Dacia Wolf & the Prophecy

by Mandi Oyster

  Cody’s hand cradled my head. He brought the bottle to my lips, but water poured down my chin onto my shirt as if I’d become a helpless child.

  “Sorry.” Cody’s cheeks flushed. “I didn’t—”

  “Iss kay,” I mumbled. Dark patches filled my vision, and I fought to maintain consciousness.

  “Let’s try sitting her up in one of the chairs,” Sarah said.

  Once again, Cody lifted me into his arms like a fragile doll. He sat down in Cookie Monster and held me on his lap. His hand ran up my arm, and I wondered if he was trying to soothe me or himself.

  “Take my energy.” Cody’s words tickled my ear. “Heal yourself.”

  “Can’t.” I couldn’t focus enough to use my powers. “Might hurt you.”

  “Please, Dacia.” His eyes glistened.

  “Would you like to try another drink?” Sarah asked.

  I nodded.

  Sarah held the bottle to my lips, and I ended up with more in my mouth than on my clothes. The water helped clear my head somewhat. Details were fuzzy, but this morning’s events swam into focus.

  “You had us pretty scared.” Samantha’s voice was tight.

  “Dacia”—Sarah’s voice softened—“do you know what happened?”

  I touched the back of my head. Blood stuck my hair together, but I didn’t feel a cut or scab. I looked to where I’d been lying. Blood soaked the pillow I’d been laying on. My heart dropped to my stomach. How am I going to survive?

  “More water first.”

  Sarah moved to help me, but I stuck my hand up.

  “I’ll do it.”

  She handed me the bottle, and with shaking hands, I held it to my mouth.

  I stared at the bloody pillow. “I promised Cody I’d wait for him, and I did. I was working on my homework when the power went out.”

  “Dacia, dear,” Sarah said, “the power didn’t go out on campus today.”

  “Whatever,” I said. “The lights were out in …” my voice trailed off as it dawned on me what had most likely happened. “Oh … a dream.”

  “That makes sense,” Cody said.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Chairs and desks were thrown everywhere, like a tornado hit.” He squirmed. “I thought you left until I saw blood splattered on the wall.”

  I rubbed my hand along his side, a reminder I was okay.

  “You wouldn’t wake up. You didn’t move.” He brushed his hand across his eyes. “I carried you here, but you lost consciousness again. Samantha and I didn’t think you were breathing …” His voice trailed off, and he wiped his eyes again. “I thought I lost you.” He squeezed me against him.

  “I’m here.” My words were only for him.

  “I can’t …” He shook his head. “I can’t lose you.”

  You might.

  “It had to be a dream. If it wasn’t Nefarious would’ve ki—” his voice broke, and he cleared his throat “—finished you off.”

  I wrapped my arms around him. “I’m okay.” For now. While I told them about my dream, Cody held me. Eventually, his hands quit shaking.

  “That’s all I remember. I don’t remember Cody carrying me or any of that … maybe with time. I would much rather remember my knight-in-shining-armor coming to my rescue than the horrific beast trying to kill me.”

  “That’s understandable,” Sarah said.

  “How are you feeling now, Dacia?” Samantha asked.

  I rubbed my hand over my forehead. “Stronger than when I first woke up. I think I might even be able to move on my own now.”

  “Great,” Sarah said. “We didn’t know how your body would handle any new injuries—if you would heal right away or if it would be more like your leg.”

  “I think my leg took longer to heal because that actually happened to me, so since my leg is getting better … if that is the case … I think my head will heal faster.”

  “Take my strength.” Cody’s words sounded demanding, but his voice held a plea.

  I cupped his cheek. “No. I’m getting better on my own.” I wrinkled my nose. “I need to wash my hair. The smell is making me nauseous.”

  “I can help you with your hair if you need me to,” Samantha said.

  Sarah glanced at her watch. “If you’re helping her, I’ll excuse myself.”

  After Sarah left, I said, “I think I’ll wash it here in our sink. That way I don’t have to walk down the hall like this. I’m sure I’ve been the subject of enough conversations for one day.”

  “Yeah.” Cody rubbed his neck. “People were talking before I made it to the door.”

  “Bryce was there, wasn’t he?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” Cody said. “Why?”

  “I think I remember him saying something when you carried me out.” I tried to focus my thoughts and remember what he said. “When you made that comment about people talking, it started to come back to me.”

  Cody’s eyes turned cold. “He said he warned you to watch your back.”

  “But why?”

  “He wanted to gloat,” Cody said.

  “Gloat about what? He didn’t make me fall asleep or give me nightmares. It doesn’t make sense.” I tried to figure out what he meant. When I saw the looks on Cody’s and Samantha’s faces, I added, “My head’s still foggy. I’m probably not thinking right.” The last thing I wanted right now was to get into an argument with them. “Help me up, please.”

  Cody stood with me in his arms and slowly lowered me to the ground. My legs wobbled. Even with him holding onto me, I almost fell twice when my knees buckled.

  Samantha washed my hair for me while I clung to the sink. When she was lathering my hair for the third time, she said, “Oh, I forgot. The body shop called. Your truck will be ready for you to pick up tomorrow.”

  “Thanks.” I never expected to get it back. I didn’t think anybody would be willing to drive me to pick it up for fear that I would take off in it again.

  When Cody helped me back to my chair, I thought I remembered something else. “Did you say something about having a key to my room?”

  “Yeah.”

  “When did you get one?”

  “Right after we talked about it. Sarah told Samantha to have one made right away. She thought it was a good idea.”

  “Well, you almost got to use it.”

  “I’m going to take a shower.” Samantha looked at the clock. “I should be able to make it to Writing.”

  Cody left soon after, wanting to change out of his bloodstained clothes. I sat in Cookie Monster and stared at the blank TV screen.

  Is Bryce possessed? I closed my eyes and pictured Cody carrying me past Bryce. Was the amulet glowing?

  Chapter 35

  Back To Class

  “Dacia.” Cody shook my shoulder. “You’re late.”

  I pulled the blanket over my head. For the first time since Saturday, I slept in my bed. I didn’t remember dreaming, and I wasn’t ready to get up yet.

  “Skipping class?”

  “You should go,” Samantha said. “You missed Tuesday.”

  “Just five more minutes.”

  “If you’re going, you need to get up,” Cody said. “Class starts in twenty minutes.”

  Grudgingly, I pulled the blanket back and sat up. Even though I felt better, I still had Cody help me out of the loft.

  On the way to algebra, Cody said, “Althea after class? We can eat lunch. Then I’ll take you to pick up your truck.”

  I jerked my head back and stopped walking. “Really? You want to take me to get my truck?”

  “Yeah, that’s what he said,” Samantha answered. “I can drive one of them if you don’t want to.”

  “Oh, wow. I, uh”—I pulled my fi
ngers through my hair—“I didn’t think anybody would want me to have it. I thought you’d be scared I’d take off again.”

  Cody shrugged. “Well, if you don’t want it—”

  “No. I want it.” I hitched my backpack up onto my shoulder. “I didn’t think I’d ever see my baby again.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Samantha asked.

  “I didn’t think you guys would take me to pick it up until after the prophecy’s taken care of—” I fidgeted with the straps “—and I don’t think I’ll be around after that.”

  Cody closed his eyes and pulled his hand down his face. “Please, stop talking like that.”

  “Sorry, Cody. I’m trying to prepare you.” I kicked at the ground. “I’m not going to win.”

  Samantha stood with her hands on her hips. “Dacia, Cody’s right. You have to stop thinking like that, or you won’t walk away from this. You need to have faith in yourself. Instead of giving up, maybe you should do something to figure out how to defeat him.”

  “Like what?” I threw my hands up in the air. “I’ve been going to lessons, reading the journals over and over again and trying to figure out what to do, what the vase is for. What else am I supposed to do?” I yanked a shaking hand through my hair. “If you have any ideas, I’d love to hear them.”

  “Why don’t we search some mythology books?” She tugged on her bottom lip. “There may be a solution buried in one. Now that we’ve seen fairies and know of the existence of other magical creatures, I wonder if some of those books are nonfiction.”

  “It’s worth a try.” I lifted my shoulder. “When we get back from Althea, maybe we could go to the library.”

  “I have class this afternoon,” Samantha said. “But after …”

  “I’ll go with you.” Cody rubbed my neck. “Maybe something will give you hope. I hate seeing you so defeated.”

  The idea of finding something to help me raised my spirits. Amazing what a little hope can do.

  My leg bounced up and down all through class. I get my truck back. I squeezed Cody’s knee, bringing an amused smile to his face.

  The amulet warmed my skin, but I didn’t spare the Potato Heads a glance. Hope lives even in the darkest realms. I don’t know why the inscription from the vase ran through my thoughts. But this is going to take more than hope.

  When class ended, the three of us piled into Cody’s car. “The Avalanche first,” Cody said. “After we eat, we’ll get your truck. Then we won’t have two vehicles the whole time. Okay?”

  “Fine by me,” I told them. “How about you, Sam?”

  “Yeah, sounds good. Cody’s driving. He’s the boss. Besides, when hasn’t he wanted food first?”

  “Ouch.” He covered his heart with his hand and winced. “Be nice.”

  We laughed and joked most of the way to Althea, but when Cody drove past the scene of my wreck, I grabbed the dash. Yellow eyes in the road. Spinning out of control. Bouncing down the hill. Crashing into the tree. Darkness. I gasped. Terror fisted in my throat, blocking the air. I bent over, clutching my neck and sucking in breaths.

  “Dacia”—Samantha’s voice was high and fast—“are you okay?”

  The car came to a stop, and Cody slammed it into park. He rubbed my back. “Breathe.” His voice was soft, soothing. “You’re okay.”

  I kept my head bowed. “It seems like an eternity ago but, when we drove by, it felt like it was happening again.”

  Cody’s hand slid down my arm. “Okay now?”

  I nodded and sat up, staring out the window. “You can go.” Why hadn’t Nefarious killed me that night? Did he plan to torment me forever?

  Cody parked on the street in front of The Avalanche. He held my hand as we walked in. We sat in a booth. I snuggled up to Cody, and Samantha sat across from us.

  I ordered a chicken sandwich and fries, Cody ordered a steak dinner, and Samantha was a good girl and ordered a Caesar Salad. We tried to keep the conversation light. For the most part, it worked. A couple times thoughts of Nefarious slipped into my mind, but I pushed them away.

  When we finished, we went to Sycamore’s Auto Repair. I felt like a kid at Christmastime when I saw my truck sitting in the parking lot. It looked so nice with its fresh coat of wax. As soon as Cody came to a stop, I hopped out.

  I peered in the window. An orange glow on the horizon. Blood on the steering wheel and dash. I shook my head, but the image stayed.

  I handed Samantha my keys. “Will you drive it back?”

  “Are you sure, Dacia?” Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

  “Yeah, I don’t want to drive right now.”

  “But you were so excited.”

  I sighed. “I know. I’m afraid to drive it. Too many things have happened lately.” I ran my hand over the hood, wondering if I’d ever feel like driving it again. “At least it’ll be back on campus in case I need it.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to drive it? I’ll ride back with you.”

  “Why not?” Cody hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. “Cowboy up. Don’t get behind the wheel, and you never will.”

  I snatched my keys from Samantha and climbed in. I drove the day I wrecked my truck. Don’t they remember? I clenched my hands on the wheel, waiting for Samantha. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to cry.

  Cody leaned through the window. “I’ll follow you. Be careful.”

  I nodded and, as soon as Samantha got in, I eased onto Main Street.

  “Are you okay, Dacia?”

  “Not really.” I clamped my jaw shut and willed the tears out of my voice. “You guys don’t understand. I’m not afraid of driving. I’m afraid of driving while Nefarious is hunting me and while he’s still haunting my dreams. I never know when he’ll show up … like he did last time I drove my truck.”

  “Why didn’t you just say that?”

  “I tried to.” I loosened my grip on the steering wheel, flexing my fingers. “But it’s not easy to constantly vocalize your fears, you know. Most people keep them hidden from everyone else. Every day, I have to tell someone I’m afraid of something.”

  “I’m sorry, Dacia.” The lines around her eyes deepened. “If you want me to drive the rest of the way, just pull over, and I will.”

  “No, I’m already driving. If I pull over, Cody will think something’s wrong.”

  A thick pine forest surrounded the winding road. My eyes darted from side to side. I expected Nefarious to strike. Can I keep Samantha safe if he does? I turned the radio up to drown out my thoughts.

  When I pulled into the parking lot, I pried my fingers off the steering wheel. Blood flowed into them, bringing with it a tingling sensation.

  Cody parked next to me. When we got out, he said, “You did fine.”

  Samantha didn’t give me a chance to comment. “Cody, Dacia isn’t afraid of driving. She’s afraid of driving with Nefarious on the loose. And if we were in her position, we would be, too.” She turned to me. “Now I’ve got to get to class, but I’ll help you research later.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  “Sorry.” Cody grabbed my hand. “I thought you were scared.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s water under the bridge.” I didn’t want to dwell on it or be upset about it. Right now I needed my friends on my side. I didn’t need them to be scared to say things to me. “Should we go to the library now?”

  “Yeah, let’s see what we can find.”

  We sat at a table in the corner. Stacks of mythology books surrounded us. We started with some that didn’t seem too unrealistic, flipping through the pages, hoping for a miracle.

  Samantha joined us after her class. “Find anything?”

  “No,” both Cody and I replied.

  At 9:50, I slammed shut the last of the books in
my stack. “In all of the books I have looked through, I haven’t found anything helpful about defeating demons, but I learned tons about jinni, some fascinating stuff actually. I also read about unicorns, Pegasus, manticores, and oodles of other creatures. Either nobody has ever defeated a balor demon without a magical sword or nobody has recorded it.”

  “I didn’t find anything in any of these books either.” Cody waved his hand at a stack on the floor beside him. “What about you, Sam?”

  “Nothing. I’ve gone cross-eyed from staring at these.” She gathered books. “We should get going.”

  Cody sat quietly for a moment. “The last champion defeated Nefarious, so it had to have been recorded.”

  “Right,” I agreed.

  “You’d think one of his friends would’ve written something about him, made him into a hero or a god. You’d think they’d have tried to immortalize him somehow,” Samantha said, finishing Cody’s thought.

  “Maybe a ballad,” Cody said.

  I stacked my books on a cart. “Nefarious probably destroyed his friends. He’s tried to get mine, and this isn’t over yet.”

  “Don’t remind me.” Samantha shuddered. “He’s tried with Cody and Sarah … I keep wondering when it will be my turn.”

  

  A thick blanket of snow covers the ground. As I walk to my painting class, a chill tiptoes up my spine. Every noise I hear, every shadow I pass fills me with a sense of dread. Adrenaline pulses through my veins. I’m ready to run at a moment’s notice.

  It’s just your imagination.

  But my gut says it’s more than that, worse than that.

  When I arrive at the bridge, I hesitate. Don’t be an idiot, Dacia. It was just a stupid dream. I want to turn back but convince myself I need to face my fears.

  I take a deep breath and step onto the bridge. When I’m halfway across, I see the ground on the other side. Tears well in my eyes at the sight of the melted snow. I turn and sprint.

  “Surrender!” Nefarious roars, and I know what happens next.