The Awakening

by Rochelle Southwick

  I thought about the events of last night and decided the best course of action was to keep researching what Zeeda could do. If nothing else, the fear of the unknown was scary enough.

  “I need to do some research, I got cut off yesterday.”

  “To the library it is!” he said, raising his glass of orange juice in a mock toast.

  I laughed.

  Glancing over at mom, I could see a faint smile on her face. We finished breakfast and then headed out.

  I was excited to be at the library again, knowing that today I may get some research done without Mitch raining on my dragon parade.

  I pulled the same books as yesterday and sat down to begin my research.

  “Wow, you’re researching dragons? That is unexpected. You don’t seem like the mythical creature type to me.”

  “Yeah, it’s a new hobby,” I said, bracing myself for the lecture that was sure to come.

  “If you want a fantastic read you should get. Life of Dragons by P. T. Brennen.” He said, picking up one of my books and flipping through it.

  I stared at him, shocked. “You don’t think I’m crazy? That I should get my head out of the clouds?”

  He laughed. “Of course not. I love mythical creatures. I just wish they were still around today. We could learn so much from them.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, take dragons, for example. They lived in peace with humans and other creatures for thousands of years before they just vanished.”

  “Mitch thinks humans killed them off.” I watched him for his response.

  “No disrespect intended, but Mitch doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

  “Oh?”

  “No, he’s going off of campfire stories, not research.”

  “I see.” I contemplated my options. “So what would you do if dragons were around today?”

  “I don’t know, I would try to learn everything I can from them. They are incredible, aren’t they?” He looked at the cover of one book.

  I weighed my options. If I told him about Zeeda, I could go see her more often, and he could be one of the strongest dragon advocates. However, with his connection to the clan, would he be able to keep a secret?

  “Have you ever kept a secret from the clan?” I asked him, not knowing how he would take it.

  He was quiet, I could hear the grandfather clock ticking counting the seconds. “You have no idea,” he finally said with a sigh.

  “Come with me.” I reached for his hand, not even taking the time to put our books away. I dragged him back out to the car.

  “Where are we going?” he asked.

  “I will show you where I went the other day when I disappeared.”

  “You are?” he asked me, confusion radiated from his features.

  “Yes, don’t make me regret it. Drive up to North Peak.” I directed.

  He started the car and began our drive up to the peak. My stomach was doing flip-flops. ‘Please understand’ I mentally begged to myself.

  When we got to the peak, he pulled over.

  “Don’t freak out and stay here until I tell you.” I didn’t want to make Zeeda nervous.

  “Bea.” He looked slightly stressed as he pressed his hand to his face, “I’m not supposed to let you wander off.”

  “Please, just this once I won’t go far. Just stay here and remember no freaking out.”

  “Should I be freaking out?” He asked me. He looked cool as a cucumber.

  “Maybe.” I said, opening the door and climbing to the top of the hill. I could feel his eyes on me.

  At the top of the hill, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, praying this was the right decision.

  I walked down the other side and then called for Zeeda. She bounded out of the trees in front of me and when she saw me her face lit up, her eyes instantly brighter.

  She pressed her nose into my shoulder, “Bea!”

  She was always so excited to see me. “Hey, Zeeda.” I said with a smile.

  “What’s the matter?” She asked, hearing the nervousness in my voice.

  “I brought a friend to see you today. He’s the one is in charge of keeping me safe. I figure the only way I will see you is if he knows about you too.”

  “He’s not the one that thinks dragons eat people, is he?” She asked.

  “No, not him.”

  She closed her eyes, sensing the surrounding surroundings. “He’s a pleasant one, he’s gone through a lot in his time.” Before I had time to ask what she meant she said. “He can meet me. He will keep our secret.”

  I climbed to the ridge and looked towards the car where I could see Jake tenser than usual. I waved him over.

  “Bea, did you have to go out of my sight?” he asked as he got out of the car.

  I smiled at him. He approached me, checking me over subtly for injury.

  “I’m fine, I promise. Come on.” I pulled him over the hill and down the other side.

  “What are we….” His sentence trailed off as he laid eyes on Zeeda. “Oh, my….” He said, his eyes lighting up.

  “Jake this is Zeeda.”

  “Zeeda,” Jake said. He stepped a few feet closer to her. He bowed at the waist, and Zeeda nodded her approval.

  “She’s magnificent.” He said.

  I walked up to her. “Wait, what’s about the bow?” He asked me.

  Zeeda saw my confusion and pressed her nose to my shoulder. “The bow is a sign of respect between dragons and humans. I already know you respect me so I haven’t mentioned it.”

  “Oh, that makes sense,” I said to her.

  “What?” Jake said.

  “Can he know?” I asked her.

  She nodded once.

  “Zeeda communicates with me just as we do in our minds with the clan. She has to be touching me to do it though.”

  “We can do it without touch, it just takes practice,” Zeeda said.

  I looked at her, shocked. This was news to me.

  “That is incredible.” Jake whispered.

  Zeeda reached for him. He stepped forward so she could press her nose to him.

  A few moments later, he said. “Yes, this is true.” He smiled at her. “Always.” They continued to converse for a few moments.

  “How did you find her?” Jake asked me.

  I told him about the day in the woods when I found her and rescued her from the mountain lion.

  Zeeda pressed her nose to me. “We are bound now.”

  “She says we are bound now,” I said, unsure of what it meant but knowing it was true.

  “Thank you, Bea, for sharing this with me.” He smiled a real genuine smile.

  “No one else knows about her. I don’t want anything to happen to her.”

  “You are her protector as I am yours,” he said.

  “Yes. Except you are required to watch me. They assigned you to do it.”

  He laughed. “Yes, it may have started out as an assignment, but now it’s more than that.”

  “It is?” I asked, not sure what he meant.

  “Yes.”

  “No time for this sentimental boring talk!” Zeeda said, pressing her nose against me.

  “Zeeda is getting impatient,” I said with a smile looking up at her.

  “Zeeda should we practice communications?” I asked her.

  She nodded, and we began practicing talking to each other without the physical touch. By the end of the day, we had only gotten a few feet away from each other, but it was an improvement. Jake and Zeeda hadn’t progressed nearly as far as Zeeda and I. He still had to touch her to speak to her.

  We made plans to come back the next evening to have a campfire and spend some time together.

  On the way back to town I couldn’t contain my excitement. “I am so happy you get it,” I said knowing that my secret would be safe with him.

  “Of course I get it. We have to keep Zeeda safe. Between the two of you, I have my hands full.” He said with a wink.

  “W
e should stop for ice cream,” I said as we neared the ice cream parlor.

  He obliged, and I insisted that I pay for it. “I am the one making you stop for ice cream, it’s my treat!”

  We sat together in the little parlor waiting for our ice cream. I noticed Merina Chambers sitting at a booth at the back of the parlor. I prayed she didn’t see me; I didn’t want her souring my mood.

  The waitress had just brought our ice cream when Merina came up to us. “Well well, what do we have here? The perfect dork couple.” Merina was one of the most popular girls in the clan.

  “Merina,” I said curtly, not wanting to deal with her.

  “You shouldn’t date someone like him.” She said eyeing Jake. “It’s bad for your reputation, not that yours could get much worse.”

  I raised my eyebrow at the popular girl. “Why would I take your word for it?” I asked her.

  “Because you are one of us.”

  She was one of those that always treated Jake differently because he wasn’t born part of the clan. She encouraged others to feel the same way she did about him. “And you, well, you’re whatever you are.” She said, tipping her chin up.

  “Oh, I see. You think we are better than him, do you? Well, last I checked he didn’t cheat in his last three relationships. Do you know who did?” I asked her without batting an eyelash.

  “You will regret this.” She said glaring at me. She marched hot headedly towards the counter.

  “Sorry about her,” I said as I watched her tap her foot angrily. I knew that he hated when people used where he came from against him. It wasn’t his fault to start with.

  He pushed his hair out of his face and stared at his ice cream. It had started to melt in the bowl. “I just wish people took the time to actually get to know me, you know?”

  “I get that. If people gave you a chance, they would see you in a whole unique light. I hope someday they learn to do that.” I smiled at him, but he was too busy looking at his ice cream to see.

  As we finished our ice cream Merina kept meeting my eye across the room. Every time she saw me catch her, she glared. “That girl needs to get a hobby.”

  Jake pulled open his wallet and was pulling a few dollars out to leave as a tip when Merina came towards us. She intentionally tripped over her foot and tried to spill her milkshake on Jake.

  I raised my hand and pushed forward; I felt the magic pulse out of my hand and hit the cup spattering it back on her instead.

  “UGH!” She cried out. “How dare you! My father will hear about this!” She whirled on her heel and marched towards the bathroom.

  “Bea, you should have let her spill it on me, now you will have to deal with Mr. Chambers.” Jake eyebrows pulled together slightly.

  “Yeah, and I am now special because of everything I can do. I’m not worried, besides the Elders are easier on me since my dad disappeared.”

  Merina’s father Mr. Chambers was on the Elders' Council. He was important but there were others, like my mother for instance, when she was acting like herself, who were above him.

  “Let’s get out of here before she comes back and sets this place on fire,” I suggested.

  Jake nodded at me, and we headed out through the double doors. He opened the car door for me, and soon we were heading towards home.

  “Did it embarrass you?” He asked as he turned his turn signal on at a light.

  “Did what embarrass me?”

  “Her suggesting we were... you know, dating.”

  I raised my eyebrow at him. “Do I look that superficial?”

  “What? No! Not at all.” He pulled his hand off the steering wheel and ran his fingers through his hair.

  “No, it didn’t embarrass me. Not in the slightest.” I fixed my eyes back on the road.

  “You aren’t like most girls.”

  “I take that as a compliment. Most girls are superficial.” I said, still looking at the road.

  I couldn’t believe he even asked that question after all we had been through the last two weeks.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. I should know better. After everything, after you let me meet Zeeda today.”

  “It’s fine.” I said, but was it really? I made it into the house and went straight to the shower. I wanted a few minutes away from him to really think. I had such a brilliant time getting to know him over the past weeks, but was he getting to know me too? Or was he just doing his job? Had I made a mistake letting him meet Zeeda?

  Nine

  The next day passed in a blur I was trying not to let my emotions in. Afraid of what I would feel if I did. We made our way up to the woods to meet Zeeda in silence. I had packed hotdogs and all the fixings and stuff for s’mores in a bag that was in the back seat.

  It was dark by the time we arrived I got out without a word and started my way up the hill. “Zeeda,” I called.

  She had been up in the air watching for us to appear. She landed in front of me and came to me, she stopped a few feet short and thought, “Bea, what’s the matter you seem sad.” I could hear her, but it sounded like she was far away.

  I let my mind connect with hers so I wouldn’t have to admit out loud that I felt hurt and upset by what Jake had asked me.

  Zeeda walked in between Jake and me. She wrapped her tail protectively around me, not touching me but close enough that he wouldn’t dare come near me.

  “I know Zeeda.” He said. “I screwed up.” He looked down and I could tell he was upset at what he had said as well. He sat on a rock and watched us.

  I just needed a minute. “Keep him preoccupied, Zeeda,” I said to her. I stepped over her tail and shifted into a small bird. I had never shifted into one before, but I felt like I needed the wind in my hair.

  I flapped my wings and took off flying. It wasn’t long before I was high above the trees. Unexpectedly I lost momentum and energy though, and I was falling fast through the trees. “Zeeda help!” I called, scared of the ground that was quickly approaching.

  I didn’t know if she could hear me. I closed my eyes and prayed for a miracle. One minute I was falling, the next I was in Zeeda’s strong clawed front paws. She held me delicately in her paws.

  She had flown up and caught me just in the nick of time. She landed and set me gently on the ground.

  I shifted back, and instantly Jake was at my side. “Bea! What the hell was that? You could have been killed!” He shouted at me.

  “Yeah, I know it was stupid,” I yelled back. “I just needed air and space.” I didn’t know what to do. I felt as though the world was keeping me locked in a cage. “The Elders would have loved that hu? I get it, you would have gotten in trouble if I had died.” I was so upset I was talking nonsense.

  “This isn’t about me, Bea. Or the Elders.” He grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me gently. “This is about you. If it wasn’t for Zeeda, you would have died. Hit the ground and I would have been taking a pancake back to your mom.” He threw his arms up in the air. “Don’t you think she’s been through enough?”

  Mom, I couldn’t be reckless. I had to be here for mom. If nothing else, I had to protect her from the things she couldn’t protect herself from. “You’re right, I’m sorry.” I said to him, pushing him away from me.

  He looked dejected, but frankly; I didn’t care. I went to Zeeda, “thank you Zeeda, you save me from even myself.” I reached for her and snuggled my head between her shoulder and her neck.

  She was now taller than me and was much broader. If anything, I had learned how quickly dragons grow.

  “If you want to know what flying is like, climb on.” She said laying down on the grass to make it easier.

  “Really?” I asked her, looking at her shoulders and wings.

  “Of course. Him too.” She said looking at Jake.

  “If he must.” I sighed, turning to him. “Zeeda wants to take us for a flight.”

  He looked shocked. “Me too?” He asked.

  “I don’t have a choice, you have to come t
oo, remember. I am basically on house arrest.” I rolled my eyes and climbed onto Zeeda’s back.

  He joined me, throwing his leg over behind me and looking around at the ground.

  It was now dark out. No one could see us flying unless we went right over the city.

  “Hold on,” Zeeda said. “Bea, hold on to my horns, Jake wrap your arms around Bea’s waist.” She instructed.

  Great, just what I needed forced contact by a dragon.

  He wrapped his arms around me. As much as I didn’t want to feel the warm tingle of electricity it was there, anyway. I sighed.

  “What? Am I holding on too tight? Because seriously, I’m terrified.” He eyed Zeeda.

  “No, you’re fine.”

  “You’ve been using that word a lot lately. I’m starting to think that “I’m fine” doesn’t mean that you are fine.” His eyebrow arched as though this was the first time he thought about it.

  “Yeah well, sometimes you have to say it enough to feel it,” I said.

  Zeeda kicked off of the ground, her wings spread out and she caught the air. She flapped a few times, and we rose. We could see stars in every direction. It was a beautiful night. The only thing that would make it better would be if my attitude wasn’t so sour.

  I could tell that it was, and I knew it needed to change if we were going to have any semblance of a pleasant time.

  Zeeda soared through the night air before we knew it. She had taken us to a huge waterfall that I never knew existed. “Oh, my gosh. It’s beautiful!” I said over the roaring, rushing water.

  “Yeah, you are,” Jake said.

  I raised my eyebrow and smiled slightly. “Well, that was the cheesiest thing I have ever heard.”

  “Maybe but it’s true.” He smiled at me in the moonlight. “I really am sorry I upset you. It was never my intention. I have hated the last twenty-four hours with you upset with me.”

  “I’m sorry too, I was acting like a spoiled brat.”

  “Thank you, I will do my best not to upset you again.” He said. Then out of nowhere he brought his lips to mine. There in the moonlight, above a waterfall with a million stars overhead on the back of a dragon, he kissed me.

  The kiss radiated through me, I could feel it all the way to my toes. Zeeda turned, and I felt that too. “Okay, that’s enough of that. There are enough pheromones up there to replenish the entire dragon race!” She thought to us.