Saturday morning, a birthday breakfast waited for me.
Lucian bought me a gift card at a store where I could shop my little heart out.
His wishes were sweet, and if push came to shove, I would speak to the Rubicon. I really liked Lucian. Robert honestly believed that he would step aside if my feelings weren’t the same for him.
Dad gave me his gift. I unwrapped the beautiful bow and tore off the paper. Dad grinned as he watched lovingly. I took out the box with a picture of a Cammy. It looked like a normal phone, but it had tiny silver framework on top that you needed to flip open where the hologram danced on.
“Thank you.” I jumped up and hugged Dad, who sat in the chair close to me.
I didn’t train today, but my nerves were grating inside me. What if I wasn’t as ready as I thought I’d be?
I tried to relax. I even hoped that Blake would make his appearance, but as always, he kept disappointing me.
Around three, I took a shower and got ready to go to the colosseum.
Cameras waited outside and flashed off the dark tinted windows as Emanual drove Dad and me to a private entrance underground.
Thank heavens they couldn’t follow.
The SUV stopped by an enormous door. Dad climbed out first and I scooted over to the door.
“Elena,” Emanual said, and I stopped. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.” I tried to smile and climbed out of the SUV.
Dad opened the door, and we walked inside.
It was some sort of waiting area and a big solid silver bar gate on the opposite side opened into the ring. A stone bench sat right next to the gate.
The walls were gruff brown stones that gave off a cave feel. Sleek stones covered the floor and a carpet by the white sofas broke the cold ambience a bit.
There was a big screen TV that displayed the promotional image of this claiming, with a table displaying many snacks. The bottle of champagne caught my eyes.
I plopped down on the sofa, and Dad popped the champagne. “A bit, to celebrate your birthday.”
I nodded.
Dad waited with me and the time ticked off slowly. He spoke about my parents and how proud they were today. He spoke about my ascension and begged me that when I see my father, not to be afraid. To go to him. He gave up everything so that I could live.
Tears welled up in my eyes. I might see him, or I might join both of them after today.
The crowd outside filled up fast and music played from the background.
Five neared as my body shut down. My thoughts failed me as I wasn’t ready for today. I kept seeing the beast tearing me apart. It wasn’t a simulator. This was the real deal, and that beasty was going to do everything in his power not to get claimed today.
I looked at my watch. There were only thirty minutes left. Dad smiled as he saw my bracelet. He took my hand softly in his. “The color suits you.”
I chuckled.
He kissed me on my temple. “I have to go, otherwise I fear I will never make it to my seat to watch the claim of the century, but know that I’m in that audience, rooting the hardest.”
I nodded.
“Have faith in yourself and your dragon, okay?”
I nodded again.
I watched my father leave, and my heart pounded like crazy. I couldn’t do this. There was no way that I would succeed today. The door opened, and Lucian entered. I stared at him with enormous eyes.
“Elena, come on. It’s your abilities. You will be okay.”
I shook my head. I needed Blake. He had a way to put everything in great perception for me and everyone that entered through the door wasn’t him.
I paced in the room and clutched my hair. “I…. can’t….”
“Stop, stop.” Lucian stopped my pacing. “You’ll be okay. His abilities can’t hurt you. They are going to set you free. I promise.”
“Why does everyone make promises they’ll never keep in this place?” I yelled.
“That’s harsh. We don’t make promises lightly. Who didn’t keep their promises?”
“Forget it.”
“No, I want to know who?”
I closed my eyes and sat down on the stone bench close to the gate. The murmur of the audience put me on edge. It was useless to even speak about it. It could only put his life in danger. The Rubicon was near and they all have enhanced hearing.
He came to sit next to me. “Speak to me.”
“Blake, okay?”
“Blake?” he asked. “He can be an idiot, Elena, but he doesn’t make promises lightly, especially if he can’t push through.”
I wiped a stray tear. “It doesn’t matter.”
“No, it does. What did he promise you?”
“It’s stupid.”
“It’s not as if it upsets you like that.”
“I know it was just a mission for him to get me back home safely, but he could’ve done it without the promises.”
“What did he promise?”
“That I’m going to be stuck with him, okay?” I yelled and Lucian squinted. “He made me fall for him hard, Lucian. Ever since we came here, I hardly saw him. I know it’s a lost cause, but I like him more than I should,” I whispered the last part, hoping that the Rubicon won’t hear me.
“Elena?” Lucian said, and then the MC’s voice blared through the speakers. He announced the pre-show. It was the Shifters again.
“You knew about this?” I asked Lucian.
“Yeah? Sorry. I thought you did too.”
I shook my head. “It’s okay.”
The footage on the screen showed a podium hoisted out of the ground. The band made everyone scream.
Blake’s face popped up. He wore a dark tank top and his muscles bulged everywhere. The rest of the band members wore the same. A leather skirt covered his waist and fell down to his ankles.
He was doing the pre-show. That was why he wasn’t here.
“I hate his voice,” I mumbled, and Lucian laughed. “He actually serenaded a song for me on the other side. Blake really went out of his way to get close to me. He could’ve toned it down.”
The cheers stopped, and Blake spoke. “Wow, guess all of you can’t wait to see the Rubicon fall on his ass.”
Lucian laughed, as that statement weighed more on top of my gut.
“It’s my honor to play for you tonight and introduce a girl that is very close to my heart and, with time, yours, too. She is a Malone through and through. Drives everyone nuts.”
More laughter came. Why did he say that?
“Hear, hear,” Isaac yelled over the microphone.
Blake chuckled and then yelled Isaac’s name. He strummed the guitar and everyone went crazy.
Ty was behind the drums. He was a stocky dude, with army cropped style hair. He had beautiful dimples as he pounded the drums fast, and from what I remembered of that night, cocky too.
Then it was Jamie, also on guitar, and Theo on the keyboard. And that made the Shifters.
“Today, I’m going to give you a bit of a look into the princess’s life. It’s one of her favorite songs and I didn’t know how much meaning it had until I listened to the words. I hope you enjoy it.”
The keyboard played the intro of Fix You, and I glared at Lucian.
He lifted his hands. “I didn’t tell him, Elena. I swear.”
He sang, and it was almost better than Coldplay. Music was his life. He had so much passion. The emotion played on his face with his eyes closed. Everyone cheered as he sang the last verse of the first paragraph. And he smiled as he opened his eyes.
Everyone listened with abilities dancing on their palms. The screen on the TV changed into images of home.
“What is this?”
“He is showing them what the other side looks like.” Lucian squinted at the TV.
Blake was better than Emanual.
I got up and went to the gate, but I could only see blue, yellow and dark tones of light reflecting on the ground. The stage hovered above the gate. I couldn’t see what they saw.
I looked back at the TV. It was the lights that guided the way on the screen. It was what we saw when we came back.
I sat down next to Lucian in awe, watching the screen.
“That really happened?” Lucian asked, and I nodded.
“This guy is a Moon-Bolt that saw your life?”
I laughed. “Been asking myself that question too, believe me.”
His lips curved as we looked at the screen. It was everything that we went through. Tears pooled in my eyes as I tried to forget it, and here he showed everyone. He was playing with fire, showing the Rubicon this, especially how close we were. I blushed as he showed everyone our kisses and that unforgettable snow day. The crowd cheered and Lucian just raised his eyebrow with a thin smile on his lips.
The music intro played, and the images faded. Isaac and Jamie both played together. Blake bounced around on the stage, as he just enjoyed the music that his band played. Ty came in with the drums. I never wanted to know what he would sound like singing this song.
I laughed with Lucian, just watching him bobbing around on the stage, having fun with his band members. I was never going to fell out of love with him. They all sang the chorus. It gave me goosebumps.
“He didn’t break the promise, Elena,” Lucian said.
I looked at him, and his eyes were soft. “You are stuck with him forever, if you claim his gigantic ass today.”
My heart flipped as I looked at Blake singing the last verse on the screen. “What?”
“He is the Rubicon. How didn’t you know this?”
My throat became dry as my gaze flickered back to Blake and to Lucian. “No, he is a Dragonian. He has a dragon. I saw them.”
“You sure that was Blake? I remember him lounging in front of the steps, protecting your boney ass.”
Blake wasn’t human. He was the gigantic ass I had to claim.
Lucian laughed at the look on my face. “You never searched who the Rubicon is, have you?”
I only searched for Blake, and he always popped up with the blond on the screen. I didn’t even bother to read the headings.
I closed my eyes and sighed. “No.”
He laughed softly. “You are one weird chick, Elena.”
Blake sang another beautiful song that had the crowd crooning the words to the chorus of the lullaby.
“He wrote that one himself.”
“What is it called?” I still struggled to process that Blake was a beasty—the beasty.
“Neverbreath.”
The words were beautiful. It was about a girl with red hair and freckles and I had no idea how I felt about that. He sounded as if she was his everything. “Who is she?”
“I think it’s you, but he didn’t know what you look like then, so he improvised.”
The feeling in my gut became warmer, like a ball of warm ooze just popped and spread life into my soul. Blake was the Rubicon. My mind went blank.
Lucian kept laughing as I stared at the screen. I closed my eyes, and a chuckle escaped my lips. I sounded so stupid asking if he tried to claim the Rubicon. Why didn’t he tell me the truth?
“Are you feeling better now?”
I looked at Lucian, who had a soft grin on his lips.
“Elena, it’s not Blake when the Rubicon is in the ring. You need to fight with all of your heart, because I can promise you this, he doesn’t want to hurt you. But he has no control over the beast when he is inside the ring. He’s not the yielding type, either.”
I nodded.
The music stopped and Blake said goodnight as the ocean of people went ballistic again. The stage lowered to the ground with everyone’s chants and cheers and then every single band member, exploded into some sort of animal. Shirts and leather fell off them and the crowd’s cheering were thunderous. It lasted for a long time. My eyes grew and locked on that sight.
I jumped as a black panther strolled past the gate. “Lu, princess.”
“Ty.” Lucian waved.
I leaned closer to Lucian and whispered, “That’s the drummer?”
Lucian chuckled. “Go get your dragon, Elena.”
The stage hoisted back up to the roof and the entire arena lit up. There was no sign of the Rubicon, but the cameras were flashing like crazy.
The gate moved upwards, and the MC started the announcements, thanking everyone who sponsored tonight’s claim.
“Don’t fear your abilities, they won’t hurt you.”
“Thanks, Lucian. For everything.”
He rolled his eyes. “You will not die.”
I giggled. “Let’s hope not.”
I still couldn’t believe Blake was the Rubicon. Why did everyone call him a little cocky shit? Okay, he was, as the memory of that night at Longbottoms flashed through my mind.
I walked out into a bright light. Flashes blinded me and the cheers vibrated through the ground. My legs wanted to run away. Something gigantic caught my eyes on the opposite side.
He was huge. I closed my eyes as the tears pricked. It wasn’t the simulator anymore. It was real, and it was Blake. I didn’t want to hurt him, either.
I huffed as another memory played through my mind. That night when Fox’s smile disappeared. Blake told him who he was.
I opened my eyes, and the Rubicon stared at me. It isn’t Blake, Elena. He has no control over him.
The gate closed, and Lucian showed me a thumbs up. My heart pounded like crazy.
No song played, as I told Dad it was stupid. I didn’t have a fight song, as they called it.
Nothing happened. I would not make the first move, either. The plan was to defend myself.
It’s not Blake, Elena. Claim him; he needs to surrender.
He walked toward me. Every scale moved with muscles. He was as big as a house, towering over me as he closed the gap. The tendrils around his head were gigantic, moving slowly with the rhythmic motion of his steps.
My heart hammered inside my chest and the adrenaline wasn’t assisting me like it had in the simulator. It was doing its same old thing, freezing every limb in place. I took a deep breath and waited for the swamp or whatever he was planning to change the arena.
I huffed as I remembered something Blake said to me in the woods. I would believe him too if he told me he was a dragon. He was telling me the truth. He never lied.
The beast reached me and his peacock blue eyes stared back at me. If I’d met him, I would’ve known that it was him. Nobody had that type of color eyes except him.
He bowed down, and I froze. His snout came toward my cheek and he sniffed.
I did not know what was happening, but the flashes of cameras went crazy as twitters and gasps came from the crowd. Even the MC stuttered. He had no words.
I closed my eyes and felt a warmth I never felt before. It burned ten times worse than the suit and, just like that, it stopped. It was over.
