“We know who you are,” said a voice. Sarah whipped her head around and to her horror she found the fire dragon at her other side.
The fire dragon’s eyes were a blazing orange of dancing flames that hypnotized Sarah. It was like they penetrated the girl and saw right through her. It spoke again. “You’re like us. The spirits of Lyrica live in you.”
“It is you who will bring Lyrica into a new era,” said the blue dragon. “Through you Lyrica will take its first steps onto the path of unification as legend goes.”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I’m here to help your world. I will save Lyrica. I promise you both. But if I’m going to do this, I need you two to stop fighting.” She eyed them. “You have to stop. Please.”
“We cannot,” the blue dragon responded.
“Why?”
“Just in case you fail,” the other dragon said.
“I won’t.” Sarah shook her head. “I can’t.”
“We can’t trust that,” the red dragon breathed. “So get out of our way or die between us. It is either balance or domination.”
“It is your choice, child,” the blue dragon said.
Fighting only causes more problems, she thought, but the dragons didn’t seem to understand that. Sarah couldn’t deny what the red dragon had said. There was some familiarity to the beasts. She was bonded with them through Lyrica somehow like family. When people are connected, they don’t hurt one another.
With the words set in her mind, Sarah allowed a firm “No” to leave her lips.
The dragons seemed surprised. “You have chosen. Goodbye, child,” they said in unison. Each opened their mouth. Sarah could feel the energy building in their bellies.
From the red dragon came a whirl of fire and from the blue dragon a typhoon of water.
“No,” both Serwa and Jacob yelled as their friend stood in the crossfire.
“Sarah!” Solar emerged from the sky, soaring down between the elementals, and snatched the girl up with her claw. The dragons fired on each other as the friends flew away from the destroyed market place. Sarah held onto Solar while she stared at the scene hundreds of feet below her.
Her heart was calm. She looked up at her friend. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Suddenly, Solar groaned, and her body jerked. Her wings grew limp, and she fell toward the ground. Sarah screamed as the claw holding her began to rip through her shirt. The two spiraled down through the sky, Sarah now hanging on by a thread. One wrong move and she’d be flying solo.
“Solar! Solar! Wake up!” the girl screamed. “Solar, please!”
Use your magic, reach out with your one sense...
Serwa’s words raced through the girl’s mind. She knew how to wake her friend but could she do it was the question.
Sarah closed her eyes. She thought about Solar, maintained the image of the dragon’s long neck and blue scales. Then, she reached out for that image, letting her magic search for that life force.
I can feel you.
Solar’s spirit was present, but its resonance was a small fading flicker in all that was Lyrica. But it was still there, its vibrations pulsing out into the world.
Sarah reached out for it.
For a moment, she felt nothing. Her body became weightless, and when she opened her eyes again, the world was the same blue as when she had seen the Great Spirit. And in that endless blue, Solar’s life was a dimming orb of light.
Sarah stretched out her magic in tendrils until she held the small light. She cradled it with her magic.
Wake up, Solar.
The little orb stirred.
Please.
She held the soul tighter, pressing herself into it, poking at it, nudging it, anything to wake her.
We don’t have much time. Please, wake up!
Solar’s soul glowed. Sarah moved into its core, a gentle touch to its middle, and then the soul ignited.
Solar’s eyes flew open. Sarah was unconscious falling beside her. The dragon flapped her wings, though doing so stung. She swooped the girl up in her mouth, careful not to crush her, as they crashed to the ground. They slid across the dirt until Solar hit a giant tree and came to an abrupt halt. Sarah fell from her mouth covered in dragon saliva.
Solar took in a deep breath while the pain settled into her body. She nestled her head by her belly and focused on the warmth that radiated within her.
“Solar?”
The dragon turned to the girl. Sarah was waking up beside her.
“Solar, are you all right?” she asked.
“Fine,” she huffed. “Did you get hurt?”
Sarah shook her head. “What about you?”
“The elementals must have hit me when I grabbed you. My wings are aching.”
Sarah climbed on all fours before forcing herself to stand on wobbly legs. She began examining the dragon, noticing parts of Solar’s wings were scorched black and under the saddle her body had several long bruises across it.
“What should I do?” Sarah asked stroking the dragon’s nose.
Solar stretched her neck. Long black streams of smoke rose from her nostrils. “I’m not sure... If Serwa were here, she could find the right herbs or...” Her eyes closed and Solar’s world went black.
“No,” Sarah shouted. “Wake up!” She bit her lip, anxiety and panic rising in her. She wasn’t a healer, not a trained one at least.
Sarah tugged at her hair, hoping somehow that she’d pull an idea out. By now Solar had slipped into unconsciousness. The girl sighed in frustration. Her mouth was dry, and she reached for the canteen attached to the saddle. It immediately fell from her hands as she realized what she had to do.
“I think I know how to save you,” she said to the sleeping dragon. Sarah grabbed the canteen from the ground. It was empty.
I need water if I’m going to give Solar a fighting chance.
Sarah closed her eyes and rocked on her feet, trying to keep her breathing even.
We passed a lake just south of here. If I can make it in time, maybe Solar will be okay. Maybe I can save her like I did Alex.
Sarah began to search the forest. She stretched out her magic and could feel the lake nearby, but its resonance was weak. Thankfully, the forest was thin with few trees so she could still find the lake. It was small and had obviously shrunk from its original size. She stepped into the ditch where water had once rested and approached the now murky pond. Part of Sarah thought she should look for a cleaner source of water, but at the moment the murky water was the best she could do. She placed the small canteen in the puddle and watched it fill to the brim. She hardly noticed as a slimy hand sneaked around her own.
Sarah pulled away from whatever was holding onto her and smacked its hand with the canteen. Free from the creature, she withdrew her dagger.
“Wait!” it shouted. And despite all the alarm bells going off inside her, Sarah didn’t cut the monster’s throat. She stared at the thing and her jaw clenched as she realized who was before her. Without thought, Sarah marched up to the siren.
“Where is it?” she asked, no sign of politeness in her tone. The creature, pale with big dark eyes, pulled the stone into sight from under the water. Sarah could instantly feel its presence. Something inside her came back to life. Suddenly, everything was rejuvenated. She felt whole again.
“Give it to me now,” Sarah demanded. The siren silently complied and gave her the stone. As soon as Sarah’s skin touched the smooth surface, waves of energy rushed through her. The feeling was so strong it nearly made her jump for joy. She had retrieved the stone. She could save Lyrica.
“Wait.” The siren reached out to Sarah.
“What do you want?” the girl snapped.
The creature shrunk away. “I am sorry for taking the stone.”
Sarah took several steps back. “How did you know where to find me?”
“We have access to all the water tunnels,” the siren said. “We’ve been tracking you from the sky since you left the vampires and moved in th
e direction you flew. I’m returning it to you on behalf of my queen.”
“Was she the one who ordered you to steal it from me?” Sarah replaced her dagger.
The siren nodded. “We were mistaken. We now see how the absence of the stone has hurt our world. Our home has dried up into small ponds. The water is dark and thick. We can’t control it like we thought. My people only now wish for the stone to be in your custody so that things may return to how they were before.” The creature bowed, lifting her tail in the air as she did so.
Sarah eyed the siren, taking note of her bone thin frame and strange green skin that was decorated with small spots. If Sarah remembered correctly, at their last encounter her skin was a light gray.
“So, ya queen’s sick, huh?”
The siren jerked. She allowed her muscles to relax again and straightened.
“Well, you don’t look so good yourself. I figured if you’re sick so is your queen. That’s the only reason you returned the stone, isn’t it?”
The creature was silent.
Sarah scoffed. “I’m leaving.”
“No, wait!”
The redhead sighed and turned to face the siren once more. “What now?”
“He’s here,” the creature said.
“What?”
The siren sunk into the water; her eyes darted from left to right. “They killed my people when we had the stone, and now they’re here for you.”
“Who are they?” Sarah questioned.
“Me,” said a cold voice. Shivers ran over Sarah’s skin. Slowly, she turned around to face an old enemy.
Chapter 22
A black wolf emerged from the shadows, his teeth barred, and his eyes a striking yellow. “It’s been awhile, Child of Legend. I wasn’t sure if I was going to see you again,” he said. “Glad I wasn’t disappointed.”
Sarah did her best to erase all emotion from her face. Still, her hands were sweating and her heart was speeding, fear rising in her.
The wolf licked his lips. “Do you have nothing to say? I traveled all this way to come see you.”
“Where are the others?” Sarah asked, her eyes scanning the woods for any sign of movement.
“Why do you think I wouldn’t come alone?”
“I’m not dumb,” Sarah spat. “I can feel them. Plus, wolves always travel in packs.”
The beast howled with laughter. “Well, you are smart, aren’t you?” he said as several other wolves stepped into the light. Low growls crawled through the forest.
“Now give us the stone,” said one of the wolves.
Sarah took a step back. She stared at the animal. “Why do you want it? It didn’t help the sirens. It’s not going to help you.”
A wolf to the left chuckled. “Please, unlike the sirens we’re not dumb enough to believe the stone will give us rule over Lyrica. That is not what we desire.”
“What do you want it for, then?” Sarah glanced around her, but everywhere she looked there was a wolf blocking her path.
Another wolf appeared. His coat was black with a few silver streaks. His eyes weren’t yellow like the rest. Instead, they were a dingy charcoal color. “There are some things you will not understand, girl,” he said to her.
“Try me,” she retorted. “Like your friend said, I’m pretty smart.”
“You are a child of the earth, limited by your origins, so you will not understand the ways of our curse. You are not of Lyrican blood like we are. You cannot understand our doings.”
She held the stone close to her chest. “Then, teach me. You don’t have to do this. Maybe I could help you if you gave me a chance.”
The old wolf shook his head. “The only chance we will give you is to beg for your life.” He turned to his right. “Colan, get her.”
A small wolf launched himself at Sarah. She planted her feet in the ground and reached for the magic deep within her, boiling like a cauldron from her fear. She called on the earth, and a tree root struck out of the ground and pierced the wolf’s body. The creature fell limp as the roots swirled beside the girl like a snake.
Sarah stared the wolves down. “I’m sorry.” She pressed the stone hard to her chest. “But I’m not letting anyone take it from me again.” The stone grew hot against her skin, and she held it closer. Her flesh began to soften, an instinct within her taking control. “We need each other.” She held the stone tighter, not realizing she was pushing it inside herself. A bright light emitted from Sarah’s chest and her body felt a rush of power as the stone slid into her, placed right beside her heart.
Sarah took a deep breath and let this new life inside her settle into its surroundings. It was so strong, but it meshed with her soul so perfectly. She looked at the pack, her eyes glowing with a new energy.
“You’ll have to rip me apart if you want it,” she said clenching her fists.
“Kill her,” the old wolf yelled.
The pack launched at Sarah. She reached down within the earth and called the element to help her again. Several thick tree roots sprung from the ground and surrounded her, creating a blockade. Some wolves tried to squeeze their way through the roots, and others used their teeth. Sarah wasn’t done though.
She felt for the water’s heartbeat behind her and called upon it to fight.
Streams of water lifted from the small pond, whipping at the wolves to keep them at bay. More wolves raced out from the shadows. Sarah was having a hard time keeping up. Her enemies were swiftly gnawing through the roots, but she couldn’t summon more without letting down her guard—something she couldn’t afford to do.
The pack was getting closer and closer. She had to make a run for it. There was no way she was going to be able to keep up with their numbers. Sarah shot a blast of water at a clump of wolves, making them fly back through the trees. She didn’t wait to see if she had killed any of them. There was no time to waste. She turned and ran past the pond deeper into the woods with the wolves in quick pursuit.
Oh, doesn’t this seem familiar.
Sarah was running faster than she had ever run before, her feet barely touching the ground. But the wolves were already catching up. She could hear their growls right at her back. It was becoming harder to breathe. She wouldn’t be able to run forever. So, there was one option.
Sarah spun around and clapped her hands together. A strong wind pushed through the forest, slamming the wolves into the trees. She pushed her shoulders back and eyed them.
“If you want a fight, come and get it!”
Some of the pack rose from the ground and stalked toward her. She braced herself as they surrounded her again, tiptoeing around any visible roots. They tightened the surrounding circle.
“Goodbye, Sarafina of Earth,” said a wolf with his pack only a few yards from their prey. “I’ll enjoy this.” He hurled himself at her, and Sarah moved into position to counter his attack, dagger at the ready.
Something zoomed past her and smacked the wolf. He collapsed limp on the ground. One pack member stammered over to his brother. With his snout he pushed the body over. There was an arrow piercing the wolf’s heart.
Sarah gazed in disbelief.
“What? How?”
In answer, a storm of arrows rained from the sky. The wolves howled in pain as the arrows struck their flesh. They scrambled back, retreating, but the arrows followed behind them like hounds tracking a fox.
Sarah stumbled backward, as well trying to avoid the storm. She crashed into a tree and sank down, covering her head from any stray arrows. Gradually the wolves disappeared from sight, and Sarah’s fear died down into a simmer.
“Are you all right, Sister?”
Sarah jumped and looked around for who was speaking.
“Over here,” the voice came again.
She stood and her eyes fell on a nearby tree where the body of a girl was protruding.
Sarah gasped. She rubbed her eyes to assure she was seeing correctly. “Are you...a tree...girl?”
The tree girl laughed. “I am the tree j
ust as the tree is me. We are one and the same, Sister.”
“Oh...yeah.” Sarah nodded and grinned to feign understanding.
“Terte,” the tree girl looked past Sarah, “is she hurt at all?”
The redhead wheeled around as she came face-to-face with a man who, like the girl, was also protruding from a tree. He gazed down at Sarah, his eyes moving from head to toe.
“She seems fine, Lokuana,” he said.
Sarah placed a hand on his face. He watched her.
“No skin,” she whispered.
The man was a dark tan with bark lines all over his body. His eyes were black, and his hair looked like it had been carved. From his jaw line to his hips every structure was very sharp and angled.
“You kind of look like a puppet, actually,” Sarah said.
“A what?” he asked with angled brows.
“Your eyebrows are carved. So are your lips.” She reached for his face again, but he swatted her hands away.
“No more touching. I hardly know you, and you’re already rubbing all over my face.” He sunk farther into the tree.
“Oh.” She drew her hands in by her side. “I’m sorry. I let my curiosity get the best of me. My name is Sarah. Thank you both for saving me.”
“It wasn’t just us,” said Lokuana. “It was our entire tribe.” She gestured to the surrounding trees. Several other men and women emerged from the trees. They each carried a bow and a sheath of arrows.
Sarah grinned at them. “Well, thank you all then. I don’t think I could have made it without your help.”
“No need to thank us, Sister,” they said in unison.
“Uh... sister?”
“Yes, you are our sister,” said one tree man.
“You are of Lyrica just as we are, so you are one of us,” said another woman.
“The elders would tell us the legend of the Chosen One from earth when we were young,” said Terte as he stepped from the tree. He stood in front of Sarah with broad shoulders and a height close to six feet. With the bow and arrow in his hand, he was the perfect image of a warrior.
“What are you?” Sarah asked.
An elderly man appeared from a large tree that stood between all the others. He was thin and had long silver hair and a wrinkled face. He was the tallest of all his kin. “We are tree nymphs.”
The Pariah Child & the Ever-Giving Stone Page 21
