“It remains to be seen if that will be necessary.” Amalia stepped to the side. A gate, with doors of iron and fire, covered in thorns creeping around in through the small crevices, appeared behind her.
“We’ll be waiting for you out here,” Amalia said as the gate opened, revealing the realm of woodlands beyond. “You have until nightfall to secure your prize. While I am not adverse to fighting them,” she said with a cool gaze, “I prefer not to make my life difficult.”
Rose, Theo, and Philip all started forward.
“Go, Rose!” Sophia cheered.
“You can do it!” Ethan called, as Mary waved as she perched on his shoulder. “We’ll all be here for you when you get back.”
“We believe in you,” Theo whispered to Rose, as they headed in.
“Did you say your prayers?” Rose asked, giving him a secret smirk.
“You know I always do where you’re concerned, Rosary.”
The three of them walked through the gate. It shut loudly behind them and disappeared from sight, sealing off the rest of the world as Rose finally felt her restlessness leave her. Everything was going to plan at last.
*23*
҉
THE SERPENT’S GARDEN was full of trees and fields, with plenty of foliage both familiar and exotic, all encircled with thorn-covered gates. Rose felt the humidity of the atmosphere wash over her as she examined the ground for tracks and other signs of movement.
I almost wish Ethan had come with us. He was the better tracker. Rose sighed. She couldn’t see him being quite that brave, especially since he was hesitant to learn how to fight.
“So ... which way do you want to try first?” Philip asked after a few moments had passed.
“Shh ... We’ll be able to hear better if we’re quiet,” Rose said. Her ears strained to hear the faintest sound from around the forest-like surroundings.
“I’m not so sure,” Theo whispered. “If this is the garden where the serpent was banished, and these dragons are his descendants, they might have supernatural capabilities.”
“What do you mean?” Philip asked.
Rose smothered a sigh. “Maybe I should just call out to them?” she asked, her tone scathing and impatient. “Maybe they’ll come running?”
Immediately, Philip and Theo both quieted.
It’s about time those two stopped chatting, Rose thought, bristling. She had to push down her momentary frustration, but it was hard not to think about how they were not helping. Were they even taking this seriously? Rose wondered.
A moment later, there was a rustling sound in the bushes to her right.
“Over there.” Rose pointed.
“It was just a small sound,” Theo said. “It’s possible that it was just the wind.”
“I heard something. I’m going to go investigate,” Rose insisted. “We need to work together, Theo.”
“I’m trying to help you,” he reasoned. “The dragons are rumored to be quite ruthless and cunning. There’s a reason that no one has managed to leave here with their blood.”
“Fine. Stay here. I’ll go and see,” Rose snapped. She held her sword up and headed out to see what she could.
“You might want to calm down a bit,” Philip said lightly, as he followed behind her. “We have time.”
“Time has never been an ally of mine. Theo knows that more than anyone else.”
“He also knows more about you than anyone else.”
“Then he should know we’re not leaving here until we get the dragon’s blood.” Rose turned her attention back to the bushes, using her sword to push against the tangled foliage. “The sooner we get it, the better.”
Another sound, rushing from her other side, made her whip around. “Over there,” she said, hurrying back over to the left.
For the next several moments, Rose found herself barreling around the garden, with no serpents in sight.
Whoosh.
“Check it out. I heard it, from right there,” she called.
Crackle.
“Here.”
She ran back and forth, narrowing her gaze at Theo, as he continued to stand before the gate, in the middle of the clearing.
Finally, she slowed down and came up beside him. “Just stop it,” she snapped.
“I’m not doing anything,” Theo replied easily.
“I can tell what you’re thinking.”
He arched his brow at her. “Is that so?” he asked mildly. “I suppose it’s not so hard to imagine, considering I can tell you’re frustrated and unsure.”
“Shut up.” Rose stuck her tongue out at him before turning around. She called out, “Where are you, dragons? Come out and fight with me!”
“Rose,” Philip said, “Are you sure—”
“I’ve learned so much about the Thornebacks,” Rose called out. “A proud dragon race, descending from the serpent of Eden itself. Come out and prove your worth.”
Theo and Philip glanced around as hissing sounds began to resound around them.
Rose smirked. “You couldn’t resist a challenge like that, could you?”
A heckling laughter was the only answer given to her.
Rose stiffened but reaffirmed her resolve. “I’m not afraid of you!”
“What a shame,” a voice replied from behind her.
Rose whirled around to see a long, scaly dragon latched onto the back of the garden gate that they had come through.
The dragon was unlike anything Rose had expected; he was more like an overgrown lizard than a snake, with stringy legs and feet crowned with long, sharp claws. There were small wings folded against his back, reminding Rose of the bats she and Isra had found hiding under one of the arched passageways of Havilah’s castle.
“So,” Theo spoke up. “You can talk.”
“It doesn’t matter if he could sing and dance,” Rose argued. “I’m still not afraid.”
“It is really too bad, you know,” the dragon told her, as he slithered down the gate with his claws, landing on the ground. “For you would have found me more quickly, in that case.”
“What do you mean?” Rose asked, her cheeks burning. Was the dragon trying to make her feel like a fool? “You should be more afraid of me than I am of you.”
The dragon laughed again. “We have nothing to fear from you, Princess, especially when you are like that. You don't seem to know much about dragons, do you?”
“If I didn’t know about you, I’d likely be afraid,” Rose told him. “But I know plenty about you, including the fact your blood can kill the wicked half-fairy who cursed me.”
“If that is true, you must not know about yourself then,” the dragon told her. “For in here, you need only face your biggest challenge and fear.”
“What do you mean?” Rose asked again. “I already told you, I’m not afraid of you.”
“Ah, but you are afraid of something, aren’t you?”
“Careful, Rose,” Theo warned. “The serpent dragons are known to be crafty liars.”
The dragon gave a mocking bow. “We have such a poor reputation from our ancestor, the one who had to give up his wings and legs after he tricked the humans,” the dragon replied. “It is unfortunate.”
“You’re saying that your ancestor was not the one who tricked Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden?” Theo asked.
“No, no. Of course he did that. How else do you think we wound up here? But we are his family, not the snake himself.” The dragon sniffed. “Even though we do love a good bit of trickery once in a while, of course.”
“Then I will do what Adam couldn’t,” Rose told him. “I will kill you.” With that, she swung her sword at him, frustrated rage spewing out as she twisted and turned, trying to get a good shot at him.
The dragon anticipated her move, easily side-stepping it. He laughed again. “If it is your wish, Princess, I will fight you.”
“Don’t laugh at me!”
“It is better than feeling sorry for you,” the dragon hissed.
Rose struck him near the tail, making him roar in agony. “There’s no need to feel sorry for me!”
His tail lashed back, whipping her across her body. Rose cried out as she was thrown backward. Her back pounded against a tree.
“Rose!” Theo called, running to cover. He ducked under one of the dragon’s wings as it opened, using his own sword to block a swipe from one of the dragon’s claws.
“And so the little defender of the church decides to jump into the fray,” the dragon murmured. “I’m not surprised, considering your biggest fear.”
Theo fought his way over to Rose, planting himself in front of her. “Are you okay?” he asked, as he kept one eye on their enemy.
“Yes,” Rose assured him as she steadied herself. “More of a jolt than anything.”
Theo didn’t respond, as the dragon lashed out another attack. Theo dug in and pressed back, catching the dragon’s claws on his blade.
“Lady Amalia already told you that you will not be able to kill me, young warrior,” the dragon’s voice was calmer, as he slinked in a soft retreat. “You will not find your greatest fear from me.”
“I came with Rose for dragon’s blood myself,” Theo said. “I have as much to lose as she does in this.”
“No, she has the more to lose,” the dragon assured him. “But she is not as aware of it as you are.”
“I’m perfectly aware that I’m being ignored, if you’re worried about that,” Rose snipped. “But it doesn’t matter if Theo can’t kill you.”
The dragon laughed. “Why do you say that?”
“Because Amalia didn’t say anything about me,” Philip called from behind, as he jumped on the dragon’s back.
He landed hard on his feet, but used his free hand to latch onto one of the dragon’s wings.
“Here,” Rose called, ducking underneath Theo and hurrying under the dragon. She thrust her sword into its underbelly.
The dragon reared at the attack, but Rose found her sword had just scraped him; no blood came free from the beast. Before she could try again, Theo tackled her, rolling her out from under the dragon’s trampling paws.
“Theo, stop!” Rose struggled against him. “I almost had him.”
“He almost had you,” Theo corrected, grabbing her arm and hauling her up. He tugged her to the side as the dragon’s tail came flailing.
Rose was about to argue when a stream of fire, flashing green and purple, unleased from the dragon’s mouth.
“Watch out!” Philip called.
The dragon roared angrily, as his wings flapped open. He jumped as Philip managed to jump down off his back, twisting into an awkward landing.
“This isn’t working,” Rose said, as her friends pulled back together.
“You have to admit, it’s better than not having a dragon to fight,” Philip said.
“It wants us to face our greatest fears and challenges,” Theo said. “And mine won’t be settled by killing him.”
“So why are you here?” Philip asked.
“To stand by Rose.”
“My biggest fear,” Rose said quietly, “would be to fail.”
“So the way you can win is by winning?” Philip asked. “That seems logical.”
“Shh!” Theo murmured. “He’s coming back.”
The dragon fell out of the sky once more, circling and whirling around, whipping turbulence all throughout the landscape.
Rose held her ground as the wind pushed her back, while Theo and Philip dropped to the ground.
“Rose!” Philip cried. “Look out!”
The dragon snarled, his snout expelling ghastly smoke as he charged.
It was now or never, Rose decided. Rose held her sword firmly. “I will not fail!” she cried, charging forward.
She didn’t have to see Theo getting to his feet to know he was determined to catch up to her. “Rose—”
“Not now, Theo!” Rose yelled back. “Stand down!”
“It’s too dangerous,” Philip called out, running after her.
Rose ignored him. I can’t fail. I just can’t.
With her sword out and ready for impact, carefully aimed for the center of the dragon’s skull, Rose breathed out a quick, unspoken, barely acknowledged prayer.
Instantly, she was wrapped in a warm embrace as the world around her blurred. Her eyes squeezed shut as the world shook and she lost her balance; her sword went flying out of her hand as she hit the ground hard. A second later, she heard Philip cry out and she could hear Theo’s sharp gasp of pain.
“Theo!”
He had reached her just in time to move her out of the dragon’s way, pushing her down as the dragon flew overhead. On his back and arm, blood blossomed in three thick stripes from where he had been hit by the dragon’s tail.
He cried out in pain as she tried to move him. “Just sit down,” Rose screamed, trying to drown out his voice with hers. “It’ll be okay.”
Theo gritted his teeth together as he slumped over. “I’m not so sure,” he grumbled.
“Let me find Philip,” Rose said, just as the dragon roared angrily.
Rose’s gaze shot to find the dragon. She reached over and grasped for her sword. “Stay here,” she ordered Theo. She paused for a moment before adding, “And this time, I mean it.”
“Okay.” Theo nodded, his gaze tired and sad, submissive only out of necessity.
Rose touched his cheek briefly before leaving him. Much as he had on Maltia, he leaned into her hand. The intimacy, peeking out from behind the clouded pain in his startling green eyes, shuddered through Rose as she felt his tears on her palm. Before she could pull back, he slumped over, unconscious.
“Rose!” Philip called out for her. “Come quickly!”
Rose was torn for a moment, between guilt and fear and self-disgust. Another thought spurred her back to the battle. If we can win and get out of here quickly, we can make take care of Theo more quickly.
“Coming,” she called back. Her eyes squeezed shut for one small, brief second as she pushed back the threat of her own tears.
Concern for her best friend, and anger at her recklessness, quickly dissolved as she saw Philip’s predicament.
Tree branches snapped as the dragon wriggled around, trying to dislodge Philip as he held onto its long neck.
“Try to get its eye,” Rose called, as she hurried to help. “Or its snout! The scales on his body are too much for our swords.”
The dragon roared, and began shooting out fire. Philip twisted around, but he was unable to make a dent in the dragon’s exterior.
“No good, Rose,” Philip called back. “I’m using both hands just to hang on.”
“Well, just hang on, then,” Rose ordered. She hurried over, slanting to the right and left as the dragon’s tale shot from side to side. “I’ll try to get it.”
The dragon spewed out the flames again and again.
“Augh!” Philip hollered as he was finally flung to the ground.
“Move,” Rose cried.
The dragon, free once more, blasted a long shot of fire against the ground. Smoke flew up as the earth was scorched. The dragon took off at once, the wind blowing dust and debris across their vision.
Rose and Philip coughed until they escaped the reach of the flames.
“Where did my sword get to?” Philip asked.
“I don’t know,” Rose admitted. “But let’s go after him. He couldn’t have gotten far.”
“I think he could have, actually,” Philip countered. “His wings were pretty strong and fairly proportional to his body. His flying skills were well-honed.” When he saw the look on her face, he sighed. “I managed to get caught on them just a little while ago, Rose. I would know if that was the truth or not.”
“I still say we should go after him,” Rose murmured.
“What happened to Theo?”
“He’s back there. Which is all the more reason we need to hurry if we’re going to find a dragon.”
“What do you mean by that?” Phi
lip asked, suddenly alarmed and suspicious.
“He’s been hurt pretty badly. He’s bleeding and unconscious.”
“Then we need to leave.”
“He would want us to keep fighting, Philip.”
“Let’s get him back to Mary and the others, and then we’ll see what he thinks,” Philip insisted. “I’m not going to have one of our group perish when there’s something we could have done about it.”
Rose bit her lip. “I don’t know.”
“What?” Philip rounded on her.
“I mean, he’s bleeding but—”
“He’s bleeding? What else would stop us from taking him back?”
“This is our only chance, Philip!” Rose shouted back. “This is our only chance to get the dragon’s blood. What’s the point of living if we’re not going to be free to actually live?”
“You do get to live!” Philip cried. “You have had nearly eighteen years, Rose. Not everyone even gets that! And before you try to make this about Theo, too, you need to remember that not everyone gets their parents, either.”
“I don’t need to be guilted into going!” Rose gritted her teeth, rage and truth battling inside of her. Both sides were angry and bitter, both sides were demanding and fierce.
But then Philip took her arm. “You know I have fought for you, and Theo has too. We would do anything for you, Rose. But please don’t let your fear take charge of you.”
My greatest fear—failure. That’s it, isn’t it? Looking down at Theo, she suddenly wasn’t so sure.
“All right. Fine! You’re right.”
“You don’t need to sound so hostile about it.”
“This is not easy,” Rose yelled. “This is not easy for me at all!” She put her head in her hands. “I needed the dragon’s blood. I can’t fail.”
“We will find a way to make it better,” he promised.
“Don’t try to placate me!”
“Let’s go for now.”
“Okay. Okay, fine. Just fine.” Rose felt anxiety rise up in her throat as they picked up Theo and shared his weight.
She knew Philip was right. But she still reeled from the blow. There was no way to win, she realized. There was no way to get free of her situation.
She had failed.
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