by Sariah Skye
Gabriel let out a pained noise and then spoke in a small voice. “No. I'm already gone.” To this I let out a pathetic whimper. “You... still have a chance with Maxxus. He's better for you anyhow. You're dragons, you—” his voice trailed off and his brown eyes rolled back into his head.
Daniel grasped both of my shoulders with his strong hands then. “Leo... you're going to have to pick one!”
“No! How can I—how can I pick!?” It wasn't fair!
I looked between Gabriel and Maxxus in their near-death states, and the tears I'd somehow been holding back flowed openly now. I didn't know how I could choose.
Yes, I loved them both in different ways. I was still drawn to Gabriel—he was amazing. How could you not love him? Maxxus' long time devotion, though was ingrained in my heart and soul. Romantically yes, I knew I loved him more. But Gabriel? I knew right then there was such a thing as soul mates. If Maxxus didn't exist, there was no doubt in my mind, I could love him wholly. But I romantically just loved Maxxus a little more. Differently. However, Gabriel was still wrapped around my heart. He still had a hold on me that would leave a huge hole in my soul if he were gone. I'd miss him like I'd miss an arm, with his humor, his deep, brooding eyes. His unassuming, humble nature, he was truly a light in my life.
And Maxxus. His movie-star good looks, his chivalry, his strength and his perseverance. And I loved both of them for how they loved me; like a lover, a sister, or a friend.
How was I going to choose? It wasn't a choice I could make. I wanted my choices given back to me, but—not like this.
I felt so horrendously wracked with guilt that everyone was pulled into this mess. This war. A war with the Shadows. A war with a dragon who was supposed to be dead. Who cheated death and had somehow been living hundreds of years in the Shadow realm. He was angry and powerful—he'd take out everyone that got in his way. No matter how the Court treated me, I couldn't allow my people—the dragons—to befall this fate.
“I can't pick!” I cried out, looking back and forth between them. A sense of urgency and indecision began combating inside me, rumbling in my core. My breath became more rapid, my heart pounded. I felt a strangling sensation as the heat inside my soul; my core, my very essence grew wild like a fire. It grew in strength as I panted... watching both Gabriel and Maxxus fight for their lives.
I finally felt the force inside me explode. My entire body heated and I felt it release. My breathing relaxed when I realized I was having some sort of panic attack.
I realized this as everything went white all around me. I could see nothing at this point: not Gabriel, not Maxxus... I could feel nothing, I went numb despite Daniel's calling out to me. The light grew brighter, more blinding as I felt an electrical jolt from inside that shook my very being.
And then, everything went dark.
Chapter 22
I heard soft footfalls from around me and muffled voices as I struggled to open my eyes. They were still unwilling and I gave into the urge to just leave them shut for now and allowed my hearing to come back into place.
“Never seen anything like it...”
“I didn't know it was possible...”
“I can't believe...”
“Can't believe what? What are you talking about?”
A gasp from next to me. “She's awake!”
I blinked, my eyes fluttered but still refused to open when I felt something heavy on...on my arm. I think. I couldn't quite feel my appendages yet.
“Leo? Can you hear me?” A familiar voice.
I groaned, fighting the darkness in my mind that struggled to take over. Finally, the battle with my eyes won and they slowly, blearily opened and I found myself looking into pools of dulled sunlight before they shifted to an unmistakable sky blue. I felt my body shudder lightly.
“Finnian?” My eyes flew all the way open and the Loremaster's handsome face peered over me, his expression wrought with worry as he bit his lower lip nervously. At the mention of his name (did I really just speak? I couldn't really tell that I had) he gave a wide grin and I felt a vice around my upper body.
“Oh my god, Leorah James e’na Miradoste you scared the shit out of me!” he cried out with relief and I realized that he was hugging me. I felt something press against my cheek and his face pulled away; realizing that he'd kissed me.
I raised my hand to wipe it away but, it was still too heavy to move. “Ugh, Finn... what the fuck?”
A chuckle from nearby. “She's better.”
“I think so,” Finnian said, with a large grin. “How do you feel, Leorah?”
I blinked a few more times, my eyelids heavy and my brain confused. Somehow I managed to mutter, “Idunfuckinknow...” which was met by more laughing.
“What in the—” I struggled to raise my head but was met with painful protests from my head and neck and I quickly lowered it again. I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut. “Fuck….”
“I think you're going to be okay,” Finnian said happily. Through my narrow view I could see him leaning over me, pouring a small vial over on my lips; the warm liquid slipping over my dry tongue. I struggled to swallow but, when I did, I felt a newfound sense of strength. I couldn't quite run a marathon yet, but I could at least make out my surroundings.
I glanced around; I saw a high bookshelf with hundreds—maybe thousands of leather bound tomes and paper backs arranged in no particular order. I struggled to shift my head and looked up to see a red velvet canopy over me. It looked a lot like…
“... my Grandfather's bedroom?” I mused aloud, confused. I couldn't be here, though. I was just in the middle of the Throne Room of the castle; battling Cyril and the Shadows and struggling—
With new found realization, I sat upright immediately. It hurt like hell and pangs of electric fire shot up and down my spine, stopping only briefly to stab at my head. “Oh my god—Gabriel and Maxxus! Are they—”
Finnian raised a hand to subdue me. “Fine. They're both fine; it was miraculous.”
I blinked at him slowly. “What.” It wasn’t even a question; I was that confused.
“They're fine Leo!” Finnian insisted, setting his potions down and grasping my hands in his own, smiling widely. “Both Maxxus and Gabriel are fine! Everyone is fine—you saved them!”
I opened my mouth to speak and quickly stopped again. “How—” the last thing I remember was trying to figure out how to heal both of them, realizing I couldn't and... I woke up here.
“It was amazing. I guess—I wasn't there,” he stepped back a bit and, a new face replaced his in my vision. I found myself looking into Daniel's sparkling eyes, as they were rimmed with tears and as soon as he saw me, they fell rapidly down his cheeks.
“Leo, I don't know how you did it; but you did!” Daniel threw himself into me, wrapping his arms tightly around me.
I winced slightly and he relented, letting go of his embrace with a chuckle. “Sorry; I guess you have to be sort of... tired? Uncomfortable? Do you hurt?”
I groaned, taking evaluation of myself. I patted my shoulders, my chest, my stomach. Nothing hurt, but my limbs still felt very weak; my brain still very foggy.
Another portion was thrust in my face with instructions from Finnian that said merely, “Open.” I did and he poured a rather cold substance down my throat. I swallowed the sweet substance and I felt the veil of confusion subside.
Daniels' face became more vivid and I became more coherent. “Say what now?”
“I don't know how you did it, but you healed them both. You nearly killed yourself doing so, but you did it. I thought you were going to flip out; you were crying and calling out and muttering and speaking in tongues and all of a sudden you turned into a bright flash of light. It was so bright I was blinded for I don't know how long,” Daniel perched his backside on the edge of the bed and folded his muscular legs over the side. “When I started to see again, both Gabriel and Maxxus were sitting upright, looking confused as hell but, they'd both stopped bleeding. Their wounds were nearly h
ealed, Leo! It allowed the other white dragons to come in and heal them fully—they're okay!” He wrapped his arms around me again and sobbed openly into my shoulder. “My brother—you saved my brother. I will never be...” his voice evolved into large sobs, then and he couldn't finish his sentence.
I suddenly fathomed the levity of what he said. My mouth fell open as I felt a surge of relief. I pulled away from him slightly to look him earnestly in the eye. “They're... they're okay!?” Daniel nodded quickly and we clutched each other, I joined his sons with my own sobs of happiness.
“They're okay, they're okay!!” I uttered between tears.
Gabriel and Maxxus—they were alive! But…
“How?” Daniel had said it was me, but I didn't get it.
“We don't know really. We think in the panic of decision your magic just took possession of you. You exploded in a blast of light, seemingly,” Daniel said, pulling away and rubbing at his tear stained cheeks with the backs of his hands. “Everything around you healed. And I mean... everything.”
“I...am not sure what you mean,” I said, raising a brow at him in confusion.
“Leo,” Finnian leaned over me then. “Your magic filled up the entire room. Not only had it partially healed everyone and everything that was injured—it wiped out all the Shadows. All of them. It tossed Cyril back into the portal and, it closed and everything that was in it basically fell out. All the dragons that had been Shadowtouched at Court—they all came out and the portal swallowed up Cyril inside.”
“They all? Grandfather?!” I exclaimed, feeling another shock of bliss.
“I am fine!” I heard from across the room, and I sat up further to see my grandfather perched in his purple plush chair across the room in his familiar, wizard-looking human form. He stroked his beard out of habit with his hand and slowly stood. “Oh child...” he said, his expression mixed as he crossed the room and leaned over me; pushing the Loremaster and the Seer aside momentarily.
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Oh Grandfather... I'm so glad you are okay! I'm so glad—” I pulled away from him to look at Finnian expectantly. “Where are they? Gabriel and Maxxus?”
Finnian held up his hand and pointed across the room. There was another makeshift bed set up and I saw Gabriel's sleeping face peacefully resting on a purple covered pillow. He breathed steadily as I watched the colorful quilt that had once belonged to my grandmother raise up and down slowly. “Gabriel, as you see is sleeping soundly. He required a bit more patching, being human, but he's responding well to all my potions and the healing done by, well…” he motioned to my grandfather who smiled, and bowed his head earnestly.
“You healed him?” My mouth fell open in surprise. As far as I knew, a dragon hadn't healed a human—besides me—in years.
Grandfather squeezed my leg. “No, you healed him. I just finished the job.”
I let out a squeal of delight, and clapped my hands in front of me. “Maxxus?”
“Maxxus is downstairs, receiving another dose of healing magic,” Finnian explained. “Your magic allowed him to shift quickly, effectively purging the shadow magic and began to heal slowly. They both required transfusions due to their loss of blood, but we expect they'll make a full recovery after some more rest, soon.”
“Wait, what? Transfusions?”
Finnian chuckled. “I was able to open a portal to bring Evie over; who brought an entire supply of AB+ blood from human donators at Castle Danger and we pumped him full of fresh blood and I gave him a bunch of potions helping to rejuvenate his own blood faster. We couldn't fully heal the wound on his chest, and he stubbornly refuses to let us try again, saying it's “your job to finish” whenever you feel up to it. Though we were wondering if you'd be around to ever be up to it again.”
I gave him an odd look. “What do you mean, again? How long was I out?”
Daniel let out a whistle. “Oh honey child, you've been out for four whole days.”
My eyes widened. “Four days!?!”
Finnian nodded.
“And... I’ve been here the whole time…? Wait—I'm at... home?” I furrowed my brow at Daniel, pointing at him. “And he's here. And—” I pointed to Finnian, “—you're here. Humans. In the dragon realm... in my house…?”
Finnian chuckled. “Yes, though you know fully well I'm not human,” he said, with a playful wink and I groaned and waved him off.
“Semantics, demon boy,” I said with a pretend glower, but I relented and gave him a smile. “But, how is this possible?” Humans were simply not allowed in the Dragon Realm.
My grandfather let out a pointed cough. “I can explain...” And he did.
Supposedly, in ways he couldn't explain, the warring choice in me to pick to heal one or the other—Maxxus or Gabriel—caused my magic to surge, like a nuclear bomb. Pure white, healing, light magic that was strongest near me, causing Maxxus and Gabriel to essentially come back to life. Daniel had assured them they were both mere moments from death. That admission made my lower lip quiver and started the tears flowing once more and I don't think I stopped crying the entire time my Grandfather spoke (with Finnian jumping in to fill in the gaps). All the Shadows were instantly incinerated as the magic flowed through the room and outwards. He said it had reached the gardens, purifying all that space from Shadow magic.
The portal had frozen, but, wasn’t really a portal at all. It was a Void bubble that acted as a passageway to the Shadow realm, where all the dragons Cyril had attempted to pull into the Shadow realm were being held while they underwent their Shadow transformations. My grandfather was happy to report they resisted the Shadow magic with incredible strength which is why Cyril pulled them into the void to give them double and triple doses of Shadow. As we already knew my grandfather and all the remaining dragons had banded together to put the queen in her temporary sanctuary and seal the portal.
My magic had penetrated the void and revived the dragons that weren't halfway gone yet. The rest of them required more effort, but the fact that it had healed them at all was miracle, it gave time for healers to get to them before they totally transitioned over. Because of my magic I'd saved more than we lost—which was a staggering fifty dragons over to the Shadows. Countless others were in the process of being transitioned and were severely Shadowtouched, but not fully succumbed. There was still hope for them
Finnian had pulled the queen into one of his time warp bubbles—much to her dismay—but the magic too was broken by my own. Braeden, who was probably the highest ranking, coherent dragon in the Court at this point was barking orders, insisting that the new healing ward for anyone touched by the Shadows be at our home clear across (thankfully) from the Court separated by a thin forest and sprawling gardens and it was ordered immediately that Gabriel and Maxxus be carried to the castle for more, proper healing. Their bleeding had stopped, but they were still unconscious from the blood loss. They were hesitant to attend to Maxxus, and point blank refused to attend to Gabriel. Carrying a human, of course, was beneath them.
The queen appeared at this point and decreed that, as long as she was living and breathing, the humans that assisted us here today would always be welcome in Anarach and someone was to tend to them immediately. Still, there was hesitation and Braeden himself with Kiarra's assistance got Gabriel safely to his back to be carried to the castle where they have been ever since. Four days, apparently.
Being royalty, Queen Valessia was familiar with the Loremasters and their secrets so, Finnian's presence was an honor and with my grandfather's permission was given free rein to set up shop and begin the process to help restore the Court.
“Evie's appearance was somewhat of a shock, though,” Finnian said, with a chuckle, speaking of course of the vampire.
My grandfather from his seat nearby, laughed lightly. “I have seen many things in my years, but never a vampire. That is a new one on me.”
“You mean, you didn't know they existed either?” I asked him.
He shrugged. “I didn't know or
not know. It simply never occurred to me the stories were true. They appear so much to be human, yet, they do not smell or sound human. No heartbeat, or, not a fast one... they make very little noise and have literally no smell except for after they've eaten, apparently.”
Finnian grinned. “Sorry about that.”
“So... everyone’s okay then?” I questioned.
“Well...” my grandfather stood, slowly; his hands bracing against his lower back for support as he rose to his feet. “Not entirely. The Shadows have left their mark. Those who are left are weakened and...” he stepped gingerly, slowly to my bedside. He lowered himself beside me with a pained groan and patted my leg.
“And?” I prompted.
“They are prone to fits of... insanity. And... uncontrollable anger. There has been fighting and quarreling amongst those that were saved. We haven't figured out how to fully pull the mark of the Shadows out,” my grandfather explained, with a sigh.
I looked at Finnian. “I guess that's where I come in, huh?”
He shrugged. “We are not sure if even you are able to remove this mark; we fear it may be permanent.”
I gulped. “Permanent?” My hands immediately flew to my chest—not sure why, but I imagined this “mark” to be a bubble of darkness around the heart. “Do I have this... does everyone…?”
“No, and that's what's funny. Those immediately around you do not bear any trace of the mark. Daniel—who appears to be completely immune for reasons we still do not understand— Gabriel, Maxxus. Shadow free, completely,” Finnian explained.
“Kiarra and my brother? My parents?” I added them as an afterthought. We disliked each other vehemently, but I didn't want them to endure the horror of the Shadows. I cringed, recalling my father's despair when we'd encountered him in the castle.
“A slight trace,” my grandfather said. “We have had the most success pulling it out of them. They were not directly in the portal, and were succumbed the least.” He gave a small sigh. “Thankfully... my son however is a bit worse off, but he shall recover. Miradoste wasn't affected much by the Shadows—she was on the outskirts of the palace when they invaded, but, she has a different kind of mark around her right now. One of... shame.”