by ML Guida
A screech seized Isabella’s attention. William and Mariah soared toward them and landed on the other side of Charybdis. Isabella didn’t know where they’d come from or how they’d found them, but she was glad to see them. This must mean the Soaring Phoenix wasn’t far off.
Perspiration dripped down Charybdis’s temples. “Leave, or I’ll kill you both.”
Isabella detected fear in her strong voice.
William hissed, and another burst of fire spewed toward Charybdis, forcing her to move one hand away from Leif to fight William.
Charybdis might have her father’s power, but she didn’t know how to wield it. Their only hope was to keep Charybdis on the defensive. Maybe she’d make a mistake.
She looked at each one of them. “I swear I’ll kill all of you.”
“You do not know how to control the power,” Mariah said, as she slid off William. “Do not force us to kill you.”
“You do not have the power to harm me.” Doubt flared in her eyes.
Isabella walked around Leif, defying her stepmother one last time.
Leif’s fire burned brighter, hotter. Sweat rolled down Isabella’s face, and blood pumped between her temples. Her gown plastered to her skin. She sang about forgiveness and family—things that her stepmother had never known or understood.
Isabella hurried over to her father and helped him sit on the sand. He was so light, and she pushed back tears. If she showed any weakness, she’d give Charybdis a chance to exploit it. She couldn’t afford this now.
Eldric groaned, but his face wasn’t as gray. He looked at her with dull blue eyes. “Isabella?”
“Yes, ’tis me.”
She waited for her father to push her away like he always had, but he surprised her. He grabbed her bruised wrist, and she winced.
“You must help me to get back to the ocean. It will refresh me. Then....push Charybdis into the water. There, I can fight her.”
“But you’re so weak.”
“On land, my strength is depleted, but the water feeds my power. Help me.”
She nodded. “William, Leif, force her into the sea.” She took her father’s arm and put it over her shoulder. “Can you stand?”
“Yes.”
Isabella didn’t believe him. Mariah was between the two dragons and couldn’t help her. ’Twas up to Isabella.
Ignoring her wobbling legs, she held her father close and rose. He leaned heavily against her, and she faltered. She spread her legs and braced her feet to bear his weight. Even in a weakened state, he still outweighed her. “Come on.”
Both William and Leif edged toward Charybdis, forcing her back toward the ocean.
“Zuto, help me!” Charybdis cried.
But surprisingly, there was no sign of the demon. Isabella didn’t know what the demon had planned, but his devious plans would mean death to them.
Isabella sang again of hope and helped her father edge toward the sea. He dropped on one knee. Gritting her teeth, she put her hands underneath his arms and helped him to his feet. They took another step, and he staggered into her. Isabella had to push her heels into the sand to keep from toppling both of them. She panted as she maneuvered him toward the rolling waves. Her already wobbly legs strained with pain. A sharp cramp exploded in her calf, and she cried out, interrupting her song.
“I’m...sorry,” her father said. “My weight’s too heavy for you.”
“No, it’s...not.” Isabella panted and wiped the sweat dripping into her eyes. “We’ve got...to keep...moving before Zuto comes.”
Her father nodded but didn’t say anything. His body trembled next to hers. Isabella’s stomached knotted. Her father had always been so strong, so powerful, and he now he was stripped of his powers. What if he was wrong and he couldn’t get them back? Would he survive?
The water seemed a thousand miles away, but ’twas only a few feet. She half dragged, half hauled her father toward the gushing waves. She tripped over her torn dress, and they both tumbled onto the hard beach. Her father crushed her, knocking the breath out of her.
She had to wiggle to get out from underneath him. He was panting as hard as she was. She looked over her shoulder. “Leif, force her into the ocean.”
Mariah pointed. “William, s’il vous plaît, force her into the ocean.”
A dark shadow fell across Isabella and her father. She raised her head, and her beating heart nearly jumped out of her chest. Zuto blocked their path.
“Where do you think you’re going? I have a surprise for your father, Isabella.”
The ground groaned. Trees toppled over, and branches broke. Through the jungle, Zuto’s gigantic spider crept out.
“Eldric,” Zuto said. “Be prepared to go to another time. You’ll never see your people or your daughters again.”
Chapter 18
The tops of the trees moved and birds shrieked, flying in the air. Isabella’s legs trembled and her heart thumped wildly. The ship-sized spider stepped out of the lush jungle and brushed past Zuto. Its spindly legs sank into the sand. Anger and hatred pumped through Leif. ’Twas the same damn spider that had stolen Gwendolyn and taken her God only knew where. Its right side was black where Leif had burned it. He wanted to attack, but if he did, he’d leave William to fight Charybdis alone.
The spider crept closer to Isabella and Eldric. It hissed, spraying sticky strands that wrapped around Eldric, pulling him toward it.
Isabella clasped her father’s arm. “Leif, help me!”
She wasn’t strong enough to help her father, and he’d be another victim of the damn time spider.
Leif narrowed his eyes, and a steady stream of fire sizzled onto the strand. Isabella and Eldric fell into the sea. The spider hissed, and another stream flew out, but this time, Leif swept his tail hard and smacked the creature’s spindly legs. It screamed and fell onto its side, the shriek hurting Leif’s ears. The strand landed in the ocean, safely away from Isabella and her father.
Mariah lifted her wand. “Mother Isis, hear me. Lift the sand and twirl it into the creature’s eyes.”
A whirlwind wisped into the sand, churning it faster and faster. Mariah moved her hands, and sand flew into the creature’s eight glassy eyes. It let out another ear-shattering shriek.
“Stay out of this, witch,” Zuto warned. “Or you’ll live to regret it.” He headed toward her with a closed fist.
Mariah turned and waved her hand over the beach. As if by magic, sand whirled into the air, creating a wall that separated her from Zuto.
Isabella sang, and the spider stopped screaming. Her voice was pure and simple. Had she calmed the beast?
“Stop singing.” Zuto walked toward Isabella and Eldric.
Charybdis faltered, and the white light dimmed.
Attack her, now, Dracul said. Fling her into Zuto before it’s too late.
Not waiting to debate, Leif obeyed. He flapped open his wings and flew into the air. He stretched out his talons and clasped Charybdis’s shoulders. The white stream slammed into his underbelly like a sizzling lightning bolt, burning him. Pain cut through his dragon hide, and heat pierced through muscle and bone, but he refused to give into the pain and flung Charybdis. She knocked into Zuto, and they both rolled onto the sand.
’Twas as if power rejuvenated Isabella, and she dragged her father to the surface. Waves splashed onto her father’s feet, and his pinched and drawn skin lessened. His white hair grew darker and thicker. He looked at her.
“Sing, daughter. Sing the song of your people.”
Isabella sang a sweet and loving melody. As Leif listened to her powerful voice, he felt a bolt of love rush through him. He didn’t understand the words. ’Twas in a tongue he didn’t know, but it touched the anger buried deep in his soul. The pain lessened in his underbelly and heart. All the hate and resentment he had dissipated.
Charybdis screamed as if she were in agony.
Zuto shoved Charybdis off him. “Get off me, bitch.” He narrowed his eyes and motioned toward Isabella.
“Attack her.”
The spider climbed to its feet and spit out a fan of sticky strands that raced toward Isabella. Leif exhaled a blaze that sizzled the strands into black ashes. He sat on his haunches. William followed suit. They both released a fiery flame, hitting the creature in the face. It screamed and fled into the jungle, thrashing down trees and bushes.
Don’t kill it, Dracul said. Or you’ll never find out where it took your sister.
Before Leif could warn William, he launched into the air and pursued the screaming beast.
Stop him, Dracul said.
I can’t leave Isabella.
Eldric stretched out his hand toward Charybdis.
Trust in your mate. Her song will defeat evil. That’s why they had to gag her. Look at Charybdis.
Dracul was right. Charybdis’s red dress was charred, and her hair was singed. Neither Leif nor William had breathed fire on her. Her flawless skin turned gaunt and stretched as if all the moisture had been sucked out of it.
She looked at her shriveled hands. “What’s happening to me?”
The spider shrieked again—a mournful, pitiful moan.
Go, now! Dracul said.
Leif hoped he wasn’t making a mistake, but he couldn’t leave his sister lost in time. He followed the trail of broken trees, trampled bushes, and shredded flowers. Thick smoke and fire surrounded the screaming beast. ’Twas on its side, and William hovered over it, emitting a stream of fire. Leif slammed into William, knocking him into trees. Leaves and branches cracked. The spider rolled back onto its side. Half of its white body was charcoaled. It hissed, but it didn’t attack. The ground rumbled, and a loud crack rippled through the forest floor. Foliage fell into it as the spider slid inside and disappeared.
Leif landed next to the crack and peered inside. He couldn’t see any sign of movement—only darkness. He wrinkled his nose at the stench of burnt decay and dirt. Was it dead?
I don’t know, Dracul said. But it’s in agony. If it dies, the only person who knows where the spider took your sister is the demon Zuto. He will not give up the answer willingly.
Heavy footsteps treaded through the forest. Leif jerked his head up. William crashed through a turned-over tree. He was in human form, and anger flared in his green eyes. He had leaves and twigs stuck in his hair. “What the hell where you doing? I could have killed it.”
Leif snorted, and black smoke blew into William’s scowling face. Another cry jerked Leif’s attention. ’Twas a woman’s cry. He flew into the air, leaving William cursing at him.
He landed on the beach and approached the ocean. Charybdis and Eldric faced each other in the sea, sizing each other up, while Isabella sang her beautiful melody. Waves washed around him. Mariah watched intently, but there was no sign of Zuto.
Cannons fired, shot flinging into palm trees. Leif groaned. Instead of the Soaring Phoenix, ’twas the Fiery Damsel. Like a black blanket, bats flew up from the ship and stormed toward the beach. Zuto’s reinforcements were here.
Mariah faced the upcoming storm and held her hands out. “They are coming!”
With the roar of the sea and the sparks flying between Eldric and Charybdis, Leif couldn’t hear what she was saying, but he was sure it was some kind of spell.
A huge wave rose out of the sea and flung at the wave of bats, but the bats only flew through the water. The crew of the Fiery Damsel would never cower from a tidal wave, but they would from a dragon.
Charybdis turned and flung a lightning bolt at Mariah. “Die, witch!”
Mariah moved but wasn’t fast enough. The lightning hit her from behind, flinging her through her sand wall and into the dense foliage. She screamed, then went silent. Leif hoped she wasn’t dead. She was a brave witch, risking her life for others.
He jumped into the air, but something sticky wrapped around his leg, pulling him toward the ground. He flapped his wings harder, but he wasn’t moving. He turned his head to burn the strands cutting into his leg. He narrowed his eyes, but more strands circled around him, binding his wings. A strand wrapped around his head, blinding him. He shrieked and bounced in the air. A strong yank sent him diving onto the hard ground, knocking the air out of him. Panic pulsed through him.
Look out! Zuto’s behind us.
“You’ll not defeat me, dragon.”
Leif recognized the cold voice—Zuto. Something slammed into the back of his head.
“Bara.”
Coldness gripped Leif like he’d been thrown into an icy river in Scotland. He couldn’t breathe. Dracul wavered in his mind and fell onto his side, his breath shallow.
Can’t stay focused, Dracul said. Can’t stay awake. Zuto cast a...death spell.
Dizzying pain spun around Leif, then all went blank. The last thing he remembered was Isabella screaming his name.
Chapter 19
Bats descended onto Eldric like locusts, slamming into him, knocking him into the churning waves. Charybdis took advantage and threw more and more crackling lightning bolts at him. He grabbed his chest and spun around, screaming, then fell back into the sea.
“Father!” Isabella yelled. She rushed toward him. Her mistake was that she stopped singing
Charybdis looked at her and raised her palm, then blew a kiss. Wind and water rose up and descended onto Isabella. She kicked and flung her arms as she was whisked out of the sea and tossed onto the sand.
She landed on her belly, coughing and spitting. Her hair hung in her face. Sand and bits of shells cut into her flesh. An agonizing shriek made her bones rattle with fear. Her hand shaking, she brushed the hair out of her face. Her heart and lungs both ceased.
Leif in dragon form lay tangled in a spider’s web. The shiniest, hugest black spider stood over him. Spit dripped from its fangs onto his motionless body.
She screamed. The spider stared at her. She could actually see her reflection in its eight bulbous eyes. She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.
Zuto knelt next to Leif and held a blade to his throat. Leif lay perfectly still, too still.
The demon smiled. “Yes, come here, mermaid!”
“I’ll kill you, Eldric.”
Isabella turned to see Charybdis rushing toward her father, who dragged himself out of the waves. The middle of his chest had a jagged, angry, red burn, and he struggled not to fall back into the water. He needed strength. The sea wasn’t enough.
She sang, pouring all of her soul, all of her love into the song. Charybdis covered her ears and shook her head. Eldric stumbled toward her.
“Sing one more note, mermaid, and your lover dies.” Zuto’s tone cut into Isabella’s song.
She turned. Blood trickled down Leif’s throat.
Isabella gasped.
Zuto moved the red-stained knife away from Leif’s neck and motioned for her to move. “I said to come here.”
Luckily, it was a faint cut.
“Keep singing!” Her father called from behind her. His voice was desperate.
If she walked over to the demon, she knew he’d kill her.
A shriek in the air raised Isabella’s hope—William! She looked to the sky to see Mariah riding astride his back. Her dress was torn, and a purple bruise was on her cheek.
Guns fired.
Isabella quickly glanced over her shoulder. Kane had arrived, and cannon balls tore the Fiery Damsel’s sails.
She had one chance to save Leif, herself, and their child. She could hum. With all the commotion, hopefully the demon wouldn’t hear. Her humming was just as powerful as her song. ’Twas just at a softer level. Her mother had taught her this skill. She’d never used it before and prayed it would work.
Taking a deep breath, she hummed as she approached Zuto.
The spider moved one of its long spindly legs and backed up. It shrieked as if in pain.
Zuto glanced up at it. “What are you doing? You almost stepped on me.”
A stream of fire hit it in an eye, and the shriek it let out was loud enough to wake the souls who had dr
owned in the sea.
William soared toward the spider. It turned, and one leg kicked Zuto, sending him flying into the jungle. The spider fled into the trees with Mariah and William pursuing it.
This was Isabella’s only chance to help Leif. She stopped humming and sang, hoping to wake Leif. She lifted her dress and ran toward him.
“Isabella, no!” her father cried as he smacked a bat, tossing it out into the sea. “Come back here, child.”
She stopped. His voice was actually kind and desperate. She looked over at him. Worry flickered in his eyes. Something twisted in her gut. Something hopeful. Something she’d thought that had been buried and forgotten.
Leif groaned, and she sprang into action. She raced toward him, ignoring her father’s frantic voice. She skidded to Leif’s side. The sticky strands were across his face, hiding his eyes, tangling in his horns. His wings were pinned to his side, and his legs were wound up tight. She pulled on the sticky strands that were surprisingly spiky and cut her flesh. She jerked her hands away. Blood trickled down her palms.
She looked over her shoulder and saw a dark figure moving fast through the trees. Zuto! She had to move quickly.
She shook Leif. “Wake up, please, wake up!”
He didn’t even groan.
“God, please don’t be dead.” Tears blinded her, and she hurriedly wiped them away. Something shiny flickered in the sand. The blade!
She seized it and cut through the thick strands that covered his eyes. Next, she sliced through the sticky strands that bound his beautiful wings then freed his poor legs.
Her tears splashed onto his bleeding hide. She didn’t care if he was a dragon. She kissed him on his lips, wanting desperately for him to wake. Her mother had said that there was power in a love song. Isabella sang a famous love song of her people that had been her mother’s favorite.
As she cut the web, she cleared her throat, and pushing back her pain, she sang in her best soprano voice, “I give my soul to one man. I give my love to one man. I give my heart to one man.”
Leif’s dragon form slowly transformed back into a man. Muscles shrank, bones crunched, and his skin changed from red to a dark bronze. It was faster than she’d ever seen.
