by Mandi Oyster
She nodded. “Yes. You are very observant. You needed to heal, so I made you sleep. I hope you are not upset.”
“Well, uh …” I raked my fingers through my hair. “It makes me a little uncomfortable knowing you can do that to me. I couldn’t do anything to fight it.”
“Had you not been injured, you could have. Your injuries were severe—worse than you realized, and your agitation caused them to worsen. I need you to understand I did it to help you, not to harm you.”
“I do.” Walking to the window, I tried to get my emotions under control and find the right words to explain myself. “It’s just unnerving knowing somebody can do that to me, and there is nothing I can do about it.”
“I have had thousands of years to perfect my abilities.” Aurelia crossed her legs, tugging her skirt down. “Also, I am a magical creature—all of my kind are magical. Humans produce one child in a million who has the ability to use magic. If those capabilities are not nurtured and honed, the child may lose its power. You are a unique creature, Dacia. One day, if you continue training, you will be even more powerful than I am, but you will never be more powerful than me when you are standing on death’s doorstep.”
Turning away from the window, I focused on Aurelia. In all the time I’d known her, I couldn’t remember her joking or being sarcastic, but she couldn’t be serious. Could she? “Do you …” I bit my lip and cocked my head. “Do you really believe that?”
“Yes, your magic is limitless.”
“So, uh, in your opinion, am I going to …” I pressed my fingers over my lips and turned away.
“Say what you want, Dacia. You will not upset me, and if it is bothering you, it is better asked.”
“Am I going to become more powerful than you because I won’t die either?” The words ran out of my mouth.
“In my experience, death is inevitable for all of us. Yes”—she nodded—“even me. You may live a very long time, or you may not. That is not something I can answer for you. I know you do not want to live forever, but most likely, you will live longer than the majority of people. However, there are no guarantees in life. If you are reckless, your life will end sooner rather than later.”
I plopped down on the chair hard enough to make it rock back and forth. “That’s more than you said before.”
“Yes, I have learned you are a very persistent person, so I decided I might as well tell you. Otherwise, you would keep hounding me until I did. I have never met anyone else quite like you.”
“Thanks, but what can I say?” I smiled and twisted my index fingers on my cheeks. “I’ve gotta be me.”
“That you do, Dacia. The world needs you just the way you are.”
“Maybe you don’t know, but … uh, how long has Draconian been alive?”
“I am uncertain of his exact age.” She spread her arms across the back of the couch. “However, he was around during the Salem witch-hunt. What I am unsure of is how long he was alive before then.”
My eyebrows pinched together. I tried to remember when they happened, but remembering dates had never been one of my strengths. “When were they?”
“1692.” Her eyes filled with visions of the past. “That was a trying time.”
“Were you in Salem then?”
“No, I was not.” She folded her hands in her lap and looked down at them. “If I had been, I would have disappeared, never to be seen again. If the judges and accusers understood magic, none of those poor, innocent people would have been forced to go through that. There have been many times throughout history when ‘witches’ were persecuted. I doubt any truly magical being was ever convicted. Draconian was there, and I imagine he influenced the young girls who claimed to be bewitched.” She lifted her head. Her gold eyes hardened. “He is a monstrous man.”
“Why didn’t somebody stop him then? Why was it ever allowed to escalate to this?”
“Why is anything ever allowed to escalate?” She dropped her head to her chest. “Somebody should have stopped him, but we did not feel it was our place. It was a human problem, and as it turned out, humans had no idea what they were up against.”
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “Is he more powerful than you?”
“Draconian possesses powers I do not. He can do things I cannot. However, I can do things he cannot. Which of us is stronger, I do not know. He takes too much for granted, and that weakens his powers.”
“Can I win?” The words surprised me. I hadn’t planned on asking that, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know her answer.
She tilted her head, examining me like a bug under a microscope. “I believe you can.”
“Let’s hope.” Knowing Draconian had been keeping an eye on me, I didn’t want him to think now would be the opportune moment to strike. I needed more time before I faced him, more training, and a chance to say goodbye. Just in case. “I’m feeling better. I should get cleaned up so I can go to class this afternoon.”
Aurelia stood and walked toward the door.
“Thanks for everything, Aurelia. I’m sorry I doubted you.”
“I forgive you.” She looked over her shoulder at me. “You are going through a trying time, and you will have doubts. Try to stay positive. The world needs you.”
I shrugged and sighed. “No guarantees.”
“Arion should return with your friends soon. You better be back before them, or they will be worried.”
By the time I finished my shower and returned to the room, Cody, Dan, and Samantha were back. “How’re you?” Cody asked before I closed the door.
“Better. My wounds are healed, and Aurelia and I had a good talk after I woke up.”
“I’m glad you’re better.” Samantha pulled her hair up into a messy bun. “Tonight we have to go to the observatory for our astronomy class. It’s supposed to be a clear night, and this little outing counts for half our grade.”
I rubbed the towel over my head. Tangled curls fell below my shoulders. I put some leave-in conditioner in my hands and pulled my fingers through my hair. “I guess I better show up then.” I tipped my head back, staring at the ceiling. “Don’t let me take a nap before then.”
“We’ll find something to do.” Cody grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him.
“I’ll tell Professor Caiman I had a migraine.” I leaned into Cody. “I need you guys to help me stay focused … keep my mind off Draconian.”
“Whatever you need.” Dan stood behind her with his head on her shoulder.
“It’s not going to be easy.”
“Yeah, we know.” Cody wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my forehead. “Nothing’s easy anymore. A week from tomorrow things will get better.”
“Hopefully.” I turned away so Cody couldn’t see my face. I didn’t plan to wait that long to face Draconian, but I wasn’t ready to tell my friends.
“I am confident you will defeat him,” Aurelia said. “I will be there to help you.”
“We’ll see when it’s over,” I told them. “I don’t know how it’s going to turn out, but if I defeat him, I hope it’s a while before I have to save the world again.”
“The world is always in danger. However, you are not its only guardian. Others, who you will probably never meet, play a part in protecting it.”
“I just want a break.” I felt selfish for asking for it.
“Well, I don’t know about you guys”—Dan stood back and folded his arms over his chest—“but I don’t think we’re doing a great job of keeping her mind off this.”
“You’re right,” Cody said. “We suck.”
After lunch, we went to calculus. I did my best to listen to Professor Granite, but my mind wandered back to Draconian and his dragons. The same question kept haunting me. How can I win? As far as I was concerned, I couldn’t. How can I f
ace Draconian and fifteen dragons and walk away? It was an impossible endeavor.
“Dacia, please answer the question.” Professor Granite tapped his foot rapidly.
“I’m sorry. I, uh, had a migraine this morning, and it’s coming back. I didn’t hear your question,” I hated lying, but it was better than telling him I was preoccupied with dragons.
“Cody, why don’t you take her to Nurse Heron’s office?” he suggested. “Feel better, Dacia. Now … Tanya, please answer.”
Are you okay? Aurelia’s voice echoed inside my head.
Yeah, I can’t concentrate. All I can think about is Draconian and his dragons. I’m scared … really, really scared. I don’t see how I can defeat him. I can’t think.
The answer will come when you least expect it, just as it did when you defeated Nefarious, she told me with a confidence I didn’t feel. Go back to your room. Arion will watch over you.
“What’s going on?” As soon as we were out of the classroom, Cody turned me toward him, holding my arms at the elbows. “You don’t have a headache.”
“No, I don’t, but it seemed better than telling him I was zoning out.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“Nothing really … I was just spaced out.” The lie tasted like a mouthful of vanilla extract.
Cody grimaced, but he didn’t say a word. We continued on in silence. I shouldn’t have done it, but I wanted to know what he thought. She’s not telling the truth. How do I get her to let me in? I heard his voice in my head.
We hurried back to my room. I didn’t expect Draconian to attack me, but I couldn’t take the chance. Cody sat on the couch and patted the seat next to him. I shook my head and leaned on Cookie Monster, my hands folded over the back, my chin resting on my arms.
“I’m scared.” I didn’t want him to think I didn’t care about him. “All I can think about is Draconian. I can’t win, Cody!”
“But, you can. Aurelia believes in you … I believe in you.” He stood beside me and squeezed my shoulder.
“I know you all think I’ve got this”—I closed my eyes—“but I don’t. I can’t see a way out.”
“You’ll find it.” He wrapped his arms around me in a protective embrace. “You have to. I can’t live without you.”
I turned in his arms and nuzzled my head into his chest. “You might have to. I don’t want to die, but I don’t know how to survive this.”
“You will survive,” Arion’s voice filled the room. “You are stronger than Draconian, and you have more reasons to live.”
“I hope you’re right …”
Cody and I sat on the couch. He pulled me against his side and held me until the others got back from class. Cody told them what was going on. I ran my finger over his arm, tracing his veins. I didn’t interrupt, didn’t add anything to it.
Dan and Samantha sat in Big Bird and Cookie Monster. Dan leaned toward us. They listened to Cody without interrupting, then responded exactly how I expected them to: everything would be fine. I’d see.
“We really aren’t doing a good job.” Dan’s apologetic smile didn’t brighten his face as much as his usual one, but it stilled showed off his dimples.
“We have to be at the observatory by nine,” Samantha said. “So, what do you guys want to do until then?”
“We need to get Dacia out of here for a while,” Dan said. “We need to help keep her mind off things.”
“Racquetball.” Cody sat up straighter. “Wanna play racquetball? It’s been a long time.”
“Sure, why not?” I lifted my shoulders. “If I don’t concentrate, my head’ll get knocked off. That should help keep me focused.”
“Are you sure you want to?” Samantha asked.
“Yeah, let’s do it.” I rubbed my hands together, trying to garner some enthusiasm.
The others were in a good mood as we walked to the racquetball court. However, I saw dragons everywhere—in the distant trees, in the clouds, hiding behind buildings, standing in every shadowed place. My heart raced, anticipating the worst. Fear welled up inside of me until it was all I could do not to scream.
Calm down, I thought to myself, but the irrational fear grew. “I need to sit for a minute.” I plopped down in the middle of the sidewalk, closed my eyes, and tried to picture Falcon Lake. My breathing evened out, and the sound of waves lapping against the shore washed my terror away. As the last of my fear subsided, I thought I heard Draconian’s laughter in the distance. Was all this because of him? Did he cast a spell to give me an anxiety attack?
When I opened my eyes, the concerned faces of my friends stared down at me. Cody knelt beside me and traced his fingers over the back of my hand. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said. “Panic attack, but I’m over it.”
“Are you sure?” Samantha didn’t sound convinced.
“Yeah. Shall we?” Did Draconian do that to me, or am I losing my mind?
They looked at me like they wanted me to say more, but none of them pressed me for information. Instead, they followed when I walked away.
“It’ll be nice when this is over, won’t it?” Dan asked quietly.
“Let’s hope,” Samantha whispered back to him.
Yes, let’s, I thought.
Racquetball was a good distraction. I don’t know if we played by the rules, but for a couple hours, all I thought about was hitting the ball and not getting hit by it in return. By the time we left, the four of us were soaked in sweat.
“I think we have enough time for showers and dinner before we head for the observatory,” Samantha said.
With that comment, a crushing weight crashed down on me. The idea of being out wandering around campus in the dark did not appeal to me in the least.
My stoic mask slipped and trepidation showed on my face. “What’s wrong, Dacia?” Dan asked. “Do you need to sit for a minute?”
“No … no, I’m fine.” I tried to muster up a smile but failed.
“No, you’re not.” Cody brushed my cheek. “You were, but now you’re white as a sheet and obviously upset.”
“We’re going to the observatory at night … in the dark, and you don’t think Draconian will try to take advantage of that situation? I’m sorry if I seem a little distraught or overwhelmed, but I’m scared to death. I don’t want you guys to be around when he decides it’s time. Maybe that won’t be tonight. Maybe he’ll wait like he promised, but what if he doesn’t?”
“We probably will be,” Cody said.
“I know, and he will kill you.” I was surprised by how calm my voice sounded.
Chapter 33
Star Gazing
Long shadows stretched across the sidewalk and into the forest. I clutched Cody’s hand. Every noise, every stray breeze had me grasping tighter.
“Dacia”—Cody’s voice was strained—“You’re crushing my hand.”
I loosened my grip. Light danced through the trees, making it seem like something was moving in them. Then I clenched it again. He wiggled his fingers, spreading mine out.
I stepped into Kestrel Observatory and leaned against the wall. When my legs quit shaking, we took the stairs to the roof. A few other students were there already and had staked claims on their telescopes.
Professor Caiman walked over to us and handed us a list of stars, nebula, clusters, and planets that we needed to find. Once we found them, she would sign off. “Split into groups of two or three. As soon as it’s dark enough, we’ll begin.”
“I will go with Dan and Samantha,” Aurelia said. If either of us notices something out of the ordinary, we can contact each other and teleport back to the room, she thought to me.
“That’s fine,” I told her. I figured that simple statement worked for both what she told me and what she thought to me.
“How are you?” Cody asked when we were alone.
“All right.” I scanned the sky and the ground. “I just feel like something bad is going to happen. Who knows? Maybe I’m just paranoid.”
“Maybe, you’ve been through a lot.”
“So, what’s on the list?” I rubbed my neck.
“M27, M13, M11, M57, Vega, Deneb, Polaris, Arcturus, Altair, Regulus, and Saturn.” He waved the paper. “It’s going to take a while to find all of this.”
“Hopefully, we have time,” I mumbled. “You’ll have to help me out with the M numbers. I wasn’t in class this morning, and I don’t remember what all of them are.”
“We can look for the stars and Saturn first.”
“I think that’d be best. The sooner we can get done, the better. Dan and Samantha should have quite an advantage with Aurelia helping them.”
Before long, stars filled the night sky. Looking up at them comforted me. The sky was cloudless, and the moon wouldn’t rise for another couple hours. Cody and I took turns looking through the telescope.
We were looking for Regulus when I noticed a dark shadow moving across the sky. One of my classmates said, “There’s a cloud in the way. I can’t find Saturn.” But, I knew better. It wasn’t a cloud. The amethyst dragon swooped and dived in a rhythmic dance, twisting and turning gracefully through the night sky. For some reason, it didn’t evoke a sense of fear.
Do you see it? I asked Aurelia.
Yes, she answered. She is not going to harm us, though. She is not one of Draconian’s dragons … not yet anyway.
Why can I see her? Why can’t everybody else?
You know what you are looking at. You know dragons exist. Your classmates are deceived by a spell. All they can see is a cloud drifting across the sky.
Oh. I looked through the telescope at the dragon. Do you think she would help us?
She will not. I have already asked her. She sounded disappointed. She would be a worthy ally. However, she has eggs in her lair and cannot risk being under Draconian’s control. Baby dragons are very rare.
