I ran out of the house, shifted, and darted into the air.
I flew furiously, pushing past my limits. At last, I landed atop a hill that overlooked the event.
I scanned the crowd and saw both my mother and my aunt were there.
I smiled grimly. There was no way I could let that vault open today.
I climbed a nearby tree.
No one could forcefully open a vault that was conjured with DNA, but it could be forced to stay shut when it wanted to.
I got a clear picture of the space under the vault. I didn’t have to be close, I just needed to concentrate.
There were a lot of people here who would witness her humiliation, and I was almost certain it would turn into a shitstorm once she failed to prove herself.
I could already feel my plan working. This would give me my freedom.
Elena stepped toward the tree and put her hand inside.
I concentrated on the activation of the vault and heard the click.
I forced it to freeze. It wanted to move but it was stuck.
I’d made that happen.
I could do this for as long as I had to, and then I’d never fall under her spell.
King Caleb’s spoke, but it died out as a mother of a headache pierced my skull, attempting to cave in my brain.
I didn’t care anymore, it could crush me. Then this would be all over.
I laughed maniacally, but the headache pushed harder. The world turned black around me.
I found myself sitting by a pond. My Neverbreath was sitting there, but something was wrong.
I could feel her sadness seeping into my bones. Her loneliness punched my soul.
“What’s wrong?”
She refused to look at me.
I still didn’t know her name, but she filled me with peace, with light. Right now, I was still me.
“Talk to me, please,” I begged.
She looked at me, her eyes rimmed with red. “I can’t talk to you, because you are still blind.”
“What does that mean?” I wanted to get angry but something about her presence made that impossible.
“You don’t really love me.”
“Don’t be stupid. I’ve tried everything to be with you.” I knew she didn’t exist in this life. She existed in the afterlife and I had tried numerous times to reach her.
She laughed and it was like music to my ears. “Everything? You’ve done nothing. You are still blind.” She wiped a tear from her eye.
“I don’t understand what you are saying. You need to be more specific.”
“More specific? Fine. But I refuse to do this any longer, Blake. All you do is bring pain. It feels as if you are breaking me.”
“I love you, with everything I am and all that I have.”
A disbelieving sound left her mouth. “It doesn’t feel like that.”
“It’s the truth. My healing abilities always kick in. I’m fighting hard. I really am.”
“And maybe that is your problem. I’m wasting my time. Goodbye, Blake.”
I woke still on the hilltop under the tree, my head pounding like someone was drilling into my skull.
I didn’t know what had happened after I’d passed out. People were celebrating, but that didn’t tell me much. Either side could be celebrating.
When I pushed myself upright, I felt drunk, and I had to wait a minute to gain some stability.
The vault was closed and the corner of my lips quirked in a defeated smile. I felt like I had succeeded, but I feared the cost.
Would I ever see my Neverbreath again? She hardly came to me in my dreams anymore.
With a heavy heart, I flew back to Isaac’s.
I kept trying to tune into the conversations below me, but my hearing was all over the place.
Was it part of being stuck? If it was, I’d find a way to deal with how off balance this made me feel.
I landed in Yuri’s backyard. There were still a bunch of people here, and it was weird not being able to hear what they were saying.
I went inside.
Isaac was leaning in the doorway that led to the living room. He held a glass of juice, a broad grin lighting up his face. When he caught sight of me, his face fell. “Didn’t think you were going to come back.”
“Blake, where were you?”
“I told you that I would fight against this every step of the way, Isaac.”
He tilted his head quizzically. “Blake, what are you not telling me?”
I shook my head. “I’ve got a mother of a headache and my healing doesn’t want to kick in.”
I heard my father’s voice coming from the television as I stumbled toward the living room.
Everyone went silent as I watched the screen.
“How do you feel?” the reporter asked.
My father grinned. “I always knew that Al was hiding something. From the first day I saw Elena, I knew who she was. Everything made sense to me that day. My son has a true rider and the right royal is going to sit on the throne soon.”
“No.” The word left me in a shocked whisper.
“The vault opened, Blake,” Isaac muttered in my ear.
No! I’d used all my strength to stop it.
I ran up the stairs to Isaac’s room, and he was hot on my heels.
“You tried to keep the vault from opening, didn’t you?”
I feigned ignorance. “What do you mean?”
“You said that you were going to fight. The vault didn’t open at first. What changed your mind, Blake?”
“Nothing changed my mind. I was knocked out.”
“Blake.” He sighed.
“I will fight, Isaac. Even if it’s to prove that she isn’t the princess. But I guess I failed.”
A heavy silence fell between us. Isaac probably thought I was a monster.
Isaac rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Then I guess we just have to fight again another day.”
About the Author
Adrienne Woods is a USA Today bestselling author. Firebolt, book 1 of The Dragonian series is debut novel, and Dream Casters is her second series. The last novel in the Dream Caster series, Millue, will be released in 2018 early 2019. She just started with Dragonian Series spin-of novels called the Beam Series. Book 1, Moonbeam and Darkbeam part one, the Rubicon's story is available. The third part of Darkbeam will come in 2019.
For more information on Adrienne’s books
www.adriennewoodsbooks.com
[email protected]
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