The Witch's Dragon

by Melania Tolan

  “Good. That’s what I was hoping for. Go get some rest.” He stood up and offered me his hand.

  I ignored it and took the snow tunnel back to our cave inside the mountain, where I curled up on my mat and passed out in less than thirty seconds. Who knew mental blocking would take so much energy?

  Chapter 16

  The next night, we went hunting. I showed Argo how to get himself a deer. The first attempt, he scared the herd into the forest. Unfortunately, the trees grew thick together, and he couldn’t chase them. I caught a straggler for him, so he wouldn’t end up going hungry. Storm, on the other hand, entertained herself with the various rodents she found on the island. The cat came and went as she pleased, as if she ruled the roost, which she did.

  More mental block lessons in the snow cave followed hunting. By the third day, we had gotten nowhere. Padrick could still penetrate my mind within seconds of me erecting the wall.

  “How about we try something new?” He suggested.

  “Good, because obviously this is working real great.” I slapped both of my palms against the side of my head.

  I got a raised eyebrow from him. “How about you try building a strong boundary just around your head? Your body is still vulnerable to the control of someone else, but you’ll have full control of your mind, which is more important.”

  “Okay, what do I do?”

  “Same thing as before, only imagine a thick box that seals around your head that no one can get in. Your mind is protected.”

  I closed my eyes and imagined several wide blocks made of crystal quartz, citrine, and amethyst coming together, forming a box around my head. Each stone interlocked with the others. Given their translucent nature, I could see out through my witch’s eye.

  “Ready,” I muttered.

  Padrick came knocking on the wall with his green aura. He pounded on every side, trying to find a way in, but the barrier stood firm. I could feel his energy pushing and probing, yet nothing got through.

  “Well done.” He clapped his hands after a few minutes. “That was quick.”

  I let the barrier drop and flopped onto the icy floor in exhaustion. I hadn’t felt this tired in a long time.

  “That took so much out of me.”

  “I know it did, but the more you practice, the easier this will get.” Padrick pulled his knees to his chest. “What did you do this time, if you don’t mind me asking? Your walls were solid as a rock.”

  “I imagined gemstones several feet thick forming a wall around my head.”

  He smiled. “What made you visualize crystals as your blocks?”

  “I don’t know.” That was the truth. I hadn’t given it much thought. “It just came to me and felt right.”

  “Your bond with Evelina and Eva is coming through.” Padrick rested his chin on his knee. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”

  “Maybe.” I rolled over and sat up. “I’m wiped. A nap sounds great right about now.”

  “You should take one.” He nodded. “Rest as much as you can, because once we leave this island, things will get crazy real quick.”

  “Do you think Octavian can track us here?” I picked at the ice I sat on.

  “He probably will, eventually, but I don’t think he even knows this island exists. Drage øy is the legendary island where dragons came from. ‘Drage’ means dragon in Norwegian.”

  I felt stupid for not figuring that out. “That’s why Argo said it was the island of his people.”

  Padrick nodded. “Dragons’ history is imprinted on their DNA. I’m surprised he hasn’t been more hostile toward me.”

  “Why would he be?”

  He took a deep breath. “Remember elves hunted and killed dragons to extinction? I never agreed with that policy, but it’s one of the shameful things I have to bare regarding my race.”

  “Wow. Why?” I reached out with my mind toward Argo, found him napping in our cave, and returned my attention to Padrick.

  “The king of Transpatia, the land of the elves, decreed them to be our mortal enemies. No one argued or opposed him, except for…” His voice trailed off.

  “Evelina, his daughter,” I finished his sentence.

  Padrick met my gaze. “Yes, how did you know?”

  “Her memories. When I’m sleeping, sometimes I see her walking through a palace made of wood and stone, as if the rock and trees grew together to form the buildings. I see nothing else, just that long hallway.”

  Padrick gave me a smile, but I could see the sadness in his eyes. “I didn’t know that you could see her memories of Transpatia.”

  “That’s the only one, I think. Everything else is either in the cave in Romania or the village in the valley below the cave.” I dropped my gaze back to the ice. “I haven’t had any more memories come through since I left Romania.”

  “That’s because you are not in a place where she had been before. It happened to Eva too. She would have memories come flooding in when she was in areas where Evelina had been.”

  That made sense. In a way, I was grateful for the break. I had enough on my plate to figure out. Even though my connection with Eva and Evelina continued to boggle my mind, even after all these months.

  “I’m gonna go check on Argo.” I stood up. “Can we try this mind block again in a while?”

  “Of course.” Padrick tilted his head in my direction. “I’m going for a walk. I will be back by the time you’re ready.”

  “Thanks.”

  My body felt tired, but I suddenly had the urge to go outside too. The sun sat low on the horizon, but the mountain we lived in shadowed part of the inlet of water. Looking at the dark sea below, I wanted to go for a little swim and cool off. Building the mental block had taken a toll on my brain, but my body craved physical effort. I needed to move.

  I peeked into the cave. Argo lay on his back, belly up, with all fours splayed out, snoring gently. Storm lifted her head from my sleeping mat when I came in.

  “Everything okay?” she asked me.

  “Yeah, I’m going for a swim.”

  “Ew. Have fun.” She put her head back down and closed her eyes. “Crazy strigoi.”

  I smiled as I left. Her kitty attitude, as grouchy as it could be, had an endearing quality that always made me laugh.

  Who knew felines could be so entertaining? Apparently, many people, as the internet was full of cat videos. I miss having access to computers and technology.

  The cool, late-night air energized my body. I broke into a run down the south side of the mountain. I passed a herd of seals when I reached the beach. They looked up at me and went back to their barking and clapping, not even concerned for their well-being.

  “What a strange mammal,” one said.

  “She’s fast.”

  “I want more fish, mama.”

  I kept going down the shoreline away from them until I couldn’t hear their thoughts. I really need to get this mental block down better. When I reached a deserted area of the beach, I stripped down to my sports bra and underwear before diving into the icy waters.

  My swimming had improved little since my plunge into the Mediterranean the night I escaped from Octavian’s compound, but I wasn’t trying out for the Olympics, so who cared? All I knew was that the frigid water felt like heaven and electrified my senses.

  What I didn’t expect was the abundance of life in the Northern Sea. Sure, it was almost summer, but the water teemed with every life form imaginable. A pod of porpoises swam by me, letting off a chorus of clicking sounds.

  “Hello,” one greeted as they whizzed by.

  I stayed suspended in the water, watching them disappear into the darkness ahead.

  “Fine, don’t say hi.”

  “Hello,” I finally responded.

  “Ah, she can talk,” one in the back said. “Have a good swim.”

  Great. I can’t even take a dip without peace and quiet. I pushed deeper into the water just as a huge whale came swishing by.

  “Pardon, I didn’t see you
there.”

  “Holy shit,” I grunted, but it came out as bubbles.

  “Not sure what feces has to do with anything. Have a good day.” He swam off as a large school of fish followed him.

  Further down, I found a rock on the edge of an underwater cliff and sat down, or at least attempted to. The currents and buoyancy of the water kept moving me about so much, I had to lie on my stomach and hold on.

  More fish swam past me, diving deeper. I peered over the edge and tracked them until they disappeared.

  Damn, I wish I could move like that.

  If I could, that would make me a siren. The image of the three mermaids that had brought us to the island a few days before came to mind. Their beauty made them enchanting, but if you looked past their glimmer and noted their fangs, razor-sharp fins, and the way their noses squashed into their heads, you couldn’t mistake their lethalness.

  Shit.

  I glanced around. The water was their territory, and they had warned me to stay away. Would they freak out if they saw me here? I looked up to the surface and the shoreline. I wasn’t that far from land, if I had to make a run for it. But I wanted to stay down here as long as possible.

  “Hello.”

  My attention focused on the white beluga whale that rose from the depths before me.

  “So strange to see humans in the water this far north. You probably can’t even understand what I’m saying.” She turned away from me. “Why do I always try to strike up a conversation with humans?”

  “I can understand you,” I responded.

  She whirled around. I could have sworn she smiled at me. “Goodness me!”

  “And I’m not human. That’s probably why.” I shrugged, only to have my legs float off the rock to the right.

  “You look human.” She sniffed the water around me. “But you taste different.”

  “I’m a strigoi.”

  “Hmm. Not sure what that is. I sense magic around you, like those half human-fish things that swim through here once in a while.” Her tail swished this way and that. “You are different, though.”

  “You can say that again. But I’m a predator, why aren’t you running away from me?”

  She cocked her head. “Why should I? I don’t feel danger on you.”

  “You don’t?” A series of thoughts clicked into place as I thought about my hunting history. Every kill had been too easy. Those seals. They didn’t even budge when I flew past them. None of the animals had shied away from me. “Why?”

  “You’re not hungry now. I hope you don’t plan to eat me, though.”

  “You’re good.” I held a hand up just as the current picked up and pulled me off the rock, my grip slipping. It took all my strength to swim against the current.

  “How about you come out here?” she suggested. “It’s less aggressive.”

  The beluga followed me as I continued to drift northeast, along the edge of the island shelf.

  “I don’t want to piss off those half-human fish things.”

  “Oh, you won’t. They don’t come up here very often.”

  I pushed off the rocks in her direction. As soon as I moved off the cliff, the current slowed way down.

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem. I’m Bella, by the way. I like the markings on your body.”

  “Thanks.” I had forgotten about the silver tree tattoo on my body. It glowed in the dark water. “I’m Everly.” I held my hand out and then felt like an idiot and pulled it back. “Sorry.”

  “Nothing to be sorry about.” She swam closer and placed one of her flippers on my shoulder. “It’s so nice to meet you and have a conversation with someone other than my family.”

  This had not been my plan for the day, but I kind of welcomed the interaction, even if it was with a whale. Oh, how strange my life continued to evolve.

  “You’re new here. Shall I give you a tour?”

  “Sure, but I’m not the best swimmer.”

  “That’s okay. Get on my back and hold onto my flippers. I’ll carry you.”

  “For real?”

  Bella circled me twice and then stopped, sliding her back against my chest. My arms were just long enough to grip both fins before she dove forward, pulling me with her. I held on lightly so as not to hurt her.

  Weeeeeeee! Oh. My. God.

  I instantly felt like a kid experiencing a dream coming true. My mind, body, and spirit forgot about all the madness of the last few weeks. I would have squealed like a toddler if we weren’t under fifty feet of water.

  As a child, I’d never had the opportunity to go on any carnival rides. I never got to go to a fair or any kind of theme park. I didn’t even get a chance to ride the carousel or Ferris Wheel on the Seattle waterfront. The only excitement I’d ever had was riding in the ambulance on the way to the ER.

  Riding with Bella made up for everything.

  “I’m so glad I came down for a swim.” I pressed my chin against her back. “This is amazing.”

  “Me too.”

  She dove deeper, past schools of fish and pods of dolphins. We swam by a walrus and a few seals. Three puffins torpedoed by us, searching for a meal. We passed all these living creatures so fast, I didn’t have time to pick up on their thoughts. It was wonderful.

  As we circled the island to the north side, I could see sunrays drifting through the water. Bella pushed up to the surface. I wanted to tell her no but couldn’t. Curiosity got the best of me. What would happen if my skin was exposed to the sun? The few times it had occurred in the last few weeks, nothing had happened, but now I wasn’t connected to Traian, and his blood was becoming more diluted as time went by.

  We broke through the surface with a great splash, and weak sunrays hit my face. I expected to feel a burn or something, but nothing transpired.

  “The summers are so long here with the sun.” Bella bobbed on the surface. “I sure love the surface.” Her voice sounded like a squawk.

  “Me too,” I whispered.

  “Your voice is so funny.”

  “So is yours.” I used my mind to communicate again, as it had become second nature.

  We sat there on the surface of the water for a few minutes, taking in the orange and pink shade of light coming from the sun at the northern horizon. I could have sat there with her forever and been perfectly content.

  We watched the sun dip below the ice, turning the sky purple. Alas, I remembered Argo and Padrick. I needed to take my dragon hunting and have another lesson in mind blocks.

  “I probably should get back.” I leaned forward and placed my hands on her fins again.

  “Yeah, my family is probably looking for me too.”

  Bella dove back into the water, taking me with her. For once, I was grateful for the ability to communicate without speaking.

  Chapter 17

  “Where have you been?” Padrick stood with arms crossed next to my pile of clothes on the beach where I had left them. The scowl on his face was enough to know his displeasure with my little swim. Argo sat at his feet. “You were supposed to be napping, not out adventuring God knows where.”

  “Seriously?” I marched up to him and grabbed my clothes off the ground. “Did I have to get permission to take a swim?”

  Padrick looked down at the dragon. “He woke up hungry.”

  I glanced at my companion. “I’m sorry. We can go hunting now, if you want.”

  “It’s okay. The elf is just angry because he didn’t know where you were. But hunting sounds good. I could eat a whole deer.”

  “You already have.”

  Padrick glared at me when I met his gaze.

  “I didn’t know I was supposed to check in with you before I did anything,” I said defensively. “Thanks for making me feel like a kid again.”

  I pulled on my jeans and slipped my feet into the boots. Padrick said nothing until I finished getting dressed.

  “You need not check in with me, but it would be nice to know if you will be gone. We are safe here on the is
land, but we can’t get complacent. Your father’s spies are everywhere, and they will find us soon.” He uncrossed his arms.

  “I am well aware.”

  I finished buttoning my shirt and then launched up the mountain with Argo in tow.

  My dragon companion said nothing until we were on the other side of the mountains, near the forest. We slowed down when we reached the edge of the woods. I could feel the herd of deer meandering about fifty feet ahead of us.

  “I don’t want to scare them like last time.” Argo crept up next to me.

  “We won’t.” I crouched down behind a boulder, and he followed suit. “Wait until they’re not suspecting, and then you attack. Why am I even teaching you how to hunt? Shouldn’t you already know this, given the history in your DNA?”

  “It’s not that simple. In the days of my ancestors, we could fly wherever we wanted to, but times have changed. The increase of human population has made it difficult for us to survive in this modern world. Prey behaves much differently now.”

  Listening to Argo talk about time and the modern world made him sound like an ancient wise man, not a baby dragon that had just hatched a handful of days ago. But he wasn’t little anymore, either. He’d doubled in size since we’d first met.

  “What do you know about the modern world? You’ve only been around for less than a week.” I turned my attention to him.

  Argo met my gaze. “I’ve read all about it in your mind and thoughts.”

  “That’s creepy, you know?”

  “It’s called a bond. Anything you want to know about me, all you have to do is look inside my mind. It’s all there.”

  I smiled and gave my head a small shake. “Maybe later. Let’s get back to hunting, shall we?”

  “Yes.” His stomach gave a growl.

  A few heads popped up from the tall grass and forest underbrush as we both froze.

  “What the hell?” I demanded.

  “Sorry. I told you I was hungry.”

  I slowly lowered myself down behind the rock and rubbed the bridge of my nose. “You need to learn to eat before you get so hungry that you announce your presence to your next meal. Sorry, I should have come sooner and taken you hunting.”