“Come again?”
She laughed. It sounded like chimes. “He is your great, great, great, great, great, grandfather on your mother’s side, not the Malone side.”
“I have a Papi?” The warmth and turmoil turned my gut, imagining actual blood still pumping, living on this side.
“Who is an Ancient? You want to keep him at your hearings, you’ll take that to your grave.”
I nodded.
“Splendid.” She took an envelope out of her pocket. “He gave me this and begged me to give it to you. Read it when you are alone and don’t tell anyone.”
“They have enhanced hearing,” I said. She just told me all of this.
“Not with my shield around me.”
I gasped and looked around us. There wasn’t even a sign of one.
“Your training starts tomorrow at five. When your father told me who trained you the past three months, I’m afraid we have plenty to cover.”
She walked back to the arena as I walked to the lake.
I opened the letter and his handwriting was beautiful, like something you will find on wedding invitations.
My dearest, Elena.
Reading this, Micha must have told you the news. When I heard that my sweet Katie became a mother, it was the greatest news I’d ever received in such a long time.
Family is something we should treasure, and I always thought that Katie would outlive me this time. Saying goodbye to her and your father without uttering a word broke me, but when I saw you that day in the Hall, I saw them again. They live through you. Thank you for showing me my sweet Katie when you begged passionately for the people you love. We need someone that would sit on the throne that has compassion, more than intellect.
I smiled at his words. They were so warm and didn’t betray the Ancient of that day at all.
After you claimed your dragon, I would love to meet you for some butter fudge ice cream. I’ve always been a sucker for them. Maybe this time, a family member can bury me and not the other way around.
You can write back and give it to Micha. She has a way to get my letters safely to me.
I can’t wait to meet you,
Sincerely,
Adolph McQuire.
I put his letter to my chest. I have a Papi. Someone that is high up and that can help when in need.
The information brought fire to my gut. The good kind, and the warmth made me laugh.
I have a Papi. I have blood on this side.
It sucked that I couldn’t share it with Dad, though. But I heeded her warning. I would take this knowledge to my grave, or to his, whichever came first.
The next day, I met Micha at five. I handed her a thick envelope. “He—”
“Wait!” She lifted her hand. I tried to find the shield, but there wasn’t a trace.
“Wow, you had a lot to say to him. He is going to be so happy about this, Elena.” She smiled and her eyes twinkled with excitement.
“I can’t wait to meet him.”
“After your claiming.”
I nodded. “Will he be there?”
“He might, in disguise, which I heard you know all about.”
I giggled. “It was Lucian’s idea, not mine.”
She took the letter and put it in her bag she always carried with her. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that I won’t have to slay the Rubicon anymore.”
I giggled. “A part of me is happy about that, too. There is something fascinating about him, right?”
“Oh, we are on fascination? That is a great level, Elena. Maybe the next step will be love.”
“Yeah, now you are pushing it.”
She laughed. “Let’s get started. I’m going to teach you Tai Chi. It’s a great way to start your day and to align your body, mind and soul.”
I nodded, and she took a position in front of me. “
“Just follow my movements, okay. You will get it in no time.”
For the next hour, I copied her moving arms and legs, slowly into the next potions. She explained each movement, how to place my stomach. All the movements start at my core. It was harder than it looked, but satisfying once we got through the entire sequence. I love Tai Chi.
She ended the exercise off with a bow, and I followed.
Then the murder started. Micha was twenty times worse than Armand. There were no breaks with her.
I was wheezing when the time ended. Micha depleted my energy, and she laughed, still filled with energy.
She helped me up. “You can always ask your dragon after he claimed you to give you some of his energy.”
“He can do that?”
“It’s one of my theories. I know almost everything about him. I needed to, as I’ve been training for years to sort of become like him, think like him, for when he turns dark”
“They really asked you to slay him?”
“Well, we can’t let Goran get his hands on him, now can we?”
“No, we can’t.”
“Good. I’m thrilled I won’t have to slay him anymore. He is, like you said, one hell of a dragon. I started writing a book about him and hopefully one day could ask him a few questions.”
“The girl that wanted to slay him having an interview with him?”
“Yeah, I know. It sounds like an agenda, right?”
“I get why you are so nice to me. You want me to set it up.”
“Not entirely. You are very kind. You remind me a lot about your parents. I was a huge fan of both of them.”
“You remember them?”
“Well, I am eighty years old, Elena.”
My eyes grew. “You got the essence?”
“Perks of becoming an Ancient guard. We might not claim a dragon but we all get the essence.”
“What does it contain?”
“Yeah, I don’t think you are ready for that dark piece of information.”
“Okay, then don’t. I still struggle with the D word.”
“What? Dragon?”
“I call them beasties. It dulls the effect of what they truly are.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Beasties? The Rubicon is everything but a beasty, Elena.”
“Yeah, tell me something I don’t know.” I giggled.
“So, the prince told you about me?”
“He mentioned your duty if I am going to fail miserable at claiming the Rubicon.”
“Yeah, no, that is not how it works. You will claim him. He carries all your abilities. It won’t surprise me if you are going to break him on the first try.”
“Yeah, that is setting up the stakes quite high for me.”
“No, it’s not. He will release your abilities and you will kick his ass, especially after I’m done with you.”
I loved her energy. I wished I could mimic mine until it becomes a reality.
When I walked to my room, I felt positive. Something tells me Micha and I were going to be great friends.
The weeks progressed. My birthday was coming nearer, which means the claiming was drawing nearer. If someone would’ve told me a year ago that I would tame a beasty on my sixteenth birthday, I would’ve called them crazy.
But here I was, training hard to face their alpha.
Emanual started training with us during the second week. He changed the entire arena to look like a swamp. How he did it, I did not know, but the willow that hung low over the muddy water, and the surrounding boulders, with the sticky warmth caressing my cheek, made it very real.
Micha told me to concentrate on the arena and taught me the Latin phrasing revertere.
Those words came with a headache, and it depleted my energy faster than Micha.
I also spent a lot of time in the simulator with Micha in my ear. She guided me in how to get onto his back, but he kept me occupied with releasing my abilities one after the other. The suit did crazy things to mimic the reality inside the ring. A warm glow that became hot came with the fire. It only lasted for like twenty seconds, and then the coolness of the suit spread through my body. The ice brought a freezing sensation that scorched. A prickling sensation came with the acid and the lightning was stronger.
Every time he released an ability, I couldn’t do anything for a few seconds, while the beast chomped my health away. When the heart meter of that ability pops up, I had to use it wisely and fast.
I kept on dying, and I wished I could replicate the perfect yield the night I did it with Lucian.
During my classes, there were rumors of orientation week that were happening the week before my claiming. Every student that would attend Dragonia next year had to be present.
I couldn’t wait. It meant that I would see Lucian every day and speak to him whenever I wanted.
He came home early on Friday and watched Micha and me trained.
“Your Highness.” Micha bowed low.
“Micha,” he mumbled, and we both laughed.
“Go grab your vest, I need to see my girl’s improvements.”
“You want me to fight against Elena?”
“Why? Are you scared?” she taunted. Fighting Lucian scared me! Lucian was great.
“Okay, I’ll accept.” He ran out of the training arena.
“Are you insane? I’m not ready, yet.”
“Elena, I’ve been training you for the past few weeks. Relax. Lucian is a great sparring partner. As good as he is, he is predictable cause he shows you what he is going to do.” She pushed her one shoulder forward and alternate to the other. “Watch his movements.”
I got what she was saying. Every single thing she taught me was about movements and how to react.
I nodded, feeling giddy about facing Lucian.
He came back with an entourage of people.
Robert was here, too, checking in.
The king and my dad sat on the lower step while the queen, Emanual and Robert sat on the step above.
Lucian ran toward us as Micha handed me a vest, and I put it on. Micha ran over to the side as Lucian looked yummy.
“Don’t hold back, Lucian. Elena needs all the training,” Micha said.
A chuckle escaped Lucian’s lips, and my throat became dry as my heart pumped faster.
He came for me and I moved out of the way. Lucian didn’t expect that at all. He was fast too and didn’t stop, but what Micha said was the truth.
I found my gaps and attacked fast. Everything that I learned from all my trainers poured out of me, and poor Lucian was the guinea pig.
He didn’t quit, though, and the fight was long and draining.
He got the upper hand a few times, but then my second trainer, Mia’s voice, jumped into my thoughts and I would squirm right out of his grips.
I had the upper hand again. He went down, tripping over his laces, and we both were out of breath.
“Great job, Micha. Dad, I think we need to get her to train me too.”
Micha laughed.
“I didn’t win fair and square. He tripped over his shoelaces, I doubt the Rubicon would wear shoes.”
“No, he has tendrils and when those get closer to the ground, he will trip over them, too. A win is a win,” Micha announced, and walked over to us. She helped Lucian up.
“You are seriously good.”
“Well, I’m not an Ancient guard for nothing, I earned that.”
The sweat dripped from Lucian’s forehead as I gulped down my water. He raised his palm as he passed me and I hit it.
“The Rubicon is going down!” he yelled and everyone laughed.
We ended the evening’s training off with another round in the Sim.
I got my gap on his back, and the beast was mine.
I wrestled him, abusing his tendrils, and he went down.
The golden words ‘Yield’ appeared bright in front of me, covering his entire face, and I tapped the pads and pulled the visor off.
Everyone cheered. Dad was the loudest of them all.
After training, before my shower, Dad wanted to take a walk with me to the lake.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, it is. How are you doing?”
“I feel great, but I’m nervous too. The sim will be nothing like the real deal, Dad.”
“I know.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“What is the chance that he can kill me in the ring?”
Dad stayed quiet.
“Dad?” My heart pounded.
“With releasing your abilities,” he shook his head. “But he is more than just his abilities, Elena. He can still tear your limbs apart.”
I got what he was saying. I could still die.
“Hey, have faith that you will succeed.”
“Dad, it boils back to what he is. They are not just abilities, they are beasts, with teeth and scales, and tails and legs the size of trees.”
“They try to stop it if they see it going that way. You will come out of that ring alive, I promise, Elena.”
I nodded, and he gave me a one arm hug. “I know you want to go to this orientation thing, but so close to the claiming, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Are you kidding me now?”
“Elena, Micha only has one more week with us, and then she has to go back. Use this week. Next year you are going to be there every single day, away from me.”
My face fell. “It’s not why I wanted to go. I just need to be people around my age, try to make friends. They say orientation is where everyone makes their friends, Dad.”
“You will have plenty of friends, I promise. You are not like those kids, Elena. They need orientation. You are going to walk next year through those doors and everyone is going to know who you are. You can choose your friends.”
I nodded.
My entire body deflated, but Dad was right. I only had Micha for seven more days. I needed to use it as best I could.
