by Megg Jensen
"Go ahead," Tressa said. She felt Onva slip away. She pushed down the panic gathering in her throat. It would be okay. They weren't going far. She wasn't alone.
Tressa backed toward the statue, her entire palm resting on it now. Strangely, the cool stone seemed to warm up under her hand. She flushed with anxiety. She continued to reassure herself as the cool gave way to a warmth, not unlike the heat of another person.
When the stone moved, Tressa let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Chapter Thirty
Tressa sprinted into the darkness, bumping into someone and knocking them down. She landed on top of the person, her arm smacking the floor.
"What is your problem?" Onva asked, sprawled underneath her.
Tressa rolled off of Onva, out of breath. "The statue. It moved.”
"Are the two of you okay?" Accore asked somewhere ahead of them. "Why did you scream, Tressa?"
"The statue got warm. Then it moved." She insisted through gritted teeth, knowing how ridiculous it sounded now. Of course it hadn't. Statues didn't move. It was carved of stone. She'd touched it with her own sweaty, nervous hands. That was why it felt like it moved.
"Link up and stay together," Donovan said. "Fregar still has my shoulder. Accore, do you have Fregar's?"
"I do now," he said. "Onva has mine. Now let's keep moving."
"No, I don't," Onva said.
"Don't what?" Accore asked.
"I'm not touching you," she said.
"Tressa? Hildie?" Donovan asked nervously.
A grunt and moan were followed by a loud thud. The tangy scent of copper spread through the air.
"Accore?" Onva said.
They all waited, but there was no answer.
"He's not touching my shoulder anymore," Fregar cried. "Where did he go? Who was touching him?"
"The shades will not let us go easily," Donovan said. "Now, we move."
"But Accore..." Hildie said.
"If he does not answer, he is gone," Donovan said. "Like Kadrin. Onva, put your hand on Hilde's shoulder. Tressa's yours goes on Onva's. Fregar, stay with me. Let us continue."
A light flashed in the cavern. Then another and another until all of the torches were lit again. Tressa blinked, seeing Accore's dead body on the floor. Then she looked back at where the statue was. Or had been.
"Donovan, the statue is gone," Tressa said, choking back fear. Again, she remembered how the stone had warmed beneath her hand. Could the statue truly have come to life? It didn’t seem possible. She’d seen many strange beasts since leaving Hutton’s Bridge, but nothing to compare with living stone. That was more powerful magic than any she’d encountered.
Donovan turned around, Fi still limp in his arms. His eyes grew wide. "We must move." He continued forward, this time running as best as he could without jostling Fi.
Tressa and the others followed. He was right. There was an opening ahead of them. She prayed it led aboveground and to freedom.
A piercing screech echoed throughout the room. Tressa covered hear ears. The floor was mottled with a mess of dark shadows. They writhed, melding into each other, then breaking apart again.
"Run!" Tressa screamed, bolting past Donovan and into the opening.
The three other women raced ahead, followed by Donovan, carrying Fi. Tressa brought up the rear, frantically looking behind her for evidence of a shade.
"How do they kill?" Tressa asked Donovan, panting.
"They absorb your life force and you disappear into nothing. It is what happened to Kadrin and Accore." Donovan adjusted Fi in his arms.
"Why not Fi?" Tressa asked. "Why was she different?"
"I don't know," Donovan admitted. "For now, we run."
She did as he said, following the group as they ascended higher into the catacombs. Tressa refused to look over the edge of the path as it dropped off into the void. Pebbles fell over the side with each footfall, but she never heard them make a noise when they hit bottom. If they hit bottom, she thought with a shudder.
Someone screamed up ahead. Tressa tried to see who it was. Unfortunately, the tunnel was too narrow and they were too far ahead. "Are you okay?" she called.
"Fregar!" Onva shouted. "Where are you?"
"No, not another," Tressa said, hopelessly. "No more."
"Concentrate on getting out of here," Donovan said. "Don't let their disappearances stop you."
"But what if they're down there somewhere, and we can rescue them just like we did Fi?" Tressa asked. "We can't leave anyone behind."
"Fi did not scream when she was taken," Donovan said. "The others did. That is the only reason I felt she might be alive. The shades are not kind when they suck the life from a human. The pain is excruciating." Donovan wheezed, his shoulders sagging.
Fi was a small woman and light, but carrying her for so long was wearing on Donovan. Yet his legs showed no sign of flagging. Every step was as solid as the last.
"How did you survive this in the past?" Tressa asked.
"I have no idea," Donovan said. He hefted Fi in his arms and picked up his speed. "No more talking."
Tressa obeyed. Hildie and Onva had pulled so far ahead of them that Tressa couldn't see them anymore. Only the scrabble of their feet told her they were still alive.
Finally they arrived in a chamber filled with burial graves. Donovan stopped for a moment, resting his back against the wall. "I need to take a breath." He locked eyes with Tressa. "We will make it out of here alive."
She nodded. Tressa considered herself brave, but how could she fight something that had no form? Even Donovan didn't know how to defeat them. He only knew to outrun them.
A cracking noise came from one of the holes. Bony fingers snaked out, reaching toward Tressa. She leapt backward and pointed.
Donovan's eyes grew large. His jaw dropped. "Holy shite!" He took off running, Tressa close on his heels.
They didn't stop again until they reached open air. The morning sunlight beckoned to them outside. Onva and Hildie had their arms around each other, tears streaming down their faces.
"We were about to leave without you," Hildie said. "We thought you didn't make it."
"Well, we did," Donovan said. "Let's get back to the horses and the tent. Once we're inside, we'll be safe and we can rest."
Hildie offered her strong arms to Donovan. He nodded and placed Fi carefully in Hildie's arms.
Tressa embraced Onva. "I'm so sorry about Fregar."
Onva shrugged her off. "Don't talk to me about my sister. Never speak her name. It is not yours to claim."
"I'm sorry," Tressa said.
"No. We saved your friend, didn't we? She is alive?" Onva's voice dripped with venom. "We exchanged the lives of Kadrin, Accore, and Fregar for hers. It better be worth it."
As Tressa looked over her shoulder at the entrance to the catacombs, she admitted to herself for the first time how selfish the mission had been. She hung back, letting the others walk ahead. She needed a moment to let the tears fall. Three good people were gone. For what? To follow Tressa's whims?
No, of course not. She’d done it for Fi. For the Dragonlands, who needed her friend.
As she slowed down, she realized how much her body ached. They'd spent the whole time either running or scared stiff, and based on the rising sun, they'd taken the entire night. She had barely slept the night before. She'd only forced a few bites of food down her stomach. All she wanted now was to collapse in the tent.
She looked back toward the entrance to the catacombs. Tressa said a silent word of thanks to the three who had perished in her service. They’d given the ultimate sacrifice to save a woman they didn’t know. That was true heroism. It was humbling.
Something moved in the shadow of the entrance. Tressa blinked, sure the morning sun was playing tricks on her. Then the entrance exploded as the statue from the cavern burst toward her, running at full speed.
Chapter Thirty-One
They ran.
The ground shook beneath Tressa with every stomp
of the beast's feet.
Donovan and Onva hung back, letting Hildie go by them with Fi bouncing in her arms. Despite their losses, they were still trying to protect Fi, as they’d sworn to do. Tressa brought up the rear, denying the weariness in her bones.
Hildie disappeared. She’d made it to the tent. A moment later Onva was gone. All but Donovan’s arm disappeared. His fingers waved to Tressa, beckoning her inside.
The beast bore down. Tressa could feel his dank, fetid breath on the back of her neck. With one last burst of speed, she leapt toward Donovan’s arm and rolled into the tent, bumping up against Onva.
"I'm sorry," Tressa said, breathless.
"Shhh!" Donovan covered her mouth with his hand.
Tressa huddled next to Donovan and Onva. Hildie sat across from the them, her legs crossed. Fi lay in the middle, still asleep, her chest softly rising and falling. The beast roared in confusion. All of its prey had disappeared. Tressa couldn't help but smile. The invisible tent would keep all of them safe. The magic of Desolation was truly a wonder.
The beast screamed again. The horses nickered, their hooves pounding the ground. Donovan rushed over to them, petting as many as he could. Onva and Hildie joined him, their hands caressing the horses' manes as they whispered into their ears.
Tressa scooted closer to Fi, taking her friend's hand. She was relieved at how warm it was. It was the warmth of life. Tressa pushed Fi's black and pink hair behind one ear. She looked perfectly healthy. Whatever else was wrong with her, she had no cuts or bruises.
The beast stalked relentlessly. Tressa saw its shadow on the tent walls as it moved around outside, searching for the people who'd so easily escaped. The shadow began to recede, each step taking it farther away from them.
Donovan patted his horse as it calmed down, then returned to Tressa and Fi. "We will find a way to awaken her."
"I know," Tressa said. "We'll take her back to the Red castle. Let her see the healers. They'll know what to do."
"No," Donovan said. "She will go back to Ergoth. They will care for her there. You and I still have unfinished business in Desolation, and I am sorry, but I cannot allow you to leave until it has been done."
Tressa nodded. He'd held up his end of the bargain; she would do the same.
"My brother is a healer," Hildie said, sitting down next to them. "He will do his best to help your friend." The flat tone in her voice didn't match the promise.
"Let's all lie down," Donovan said. "We should have some sleep before we start off for Ergoth."
No one argued. Tressa laid her bedroll out next to Fi. As Tressa drifted off to sleep, images flashed in her mind. She saw Kadrin laugh as Fregar glared at her. She’d never forget Accore's sure smile. Tressa swore she'd take a moment with their families when they got back to Ergoth and thank them for their service while expressing her deepest condolences.
Fi sprang to sitting; her eyes wide open. Tressa sat up groggily, glad to see her friend had woken.
Tressa placed a hand on Fi's shoulder. "Hi. You okay?"
Fi looked at Tressa, her eyes wild. Her mouth dropped open and a high-pitched shriek ripped through the tent. Tressa reached out, but Fi's limbs jerked as she fought against Tressa.
"It's okay," Tressa said over and over, but Fi wouldn't stop.
"Make her shut up!" Hildie said, rubbing her eyes.
Donovan dashed across the tent, kneeling next to Fi. He slapped a hand over her mouth. Fi bit him, drawing blood. Still, Donovan did his best to muffle her screams.
The ground reverberated. Tressa looked at the tent wall and saw the shadow of the beast growing quickly as the creature returned.
"Fi, you have to stop," Tressa begged. "Stop screaming."
Fi didn’t seem to be conscious of what she was doing. The screams poured out of her, a purging she couldn't seem to stop.
The beast bellowed outside the tent.
"He can't see us," Tressa said to Donovan. "Right?"
"No, but he can damn well hear her screams. If she doesn't stop, he will find us."
Frustration welled up in Tressa. She wanted to scream, too. Instead, she hauled off and slapped Fi on the cheek.
The screams abruptly stopped. Fi looked around, dazed. Her hand rested on her bright pink cheek. The shadow outside the tent paused, then turned away from them again.
Fi looked at Tressa. Black circles ringed her haunted eyes. Her lips quivered and her forehead crinkled. "Where am I?"
"Desolation," Tressa said. "We just rescued you from the shades. Do you remember anything about the time while you were away from us? When we found you, you seemed to be in some deep sleep."
"I do." She grabbed Tressa's hands. "I have so much to tell you. But..." She looked up at Hildie and Onva. "Who are they?"
"We are the people who saved your arse. My twin sister and two of my good friends died to bring you out of the catacombs so you could scream like a fool and attract the attention of that monster." Onva's nostrils flared, her legs planted wide.
"Thank you," Fi said, bowing her head. "I am in your debt forever."
Based on Onva's surprised expression, it was not the answer she'd been expecting. "I, well..."
Hildie pushed Onva out of the way, sitting next to Tressa and Fi. "I am Hildie. Donovan asked us to save you. Despite the loss of three of our warriors, I am relieved we completed our mission successfully." Hildie's expression softened as she looked into Fi's eyes.
"Hi," Fi said, a slight smile on her face. "My thanks to all of you."
A wail interrupted as the shadow of the beast grew larger. The beast shrieked, and the top of the tent punched down toward them. Fire flashed in Tressa's veins. Her body contorted, and before she could scream out in pain, she changed into her dragon. The tent fell in shreds around her, and the horses bolted.
Tressa screeched into the sky, blowing fire down at the stone beast. It cowered in fear for only a moment, then ran off after the horses. Tressa fought the urge to chase it. Instead she flew back to the ground where her friends stood, stunned. She tried to turn back into her human form, but it wouldn’t come.
Fi gaped at Tressa. Fi closed her eyes and balled her hands in fists. After a moment, her eyelids snapped open. “Why can’t I change into my dragon if Tressa can?” she yelled at Donovan.
He shook his head. “I do not know. This should not have happened.”
"Now how are we going to get home?" Hildie yelled, her one soft moment erased. "This entire expedition has been a complete nightmare!"
Tressa could feel the words forming in her mind. I'm sorry. It was all she could think to say, over and over again. Unfortunately, she couldn’t tell them. Not like this. There was nothing left. The tent was destroyed. Their horses were gone.
Donovan rested his head in his hands. "We will have to walk."
Tressa bowed her giant head to the ground, nudging Hildie with her snout. They had done so much for her, and she had taken so much from them. But, she could save them now.
"No," Hildie said, baring her teeth. "I will not ride on the dragon. I'd rather die."
"That is your choice," Donovan said. He reached out for Fi's hand, helping her to her feet. The two of them walked over to Tressa's back and climbed on.
Onva looked at Hilde, then back at the catacombs. "I cannot leave my mother with no daughters. I will ride." She clambered on Tressa's back behind Donovan.
Hildie crossed her arms over her chest. "No."
"Don't be ridiculous," Donovan said. "I know how you feel, but it is worth dying for?"
"Yes! It has always been worth dying for. It is why we stay in Desolation and shun the Dragonlands."
"Then I have only one final question for you, Hildie," Donovan said. "Is it worth dying for today?"
Hildie's shoulders fell. She slowly made her way over to Tressa and climbed on.
Tressa took to the sky, happy she'd finally done something helpful.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The cool mist tickled Connor's snout as he glided
through the fog surrounding Hutton's Bridge. He flew straight past the tallest ash tree, whose branches reached above the hazy mist. It wasn't long before he spied the open circle in the center of the fog. The village of Hutton's Bridge appeared below. Connor landed in the village square. He waited until Hazel and Bastian slid off his back before turning into his human form.
"I'll talk to Farah before anyone sees you." Hazel gave Bastian's arm a little squeeze before she headed toward the village hall.
"She'll be okay," Connor said to his friend.
Bastian only nodded. There was no bravado or confidence about him. Connor waited with Bastian in silence until the door to the village hall reopened. Farah walked out, her curls bouncing around her shoulders. Hazel followed quietly behind the little girl.
Farah wrung her hands and bit her lower lip. "Papa?" she asked.
Bastian knelt on one knee. "It's me, Farah."
"They said you were dead, Papa," she said, hesitating before moving any closer. "I didn't see your body in the village square, so I wondered if it was true or not..."
Connor held his breath. Would Bastian tell his daughter the truth? Would he admit to dying and being brought back a dragon?
"Everyone thought I was dead," Bastian said, his voice low and sure. "But I'm not, now. I am a little different, though."
"How?" Farah asked, twirling a finger in her hair.
"Well, you know how Connor can turn into a dragon?" Bastian pointed over his shoulder at Connor, who tossed Hazel a smile. "I can do that now, too. What do you think of that?"
Farah's arm dropped to her side as her eyes bulged. "That's the greatest thing ever, Papa!" She ran into Bastian's waiting arms, burying her head into his shoulder.
Connor was pleased to see Bastian return her affection so easily. His best friend had changed with his rebirth. Bastian was still confident, but in a sure, silent manner instead of the boastful brawn of the past.