambled. Get to the point Caitlyn, quickly . “And who knows? Maybe the chemical burning the eggs will scorch the living dragons too. We plan to experiment on all fronts.”
    “What do you need us for then?” The same douche, Andrews, yelled from the back. “Seems you have all the answers, sweetheart. Go home to your mate. Ramble on to him, unless you don’t have one.” He pointed to her face. “Or did the mess on your cheek happen recently?”
    She touched the burn scars, although she didn’t need a reminder. “I wish this had happened in service to the cause. Unfortunately, it seems my preoccupation with fire started young. The point is gentleman, I need you to take me to the field, the big one on Dragon