by E. J. Krause
Dragon Magic
Book 3: Prophecy of the Dragon
By E.J. Krause
Copyright © 2015 E.J. Krause
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
About the Author
Chapter 1
Sarah woke with a start and gasped. Victor, her mate, stirred next to her and opened his eyes.
"What is it?" he asked.
"They've succeeded. The Demon of Dreams is back in his rightful place."
"That's good news, then. The council will be thrilled to hear it in the morning."
She shook her head, hoping it was only a remnant of the dream, but, no, it was true. "Leon and Cassandra were killed in the battle."
"That taints things a bit. Are you sure? It's not the Nightmare Syndicate sending you false information through your dream sight?"
"No. The Nightmare Syndicate no longer exists. Alexandria and Benjamin saw to that. Go round up the council. They'll want to discuss this right away. I'll be there shortly."
Victor nodded. When they'd dressed, he kissed her forehead and hurried out. She walked across the room to her multi-dimensional communication device and took a deep breath. Maybe she should have waited to send Victor away. This always made her light-headed, and his presence would help. Nothing to be done about that now.
She started up the machine, and the holographic images of Max, the council's official record keeper, and his mate, Nix, stood in front of her. Both looked to have been roused from slumber, but not by her. Had they felt the triumph? Had the entire multiverse?
"Sarah," Nix said. "Is it over? Did they succeed?"
"Yes. The demon is back in his proper place in the Realm of Dreams, but Leon and Cassandra didn't make it."
"That can't be," Max said, while Nix's hand flew to her mouth.
"No time," Sarah said. "This infernal machine drains me so. You need to get to the pier. I've instructed Rico to send Alexandria and Benjamin there. Get them home, but first contact Felix. Hopefully he's willing to help."
"He will be," Max said. "He won't pass up this opportunity."
"Good. Now hurry. I have no clue how long before they arrive at the pier. We'll stall the council for as long as possible, but I have no doubt imprisonment will be called for. Benjamin needs to learn to control his powers. As long as Felix agrees to conduct lessons, we might be able to swing favor for letting them stay free. Now go."
Before Max or Nix could say anything else, Sarah powered off the machine. She slumped against the wall and took deep breaths to recover, willing away the nausea. When she deemed herself ready, she strode out of the room towards the council chamber.
*****
Sarah wanted to scream out that the council was acting foolish and rash. Just because Leon and Cassandra were gone didn't mean Benjamin and Alexandria would now decide on the path of evil. In fact, keeping them here likely would be the very catalyst for it. She made an impassioned speech, but it fell on deaf ears. Victor's presence, his calm demeanor, was all that kept her under control. A quick look to Angus and Ingrid, Gretchen and Reggie, and even Jonas and Abigail, showed they shared her frustration.
With the overwhelming feeling of the council so fervently expressed, Jonas didn't bother asking for a vote. Sarah would have liked her tally against imprisonment to be official, but she understood Jonas's reasoning. They needed to show a united front when the young dragon and her guard, the cause of so much commotion throughout not only dragon society, but the multiverse as a whole, came to live in the Stronghold for the next few millennium. What would the others say when Felix either showed up with them or not long after? She'd worry about those politics when they proved necessary.
"Now that it's settled," Jonas said, "we need to decide who shall retrieve them."
Before anyone had a chance to answer, the door to the council chamber opened, and Timothy and Sasha strode in. Each member and their guard stared as the dragon and his mate walk to their seats. Sarah could feel the curiosity burning in the room, hers and Victor's included, but everyone held their tongues until Timothy and Sasha were ready. Jonas took the lead in the questioning.
"Please explain your absence."
Sarah grit her teeth at Sasha's ever-present sneer, but, as always, Timothy masked that by flashing his huge smile and answering in his friendly voice, which, as far as she was concerned, was as fake as the aerosol snow on Christmas trees some used on the mortal realm.
"We were assaulted as soon as we left. Neither of us saw our attackers, and they used a powerful spell to keep us out of commission until minutes ago. When we came to, we found ourselves alone right where we had landed in the mortal realm. We, of course, hurried back here without delay." He let that sink in for a second or two, and then said, "Now what is this about retrieving the two little stars of the prophecy?"
Sarah didn't buy a word of that story, but she couldn't say anything, not without a shred of proof. Victor's emotions sang that he felt the same. She made eye contact first with Angus, then Gretchen, and found them, along with, no doubt, Ingrid and Reggie, to be on the same page.
"The demon, Rico, called Alexandria, Benjamin, Leon, and Cassandra to him to complete the quest in the Realm of Dreams," Jonas said. "We received word not long ago that the mission was completed successfully. The Demon of Dreams is back in his rightful spot and once again in control of dreams everywhere. The Nightmare Syndicate, on the other hand, no longer exists."
"That's excellent news," Timothy said. "So why the turn in the council? Why imprisonment now?"
Jonas let out a sigh, one everyone else in the council chamber mirrored. "Leon and Cassandra didn't survive."
"That's awful! How did they die?" Timothy said. He shook his head and grimaced, and Sarah couldn't tell if his sorrow was heartfelt, or if he was putting on a great performance. Sasha, as always, wore her scowl.
"We don't yet know the details, but without Alexandria's parents to keep them on course, the council has decided imprisonment would now be the best option. That's what you two walked in on."
"May I make a suggestion?" Timothy asked. Sarah squeezed her fists tight. This would be some sort of self-serving request. Too bad only a few of them would see that.
Jonas gave a nod, and Timothy continued. "It's obvious young Benjamin's powers are
unstable. He could be quite an inconvenience, at best, and downright dangerous, at worst. We should take Alexandria and leave Benjamin behind to be trained. Once he has a handle on his powers, we can allow him to join her. At least then we'll know what to expect from him, and can keep him under better control."
Sarah's blood ran cold at the suggestion, as did Victor's. Neither Angus and Ingrid, nor Gretchen and Reggie, looked happy, either. Jonas, always the statesman, wore a neutral expression, but she assumed he saw the flaw, no doubt deliberate, in Timothy's plan. If they separated Benjamin and Alexandria, evil was more plausible than good. Judging by the happy conversations running through the council, though, a vote would again prove pointless. She decided to bite her tongue and wait to fix this mess when everything settled down.
The room quieted as Jonas raised his hands over his head. "Then it's settled. Harold, Ezekiel, and Katrina, you and your guards head to the mortal realm to fetch Alexandria. From what Sarah said earlier, I assume Felix has already contacted them to begin Benjamin's training?"
"If he hasn't yet," she said, "he soon will."
Timothy frowned and Sasha's scowl grew deeper at the mention of Felix, but neither raised any objections. It proved they would have liked to hand-pick a much less competent instructor.
"If no one has anything to add," Jonas said, "meeting adjourned."
Chapter 2
Andi sat in her cell in the Stronghold, constant pain and anguish flaring through her. She'd been away from Ben for what, two days? Maybe. That sounded right, though, in her haze, she couldn't be positive. To be fair, this wasn't a prison cell, but the same room she and Ben had shared in their visit before Rico had called them away on their task. As much as it felt like the lap of luxury then, no matter how dressed up it was, it was now nothing but her cell.
She ran her fingers over the dragon necklace Ben had given her for Christmas. That, too, seemed like years ago, but again, if she was doing her mental math correctly, it was a mere week ago. Maybe today was New Years Day. Big deal. It wasn't a happy New Year for her. Nor Ben, though that was an educated guess since she couldn't sense his emotions or anything else about him.
When they first met a year and a half ago, the thought of having him constantly in her mind, surrounding her soul, had been terrifying. Now that he'd been a part of her for that long, though, she relished it, lived for it. Losing him was a fate worse than death. She figured that because as she lay here these last couple of days, in a state of practical comatose, she wished the Dragon Council had decided to kill them. At least then she'd be with him, even if it was in the spirit realm. Anything would be better than this state of limbo without him.
The door opened, but she didn't look up. She guessed it was one of the servants coming to make sure she had everything she desired. She lay on the bed, stared at the ceiling, and rolled her engagement ring around her finger. The servant would initiate a conversation if it needed to ask anything, but otherwise would come and go quietly, honoring her wish of silence. That's what surprised her so when it sat on the bed.
She let out a yelp and saw it wasn't a servant at all, but a dragon and his mate, his guard. And not any dragon and guard, but Timothy and Sasha, the two who had put off such negative vibes when she, Ben, Mom, and Dad had briefly met them before the mission to rescue the Demon of Dreams. She had to hold back another blast of tears as she thought of Mom and Dad, who hadn't made it through the final battle.
"We're here to see how you're holding up. We're sorry for everything," Timothy said, a sympathetic smile on his face. Sasha also wore one, though hers didn't reach her eyes. Maybe. Andi might be letting their first meeting cloud her judgment of the woman.
When she didn't answer, he continued. "I'll be honest with you. It was our idea to split you and Benjamin up. We did that so he could get the magical training he so desperately needs. That sort of training would have been nowhere near as thorough if conducted here, and that's if the other council members would have allowed it at all. I'm not sure Sasha or I would be comfortable with a necromancer coming and going at will."
"I wish you would have killed us."
"Don't think it wasn't considered," Sasha said.
Timothy let out a pleasant chuckle. "It's true. We considered every possibility. Killing you two, however, was low on the list, let me assure you." Sasha scowled, but caught herself and put her smile back on, as fake as Andi believed it to be.
"Did the entire council consider killing us?" She couldn't imagine Angus, Gretchen, or even Jonas giving that any thought.
"No, none of this had anything to do with the council. This was all between the two of us. Or, rather, our…" He stopped, both his and Sasha's eyes blank for a second, before he continued as if nothing had happened. That was weird.
"The council had it all boiled down to either imprisonment or letting you run free. With a short leash, of course."
"Why tell me this? Why are you in here?"
"We have our reasons," Sasha said. "You'll learn soon enough, but not recall for long."
"Huh?"
Timothy chuckled. "She's toying with you, but also speaking the truth."
"Neither of you is making any sense."
"We plan to use you and Benjamin as powerful puppets to help us rule over the multiverse. That's why we needed you separated. Yes, it hurts, but we'll make it better. For you, anyway. I'm sure your mate's teacher will help him cope with his pain."
Andi barked a humorless laugh. "Yeah, good joke, but there's nothing you can do to help with any of this. Even if you could, Ben and I are nobody's puppets."
"Ignorant girl," Sasha said, no pretense of a smile on her face any longer. "You're lucky our…Timothy won't let me do this my way. Then you'd know what pain truly is."
"Now, now, Sasha, no need for dramatics. We'll get this accomplished in a way that's best for all of us."
Andi wanted to shout out for help. Even if another member of the council couldn't hear her, maybe one of the servants would fetch someone. Her pride, however, wouldn't allow it. Until she knew what they intended, she didn't want to beg for assistance. Part of her also believed she could get out of any predicament they placed her in. Even without Ben, she was plenty powerful. She wouldn't be part of the prophecy if she wasn't. That was her hope, anyway.
Timothy held up a small piece of plastic. It looked like a micro-SD card with no label. "This will allow us to make you our puppet. Sasha?"
The Dragon Guard stepped forward, an evil smirk on her face. Andi tried to leap to her feet to stop whatever nefarious plot the two had in mind, but Sasha waved her hand, and Andi couldn't move. They laughed, and Timothy stepped forward and pushed the little sliver of a card onto her neck. She felt its cold surface against her skin, and then it vanished.
"There," Timothy said. "All taken care of."
"What did you do to me?" She found she could move again and turned to Sasha. "Are you a wizard?"
"Of course I'm a wizard. Who do you think the prophecy is about? You and your pathetic mate? No, you exist only to help us achieve greatness."
Timothy nodded and said, "To answer your question about what we did to you, that object is now a part of your bloodstream, a part of your soul. You are under our control. With you as our puppet, your mate, who will be a powerful necromancer before too long, will also be ours to command, at least through you."
"Ben will sense something wrong with me. He'll dispel whatever curse you put on me."
"We're counting on it," Timothy said. "It has a hidden trigger that, once discovered, will cause it to embed itself so deep inside of your spirit that even his considerable power won't be able to find it. The beauty of it is that you'll both think he zapped it away in the initial blast. You'll be ours. Now I want you to forget this entire conversation."
Andi's mind went blank, and she stared up at Timothy and Sasha. When had they come in here? The last thing she remembered was lying on the bed, pining for Ben.
"Hello, Alexandria," Timothy said. "We're her
e to see how you're doing."
She shook her head. Something about that didn't ring true. And what's more, she felt Ben's presence, or at least his power, as she had when the Nightmare Syndicate had trapped him in the magical bubble. Her body warmed, from the inside out, and then her memories from the past few minutes flooded back into her. Before she could tell them to get out of her room, Timothy let out a belly laugh.
"Excellent, Alexandria. We believed the spell wouldn't permanently embed itself to you until you reunited with Benjamin. This works much better, especially since we now know how much power you truly do possess. You're not merely his vessel of energy, as everyone suspects, but harbor some of the magic on your own. No wonder you're destined to help us to our rightful spot atop the hierarchy of the multiverse."
"You're wrong," she said, giving them both a sneer she hoped rivaled those Sasha had been throwing her way. "No matter how many times you attempt to control me, I'll fight it off. And if I can't on my own, Ben's powers will ferret it out."
Sasha again sneered, and Andi realized she had nothing in that department on the evil Dragon Guard. Timothy, however, chuckled. "I'd say hold onto that thought, but you won't be able to."
Andi looked up and found Timothy and Sasha standing at the foot of her bed. When had they come in? She hadn't heard them enter. Her thoughts of Ben, of how much she missed him, hung too heavy in her heart.
"Hello, Alexandria," Timothy said. "We wanted to stop by and see how you're holding up. Neither of us can begin to imagine how hard this is for you."
She nodded, blinked back a few tears, and thanked them. For whatever reason, they threw off a different vibe than the first time she met them in the hallway when she, Ben, and her parents first arrived at the Stronghold. Instead of distrust and ill-intentions, both now seemed warm and friendly. How had she and Ben so completely misjudged them?
Timothy continued. "Yes, you're technically a prisoner here, but don't think of this room as your cell. You have free rein over the entire Stronghold. The only rooms off-limits to you are the private quarters of the council members, and that's more because of etiquette than any rule of your captivity. Swallow your pain and explore. Study the Great Pictorial History of Dragonkind, browse the library, get lost in the caverns of the flying range."
