Dragon Feared

by Kit Bladegrave

  I was ready to be just Everest. Jared might not have saved my life, but I did find him attractive, and not just for his handsome face. He was sweet and funny, and seeing the tough and vulnerable sides of him warring with each other drew me in even closer. He let me see this part of him, and that meant something.

  I leaned toward him, and I felt our lips just barely brush together. I scooted closer on instinct, and his arm wrapped around my waist. He kissed me again, and my heart fluttered nervously, and a giggle escaped my lips. He pulled back with a smile and picked up my hand to kiss the back of that, too.

  “We should, ah, we should get you back to your dorm. I didn’t even think, but you probably want to change and get washed up,” he suggested.

  I glanced down and giggled again before I got a hold of myself. I didn’t giggle, not normally. “Right, yeah. Ah, I know we’ve got class in the morning, but would you want to stay and hang out? With me and Amelie, I mean,” I added quickly when his brow rose. “Watch a movie or something?”

  “Yeah, sure. I could use a break from studying for one night.”

  Jared walked me back to my dorm, and as he settled in on the couch, I hurried to shower and change, careful of the wound at my side. I tucked the scrap of fabric from Slade safely in a drawer and for one night, decided I was going to be a teenage girl.

  He sat next to me during the movie, putting his arm around me about halfway through.

  I grinned up at him, and he embarrassingly tried not to make eye contact with me, staring at the screen like it was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen.

  Nine

  Everest

  I had to wait a few more days before the lockdown was finally called off and I thought I’d be able to sneak out of the dorm again. And off campus.

  I’d practiced the tracking spell a few times, quietly, on some of Amelie’s things and managed to follow the purple trail that would always lead me right back to her. I just hoped when I cast it on Slade’s shirt, he was still within city limits.

  It had also taken time to figure out how I was going to get over the wall without being spotted, but there was a section covered with vines and from what I could see, no cameras. I’d be over the wall in a few minutes, and no one would have to know.

  Night fell, and I waited anxiously in my room for Amelie to go into hers. It was nearly eleven at night when I finally crept from my room, fully dressed for a night of wandering the city, and checked on Amelie.

  She was snoring quietly, and after calling her name a few times and getting no response, I tiptoed out of our dorm, held my breath as I exited the building, and didn’t stop until I was at the wall.

  It seemed taller than I remembered, and I gently held a hand to my wounded side, hoping I wouldn’t open it anymore, but I wasn’t going to wait another night. I wanted to figure out what was going on and who Slade really was.

  “Alright, magic,” I muttered to myself as I pulled out the spell I scribbled down, and the scrap of Slade’s shirt. “Let’s go find our lifesaver a few times over.”

  I read over the words twice before I tucked the paper away again and rested both hands on the fabric. Closing my eyes, I focused on the power within me and whispered the words, slowly and precisely.

  At first, nothing happened, and I thought maybe I said something wrong, but then a purple mist seeped out from between my hands. I took my right hand off it, and watched the scrap of cloth hover in the air, surrounded by more mist.

  As it started to rise in the air and then wafted over the wall, I grinned and started the climb. My wound tugged a bit, making it uncomfortable, but bearable enough I managed to get up to the top, then carefully climb down the other side.

  The scrap of cloth waited patiently for me until my feet hit solid ground again.

  The purple mist swirled around me once, and then shot off down the sidewalk.

  “Oh, come on,” I muttered and took off after it.

  Campus was a few streets away from pretty much anything, and I started to second guess my genius plan when I wound up following it between old rundown buildings and dark alleys, completely alone.

  Those Hunters had gone after Shadowguards, but those weren’t the ones they should’ve been after. The three that attacked me, they were still out here. For all I knew, I could be walking right into them.

  Or worse, the scrap of cloth I had wasn’t from Slade at all.

  My feet slid to a stop in a wet puddle, soaking my jeans, but I wasn’t so sure I should be following my magic so blindly all of a sudden.

  What if I ran right into those Black Diamonds and they finished the job? Kidnapped me and dragged me off to someone even worse than them?

  I swallowed hard, but the scrap of cloth and purple mist spun around me, and a strange sense of being at ease flowed over me.

  Slade. That’s who I was going to. I trusted myself.

  “Lead the way,” I whispered to the mist, and it took off again.

  I ran behind it, smiling at the notion that I was finally going to surprise him for once and get to ask him questions about what was going on, or why he was always there to save me just in time. The cloth darted to the right, and came to a stop outside an old, rundown warehouse.

  I was only a few streets away from campus, but there was hardly any light and no people wandering around. A sleek, black motorcycle was parked out front, and I could just barely see the outline of a metal door. The purple mist smashed the cloth against it over and over until I reached out for the door to open it. I meant to sneak in quietly, but the cloth took off into the wide, open space.

  I heard voices, all guys, two… no three?

  They were talking loudly about something, sounded pretty angry, but I was pretty sure one of them was Slade.

  Holding my breath and crossing my fingers that I wasn’t going to regret this, I walked all the way inside and peered out from the shadows to the center of the warehouse floor, lit up by lamps and candles. The entire scene was surreal, but there wasn’t any more time to sit back and watch.

  “What the hell is that?” one of the guys asked, jumping up as the cloth zoomed towards them and then landed on Slade’s leg.

  He picked it up with a frown. “This is my shirt,” I heard him mutter.

  I cleared my throat and three sets of eyes whipped around to stare at me.

  “Hi,” I said, nervously waving my hand. “I, uh, I hope you don’t mind me stopping by.”

  Then they all stood, and my hand fell.

  Great, just great.

  What trouble had I just walked into this time?

  Ten

  Slade

  I clenched my hand around the scrap of cloth and stared at Everest, just standing there, in our hideout, like it was no big deal she happened to find us.

  “What… what are you doing here?” I finally managed to growl as I moved around Tank and Davis. “Are you crazy?”

  “What?” she asked, her smile faltering. “I would’ve called to make sure you were alive, but you never exactly gave me a way to contact you.”

  “Because you’re not supposed to!”

  “Slade, what’s she doing here?” Tank demanded, even as he attempted a smile that only made him look meaner.

  “I don’t know, that’s what I’m trying to find out.”

  Everest crossed her arms as I approached. “I’m not going anywhere until I get some answers, so don’t even think about just throwing me out of here.”

  “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you off that damn campus?” I snapped.

  She just up and left the campus! She was crazy, I was really starting to believe it. No sane person would wander away from their sanctuary when they’d recently been attacked by three Black Diamonds who clearly wanted to abduct her, or worse, kill her.

  I remembered how she’d thrown herself on that one’s back to get him off me and scowled at her. Why was it I had to be in charge of protecting the one person who seemed to be more like me than I realized?

 
; “Your face looks like it healed alright,” she said, and before I could back away, she was cupping my cheek, her eyes narrowed as she studied the wounds.

  I froze.

  Her hand was so warm, and for just a second, I let it linger there, before I gently removed it. “I wasn’t as bad as it looked. And I’m assuming since you’re out running around risking your life again, that you’re doing just fine, too.”

  “Yeah, I’m doing just fine.” She shoved her hands into her back pockets and coughed, her cheeks flushing. “And I wasn’t risking my life.”

  “Ha,” Tank barked loudly behind me.

  “What’s he laughing about?” she snapped.

  “You were attacked on campus, Everest, why would you think leaving would be any safer?” I grunted.

  She shrugged. “I figured if I got into any trouble that bad, you’d show up like you always seem to do anyway.”

  I blinked at how careless she was, and stalked away from the other two. “Can we talk over here, please?”

  “What? I don’t get to meet your friends?”

  “No.” I grabbed her arm, and pulled her towards the door.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Back to your campus, that’s where.”

  She yanked her arm free, turned around, and headed right back to Tank and Davis.

  I was too stunned for a second to move then caught up with her and blocked her path.

  “Move, Slade.”

  “No, because you cannot be here, got it? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is?”

  “As I said, I trust you to save me.”

  “You shouldn’t,” I snarled, harsher than I meant to and the playful grin on her face disappeared as it fell dangerously quiet behind me.

  I ran my hands through my hair and paced away from her, wishing she would’ve just stayed where I knew she would be safe, or at least safer.

  “Look, I have no idea what’s going on here,” she said quietly. “I have no idea why people… dragons, are trying to kill me, but I think I deserve some answers.”

  Tank and Davis approached slowly, not saying anything as they glanced from me to her.

  “I only found out I was a witch a few weeks ago,” she went on. “Found out my dad was forced out of our lives because it was too dangerous for him to be around us and that Mom was attacked, and her powers stolen. So just please, give me something to go off here to help me understand! Why are you watching me? Why? What am I to you?”

  I pivoted on my heel, ready to tell her to just go, when I caught sight of the necklace around her neck.

  “Shit, seriously?” I snapped, whirling around on Tank. “Seriously?”

  His eyes barely widened, but it was enough to tell me that he knew she was a Descendant all along, and apparently so did Davis from the way he was shuffling his feet, very interested with something on the floor.

  “I hate you both, I hope you know that.”

  “Preston told us not to add to your worry,” Tank informed me. “He said he’d tell you eventually.”

  “Eventually? When? Before or after they sent Black Diamonds after her?” I yelled. “Before or after we learned the Blood Moon Priests are back? Does he have any idea what could’ve happened if they’d gotten a hold of her? If I’d been a few seconds too late! Damn it!”

  All I could see was Everest, dead on the ground, or worse, trapped in a prison much like the one I’d been in for nearly all my life. A few seconds later and she would’ve been gone. A Descendant, possibly one of the last remaining.

  “You’ve been a bit on edge,” Davis added. “He figured you would be just fine thinking she was like all the others.”

  “Well, he was wrong!”

  A Descendant. No wonder they’d wanted her alive. But why me? That part made no sense whatsoever.

  “Sorry, can someone catch a girl up here,” Everest said. “So those were Black Diamonds who attacked us?”

  I offered a nod in answer.

  She frowned. “Why doesn’t anyone else believe me, then? They keep trying to blame it on Shadowguard dragons in the area…”

  When she didn’t say anything else, I turned, brow arched, and saw the gears turning in her head as she put the pieces together.

  Her eyes zeroed in on mine, then Tank’s and Davis’. I expected her to recoil realizing who we were, but instead, she moved in closer and smiled.

  “Shadowguards, you’re the three they said were in the area,” she whispered. “Thank god! I thought the Hunters were going to find you and kill you!”

  “We know well enough how to hide from them,” Tank assured her. “Sent them on a merry chase for a few days before they finally gave up and assumed we left.”

  “And the other ones?” she asked, not so confident this time.

  “That is why you should not have left the school,” I insisted. “And why you need to go back, right now.”

  I went to grab her arm again, but she plopped down on the ground and refused to get up. “No, I said I tracked you down to see if you were alright and to get some answers. All I have right now are more questions so spill, who are you three and why are you trying to keep me alive? Everything I’ve heard about Shadowguards is, well, not good.”

  I rubbed my forehead and the headache erupting there. “You’re not leaving, are you?”

  She beamed up at me. “What do you think, blue eyes?”

  Tank stifled a laugh, and Davis winked at me before they returned to their seats.

  I groaned, annoyed, but gave in. Not because I liked Everest, not at all, but because the sooner I told her, the sooner I could get her out of my hair.

  “Come on, then,” I said, and she hopped up immediately, following me over, and I motioned to an empty lawn chair. “Why aren’t you more scared of us?”

  “Why would I be? You keep saving my ass.”

  I pursed my lips, but let it go. “Fine, what do you want to know first?”

  “Are you watching over me?”

  She had to start with a difficult question.

  “That’s a very long and complicated answer, and frankly, I don’t think I could tell you all of that in one sitting.”

  She crossed her arms, and purple mist swirled at her fingertips.

  “Short answer, yes.”

  “Why?”

  I sank deeper into my chair with a sharp laugh. “Can’t pick anything easy, huh?”

  “Fine. Why does no one believe me about Black Diamonds attacking?”

  “You can thank your bloody Hollow Well clan for that,” Tank snapped, before he offered a hand. “Tank, by the way, and that over there is Davis since Slade is too rude to introduce us.”

  Everest took his hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you both. So, all three of you are watching out for me?”

  “In a manner of speaking,” Davis answered. “There’s a bit more to it than that—”

  I shook my head, and he clamped his lips shut.

  Everest caught the motion and shot me a look, which I ignored.

  “Look, all you need to know is that the dragons who are after you are not going to stop because of one failed attempt. Or two,” I corrected. “You are much safer on that campus surrounded by gargoyles and witches and other dragons.”

  “Clearly not, since they almost managed to nab me.”

  “Because you were out wandering the grounds at four in the morning!” I pushed out of my chair and turned my back on them all.

  I couldn’t do this, not face to face. Keeping an eye on her from a distance was one thing, but having to talk to her, explain who we were? I couldn’t do it. Didn’t want to.

  “I couldn’t sleep. Having nightmares,” she whispered behind me.

  I slowly turned back around.

  “I, uh, I’m not having the easiest time adjusting to all of this.” She waved her hands around, but if she looked for sympathy, she wasn’t going to get any from me.

  “That gives you no right to come looking for me and to be so careless.”

 
“I wasn’t,” she argued.

  “No? Did you tell anyone you were leaving?”

  “Well, no, but—”

  “Did you bring any weapons of any kind with you? Not like you can rightly defend yourself yet,” I muttered.

  Ker cheeks turned bright red. “That’s a bit harsh.”

  “So is life,” I growled. “Get used to it.”

  “Slade,” Davis whispered, but shut up when I glared at him.

  I risked my life to save hers, to keep her safe, lost a girl I loved in the process, and having Everest just blatantly put herself in danger tore at me viciously. I couldn’t even look at her, I was so pissed.

  “Tank, get her back campus.” I stormed away, meaning to head up to the roof.

  “No! I’m not leaving until you tell me more!” she argued, but I kept walking. “Slade!”

  I ignored her and aimed for the stairs, taking them two at a time to get up to the roof.

  My hands curled at my sides as fresh air hit my face and I sucked it in, expanding my lungs.

  It did nothing to calm me down, and I walked to the edge, staring off into the distance. The past few days had passed in a blur. After finding out there were Priests here, we were on high alert, but instead of going to help the others, I was stuck babysitting Everest.

  I’d almost turned in for the night, almost left my post, thinking she would be fine for a few hours ‘til dawn. If I’d turned away, if I’d left her alone…

  Whatever we thought the Black Diamonds were up to, we were wrong, horribly wrong, and I sensed we were quickly running out of time. We needed a plan, a way to capture one of the Priests, or a Black Diamond. Either would hopefully lead us to some much-needed answers.

  A door opened behind me, and I growled. “Go away, Davis.”

  He didn’t respond, but I heard his steps moving closer, and I whirled around to yell at him, but the words died in my throat.

  “I think I owe you an apology,” Everest said, still walking towards me.