Magic and Shadows: A Collection of YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romances

by T. M. Franklin

  “Ella, I—”

  “Where do you want these two?” Ophi yelled.

  I broke away from Avery’s gaze and saw Ophi dragging the net onto the shore. Serpens and Scorpius didn’t look like they’d been affected by the fall or the time underwater.

  “Back up the hill,” Bobson said. “But this time, tie them under the trees so Draco can’t lift the rocks off them again.”

  As Ophi dragged the net past me, he lowered his head and whispered, “Sorry about that, Ella. I didn’t know you were caught in the net.”

  “I know you didn’t. It’s okay. I’m fine.”

  Ophi nodded and continued up the hill.

  Avery scooted me off his lap and sat me next to him in the sand. “We should get you inside so you can lie down for awhile. I’ll carry you.”

  “No, I’m all right. I don’t want to lie down.”

  He glared at me.

  “Really. I’m okay.” I glanced at the sky. “What happened to Draco? Did you guys trap him?”

  Avery sighed and shook his head. “He flew off.”

  “Probably to go check on Melanie.” Bobson stood next to us, looking at the sky. “He never saw Melanie with us when we returned because Ophi took her straight into the castle. Draco probably thinks she’s still chained to the meteorite.”

  “So all the screeching between Draco and the other two before—it wasn’t about Melanie escaping,” I said. “Serpens and Scorpius were letting Draco know where they were so he could rescue them.”

  Bobson nodded. “And Draco isn’t going to be happy when he discovers Melanie’s missing.”

  Avery stood up and helped me to my feet. “We need to get inside and prepare for Draco’s attack.”

  Since I wouldn’t let him carry me, Avery insisted on walking with his arm around me in case I started to feel woozy. I didn’t object. His arms were one of my favorite places to be lately. He brought me to the room where I’d changed last time so I could get some dry clothes. Then he helped me to the couch in the sitting room and asked one of the boys to get me a glass of water while he stayed with me. Water was the last thing I wanted after nearly drowning, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him.

  “Ave, I’m fine. It’s really sweet that you’re so worried about me, but I’m okay.”

  He swallowed hard. “It was just so scary watching you go over that cliff. You have no idea.”

  I put my hand on his. “Yes, I do. I was going crazy the night you disappeared. I felt helpless and scared, and I wanted to rip Bobson’s head off for not caring more about you. But what’s worse was I felt like part of me was—”

  “Missing.” Avery squeezed my hand. He leaned closer to me, and my heart raced.

  “What is everyone doing standing around?” Bobson yelled as he came into the room.

  Avery and I jumped. We’d been so wrapped up in each other that we’d completely forgotten the boys were in the room with us.

  Avery looked at the floor instead of at Bobson. “Sorry. I was making sure Ella was okay before we headed upstairs.”

  Bobson glanced back and forth between us knowingly before his eyes locked on Avery. “When I’m not around, I expect you to take charge. I thought I’d made that clear.”

  “Yes, sir.” Avery let go of my hand and stood. “Let’s go, guys. Grab some boards, hammers, and nails. Meet me upstairs in the orb room. Move!”

  I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to seeing Avery interact with Bobson. He took orders from him almost as if he respected him. No way was I going to understand that. I watched him leave without turning to glance back at me.

  Bobson walked to the couch and sat down. I was expecting a lecture on how I was distracting Avery or how stupid it was for me to get caught in the net. How this whole episode with the constellations was my fault. But Bobson stared at me without saying a word.

  The silent treatment was worse than a confrontation. “What?” I finally yelled.

  “I don’t have to tell you what you did was stupid.”

  I rolled my eyes. Here it comes.

  “But you put your life in jeopardy to help us. That didn’t go unnoticed.” He stood up and walked away without another word.

  That was the closest thing to a thank-you I was going to get. My head spun, unable to process all the crazy things that were happening. Hating Bobson and Melanie was my outlet. I needed that anger to keep me going. In a way, having Bobson be even remotely civil to me was unnerving.

  The guys came back into the sitting room and flopped down on the couches. They must have been better with hammers than with axes because it hadn’t taken them long to board up the windows.

  “You know what’s the worse thing for a monster headache?” Derek asked no one in particular. “Hammering. Don’t they have aspirin in this place?” I smiled, happy to see he was okay after his fall into the crater.

  “Quit your whining,” another guy said, kicking Derek’s foot. “It’s not like you were knocked unconscious like Andrew.”

  “How is Andrew?” I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten about him.

  Derek sat up. “He’s resting in one of the guest rooms. Bobson checked on him a minute ago. He said he’s looking a little better. He won’t be fighting any time soon, though.”

  Thinking about Andrew reminded me of the other guys who were still out there somewhere. We had no idea where they were or if they were even okay. The thought physically pained me. I was glad when Avery came back into the room.

  “You doing all right?” He handed me an apple and placed a bowl of fruit on the table for the others.

  “For the hundredth time, yes.” I patted the couch next to me. “Relax. You’ve got to be exhausted.”

  “I can’t rest yet. Draco is coming back. Boarding up the windows and side wall of the tower isn’t enough. Luckily, the orb wasn’t destroyed. Bobson covered it with a sheet while we boarded up the room. He said we didn’t have time for the guys to be asking a bunch of questions about it. We have to be ready with a way to stop Draco from destroying the castle.”

  “Where is Bobson? Shouldn’t he be the one coming up with the plan?”

  Avery looked away. “He’s with Andrew.”

  “But Derek said he just checked on him. Why is he in there again? Did something happen? Is Andrew okay?” The questions poured out of me at the pace of my rapid heartbeat.

  Avery shrugged. “He fell asleep and Bobson had a hard time waking him. He’s worried about Andrew’s concussion. He really shouldn’t be sleeping at all. It’s too dangerous, but there’s no one to keep him awake.”

  I smacked the couch cushion. “Yes, there is. There’s Melanie!” I couldn’t stand that no one thought she should do anything. This was her war!

  “She’s still shaken up. Draco beat her up pretty badly too, remember?”

  “So put them in the same room. They could keep each other company, and she could make sure Andrew doesn’t fall asleep.”

  “I suggested that, but Bobson said Melanie is insisting on being alone.”

  Ugh! Typical Melanie. All she thought about was herself. So what if Andrew died from his concussion, as long as she didn’t have to share her room with him?

  I stood up. “This is unbelievable. I’m going to talk to her.”

  Avery grabbed my arm. “You can’t. Melanie is in charge here. This isn’t our world. We don’t get to make the rules.”

  “The only rule Melanie is following is the one that says she can do whatever the hell she wants.” I tugged my arm free. “I guarantee you that wasn’t how things were when her parents were around.”

  Bobson stormed into the room. “All right, nap time is over. Listen up.”

  The guys groaned and sat up.

  “We need to build a bonfire in front of the castle. It needs to be as big as possible.” Bobson directed his plan at Avery. “The fire should keep Draco back, but it will also allow us to set our arrows on fire.”

  “You want to shoot flaming arrows into the air?” I raised my brow a
t him. “With all the trees around? Are you crazy?”

  Bobson ignored me. “We’ve already established Draco can be burned. It should be an effective method of defense.”

  “I’m sorry, I think you mean I’ve established Draco can be burned. The flaming branches were my idea. But if you remember correctly, I put the branches on dirt and rock. I didn’t shoot them at trees, which, let’s face it, are just kindling.”

  “We aren’t shooting at the trees. We’re shooting at Draco.” Bobson turned red and grabbed the pen from his pocket, shoving it in his mouth. “Everyone outside now! The materials are waiting for you there.”

  Avery shrugged and tugged my arm. If I thought Avery would’ve listened, I would’ve argued. But I knew it was useless. We followed the army outside where Ophi was flinging branches on an already enormous pile.

  “And to think I actually assumed Bobson had prepared the bonfire.”

  Avery laughed. “He’s a delegator, but you have to admit, he gets the job done.”

  “You mean he gets the job done for him.”

  “I’m going to get the hose in case this doesn’t go exactly according to plan.”

  “Or in case Draco tries to fight fire with fire.”

  “That too.” Avery gave my arm a quick squeeze before he left.

  Bobson took a pack of matches from his pocket and tossed it to Derek. “Pass them around and light as many areas as you can. I want this fire roaring.”

  Draco screeched in the distance. Everyone stopped and stared at the sky.

  I turned to Bobson. “Not the roaring you were talking about, huh?”

  “Quit staring like a bunch of fools and light the bonfire!” Bobson yelled. “We don’t have much time.”

  “You want it done quickly, but you only brought one pack of matches?”

  Bobson ignored me and stormed over to a wheelbarrow filled with arrows. I followed him, wondering if the matches had been stolen from Earth too.

  “If you don’t want everyone stumbling over each other grabbing for arrows, I’d separate them into bunches to give to each person.”

  “Well, then. What are you waiting for? Start separating.” He walked over to the north gate and peered into the distance. His back was to me, and I would’ve loved nothing more than to sink an arrow into his big butt, but Draco screeched again and he sounded a lot closer this time.

  The guys ran over to me, and I gave them each a bunch of arrows. Then I took a handful for myself. The bows were leaning against the castle, and I grabbed the closest one. The wind picked up, and I knew it was getting help from a pair of giant wings.

  Avery rounded the side of the castle with the hose aimed in the air. His finger was hovering over the trigger. The army, me included, ran to the bonfire, which wasn’t exactly blazing, but it would do. We lit the first round of arrows and aimed for the figure soaring right at us. Draco dropped lower as he approached, and a gust of wind knocked several of the boys off their feet. Flaming arrows flew everywhere. I stumbled backward into Avery, but I kept my arrow in place. Draco yelped in pain as Bobson and Ophi’s arrows hit his left wing. He definitely hadn’t been expecting this. Draco turned toward the trees, flying out of control. The army shot more arrows, but Draco’s movements made him an impossible target. He dipped low and disappeared behind the trees.

  We waited for what seemed like an eternity, but Draco didn’t emerge. Some of the guys started celebrating. The plan had worked better than we’d hoped. We hadn’t just protected the castle. We’d taken down Draco.

  I threw my arms around Avery, and he dropped the hose. His smile lit up his face, and for the first time, I thought we were actually going to get out of Stellaris alive. Avery stared at me and cupped my cheek in his good hand. Neither of us said a word, but we didn’t need to. He leaned toward me and I did the same, watching as our lips inched closer together.

  “Look out!” Ophi yelled. “Everybody down!”

  I let go of Avery and turned toward the trees. Draco was in the air again, and he was inhaling with tremendous force, which only meant one thing.

  Avery reached for the hose, but he wasn’t quick enough. Draco blew fire, advancing on the castle at the same time. Wood splintered and crackled as the boards on the windows were torched. Someone screamed, and I saw one of the boys rolling on the ground, his clothes blazing.

  17

  Taking my eyes off the boy wasn’t easy, but I had to do something or more of us would suffer the same fate. I readied my bow and arrow, looking for a shot. Avery sprayed the hose right at Draco’s mouth, extinguishing the fire. Draco stumbled backward, coughing and choking on the water. I released my arrow and hit him in the gut. Draco cried out and wobbled in the air. I raised another arrow, but Draco flew off before I could fire it.

  I lowered my weapon and Avery put out the flames on the remaining boards on the windows. They were charred but still intact. Our eyes fell on the limp body on the ground. The boy was no longer on fire, but his clothes were blackened. I moved toward him, wanting to help, but Avery grabbed my arm, holding me back.

  “You better let me look first,” he said softly. The others were fixed in place, staring at the boy, but not daring to get a better look. Avery took a deep breath and crept over to the body.

  I couldn’t let him do this alone, so I forced my legs forward and fell in step with him. “We’ll do this together.” Relief washed over his face.

  The boy was wearing a helmet but no body armor. I saw the flesh on his hand first. Blistered and cracked. My stomach lurched at the thought of what the rest of his body looked like. Avery bent down and gently rolled the boy over. A low moan escaped through the helmet. He was alive.

  “Get it off him.” I bent down beside Avery and reached for the boy’s hand, wanting to do something to comfort him, to let him know we were there and were going to help. But I pulled back at the last second, realizing that touching him would only cause him more pain.

  “Ouch!” Avery yanked his hand away from the helmet. “The metal is red hot.”

  “Then we need to get it off his face fast!” I wrapped my hand in the bottom of my shirt and lifted the helmet. Avery held the boy’s head in his hand. The ends of his hair were singed, and his face was red from the heat.

  He was the youngest of the group. I searched my mind for his name, but I couldn’t think of it. I squeezed my fist in anger. I was getting as bad as Melanie, treating the guys as a group instead of as individuals. It’s not even like there were many left. I should’ve known their names.

  “Bobson, we’re going to need some cold, damp towels to wrap his burns,” Avery said. “Ophi, could you carry him into Andrew’s room? We have to get him out of these clothes.”

  Ophi nodded. “Sure thing.” He scooped the boy into his arms as gently as possible, but the boy still murmured in pain. Avery and I exchanged worried glances as we followed Ophi to the door.

  “We should’ve known better. It was too easy. Taking Draco down with flaming arrows? Come on!” I slapped my hand against my hip. “How could we be so stupid? We let our guard down and got cocky.” I reached for the handle, but the door swung open.

  Melanie stood in the doorway. Her hair was wet, which meant she’d washed the blood out. She’d also redone her makeup while we were busy fighting for our lives. She looked at the limp body in Ophi’s hands for a whole two seconds before gazing past us at the open sky. “Is Draco gone?”

  Bobson pushed past Ophi, nearly hitting the boy in the process, and followed Melanie into the sitting room. “Yes, we wounded him. He should stay away for awhile.”

  My blood felt like fire coursing through my veins. How could they be so heartless? How could they ignore the burned kid in Ophi’s arms? They were sitting on the couch talking about what to do next. Neither of them showing any concern for—ugh! What was the boy’s name? I hated myself for not knowing.

  Avery nodded in the direction of Andrew’s room, and Ophi followed. I wanted to help them with the damp towels, but I couldn’t let
Melanie and Bobson ignore this any longer. I was going to make Melanie care about what was happening, and I knew how to do it.

  I walked over to the couch and stood right in front of Melanie so she’d have to look at me. I took a deep breath to calm myself and mask my true feelings—the ones that made me want to yank every strand of hair out of her head. “I’d like to see the orb again. I have an idea for how to capture Draco.”

  Melanie cocked her head. “Let’s go.”

  I glared at Bobson before following Melanie upstairs. I knew exactly what part of the orb I wanted to see—the empty spot at the top near the North Pole.

  “This is where Draco should be, right?”

  Melanie nodded, but she wasn’t looking at the spot. She was staring to the left of it—at Hercules. His foot was right above where Draco’s head should’ve been. Melanie ran her finger over Hercules’s arm, her emotions written all over her face.

  I remembered something from school. Bits and pieces of a legend. I hoped I wasn’t confusing my constellations because my plan was counting on this. “Is there a connection between Draco and Hercules? A reason why they’re so close to each other in the sky?”

  Melanie jumped, startled by my voice. Apparently Hercules had the same effect on Melanie that Avery had on me. She wrinkled her forehead like she was trying to figure out what I’d just asked her. I was about to repeat my question when she said, “Hercules shot Draco with a poison dart before Draco was placed in the heavens. There’s a common myth about it. Not that you should always believe those.”

  “So then is it true, Hercules?” I asked. “Did you defeat Draco?”

  “Yes,” was all he said. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to be modest by not giving me more details about the fight or if there was another reason, but he stared at Melanie without saying another word.

  This was better than I’d hoped. I’d had a feeling Hercules was the answer to the problems here on Stellaris. I was going to use Hercules as bait. Draco had to be looking for revenge on him. Draco would go for Hercules and when the army attacked, Draco wouldn’t know what hit him.