THE SUN HAD started to set, leaving only orange and pink-purple clouds in the rapidly darkening sky. I huffed, and realized Blake wasn’t going to come back. Anger and a feeling of helplessness filled my core at the same time. I would do anything for Cara to take over again, but she wasn’t here.
I’m here, it’s nice to finally meet you, baby.
“Cara,” I said out loud.
The mutt left you, didn’t he?
“Yes,” I chuckled.
You can do this! You’re not a little helpless damsel in distress. Follow my instructions and I’ll get us back safely.
“There is one problem I don’t think you’re aware of.”
And what is that, Sugar?
“I’m afraid of heights.”
I could feel her suppressing her laughter. It was a weird feeling, one I couldn’t explain. It was as if I shared my body with someone else.
Afraid of heights, huh? Then I guess we’ll have to work on that one first. Tell me, why do heights make you scared?
“I don’t know, the falling part I guess.”
Honey, you’re a dragon. You won’t fall and if you do, you get back up and try again.
“Cara, it’s not that easy, what if I break something?”
Something I think you’re not aware of, this mutt has plenty of abilities, baby. And one of them is healing. Something I figured out the last time I crashed into a bed of trees. I hurt my wing and the next time I came out, it was fixed.
I thought about what she said. “I can do this?”
No, we can do this.
I got up and took a deep breath as I walked over to the edge. The trees and the land at the bottom made my head swirl again. I closed my eyes.
Just do it, now, without opening your eyes and listen to my voice, Cara said.
I pushed my enormous body forward and hurled myself off the mountain. The wind from below blew against my face and Cara let out a huge pleasure howl.
Now spread your wings and trust the wind, she yelled and I could feel my wings opening. With a jolt I flew up into the air and felt how the wind supported and stabilized my body.
On my command flap both your wings together. One flap, two flaps, three, four. She counted and I flapped both of them on each count.
Now open your eyes, Sugar, this view is amazing.
I opened one and gasped. The other flew automatically open as I hovered over a bed of rainbow clouds. The first couple of stars began to appear. It was simply beautiful.
Turn your head to the right, Cara ordered and I could see the top of three towers in the distance. It was Dragonia.
“How do I turn?” I asked her.
Just angle your body in that direction without flapping.
I leaned towards the right and tried to turn in the direction I wanted. It was really easy with her voice giving the instructions.
For the next part I want you to give a giant flap and keep your wings tight against your body.
“Okay, I’ll try,” I said and flapped once, folding my wings right next to my body. I darted forward at a crazy speed and Cara let out another howl. I closed my eyes again as the surface zoomed in and back again. She really loved this and I had to admit the cool breeze against my scales felt amazing.
The towers came near and Cara told me to open my eyes again. The wind pushed me slightly back but as she counted again I started to flap them both together.
Tilt your body slightly forward so that you can descend.
I tried to do what she said but I must have leaned too far forward and I struggled to hear her orders while trying to regain my balance as my heart beat noisily in my chest.
The ground came closer and I came crashing down to meet it. Turf flew over my body as I skidded, and my scales burned as I came to a halt.
I lay there for a couple of minutes. The good part, I was still alive. The second good part, I didn’t think I’d broken anything, and the third, it was super awesome for my first landing.
I found a soft warm hand on my face and when I opened my eyes Constance stood right beside me.
“Are you okay, Elena?” Her eyes were huge orbs and when Cara started to laugh uncontrollably I joined her.
Constance stared at me as if I was losing it, but joined in too when she saw that I was having fun.
I turned my big head around and my laughter disappeared instantly. The main entrance had a long deep hole from my pathetic landing tactics. I’d missed King Albert’s statue by an inch. A tree hadn’t been so lucky and lay broken on its side.
“Sorry about the mess.”
“You’re fine, this mess is easy to fix,” Constance said and she handed me the robe Julia had just given her.
“You’re an amazing dragon, Elena. Ever thought about wanting to kill Blake?” Julia asked.
Constance gave her the eye and I laughed again.
“All the time, but not the way you think.” I closed my eyes and started to concentrate on my human form. It was easy as I’d seen her many times in the mirror. Her blond hair, green eyes and oval face came first. My frame with arms, hands and fingers, was next. I could feel my limbs growing smaller. It still ached but it wasn’t as painful as the first time had been. The lower part of my human form with legs, feet and toes was last and when I opened my eyes again I was back in my human form and quickly pulling the robe over my head. I looked at the scrapes on my arms and my eyes grew as they started to close up, leaving only blood on my skin.
“Your healing ability is working faster than I thought it would. Blake really struggles with that one.” Constance had admiration in her tone.
“I guess watching you taught me something,” I joked.
She put her arm around me and we walked to the infirmary. Inside I quickly jumped into the shower and when I got out, you wouldn’t have guessed that I had been in a collision with the earth a couple of minutes before.
The main entrance was back to normal and the tree that had been on its side was back in its spot and birds chirped form its branches once again.
Constance touched my skin and did a full inspection to make sure that there was no harm done and when she was happy she gave me a smile and a cup of tea.
“So where is Blake?” We sat down on the three chairs inside her office.
“The idiot left me.”
“He chucked you into the deep end.” Julia’s didn’t sound pleased.
I nodded.
She sighed. “You’ve got to admit, Elena, it is the only way you’ll learn.”
“Yeah, besides, I wasn’t really alone. Cara was with me.”
“Cara?” Constance looked at Julia and back at me. “Who is Cara, Elena?”
“My dragon.”
Julia laughed. “You gave your dragon a name?”
I frowned at her statement and laughed too.
“Yes,” I understood now why Blake didn’t believe Cara’s response. It wasn’t normal to have a second entity living inside of you. “She’s easier to deal with that way,” I lied.
“You sure are one special little lady,” Constance said.
I swallowed a big sip and the heat from the tea burned my throat slightly, but not as much as the Fire Powder had that day I’d taken a sip from Sammy’s hot chocolate. I sighed as the ache of missing those words coming from Lucian’s lips jolted through my heart.
“Sorry, I didn’t think.” Constance wrapped her arms around my shoulders and gave me a hug.
“You sure you can’t read minds?” I asked and she giggled. “It’s okay, at least I found a way to laugh again.”
“I’m happy to hear that.”
I left a few minutes later and found Blake at the bottom of the stairs in his normal clothes kissing Tabitha. Now I knew how Sammy felt that day and without thinking I pushed him away from her.
“You are such an asshole,” I spat. “How could you just leave me there?”
He laughed as Tabitha lunged at me but something invisible emerged from my body as my eyes fell on her and she smacked hard into it and fell on her ass.
Blake was at her side. “I know you’re pissed at me, but you don’t have to take it out on her.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
Tabitha was resting on one elbow as Blake’s hands slipped under her body to lift her up.
“Just stay away from me you freak,” she spat and left. Blake just gave me the scolding eyes and followed her up the stairs.
Cara was silent and I wished I could hear her again. By the time I reached the top of the stairs anger and frustration took over once more.
I’d had such a wonderful afternoon, why on earth did I feel like this?
The room was empty and I saw the time on Becky’s alarm clock. It was supper and to be honest I didn’t even feel that hungry.
I thought dragons ate like crazy.
I pulled my PJs on and crawled into bed.
Sleep came fast and before I knew it I found myself above the clouds again. The stars shone brightly, not to mention how big and bright the moon lit up the grounds.
I twirled and dove and the most amazing feeling appeared inside my gut as I heard Lucian’s excitement coming from my back.
I laughed and twirled again. He loved every second of it as much as I did.
Another dragon found us fast, one that looked exactly like me and I knew it was Blake.
“Elena, turn around now!” Lucian yelled and I didn’t know why his voice carried so much panic.
Blake came closer with a frenzied speed and I could sense something evil inside of him spreading my way.
“That’s an order, turn around.”
Pain jolted through my body and I did what he said, it left me the minute I turned around.
I woke up with a start, disoriented.
My lower lip started to tremble but no tears came as I realized it was just a dream.
I looked around the room and both beds were occupied. The alarm clock that Lucian had bought me last year showed that it was 4:30am.
I still felt drained but my body ached from lying in bed. I got up and moved to the bathroom. My hands touched the taps and I watched as water filled the tub.
The ache in my muscles disappeared the minute I lowered my body into the hot water.
I closed my eyes and tried to hold on to the dream I’d had a couple of minutes ago: to make a mental recording of Lucian’s voice. It was already too late as different types of voices filled my head and I knew not one of them was his.
How can someone miss another person this much?
I ducked my head under the water and opened my eyes. I stayed there for a long time and could feel air filling my lungs. I touched the sides of my neck and jumped up as I felt three small vertical openings on each side of my neck.
I HAD GILLS!
My excitement disappeared fast and I sighed again. So drowning was out. That thought should’ve scared the living crap out of me. I never was the suicidal type, but how do you carry on living in a world where your favorite person doesn’t exist anymore?
It was a pathetic thought, I know. Lucian gave up his life for me and I wished that it had been me dying in his place that day. He was so much stronger than me and he would’ve found a way to live each day as if it was his last and I doubted that he would have even considered taking his own life.
I was pathetic.
I lay back down in the bathtub with only my nose and the top of my head sticking out. I thought about the dream again. How much he would have loved to be flying on my back. Why was Blake so evil? Did it mean that he would turn soon? He had less than a year to go.
My mind went back to Lucian again and then it hit me.
Maybe Lucian wasn’t wrong when he said he had to claim the Rubicon. He had been wrong about claiming Blake. I knew it the minute I thought the words. Lucian had been my rider and I was his dragon.
I would never be claimed now, and I didn’t know if that was a good thing or bad.
