The Crystal Dragon Series Collection

by Katie Cherry

  Nathan falls to his knees.

  “Nathan!” I cry, tearing off the hood and leaping forward. Angela follows a second behind.

  Nathan remains on his knees, his face pale as he covers his wound with his other hand. “I’m fine,” he whispers, his face constricted in pain.

  “We have to find that cure before Patrick gets here!” Angela gasps, throwing me a pleading look. Irritation flashes through me at the implication that I would ever leave him.

  “I’ll-”

  “No.” The faint word startles Angela and me, and we both turn to Nathan.

  “…What?”

  “I said no,” he repeats, staring deep into my eyes. “I came here to rescue you, and nothing- not Hunter, not Patrick, and certainly no poison- is going to stop me from finishing that mission.”

  “Nathan…”

  “No,” he growls, taking my shoulders in a surprisingly firm grip. “Just this once, listen to me. Just please… take care of yourself for me.”

  I take in his face through vision blurred by tears. “But who’s going to take care of you?” I whisper.

  “I am,” Angela declares protectively.

  “No,” Nathan stubbornly repeats. “You have to… go with… her,” he gasps, clenching his arm tightly.

  “No! I’m not leaving you!”

  Nathan struggles to his feet and takes her face gently in his hands. “If you love me… you will do this for me.”

  Angela’s face hardens as she stares at him, her jaw clenched tightly. After a few seconds, a tear slips from her left eye and slides down her cheek. She gives a sharp, decisive nod, then turns to me. “Let’s go.”

  “What?!” I cry in surprise. “How could you leave him? He’ll die…”

  “He’ll die if he doesn’t get the cure. We just have to chance that Patrick wants him to stay alive. …I’m not abandoning him, I’m giving him his best chance,” she explains, her voice cracking from strain. “We’ll come back for him.”

  I hesitate, then nod reluctantly. “Fine.” I turn back to Nathan and am dismayed to find him shaking and pale. Sweat drips from his face and his eyes are unfocused. I cradle his head in my hands, then lay my forehead on his. “We’ll be back for you,” I promise in a hushed voice.

  He blinks, but doesn’t otherwise respond. Taking a shaky breath, I stand and turn back to Angela. “Fine. Let’s go.”

  <<>>

  Hunter fidgets as he sits on Vincent’s hard, scaly back as he flies after Patrick on the return trip from the mountains. From what Patrick had told him about Dexter, he would probably arrive at the castle soon. They were speeding back in a race against time. Hunter curses the fact that Patrick even made him come out in the first place. Their armies had been able to transfer the Dragon Slayer machines without him before, and he’s angry that Patrick had not only made him go out, but he himself had gone as well! Really, both of them should have stayed.

  His desperation to please Dexter must be blinding him, Hunter realizes, shaking his head in exasperation at his foolishness. He’s going to get us both punished sooner or later, he sighs, closing his eyes and trying to relax. The dragon’s hard scales chafe against the insides of his legs as they hit another gust of turbulence and Hunter grimaces, opening his eyes again. He would probably have someone make a saddle for the beast soon. It was getting a little past the point of discomfort to fly bareback. He was worried the flesh on his legs would be scraped clean off should he need to grip on even tighter with his legs. While riding a dragon into battle would be an asset to them, neither he nor his men had yet to attempt it. Riding was painful if you had to stay on for too long, and the extra padding in their pants wasn’t enough most times.

  He would also need to find a way to keep them warm. At the rate the wind tore past them when they flew- especially when they were pressed for speed- it quickly stole the warmth from their faces and hands.

  Hunter’s musings are put aside as he notices the half-dead trees that mark the edge of their territory. Finally! We still need time to prep Bryce for Dexter’s arrival. Hopefully we’ll have time to get everything ready before he arrives… although Bryce has probably been waiting for a while for us. He shrugs to himself as he directs Vincent into a dive toward the ground. Oh well. Bryce could use some chilling out anyway. He always likes to take charge, even when it’s not appropriate for him to do so. I think he needs to learn his place. Patrick doesn’t care that he speaks out of turn because of his ideas… which isn’t fair. No matter what my idea is, I get scolded if I don’t present it in just the right way at the proper time!

  These thoughts put Hunter into even more of a sour mood by the time they touch down outside of the castle. Sliding down Vincent’s lowered neck, his feet finally touch the long-awaited firm ground. He pauses, then turns to Patrick, who is stiffly clambering from his dragon.

  “Patrick…” he begins.

  “Later,” he immediately replies, turning to enter the castle. “I am weary from the flight, and we have work to do. Now is not the time to burden me with your complaints.”

  “Patrick, something is wrong,” Hunter insists. “Where is everyone?”

  Patrick frowns as he also notices the lack of Dragon Hunters. “The few men that I left behind should be welcoming us back…” he comments, tugging his sword from its sheath before turning to Hunter. “Lead the way. I’ve got your back.”

  Hunter nods, unsheathing his own sword and stalking quietly up to the door. He eases it open and peaks inside before opening it wider and slipping through with Patrick right behind him. They then jog quietly to Crystal’s room, for Hunter’s instincts tell him that this has everything to do with her. He freezes when he rounds the corner and finds her guard run through just outside the door. A pool of blood stretches out around her- far too large to be composed of hers alone.

  Hunter breaks into a sprint and tears into the room. He nearly trips over the five corpses slumped by the doorway. Gagging at the strong metallic smell from the blood, he quickly scans the room. Sure enough, there was no trace of Crystal. With a groan, he steps back out into the hallway to report to Patrick.

  “She’s gone.”

  Patrick’s face is like a stone, but Hunter knows that underneath, he is devastated beyond words. “We have to find her. Now,” he orders. Hunter nods and begins jogging down the hall, although he knows it’s pointless to look. If Crystal was gone, it was because she was taken, and there was no way whoever had torn her away from them had stuck around with her.

  He pauses outside of a room with the door cracked open. He knew for a fact that this door was always closed. Taking a deep breath and steadying his sword hand, Hunter eases the door open softly. He finds Nathan Anderson lying there, a pool of sickly blood slowly growing around his arm. He seemed to have just recently passed out from the wound after crawling there, Hunter figures. He groans and wipes at his face with his free hand. This boy was growing seriously tiresome. He would just leave him there to die, but he knew that Patrick wouldn’t be pleased if he did.

  Sighing, he kneels beside the boy. Well, let’s just see what we can do about that arm. Then hopefully Patrick will let me execute this daft, irksome Dragon Lover.

  <<>>

  Angela crouches beside me in the undergrowth near Patrick’s hideout as he and Hunter land. We watch breathlessly as they hurry into the building. I turn to Angela once they disappear inside. “Okay, let’s go.”

  “What if they don’t find Nathan in time?” she worries, her hands clenched anxiously on the handles of the duffle bag.

  “They will,” I assure her, although I’m not so sure myself.

  “What if they don’t want to heal him, though?” She adds, turning and meeting my eyes. “What do we do then?”

  I hesitate. “We can’t do anything but trust Nathan,” I finally sigh, standing. She reluctantly follows as I turn towards the Village. We reach it without incident, although Angela tripped once and spilled the contents of the bag onto the forest floor. Af
ter we quickly picked everything up, I carried the bag.

  I turn to Angela just before we enter the Village. “Angela, what’s with the box?” I ask, referring to the long container strapped to her back. I had been wondering this since I first saw her, and I wanted to ask before we got swept up in whatever craziness happens next.

  She pauses. “Honestly? I have no clue. I found it and I just have a feeling that whatever’s in it can help us.” I slowly nod, accepting this for now, then step into the Village. After a minute, I turn back to Angela. “Where is everyone?”

  She frowns heavily. “I have no idea.” The outer part of the Village was completely deserted. Doors to houses hung open, and the insides seemed to be ransacked. “…Let’s keep moving,” Angela whispers before cautiously continuing deeper into the Village.

  As we pass through the area where contestants had slept during the Games, there’s movement behind us. I freeze and look to Angela. She nods, confirming that she had also heard the sound. I carefully set the duffle bag down and turn around with Angela. We wait for a few tense moments before our eyes catch movement as someone steps around the corner.

  “Evomt nod!” Angela cries, throwing out her hand in the direction of the stranger. The man freezes, and I laugh when I recognize who it is.

  “Angela, let him go. It’s Thaddeus!”

  She blushes. “Oops. Cigameh tesa eler,” she says as she lowers her hand. “Sorry about that, Thaddeus,” she apologizes as he retrieves his staff. It’s with sadness that I realize he uses it more than he used to. He really was getting older.

  He chuckles and waves it off. “Don’t worry about it, my dear. It’s my fault for sneaking up on you.” His eyes fall on me, and they fill with tears. “Crystal,” is all he says before opening his arms. Without hesitation, I rush into them, hot tears already coming from my eyes.

  “Thaddeus,” I cry. He puts a hand on the back of my head comfortingly.

  “It’s alright. You’re alright now.” He looks over my head at Angela. “…Where’s Nathan?” At the mention of his name, I truly break down.

  “Oh, Thaddeus! He was poisoned by a Dragon Hunter and he said that only Patrick has the cure so we had to leave him although we really didn’t want to and we’re both just so worried that he’s not going to make it because Patrick might not even want to cure him of the poison and…” I can’t manage to explain any more as my heart breaks for my hero.

  Thaddeus just holds me as I cry and doesn’t say anything for a moment. When he does speak, it has nothing to do with Nathan. “Let’s get you two to the castle.” I retrieve the duffle bag, my tears having ceased their race down my face. As Thaddeus hustles us towards the looming building, Angela questions him.

  “Thaddeus… what’s going on? When we were walking through the outskirts of the Village, it was abandoned.”

  He sighs wearily. “Alexander has gathered everyone into the center of the Village- some are even living in the castle itself. He is going to begin training an army in the morning.” The setting sun illuminates the weariness written in every line on his face as he speaks. “We don’t have enough soldiers to fight off the Dragon Hunter’s constant attacks. Alexander is recruiting younger and older men to help fight… and should a woman volunteer, he’s even ready to accept their service as well. He’s preparing to launch an attack on Patrick, and I fear that even Crystal’s return won’t dissuade him from continuing his plans. He’s been pushed past the brink with the last attack on you, Princess,” he adds, looking down at me with his sad, grey eyes.

  “…Should I invite the Sohos to join us in the Village? It would strengthen our numbers and maybe make dad feel less… anxious,” I suggest. “Plus I think they are running low on numbers too. If we combine forces, it would help us both.” Thaddeus looks thoughtful.

  “I don’t know who these Sohos are,” Angela joins in, “but if they are willing to fight with us, I say that we do as Crystal suggests. It could only help, right?”

  Thaddeus laughs and nods. “Indeed. You may summon them whenever you wish,” he adds to me, “but first thing’s first… your parents are very anxious to see you.” We had finally reached the Dragons’ castle. Thaddeus knocks- three, eight, one. At the sound of the last knock, the door is hurriedly pulled open.

  “Thaddeus, you…” the man, one from the Village Council, I realize, pauses when he sees me. “Ah, Princess. Your parents will want to know of your safety. Shall I fetch them?”

  “Yes, please do,” Thaddeus accepts. As the man hurries away, Thaddeus collapses onto one of the couches in the room. Angela and I sit down across from him. I notice that she keeps the box strapped to her back, although it can’t be comfortable. “So, Angela,” Thaddeus begins, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. “I’m most curious of everything that transpired on First Earth. Nathan didn’t tell me everything, and he wasn’t willing to share how he lost his Gifts regardless.”

  She winces at this. “Well… it was kind of my fault,” she confesses. My breath catches at this and my eyes pin her down. What did she do?!

  He looks at her in concern, his grey eyebrows low over his brooding eyes. “How is this any fault of yours?”

  Angela lowers her eyes. Before she has the chance to respond, Pearl and Alexander hurry into the room. “Crystal!” Pearl cries, rushing forward, arms wide open. I stand and am pulled into a tight embrace. “Oh, my baby girl!” she cries as she holds me close. Before she can release me, Alexander’s crushing arms wrap around us both. He doesn’t say anything, but I feel a great tear land on my shoulder near my neck.

  “Whoa, hey, guys, I’m fine,” I gasp out, my lungs getting crushed. “…I promise,” I continue when the crushing arms don’t release me. Then they finally spring open, releasing me. Pearl cups my face with one soft hand and gazes into my eyes as if trying to memorize every last detail.

  Alexander’s face just looks drawn and tired, but deep sadness sparkles in his stormy eyes. “I’m sorry, Crystal. I’m so, so sorry…”

  “It’s not your fault,” I sigh. “You had no idea about Hunter…”

  “No, but I should have,” he growls, sinking into the seat beside Thaddeus.

  “That’s ridiculous,” I argue. “How on earth could you know?”

  “Crystal’s right,” Pearl sighs, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Hunter fooled us all.”

  I hesitate. “Well… that’s not completely true,” I admit. I swallow as every pair of eyes in the room land on me. Their questioning, accusatory gazes cause my breath to rattle as I explain about Patrick’s journal and how I pushed Hunter about the things therein, which lead to my kidnapping. “So really it’s all my fault,” I sigh, finally raising my eyes from the carpet, which I had been staring at exclusively during my confession.

  The looks on their faces make me wish I hadn’t. While everyone carries surprise in their eyes, it’s Alexander’s look that scares me the most. Utter disbelief clouds his face, but a fierce, draconic anger burns in his eyes. He stands and shakes his head at me. “It seems we have to go even further to secure your safety,” he growls before laying a heavy hand on my shoulder and spinning me around. Before I can wrap my head around what’s happening, he’s marching me to my room. My instincts tell me that I won’t be allowed to leave it any time soon.

  “No!” I scream, pulling back from him.

  “This is for your own good,” he growls. I stare at him in astonishment. Thaddeus was right. He really had snapped. He grabs my hand in a carelessly crushing grip and begins tugging me away once more.

  “Alexander Jacob Dragon!” Pearl finally snaps out of her stupor and stomps over to us. “What do you think you’re doing?! This is our daughter…”

  “I know,” he replies, his eyes burning. “I’m doing what I have to to protect her.” As he drags me away, no one moves to stop him, frozen in shock. I continue kicking and screaming, but my pleading falls on deaf ears. When we reach my room, he shoves me in and slams and locks the door behind m
e. I pound on it, still screaming at him, even after he walks away. Finally, exhausted, I lean against the door and slide to the ground, sobbing.

  Nathan may have rescued me from Patrick, but who was going to rescue me from my father?

  <<>>

  Angela sits petrified on the couch as she watches the King drag his daughter away, her hands clutched into tight fists on her knees. She doesn’t stop pressing her fingers into her palm, even when little red crescents from her nails appear in her skin and her knuckles turn white. She whips around to face Thaddeus. “What the heck was that?! Thaddeus, he…”

  He shakes his head, cutting off her words. “I know. The King has… changed.”

  Angela snorts derisively. “Yeah, I’d sure say so!”

  Pearl lowers herself gently into the seat beside Thaddeus, tears gathering in her eyes. “Alexander… has had too much pressure on him since we awoke. He is a good man, just… lost,” she whispers.

  Angela feels a pang of remorse for her rash words. “I… I’m sorry, my Queen… I didn’t mean…”

  “No, I know… It’s perfectly alright,” she sniffles, waving a dismissive hand at the girl.

  Thaddeus hesitates at her side. “…Would you like me to show Angela to her room?” He offers.

  She glances at him, surprised at herself for not thinking about doing so earlier. “Why yes… of course. My apologies, Angela… I’m afraid I am quite out of sorts today.”

  “It’s no issue, my Queen,” Angela hurriedly assures her, standing and dipping into a curtsy. Picking up the bag that Crystal left behind, she turns and follows Thaddeus from the room.

  The instant they are out of Pearl’s sight, he turns to Angela, lowering his voice. “Your room is supposed to be just beneath Crystal’s… but I hate to leave her alone- for many reasons. Would you be… willing to stay with her?”