by Mandi Oyster
“I do trust you, but this is all so new.” I shook my head, trying to ward off the sleep that threatened. “It’d be nice not to worry about being carried off by dragons. Their claws are sharp and painful.”
“I can only imagine.” A smirk touched her lips so quickly I wasn’t certain I’d seen it. “It could also help you escape from Draconian’s chains if he does manage to capture you. However, use these skills only as a last resort. Once Draconian knows what you can do, he may be able to counteract them.” After a brief pause, she went on, “When you do face Draconian, he will have all of his dragons with him, but you will only have to stop him. Once he is out of the picture, the dragons will be free from his control and will no longer be concerned with you.”
She always sounded so stiff. I wondered if it was a product of her age, her species, or her education.
“Draconian told me he has fifteen dragons. Do you think that’s true?” I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. “And, how will I be able to get to him with them around?”
“Are you okay, Dacia?”
“Using my powers drains my energy.” I peeked at her through half-closed lids. “I guess I did too much.”
“Magic must be practiced, like exercising your muscles. You would not run a marathon without first training for it.” I jumped when she sat next to me. My eyes shot open, and my heart raced. I hadn’t heard her move.
“Sorry.” She smiled and placed her hand on my arm. “My energy may help you.”
Vitality surged through my veins, drowning the fatigue. “Thank you. I feel like I could run that marathon now.”
“You need to build up your stamina. Do lots of little exercises every day.”
“So every day create fireballs or something?”
“Yes.” She moved back to the other couch. “Do as much as you can and make sure you do a little more each day.”
My leg bounced up and down. I stood and paced, needing to use some of the energy. “Back to his dragons.”
“He has at least ten that I know of,” she answered, “so fifteen is a likely number.”
I stopped, tilting my head up, counting the dragons I’d come across so far. I had encountered eight or more either in dreams or reality. Ten would be better than fifteen, but I didn’t know if I could even handle one. I resumed pacing.
“We will have to figure out how to get to him.” Her gaze followed me across the room. “I will be there to help you, though. You will not go through this alone.”
“Unless he captures me and drags me off.” Help would be nice, but I wanted to be prepared to fight on my own if it came down to it.
I looked at Sarah’s clock. “We should go get the others.”
Aurelia stood. “Where their safety is concerned, we must be diligent.”
d
When we stepped across the threshold into my dorm room, I drew in a deep breath and slumped against the door.
Cody rubbed his thumb along my cheek. “What’s up?”
“We’re safe.”
Fear darkened Cody’s blue eyes. “Did you sense him?”
“No.” I slipped my arm around his waist. Dan and Samantha were snuggled together in Big Bird. Samantha had a textbook in her hand, but she wasn’t paying attention to it.
Aurelia stood by the desk, missing nothing. “As long as Dacia or I are here, this room is warded. Neither Draconian nor his dragons can enter.”
“Good to know.” Samantha put her book on the floor.
“Should … uh …” Dan scrubbed his hand over his face. “Should I be sleeping over here, too?” He looked from me to Aurelia. “Or, do you think I’m safe on my own?”
Cody sat in Cookie Monster, and I perched on the arm. “You should either stay here or have me or Aurelia teleport you to your room,” I said. “When Draconian took Cody and Samantha, he saw you with me.”
“For now, I’ll sleep in my own bed.” Dan nodded at Cody “We’ll bring the couch over after class tomorrow.”
Aurelia straightened. “The longer we are able to keep the three of you safe, the longer Dacia will have to hone her abilities.”
“So …” Heat crept up my neck onto my face and ears when they turned their attention toward me. “I need to read your auras. Somewhere along the way, I read Cody’s. That’s why I can sense when he’s near. I need to read yours in case something happens and I need to find you.”
“Okay.” Samantha’s brow puckered. “What do we need to do?”
“Sit there and let me look in your eyes for a minute. I’ll see images from your life flash in my head, and I guess you’ll know what I see. Then I’ll … sort of feel your essence. Once I do that, I’ll be able to sense when you’re around.”
“Weird.” Dan’s lips pressed together. “Go ahead whenever you’re ready.”
I walked over to the desk and pulled out the chair. “Whoever’s first.” I pointed at the seat.
Dan came over. A nervous smile spread over his face like butter on a hot roll. I had a hard time focusing on anything but his dimples. Squeezing my eyes shut, I took a deep breath and centered myself.
Scenes from Dan’s life flashed through my mind. Images of a couple I could only assume were his parents, a close-up view of Samantha’s lips, our boat ride on Cougar Lake, a dragon carrying Samantha away. Blood dripped from her shoulders.
A reassuring strength flowed into me. I leaned closer and whispered in his ear, “Sorry to bring up that memory.”
“It’s okay. It’s always in the front of my mind. I can’t shake it, and it scares me to death.”
I clutched his hand. “I worry about it all the time, too.”
“Just stay strong, Dacia.” He squeezed my fingers. Then louder, he said, “It’s your turn, Sammi.”
“What was it like?”
“Just like Dacia said it would be. Be prepared for what you might see, though.” He held the chair while she sat. “Some memories are painful.”
She cocked her head and looked at him with a question in her eyes. “Ready?”
“If you are.” I stared into her soft brown eyes. The first images I saw were of Dan. Then I saw myself. First, my leg was torn to shreds and then I lay on Sarah’s couch unconscious. The dragon flew toward Samantha. It seemed we were all full of fear. When the flashes stopped, I felt passion and determination intermixed with each other.
“All done.” I pushed my hair off my face. “Sorry about the dragon.”
“It’s not your fault.” She waved her hand between us. “Why’d it take longer with Dan?”
I looked at him. “Well, it’s hard to focus when he’s smiling.”
“Don’t I know it.” She gazed at him with a love-struck gleam in her eyes. “What else?”
“What I saw.”
“Oh.”
“He’s worried, the same as you. So I saw the only horrific thing he’s seen so far—you being carried off by a dragon.”
“Yeah”—she glanced at Dan—“that was pretty hard on him.”
I nodded. “Hopefully, it’s the worst thing he sees.”
“It is imperative for Dacia to use her powers more often.” Aurelia sat in the desk chair. “Right now, she weakens too quickly. She must build her stamina before facing Draconian and his dragons.”
Cody rubbed his jaw. “What can we do?”
“Remind her to exercise. Lend her some of your strength if she exhausts herself.”
“I might as well start now.” I stood in front of the chairs. “What I’m going to show you is really cool.” Lifting off the ground, I took a deep breath and concentrated on ice. It didn’t take as long for the cold sensation to work its way through my body this time. When I finished, I looked at the shock on their faces. “What do you think?”
“Really cool? No pun intend
ed?” Cody reached up to touch my hand.
“Cody, stop!” Aurelia pounced between us and batted his hand away. “Do not touch her when she is like this.”
“Why not?” Samantha asked. “What’ll happen?”
“Your skin will burn.” I backed up a step. “It doesn’t hurt me, but it’d hurt you.” Without releasing the ice, I concentrated on fire. It was awesome seeing myself turn from a giant ice sculpture into a flaming inferno. “Aurelia says that if I do this, I can make it impossible for the dragons to carry me off.”
“Doesn’t it burn? Don’t you feel any pain?” Samantha sounded as panicky as I had when I first transformed into fire.
“No, I feel a little warmth, but that’s it.” I held my hand up and watched the flames dance. They didn’t flare out but acted like they were in a container, under the surface of my invisible skin. “When I did this earlier, I panicked, but it’s nothing to worry about.”
“Wow.” Dan leaned closer. “That’s awesome. It must be amazing to do those things!”
I extinguished myself and curled up on Cody’s lap. “Sometimes, but there are times I’d like to be normal. It would’ve saved me a lot of heartaches when I was growing up, and my parents would’ve liked to have had a normal child.” For a moment, Jonathan’s chubby-cheeked face flashed before my eyes. My parents would probably do just about anything for him to still be alive.
“Yeah,” Dan said. “That’d suck.”
I closed my eyes and rested my head on Cody’s shoulder. “I didn’t learn any control until I came here. Sarah helped with that.” I looked at Aurelia. “Now hopefully from you, I’ll learn a few more practical uses for my abilities. Either way, it’s good to have the support of everyone.”
Chapter 19
Hooves And Wings
Aurelia stood in front of me with a knife in her hand. In a quick, smooth motion, she sliced it down her arm. Gold blood spurted out from the wound.
I stumbled back. My hand shot up to my throat as I sucked in a quick, sharp breath. My mouth floundered open and closed. “What’d you do that for?” Panic filled my voice.
She hadn’t flinched. Her expression never even changed. “I want to boost your healing power. Think about life while you try to heal me.”
I took a deep breath in through my nose and slowly released it through my mouth. “Okay.” I wanted to ask her why her blood was gold, but I knew she wouldn’t answer anyway. So instead I fought to keep my attention focused on what she was saying. Anything that could boost my healing abilities was important for me to learn.
“Think about spring: plants budding, flowers blooming, baby animals of all kinds being born, butterflies emerging from their cocoons, those types of thoughts.”
My mind filled with images of new life. I put my hands over Aurelia’s wound and felt a stream of energy rush through them. Aurelia’s skin wove together. Her wound healed before my eyes without a scar left to show for it. I turned her arm over, examining it. “Can I use this on myself when I’m wounded or only on others? I’ve always let my wounds heal on their own, but it would be great if I could help speed the process along.”
“As long as you are not panicking, it should work on you, too. You are a quick learner, Dacia. The magic is very powerful in you.”
I wish I knew why.
“So far we have worked on fire, ice, and healing.” Aurelia sat on the couch. The silk of her pants swished when she crossed her legs. “We also made it so you can sense others. How is that going?”
“Good.” I sat across from her. “I’ve been able to sense Samantha and Dan coming and going. I’ve even been able to sense you a couple of times.”
“There are times when I will not let you, but most of the time, I will,” she said. “There are times when I need my privacy.”
“Next time Draconian shows up in your dreams, I want you to try to read his aura.”
“In a dream?” I shook my head. That couldn’t be what she meant. Could it? “How can I read someone’s aura in my sleep? That seems a little farfetched.”
“I am not sure if it can be done, but I would like you to try. There are things you can do that I have no understanding of at all, so maybe you can do this.”
“Sure.” I nodded my head in disbelief. “Like what?”
She folded her hands together. “I have no idea how you can resist Draconian when he’s trying to control you. Dragons have very powerful, old magic, and it seems they cannot fight him. You are more gifted than you realize. Just try. Maybe you will surprise us all. I am sure Draconian would not expect it.”
d
On our way back from supper, Cody and I lagged behind the others. “Aurelia and I are going to Falcon Lake.”
“When?”
I pulled on my lip with my teeth. Cody wasn’t going to like this, but if I was training, I couldn’t keep an eye on him, too. “As soon as we get you back to the room. She wants to see what I can do with lightning, and I guess it’s supposed to storm tonight.”
“I’m coming.”
I shook my head. “Not this time.”
“You sure?”
I shrugged, lifting my hands palm up, then dropping them back down to my sides. “I don’t know, but I need to figure out something to stop Draconian. Aurelia thinks it will be safer for the two of us to go on our own.”
“Going to the lake at night isn’t a good idea.” He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a deep breath. “You’re inviting danger.”
I stopped outside the door and took his hand in mine. “I’ll be okay.”
He reached up and traced his fingers from my ear to my chin. Holding my face in his hands, he said, “If anything happens, teleport back here. Don’t be a hero. Be careful.”
“I will.” I slipped my fingers through his belt loops. “You do the same. Don’t go anywhere. Aurelia has a plan to keep you safe.”
“Hurry back.” He brushed his fingers along my forehead. “I won’t relax ‘til you’re back.”
“I’ll be okay.”
I felt his breath on my lips. It tasted like fear and desire. His mouth pressed against mine. A flash of heat coursed through my body. Cody pulled away, tucking my hair behind my ear.
“Go in.” My voice trembled. “The sooner I leave, the sooner I can get back.”
“Come back. Okay?”
“Always.”
Aurelia and I walked out of sight, then turned invisible. “Shall we fly?” she asked.
“If you think we won’t lose each other.”
“We’ll communicate telepathically as we go. You could probably use some help with that skill.”
“Honestly, I’ve never done it before. It’s been done to me … a lot, but I’ve never tried it myself. I never even considered that I might be able to.”
Without warning, she started using it. Just think what you want to say. Then project only those thoughts to me. If you are not careful when you do it, I will be able to see everything you are thinking.
I’ll try, I thought to her.
I got that, she responded, but I am also aware you have a headache right now and you feel guilty about leaving Cody behind.
“Yeah, I should’ve taken something for my headache before we left, and I’m used to Cody being around.” I was a little embarrassed she had been able to pick up on that, but at least we were invisible so she couldn’t see the red glow on my face.
You also need to be careful when you project your thoughts. Make sure you only send them to your intended recipient. If you do not, anyone can hear what you are thinking.
So, why would I want to use this? I asked.
That was better. I only picked up on the headache that time. If you remember, Draconian was able to use it against you when he took Cody and Samantha. He only projected his thought
s to you, so they did not realize what was happening. Also, it comes in handy when you do not want your enemy to know what you are thinking but you need to communicate with your friends. You can send your thoughts to several people at once as long as you are thinking about all of them.
Oh, that makes sense. I don’t know how often I will use it, but I imagine there will be times that it’ll come in handy. Should we land now?
No, I want some shelter around us while we are here. Head for the trees on the left.
Hopefully, nobody decides to come down here tonight. So far it looks pretty deserted.
You are getting better. I have not heard any extra thoughts the last couple of times. We will have to try when others are around so we can be sure you are only projecting your thoughts to those you want to hear them. We can stop here. She stood under the trees. Her gold skin glittered in the fading light. This should be good enough. You can show yourself now.
I stood in the cover of the trees before coming visible. I hope nobody was watching that.
Aurelia smiled. Then she turned serious. “It is not as foreboding as I had anticipated. I had hoped yours would not be the only lightning shooting through the sky. Show me what you can do.”
I raised my hand and shot a bolt of lightning straight up into the clouds.
“How effective is that when you use it as a weapon?” Aurelia asked.
“Not very.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “You’d think it would be. It’s lightning after all. It usually buys me some time, but that’s about it. I always thought it should do more.”
“Point both hands and produce a lightning storm … a rapid succession of bolts. Make it rival Mother Nature’s.”
“Okay. Here goes.” Bolt after bolt of lightning escaped from my fingertips in an awesome electrical storm. “That should be more effective.”