by Mandi Oyster
“I would not expect any less. Without these emotions, you would not be who you are. Use them to your advantage.”
“How … how am I supposed to do that when right now, I just want to run away?”
Silence filled the space between us. “Draconian shows no fear; that does not mean nothing scares him. He is arrogant. His overconfidence will be his downfall. You, on the other hand, know you are vulnerable. Because of that, your will to live is stronger than his. Use your fear to stay alive.”
“I’ll try.” I tugged on the end of my braid. “I’m really not ready to die … or to become Draconian’s apprentice.”
“Stand.” She reached her hand down to me. “You must not let him see you like this.”
I grabbed her hand and let her help me to my feet. Then I wrapped my arms around her. “No matter what happens, you’ve been a good friend. Thanks for everything.” I cocked my head. Madness and hatred buzzed inside my head. “He’s almost here.”
Aurelia disappeared. “Let him believe you came on your own,” she whispered.
Draconian landed about fifty yards from us. He folded his hands behind his back. His gray robe dragged on the ground. Walking toward me, he said, “You had two more days. Why meet now?”
I shrugged. “It’s time to end this.”
He scrutinized me. “Where is Nefarious?” His cold voice shot through me like daggers. His fury simmered just below the surface.
“I decided it wouldn’t be in my best interest to bring him along.” Defiance kept my voice from shaking.
“That wasn’t the answer I was looking for.”
“Why do you want him, anyway?”
“I’ve already answered that.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Power. That’s it. Controlling a demon would bring me great power. Nobody would dare defy me. Nobody would doubt my strength.”
Anger blossomed in my belly, taking my fear and hardening it into determination. “So you’re nothing but a bully?” I had dealt with bullies all my life, and he was the worst of them.
Draconian swung his arms toward me. Lightning shot from his fingertips.
I thought of fire, willing my body to turn to flames. Sparks danced over my hands and up my arms, but nothing more happened.
Aurelia threw a shield up in front of me just before the bolts pummeled it.
“So, I see your pet is going to help you.” Draconian sneered. “I wonder … has she told you her secret yet? No matter. Maybe I should bring my pets out to play, too.” He waved his hands.
Dragons flew at us from all angles: diving down from the sky, crawling out from the trees, appearing from thin air. Gusts of wind whipped around me as the beasts’ wings beat the air. The ground shook when they landed. A rainbow of dragons surrounded us.
A chill rippled along my skin. I stood frozen in place, unable to move even as fire shot through the air at me from every direction. Aurelia’s shield held the flames at bay, but I felt like I was about to be the main course at a barbecue.
“Dacia! Snap out of it!” Aurelia’s gold skin glistened from the heat.
I fell to my knees, grasping my stomach. I’m going to die throwing up, I thought to myself.
Chapter 40
Trying To Survive
“Dacia!”
I lifted my face to Aurelia, still clutching my stomach. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t stop them.”
“Concentrate on stopping Draconian.” The strain of holding the dragon fire back shown on her face. “Ignore the dragons.”
I laughed, and even to me, it sounded crazed. “How?”
Aurelia grabbed my hand and teleported us back to the cavern where she had freed me from Draconian’s spell. Treasure glittered in the vast space. The air smelled earthy but not musty.
A golden haze surrounded Aurelia. The shimmering fog spun through the air, whirling like a tornado, growing larger by the second. The dim light of the cavern reflected off it, casting a multitude of small rainbows over the walls, ceiling, and floor.
The cloud continued to grow until it became so dense I couldn’t see Aurelia at all. My breathing hitched.
I stepped back, unsure of what the shimmering mist was. Coins clanked under my feet, tumbling down the stack.
The haze dissipated, and in its place stood a gold dragon. It turned its head toward me, and a spiked crest flared up, framing its face. Fangs jutted out from its jaws.
Scrambling back, I sucked in a breath. My hand rose to my mouth. My feet slipped on the treasure, and I fell. My heart pummeled my chest.
The beast lowered its head, and I found myself looking into Aurelia’s eye.
“You’re—” my words caught in my throat. I took a deep breath and started over. “You’re the dragon that saved me and … you’re from Arion’s memory.”
“Yes.” Aurelia’s voice was richer, fuller. “I came to you in human form because I knew you would not trust me in this form.” The dragon shrunk. Its crest transformed into golden locks. Her features distorted, morphing into the person I knew as Aurelia. “I will help you, but you have to trust me.”
I stood up, brushing myself off. “Turn into a dragon and fight with me.”
“I cannot resist him in dragon form.” She stepped toward me. “No other dragon has.”
“All you have to do is fight it. Find the strength inside, and push him out of your head.”
“I cannot take that risk. I will do what I can in this body.” She pointed at herself. “I could not live with myself if I turned on you.”
I stared down at my feet. “I don’t know if I can kill him.”
“Killing is not easy to do. It should only be done when there are no other options.”
“I don’t think there are any other options when it comes to Draconian.” Forgetting my hair was braided, I tried to pull my hand through it. “He is evil. He will never give up.”
“No, he will not.” She took another step toward me, and I got the impression she was trying not to scare me. “I may be able to draw the dragons to me while you go after Draconian. However, if we do not kill him, you and your friends will always be in danger.”
“Then help me kill him, Aurelia. I can’t do it by myself,” I begged her.
“We will go out there together and stand against him.” She reached for my hand. “That is all I can promise.”
Placing some distance between ourselves and Draconian’s dragons, we teleported back. We hadn’t been gone for more than a few minutes even though it felt like an eternity.
As I stood there, preparing myself to face death, I took in every sight, every sound, every smell. The sky was the beautiful cerulean blue that can only be found in the mountains. Big, puffy white clouds floated high above. Birdsongs rang out, the individual harmonies joining in a natural melody. The cool mountain air filled my nostrils with the scent of pine trees—a scent I had loved since the first time I smelled it. People always noticed the worst things in life—evil, hatred, fear—but there was so much good to be had if you just took a look around yourself. Even here, standing on death’s doorstep, there was beauty and wonder. If these were to be my last moments, I wanted to take in as many blessings as I could before I died.
“I knew your courage would falter.” Draconian pressed his hands down, and the dragons sat, lowering their heads to the ground. “I’m surprised to see you back, but then again, I thought you’d last longer to begin with.”
“I’m here now, so let’s get this over with.” False bravado filled my voice.
“You do realize that if you would have held up your end of the bargain, this would be over by now; don’t you?”
I clenched my hands into fists. “Maybe if you’d’ve held up your end, I would’ve, but you didn’t leave me alone. I worried about my friends every day.”
Draconian jerked back like I’d slapped him. “What makes you think that?” He pulled his fingers through his beard.
“I felt your presence everywhere we went. You were always watching us.” I ground my teeth together. “I had no peace. I couldn’t enjoy myself. I was constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering when you would try to ambush me or come whisper in my ear again.”
“Impossible!” He staggered back, his mouth floundering. “How could you know that? I never let you into my head. How?”
“That’s not what’s important here!” I stabbed my finger toward him. “You are the reason I didn’t bring Nefarious! When you can’t be trusted to keep your word about something as simple as that, how am I supposed to believe you won’t unleash a demon on the world?”
His face darkened, and his eyes narrowed. “You never intended to bring him. You always planned to attack.”
I sucked in a deep breath, filling my lungs to capacity, and blasted lightning bolt after lightning bolt from my fingertips. Draconian dodged and weaved, managing to avoid any harm.
“Is that all you’ve got, Dacia?” He ducked under a thunderbolt. “I won’t give up. If you want to end this, if you want your friends to be safe, you’ll have to hand over Nefarious.”
“No, there is always another way!” I willed a small icicle into my palm. Stretching it into a javelin, I launched it at Draconian.
“Not this time.” He spun to the side. The shard tore through his robe, slicing his arm. Blood beaded on his pale skin. “I always win!”
A blast of fire shot toward me. With a wave of my hand, I deflected it.
“I could kill you. My friends would be safe.”
Silence was the only response.
“You’ve shown me how easy killing is.” How am I gonna do this? Kill or be killed. I’ll just have to learn how to live with it later. “You actually killed me. Didn’t you think I would return the favor someday?”
“I thought you stood against evil.” Electricity sparked between his fingers. “If you kill me, won’t you succumb to that which you hate most?”
I thought about the fear I heard in his voice. For the first time, I realized how much power I had. Draconian wouldn’t be afraid of me if I was insignificant.
Flames danced over my skin. Heat built up inside me until an inferno engulfed my body. Then I shot through the air at him.
Draconian’s eyes widened. “Get her!” He shouted to his dragons. They leaped up, flying toward me.
I slammed into Draconian. He shot through the air. His head slammed against a tree, and he slumped forward.
I flew toward him, wondering if he was dead, if this was over. The black dragon stepped between us.
A low rumble sounded deep within his throat, sending a ripple along the spikes that ran the length of his spine. With a shake of his horned head, his jaws opened. The scent of rotten flesh hit me with the force of a gale. “I will end this even if he won’t,” the beast snarled.
My flames extinguished, and I crashed to the ground. No. No. No. I’d been so close to ending this, but if the dragon still defended him, Draconian lived.
Smoke curled over the dragon’s nostrils. The beast stepped toward me, lowering his head and pulling his lips back in a snarl.
I lifted my hands palms out, showing him I meant no harm. “Let me …” My words caught in my throat. I couldn’t believe I was about to ask to murder someone. Shaking my head, I said, “Let me kill him. Let me finish this.”
The dragon’s head jerked back, readying to strike.
Oh, my God. I’m gonna die. My mind went blank. I didn’t try to protect myself, didn’t try to fight.
A gold dragon shot through the air like a torpedo. Her teeth were bared, and her talons tore through the black dragon’s flesh, knocking him to the ground. A deafening roar filled the air as he turned to face Aurelia.
Climbing to my feet, I forged a sword from ice. It felt heavy in my hand, a weight that tugged on my heart and my conscience. Once I used it, I couldn’t go back. I’d never be the same. Blood would stain my hands for eternity.
I stood over Draconian. Blood trickled from his nose, staining his mustache red. His gray eyes were open but unseeing.
Killing him was the only way to ensure my friends’ safety, but killing him when he was unconscious seemed wrong.
A dragon roared. I looked up. The black dragon’s talons tore through Aurelia’s flesh. Gold blood dripped from several wounds.
For Aurelia. I lifted the sword and was rammed in the side. The force knocked me to the ground, flinging the sword from my hand. It shattered against the rocks.
Scrambling to my feet, I faced the intruder. The beast tossed its scarlet head in challenge.
I stared into its amber eyes. Fire and hatred flashed through my mind. A crimson hatchling rubbed its cheek against mine … not mine. The dragon’s. Its thoughts flowed into my mind.
Delving deeper into its mind, I saw its … no his pride as he taught his hatchling to fly and to hunt. Another dragon called out his name.
“Pyrus—” I filled my voice with command—“you are free. Go home.”
Pyrus shook his head, like he was waking up, and then launched into the air, flying away without a backward glance.
Warmth spread through me as hope dared to plant its seeds in my heart.
“What did you do to my dragon?” Draconian screamed from the base of the tree.
“I freed him. I’m freeing all of them.” I stepped toward him, recreating my ice sword. “Without your pets here to protect you, we’ll see what you’re really made of.”
Fear flashed across Draconian’s face. “Bring me her friends!”
Three dragons rose out of the pine trees down the mountain from us. The whoosh of dragon’s wings grew louder as Draconian’s smallest dragons flew with my friends dangling from their talons.
“No.” The word was a gasp. My heart plummeted. The room was warded. They were supposed to be safe.
“If you want to win, you can’t show all your cards at the beginning of the hand.” Draconian pushed himself to a sitting position, leaning against the tree.
Aurelia and the black dragon flew above us, striking at each other. Flames tore through the sky.
The three dragons landed, spreading out enough that I couldn’t get to them all. They held onto their prisoners.
My friends’ faces were pale and contorted with pain. Blood trickled from their shoulders, soaking their shirts.
Cody only wore one shoe. I wondered if it’d fallen off or if he’d been taken while trying to put it on.
“You are down to two choices.” The smugness in Draconian’s voice made me want to puke. “You can become my apprentice or they can die. What’ll it be?”
“I can fight you.” Without my concentration, water dripped off the tip of the sword. I let it fall to the ground, knowing I couldn’t use it on Draconian while his dragons held my friends.
“Yes … if you want to watch your friends die, that is definitely an option.” His voice sounded like it was getting stronger. “Make your choice, Dacia.”
“If I surrender—” I dropped to my knees in front of him “—will you let my friends live?” Desperation clung to my voice.
“No, Dacia, don’t,” Cody’s weak voice carried to me. “I can’t live without you.”
“Well, at least one of your friends doesn’t want to live,” Draconian said as he tried to stand. “I guess we should grant him his wish. Shouldn’t we?”
Stretching my hand out in front of me, I said, “Don’t move.” My voice was steel, the threat in it clear.
Draconian gripped the tree, struggling to pull himself to his feet.
Lightning shot from my fingertips. “I said, don’t move.”
He threw up a shield in t
ime to deflect the bolt, but it cost him.
He fell to the ground, exhausted. I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t healed yet. As powerful as he was, he should’ve been back to one hundred percent by now. Then the answer hit me. Somebody with his total disregard for life would never realize how much it could help him.
“You made your choice,” he said in a feeble voice. “Capture her, and kill the boy,” he ordered his dragons.
A dragon as white as the new-fallen snow swooped at me. I rolled across the ground, dodging its claws. It flew up into the sky, readying itself for another pass.
I teleported closer to Cody, sensing Arion’s presence. Can you free Samantha and Dan?
Yes … I failed to keep them safe. I will not fail in this.
Cody’s dragon, the brown one from the forest, dropped him. The dragon stood on his hind legs. His body swayed as he readied himself to strike.
“Stop!” I shouted. “Here I am.”
“The trickssster,” the dragon hissed.
“I told you Draconian wanted me. Now’s your chance.”
As he deliberated over which command to follow, I searched his memories for his name. I had to find it before he decided to kill Cody. Finally … “Taipan, you are free! Draconian no longer controls you.”
I ran to Cody, kneeling beside him. His breathing was shallow and erratic. My heart plummeted. Dragons raced toward us. I cradled Cody against me and teleported him under the cover of the trees. I held his face and focused my thoughts on healing.
His breathing evened out, and some color returned to his cheeks.
Brushing his hair back, I said, “I have to do this.”
“I know.” His voice was rough, pained. He grabbed my hand. “Come back to me.”
I gazed into his sapphire eyes, seeing his love for me and his fear mingled together. “I’ll try.”
Dragons screeched above us. Aurelia and the black dragon were locked together. Their claws dug into each other’s scales. Their jaws snapped.
