Dragon Fire Academy 3: Third Term

by Rachel Jonas

  “I’m sorry,” she said breathlessly. “I almost killed you. I’m—”

  “It’s not you,” I interjected, feeling a rush of guilt as I remembered the many times I allowed her to believe that it was her.

  “I can still feel it,” she admitted breathlessly. “It won’t let me go.”

  “That’s okay,” I assured her, grateful for even this small glimmer of hope. “The witches. We’ll get them to help, but they need our help first.”

  Arms that were finally beginning to warm like normal went around my neck and the feel of her tears against my cheek was oddly comforting. I supposed because they had been the first sign all wasn’t lost.

  “Go free the guys,” I insisted. “I can pull myself out. Then we can go help the others together.”

  I wasn’t sure how long we had until the Darkness regained strength, how long we had until it took her over once again, but I think we both knew we were on borrowed time.

  Noelle had just gotten to her feet, preparing to rush toward my brothers, when an all too familiar voice made my stomach churn.

  “Take another step and everything and everyone you love will be torn limb from limb. And in case you’re wondering, that number does indeed include my son.”

  Finally, out of hiding, our Chief had decided to make an entrance, and I had the sinking feeling his presence would only add to the hell we already endured.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Ori

  Chief Makana walked slow, thoughtful circles around me as I worked myself out of the ground, eventually getting to my feet to face him. But not until I’d taken Noelle’s hand and shielded her body with my own.

  Whatever Chief had planned for her, he’d have to get through me first.

  With the entrance to the courtyard still sealed, my gaze lifted above, to the open sky, the only other way he and his brood of wicked witches could have entered. There were no words to explain the fury that flowed through my veins for a man who’d risk his island, his family, for whatever dark agenda he harbored.

  “So, it’s all come down to this,” I seethed. “You’ve sold out and joined the ranks of our island’s only enemy for what? Wealth? Power? What did it promise you in return?”

  The question spat from my mouth as I looked around us, staring as his army of loyal witches formed a tight circle, chanting inaudible words as their heads tilted toward the sky.

  Chief smiled, hearing my deduction of his intentions.

  “Is that what you believe?” There was an air of jesting in his tone. “Have you ever known me to be a man driven by either of those things?”

  “I won’t stand here and claim to have ever really known you. The things you’ve done … you’re more of a stranger to me than anything.”

  There were shadows within his heart that hid evil, the depths of which I was certain had yet to fully be discovered. And for that reason alone, he was a danger.

  To us.

  To the island.

  To Noelle.

  ‘If you get a clean shot to take him out, don’t hesitate,’ Kai declared in my thoughts.

  While I was certain he would’ve put the island first in all circumstances, hearing how little his father valued his life had likely made this an easier decision.

  A smile reminiscent to the wickedness I’d seen on Noelle’s face a moment ago now curved the mouth of the chief. He had no idea that his son had just denounced him once and for all.

  “You’ve completely missed the point,” he began, “which isn’t surprising. Your new pet has clouded your hives’ senses since the moment she arrived here.”

  Steam, literally, rolled off my skin hearing him speak of her that way.

  The witches’ chanting grew louder, and I passed a glance toward the closed door where the others had finally defeated the horde. They were now doing all within their power to break through the barrier to come to our aid. Only, I was certain Chief’s magic wielders had already cast a spell to make certain that wouldn’t happen.

  “There was no ‘deal with the Darkness’,” Chief revealed, causing my gaze to lock firmly on him. “Although, I suppose I can understand why you’d make that mistake.”

  He returned to pacing, following the trail of his own circle, within that of the witches. Noelle and I stood motionless at its center.

  Directly behind him was the one I knew by name—Maisy. We crossed paths with her on our hunt for Chief. Her appearance was, perhaps, the hardest to stomach. The stench of evil heaviest in her direction.

  “Our objective is the same. Yours and mine,” he explained. “The difference is, I have always been willing to sacrifice whatever it took to save this island. You, on the other hand, have always allowed your heart to dictate where your head should have ruled.”

  Chief’s declaration rang in the air, leaving me to wonder what hidden meaning lie within it.

  “Noelle is the key. The ultimate sacrifice,” he explained. “There has never been another vessel strong enough to contain our island’s greatest adversary, never one with the ability to control it to any degree,” he added when gesturing toward my mate, emphasizing how she’d effectively been able to suppress the entity for the time being. A time I admittedly wasn’t sure would last much longer.

  “However, there was a process to it all, which forced us to be patient,” he explained. “We needed to be sure she could withstand the influx of dark energy. So, we had to allow time for her to build up a tolerance.” He spoke of Noelle as if she were some sort of science experiment.

  “Why are you telling me this now?” I seethed.

  “Because you’ve put up a good fight,” he reasoned. “It seems only fair that you be brought up to speed on what’s gone on right under your nose.”

  My shoulders tensed, and the feel of Noelle moving in closer to my back made me all the more vigilant to protect her.

  “It all began with the construction of our world-renowned academy, little more than a decade ago,” Chief explained.

  ‘What’s he saying?’ Noelle dialed in, sounding frantic. ‘Does he mean they built the academy because of me? To bring me here?”

  My heart raced with her question, hearing for the first time how deeply this scheme ran. I didn’t have an answer, so the only solace I could offer was to hold her hand tighter, shielding her as much as possible with my body.

  “The decision to build the academy was phase one. An introduction between Noelle and the presence was phase two. However, lucky for us, the Darkness wanted her as badly as we wanted it to have her, so things progressed quickly into phase three: testing her strength against it,” he went on. “Then, there was phase four, perhaps the most challenging and tedious: coaxing her to let the dark energy in little by little. There was a chance that, even with a vessel as formidable as hers, she might not have survived taking it all on at once, but with the help of these witches,” he said, gesturing in circular motion toward his minions, “we seem to have applied just the right amount of pressure, at precisely the right times, because here we are.”

  It sickened me to know that he’d just summed up the many terrifying and heart-wrenching events Noelle faced since arriving here into one simple term: phase four.

  That had been the process of breaking her will. Over and over again. Including forcing her to experience the loss of Rayen, in order to force her into using forbidden magic to bring him back. To chief, this had all been one elaborate game of chess, with him and the Darkness seeming to play on the same side while it suited them both. Only, now, their interests had clearly diverged, which begged the question of who would win in the end?

  A prideful smirk touched Chief’s lips and anger made my chest tighten with rage. “Why? What’s the point of it all?” I seethed.

  Chief was notably pleased with himself, seeming to believe his entire plan had come together just as he foresaw it.

  “The Darkness must be fully contained in order to be defeated. That is a fact. However, there was no one else capable of possessing it in it
s entirety, no one able to take on more than small portions at a time,” he explained coarsely, stopping at my feet to meet my gaze. “So, now you understand why it had to be her.”

  I didn’t speak, but his unfeeling gaze never left mine.

  “Destroy the vessel … destroy the Darkness. Simple,” was his final deduction.

  That was all she was to him. A vessel to contain the Darkness, just long enough for him to destroy her.

  Behind me, Noelle’s breaths quickened, and glancing back, I noted how those words had seemingly struck a chord with her.

  ‘It’s true,’ she said in my thoughts, the panic she felt coming through even now. ‘Blythe and I made the discovery while experimenting in the basement of the dorm.’

  I gave no outward indication of the info she just shared, but streaks of firelight moved beneath my skin. My body heated as the full scope of Chief’s plan came into view.

  “From the moment we heard of Noelle’s … unique birth, if you will, our island’s council knew she was the one. Never in history had a being like her come into the world, and it went without saying that she was meant to perform a task that had never been performed,” he shared. “She was meant to be the cure to the sickness that has plagued this island for millennia.”

  My mind reeled. He—and our entire council, it seemed—had played the ultimate long game.

  “A great deal of preparation went into this very moment. Preparation that has taken years to ensure it went off without a hitch,” he reiterated. “Right down to resurrecting the very witch responsible for the first of Noelle’s deaths. And now, Spirit willing, she will also be responsible for her last.”

  As if flattered by Chief Makana’s introduction, a smirk contorted Maisy’s face. Only now had her role in this entire scheme been made clear.

  It had been the ultimate long con.

  “Ori, if there is even an ounce of reason left within you, I implore you to see the truth—that Noelle was always meant to serve this purpose.”

  “You’re wrong. This was never her calling.”

  “Wasn’t it, though?” he countered. “Perhaps you’re not as familiar with the royal family history as I am. Trust me, I’ve done my research.”

  “We know about the curse your witch put on her mother,” I shot, casting a look toward Maisy. “And the fact that Noelle is here in spite of that only proves my point,” I explained.

  Chief tilted his head, leveling a stare my way. “You’re wrong, boy. The only thing it proves is that she is linked to the greatest evil our people have ever known, and unlimited power has no place in this world unless belonging to Spirit.” He stared gravely. “She’s an abomination, Ori. And if you could look past the illusion of love for one moment, you’d be able to admit that, deep down in your bones, you know I’m right.”

  The only thing I felt was rage, and it fueled the fire that started in my fists.

  I’d nearly drowned out the witches’ voices, which had grown even louder now, as their hands raised into the air.

  “Hand her over,” Chief ordered. “Give her up without a fight and there’s a chance you may be spared.”

  “We both know I’ll never do that.”

  A sharp breath left Chief’s mouth. “You swore an oath to this tribe. To protect them, to protect our home,” he pointed out. “And now, you’re making the active decision to hold this … girl above all else?” he asked.

  When I failed to respond, his expression turned to one of disgust.

  “How selfish,” he spat. “Do you have any idea of what lengths I’ve gone to in order to save our people? Do you have any idea what it’s cost me?”

  “Your soul!” I shouted. “You don’t even realize you’ve made a deal with the devil, completely removing Spirit out of the equation.” My shoulders heaved with the words. “This tribe has abided by a very specific set of standards. And at the top of that list is faith—a blind faith that Spirit will always have the final say.”

  “Spirit has all but forsaken us!” he yelled, straining with each syllable. “We have been left to our own devices and finally, for the first time in history, we have a solution!”

  His gaze slipped past me to Noelle. “Hand her over.”

  My grip on Noelle’s hand tightened. “Over my dead body.”

  The response brought intrigue to Chief’s gaze, and the look was followed by a smirk. “Well, as you wish.”

  A quick glance over his shoulder toward Maisy resulted in pain vibrating through my body. Every bone, every cell.

  My knees slammed to the ground once I was no longer able to stand, but I never let go of Noelle’s hand. I’d hold on until I couldn’t anymore. Within a second, she was down beside me. Not because of the witches’ magic, but because she was as willing to follow me into death as I was to follow her.

  ‘I can’t let you do this.’

  Her sweet words fluttered through my head and I panted through the agony to focus on them.

  ‘Your life and mine aren’t interchangeable, Ori. You can’t take my place in this.”

  There was a sense of resolve in her tone, and she seemed calm despite these circumstances.

  ‘If he hurts you, I’m as good as dead anyway,’ I explained. ‘I don’t think I could survive losing you.’

  This wasn’t intended to be some profound, poetic moment. It was my truth. My soul was very clearly tied to hers, in ways that defied reason, and my will to go on was dependent on her survival.

  ‘Let me do this. I love you,’ were the last words she spoke before disconnecting and again standing to her feet.

  Her gaze steadied on Chief.

  “Do whatever you have to do while I still have control,” she ordered him. “And make it quick because I feel its strength building. When it takes over again, I’m not sure I’ll get another chance like this.”

  She wasn’t in tears, wasn’t sad. Rather, she seemed ready, willing to die to save an island that wasn’t even her home.

  Delight filled Chief’s gaze with how easily she complied. He stepped close to her, and so did Maisy, all too eager to do his bidding.

  “Shall we begin?”

  My limbs were paralyzed, leaving me to rest there on my knees while my queen, my mate, agreed to give away her life.

  Maisy closed her eyes and her large, corpse-like hands rose into the air. Words passed through her lips and my eyes went to Chief’s hand when he slipped it into his pocket. When he came out with a silver blade, adorned with a green stone in the handle, I struggled in vain against the magic. It was no use, but I couldn’t just let this happen.

  He placed a hand on Noelle’s shoulder, and with a look of feigned remorse, he lifted the blade into the air.

  “No!”

  I knew I may as well have been shouting in the wind, but I was out of my head with disbelief. Out of my head at the idea of having to watch her die and not being able to do anything about it.

  The point of the blade pressed to her throat.

  “This will only hurt for a moment, and you must know what a brave thing this is that you’re doing for the people of this island.”

  Noelle nodded in response to what I equated to a eulogy, being given by Chief.

  He breathed deep, tightening his grip on the handle, but as he pushed just hard enough to break skin, she took his wrist and brought him closer with one sharp tug. Lifting the hand not occupied holding Chief, a quick motion aimed toward the witches blasted each backward several feet, sending them staggering to the ground. Their chant was silenced and each of their gazes locked on Noelle.

  The feeling in my arms was starting to return, but slowly. Too slowly to be of any help yet.

  Chief’s feet left the ground when she lifted him into the air. The blackness that had once filled her eyes returned, and my heart sank at the sight of it, believing it meant she was losing herself again.

  Her stare was trained on Chief, and as the witches writhed in pain, as my entire hive remained useless in this fight, it all came down to the two of
them.

  The man I once revered as my leader.

  The woman I loved more than life itself.

  “You said something that intrigued me,” Noelle said calmly, her voice showing traces of that of the Darkness, but her own could still be heard. “You mentioned that a person could only survive for so long if it possessed the Darkness in its entirety, and it has me thinking.”

  “Thinking what?” Chief asked, his voice trembling with the question.

  Noelle brought him closer, until her mouth was near his ear. “That I don’t really need you to survive all that long,” she revealed with a whisper. “I can make this quick.”

  A rush of air swept through the mostly enclosed space, so this was no ordinary breeze. I stared intently, unsure of what her plan was when her lips parted, but I don’t think anyone was as concerned as Chief. The look of terror in his eyes said as much.

  Noelle didn’t budge when Chief struggled against her, making it obvious how her strength outmatched his. Black smoke poured from her mouth and nose, flowing out of her in one very clear direction.

  Right into Chief Makana.

  A desperate pained scream filled the space and I nearly felt sorry for the man.

  Nearly.

  The wind died down suddenly and Chief was lowered to the ground. Dazed, he staggered a bit despite Noelle still gripping his collar. Black liquid oozed from his eyes and nose, while more moved through his veins as though the substance was alive just beneath the surface of his skin. His appearance mirrored that of the infected, those my brothers and I had defended our people against in the past. Only, none had ever looked this sickly.

  Because none had ever taken the Darkness in all at once.

  “Now, this will only hurt for a moment, and you must know what a brave thing you’re doing for the people of this island,” Noelle said, taunting him with the very words he’d spoken to her.

  “No, please,” he pleaded groggily, barely able to get the words out of his mouth.

  There was a moment of hesitation, hearing him beg, and I knew the reason even before Noelle’s gaze shifted toward Kai. Yes, he’d given permission to do what needed to be done. And, yes, the man was terrible and vile, but … he was still Kai’s father. Even in her rage, Noelle hadn’t forgotten that.