by Cameo Renae
“We don’t need the mole.”
It was then, Anna decided to stop running. Henry was right. Without a guide, they would get lost and likely run into other dangerous creatures. She called her power and held her emerald flame in the palm of her hand.
“Why are we stopping?” Henry bent over, gasping for air,
“I’m not running anymore. I won’t run away from Will or my mom.”
Henry shook his head. “Wait? Do you have a death wish? Because I don’t have a death wish. I would like to live and see my dad again, and eat cheese pizza and ice cream again.”
“You’ll see your dad,” she replied, a fire burning deep in her eyes. “But, I have a destiny. I can’t run anymore. They’d catch us anyway.”
“You shouldn’t let that light of yours shine so brightly. They’ll see us.” He leaned over and attempted to blow it out.
“It’s not a candle,” Anna huffed, curling her fingers inward, extinguishing the flame. “And it doesn’t matter. They already know we’re here.”
There was movement behind them, and although Anna had never seen the dark warrior, she knew it was him. She could feel the evil emanating, coiling around them, seeping into the trees, the ground, and even the air. The creatures who’d come with him carried a foul stink.
“Anna, I—I don’t have a weapon,” Henry stammered. “I left my sword when we jumped into the river.”
Anna stood still, her eyes focused in the darkness ahead. “It wouldn’t matter anyway.”
“Will?” Anna attempted to call her brother, hoping he could give her moral support. “Will!” she called again, but he didn’t answer.
A tall figure wearing a menacing mask stepped out from the shadows with a sharp, double-edged sword in his hand.
“Shouldn’t we be running?” Henry quivered, standing next to her.
“Like I said, it wouldn’t matter.” Anna tried to remain calm, but inside she was terrified.
Her feet wanted her to turn and bolt away, but her mind knew it would do no good. They were crudely outnumbered, and would never be able to outrun the Howlers. She had no choice but to stand and fight. Her power was the only weapon they had, and Henry’s life was now completely dependent on her.
“Can you take him?” he whispered, stepping behind her. She could feel the warmth of his chest pressing against her back, and it helped to steady her.
“I don’t know,” she breathed. “But I’ll try.”
“I’ve got your back,” he said, patting her shoulder. “You can do this, Anna.”
“I hope so.”
Then, a familiar voice echoed inside her head. “Run, Anna. Run!”
Without hesitation, Anna grabbed hold of Henry’s hand, pivoted, and ran like the wind.
“Get them!” the dark warrior yelled, aiming his sword at them.
“What are we doing?” Henry panted, sprinting through the trees. “Where are we going?”
Anna didn’t break stride but exhaled one word. “Zohar.”
“What?”
“Trust me!”
“I do.”
Having no clue but the feeling in her gut, Anna ran with her flame held out in front of her, using it like a flashlight. Goblins and Howlers bounded closer, snapping and growling.
Anna suddenly stopped. “Keep running!” she yelled to Henry.
“Where? Where do I run?”
“Find the Unicorn. He’ll take you to safety.”
“What about you?”
Anna held out her flame, her eyes glowing bright emerald. “Go,” she ordered, eyes narrowed as he ran away.
A Howler bounded out of the darkness and pounced at her, sharp teeth snapping. Anna threw her flame, and it slammed into the beast. The Howler hurled backward through the air, crashing into oncoming beasts.
“Holy wow! That was amazing,” Henry marveled, dashing to her side with a long, stick clasped tightly in his hands.
“What are you doing?” Anna scolded. “You’re supposed to be running.”
“I’m not leaving you.” Henry stood at her side. “I promised Will I’d look after you if anything happened to him.”
Anna shook her head, because she told Will she would do the same thing.
The dark warrior wasn’t far behind. “Keep the female alive.”
Howlers charged forward, their feral teeth snapping.
A rage grew inside Anna. As she called her power again, she could feel it buzzing and tingling under her skin. The flame, much larger now, seemed to expand to match her emotions.
Anna hurled that power at the oncoming beasts, and it connected with a Howler. Limbs and intestines splattered everywhere. The others stopped advancing about ten yards away, stunned by Anna’s power. Instead, they paced around them, teeth bared, crude spears and swords drawn.
As the dark warrior came toward them, a Goblin suddenly charged at her, and others followed.
Anna thrust her power, over and over, each flame hitting its target and eliminating it.
It was too late when a Howler lunged forward, ten feet away, jaw unhinged, ready to sink its sharp-edged teeth into her flesh. All Anna could do was drop to her knees and cover her face.
Henry screamed as he ran from behind, pushing Anna to the ground, throwing himself at the Howler. He grabbing its neck, and they went tumbling to the ground. The beast rebounded on all fours, standing above him, teeth bared, wicked eyes zeroing in for a kill.
“Watch out!” she screamed as the beast snapped inches from his face, only held back by the stick he was holding between its jowls.
Anna called her power, but paused, afraid to hit Henry.
Henry wailed as the beast’s saliva oozed onto his face and down his neck. He bucked, arching his back, enough to get his legs up to kick the beast in the gut. For a split second, as the beast was knocked back, Anna tossed her flame. The blast sent the Howler crashing into a tree, the force so immense it immediately killed it.
Henry rose to his feet, the stick grasped tightly in his hand as Anna moved next to him.
“Thank you,” he said breathlessly. “I thought that thing was going to eat my face.”
“Me too.” She called her power and held it, this time it was even larger in the palm of her hand as the beasts prowled around them.
The cold seeped through to Anna’s bones. Using her power tired her, and she prayed she could hold on, just long enough to be rescued. But they were outnumbered. The Howlers and Goblins she killed didn’t seem to make a dent. There were dozens—stalking, watching, testing Anna’s power, and waiting for the right time to strike.
Most of their eyes were on Henry, the weaker of the two.
A Howler bounded toward Henry, and instead of throwing her power at the beast, Anna turned it to Henry. She watched her emerald flame wrap around him, concentrating as the beast struck the protective barrier and flew back with a yelp. Henry let out a bellowing scream.
Knowing her power wasn’t stable, Anna quickly dissolved it.
“You saved me,” Henry wobbled, his branch outward, his eyes on the overwhelming threat.
“And you saved me earlier,” she replied. “We’re even now.”
Behind them, hooves thundered along the forest floor. “We’re here.”
Anna called another flame and tossed it at two Goblins directly behind them. “Run!”
They sprinted between the new opening, barking Howlers bounding after them.
A firm hand grabbed Anna by the arm and yanked her to the side as arrows and spears whizzed past them. Dozens of Centaurs charged out of the darkness, heading toward the enemy.
Then, out from the dark trees Zohar stepped, in all his majesty, bowing his head to Anna.
Help had arrived just in time.
Will woke to a thunderous roar with the creaking and cracking of trees outside. Then, it went silent.
He had passed out for a while, his side still throbbing, and each breath was more laborious and excruciating than the next. The tree was dark and the air thick and musty. Sweat drippe
d down his brow and soaked his shirt.
A sound above—a faint fluttering— made his head snap up and his eyes squint into the darkness. Falling leaves alerted him there was something else inside the tree with him.
Will’s heart hammered as he reached for the dagger still sheathed around his waist, glad it hadn’t been lost in the river. With one hand, he grasped it, while the other ignited a sapphire flame in the palm of his hand. As he held it up, he heard a tiny voice, a soft whisper.
“William. Don’t be afraid. It’s me.” A little butterfly floated down, landing on his outstretched arm.
“Ashlyn?” Will blew out the breath he was holding, cringing at the pain it caused in his chest. “How did you find me?”
“Raven,” she answered, her tiny brow furrowed. “You don’t look so good.”
“My ribs. Breathing hurts,” he moaned.
“Let me see.” She fluttered down as Will slowly lifted his shirt. The bruise had spread, and now his entire right side was a dark purplish-black.
Ashlyn retrieved a small vial from a pouch before she flew over his bruises, sprinkling a fine, glittery dust over them.
“What’s that?” he groaned.
“Fairy magic,” she answered. “Now hold still and keep quiet, please.”
Gritting his teeth, Will tried not to make too much noise as the concoction bubbled and fizzed over his skin. “It hurts.”
“Of course it hurts. You have broken ribs,” she piped. “Now stay still.”
The ground trembled as Blayze roared overhead. The Dragon was close. Too close.
Within minutes, the tree heated and smoke billowed inside.
“He’s setting the woods on fire!” Ashlyn wailed. “We must leave. We must leave now!” She took off, flying back up to the top of the tree.
“Don’t leave me,” Will called after her. He knew there was no way he could move by himself. Not without a lot of pain and even more effort.
“I’m going to get help,” her tiny voice said.
Will moved slightly and noticed the pain in his ribs was a lot more bearable. He pulled himself to a sitting position, which he couldn’t do before, and peeked outside a tiny hole in the tree. The forest surrounding him was engulfed in flames, and smoke was making it hard to see.
Huge talons tromped down about twenty yards away, making him gasp and fall backward.
The Dragon must have known he was nearby.
Could he smell him? Could he see through trees?
Will tried to hold his breath and stifle a cough. The smoke was getting thicker, the fire getting hotter.
A thunderous roar came from above, and suddenly, the trees around began to crack. Will’s tree shook, then snapped in half and splinters rained down.
Will looked up, shielding his eyes, to see Blayze’s body tumbling over him, leveling tree after tree from whatever had hit it.
Will crawled from the hole and gazed into the sky. There, he saw a magnificent silver Dragon fly overhead. Rhyder had come. He’d saved him.
A black bird whizzed past Will’s head, landing a few yards away. “Hurry, Will. Hurry!”
Raven shifted back into her human form, waving, urging him to come. He shot up and sprinted toward her with minimal pain in his ribs. But the red Dragon saw him. Serpentine eyes glared with evil intent.
“Look out!” Raven screamed, eyes wide with terror as he swung his monstrous, sharp tail.
Will dove toward the girl. The wind from its spiked tail rushed past his back, missing him by inches. It connected with neighboring trees, completely obliterating them.
Will landed with a thud, a sharp pain throbbing in his ribs had him gasping for air, but it didn’t incapacitate him. Pure adrenaline aided Will to his feet and had him sprinting again, toward Raven.
Blayze roared and sent a stream of hot fire toward them. Will dove for Raven, and rolled behind a large tree. They pressed against it, the heat almost unbearable.
Then the stream of fire stopped.
“We have to move,” Raven said, grabbing his arm.
“I’m too weak,” Will panted, his legs trembling.
“Because you’re still healing.” Her obsidian eyes snapped up, going wide. “He’s coming.”
Blayze stepped in their direction, its lungs filling with air.
“We must go,” Raven urged. “We’ll die if we don’t.”
Just as they stood to run, Rhyder shot from the sky, like a silver bullet, and slammed into Blayze. The immense power of the two Dragons colliding sent a shockwave through the woods, their bodies leveling trees as if they were blades of grass.
“Now!” Raven kept hold of Will’s arm as they ran, away from the fires and into the dark woods. They both stopped to catch their breath when six Centaurs stepped out from the trees, surrounding them. One stepped forward, offering his hand.
“Come, William,” he said. “My name is Rupe. I’m a friend of Anna’s. We’re here to take you to her.”
“Where is she? Who is she with?”
“She’s safe, both her and the red-haired boy,” he answered. “They’re with Zohar.”
Will paused and exhaled a deep breath, thankful his sister was okay. He hopped on the Centaur’s back, excited and hopeful to soon be reunited with Anna and Henry.
They stayed hidden in the woods when they reached the castle. Speckled around the perimeter were Trolls, Cyclopes, and a few Goblins armed with long spears and shields.
Anna cringed and held her nose. “What’s that horrible smell?”
“Evil. It’s strong here,” a Centaur replied.
“How are we going to get past them?” she asked. “There are so many.”
Zohar’s head angled to the side, his silvery mane waved back and forth in the glistening moonlight. “After all this time, you still doubt?”
The iridescent spiraled horn in the middle of Zohar’s forehead illuminated, then . . . he vanished. Anna lifted her hands and saw she had also gone invisible.
“Wait! I’m coming with you,” Henry said, hopping off the Centaur, making his way over to them. His arms were stretched out in front of him, trying to find them.
Anna sighed internally, watching him shuffle forward.
“If he desires, let him come,” Zohar responded.
Anna sighed, and as Henry came close, she reached out and grabbed his arm to help pull him up, making him disappear.
“Whoa. This is awesome,” Henry whispered, situating himself behind Anna.
“What about Will?” Anna asked.
“The eclipse is about to start. We haven’t heard word and cannot delay. We need to get inside and release the Sorcerers . . . and your mother. The others can bring him as soon as he arrives.”
Anna agreed, trying to call out to Will, but he wasn’t answering. Where was he? Why couldn’t she make contact with him?
“Malzador’s magic is interrupting the telepathy between you.”
“I can hear you though.”
“Because my magic is strong, and we are very close.” Zohar twisted his neck to the side. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” Ready or not, she had to be.
As Zohar started to walk forward, Anna twisted back to Henry. “Hold on.” He wrapped his arms around her waist as Zohar exited the woods.
The Unicorn’s hooves were silent as they strode toward the drawbridge of the Crystal Castle. Anna’s heart thumped loud and hard as they neared the guards. Six Goblins were standing at the front, and they didn’t seem to be paying attention, arguing about when their next meal was coming. But behind them is what had Anna sweating. Enormous Trolls holding huge and dangerous clubs made of wood and stone, just as dangerous as their large mouths and teeth.
The knot in Anna’s stomach tightened. “Do Trolls eat people?”
“Trolls eat anything. But they won’t make a meal of us tonight.”
Anna trusted Zohar. She had to.
As Zohar made his way past the Goblins, Henry and Anna froze. Anna tried not to breathe. The smell o
f those vile, green monsters burned her nostrils. They were still arguing with each other, as Zohar silently walked by.
Henry’s grip tightened around Anna. They were coming up on a Troll, repulsively picking his nose. Anna gagged silently, her eyes watering, trying to keep the bile from rising in her throat as the Troll plucked a boogie from his nose and popped it in his mouth.
Henry squeezed even tighter, making Anna gasp and throw her elbow back.
“Ouch,” Henry piped, immediately throwing his hand over his mouth.
The Troll snapped its head in their direction. He was massive, over twenty feet tall, with arms at least ten feet long. Grasped in his left hand was a massive club with sharp spikes wrapped around it, likely to kill anything with a single blow.
Zohar stilled and Anna held her breath as the Troll leaned forward, sniffing the air.
“I smell . . .” The Troll inhaled with quick, sharp breaths. “I smell . . .” He gasped, eyes watering, nose twitching, sucking air into his large lungs. He blasted forward with a bellowing sneeze, spraying snot all over them.
“Uuuh!” Henry howled, wiping slimy Troll glop from his face.
Anna shrieked, pulling Henry’s flannel up to wipe her face, but it was coated with troll goop. As she took it off, Henry accidentally hit her arm, knocking the flannel from her grasp. The material became visible and fell to the ground, giving away their location.
Without warning, Zohar took off at a full gallop. Henry hugged Anna’s waist, and she gripped Zohar’s mane as he cantered past the Troll.
The Troll swung his deadly club, just missing them.
“Dey’re inbisible!” the Troll hollered, spittle flying from his mouth
Every guard charged in their direction. Spears were thrown and clubs swung aimlessly, barely missing their target. Zohar zig-zagged through the enemy, trying to avoid the deadly onslaught.
Anna held on for dear life as they galloped forward.
Then . . . the dark warrior stepped into their path.
Zohar skidded to a stop and reared. Anna lost her grip, and she and Henry tumbled off his back. As soon as they separated from Zohar, they became visible.
The dark warrior stood in front of them and pointed his finger. All arrows, clubs, and spears directed at them.