The Crystal Dragon Series Collection

by Katie Cherry

  He sets down the phone and stares at his watch instead. The last time he had tried to use it, it hadn’t worked… but he had a feeling Zarafa had had something to do with that. Maybe this time… He lifts the circumference of the watch. Holding his breath, he twists it to the right to contact Crystal. After waiting for a few seconds, he turns it to the left to reach Thaddeus. It doesn’t work. He groans and unfastens the watch from his wrist. Clasping it in both hands, he closes his eyes and focuses his mind. Maybe I can somehow push through whatever spell Zarafa put on it… That’s his hope, at least. So when a measure of energy rushes through his body and out of his hands into the watch, he’s stunned. …Did I just use… magic?

  “…Nathan?” Thaddeus’s voice rises faintly from the watch. Nathan uncovers it and finds his old mentor’s face hovering above the watch in hologram form.

  “Thaddeus!” he cries in relief.

  “Nathan, what’s wrong? What’s happened? We lost touch with you! Are you alright?”

  “Um, yeah, I’m alright, I guess,” he replies, thinking about his lost Gifts. “But Crystal… what happened to her?”

  Thaddeus’s face falls. “Ah. You heard. …Wait how did you find out about what happened to Crystal?”

  “There… there are a bunch of Dragon Hunters on First Earth,” he explains, a little reluctantly. “And I… well, they told me they were working for Alexander Dragon…”

  “Wait… so you are on good terms with these Dragon Hunters?”

  “Um, I suppose you could say that. They’re trying to get me to trust them.”

  “Good… this is good.”

  “How is this good?” Nathan inquires skeptically.

  “It’s good because this means that you can get inside information,” he says thoughtfully. “Although they are pretending to not be Dragon Hunters, since you know where they are, you could do some snooping and tell us what you discover.”

  “Well, I did find out that Patrick is going to put a portal to Zilferia by Zarafa’s house for Bryce so he can help… with Crystal,” he chokes out. “…So I’m assuming it will take him directly into Patrick’s castle.”

  “You plan to follow him in,” Thaddeus realizes.

  “Yes. I need to go save Crystal. Who knows what that evil creep is doing to her now? Who knows how much time she has left? Thaddeus, I have to go.” He pauses. “But I contacted you so I could ask for your advice. Getting in there won’t be a problem, but getting us both out… I’ll need your help.”

  “Indeed… however, I cannot be of much assistance to you until you arrive on Zilferia. Luckily, we have a spy who is currently on First Earth. His name is…”

  “I know,” Nathan interrupts. “I already met T.”

  Thaddeus looks surprised. “Oh! Well, splendid! That will save you time. Contact him as soon as you can, he should have some potions and such to help you. There is also someone else who you can contact if you are in need of aid…”

  “Angela doesn’t have any Gifts. Unless you mean Auna,” he speculates. “She could definitely be quite helpful since she can travel between realms.”

  Thaddeus’s face is now displaying open shock. He finds his voice after a few seconds. “You already met the fairiye and know about Angela… well then…”

  “Yeah how about next time, don’t try and keep me out of the loop, alright? Who knows what could happen next time if I don’t know everything?” he adds bitterly.

  Thaddeus narrows his eyes suspiciously at him. “Nathan? What happened that you aren’t telling me?”

  He sighs. “The Dragon Hunters… there was a group- not Bryce or Zarafa- that was angry with me… we fought for a while… then they had this magic wielder and he… I don’t know, really. He might have taken my Gifts or just locked them away or something, but the point is that I don’t have my Gifts anymore,” he states bluntly.

  Surprise and compassion swim in Thaddeus’s eyes. “Oh, my dear boy…”

  “Don’t,” Nathan interrupts. “Just don’t. Forget about it and move on, alright? And don’t tell anyone about it either. I don’t want anyone to know. I’ll be fine.”

  “Nathan, you know what this means, don’t you?”

  “I know quite a few things that not having Gifts changes. I know what happens now- I watched Crystal go through it. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

  “I know you will. However, I was referring to the fact that you are the first person this has happened to due to magic. Patrick will be on the hunt for you so he can keep you under observation.”

  He sighs. “You don’t need to beat around the bush. I’m his new experiment. Got it. However, if that gives me an edge for getting Crystal out of his clutches, then I’m all for it.”

  “Nathan-” He slams the circumference of the watch back down, cutting him off. No one can talk him out of rescuing Crystal. He will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even if that means sacrificing himself.

  <<>>

  “Here it is,” Zarafa announces, handing the tablet over to Bryce. “I told you it would be easy to find his number.”

  Bryce glances down at the number. “How are we supposed to explain how we got a hold of his number, though?”

  “If he asks, tell him it doesn’t matter. Just pretend to be desperate and panicking- as though you had just discovered who I am and who I work for and you need to hurry and relay the information before I catch you. Plead with him to come over as soon as he can.”

  “It’s barely five in the morning. Should we wait?”

  “No, this is perfect. It’s more likely for you to be snooping around early in the morning than at any other time. Besides, we want to catch him before he gets to school. Now go on, show me your acting skills,” she urges.

  He sighs. “Fine. But if he doesn’t buy this…”

  “Then we’ll go on to the next plan. And don’t worry, I’ll save the mind control as a last resort,” she assures.

  “Good,” he says, turning on his phone and dialing Nathan’s number. He picks up after only two rings.

  “Hello?” He sounds confused, but not drowsy as though he had just woken up.

  “Nathan! Oh, good, you answered!”

  “…Bryce? What are you…”

  “No time!” he gasps, glancing at Zarafa, who nods encouragingly. “I need to tell you something vital- are you paying attention?”

  “Yeah…”

  “I know it’s early, but what you said before struck me. I know you don’t trust me and I understand why- see, this morning I broke into Zarafa’s house and snooped around. I learned that she’s been in contact with Patrick! You were right about her! The thing is, after I discovered this, she heard me in her house and even at this very moment she’s trying to catch me! Nathan, I swear I had no idea! I thought Zarafa was working for Alexander, just like you did! We’ve both been duped! Hurry, I need your help! Please come help me get away from her! She’s going to kill me or turn me into a vampire or something! Please, I need your help! I’m in Zarafa’s house- I’m hiding in her kitchen, in the cupboard! Nathan, I need-” He then hangs up abruptly.

  “Well done,” Zarafa appraises him.

  “Do you think he’s really going to come?”

  “Knowing that boy? Definitely. He has a soft spot for those who are in trouble. Now come on- into the cupboard with you,” she laughs, directing him to the kitchen.

  <<>>

  The sound of her phone ringing pulls Angela out of her sleep. She yawns and sits up, rubbing her eyes sleepily and reaching over to stop the insistent sounds. She’s about to deny the call until she sees who it is. “Nathan!” she gasps, sitting up and attempting to straighten her unruly hair. She finally answers the phone. “Hello?” she says, trying to mask the drowsy tone in her voice.

  “Angela, I need your help really fast,” he immediately announces.

  “Um, okay? What is it?”

  “Bryce just called me. He’s still trying to get me to trust him. He’s saying that he found out that Zar
afa is working for Patrick and insisting that he had no idea and he was just following orders and such… anyway, he wants me to rush over there as soon as I can and help him out. I don’t know what to do, though. Would it be better to pretend and buy his story or just not go or… what?”

  “Okay… why are you calling me?”

  “Because you are smart and one of the few people I can trust with this and also because you’re on speed dial and I need to make a decision fast.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. She was one of his main contacts in his phone? He really did like her! “Um. Okay… well, I think that it would be easier to get inside information if you pretended to buy his story. Plus if he thinks you’re on his side, it could protect you from the other Dragon Hunters. At least until you go through the portal, that is. In fact, you might be able to trick him into giving you some weapon that could help you free Crystal.”

  He laughs. “I knew you were brilliant. Thanks!”

  “Wait,” she calls before he hangs up. She hesitates. “…Do you need a ride? Your parents will notice if your car is missing.”

  “What about your parents?”

  “We have a tennis game today, remember? I always drive to school on game days before the bus comes so I can drive myself home afterward.”

  She can hear the smile in his voice as he replies. “Like I said- brilliant. I’ll be over in a few minutes.” He then hangs up. Angela sits on the edge of her bed holding her phone in both hands with a huge grin on her face.

  She hears a sad voice in her head. “Well if you’re going to go, you should hurry and make yourself presentable,” Auna sighs as she flutters over.

  “Right. Thanks,” she smiles at the fairiye as she quickly changes and brushes her teeth. She’s just putting her hair into a ponytail when she hears his voice beneath her window.

  “Angela?”

  She rushes to the window and leans her head out. “Just a second. I’ll meet you in the front by the car.”

  “Alright,” he replies, grinning as he heads around the building. Angela quickly grabs a hat and some sunglasses, then eases her door open and tiptoes past her parents’ bedroom. She races down the stairs, her socks muffling the sounds of her footsteps. Picking up her tennis shoes, she cracks open the front door and steps out onto the porch.

  “Hey,” Nathan greets her, smiling. His hair is a mess, but he’s breath-catchingly handsome all the same.

  “Good morning,” Angela replies as she sits on the top step, slipping her shoes on. “Ready?” she asks, standing.

  “Sure. It helps that you’re here,” he adds.

  “Well, I can’t come inside with you,” she warns as she unlocks the car. “Bryce would recognize me- and Zarafa might as well.”

  Nathan sighs as he slips into the passenger side and closes the door behind him. “I know. But you’re here with me now.”

  She smiles at him as she starts the car. “I sure am.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Rage

  My sleep was dreamless. This is the first thing I notice as I begin waking up. I always dream when I sleep, so the fact that I had none helps to startle me awake. Rather than emerging from an imaginary scenario, I swim forth out of darkness that seemed to occupy every niche of my brain. I feel drugged when I open my eyes and everything looks grey and nothing holds still. I’m disoriented as well, and it’s hard for me to remember what happened.

  I sit up and put a hand on the stone wall next to me. Maybe this is my dream. Surely this is a nightmare. It’s the only explanation. Why else would I be back in Patrick’s castle?

  The door opens, and I wince away from the harsh light, covering my eyes. “Crystal?”

  Hunter. The sound of his voice causes an inexplicable rage to surge through my veins, and I lurch to my feet and stumble over to him. “You… you…” I can’t seem to say more than that one word, and I can’t figure out why my body isn’t really responding to me.

  “Stop.” This one word uttered from his traitorous mouth is enough to cause my uneven steps toward him to cease. I peer up at him, mere inches away, yet unable to reach him.

  “Why… why would you…” tears well up in my eyes and stream down my cheeks, soaking the simple cloth shirt I am wearing. That’s when I notice that I am wearing a black shirt and black pants. “Why… why am I… dressed like…”

  “You are dressed like a Dragon Hunter because you are one,” Hunter murmurs in a voice that seems to calm me, even though I do not want to be reassured.

  “…What? I’m not… a Dragon Hunter… you are,” I sob as my tears begin to abate.

  “You joined me,” he informs me, his face so close to mine that I’m lost in his multi-colored eyes. Wait… I thought he had brown eyes… “I told you the truth, and you believed me. You realized that you were fighting on the wrong side of the war, and you decided to join Patrick and me.”

  My brain doesn’t want to process this. “…I did?”

  “Yes. And you love your friends the dragons, the Sohos, and the mermaids, and you don’t want to leave them, but you realized that the best way to help them is to show them the truth like I showed you the truth,” he assures.

  “…Yes… I love my friends,” I whisper, clinging to that phrase. I know that that part is true. Surely the rest of his story is true too? I look around the small room. “Why am I in here?”

  “You… um… hit your head earlier, and we were afraid that you would forget the truth and that you would continue fighting for the wrong side of the war,” he explains.

  “So now that I remember, can I go wherever I want?” I ask innocently. I don’t remember anything, so I decide to trust Hunter. He is my brother after all, right? Besides, he sounds trustworthy.

  “Uh… yeah, of course… not yet though,” he hurriedly adds as I take a step toward the open door behind him. “We have to try and help you some more, and make sure that you remember the truth first. Okay?”

  “Okay,” I mildly agree, sitting on the edge of my bed.

  “Good,” Hunter sighs, turning to go.

  “Will you come back soon?” I ask.

  He turns around, surprise and a little compassion on his face. “…Yeah. Real soon,” he assures me.

  I smile. “Good.” He nods awkwardly and slowly steps out, shutting the door behind him and locking it.

  I lay back on the bed and stare at the ceiling. I wonder what it is I forgot when I hit my head. …I don’t really remember much of anything… I hope Hunter can clear that up for me soon. I pause. …How did I even know his name in the first place, though? After a while, I shrug. I suppose selective memory loss is probably not the strangest thing that’s ever happened to me.

  ******

  “Crystal!”

  I open my eyes and find a tiny person hovering over me, her wings fluttering like a hummingbird’s. Her long white hair whirls in mesmerizing patterns as the movement from her wings causes the strands to dance.

  “Hello,” I say, sitting up and smiling at her. “What’s your name?”

  “My name is Auna. I’m a fairiye. I’ve come to check in on you.”

  “Hi, Auna. That’s very kind of you. I’m fine, though.”

  “Hmm,” she murmurs, flying to a spot near my face. “Nathan is worried about you.”

  “Okay, well tell Nathan that I’m fine. Hunter’s taking good care of me.” I’m not sure who this Nathan is, but he must be one of my friends if he’s worried about me.

  The fairiye then frowns. “May I look into your memories?”

  “Sure,” I shrug.

  “Thank you.” She then places a soft, tiny hand on my right temple and closes her eyes. Unsure of what to do, I shut mine too. After a few seconds, I see glimpses of… something. A boy with light shining on a thin layer of snow on his hair. A big man with an even bigger grin and a thin woman who seems to radiate love and kindness. Dragons, mermaids, treehouses. A boy who changes into Hunter. Then these memories are suddenly swallowed up in the dark fog that seems to pe
rmeate every part of my brain.

  I sigh and open my eyes. The fairiye looks at me sadly as she removes her hand. “I’m so sorry Crystal,” she says.

  “Why?” I ask, confused.

  “…I’m sorry for the loss of your memories,” she explains.

  “Oh. Well don’t worry, Hunter will find a way to help me remember,” I smile at the tiny person.

  “I’m sure… I have to go now, Crystal,” Auna says as she flies back to the center of the room. “Don’t tell anyone I was here, okay?”

  “Okay. Bye,” I say, waving as the fairiye begins to glow, then fades away and disappears.

  <<>>

  “You say you completely repressed her memories?” Patrick repeats, pausing in his pacing.

  “Yes,” Hunter sighs, reclining in his chair. “She doesn’t remember who she is. She’s like a child now; simple-minded and submissive. She believes anything I tell her without question.”

  “Interesting… your powers have grown strong,” Patrick appraises him, putting a gloved hand on his shoulder. “I’m impressed.”

  “Thank you, sir,” he replies, knowing this is the proper response.

  “Now then… what to do with the girl… Dravyn is quite impartial to mind control, but of course, it is a far better alternative than letting her wander around causing damage to our designs. He wants her on our side- and so do I- although we would both rather she do it of her own free will.”

  “Perhaps that will come later,” Hunter suggests. “After we give her fake memories and she believes in them- and in us- I could lift my control from her mind, and she can see for herself that this is the life she should have chosen from the beginning.”

  “Hmm,” Patrick murmurs as he sinks into his plush chair. He leans forward and rests his elbows on the table between them and peers into Hunter’s eyes. “That just might work,” he contemplates, then grins and stands once more. “Wonderful. That will be your main job now.”

  “For how long? …Sir.”

  “For however long it takes,” he states, walking toward the door and opening it. “You start now,” he adds before shutting the door behind him.