“Hardly! She’s too much of a sissy for me to even break a sweat.”
“Well, in that case, I saw Billy was looking for a good challenge. You should ask him to fight you.”
Griffin’s mood instantly shifted. I stifled a laugh at how eagerly he searched the practice grounds for his arch-enemy. Leave it to Drew to say just the right thing and get Griffin to leave.
Drew came to stand beside me as soon as Griffin stalked off while muttering curses of retribution. “Are you okay?” He spoke with a low tone, and his hand reached over to check my shoulder.
I couldn’t let him draw attention to my injury. I shifted my body to prevent any contact between us. “Not here, Drew. Griffin got in a cheap shot, and I’m going to be a little slower to heal because of it. Why don’t we get in a little practice so people will stop staring?”
Drew’s expression showed his skepticism, but he merely nodded and held his sword up in the opening position. “Ready?” His challenge came out much louder than absolutely necessary.
I pulled my sword tip up from the ground while rolling my eyes at his theatrics. My body protested the motion, but I fought through the aches and mirrored Drew’s stance. “Ready!”
I loved Drew as a sparring partner. He helped me hone my skills without attempting any sneaky moves. Our practice must have been boring enough for everyone to go about their own business.
The light exertion helped to limber up my body again. Also, I began to feel the same familiarity with my left hand as I did with my right. The nurse’s advice might just come in handy during the tourney.
“Let’s call it a day.” Drew stepped back and tipped his sword away from my next strike.
I’d seen his stance shift even before he spoke. More than ready to stop, I grinned. “Great practice, Drew. Thanks! Do you want to go check on Alyssa in the giostra field?”
“Sure!”
With a practiced motion, I fitted my sword into its scabbard and enjoyed the rippling of Drew’s muscles as he did likewise. Falling into step beside him, we left the gladio practice grounds without taking any notice of our competitors.
No sooner had we left everyone behind when Drew’s demeanor changed. Did I want to know what was on his mind? What if he brought up the kiss again? The path narrowed and darkened as we stepped behind the air purification building, causing me to shiver unexpectedly.
Drew took a longer step and stopped in front of me. I looked up at him, confused by his actions. “What’s going on?”
“I wanted to speak with you alone since I didn’t get to yesterday. Are you sure you’re okay from the slave’s attack?”
“Listen, Drew; it really was nothing. Please forget about it.” I couldn’t endure Drew’s penetrating stare. If I looked at him too long, then the memory would return, and I’d start to cry again. I couldn’t be weak in front of him.
Drew’s hand touched under my chin, forcing my head up until my gaze returned to his. “I never want you to be scared again, Kat. You mean too much to me.”
“Drew…” I started to protest but didn’t get to finish. His lips dropped onto mine tenderly. I wanted to protest this action, but my body wouldn’t respond properly. I pressed myself into the kiss, feeling my desire for him flare even though I knew it was wrong to want to be with him.
How could I deny myself the very thing I wanted the most? Obviously, Drew felt equally as passionate about me as I did for him. How could this be wrong? My fingers threaded through Drew’s hair. The kiss deepened until I couldn’t think straight anymore, my aching shoulder long-forgotten.
Some semblance of sense returned when Drew pulled away from me. I opened my eyes at the same time as Drew and I saw his desire for me. Then reality came crashing down onto me as I blurted, “What about Alyssa?”
Drew frowned. “What?”
“I can’t be with you like this, Drew. I don’t want to jeopardize my friendship with Alyssa.” I should’ve known Drew would be oblivious to the nuances of my friendship.
“What does one have to do with the other. Besides, Alyssa wouldn’t mind if we got together.”
Simultaneously curious, hopeful, and suspicious, I blurted, “How do you know? Have you talked to her about it already?”
“Well…”
A commotion ahead of us interrupted our conversation.
“What is it?” I shifted to peer around Drew’s body to see several guards entering the alley. Moving off to the side, we attempted to get out of their way, but they came to a halt directly in front of us.
“You two are to come with us.”
“Why?” Drew stood defensively.
I could’ve told him that wouldn’t do any good, but I wanted to know the answer myself.
“A witness placed both of you in Dome 5 at about the same time as one of the slaves got injured. We have some questions for you back at the detention facility. Dome with us.” The guard speaking reached out and grabbed my bicep in an iron grip, the pain causing me to cry out.
Instinctively, Drew’s arm shot out and knocked the guard’s hand away from me. Another two guards immediately stepped forward and pushed Drew from the man who had spoken with us. My pleas to stop were drowned out by the sounds of Drew grunting from the impact of being shoved face-first into the side of the building. Within seconds, he had his wrists restrained behind his back.
“You should know better than to assault a peace keeper.” The guard whirled Drew around and held him firmly by the elbow. “I’m sure another charge will be brought against you for that little stunt.”
The first guard shifted his attention back to me. “Are you going to come peacefully, or do you need restraints as well?”
“No. I’ll come quietly. Please, take the cuffs off of Drew. He was only trying to defend me. He won’t cause any trouble, I promise.”
“Sorry, that’s not possible. Only the head of the peace force can remove the restraints once we deem them necessary to use. He’ll just have to endure a little discomfort until we get back to headquarters. The sooner we go, the faster he’ll be untethered.”
“Fine. Let’s go already.” ‘I’m sorry,’ I mouthed to Drew even though he grinned cockily at me. Leave it to him to find something humorous about this awful situation. Already, I dreaded telling my parents what happened yesterday. I couldn’t see any way of keeping this quiet now that we were being detained.
I could think of only one person who would come forward as the witness, and her laughter still rang in my ears from my sparring session with Griffin. Looking around as we walked flanked by peace officers, I wondered if Leanne lurked somewhere nearby to witness the results of her well-timed whispers to the authorities.
No sooner had this idea popped into my head than a troop of students came racing around the corner of the building. Not expecting a crowd to already be there, they ran headlong into us.
The press of bodies quickly disoriented all of us, and someone’s elbow knocked into the side of my temple. The last thing I heard before falling unconscious was Leanne’s unmistakable cackle along with the stamping of running feet beside my face where I lay on the ground choking on the dusty soil.
Chapter 10
THOSE MUST HAVE been the strangest dreams of my life. Even as I lay in my bed, I didn’t remember going to sleep, let alone going home. Yet, that had to have been the case since I found myself waking up.
Something seemed terribly off, however. I didn’t have a lumpy mattress. These scratchy sheets were not my own. I must still be dreaming of waking up. That hadn’t ever happened before, but there’s always a first time for everything.
Only when I took stock of my body did I realize someone held my hand. Shifting my head, pain lanced through my skull. For some reason, my eyes refused to open. I couldn’t be blind! How could I help Heliok if I couldn’t see? I had to do something to wake up. Maybe if I stood up. Yes. I needed to move.
The person holding my hand gripped my fingers tighter, which made me wonder what in the world was actually going on
. I had to be awake; otherwise, none of this made sense. “Why can’t I see? Where am I?”
“It’s okay, Kat. I’m here with you. Be quiet. I’m trying to listen to what the people are saying outside in the hallway.”
I wasn’t alone. Somehow, Drew managed to be with me. Almost of its own accord, my free hand moved to investigate my blindness. Someone had draped a cool cloth over my face. I pulled it off, only to squint against the bright light of a room, which was definitely not my own.
Slowly, I began to take in the details surrounding me. Something seemed very familiar with this place. Then it hit me. How had I ended up here?
The guards must have brought me in when I remained unconscious. One mystery solved. What had Drew’s attention in the hall?
The slightest upward movement made me want to vomit. I tried to remain as still as possible. How could this be happening to me right now? At this rate of escalating injury, I’d be lucky to survive until the tournament.
The voices rose from the hallway, yet I still couldn’t make out any of their words. When the talking stopped, someone rattled the doorknob to our room.
Throbs raced through my head, matching the acceleration of my heartbeat. Was this a friend or foe entering the room? I held my breath in anticipation. I hated knowing I couldn’t defend myself in my condition. Drew squeezed my fingers to reassure me. I could trust him to look out for both of us if it came down to a fight.
A familiar medic stepped into the room. I had to wonder why she’d need to stealthily enter her own workspace. With the way she shut the door, let me know she probably shouldn’t be risking her career to speak with us.
My fears turned out to be unfounded. Instinctively, I trusted her, but I didn’t understand her motivations to help either of us. “What’s going on?” My voice cracked as though it’d been a long time since I’d used it.
The woman’s gaze flew to my face, her expression instantly brightened. “Oh good; you’re awake. You had me worried. Let me check you out really fast.”
“What’s your name?” Drew stood up as if to shield me from this stranger.
The woman momentarily paused in her search for something in the drawer next to the exam table. Pulling out a small flashlight, she turned to address Drew. “I’m Clara. You must be Drew. And I’m sorry to have to see you again under these circumstances, Katherine.”
Clara stepped beside Drew and lifted the flashlight to shine into each of my eyes. Her expression showed a fleeting frown during her exam. “You have a mild concussion, but I can give you something for nausea.”
She held a device against my bicep and pressed the activation button. The cold numbness of the mist penetrated my skin, and the medication sped through my bloodstream. It took effect almost immediately. My spinning sensation diminished, and my stomach stopped protesting life itself.
“How’d you know I felt like that?” I had to admire her professionalism. Twice, in the span of two days, she’d known exactly how to handle my injuries without me saying much of anything at all.
Clara’s laugh released the tension blanketing the room. “That’s simple. If you felt fine, you’d already be sitting up.”
I chuckled at her more than accurate assessment. “True. What’s going on out in the hall?”
“Oh, Silas’s peace keepers are a bit too zealous about their jobs. I told them they could stay on guard in the hallway, but I forbid them to move you, much less interrogate you, until after I treated your injuries.”
“I don’t understand.” Why would the peace keepers care about what happened to Drew or me?
Drew’s fingers squeezed mine to get my attention. “Don’t you remember getting arrested?”
“I remember the guards and the mob, but that’s about it.”
“Well, then I’d say you’re pretty lucky. You got cracked in the temple pretty good. I’m surprised you’re awake and lucid right now. But we don’t have much time, and there’s something I need to discuss with you, which I didn’t say before in front of Ryker.”
I frowned. What could she possibly have to say to me? I didn’t even know her, let alone have any reason for her to have something to discuss with me. “About what?”
“About the Tatsu tournament. I believe you’re the one, Katherine.”
“Just Kat, if you don’t mind.”
“Okay, Kat it is then.”
Drew protectively slid himself between Clara and me. “Wait! What you’re talking about? Kat’s the one for what exactly?”
Clara peered over Drew’s shoulder to see my face. “Does he know?”
“Not really, but he can certainly be trusted. Tell me what you’re thinking?”
“Is someone going to explain this to me?” Drew’s voice rose as he grew more frustrated with our seemingly bizarre conversation.
Clara took pity and made a very concise summary of the situation. “Kat is the person the prophecy spoke about. Well, Kat and her four girlfriends, that is. They’re going to win the whole tourney and start everything moving toward the fulfillment of bringing the dragons back to Heliok. They’re going to save our world from starvation and extinction.”
“Oh, wow! That seems like a lot to ask of my friends and sister. What makes you think they can achieve all of this? What brought you to this outlandish conclusion?”
What the heck? Did he doubt our abilities? Suspending my reprimand, I waited for Clara to answer.
“I didn’t—not at first. But when you were here, I took a sample of your DNA and tested it against the genealogical records I’ve been compiling over the years. You’re a match as a descendant.”
“You took my DNA?” At least Clara had the decency to look uncomfortable. Heck, I didn’t even know she’d taken my DNA.
“A descendant of what?” Drew asked at the same time as I blurted my question.
“I’m sorry, Kat. I should’ve asked you, but I didn’t know if I could trust Ryker. As it is, we don’t have enough time to go over everything I know. Suffice it to say, I used to think I would be the one to lead the prophecy, but I couldn’t activate the signet.”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device attached to an ornate chain. After one last caress of the smooth, metallic surface with her thumb, she held it out to me. “If you can get this to work, then we know for sure that you’re the one.”
I hesitated to take the pendant from her. What if I couldn’t make it work? Did I really want confirmation either way? Would it be better to trust my instincts rather than trust this woman who could have an ulterior motive?
She must have seen my hesitation because she withdrew her hand with a sigh. Pulling a chair up, she seated herself next to Drew and took a deep breath. “I can see I’m going to have to take the time to explain to you what I need. If we get interrupted, please promise me that you’ll take the signet and open it when you’re somewhere private to find out what it has to tell you.”
“Okay, I can promise that, at least. What’s your stake in all of this?”
“Well, Heliok, of course! And the return of the dragons, if that’s even still possible. I just hope we’re not too late..” Clara leaned back, as if suddenly weary beyond her years, and let out a long sigh. “My family has believed in the return of the dragons since they left. We’ve kept our stories close to home, and we’ve done everything we can to keep alive the dream of bringing the dragons back to their rightful home.”
“So, why do you work for Silas?” I had to know.
“My great-grandma always said to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. What better way to keep tabs on Silas than to work for him? I don’t approve of all of his methods or his reasons for doing them, but our world is in a more desperate situation than any of you really know.”
“I know. I overheard Silas threatening Ryker yesterday.” I repressed my shudder of fear.
“Do you trust Ryker?” Clara leaned forward, suddenly intense with her question.
“Yes. He’s the one who told me about the pro
phecy and that he thinks I’m the one to get it all started. He also told me we only get this one shot at making it happen, or the whole world will die.”
“Geez! Are you serious, Kat? This can’t be for real!” Drew stood up, pacing across the small confines of the room as he ran his hands through his hair.
I knew how he felt. This was a lot of information to process all at once. Slowly, I started sitting up, hoping I wouldn’t lose my lunch. With not even a twinge of protest from my gut, I swung my legs over the side of the exam table so I could face Clara. Her offer to help seemed genuine.
Clara nodded. “Ryker’s right.”
Again, she offered me the signet. This time, I reached out and let her drop it into my outstretched palm. Its weight and warmth surprised me. “What do I do with it?”
“Open it.”
“That’s it? Just open it?”
“Yep. If you’re the right person, then you’ll activate the code inside, and it’ll give you help when you need it.”
“Sounds pretty cool. How does it open?” I brought it closer to inspect its design. Hinged on one side, it had a small indent on the other, perfect for a thumbnail. I pressed my nail into it and heard a small clicking sound. The device popped open.
As soon as the one side opened fully, the middle dropped down to reveal a three-sided mirror. Nothing else happened. I looked over the top of it to see Clara’s stunned expression. “What now?”
“I don’t know! I’ve never seen it do anything. I guess you should ask it a question or something.” She stood and came to sit next to me, her gaze never leaving the signet held between my hands.
“Is it a computer or something?” Drew also came closer but remained in front of both of us. His position concealed our activity from any unwanted company, should someone suddenly enter the room.
“My family legend said that it contains the wisdom of the great queen dragon Aaliyah herself.”
Excitement coursed through me at Clara’s words. Both Grandma Talya and Ryker’s journal had spoken of the last great queen dragon. The idea of hearing the dragon speak to me sounded too good to be true. I couldn’t think of a single thing worthy of asking the magnificent dragon.
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