by Lucia Ashta
She smiled a stunted-snout smile that illuminated the depths of her black eyes and made my heart sing.
Oh hi Rosie girl. Tears were coming and I couldn’t stop them. It was all so... amazing. So much of what I’d barely dared to hope could become my life. I love you, I said before realizing I would.
The emotions bubbled through me, making the tingling spread from my extremities to the rest of me. If I kept going like this, I wouldn’t even be able to stay on a dragon.
Hi Anira, Rosie said in the voice of a little girl. Unlike Granelle, Rosie’s voice was free of seductive, smoky tones. Her voice was pure and sweet. I’ve been waiting for you to talk to me, she said, almost shyly.
I laughed, I cried, I was a mess. Oh girl, now that I know I can talk to you, we’ll talk all the time. We’ll be best friends.
I thought we already were. Rosie thought in the simple terms of a child, as yet unburdened by the weights of adulthood. Somehow, Rosie had survived all she had with purity of heart.
Of course we are, I said.
Luma cleared her throat behind me, and said through her mind, What do you girls say? Shall we take to the skies and figure the rest out later?
My heart skipped a beat. Was I really ready? Who knew, but I wanted to be.
What do you say, Rosie? I asked.
She smiled, looking perfectly ridiculous with her already-sharp teeth, stunted snout, and floppy ears. Let’s do it!
I nodded, not sure what to say anymore. Everything tingled and felt warm and fuzzy. I stood and asked Luma, I’m not going to ride Rosie, right?
No, not yet. She’s strong, stronger than you think, and she could already hold your weight, even with her unique body, but she needs to learn a lot before she’s ready for that.
Unique. That was right. Rosie was unique, just as I was. Just as my twin was. We weren’t freaks, we were special, and we were now on the path to discovering just how special we were.
First she needs to learn to be a dragon, Luma continued. Her kind of dragon. Rosie? Do you think you could fly next to Granelle? She’ll help you as you go.
I’d love that! Rosie said, as if dragons, invisible forbidden twins, and shadow people had conversations every day. It seemed that in the new life I was opening up to, they did.
Great. Then let’s do it.
Luma took three swift, sure strides toward Granelle, gaining speed, hooked an arm onto her leg, and shimmied up it. In seconds, Luma sat atop the magnificent iridescent beast, whose scales flashed a shiny green in the dark sunlight.
Granelle looked meaningfully at Rosie, and then Rosie started to flap her stunted wings. She rose to hover next to Luma, and I realized that Granelle had said something to Rosie I hadn’t heard.
Rosie wasn’t just my responsibility anymore. In this tribe the shadow people and Alpha Team were forming, we helped each other.
Rane kissed my cheek, whooped, and took off at a run. His ascent onto Granelle wasn’t as graceful as Luma’s, but for a first attempt, it was strong and graceful.
I can do this, I thought, just to myself. No one else was there to hear me, though I felt the eyes of warriors all around me. I have to do this. My feet and hands felt numb. I had to move before I no longer could.
I’d be damned if I’d be left behind.
I breathed in, hoping to pull in some courage. I failed, feeling myself start to shake.
Just move, I thought. Just freaking move.
And I did.
I trained my sight on the gigantic, clawed, scaly leg and ran, letting my body do what I knew it could do if I just allowed it.
I didn’t think. I just moved.
I reached the leg, hooked my arm, and bound upward. I wrapped my second arm around the leg, and moved as fast as I could, gaining purchase with my bare feet so I wouldn’t slide.
I scaled upward until Rane reached a strong arm and pulled me toward him.
I slid into place behind him.
He released my arm and hooked it around his waist. I circled my other arm, and latched onto him.
He brought both arms around Luma’s waist.
The three of us sat in a row, and before I could even look to check on Rosie, Granelle flapped her giant wings.
Once, twice, and we rose above the tree tops.
My heart fluttered. My breath stuttered before it settled into its normal rhythm. I was free of my limitations at last.
Free of all constraints, we flew. The wind rushed past my face, everything about me tingled, and tears of freedom and purpose streamed into my smile.
I thought I might never again wonder who or what I was. In moments like this, those things didn’t matter, not even a little.
I was pure magic. I was already everything I was ever meant to become.
Granelle flapped her wings and pinned them to her sides. We climbed so high that the ground faded from view.
Clouds flickered by, the sun grew larger, and I whooped and hollered until Rane joined me. The sounds of Luma’s laughter filtered through the breeze to warm me.
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Acknowledgments
I’d write no matter what, because telling stories is my passion, but the following people make creating worlds (and life) a joy. I’m eternally grateful for the support of my beloved, James, my mother, Elsa, and my three daughters, Catia, Sonia, and Nadia. They’ve always believed in me, even before I published a single word. They help me see the magic in the world around me, and more importantly, within.
A big thank you also to Malcolm, who continually encourages me to write more magical stories by loving the ones I’ve already written and by being a wonderful friend.
I’m thankful for every single one of you who’ve reached out to tell me that one of my stories touched you in one way or another, made you smile or cry, or kept you up long past your bedtime. You’ve given me reason to keep writing.
Read more by Lucía Ashta
THE WITCHING WORLD
(Young adult paranormal fantasy - a complete series)
Magic Awakens
The Five-Petal Knot
The Merqueen
The Witching World Omnibus, Books 1-3
The Ginger Cat
The Scarlet Dragon
Mermagic
Spirit of the Spell
MAGICAL ARTS ACADEMY
(Young adult paranormal fantasy - a Witching World spinoff series)
First Spell
Winged Pursuit
Unexpected Agents
Improbable Ally
Questionable Rescue
Sorcerers’ Web
Ghostly Return
Transformations
Castle’s Curse *
Spirited Escape *
Dragon’s Fury *
Magic Ignites *
Powers Unleashed *
PLANET ORIGINS
(New adult space fantasy)
Planet Origins
Original Elements
Holographic Princess
Planet Origins Omnibus, Books 1-3
Purple Worlds
Planet Sand
Holographic Convergence
Mowab Rider
THE LIGHT WARRIORS
(Visionary fantasy - a com
plete series)
Beyond Sedona
Beyond Prophecy
Beyond Amber
Beyond Arnaka
DRAGON FORCE
(Young adult space fantasy - a complete series)
Invisible Born
Invisible Bound
Invisible Rider
POCKET PORTALS
(Young adult paranormal fantasy)
The Orphan Son *
(Paranormal fantasy)
Huntress of the Unseen
(Time travel romance)
A Betrayal of Time
(Magical realism)
Daughter of the Wind
(Superhero satire)
The Unkillable Killer
(Magical realism)
Whispers of Pachamama
(Science fiction)
Immortalium *
(* coming soon)
About the author
Lucía Ashta, a former attorney and architect, is an Argentinian-American author who lives in Sedona with her beloved and three daughters. She published her first story (about an unusual Cockatoo) at the age of eight, and she’s been at it ever since.
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Lucía on the web:
LuciaAshta.com
[email protected]