The Witch's Dragon

by Melania Tolan

  “See you on the other side, old friend.” He stood up and wiped his face with the back of his hand. “We can’t stay here any longer.”

  Until that moment, I didn’t know the two had been close. They’d never talked when we traveled through the water vortex.

  Well, they didn’t talk out loud…

  They’d probably had a complete, silent conversation, and I was just too oblivious to realize what was happening, given the sequence of events that had occurred in those tunnels.

  I’d never seen Padrick full on cry before or show this much emotion. He’d always carried himself stoically, only indulging in the occasional jibe toward Traian and the other strigoi. He could be funny at times and kind others, but sadness wasn’t something I’d seen him show.

  I stepped up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. A few seconds later, he returned the embrace with his arms around my shoulders. We said nothing as we stood there. The air thickened with emotion before I felt him breathe a little more evenly again.

  Argo gave us space to process the loss our elf guide had experienced before he came over, wrapping his wings around both of us.

  “I’m not joining this love fest.” Storm yawned from her place on a boulder ten feet up the mountain. She had come down shortly after Padrick to investigate what had happened.

  “Now is so not the time.” I gave her a side glare.

  Padrick pulled away a few moments later and gazed out over the water as my eyes fell back to the words on the mermaid’s stomach. I couldn’t help but stare, even though every letter made me cringe. I simply couldn’t look away. My hand touched my abdomen where the witch bitch had done the same to me.

  “Where can we go? Can we even get off the island undetected, now they know we’re here?” My voice trembled even at the thought.

  They had violated our little haven. Someone dear to my friend’s heart had been murdered because of me. Who would be next? My mind raced back to Romania. Each of the faces of the people I’d come to know and respect flashed before my face. If Octavian knew we were here, when would the rest of the enemy’s infantry show up?

  Padrick took his time responding. “Zafora is on her way. She won’t be happy.”

  “Are they going to get us off the island?”

  “No,” he said firmly.

  Argo leaned closer to me. “Something’s off. I could try to fly you and Storm to the next island, Svalbard.”

  I gawked down at my dragon in disbelief. “Have you lost your mind? You only just learned to fly. How could you possibly carry me and a cat ten miles over water?”

  “Your lack of confidence in me is rather insulting.”

  “Ugh, I don’t have time for this.”

  “Neither do I.”

  At that moment, a white head popped up out of the water a mere thirty feet from the shore.

  “Bella? What are you doing here?”

  “I heard about the murder of the siren. The queen is on her way. Thought I would warn you, because she’s not happy.”

  “No shit.”

  “Shit? You say that a lot.” Her nose bobbed above the surface.

  “Not now.” I shook my head.

  “How many are in her family?” Padrick asked.

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged and then rubbed my hands together, hoping that instead of getting sparks, a brilliant idea would manifest.

  “What does the elf want?” Bella asked.

  “I have no idea.” I clenched my jaw when a thought came to me. “I need to get in the water.”

  “That’s a bad idea,” Padrick warned, backing away. “We need to get away from the shore as quickly as possible.”

  Too late. I had already stripped off my boots and pants while letting Argo and Storm in on the plan. However, Padrick grabbed my arm before I could jump into the sea.

  “She’ll kill you. We can hide at the center of the island in the forest until she cools off.”

  I turned my head to meet his gaze. “I’m not hiding anymore. She has every right to be mad at me. And I need to speak with her.”

  “You don’t know her. Sirens cannot be negotiated with.”

  “I’m not negotiating with her.”

  “Everly. Someone’s coming and it’s not the sirens. You need to run and hide now.” Bella spoke in an urgent tone I hadn’t heard from her before. “I didn’t feel them until now.”

  I scanned the sea for energy signatures. I could feel Bella, a pod of dolphins, and two seals that were quickly fleeing the area.

  “I need to go. Please hide.” Bella disappeared under the water.

  “Padrick,” I cried. “Something’s wrong.”

  “Shit,” Padrick cursed. “Run, now!”

  I turned on my heel and booked it, just as three submarines emerged from the water a quarter of a mile away.

  Six missiles came blasting in our direction.

  Chapter 23

  I didn’t have time to think. There was no way to outrun the missiles in time. What kind of damage would they do if I left them to take their course? Within a nanosecond, I imagined a massive wall of protective clear quartz rise between us and the bombs headed our way.

  The projectiles hit my barrier, exploding in black smoke and fire. Everything inside me shook as I took part of the force. I had both hands up, with sparks of electricity extending to the wall to stabilize it.

  “Earth. Water. Wind. Please help us,” I pleaded.

  My body weakened as a second set of projectiles smacked into my shield. I wondered how long I could keep it up until I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.

  “Take my energy and hold that wall.” Green light from Padrick’s palm spread across my body. “Argo, you get Storm and go hide in the forest.”

  “I can’t leave her.” Argo came to stand by me.

  “We’ll be right behind you. Listen to Padrick,” I urged. “Please go now. I don’t want them to see you.”

  He backed away from me slowly. “I don’t like this.”

  “Neither do I. Get out of h—”

  A third round of missiles cut off my words. This time, I held the shield stronger, as Padrick’s energy reinforced mine, green arcs of light combining with my silver ones.

  “Good work, Ev,” he said in a soft tone. “Remember the grounding techniques I taught you back in Romania.”

  I turned toward my dragon. He had reached Storm.

  “Stay alive,” she said to me before she jumped on Argo’s back.

  The two of them raced away as a heavy cloud descended from the mountain. Wind. The hint of relief I felt was short-lived when we took a fourth wave of fire. The ground under our feet quaked this time. I looked up to Padrick for guidance. He gave me an encouraging nod.

  “Ground your energy.”

  Why did he have so much faith in me? Half of the time, I didn’t know what the heck I was doing.

  Who am I kidding? I’m winging it pretty much all the time.

  But I nodded and closed my eyes, focusing on the rumbling ground around us. The entire island shook. I could hear boulders tumbling down the mountain. My witch’s eye flew open, and I peered inland to check on Argo and my cat.

  The dragon dodged falling rocks as he ascended the mountain with Storm clinging on to his back and then they disappeared in the gray cloud.

  “Keep my babies safe,” I asked of Wind.

  “Worry not, Chosen One.” Wind’s harmonious voice hummed through my head and faded away.

  I turned my attention to the shaking ground. Grounding seemed difficult when I couldn’t stand still.

  “I’m here, Chosen One.” Earth’s deep voice echoed in my head. “Look to the sea.”

  With my witch’s eye, I focused my gaze toward the three subs in the water. The hatch opened on the middle one, and the witch bitch climbed out to stand near the conning tower. Her eyes narrowed, as a chilling smile spread over her face.

  It didn’t last long, though, because the next moment, a tall wave rose behind her. She only realized he
r precarious situation when it crested over the three subs. It washed her body into the water.

  “You’re welcome.” Water’s melodious voice bubbled around me. “Temporary solution. There are more coming, and I may not be able to hold them off.”

  The waves settled down, but the subs and the witch never appeared again.

  “What do we do?” I whispered to Padrick.

  He released my shoulder, the green arcs of light fading from the wall. “I think we’re safe for now. But when they come again, they’ll be ten times worse. This was only a practice run. Your father was just scoping out what he’s up against.”

  “What if she swims to shore?”

  I continued to scan the waters with my third eye, but didn’t see any energy signatures. Even the teeming marine life had vanished from this part of the sea.

  “She can’t. None of them can. That’s the magic of this island,” he replied. “However, modern weapons can still reach us. We need to get to the forest. The mountains and the trees will protect us.”

  “Why can’t she get onto the island?”

  Being told ‘the magic of the island’ would protect us wasn’t enough for me anymore, especially after seeing those missiles shatter against my barrier.

  Padrick rolled his shoulders before meeting my gaze. “Nobody can come onto this island without my consent.”

  “This is yours?”

  “Ha. No. I was tasked to place a protective ward on this isle over six thousand years ago by my friend, Evelina.” He glanced toward the mountains. “This was the island of the dragons, Drage øy. Somewhere they could live freely and raise their young. Here, they were protected from those who would hunt them.”

  “Elves, right?” I still kept the barrier up, but I lowered my hands.

  “Yes, but not just us. Your father played an integral role in decimating the dragon population. That is, until he found his black steed. Octavian loves to collect special creatures and people with unique powers.” Padrick turned his gaze to me. “He’s coming for you, Everly, and you need to be ready.”

  I glanced down at my bare feet. “I am ready to face him, but I’m not ready to leave Argo behind.”

  “You will never be ready to face him. That mentality will only lead to your death. And don’t think for one second he won’t kill you. You were of interest when he discovered you two were related, but now that you have betrayed him, his witches will siphon your powers and he will drain you of your blood. When he’s taken everything useful to him, you will die.”

  His words sent a shudder through me. I knew he spoke the truth.

  “I have to face him someday.”

  “Yes, you do, and more than once before all of this will be over. My point is don’t lie to yourself, thinking you can take him on alone. This thinking killed Evelina and Eva.”

  I stared out over the water. “But what do we do now?”

  “We retreat to the forest and figure out our next step.”

  “I’m afraid to take this barrier down.”

  Padrick stepped away from me. “Now is your chance to practice holding a barrier while you move. Battles are not static, and neither can you remain in one spot while fighting for your life.”

  “But how do I do this?”

  He gave me a weak smile. “You will figure this out because that’s what you do, and that’s how you learn the best. I’ll meet you in the forest.”

  “Wait! What? Are you leaving me alone? What if they come back?”

  “They won’t be back probably for another twenty hours or so. You have plenty of time to figure it out.” With that, he turned on his heel and booked it up the mountain.

  I was so screwed.

  Chapter 24

  The beach seemed silent. Too quiet. Not a single life form stood within a mile radius of me. The only sounds that my ears picked up were the lapping water on the rocks under my feet and the howling wind rolling off the mountains behind me. During the attack, the siren’s body had disappeared.

  I scanned the open water, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but I saw nothing except waves. The abundant wildlife that inhabited this island seemed to have gone into hiding. While that gave me some relief, it also made me sad.

  I shifted my feet, closed my eyes, and opened my witch’s eye. Think. How could I move back toward the mountain while still holding the barrier up?

  The magic aura of the invisible shield glistened about fifty yards ahead of me. With a shaky step, I moved back a foot. The translucent wall undulated as it shifted forward, following me. I took another step back and then another. One bare foot behind me at a time, I reached the base of the mountain, the whole time watching the water for any hints of the lurking enemy. Just because I couldn’t see or feel them didn’t mean they weren’t close by, waiting for me to let my guard down.

  Ever so slowly, I climbed backward up the thousand-foot mountain until I reached the top of the ridge, using my witch’s sight to guide me to the highest point. That’s when I finally lowered the shield and nearly collapsed from the intense concentration. I opened my eyes and stared at the dark fog surrounding me.

  “I did it,” I whispered to the wind.

  I had done something remarkable, but it had taken everything out of me. Now I stood leaning against the rock cliff, hungry for blood. The only food available here would be a deer or some rodents.

  Closing my eyes, I focused on any life signatures on the south side of these mountains. I picked up three in the forest: Padrick, Argo, and Storm. I found a herd of deer milling about the edge of the forest, a mile from my companions, near the river that ran to the small lake at the center of the valley. On the other side of this lake, mountains rose to the south side of the island. I counted three herds total. I hoped it would be enough and that we wouldn’t throw their ecosystem out of whack by feeding on them.

  The burn in my throat grew as I contemplated from which herd I would get my meal. Desperation kicked in. The closest one will have to do. I hadn’t felt this thirsty since the first few weeks of my undead existence.

  Cut yourself some slack. You just kept your friends safe from a military onslaught that would’ve destroyed the island and killed the ones you love. The voice belonged to me, but I had a hard time believing my own words.

  If I got this hungry every time I kept a solid barrier up for longer than thirty minutes in battle, I would surely fail. I needed to be stronger if we had any chance of surviving the nightmare to come. Padrick was right. I would never be ready to face my father, who had thousands of years of experience dealing with other creatures like myself.

  But there’s no one like me. I thought about that for a moment. Could my abnormal nature be an advantage in this war? Maybe if I could figure out how to control my powers and channel my energy more efficiently without draining my resources. Enough thinking. I need to eat.

  I suddenly realized I had left my boots and pants on the beach. I was standing there in my underwear, barefoot, my silver tattoo gleaming in the dim light. There wasn’t any time to go back and retrieve them or stop by the cave and pick up a clean set of clothes.

  Without a second thought, I launched down the south side of the mountain, into the forest, toward the closest herd of deer. Sharp rocks and fallen branches cut into my feet, but the wounds healed right before my eyes. I ignored the temporary pain of each injury. Twenty yards ahead, I came across a lone stag and took him down within a flash.

  Once I finished, I licked the last drop of blood from my top lip. This would only sate my hunger temporarily. I would need predator blood for a longer-lasting effect.

  I caught a second deer for Argo and carried both to the center of the forest where my companions waited for me grouped near a stone circle. I’d never seen the small megaliths before, but as soon as I entered within their radius, I could feel the invisible protective barrier.

  Argo jumped around me when I arrived. “Oh, thank you for my lunch. I’m so hungry.”

  “You’re welcome.” I dropped the deer a
t his feet.

  Storm didn’t look up at me as she munched on a shrew she’d caught. “You survived. Very impressive.”

  I dropped the bloodless deer's carcass next to Padrick. “I thought you might need the hide.”

  He nodded. “We can’t go back to our cave. It’s facing the water, and we could be under attack at any moment.” He stood up and walked to a cluster of rocks at the center of the stone circle. “But we are not without supplies.”

  He quickly moved the stones aside to reveal a short spade. Five minutes later, he had dug a small hole and retrieved a metal trunk. It contained a map, an electrical box, a couple of leather pouches, and some wooden eating utensils and bowls.

  “I buried this a couple centuries ago for emergencies.” Padrick wiped his brow as he opened one of the animal skin pouches. He tossed me a pair of black leather pants and a matching hooded tunic. “This should fit you.”

  I caught the articles of clothing with my right hand and marveled at the smoothness of the leather and softness of the tunic. “These look about my size. How did you know two hundred years ago?” I pointed to the box. “And there wasn’t any technology back then either.”

  As soon as I said the words, I realized I knew the answer. Atlantis. Their technology had been around for over ten thousand years. Just because humans didn’t have access didn’t mean it wasn’t around.

  “I didn’t know you were coming. But I’d stashed different sizes away just in case someone was traveling with me.” He pulled out a pair of long black boots with laces. “You can adjust the ties to make them fit you.” He tossed those as well.

  I pulled on the leather pants. They fit and stretched like leggings. The tunic felt like a soft cashmere hug when I slipped it over my head. The boots, however, impressed me the most. They felt like the highest quality footwear I had ever worn. They were lined with soft fur. When I finished lacing them, they came to just below my knees. I never wanted to take them off again.

  Padrick smiled as I shifted from leg to leg, admiring my new boots. “I’m glad you like them. That’s probably one of the last remaining pieces of elven clothing you’ll find on this side of the portal.”