Dragon's Flame (Dragons Secret Society Book 3)

by Serena Meadows

  It took her several minutes to realize where she was, to remember that she’d only been dreaming. The sobbing ceased, and the tears dried up, but the acute sense of loss was still with her. Getting out of bed, she headed for the door, needing to see for herself that Taylor was alive and well, but when her hand came in contact with the cool metal of the doorknob, she stopped.

  It was the middle of the night; she couldn’t go prowling around the house. Now that she’d had a few minutes to wake up completely, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to tell Taylor what she’d dreamed. She padded quietly back over to the bed, and crawled in, hoping that the intense feelings would pass.

  Morning was soon enough to tell Taylor about her dreams, but then she thought about the pain she felt and wondered if it was really worth it. Remembering her dreams, she realized that they’d never beaten the world, that time after time, they’d been ripped apart and paid dearly for the love they shared.

  Shivering, she burrowed down deeper into the blankets and tried to think clearly about Taylor and what she felt for him. She wasn’t in love with him, that she knew for sure, but the way things were going between them, it wasn’t far away.

  Then she knew what she had to do: stop what they’d started. It was the only way to prevent the heartache, the only way to protect them both from what seemed to be a love doomed from the start. It made her sad to think of what she might be missing, but she knew that she couldn’t handle loving Taylor and losing him, not again.

  She already felt like she’d lost him a hundred times and one time more might be more than she could handle. If fate had decided that they weren’t meant to be together, no matter how strong the pull they felt for one another, she wasn’t going to fight it. Tears rolling down her cheeks, she went back to sleep, mourning what could have been.

  Sleep came quickly but didn’t last long; she was awakened only a few hours later by a sound outside her bedroom window. Barely registering what she’d heard, she opened her eyes, then started to roll over and go back to sleep, but a shadow in the window stopped her.

  It hovered outside her window for a second then disappeared, but it was long enough for her to come fully awake, alarm making her heart pound. She sat staring at the window, beginning to think she’d imagined the shadow, but then without a sound, it came through her window.

  The shadow stood just in front of the window, staring at her for what seemed like a long time, its eyes glowing in the darkness, then it sprang for the bed. She barely had time to jump from the bed and run for the door, but the shadow was faster, blocking her escape with a single leap from the bed.

  This time she screamed, the sound coming out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She turned to run, but the shadow was on her before she got far, its arms wrapping around her, squeezing the air out of her lungs. Fear gripped her, and she felt the shadow getting stronger, its grip getting tighter, and the world began to fade.

  Her vision was reduced to a small fuzzy circle, her head light, when she suddenly understood what she had to do. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and told herself that the shadow wasn’t real, that it couldn’t hurt her, and as the fear began to evaporate, the shadow’s strength began to fade.

  Feeling her strength returning, adrenaline making her stronger than normal, she flung her arms out, and the shadow flew across the room. It collided with a stack of books, sending them flying everywhere, then got back to its feet and stared at her. For a second, the shadow’s glowing eyes bored into her, sapping her strength and putting strange thoughts into her mind.

  But she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, imagining herself banishing the shadow back to where it had come from. She heard it scream, and opened her eyes to see it shrinking, its glowing eyes getting dimmer in the darkness. Forcing herself to concentrate, she filled her mind with happy thoughts, and the shadow screamed again.

  Suddenly, the door burst open and Taylor came stumbling into the room. “Willow what’s going on?” he asked, not seeing the shadow at first.

  When he did, he gasped, and the shadow grew again, feeding off Taylor’s fear. “Get back in the hallway,” she yelled at him, but he didn’t move.

  The shadow looked at her and then at Taylor, but Willow knew what it was thinking, had somehow tuned into it. Anger flared to life when she realized that it was going to kill Taylor, and without thinking, she raised her hands in the air, palms out, and recited a spell.

  A burst of white light flew from her raised palms, hit the shadow square in the chest, throwing it across the room again. It laid there for only a second before putrid black smoke began pouring out of it, filling the room and choking them. It screamed and writhed on the floor, then burst into flames.

  ***Taylor***

  Taylor stood frozen in place, the blood pumping through his veins gone cold when he saw the creature standing in Willow’s room. He’d never seen anything like it, couldn’t quite wrap his mind around what he was seeing, but felt the evil radiating from its glowing eyes.

  He knew that he needed to move, needed to do something, but he was frozen, the creature’s eyes boring into him. Just as he found the strength to move, the shadow turned, and he knew it was coming after him. Willow screamed at him again to get back into the hallway, then raised her hands in the air, palms facing the dark shape, and began to recite a spell.

  The flash of light that illuminated the room only seconds later blinded him, but not before he saw the shadow fall to the ground and begin screaming. Opening his eyes, he saw black smoke filling the room, and tried not to breathe too deeply as it stung his lungs.

  Willow stood trembling, her arms slowly dropping to her sides as the black smoke turned to flames and the shadow was engulfed. Then as quickly as they’d appeared, the flames disappeared, leaving only a smoke stain on the carpet by the window.

  Taylor finally managed to get his legs moving and rushed to Willow’s side just as she collapsed. He caught her and lowered her to the ground slowly, then smoothed the hair back from her face.

  “Are you alright?” he asked.

  She nodded, but didn’t speak at first, then finally managed to croak, “I’m okay.”

  Taylor gathered her up in his arms and looked over to where the shadow had been standing. “What was that thing?” he asked.

  It took Willow a couple of seconds to answer. “I’m not sure. A shadow creature or a demon, I think.”

  Taylor opened his mouth to ask another question, but there was a commotion in the hallway and Daniel poked his head through the broken door. “What the hell is going on?” he roared when he saw the room.

  He felt Willow stiffen in his arms and held her a little tighter for a second, then helped her sit up. “Something came in through the window and attacked Willow, a shadow creature or demon or something,” he explained.

  Natasha rushed into the room, took one look around, then said, “Let’s get you both out of here and we can sort this out downstairs.” She then looked down at Willow. “Are you hurt?”

  Willow took a deep breath and sat up straighter. “I don’t think so,” she said, then got a good look at the room. “Oh, no, it’s all ruined. I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Natasha said, patting her on the arm, then together she and Taylor helped Willow to her feet.

  She was a little unsteady on her feet at first, but Taylor put his arm around her waist and she felt her strength returning. “But I did this,” she said, prepared for Daniel’s wrath.

  “Defending yourself,” Taylor said. “I saw the whole thing, well, at least the end. That monster was coming after me; she didn’t have any choice.”

  Daniel snorted, then grimaced at the smell in the room. “Let’s get out of here. We can sort this out downstairs in the study.”

  Taylor helped Willow down the stairs, afraid to let go of her for even a second, then settled her on one of the couches. He covered her with a blanket hoping to stop the shivering that had started while
they’d still been in her room.

  “Maybe this can wait until tomorrow morning. I think Willow needs to rest,” he said, his protective instincts in full gear.

  Willow shook her head. “I don’t think I could sleep right now anyway. We might as well talk about it now; putting it off isn’t going to help.”

  Just then Natasha came into the room, a tea service on a tray, and soon they all had steaming cups in their hands. After she’d taken a few sips, the tea seemed to help; the shivering stopped, and some color came back into her cheeks.

  “If you’re feeling better, I’d like you to start from the beginning and tell us what happened,” Daniel said, a touch of kindness in his voice for the first time.

  Willow took a deep breath and in a shaking voice recounted what happened in her room that night. “I’m sorry about the room. I thought the shadow was going after Taylor and I just reacted,” she finished, then exhausted, sat back against the couch and closed her eyes.

  “He was coming after me. I could feel it,” Taylor said, unable to suppress the shiver that ran through him. “I could feel the evil radiating off that thing. Whatever it was, it wasn’t going to stop until it got what it wanted.”

  Daniel nodded. “I agree,” he said, then looked directly at Willow. “Does this mean that your magic is back?”

  Willow shook her head. “I don’t think so. I don’t know where that came from; the power was just there when I needed it,” she said, tears in her eyes.

  “I think that’s enough for tonight; this will all keep until morning,” Natasha said, getting to her feet. “We should all try to get some more sleep while we can. Willow, we’ll have to find you someplace else to sleep.”

  “She can stay with me for tonight,” Taylor said before he thought about it.

  But no one objected, so he helped Willow to her feet, then scooped her up in his arms and headed for the stairs. Daniel and Natasha watched them leave. “Do you still think it’s her?” Natasha asked when they heard Taylor’s door slam closed.

  “There’s no doubt in my mind, and I think Lucas knows it too. He sent that shadow after her, and I’m sure he’s going to try to kill her again,” he said, rising to his feet. “But it won’t be tonight.”

  Chapter Ten

  ***Willow***

  Willow woke to the sun streaming through the window, Taylor’s solid warmth pressed up against her back. She sighed in pleasure, then remembered the nightmare of the night before, and the pleasure evaporated. Taking a deep breath to push away the panic that started to rise, she rolled over and looked at Taylor, who was still snoring softly.

  Suddenly, her decision to stop what was happening between them seemed like a bad idea. But then she remembered the demon going after Taylor and knew that it wasn’t a bad idea: it was one of the best she’d ever had. She’d rather live without him and know that he was alive than spend the rest of her life knowing that she was the reason he was dead.

  There was no doubt in her mind that the demon would have killed Taylor last night, and she couldn’t imagine a world without him. Slipping out of bed without waking him, she quietly opened the door and went down the hallway to her room. When she opened the door, the smell hit her first, and it was almost impossible to step inside.

  Daylight didn’t make the mess look any better, and she silently stood there grieving for the books and papers that had been ruined. Some could never be replaced, and guilt sprang to life, quickly followed by anger. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs in frustration at the situation.

  But before she could, Daniel walked down the hallway and poked his head in the door. When he saw her, he stepped inside, wrinkling his nose at the smell. “I don’t think this room will ever be the same,” he said.

  “I don’t think any of us will,” Willow said without thinking.

  “Where’s Taylor?” he asked, walking around the room and looking down at the dark stain on the carpet.

  “He’s still asleep,” she said. “I’m sorry about this, Daniel, all of it. I can’t help but think that it’s my fault, if I’d never gotten mixed up with Lucas, he wouldn’t have sent that demon.”

  Daniel reached out and touched her shoulder, then removed his hand, “It’s not your fault, not really. Lucas has been after my family and me for a long time; you just became his pawn,” he said, giving her a smile, the first one ever.

  “Well,” she said, anger taking over, “that’s never going to happen again.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” he said, then his face became serious. “I think we need to be prepared for another attack. Lucas isn’t going to give up.”

  Willow nodded, knowing that he was right; she knew that this was the time to tell him that she was leaving, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to say the words. Then she realized that it wouldn’t have been fair to Taylor to tell Daniel first and let the moment pass; there would be plenty of time to share her plans after she told Taylor.

  Giving the room one more look, she followed Daniel out into the hallway. “I’ll get a crew in there to clean the mess up. I don’t know what to do about the papers and books; we might be able to save some, but I’m afraid they’re always going to smell.”

  Just then, Taylor came out of his room. When he saw Willow, a huge smile spread across his face. “There you are; you look much better this morning,” he said.

  “It’s about time you woke up,” Daniel said, his voice teasing. “Natasha sent me to look for you; breakfast is ready.”

  “Good, I’m starving,” Taylor said, grabbing Willow’s hand and pulling her towards the stairs.

  They managed to keep the conversation light over breakfast, safe discussions about the weather and other neutral topics. But everyone was on edge, the events of the night before making it difficult for anyone to concentrate on keeping the conversation going, so it was a relief when they filed back into Daniel’s study.

  As soon as everyone was seated, Daniel cleared his throat and said, “Since what happened is a little out of my scope of experience, I called Michelle this morning and asked her to sit in on our meeting,” he said, pushing a button on the phone on his desk.

  “Good morning, everyone,” Michelle said, “I hear you had a rough night last night. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help. Willow, Daniel gave me a brief account of what happened, but I’d like to hear it from you.”

  It was such a relief to hear Michelle’s voice that the story poured out of her again, reliving it bringing it into sharper focus. “Now that I’ve had some time to think about it, I think I knew my magic was back. I felt it right after I realized that the shadow was going after Taylor,” she finished, looking up at him.

  He smiled down at her, and a thrill rushed through her, nearly making her abandon her promise to leave. But Daniel’s next question brought her back to reality. “Where did this thing come from?”

  “Well, I have no doubt that Lucas sent it,” Michelle said. “I think what you need to know is how he got it.”

  “What I need to know is if he’s got another witch working for him. If he does, we’ve got an even bigger problem,” Daniel said.

  There was a long pause on the other end of the line, then Michelle said, “I can’t tell you for sure, but it is possible that Amanda called that demon before we took her away. Willow’s sent it back to the underworld, so it can’t bother you any longer, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more just like it.”

  “An army of shadow people,” Daniel said, more to himself than the group. “Michelle, how do we protect ourselves from these things?”

  “Willow knows what to do,” Michelle said. “She can put up a barrier that the shadows can’t cross.”

  Daniel looked over at her, and she nodded. She’d never done it without magic, but she knew how to protect them: the spells that would turn the shadows away. And when she’d finished, she’d leave; that alone would probably keep them away.

  ***Taylor***

  Taylor held the basket Willow had handed him and fol
lowed her to the front door, the rest of the family trailing along behind them. He could tell that she was nervous and felt bad for her, but she’d explained that the positive energy from them all would only make the spell stronger.

  She’d explained in detail what she was going to do and what each step would accomplish. When she was finished, she said, “I know it seems like a long process, but without my magic, it’s the only way I can protect you.”

  Daniel nodded, and Natasha said, “Do what you need to; we’re here to support you.”

  Willow took a shaky breath and pulled a pack of matches out of her pocket. “Hand me the sage,” she said.

  Taylor reached into the basket and pulled out a bunch of sage tied with a white ribbon that Willow had already said a spell over. When he handed it to her, he held onto it until she looked up at him. “You can do this, Willow; the magic is still inside you,” he said, then leaned over and kissed her quickly.

  Unable to stop the smile that appeared on her face, she said, “Thank you.”

  She lit the sage and began to chant a cleansing spell, working her way through the house, room by room, until they came back to the front door. Then they all followed her around the house again as she sprinkled salt on each window sill and across the doorways.

  No one spoke as they moved from room to room, but the air was full of electricity. Each time Willow said the spell, the air seemed to shimmer around her, and he could feel the atmosphere in the house changing. When she was finished with the salt, she went to the very center of the house, a hallway outside the kitchen, and drew a pentagram on the floor.

  She lit candles and placed them around the pentagram, then stepped inside and sprinkled oil around the circle. When she raised her hands in the air and began to chant, Taylor was sure he heard the house groan, and a gust of wind blew down the hallway and up the stairs.