Written for Write to rank: Round 6 - Brown Belt hosted by action

Prompt: Write a 2k-word one-shot. The prompt is open, as in anything action-packed, all we want to see are these three things incorporated into the story: 

A betrayal no one saw coming. 

The Words: " Building trust is the first step in the perfect betrayal."

And lastly, end with a big old cliffhanger.

The ruins rumbled. Before they could react, wind growled followed by rushed footsteps and hushed voices that alerted them to the approaching enemy and all three scrambled toward an unknown exit.

The grounds shook with each footfall as they raced the crumbling doorway. Evangeline leaped across a wide gap between two pillars, whipping around to extend a helping hand to a grumbling Jack. Bullets flew behind them, a blanket of aimless shots that lay wedged in tumbling walls.

Even the hidden chamber wanted them out of there. Soon, they were back out in the unforgiving sun, dodging scattered logs and spread-out roots, and using their environment to their advantage to escape.

When a few of their pursuers caught up to them, Evangeline pushed her wounded friend behind a large tree and stood side to side with Malik who's already disarmed two of them and knocked one out. As they engaged in hand-to-hand combat, the familiar rush of adrenaline coursed through their veins. Her training in self-defense and combat tactics kicked in as she delivered well-aimed punches and kicks, incapacitating her opponents with swift and calculated moves. Her body moved with fluid grace, strength, and precision.

Punch, punch, dodge, kick, dodge, dodge, knockout.

Beside her, Malik's movements were as powerful and efficient, his fists and feet striking with impressive accuracy as he knocked out two more before Jackson managed to regain his footing and joined the fray. Despite his initial grumbling, his agility shined as he dodged experienced attacks before disarming his attacker and using the fallen weapon to fend off another, aiming for non-vital areas. He shouted, "They're getting closer!"

"No, shit," Malik grumbled, whipping around and hauling a flustered Evangeline with him. "We gotta go!"

Erratic hearts, lungs struggled, and limbs ached. They raced time to reach a safe zone where Lieutenant Ramirez would be waiting for them in her helicopter after Jackson called her to come pick them up quickly.

After messily climbing on board, the adrenaline finally began to subside. All three were in a similar state of bruised knuckles, dried blood, and clothes stained with dirt and sweat.

Jackson sighed. "Well, this certainly wasn't your typical archaeological dig."

They laughed, finally at ease. Yet, Evangeline couldn't stop thinking. This adventure had taken an unexpected turn, leading her to think that there was more to unravel behind the sudden attack they faced. She grew up hearing all kinds of stories about secret organizations with dangerous and outrageous missions that revolved around myths and legends.

It brought her back to her lineage. Evangeline Winterbourne was born into a family of farmers, adventures, and dragon descendants. Her choice of career only fed her insatiable curiosity. As an archaeologist, she could never quench her thirst for knowledge, tame her hunger for adventure, or restrain her unbound wanderlust.

Being a distant relative of The Goddess of Dragons only fueled her desire and love for the unknown.

That was how she found herself on countless journeys all over the world, meeting and connecting with people from all walks of life.

Lately, however, her adventures had taken a rather strange and bizarre turn. It was no longer about unraveling buried civilizations and learning about ancient cultures. A touch of fantasy and danger had sneaked its way into her life to explain her past, change her present, and shape her future.

Despite the chaos and risks, she couldn't help the excitement that bubbled inside her at the sight of the artifact in her hand, still shimmering with an enigmatic glow – the glorious Drakonite. Her disappointment still lingered, however, as she recalled her companions' comments from earlier.

Its multifaceted surface reflected an iridescent spectrum of hues, shifting from fiery reds to deep, azure blues that slowly receded when she touched it until green appeared – the same color as her vivid eyes.

"Is that it? Why is it transparent?" Malik had said.

Jackson had frowned. "Uh, yeah, looks like a regular rock."

Evangeline refused to let their reaction deter her from further researching the gemstone. She was on a mission after all. One that first started when a few months ago she was sent on a trip to the Atlantic on an urgent assignment from a government agency to explore a massive iceberg that had broken off from the Atlantic.

There, they stumbled upon a massive cavern within its frozen depths with walls adorned with ancient symbols. There were also frozen bones of foreign creatures that looked like beings from an otherworldly realm – dragon skeletons.

Her hold tightened around the Drakonite and didn't loosen up until she was in the safety of her apartment. After tucking it away, Evangeline stayed hauled in, sketching the scenes, ancient texts and carvings, and the faces of their assailants in her notebook.

Unbeknownst to her, Evangeline had just opened a door that wasn't going to be easily closed. Night after night, weird things started to happen to her. From a box that had a dragon skull with a cerulean stone handed to her by a masked stranger, a trip to the Underworld with a mysterious group, and a magical tattoo allowing her powers to see creatures of magic in their original form, to an encounter with an interesting witch.

Evangeline's life had taken an eventful turn. Not only did she learn that every mythical creature had a different aura – green for Faeries, blue for Lycans, red for Vampires, purple for Witches, amber for Dragons, she also learned that an ancient beast, lethal and evil, was after her.

Tiamat, the first dragon princess and the queen of destruction, kept appearing in sudden visions and leaving behind colorful gemstones. In the beginning, it was a shapeless darkness, and then it became an obscured shape of a five-headed dragon that slowly gained colors.

Its cerulean head appeared first, followed by the black, green, and then the white one. Each one returned with a sinister smirk and the promise of bloodshed.

Evangeline didn't remember much beside engaging in a hypnotizing dance with the witch and then finding herself chased by malicious spirits. One second she was facing the dragon princess, all four heads moving to the beat of death and promising utter annihilation. Then, shapeless dark masses poured from every pore of the magical dimension, screeching and racing each other to reach her stumbling figure.

Tiamat's roar reverberated around while Evangeline ran for her life. She cursed, determined not to give up as she tripped, slipped, and jumped, avoiding their attacks.

They wanted to feed on her soul and trap her in the Underworld. Evangeline dodged their reaching shadowy limbs and shielded her ears from their deafening screeches. She seemed to be running for her life a lot lately.

Luckily, the purple-eyed witch appeared. After casting a spell, the spirits were restrained, chained, dragged through flickering portals, and sealed. Then, with a snap of her fingers, the two returned to the real world, heaving for air in the middle of the messy apartment.

After calming her breathing, she spoke up, "You're surrounded by more danger than you can imagine and it's closer than you think."

Evangeline frowned, reeling from the sudden and unexpected admission. "W-what?"

However, the witch had vanished, her parting words echoing around. "Building trust is the first step in the perfect betrayal."

In her place, there was a picture with a red circle in the middle.

Evangeline sat huddled on the floor, staring at the small dragon skulls and their glimmering orbs, and tracing the outline of a wooden box filled with multicolored feathers. She sought their smoothness to ease the pain stabbing her heart. They were a reminder of Jackson's willingness to go the extra mile to help her collect them on every trip they went on.

Her throat tightened before a newfound surge of energy guided her to her car and, hours later, she was standing in front of his door. She knocked. Eternity ticked by in agonizing suspense until the door swung open, revealing Jackson's surprised expression.

Their eyes met, and Evangeline tried her best to reign in her shock. Swallowing hard, she cleared her throat. "Uh, hey there!"

Confusion furrowed his brows but he smiled nonetheless. "Angie, what're you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," she drawled, laughing sheepishly in an attempt to mask her wavering voice. "I was just passing by and thought I'd check on you."

Jackson rolled his eyes. "Are you on one of your infamous adventures again?"

Evangeline pursed her lips. "Yeah...yeah, you can say that."

"I was just making lunch." He opened the door wider. "Come on in."

Evangeline dragged her feet to the couch. Jackson returned to the kitchen and she sat down, glad her hair shielded her face from his prying eyes as hers stung from suppressed tears.

Jackson went on and on about his latest expedition until his voice slowly faded when he sensed her unresponsiveness.

"What's wrong, Angie? You're not yourself today."

Evangeline swallowed the lump in her throat and mustered the courage to speak. The weight of their shared history, the memories they had forged, hung in the air, adding to the intensity of the moment.

"You lied to me," she croaked.

His silence cemented her conclusion. Jackson neither asked what she meant nor tried to whip up lame excuses.

Her shoulders shook as fat droplets burned down her cheeks. "What? Can't you lie to me again and say that I'm wrong?" Evangeline pinned him with a glare. "You're a dragon too," her voice came out stronger than she felt. "How long were you planning to hide that from me, huh?"

She's known from the moment her eyes landed on his amber aura.

Slowly, Jackson's face contorted with conflicting emotions, but eventually, the truth spilled forth in his hardened gaze that faded into darkness as a sudden blow was delivered to the side of her neck, effectively knocking her out.

When Evangeline stirred awake she found herself held captive in a truck, transported like cargo. They dragged her struggling body then stopped in front of an altar – wide and covered with ancient carvings. Her eyes widened as they pulled her toward the ancient slab.

Forced to her knees, Jackson looked down at her. The room fell silent, tension thick in the air as she searched helplessly for a flicker of regret, of his old self that she's grown to know for years.

"Was it all a lie?" Her voice was drenched with the bitter taste of betrayal. She spat, "Who are you really, Jackson? You've always been an enemy, haven't you?"

He circled her trembling figure. "No, I've only joined the organization a while before the Atlantic expedition."

"Organization?"

Jack shrugged, figuring he owed her as much. "Anastasius is an organization that seeks the revival of a few supernatural beings. A group of them, dragons like you and I, were tasked with Tiamat's resurrection."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice wavered.

"How can I tell you, Angie, that you were a valuable asset in our quest?"

The nickname irked her and she gritted out, "Asset? Is that all I ever was to you?"

Jackson looked away. "You were important, the compass leading us to the artifacts necessary for our plans."

They were using Evangeline to awaken Tiamat's five heads and they needed her for the final red head to revive her body and release her soul.

"The skulls? The Drakonite?" When he nodded, she seethed. "You claimed it was an ordinary rock, you fucking liar!"

Jackson stepped away, ordering the men to bind each limb to a corner.

"Why are you doing this?" She yelled in a final attempt to dissuade him. "She's evil, Jack, and you know it!"

Jackson, however, turned his back to her. "There's no point in fighting, Angie, it's time you accepted your fate. Curiosity always killed the cat."

Soon, hooded figures surrounded her and an eerie chant filled the air. Scattered candles flickered and Evangeline's writhing limbs went limp as she fell, fell, fell down a dark abyss of nothingness.

Word count: 2000.

For some reason, I don't like how this turned out. Rewrote this nearly three times and I'm still not satisfied. Doesn't matter, anyway, ugh. T^T

MEANING OF THE WORDS USED:

Drakonite: [DRAY-kohn-eye-t] English name meaning beautiful, regal, mythical, and also Dragon Stone. It could also be spelled Draconite which is more common. Drakonite is unusual, but it's a familiar term for fantasy buffs. It's a mythical gemstone in a dragon's head harvested while the creature is still alive. It could be a stone dimply removed from their head or, in different tales, a gem that's created from a dragon's brain or harvested from their head after killing the dragon. (I tweaked this a bit for the story but you can only find the details in the Fantasmical entries.)

Tiamat: is pronounced tee-ah-mat. She's a dragon with five heads, each one in a different color. She's a character from my book: Drakaina. Obviously, she's not nice, duh. You'd know if you've read the story. Tiamat is based on a five-headed dragon with the same name from Dungeons & Dragons.

Anastasius: a Greek name, meaning 'rebirth or resurrection'.

Important note: a little background for Jackson's draconian blood

The jaculus is a small mythical serpent or dragon nicknamed "the javelin snake" because of its penchant for leaping from trees to impale its victims. Jaculus' English pronunciation is ideal, as you can shorten it to "Jack." What a sweet epithet for such a viscous backstory. 

Tiamat has five heads: blue, black, white, green, and red (her main one). Each color represents the main clans that worshipped her. *drumroll* Jackson is a descendant of one of them.