Dacia Wolf & the Prophecy
Page 29
“I never would’ve thought of it if you hadn’t suggested looking at mythology books.”
Sarah’s maternal instincts kicked in. “You’ve been out of it for about two days. Are you hungry? Can we get anything for you?”
“Two days?” I repeated. “What day … what time is it?”
“It’s Tuesday morning.” Samantha looked at her watch. “And, it’s just about eight o’clock.”
“Wow.” I slumped back against Cody. “Has anything happened around here?”
“Cassandra woke up,” Cody said.
“Is she back to her loveable old self?”
Samantha rubbed her forehead. “Vanessa said Cassandra doesn’t remember anything. She felt like she’d gone to sleep and was just waking up the next morning. I guess she’s having a hard time believing she missed out on so much time.”
“Yeah, I can understand that. I can’t believe it’s Tuesday.” I stared out the window at the snow. “I wonder why Cassandra was so much worse than the others.”
Sarah picked up her mug, cradling it as if for warmth. “Mind you, this is all speculation, but here’s what I think. According to Bryce, Cassandra had dreams about you before the two of you met. That leads me to believe she’d been under Nefarious’ control for quite some time.” She set the mug down and crossed her legs. “Bryce would follow Cassandra to the ends of the earth. Alvin and Vanessa aren’t leaders. So, Cassandra’s the only one he needed to possess to gain the allegiance of them all.”
“Either Alvin or Vanessa or both were possessed.” I fiddled with the chain around my neck. “The amulet glowed around them when Cassandra wasn’t there but not around Bryce.”
“That makes Bryce worse,” Cody said. “He knew what he was doing.”
“And he did it anyway,” Samantha finished.
“Do you want anything?” Sarah asked again.
“I’m a little hungry.” I pulled at the bandages on my right hand. “I imagine Cody’s starving.”
“He hasn’t eaten since we got you back,” Samantha said.
I stopped fidgeting and stared at him. “Why not?”
He looked into my eyes, his gaze tortured. “I thought we’d lost you. I didn’t think you’d wake up.”
“I’m going to be okay.” I put my hand on his arm. “But you still owe me a date.”
My wounds healed completely with the help of Cody’s strength—he insisted. No blemishes marred my skin, nothing to show I’d nearly lost my life fighting a demon. From time to time, my leg burned just under the skin. It was probably my imagination working overtime, but it brought with it painful memories that would never heal.
I never saw the fairies after that fateful night. I wanted to tell them how grateful I was for their help, but something told me they already knew.
Chapter 39
There Be Dragons
I soar high above the ground, riding a pegasus.
Clouds paint the sky: pink, purple, orange and yellow.
We are one, flying through the clouds, diving toward the ground. My laughter fills the sky.
The pegasus tenses. His ears prick up. He banks hard to the right, nearly throwing me. A fireball flies through the air beside us.
A giant beast flies straight at us. Smoke billows from its nostrils.
Fear clenches my heart.
A dragon.
A massive, fire-breathing dragon. Its scales are black as night, its eyes fiery-red, hate-filled orbs.
Another wave of flames shoots from the beast’s jaws. The pegasus dives, dipping and weaving through the sky.
The dragon twists with a grace that belies its size. Streams of flame fly at us in relentless pursuit.
The pegasus rolls to the side, and fire shoots straight at us. I hold my hands out in front of me and command the flames to extinguish.
The blaze kisses my arms and the pegasus’ wings. Unable to fly, it plummets toward the ground.
Just before smashing into the earth, I woke up. My heart pummeled my chest. I sat up and turned my light on. My arms were burned, my pajamas charred.
How can this be? I defeated Nefarious. The prophecy is fulfilled. Was this just a dream? Are the burns a coincidence? Or is another battle waiting around the corner for me?
I climbed out of my loft and changed pajamas. Since Samantha was at her parents’ house and Cody had gone back to sleeping in his room after I defeated Nefarious, I decided there was no reason to tell them. Finals were closing in on us, and I didn’t want to add to their stress. What they don’t know won’t hurt them. I hoped.
The End
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Acknowledgments
Writing a book takes a village. The words flow from one person, but the ideas are bounced off others. The villagers give advice on plot, on edits, on making the writing flow better. Some ideas are well received others are ignored, but it’s part of the process.
I’d like to thank the multitude of people who have helped me along this journey. First, my husband, Jeff, the best thing to have ever happened to me was falling in love with him. Second, my kids, Jami and Jesse, for encouraging me and being my biggest fans. Third, my parents, Jim and Vicki, for always supporting me.
I’d like to thank all the critters at Critique Circle who helped me improve my writing: Kathryn Sparrow, Stone Jeffers, Travis Sullivan, Nadine Ducca, and Astrea Taylor. There were many more who weren’t mentioned because I couldn’t contact them to get their real names. I’d also like to thank all the other people who helped me along the way: Marva Mitchell, Berni Stevens, Cheryl Gage, Tammy King, Eileen Sharp, Linda Hirscher (RIP), Curtis A. Cooper, and Peggylou Beazley.
A special thank you to the 2016 Chicago Cubs for winning the World Series in my lifetime. Do it again!
And, last but not least, thanks to all the people at 20BooksTo50K® for the wonderful information and the encouragement. Without them, I’d feel even more lost in this self-publishing wilderness.
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permission of the copyright holder.
About the Author
Mandi Oyster dreams of living in a world where dragons and unicorns abound. For now, she lives in Southwest Iowa with her husband, two children, four cats, and two chinchillas. By day, she works as a Digital Prepress Supervisor for a local printshop. By night, she makes stories come to life.
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