I told him about my mother’s journals and he actually wanted to read them. He told me everything he could about her, that she was always so kind but had become sad and alone in the last year of her life. He knew it was because she’d had to give me up.
We went back to the Academy around four and found Master Longwei in the lobby rushing down from the girls’ dormitories.
“Elena, Blake, can I please see you in my office, a.s.a.p.?”
We said goodbye to the others and followed Master Longwei into his office.
“Everything okay?” Blake asked.
Master Longwei didn’t answer him and Blake gave me raised eyebrows, as if we were in trouble again.
Blake closed the door behind him and I went to sit in one of the seats in front of Master Longwei’s desk.
“So, what is with the urgency?” I asked as Blake sat down in the chair next to me.
“You will both be leaving soon for Areeth,” he spoke without looking up. “You need to consult with King Helmut and his men. Elena, you need to take in more troops. Something about a Feast that is happening earlier than expected.”
Blake sighed. I could see the fear in his eyes, but it vanished just as fast as it appeared. “When do we leave?”
“Tomorrow. Ten o’clock. He wants you in Areeth in the afternoon.”
“Fine, I’ll leave tomorrow, early,” he said and looked at Master Longwei. “Will that be all?”
“That will be all.”
We both got up and left.
“Why did they move up the feast? You think they know something?”
“I don’t know Elena, I’ll phone Emanual to find out.”
I really didn’t like that part; he wasn’t ready to go back into Etan. We weren’t nearly ready for a war.
My Cammy rang an hour later. It was Blake.
“And?”
“Emanual said that the ninety we got out all confirmed they moved the fest up this month. It’s in a couple of days, Elena.”
“Can’t we wait for next month’s then?”
“No, we have to do this.”
“Blake,” I sighed. “You hardly…”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll have a chick who is tough as nails with me.”
The corner of my lips curved slightly.
“That was meant to make you smile, Elena.”
“I don’t like this.”
“We have no choice. Sleep tight.”
The connection broke.
Sammy and Becky’s eyes were on me.
“You guys really going in so soon?” Sammy shared my look, my worries, and my confidence about this trip.
“We have no choice.”
“Can we come with?” Becky asked.
“No, under no circumstance….”
“Elena, we want to help.”
“And when the right time comes you will. Please just stay put, okay?”
She nodded. I went into the bathroom and took a long shower, hoping that the water would calm my negative thoughts about everything that could go wrong with going to the feast.
I crawled into bed around ten, and struggled to sleep. My Cammy buzzed and a text appeared on my phone.
It will be okay, promise. His text read.
I know. It’s not that. I just hate Etan at the moment.
Don’t, it’s your home, Elena. Both our homes.
I know.
I’m going to leave tomorrow early. So won’t be seeing you.
Okay.
Sleep tight, Princess.
You too.
I put my Cammy on the nightstand. I really hated this trip, but at least if he was going to disappear, I’d be there.
Around ten, Master Longwei took me to the Port of Elm. There weren’t reporters waiting but a couple of the travelers wanted to pose with me for pictures.
I finally got into a private elevator after listening to so many people talk about my eyes being the same as my father’s, and how much I reminded them of my mother. When the elevator stopped, I found King Helmut waiting for me.
The trip to the lodge was fast. To be honest, I wasn’t happy about being back there. It held a couple of bad memories now. Especially after the last time.
When I reached the lodge, I wasn’t surprised to find that Blake wasn’t there yet.
But I found something better: Emanual teaching Annie to shift into her form. It was strange to see her wearing a robe, but dragon was what she was and I was dying to know what sort of progress she was making.
A couple of bystanders watched this process. Constance was one of them along with Charles, Gertrude and Marcus.
Annie shook her head. She was breathing hard, and I could see that she was struggling.
“This is hopeless,” she said to Emanual.
“You are pushing yourself too hard. Just relax, clear your mind and try to imagine your dragon form!” I yelled.
Her head turned my way and the furrows between her eyebrows softened. “Elle,” she said and smiled.
Emanual looked in my direction too. His lips curved into a huge grin. Why was I the one that had to put that smile on his face every time I was near? It made me feel guilty and the worst part was that nothing had happened between us. He was such a gentleman, but I was scared that he would never find anyone.
“Hey,” I hugged Annie. I pulled away to look at her.
“I can’t do this. I can’t seem to get her to wake up.”
“She is you, Annie, not some entity,” I spoke.
“I know.” She gave me an awkward smile. “So where is Plucky?”
I laughed. “Please tell me how the hell you came up with that name?”
She laughed too and hooked her arm into mine. “A small recess.” Annie looked at Emanual.
He nodded.
“Thanks. See you later.”
“Later Annie,” he said as he went over to Constance.
“He’s not too hard on you, is he?”
“Nope, he is actually very patient which doesn’t suit Sun-Blasts.”
“You are a Sun-Blast.”
“A suppressed Sun-Blast, huge difference.”
“You try too hard. It will come.”
She nodded but didn’t share my confidence.
“So Plucky?”
“Oh,” she smiled. “Yes, he got that name ‘cause he always had this pout that reminded me of a duck when he used to sulk as a baby dragon.” She laughed. “We used to watch this kiddies program about a duck and dragon, and you can just guess the duck’s name.”
“Plucky?”
She laughed and nodded her head. “So where is he? I refuse to believe that he’s going to let you go alone into Etan.”
“He doesn’t like the elevators.”
“I can relate. Mom and I took them here when all the others flew back on the private jet. I felt weird afterward, slightly out of proportion.”
“Yes, my first time was like that too.”
“I still struggle to grasp how that even works.”
“It’s magic.”
“Magic…”
I laughed. She sounded much like I had that first time Master Longwei told me that magic was responsible for many things.
I walked into the lodge with her and was greeted by Connie and David.
“Elena,” she greeted me.
“Blake flying here again?” She looked around.
“Yes, always looking for ways to improve something.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Emanual said, grabbing a piece of fruit from one of the bowls on the reception counter.
Annie stared at me.
“Any progress?” Connie asked Emanual.
“He’s pushing her way too hard.” Constance had just entered the reception area with Charles and the others.
“No, I’m not,” he said to Constance and looked at Connie as he started walking backwards to the staircase.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Connie said.
Constance smiled at Annie. “Just be patient, it
will come.”
Connie took me up to a room. “I really hope that you guys will at least get some kind of break. I feel like this is not the right thing to say, but welcome back, Princess. Dinner will be served at six. Please make yourself comfortable.
“Thanks Connie, I will.”
ANNIE SPENT THE rest of the day with me until dinner was announced. Blake hadn’t arrived yet
I saw the same old crew that consisted of Emanual, Dicky, Raymond, all the women, Jerry and even Simeon. That guy gave me the creeps. I didn’t know if it was the way he looked with all the scars or because of his silent nature. He didn’t make a peep.
“Princess,” Jerry spoke and his eyes twinkled. I was glad that Blake wasn’t here to see it.
Emanual laughed. “Better get rid of that twinkle, Jerry. The Rubicon is a very jealous dragon.”
Everyone laughed and then Dicky teased him more. I liked Dicky, he reminded me of a mouse with his pure white hair and his delicate build. He wasn’t very tall, more toward the smaller size when it came to men, but if he was one of Emanual’s squad then I could only imagine what the guy could do with weapons.
Taylor gave me the eye. I knew she had a thing for Jerry even though she refused to let him in on that.
She obviously looked away when her gaze met mine, but I saw it.
We all sat at one long, oblong table. It’s what I loved about Connie and David’s. They made everyone feel like a part of their lives.
The food was delicious, and afterwards, I asked Connie to keep a plate for Blake.
“I’ll make that three,” she said with a smile.
“Please let me help clear up,” I begged.
“Elena, no. Go sit in the library,” she said as she shooed me out of the kitchen.
Sometimes I really disliked being a princess, but like Blake said, I had to get used to it.
Still the library was always a good place to be sent to. I picked up where Blake and I’d left off, searching for the missing ingredient.
I hadn’t had time to help with repacking the library, and to be honest, now that I knew the answer could be in there, I looked forward to that task.
Annie obviously helped in silence when she was finished helping Connie and the other women in the kitchen. She was the only other person here besides me and Blake that knew about the missing ingredient.
David even spoke to me about it. Since he and Connie was there the day Blake actually said those words, the helped us to figure out what the missing ingredient wasn’t.
He’d done some research himself. It was mostly about plants and extracts of plants, but none of it felt like it had the properties to kill the Saadedine, but still I kept it. I told him I would speak to Blake about it. Maybe there was something in there that could at least tranquilize the Saadedine long enough for us to kill it. We had to try everything we could.
I even tried to search on the Internet. I mean, Elementals must have gone dark at least once, otherwise how had they gotten the information that Master Longwei had given me the day they’d been stolen from us?
The only thing that I did find was how many times it had happened—twice—and the only thing that was penned down on how to kill it was not very reassuring. Brave humans that died in the process, was one error we didn’t want to repeat.
The fact that I hadn’t found it yet, or we hadn’t found it yet, threatened to bring tears to my eyes again. I really didn’t want to die anymore, and I definitely didn’t want Blake to die either. With that in my mind I thought about those five days he’d been missing. I’d thought I was going to lose my mind.
Breaking an oath was something I didn’t wish on any dragon, especially my own. He really needed to stop making those.
I took a long bath and went to bed around eleven. Blake was still not here and I was starting to worry. He is the Rubicon, Elena. He can take care of himself.
I drifted off and dreamt about the Saadedine again. He was huge, and had a green flame just like Paul, and Blake’s dragon form was dodging each and every single bolt the Saadedine breathed his way. I could see Blake clearly now. He was wearing the same black armor.
The Saadedine grabbed Blake and tore him apart.
I screamed in the dream and jolted up in bed, realizing I’d screamed in reality too. My heart was bouncing inside my chest, the sounds Blake’s dragon form had made still ringing inside my ears. He couldn’t die.
A light went on and I jumped slightly as my door closed. Blake’s figure stood against the closed door.
“Sorry,” he smiled softly. “Didn’t mean to scare you. Another bad dream?” He walked over to my bed and lay down.
I nodded and buried my face in the palm of my hand, resting my arm on my knee. Blake just stared at me.
“We need to find that ingredient, Blake.”
“We will.” He stroked my back.
“That dream, I—”
“Shhh, Elena. I saw it when I came rushing up the stairs.”
I looked at him. “David gave me a list of plants.”
“It’s not a plant, Elena.”
“You don’t know that. Besides, some of them have really good tranquilizing ingredients.”
“So what, try to tranquilize it and then kill it?”
“It’s not a bad idea, Blake.”
“Something tells me it’s not going to work, but it won’t hurt to take some with us, Elena.”
“Thank you.” I sighed.
He smiled. “Why the thanks?”
“Because we need a safety net, Blake.”
He wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me to his chest.
“I am your safety net, Elena, but if it will make you feel better, I will look at David’s list. We will find it. I know we will.”
I nodded. “I hate my dreams.”
“I told you before, I don’t. It gives me plenty of intel on what I’m going to be up against.”
“We, Blake. We. You are not going to face it alone.”
He just smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes this time.
“We should try to sleep,” Blake said. “Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”
“Do we really have to go in?”
“Elena. We need to get word to your father’s men. They need to know that help is coming soon. And the best place is at the feast. This parade, I really need to see it for myself.”
“Just promise me we are not going to the feast.”
“I promise. No feast.”
“Have you at least eaten?”
“I’m stuffed. I ate on the way and those three plates.” He looked at me and gave me his super smile. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome. Wait, what you mean you ate on the way?” I frowned.
“I’m a dragon, Elena. We have our delicacies.”
“I so don’t want to know what you devoured. Probably some helpless deer.”
He laughed. “I don’t play with my food. It died really fast.”
I laughed as I lay back down.
It was great having him here again. We’d grown really close the last couple of weeks and I didn’t want to think about not having him around. The dreams of the Saadedine always showed him as the one dying, being ripped apart. Never me.
We had to find that missing ingredient.
I WOKE UP around eight and found the room empty. I dressed in a pair of jeans, a shirt and my flip flops.
I didn’t want to go back to Etan, or that feast, as my experience last time had been dreadful. What if he saw one of them again?
I pushed that to the back of my mind and went downstairs.
Breakfast was served and everyone was making jokes again.
Raymond was going to come in with us, with Emanual and a couple of his op-guys that were going to set up a base. Where that was going to be, I had no idea.
“Good morning, Princess,” Jerry spoke and we all laughed as Blake glared at him. Jerry just ate his food, not looking at Blake, with a grin on his face.
“He just said go
od morning,” I said looking at Blake.
“It’s not the good morning I’m worried about. It’s the way his eyes lit up.” Everyone laughed again.
“Do I have to go in today?” Jerry joked as he looked past Blake at Emanual. Blake just stared at him with a broken smile.
“Don’t worry, I will protect you,” I said and I could feel Blake’s gaze on me.
“Just say the word, Elena. Do I need to take Jerry out?”
I smiled again.
“Everyone knows not to mess around in your territory, Blake,” Connie said as she put a plate of bacon and eggs in front of me. “This is a no killing or fighting zone.”
“I promise to behave, Connie.” Blake put a heap of eggs onto his fork and into his mouth, smiling at Jerry.
“Not mingling in your affairs, dude.”
“You’d better not.”
I just shook my head.
Was he really that jealous?
After breakfast we started to get ready to take troops in again.
It was only six this time. King Helmut had had a long, private briefing with them this morning.
Five huge SUVs waited for us.
“Where do I meet you?” Blake asked and I knew they were going to take the elevator again to wherever they had to be.
“We go back to Tith, close to one of the Wyvern cities,” King Helmut said. “That is the entry point to Sovereign.”
“Seriously,” I looked at him. “Why don’t you like the elevators?”
“Cause I don’t like the way they make me feel afterwards.”
“Blake...”
“Please Elena. Don’t ask me to use them.” He was serious and his words upset me.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Fine, whatever.” I couldn’t believe he would think that I would order him to use the elevators.
“Someone’s in the dog house,” Jerry joked but this time nobody laughed.
I climbed into the SUV as Blake transformed and lifted off at a crazy speed.
“For all we know, he is going to wait for us, Elena,” Emanual said from the front seat.
“Tith is on the other side of Areeth.”
“It’s closer than Elm, Princess.”
I kicked Emanual’s chair and he only grinned. He knew how I felt about him calling me that. He was one of my closest friends, one of the few men that I really trusted with my life.
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