by Mandi Oyster
Hazy, afternoon light filtered down through the spruce and pine trees. It danced along the ground casting shadows on the undergrowth. Cody wobbled slightly as he set me on my feet.
“I’m sorry.” I pulled my hand through my hair. Guilt tore a hole in my chest. I didn’t want to put Cody through this again, but what was I supposed to do? I couldn’t ignore Damon’s call. I couldn’t go with the Nephilim. I needed the dragons to figure out who summoned him. As much as I’d missed him, I needed him out of my life. “He wouldn’t stop calling me.”
Cody walked away from me and leaned against a tree. “Can’t do this again, Dacia.”
I stared down at my feet. “I know.” My heart plummeted, but I couldn’t blame him. Things had been hard enough the first time Damon was in my life. “I can take you back.”
“No.” He held his hand out to me. “Let’s walk.”
“Are you sure?”
He wiggled his fingers, waiting for me to slip my hand into his.
The trees were thick here. We ducked under branches and around trunks. Chipmunks darted over the path in front of us. We stepped out of the woods, and the ground was covered with rocks. Mountains rose up all around Cougar Lake. Their peaks were snow-covered. The air was cool and crisp.
Cody led us to a picnic table. “How do we get rid of him?” He sat down.
“Everyone says I need to find who controls him.” I positioned myself across from him.
He stretched his hands across the table, and I slipped mine into them. “Your powers?”
I squeezed his fingers. “That’s why I tried to get into his head. I was hoping I’d be able to catch a glimpse of who summoned him here.” I looked down at our hands. “I also wanted to see if he was telling the truth.”
“Seth thinks so.”
“It doesn’t matter.” I shook my head. “I don’t want him here, Cody. I only want you.”
“Yeah.”
The wind blew across the lake. Goosebumps lifted the hair on my arms. “I’m scared.” I rubbed my arms, trying to warm them. “Will he kill me? Take me away? Use me to fulfill the prophecy and destroy the world?”
“You won’t let him.” Cody stood up and moved next to me, pulling me against his side. I rested my head on his shoulder.
We stayed at Cougar Lake until I heard Malcolm’s voice in my head. We are back.
I teleported us to my room. Dan and Samantha sat on the couch. He was playing video games, and she had a pen tucked behind her ear and one in her hand, working on homework.
Malcolm stood by the window with his arms crossed over his chest. “It seems your demon lied. The elder council scanned all of our memories, and none of your guards are responsible.”
I sat on the edge of the chair with my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. “So maybe it’s a dragon that’s not guarding me, or maybe it is the Nephilim.”
“Or maybe Mavros is a liar just like I’ve been telling you all along.” Samantha slammed her book shut and shoved everything into her backpack. She snatched her pen from behind her ear and pointed it at me. “He’s a demon. He’s not to be trusted. Ever!”
Chapter 16
Living My Dreams
Mavros and I sit on the bench where Damon and I had spent so much time together. He looks perfect. The most beautiful man I’ve ever seen, not a hair out of place, not a speck of dust on his black clothes. I, however, am here in my pajamas. My hair pokes out in every direction from sleeping, and I’m freezing. The nights are getting colder, and for some reason, when he comes to me in my dreams, the actual weather comes into play.
He hands me his coat. It smells like him, warm summer nights and sulfur. I pull my legs up and drape it over me like a blanket. “Why can you control me when Draconian couldn’t?”
Mavros laughs derisively. “Draconian didn’t have the power of Hell backing him. I do.” He turns on the bench so he’s facing me, pulls one of my curls straight, and releases it so it springs back up. “There is so much I could teach you, so much more you could learn if you would just let me. Your power would be unfathomable.”
He doesn’t try to control me, but there is something compelling in his voice.
“But at what cost?” I pull back from him.
He kneels in front of me and stares up into my eyes. “I will pay the cost, Dacia. There will be none for you. I will give you my true name and let you control me.” He smiles at me, not his seductive grin or his sardonic smirk, but a genuine smile. “You are incurably moral. You would hold a tight leash.”
“I—” for a moment, words were lost to me “—I’ve seen you resist your master’s control.”
“For you, Dacia.” He holds his hands over mine, and his jacket slides to my lap. His obsidian eyes beg me to believe him. “I only resist to protect you. You took my pain away when I was hurting. You helped me realize I can do good things. You are my shining light in the darkness, my savior.” He lowers his forehead onto my knee. “I’ve never begged before. Please don’t give up on me now.”
My heart goes out to him. What would it mean to him to be free from the Abyss? I could do it for him, but Cody would never forgive me. The dragons and Nephilim would never forgive me. They’d probably both try to cage me or kill me for that.
I pull my hands away from him and drag them through my hair, clutching it at the back of my head. I don’t know what’s right or wrong. I don’t know what to do. He’s been trying to help me, but does he deserve more time on Earth as a reward? Would he manipulate me and somehow cause the prophecy to come true?
“I … I don’t know, Mavros.” I lift his coat up so it covers my arms and legs again. “The dragons were sent to the elders, and they saw no evidence that one of them summoned you.”
“How?” He slumps back.
“I don’t know if I can trust you or your memories.” Tiny snowflakes land on his coat. Their shapes are visible for just a moment before they melt. “Is it possible it’s a different dragon, not one of my guards?”
He pants, and his body convulses. He throws himself back, putting distance between us. Stretching out his neck, he roars.
The sound raises the hairs on my arms and along the back of my neck.
He stares at me, and his eyes are a swirling inferno. His fingers are tipped with claws.
“Wake up,” I say out loud. “Come on.” I spring to my feet.
The fully-formed panther stalks toward me. His teeth are bared. I hold his jacket in my left fist, and in my right hand, I create a sword out of ice like the one I’d killed Draconian with.
Wake up! Mavros’ command slams through my skull.
“I tried that.” I flick my wrist, flinging his coat out, hoping to make him back away, but he doesn’t even blink.
He prowls closer, and I walk down the bench, wanting to keep the high ground. I slash the blade down, striking his shoulder. His roar is filled with pain. Black blood runs down his leg and sizzles when it hits the cement.
He swipes his paw at me.
I lower the blade to block his attack, but I’m too late. Three deep lacerations in my thigh gush blood. I press my arm against my leg, nearly dropping my sword. He lifts his paw and licks the gore off of it. His eyes widen, and the flames in them leap.
He limps toward me.
“Wake up.” Malcolm clamped his hand down on my shoulder hard enough to pull me out of the nightmare.
I sat in Cookie Monster. Water dripped off of my ice sword onto my leg, mixing with the blood. Mavros’ coat was clutched in my other hand. I looked at Malcolm with wide eyes. “What the hell?” I threw Mavros’ jacket and the sword on the floor. My blood splattered Malcolm.
He stared at me. His pupils transformed into thin slashes, and scales dotted his face. His nose and chin stretched into a snout. Fangs jutted out of his mouth.
I wasn’t sure if Cody was awake or not, but I didn’t dare take my eyes off Malcolm. “Cody, I need a towel now.” I lowered my eyes just a little, hoping not to provoke the dragon in front of me. “Malcolm, your vow is sacred. Remember?”
His head jerked back like I’d slapped him, and his features slowly became more human.
Cody walked over with the towel. Malcolm’s head snapped toward him. A low growl permeated the room.
I shoved Cody away. Then I wrapped the towel around my leg, hoping to cover the scent as much as possible. Arianna, Russ, help me. “Malcolm, you promised to protect me.”
Arianna and Russ appeared between the couch and the door. They both lifted their heads and sniffed the air. Russ looked at me, then at Malcolm. He jumped over the couch and slammed his shoulder into Malcolm, knocking him down. They landed on top of Big Bird, smashing the chair into a thousand pieces.
While Russ pinned Malcolm to the floor, Arianna came to my side. She grabbed my hand, and healing energy flowed into me. I closed my eyes, thought about life, and added to her powers. The pain lessened, and I opened my eyes in time to see the last of the gashes disappear.
“The three of you need to leave while I clean up.” I wiped at my leg with the towel. “Please, go now.”
Russ and Malcolm disappeared first, followed quickly by Arianna.
Cody slumped onto the couch, holding his head in his hands. “You okay?” His voice was shaky.
“Sure, I guess.” I stood up, trying to keep the weight off my leg until I knew it would hold. “I don’t know how long they’ll stay away. I need to get all the blood cleaned up and burned before they come back.”
I grabbed new clothes and went to the sink. Stripping down to my underwear, I washed the blood off my body. As soon as I pulled the shirt over my head, I realized it was one of Cody’s. It hung to mid-thigh on me.
I piled the clothes and towels in the sink and went to help Cody clean up the blood. His gaze roved over me. “I’ll change. I don’t want to ruin it.”
“No.” His voice was husky, and his eyes were bright. “Like seeing you wear my shirt.” He grazed his fingers along my cheek, then knelt down and scrubbed the floor. “Think that’s all.”
He pointed at the melting sword and Mavros’ coat. “What’s with that?”
I grabbed the rag from Cody and took it to the sink. “I was using them to fight off the panther. Then somehow I brought them back with me.” I lit my bloody shirt on fire and watched the cerulean flames devour the fabric. I took deep breaths, trying to calm the panic rising inside of me. “I don’t get it.”
“Me either.” He stood next to me, waiting for the fire to die down so he could wash his hands. “Mavros’ blood on the blade?”
I looked at the black sludge that stained the carpet. “Yeah.”
“Wonder how that’ll work.”
My thoughts seemed to freeze, and I blinked at him several times, trying to figure out what he meant.
He dried his hands off and pointed at the blood. “Seems like he’s been invited in.”
“Shit.”
L
When the dragons came back, Malcolm stood against the wall by the door, about as far from me as he could. He watched the floor without blinking.
I strolled over to him and put my hand on his arm. “Malcolm, I get it. It was a lot of blood. It splashed onto your face and took you by surprise.”
“I’m supposed to be stronger.” He refused to meet my gaze.
I strained to hear his low voice, then shook my head. “You didn’t hurt me. You could have.”
“I wanted to drain every drop of blood from your body.” He looked at me, and his eyes were animalistic. “The scent lingers in here, tempting us all.”
Cody walked over to the window and threw it open. Chilly mountain air rushed into the room.
I grabbed a blanket and snuggled with Cody in Cookie Monster. “Sit down.” I pointed at the couch.
All three of them looked incredibly uncomfortable, but I needed to talk to them tonight before anything worsened.
“That mean he can enter now?” Cody pointed at Mavros’ blood.
Arianna’s eyes narrowed, and she hissed. “How did it get in here?”
“It was on the sword I brought back with me from my dream.” I pulled the blanket up to my chin and shivered. “I also brought his coat back with me.”
“How?” Russ looked at the other dragons.
I pressed up against Cody’s side, and some of his energy flowed into me. “I hoped one of you could tell me that.”
Malcolm wiped his hand down his face. He was beginning to look more like himself. “The only thing I can come up with is an out-of-body experience.”
“I don’t like it”—Arianna stared at the blood like it might get up and attack her—“but it makes sense.”
“Wh—” my voice caught in my throat “—what do you mean?”
Malcolm pointed at the couch. “You were here, sleeping, but you were there, too.”
“Your spirit was there.” Russ pushed one sleeve up, then the other. “Your physical manifestation was lying on the couch with Cody, but your spiritual being was with Mavros.”
“Then”—Malcolm snapped—“you weren’t lying on the couch anymore. You were in the chair with the sword, jacket, and bloody leg. You were sound asleep and striking out against something I couldn’t see.”
I felt the urge to pace but decided it might be better to keep my scent contained under the blanket. “Why?” I raked my fingers through my hair. “Why this time? And if I was there, why didn’t his venom affect me like it normally does?”
The dragons looked to each other for answers. Finally, Arianna lifted her shoulders. “I can’t answer that. Maybe he’s been trying to get your spirit to join him every time he’s met with you in your dreams and this is the first time it’s worked.”
“He might have held back on his venom again,” Russ said.
The urge to get up was overwhelming. I tossed the blanket to the side and walked to my closet. Grabbing a pair of sweatpants, I pulled them on. “He said he wouldn’t be able to do that again, though.”
“Defied orders before.” Cody watched every step I took.
I blew a deep breath out of my mouth. “My dreams haven’t been safe for a long time, but they’ve never been this unsafe.”
Chapter 17
Taking What’s Mine
After classes Wednesday, Malcolm and I went to Sarah’s office for a lesson. A fire roared in the hearth, warming the room. We sat opposite each other on the tan couches, but the coffee table wasn’t the only thing between us. He’d distanced himself from me all day. He wouldn’t meet my eyes, wouldn’t talk to me. I didn’t know why we’d even bothered coming here.
“If you don’t want to do this, I can see if somebody else will help me.” I looked at him, wondering if he’d respond. “Malcolm, please, let it go.” I huffed.
He glanced at me and then quickly looked away. “I broke your trust. I nearly broke my vow. I am dishonorable and unworthy.” He seemed to shrink before my eyes.
I walked over to the fireplace, holding my hands out to warm them. I didn’t know how to fix a broken dragon, but I needed to figure it out. He saw the world differently than I did, not only because of his age but also because he was an apex predator. Hoping that turning my back to him would show him I trusted him, I walked to the window and stared outside. The sky was filled with gray clouds. The mountains were covered in a fresh coat of snow.
When he didn’t react, I sat next to him. “You didn’t break my trust.” I took his hand in mine. “You kept Mavros from calling me. You pulled me out of that nightmare—” I dragged my other hand down my face “—or whatever it was. You’ve protected me, helped me, and been my friend. You listened to my concern
s and set my mind at ease.”
He squeezed my fingers and smiled at me. His eyes were softer than I’d ever seen them. “Thank you, Dacia.”
I nodded and moved back to the other couch. “I wouldn’t be here with you if I didn’t trust you.”
“Yeah—” he smirked “—but you also trust a demon.”
I shrugged and closed my eyes. “We all have our faults.” I focused my breathing until I was relaxed. Holding my hand out, I thought about fire. A small ball of flames formed in my palm. My goal was to hold them without letting them diminish or spread.
It didn’t take long for Malcolm to gain control of my powers. Flames danced along my fingers and over my hand.
Fear spread along with the fire. My heart raced. I fought to keep my breathing steady. I fought to regain control of my magic. My stomach tightened, and my hand shook. I remembered how the flames had stolen the oxygen from me in my dreams, and my breathing became harsher, shallower.
“Take it, Dacia.” Malcolm’s voice was strained. “They’re yours. Own them.”
The flames climbed my arm until Malcolm stopped them. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead and leaned back. “We will try again in a moment.”
Picking up the pitcher on the coffee table, I thought about what he’d said. They were my powers, so how could somebody seize control of them from me. It should have been my say what happened with them. I poured myself a glass of water and drained it.
“Ready when you are.” Malcolm narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. “Try to take them from me.”
Holding my hand out, I called flames to my palm. A tiny spark flickered, then died. I squeezed my fist, then stretched my fingers out. I focused on that minuscule bit of energy that responded to my call and summoned it again. You are mine! The ember shimmered. I concentrated on it. I claim you. I do not fear you. Come to me.