by Mandi Oyster
“She summoned him to help defeat an elder dragon that had been corrupted.” Aurelia took my other hand in hers. “The dragons and fairies still stand with her. Her heart is pure. She plans to return him to the Abyss now.”
“It’s a trick,” the Nephilim with the tattoo along the side of his face said. “She’s standing with him, holding his hand.”
Mavros looked down at me. “It’s time, Dacia.”
I bit my bottom lip, pulling it into my mouth, and shook my head. “I don’t want to.”
“I’ll be okay.” He slid his hand from mine and cupped my cheek. Even out here, surrounded by snow, his skin was warm. He kissed my cheek and whispered, “You can let me go.”
I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly, knowing this would be the last time I’d see him. “Thank you for everything.” I pulled away.
He wiped my eyes. “It’s been an honor, Dacia. Let me go.”
My voice was soft. My words were only meant for him. “I’ll never forget you.”
“How could you?” His eyes sparkled affectionately.
Raising my voice so the Nephilim could hear me, I said, “Chaódis Skotádi, return to the Abyss.”
His wings burst through his coat. He lifted into the air, transforming into a black mist that brushed against my cheek as it dissipated.
“That proves nothing,” ponytail said. “She needs to come with us. She’s proven she has no reservations about aligning with darkness.”
Several of the Nephilim stalked toward us. Malcolm and Cash moved in front of me.
“Stop!” Diana yelled, but the Nephilim ignored her.
Cash’s form rippled. A purple haze surrounded him. His dragon erupted from it. He roared, and the Nephilim stopped. “Leave.” He whipped his head toward them, and his chest glowed from the fire within.
“Don’t hurt them, Cash.” I pulled my glove off, dropping it onto the snow, and pressed my hand to his side. “Please, don’t hurt them.”
Malcolm growled, and I turned to look at him. Scales lined his neck and face. “We made a vow to protect you. Our oaths are sacred.”
I turned, looking at my guardians. All of them were caught somewhere between human and dragon.
“Just give us the girl,” the tattooed Nephilim yelled across the clearing.
The snow in front of me seemed to explode, blasting up into the air. When it settled, four sets of footprints sank into the drift.
My heart pounded against my ribcage. The Nephilim rushed toward us, and I lifted my hands. I needed to do something to stop this, but I didn’t know what.
The magic seemed to have a mind of its own. A barrier sprang up between us, blocking the Nephilim’s attack. The Nephilim with the ponytail crashed into it.
“No.” Malcolm sounded crushed. “Dacia, say you didn’t.” His scales retracted, and his bronze eyes filled with despair.
“I’m sorry. I can’t let you fight. I can’t let anybody die for me.” Power like I’d only felt once before surged through my body. It boosted the shield.
Malcolm grabbed me, and electricity arced from me to him. He groaned but kept hold of me. We stretched in and pulled out. When he finally let go, we stood in the fairies’ cave.
Malcolm fell to the ground. “Help her.” His voice was a soft plea.
The fairies lit up the cavern. Rayne landed on my shoulder. Her lilac eyes stared up into mine. “What have you done?”
“I sent Mavros back to the Abyss.” I pressed my eyes closed and rubbed my hand down my face. “I couldn’t let the dragons and Nephilim kill each other.”
She waved her hand, and the other fairies flew to her. “His power will corrupt you. You must resist using yours.” The fairies converged on my body. Their bright, cleansing energy flowed through me.
They hovered in front of me, and my skin shone a brilliant white. “Thank you.”
“You mustn’t use your power again.” Rayne’s wings fluttered so fast they were little more than a blur. “If you do, we may not be able to keep it from spreading.”
“I’ll do my best.” They flew off, and I knelt by Malcolm’s side. “I’m sorry.”
He pushed himself up to a sitting position. “We need to go back.” He wobbled as he stood. I let him lean on me, fighting my desire to use my powers to help him.
The air grew colder, and I stood amongst ten dragons. I knew now who the footprints in the snow had belonged to. My unseen guardians stood between the Nephilim and my friends. The glow from my skin lit up a ten-foot area surrounding me.
Mara turned toward me. “The demon’s taint has been removed from her.” She faced the Nephilim. “You no longer need to fear her.”
“If you advance, we will have no choice but to fight you.” Aurelia’s voice was a fierce growl. “Is it worth it to you?”
The six Nephilim from Althea stepped forward. One with short, dark hair pointed at me. “We will be watching you.”
Several portals opened and all but Diana and Olivia stepped through them. Diana looked at Aurelia. “Can we catch a ride back to campus?”
Chapter 46
Thanksgiving
My friends waited for us to return. Cody stood by the window, staring into the distance as if he could see what was happening. Dan and Samantha huddled together in Cookie Monster. Their faces were stony. Cassandra and Bryce sat on the couch, holding hands. They were the first to notice my arrival.
“You’re all right.” Relief filled Cassandra’s voice.
I nodded at her.
Bryce’s eyes widened as he took me in. “You’re glowing.”
Cody turned and looked at me. The stony mask melted off his face, and he let out a heavy sigh. He strode across the room and pulled me against him. One hand clutched the back of my head, pressing it against his chest. The other wrapped around my waist.
I held him, savoring his warmth and his strength.
“What happened?” Samantha asked.
I pulled against Cody’s grip, but he clung to me.
“She sent Mavros back to the Abyss.” Malcolm’s voice sounded more human than it had on the mountain. “Then she held off the Nephilim’s attack, and I took her to the fairies.”
“The Nephilim agreed to let her remain free … for now,” Aurelia said.
I stepped back, and Cody loosened his grip on me. I brushed my thumb along his cheek and held his face.
“Your eyes.” He sounded hollow. “They’re different. Why?”
I slid out of his arms, walked over to the sink, and stared into the mirror. Black speckled the green of my irises. “Because I didn’t listen. I used my power to stop the Nephilim.” I lifted my hand to my face, then spun around. “Will it go away?”
Malcolm shook his head. “I don’t think so. I think that’s why the fairies were so adamant that you don’t use your magic again.”
“What’s going to happen to me?”
Aurelia strode across the room to me. She grabbed my hands. “As long as you refrain from using your powers, nothing will change.”
D
Malcolm, Cash, and Aurelia crowded around my family’s dinner table. Cody had ridden back to Bittersweet with me, but I’d dropped him off at his house with a promise to let him know if anything happened to me. As much as I wanted him by my side, I was glad he was with his family.
Turkey with all the trimmings covered the table. Pies sat on the counter. For six humans, there would’ve been plenty of food, but each of the dragons could easily devour several turkeys without even putting a dent in their hunger.
Trying to blend in, they put a little of everything on their plates. None of them had ever celebrated the holiday before, and they wouldn’t be now if they weren’t trying to make sure I didn’t use my power. They took turns draining my magic every few hours. By claiming it,
I seemed to have unlocked unfathomable depths of magic. I could tell the dragons were concerned, but none of them would confide in me.
While we ate, my parents asked me how school was going. They discussed the weather and how weird it was to be empty nesters. Their eyes never met the dragons’, but they watched them.
After dinner, my guardians thanked my parents for letting them join us and insisted on clearing the table and washing the dishes. Mom, Dad, and I sat in the living room with the TV off. Logs sat in a fireplace that I couldn’t ever remember being used. Family photos hung on the walls along with a picture of the mountains I’d painted in high school. The blue couch and loveseat were the same ones we’d had since I was six. The room held memories, both good and bad.
Mom leaned forward and whispered, “You and Cody are still together, right?”
“Yes, Cash and Malcolm are just friends.” I looked toward the kitchen sure they were listening to everything we said. “Their families don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, so I invited them to come with me.”
“They’re a little intimidating.” Dad didn’t bother lowering his voice. “They look like they’d break someone’s kneecaps if they stepped too close to you.”
I laughed, but I’m sure it sounded as fake to my parents as it did to me. “Okay, Dad.”
“We know—” Mom’s gaze darted toward the kitchen “—they’re not human.”
Dad’s face paled, and he coughed. “Caitlin, I thought we weren’t going to talk to her about this.”
She fixed her pale green eyes on him. “If we don’t, we going to lose her, too.”
“What—” the word caught in my throat “—what’s going on?”
Dad seemed to shrink in on himself, but Mom sat rigidly. She nodded toward the kitchen. “We know your friends are more than they appear to be. We know there’s more to your life than you can tell us, but I want you to know that we’re here for you.”
I stared at them with my mouth hanging open. “What are you talking about?”
“Dacia.” Dad’s voice was stern. “Don’t act stupid.”
I jumped up. Magic flared along with my anger. Suddenly, three dragons stood in the living room with me. Malcolm grabbed hold of my hand. “Too much,” he said through gritted teeth.
Cash stood in front of me, blocking my parents from my view. He slid his fingers through mine. “Dacia, take a deep breath. Let it know you’re not in danger.”
I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself. “How can you say you’re here for me?” Tears threatened to spill, but somehow, I kept them contained. “You’ve never been there for me.”
“Oh, Dacia.” Mom’s voice was heartbroken. “We thought that if we ignored it, it would go away.”
I pulled away from Malcolm and Cash. “Why would you think that?”
“It worked for me.” Mom stared at the beige carpet.
Aurelia’s head snapped toward Mom. “What did you say?”
“I had magic when I was little.” She looked up, and her eyes were lined with silver. “Every time I used it, my parents punished me.” She clutched Dad’s hand. “I thought that if we pretended you didn’t have it, it would vanish like mine did.”
“Oh, Mom.” I sat down and buried my face in my hands. “I wish you would’ve told me.”
“We see that now,” Dad said.
Malcolm knelt beside me and put his hand on my knee. “Your daughter is one of the most powerful witches I have encountered in my life. We”—he pointed at Cash and Aurelia—“came with her to keep her power siphoned while she’s here. She must not use it for a few more days.”
“What are you?” Mom asked.
Aurelia’s voice sounded threatening. “Are you sure you want to know?”
Mom nodded, and scales appeared along Cash’s neck and jaw.
“Dragons,” Mom whispered.
Dad looked at her like she was crazy. When he turned to me, fear widened his eyes. “Are you safe with them?”
“Safer than I am anywhere else.”
Cash huffed, and smoke rolled out of his nostrils. “She freed us from a madman, and we vowed to protect her.”
Mom nodded, then focused on me. “What happens if you use your powers?”
“She may fall to darkness.” Aurelia placed her hands on my shoulders and drew out more energy.
My eyes grew heavy. “That’s enough.” I yawned.
“Does Cody know?” Mom looked at Dad, and guilt marred her features.
Aurelia positioned herself next to me on the loveseat. Cash and Malcolm sat on the floor on either side. All of them were there if I needed them.
“Yes, he knows.” I told them some of the things I’d been through since starting college. I didn’t tell them about killing myself or nearly being killed. I didn’t tell them I was a murderer. I tried to keep most of the terror from showing through, but there were several times throughout my tale where one of the dragons took hold of my hand to siphon off my power.
My parents didn’t interrupt until I mentioned Arion.
“You flew on a pegasus?” Mom sounded awestruck.
A smile tugged on my lips and somehow made me feel lighter. “It was amazing. He’s magnificent.”
When I finished, both of my parents walked over to me. The dragons made room for them. “We are so sorry.” Mom pulled me into her arms. “I had no idea. I thought your magic would disappear like mine did.”
Dad wrapped his arms around both of us. “Thank God you’re safe. I don’t know what we’d do if we lost you, too.”
“I’m sorry about Jonathan.” I sobbed. “I never meant to hurt him.”
Mom pulled back and stared at me. Her eyebrows were pinched together. “Honey, we never blamed you. The coroner said he died of asphyxiation, but there was no smoke in his room. They ruled it a SIDS death.” She wiped the tears from my cheeks. “I never knew you blamed yourself. I’m so sorry.”
“We were in a dark place.” Dad’s voice was full of remembered pain. “We should’ve realized you’d think it was your fault, but we couldn’t see past our grief and our fear. We were so scared something would happen and we’d lose you, too.”
Chapter 47
The Demon Within
The sky is lit with millions of stars. They twinkle against the velvet backdrop. Arion’s fur glimmers. His wings are spread wide as we glide through the air. The wind blows my hair straight back behind me. I stretch my arms toward the heavens, and a joyous laugh tears from me.
This.
This is what makes all the trials worth it. This is why I’ll keep fighting monsters. This is why I’m glad my powers hadn’t disappeared like Mom’s.
Arion suddenly jerks to the side. I lose my grip and plummet through the night sky. Arion dives for me. Tree branches scrape my arms, legs, and face. My power surges inside of me, but I refuse to use it.
The ground rushes toward me, and I squeeze my eyes shut, not wanting to see the end. I hit Arion’s warm body, and my back cracks.
L
I woke up in Malcolm’s arms. “I can’t feel my legs.”
“Dacia.” The relief in his voice was clouded by fear. “I tried to stop you.” He lowered his head in shame. “I was too late.”
My heart pounded against my chest. Then it plummeted like I had. “What’s going to happen to me?”
Tears filled his bronze eyes. “I don’t know.”
The End
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Acknowledgments
If you made it this far, thank you. I hope you enjoyed reading my books as much as I’ve enjoyed writing. I never expected to finish writing one book. let alone four. And, I’m almost done writ
ing the fifth.
Writing the books isn’t as hard as doing all the rest of the work. Editing, proofreading, formatting, writing the acknowledgments (and hoping nobody inadvertently gets left out), designing the cover, and waiting for the sales to come. I’d add marketing, but I haven’t tackled that beast yet. I’m hoping to get there soon.
Thank you to Jeff for having faith in me and most importantly for loving me. Thank you to Jami and Jesse for being the best kids a mother could ask for. You both make me proud every day. To my parents, Jim and Vicki, for being amazing. And to my brothers, Jason and Zach, thank you for the expert help with the monsters and how to slay them.
A special thank you to Stone Sour and Shinedown for providing much of the music I listened to while writing this.
Thanks to all the people at 20BooksTo50K®. Without them, I doubt I would have ever tried self-publishing.
To everyone who enjoys reading my books:
Thank
You!
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permission of the copyright holder.
About the Author
Mandi Oyster dreams of living in a world where dragons and unicorns abound. For now, she lives in Southwest Iowa with her husband, two children, four cats, and two chinchillas. By day, she works as a Digital Prepress Supervisor for a local printshop. By night, she makes stories come to life.
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