by Sariah Skye
“Been awhile since I’ve been able to just enjoy anything like that, you know?” I mused aloud, not really expecting anyone to answer. In my dazing I forgot that Kiarra was still standing beside me. “They’re just so… simple. They’re…free.”
Kiarra wrapped an arm around my shoulders and squeezed. “You will be like that again, I promise. Things will get better. Easier.”
I turned to look at her uncertainly. “Really? Things may never be easy again.”
Kiarra sighed. “It may seem like that now, but… everything has a way of working itself out. Okay, so things might not be as easy for you as it is the Wisps, but… they can still be good. Happy, even,” she insisted, offering me a sisterly smile. “Getting to Nicodemus first may be the key to it all...and that will be it.”
“Yeah, maybe….” I smiled slowly, feeling a sudden sense of security. “You know… I’m really sorry. I had some really mean thoughts about you when we first met.”
Kiarra’s head fell back and she roared with laughter. “Oh really?” she said, sarcastically. “I had no idea.”
I was sheepish. “I was wrong about everything, and I’m sorry.”
She snorted. “Oh, Leo… how could you possibly have known all this? You were right on, though. I was hiding something; just like you were right about Maxxus hiding something.
I groaned, palming my face with my hand. “Ugh. You had to bring that up.”
She chuckled. I hadn’t noticed we’d been walking slowly towards the direction of Kiarra’s cottage. I allowed her to lead as I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing at this point. I was essentially numb even though my mind deep inside was running a mile a minute. “Well… what did happen with that? Details. I want them,” she insisted.
I raised a brow and let out a low whistle. I described more specifically what happened, right down to the kiss he’d surprised me with.
Kiarra let out a small squeal. “Oh! Oh my gods how was it?”
I felt my face flush. I looked away from her to hide the grin I was surely wearing. She nudged me.
“Good, huh?” She clapped her hands together and did a little happy jig, right there in the night on the outskirts of the Square. “I am not going to lie. I love your brother, but damn he is just gorgeous; that green dragon! I bet he is an absolutely heavenly kisser!”
I bit the lip of my smirk and remained silent as we walked the remaining distance to her place. I sighed guiltily. “I’m ashamed to admit I liked it. Shit!” I slapped my forehead and swore into my elbow. “I am a terrible, terrible person!”
She chortled. She guided me through her front door and pushed me onto a floral couch in the front room. “No, you’re not! You’re single, you’re available and you should be varying your options before you make up your mind!” She let out a relaxed noise as she sat down next to me on the sofa, curling her legs up to her chest and hugging them with her arms. “Just take some time to think about it. All of it. The boys will just have to deal.”
A clock on the mantel over a faux fireplace, which instead of logs contained a candelabra with several used, wax-dripped candles, chimed eleven times, indicating the time.
“Shit,” she said, with a yawn, stretching her hands over her head. “It’s kind of late. Are you tired?”
I raised my eyes at the thought of sleep, with everything I had dealt with playing over in my mind for the past day.
“Okay, so maybe not,” she said with a laugh. “You gonna crash here, still?” I nodded gratefully, and I followed her to a bedroom opposite side of the house. “Okay. I wasn’t sure if you were going back to Gabriel’s room or going to seek out new experiences with Maxxus,” she said, with a giggle.
I opened my mouth pretending to be shocked. “Kiarra! Come on now, I’d never…”
She snorted. “Why not? I would.” She wiggled her eyebrows and made a lewd gesture. I facepalmed myself and laughed quietly. She motioned for me to follow her to her bedroom and I did.
The décor of this room was dramatically different than the other rooms, it is simplistically white with various colored accents here and there, such as the ivy painted on a taupe armoire on one wall. She opened up the doors and pulled out some sweatpants and T-shirts. She tossed one set to me, and I caught it awkwardly. “You need some jammies? You’ve got to be running low on clothes. We’ll have to go fetch all your clothes from Pineville eventually. In the meantime, I think I have some things you can borrow. You’re a little… curvier than me so they might be a bit tight but they should fit, and cover up what you need to,” she said, with a laugh.
Kiarra grinned, and began changing into her sleeping clothes. She paused after shimmying out of her jeans. “Leo. I know you’ve got the modesty thing, but come on… I’m not going to tease you.”
I scoffed at myself. “Right… old habits die hard, I guess.” I turned around though to hide my front, and she laughed. The pants were a little snug in the backside, and the shirt rode up slightly because it had more to cover (if you catch my drift) but otherwise, they fit okay. The fabric was soft and comfortable. I pulled the stringed pouch over my head and took the vial out, still gray and murky. It had been only a few minutes since we left Esmè's; I didn’t really expect otherwise. I lay the vial on top of the pouch, carefully on the nightstand. I figured it’d be safe to leave it out in the open near Kiarra.
She grabbed the dress and robes I’d been wearing. “Want me to wash these? I have a load to do anyway.”
“You have a washing machine?” I didn’t know why I was so surprised, but I was imagining people here taking their clothes to the lake and beating them on rocks.
She rolled her eyes. “Most of us do, silly. I’ll be right back. Make yourself comfortable.” She motioned to two twin beds, situated near each other like a hotel room; with a nightstand and lamp between them. I picked the one that was less rumpled; that I’d been using for days now (apparently, according to Kiarra I slept like a rock and barely moved). Suddenly realizing how fatigued, I was, I fell onto the bed, kicking my legs up and burying my face in the pillow. I sniffed and let out a little happy sigh. The sheets smelled like lavender and were relaxing. The events of the day replayed in my head, no matter how I tried to push them away.
I loved Gabriel. I did in some way, at least. I thought so, anyways. If he didn’t accept my “friendship” with Maxxus, what was I going to do? And, turns out he may have been right. News of Maxxus' feelings put a monkey wrench in those plans though. I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about him either. I hadn't been allowed essentially to have feelings for him, yet.
I felt sheepish. I groaned into the pillow. I balled my hand in a fist and punched it out of frustration.
Okay, so technically, Maxxus had kissed me. But I liked it. I didn’t want him to stop. Do I want to be with him, though? Over Gabriel? And if that happened… how would that affect our relationship? We still had a purpose, Knight and Dragon, magical beings to save the kingdom.
I let out a growl and grumbled to myself. I didn’t know Gabriel all that well, yet in the short time I had known him we’d been through a great deal; that counted for at least a few months’ worth of ‘getting to know’ you time in my book. Maxxus, I’d known for years, but didn’t really know him. I wasn’t aware that he couldn’t practice magic until he was older. I didn’t know he had been an embarrassment to his family like me. How could I not know, though, really? Surely my grandfather would have said something.
And I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t remember confronting all those drakes in First Year of school. Since me actually bothering to stand up to them was few and far between because—well, really, it would do no good—it felt unlikely that I would forget something like that. Years went by until I interacted with Maxxus again, and even more years until I would consider him a friend. I did, as a matter of fact. But, would I have considered him as more if I had been given a chance?
He said that he didn’t want to be the one I settled for just because he was the only one there; he want
ed to deserve me. It just… sounded so wishy-washy for a dragon. Any dragon. Usually dragon courtship was: dragon sees another dragon he wants. Dragon goes up to dragon and says, “Hey, let’s go eat a cow and go mate afterwards” and the other dragon accepts or not. The concept of being afraid to hear no, of rejection I hadn’t even been familiar with until I came to the human realm permanently. Something about all that just sounded...off. Perhaps he was still hiding something.
So how did I feel about Maxxus? I sighed into the pillow, thoughtfully.
He was attractive. Damn attractive. Downright hot actually, in a different way than Gabriel was. Gabriel was an unassuming nerd - boy hot. He hid all his tattoos under his sleeves and shirt, behind a façade of glasses and computer lingo. You probably wouldn’t even notice him unless you were paying attention, though how anyone could pass up that playful smile was beyond me. People could be standing in the midst of a great catch because they pre-judged as humans frequently do (dragons, too) and totally miss out on a great person.
Maxxus? In his human form, he caused heads to turn. He looked like he could step right off the screen of a movie from the 1940 glamour era, full of gentlemanly charm and romantic chivalry. Most dragons didn’t waste their time with chivalry but he was different. As a dragon, he was a sight to behold as well: an emerald green and very large in stature. Had he not been a pariah of sorts, dragons both female and male alike would be fawning over him. As with a lot of dragons, though, status is quite important.
That kiss, though… it was hard to ignore. And I wasn’t sure I even wanted to.
But… Gabriel… when he turned and left me behind, a little piece of my heart broke in two. Even though he said it was his own bullshit, he still walked away. Maxxus, besides the kiss hadn’t been too aggressive in vying for my affection, either. But, at least he hadn’t walked away.
Perhaps being single was just a better option, either way.
I sighed. Without realizing, a lone tear had fallen from my eye and trailed down to my pillow. The sting of Gabriel’s rejection of sorts, the immensity of Maxxus’ confession… all these expectations of me to do something great I wasn’t sure I could do… I felt helplessly lost.
At a time like this I would have knocked on Grandfather’s door to his chambers and poured my heart out—and he’d just listen. Listen and reassure that yes, I could do it. He'd even understand me talking about boys. Might make him squirm a little, but he would listen and not judge.
I could really use that now. I whimpered softly into the pillow, imaging his anxiety in not being able to help me out, right now.
I heard a small thud and clink, clink as something was being set down on the nightstand near me. I turned my head slightly and barely opened an eye to see Kiarra had placed a large bottle of wine and two intricately painted, long-stemmed wine glasses down. She sat next to me on the bed, and patted my shoulder reassuringly.
“Aww… Leo. It’ll be okay, I swear,” she said with a sigh. “It’s so much to put on one person—or dragon—at one time. You’re so strong; stronger than anyone should be expecting of you.”
I scoffed into the pillow. She chuckled, and reached for the bottle of wine and poured two large glasses. I lifted my head slightly when she handed me the glass of red wine. I sat up and took it gingerly. I raised a brow. “Is this the same spelled stuff from the guys that made the beer?”
She grinned devilishly. “It is.”
I lifted the glass to my lips and swallowed a large gulp, and immediately felt that pleasant tingle in my extremities as it went down my throat. I sighed. “That’s better.”
“I thought you could use it after today,” she said, patting my shoulder once more and sitting on her own bed.
I nodded vigorously. “Fucking boys.”
“Right?” she said, with a laugh between sips. “I won’t ask you what you’re going to do—I think you need time to think more than anything. Just focus on getting some sleep. No one will blame you for being confused.”
I shrugged. “And if they do—what the hell?” I took another large swig.
Kiarra raised her glass and took a sip. “That's a girl.”
I polished off the rest of the glass and set it down on the nightstand with a light clink. I lay back against the pillow, raising my arms over me to cradle my head.
“You know, something about the Maxxus thing just doesn’t sound right,” she said, shaking her head thoughtfully. “Even the most passive of dragons will still let you know somehow. No indication before?”
“Nope,” I said simply. “He just said he couldn’t.”
She lifted a brow. “Hrrrm… I don’t know then. I’m surprised that with your spirit element you couldn’t sense it on him. I mean Hell, we all could tell.”
I shrugged again. “Don’t know.” I sat up momentarily, feeling my head rush and I giggled, laying back down into the pillow, chuckling. “Oh, that’s nice.”
Kiarra laughed. She set down her wine glass and reached over to shut off the lamp on the nightstand. “I think sleep is in order.”
I nodded slightly as I pulled the plush blanket over me and after just a few moments, I drifted off.
I awakened a short time later, in the pitch blackness. Confused, I scanned around me for Kiarra or something familiar, but I could see nothing. “Kiarra?” I called into the din, but I heard no reply. No echo, nothing.
I gasped, feeling suddenly panicked. No… it couldn’t be…
Finnian assured me Kit was safe, the connection from me to the Shadow realm had been severed. Obviously, he was wrong.
I blinked furiously, trying to see something. Anything. But there was nothing to be seen. Nothing to be heard. Just… nothing.
I took a few small steps; this was different somehow than the place we rescued Kit from. There was at least outlines of trees, dark tendrils. All I felt here was… terror. Emptiness.
I felt something brush against my leg. I screamed and jumped backwards, only to feel another sensation against my other leg. This time it slowly slithered around my ankle and was crawling like spiders up my calf.
I tried to kick it off. “Go away!” I hollered at it, but it only seemed to strengthen its resolve.
A hissing sound, very faint in my ears, almost seemed to call my name.
“Hello?” I asked, my heart pounding in my chest. I began to shake from the inside, trembling like a leaf in a stormy wind.
“Leorah…” the voice hissed again. The slithering continued crawling up my leg, and was now at thigh-level. Another—I assumed it to be a dark Shadow tendril—grabbed at the hand at my side and I quickly pulled it away with a shriek. “Stop! No!” It was victorious and it’s cold, empty presence touched my fingers, sliding up my hand like a stifling fog.
With my free hand, I tried to push them away, but I only succeeded in having another tendril grab at my free hand and pin it against my side.
“Leorah.” I heard the hiss again, almost snake like and this time, closer. Louder.
I let out a little shriek. The tendrils had made their way over my waist and chest, had both of my feet cemented to the ground and both my arms pinned at my side. I could only watch in horror—even though I could barely see—as they continued to slither up my front and back, choking out my resolve. The more I pulled and fought, the faster they climbed and stifled. After a moment, I quit fighting.
“That’s it… just let them take you. It will be painless. Easy. Just let go…”
“Go where?” I asked the voice.
It didn’t answer my question. The tendrils snaked around my neck, and squeezed lightly like a vice, choking the air out of me. I gasped and attempted to inhale deeply, but it just resulted in a stifled cough.
“Don’t fight it. It will be over soon.”
“Who… who are you?” I gasped out breathlessly.
Something came into view then… a pair of very faint, dark eyes. I saw the gray outline just inches away from me. Something like a hand pressed against my cheek and caressed gent
ly only it wasn’t an affectionate gesture, but patronizing.
“Doesn’t matter. Just let go. You know it’s futile, you can’t win against us. None of you can. Not you, not your rag-tag little band of mythos.” The voice seemed awfully familiar. I heard a sinister, light chuckle. “Especially not that insolent green dragon…”
I gasped, although it was more of a choking as I suddenly realized who it was. “Nicodemus?”
The voice—Nicodemus—let out a self-satisfied snort. “Not as stupid as I thought.” Nicodemus’ silhouette—his human form—reached out his hands around my neck, eyes wild with anger, teeth flashing through a devilish grin and squeezed.
I squeaked and tried to gasp for breath, but I wasn’t getting any air, the more I tried, the more Nicodemus squeezed.
“Just let go.” He croaked, narrowing his eyes angrily.
I croaked a response. “F… fuck you.”
This only made him laugh wildly, but he loosened his grip for a minute. My vision—what I could see—was becoming blurry and my head felt heavy and fuzzy. I slammed my head forward, attempting to headbutt him, but he caught my attempt and forced his fingers closed around my neck. I gasped.
“Leorah!” A panicked voice came from behind me. I wanted to shift and see who it was, but the life was being stifled out of me effectively. The eyes rolled back into my head and I stopped gasping; I was fading away. “Over here!” I heard the voice say urgently.
Suddenly, everything around me lit up in a brilliant flash of bright, blinding light.
Nicodemus cried out in pain, and fell to the ground. The tendrils instantly released their grip on me.
I sucked in air, falling weakly to the ground, but a pair of strong arms caught me. I craned my head to see Daniel’s concerned expression as he looked down on me, but I couldn’t look up for long. My neck was weak, and in pain from being cut off from oxygen for so long. My head fell and I had no choice but to look at the ground. Nicodemus was writhing in pain on the ground, but was fighting to stand up.