The call almost burst my eardrums as I landed hard on the ground. The singing in my ears still buzzed through my entire body and the tiredness seeped over. Something else poured into me. Something that sucked out all the love and the happiness. It replaced it with darkness and something sinister.
I drifted away. Elena appeared behind my closed eyelids. She was so beautiful. But we weren’t alone. There was someone else lurking in the shadows. I could feel their presence. It put me on alert.
I looked around.
“What is it?” Elena asked, and I shook my head as I tried to shield her from the unknown danger.
The fear washed away as King Helmut walked toward us. Something was off about him, though, and then I realized it wasn’t King Helmut. It was his twin, Goran.
Elena stood behind me, and I reached out for her, trying to grab her arm, but I only grabbed air. I looked back and there was no sign of her. She had vanished.
“El—” Her name disappeared from my mind. My thoughts disappeared, and for the first time in forever, my mind emptied.
It only lasted for a few seconds as new feelings and thoughts seeped through. I felt different, and then my eyes landed on piercing blue ones.
All I saw was him. The brotherly love I had for him. I would never disappoint him. I couldn’t. I would kill for him. He was my rider and as true as they get.
He laughed, went on his haunches in front of me, and touched my face, tapped it twice. “Welcome home, Blake.”
The corner of my lips tugged as the happiness inside my chest grew warmer. I got up and wrapped my arms around him. “It’s good to be home. What took you so long?”
“I had formalities to sort out.” He touched my cheek, and his blue eyes filled with awe as he stared at me. “Paegeia is going to be ours soon.”
I laughed. “And then the world.”
“Come, I want you to meet everyone,” Goran said and took me to a camp close by. A guy with dark hair, wearing dark pants with army boots, stared at me as we neared.
His hair was cut in a crop style. Another guy close to him, with a ginger mop and beard, sat underneath a gigantic oak, sharpening a knife. His gaze didn’t leave me.
“I want you to meet Brenna and Mike,” Goran said, and I reached out my hand to the guy with the dark hair.
“Welcome back, Blake,” Brenna said.
“Thanks.”
Mike nodded, still sharpening his knife.
“I’m sorry that Paul and Nora aren’t here,” Goran said. “They will join us once the Elementals are born.”
“Elementals?” I asked.
“I need the Saadedine to throw the King off the throne. His dragon might be a problem for us, Blake, so the first chance you get, I want you to blow your fire on him.”
“Done.”
He laughed and touched my face again. My stomach warmed every time he touched me.
We walked past Brenna and Mike, toward the edge of a cliff.
“I never thought this day would come,” Goran said and looked past me to Brenna. “Get him some clothes and make him one of us.” Goran stopped at the edge of the cliff, and I stopped right next to him. I gasped at the community of wyverns and shifters, all in one, made home at the bottom of the hill. Tents as far as the eye could see laid in front of me. Wild boars on roasts filled the area, and my stomach grumbled.
“My dragon is finally home,” Goran yelled, and every man, woman, and child cheered.
We laughed as the feeling inside of me made me want to burst with happiness. I’d always belonged to him, and I knew I would always end up with him at my side.
There was nobody out there that could claim me. Not any of the Dragonians, and nor the silly prince of Tith.
Together, Goran and I were going to rule not just Paegeia, but the entire world.
A few days later, I was on my first mission to get the one weapon that could end both our lives. The sword of Aegis.
With one touch, Goran opened all my abilities. Only a true rider could do that, right? I felt a bit of pain for a few quick seconds, but the power that came with it made me feel unbreakable. Undefeatable. I was power.
It was a one man mission as I flew to the Museum of Etan and used my telekinesis to open the door and disable the alarm.
I walked down the hallway that carried the King of Lion sword and found it in the hands of King William, its true wielder.
I pried it from the wax figure’s grasp and left. It was as easy as that.
I blended in with the sky as I flew back home.
Goran laughed as the men cheered when they saw the sword in my hand. My rider’s joy became mine.
I landed with a slight rumble that rushed through the earth and handed the sword to Goran. “Here it is, as you wish.”
“Never thought this day would come. They can finally come now. Without the sword, there is no more Aegis. No more turning into dust. We will rule the world.” He took the sword from me and froze as he lifted it.
He kept staring at the sword, so I did the same. What was it?
The sword turned to rock and then crumbled to ash, flying away in the wind.
“No.” Goran fell to his knees and screamed.
His disappointment rushed through me, and I wanted to blow fire. How could they have known? When did they swap swords?
My rider saw black after that, and the hatred he had for the king of Paegeia seeped through my core. He grabbed my arm and pulled me down to his level.
“You find him and you kill him and then bring me the sword.”
“You wish is my command.”
“But not now. He will have extra men protecting him tonight. Let’s give them some time.”
I growled. He was playing again. “Now is the best time. They don’t even know about the sword yet.”
“Not now. You need to be challenged. Take my word. Now is not the time to have fun.”
My nostrils flared. It was hard to reason with him, but he was my rider and I had to obey.
I nodded.
“That is a good lad. Now leave me alone.”
ELENA
They searched everywhere the next day for Blake, but he’d disappeared into thin air.
I did not know what to do and listened to Lu and George as they strategized. I didn’t like what was coming out of their lips as it all led to one person. The Wyvern King.
I should’ve claimed Blake the way the ancients wanted me to. I should’ve ordered him to do it.
He would’ve been safe. What was Goran doing to him now?
I cried in my bed and fell asleep through my sobs, as there was no sign of my dragon. The window of finding him too was closing fast. The authorities hadn’t even found the two missing girls yet, and I wondered if their disappearance wasn’t somehow linked with Blake’s disappearance.
More and more days followed, and there was just no word about Blake. The day that I was supposed to claim him came and went. I should’ve claimed him immediately, not made a huge deal of it.
Lu rushed into our room as we got ready for the day. He switched on our TV. Tabitha was at his side.
“Blake broke into the Museum of Etan to steal the sword again.”
“What?” It didn’t sound like Blake.
I gasped as footage of the museum sprawled on the screen. The sides of Blake’s head were shaven and the top part of his head laid in a comb-over. He turned around and looked directly into one camera.
My stomach dropped at how different he looked. “It’s not him.”
“It’s him,” Lu said. “Why is he doing this?”
“It makes little sense. I partially claimed him, Lu.”
“He didn’t yield, Elena. He submitted.”
Tears blurred my sight as my chin wobbled. Sammy pulled me into her embrace. “It’s going to be okay.”
Why, why was Blake doing this? What did any of it mean? Was he dark, doing Goran’s bidding now? What? Nothing made sense anymore.
My Cammy rang, and it was Dad Albert. I answered, and his hologram appeared.
He sighed as he saw me crying. “You saw?”
“It’s not him, it can’t be him, Dad.”
“Elena, it is Blake. They caught part of his mark on his arm.”
“He looked so different.”
“Because of Goran.”
“How? He hates him as much as we do.”
“His Chromatic side didn’t. He always knew that he would become Goran’s if he turned dark, as he was the only Dragonian out there that could control him.”
“Control him, like some sort of puppet.”
“No, his darkness matches Goran. That is Blake, Elena. His dark side.”
My lower lip trembled.
“I’m going to hold a press conference. I think you should be there. Remind him where he belongs. He has to fight for his good side, too.”
I nodded. If he was even going to see this. “I’ll be there in the next fifteen minutes.”
“I’ll be waiting.” My father’s hologram disappeared.
“Elena, what is going to happen now?” Sam asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Then I’m coming with you.”
“Sammy?”
“That is my brother. I care about him just as much as you do. I’m coming.”
We both got ready to leave for Etan. The elevator ride was quiet. We were both lost within our thoughts.
When the door opened into my father’s office, Sir Robert just stared at Sammy.
“I’m not sitting this one out, Dad.”
Sir Robert had tears in his eyes as he unstrapped her, and I unhooked the straps from my body. Dad was standing at the table.
His lips quirked up tiredly as he opened his arms for me. I rushed to his side, and it felt nice when Dad wrapped his arms around me.
“So he got the sword?” I asked.
“No, we replaced it with another one. It’s not the real sword. I would not take a chance like that again. When Blake retrieved it the first time, I knew Goran wanted it.”
“Is he going to listen to me, Dad?”
“You have his good side, Elena. He will listen. He needs to fight, too. It’s not just on you to fight for him.”
The door opened, and Dad Herbert walked in. “They are ready, Al.”
“Dad,” I said and rushed to him. He gave me a hug and squeezed tighter.
“I’m so sorry, bear. Dry your tears and go with your father.”
I nodded and left with Dad Albert toward the press conference.
There were many journalists in the lobby as Dad and I climbed onto the podium. They started yelling questions, and I hated the snide tone to all of them.
Sammy stood behind me next to her father and Dad Herbert.
Dad Albert lifted his hand, and silence followed.
“I know all of you are worried about what happened this morning. The only thing that I can be sure of is that we are going to find the Rubicon and force a claim on him. The princess will succeed, and he will find himself again. Goran will not win by taking the Rubicon from us. We have worked hard to keep him sane and not lose another alpha.”
One reporter lifted her hand, followed by all of them. Dad nodded in her direction.
“Is the Rubicon dark?”
“For now, the Rubicon seems like he is lost, but my daughter is his true rider. Goran won’t stand a chance.”
More questions got yelled, and Dad answered all of them.
“Is there hope? I mean, it’s Goran,” one reporter asked.
I lifted my hand and pulled the microphone toward me. “I like to say something. I know you are afraid, thinking that Blake is dark. He is still my dragon. I might not have claimed him how I should have, but you bet when I see him, I will force him to yield. I don’t care if Goran thinks Blake is his. Blake is my birthright, and he is not lost. I will bring him home. I won’t rest. It’s not in my blood to give up.”
I looked at one camera in front of us. “So if you are out there and you are listening to this…Blake is not your dragon, he is mine. You took away my mother, and almost my father. You are not taking my dragon too. I will come for him, and I will not leave without him. That is my oath.” I walked away from the podium, and Sammy followed as the reporters yelled, asking if that was directed at Goran.
I didn’t listen to what Dad was saying, as I was already down the hall.
“Elena, are you crazy? Your dad said to speak to Blake, not Goran,” Sammy hissed behind me.
“I don’t have words for your brother, Sammy. It’s not his fault. Goran is the problem, not your brother. I meant every single word, and I’m going to find him as my father’s men do not know how to find him.”
“It’s not your father’s men that can’t find him. Goran is that good, and you just basically threatened him.”
“I don’t care.”
“Take that back. He is evil and powerful. Look at what he did to your father and his men. They were strong Dragonians. You’ve just started your life on this side.”
“Your brother is mine, Sammy, not his. You are with me, or you stay out of my way.” I rushed to the elevator and left her behind. Lucian would stand with me. He was Blake’s blood brother. He’d made a promise not to lose him, too. Now it was time to make good on that promise.
