I SCREAMED MORE.
Get out, get out, get out, I yelled.
He ran over to my side and looked at me with huge eyes. The Elementals clicking sound distracted him and he turned his gaze over to them. He looked back at me.
I’m so sorry.
“Where is he, Elena?” I tried to look past him but he blocked my view. The muffled cries coming from my body begged him to turn around and he did, but it was too late. Paul’s dagger pierced through Lucian’s stomach and I let out a loud scream.
“What a hero you turned out to be.” He kissed Lucian on his cheek and gasped as his entire body straightened up. His eyes grew round like saucers.
A second Lucian appeared right behind him. “Let’s just say that Hammer-Heads aren’t the only ones that can multiply.” The holograph that I was sure was Lucian disappeared. “Hope you rot in hell, my father told me the only thing that can kill a Wyvern is an iron blade.”
Paul’s eyes grew bigger as he said those words. He knew he wasn’t going to make it as Lucian pulled the sword out of him. He kicked him away from me and I could hear him falling hard onto the ground.
The tingling sensation was starting to disappear and I yelled again when I remembered that Professor Georgiou was still inside the cave and she knew advanced magic.
He didn’t pay any attention to it as he stared at the shackles grasping my left arm. He gave me a look of admiration every time our eyes met, without paying attention to my muffled screams. It didn’t fit this scene, and then I realized it, Lucian found something.
The shackles opened in five seconds and he went over to the next.
I still made noises to warn him about Professor Georgiou but he still didn’t listen. I couldn’t speak yet as the spell took time to wear off.
From the far corner she spoke a spell fast and Lucian didn’t think twice as he said a counter spell that shielded him from her magic. She yelled a couple of others and Lucian blocked all of them.
Latin phrases flew everywhere and when I saw vines sprouting out the earth and twirling around Professor Georgiou’s palms, pulling her against the wall of rock I knew that it was over.
She wanted to yell another spell as Lucian said something and a metal plate flew over her mouth.
The shackle over my right foot disappeared as Lucian gave a painful grunt. His face turned red and tears glistened in his eyes. My eyes grew as the surprised look on his face froze.
“What is it?” I finally got my voice back.
At that moment, Professor Georgiou’s arms pulled through the vines as Lucian was thrown to the floor by a long rope that came from his body.
“LUCIAN!” I yelled and looked at Professor Georgiou who was trying to get the plate off her mouth. “What did you do?”
I tried to go to him but my one arm was still trapped by the shackle. I saw the soles of his feet and part of his legs and butt, but the rest had fallen behind a boulder.
I pulled my arm hard and tried to free myself just as the rope pulled out of Lucian. It retreated and went back to Professor Georgiou.
My eyes grew in horror as I suddenly realized it wasn’t a rope, it was a tail. She . . . was… the hippogriff.
A hippogriff’s sting would kill you; Sammy’s explanation that day hit me hard. Not even Isabel or Constance was old enough to heal it.
In a flash, Professor Georgiou was over at Paul side, screaming in agony. I didn’t see the metal plate covering her mouth anymore and I knew what that meant. If the wielder that casts the spell dies, the magic dies with him.
“No, no, no,” I yelled again and pulled at my arm harder. The delicate skin started to tear and blood reddened my wrist as tears streamed down my face. The physical pain caused by the shackle didn’t come. To be honest, I didn’t give a crap about pain anymore; I just had to get to Lucian. He can’t die. Not like this. We still have to grow old and spend our lives together.
I could hear Professor Georgiou speaking to Paul.
“Go…get…the…Elementals.” Was on his last breath.
“No, I’m not leaving you here,” she cried.
“The…mission.”
I pulled harder as I concentrated with all my power on the stupid shackle but Paul’s words about his role in class, made it impossible for me to unlock it.
“Get the hell away from them,” I yelled as she rushed over to the Elementals. She turned around the same time I froze. My voice sounded nothing like me.
It hastened her task and she chucked them like toys into a bag. I knew their crying and clicking sounds would haunt me for the rest of my life.
She went back to Paul. Why isn’t he turning into dust?
I looked at Lucian again as she spoke to Paul. I heard her say the words drink but I didn’t pay much attention to it, as I struggled with the shackle. Somehow my hands finally came free.
The moment I hit the stone, a pain shot through my stomach and I doubled over and fell on the floor. The sounds coming from me sounded horrible.
“You…should…go,” Paul continued talking.
I screamed as the pain shot through my legs.
“I’m not leaving you here, Cain would skin me alive.”
“Cain…understand.”
“No he wouldn’t. Drink,” she ordered again.
The pain in my stomach made me want to die.
“Lucian,” I whispered, but it came out differently, harder, deeper.
He didn’t answer. I yelled his name again through a deep hoarse voice, but nothing happened.
I cried out in pain again as another blast shot through my entire body. NOT NOW! PLEASE.
The pain in my stomach started to flow through my entire body and a buzzing sensation filled the cave.
I ground on my teeth.
What the hell is happening to me?
A growl left my mouth, it didn’t sound anything like me, but I knew it had come out of me. The pain shot for a second time through my body and it felt as if my skin was being torn off by invisible claws.
I screamed.
“Oh fuck! She’s Ascending,” Professor Georgiou said panicked.
“No…she’s not. Look….she’s…changing.”
“Changing? Into what?”
Paul didn’t answer as I saw through my tears and pain at trail of golden dust traveling from where Paul’s body lay. He’d finally turned to dust. Professor Georgiou tried hard to hold back her anger and she muffled agonizing screams, as if she was in physical pain.
Another pair of footsteps ran through the passage as baby growls came from Professor Georgiou’s bag. It died out when more deep growls came out of me. I was changing, but into what…no it couldn’t be.
I would’ve known. I’ve got the mark of the riders for crying out loud.
“Lucian,” another deep voice came from my body. It sounded demonic and pain ripped through everything. It didn’t go away this time as more screams left my mouth.
Professor Georgiou looked at me with huge round eyes. She just stood there and I hoped that the sight of me would keep her there until whoever came through that passage killed her.
The cave started to become smaller. A pain shot through my arms. When I lifted up my arm, I stared at scales and huge talons sprouting out of enormous claws.
I’M A DRAGON!!!
As if pushed by the thought of my voice, dragon limbs sprung lose from the rest of my body. My ass hurt like hell as a long tail grew out of it and the cave space grew smaller. I turned my head to where Professor Georgiou stood and in her place was a full grown hippogriff with her tail dangling toward me.
Just then, Blake came running through the passage and froze when he saw the hippogriff and me. Her tail pulled immediately back and she turned around and moved as her gaze fell on Blake. She used her strength to break down the wall and managed to open up a space just big enough for her to escape through.
“Go, she’s getting away!” I roared at Blake in English who was frozen solid. He just stood there staring at me with huge, surprised eyes.
“Go, Blake!”
He shook out of his stupor quickly and moved toward the opening the hippogriff had escaped through only moments before.
I moved toward Lucian and tried my best not to hurt him.
I turned him gently around with my one talon. Black veins webbed over his face and his lips were a deep blue color.
I grew bigger and I could feel my body touching the wall on the opposite side of the cave.
“Lucian,” a deep voice screamed. Growling sounds followed it and turned into a weeping cry.
He didn’t answer, so I said his name again.
He didn’t move. He needed help, and fast. Think, Elena. Think. Change back.
I tried, but I had no idea how to do it. My heart beat like crazy and the buzzing noise ringing inside my ears didn’t help the situation at all.
When Blake finally came back, he was butt-naked and empty handed. He just stared at me.
“Where are they?” I yelled again as I really tried not to see his nakedness.
“She . . . disa . . .peared.”
“Again,” I growled.
“Who are you?” I could still see his big round eyes on me, even though I didn’t look his way.
“It’s me you idiot. Elena. I’m…” More weeping sounds escaped through a pair of dragon lips.
“No, it can’t be,” he sounded shocked.
“Blake, there is no time. I don’t care what you believe or not. Lucian… that bitch stabbed him with her tail. You need to help him, now.”
He climbed over me and found Lucian’s body. I saw how he swung Lucian over his shoulder and made a run through the space the hippogriff had made.
Professor Georgiou screaming stayed with me. But why had she ordered him to drink?
I needed to get out of the cave before I lost my mind. I need to be with Lucian.
I tried to move my tail. It felt heavy and unreal, as I struggled to take control over it. My butt muscles pulled and the pain shot down my hind legs, but it did the trick and the tail moved. It hit the wall with a force and I ducked my head down as the cave shuddered and pieces of rock fell onto my body. It didn’t hurt as much I thought it would.
I shook the rubble off as if they were balls of paper and concentrated again to make my tail move in another direction.
It worked just like before and my tail crashed into the other side of the wall.
I ducked my head again as boulders fell on top of me once more.
The third time did the trick and bright light streamed into what was left of the cave.
I shook huge boulders off me and struggled to stand on my feet.
With every step I took I swayed slightly to the left and right. The one side of the cave was completely gone and I somehow had to get this humungous body out there into the open the sky. When I reached the edge, the rock underneath my weight gave in.
My talons scraped against the wall as there was no land on the other side of the cave and I hung like a bat against a wall.
I glanced down and the surfaces below grew nearer and then went back to their normal distance. My head started to twirl as I looked back up. My talons were starting to slip as more pieces of rock fell over me. My wings unfolded automatically and laid limply against my body as I tried to get back into the cave.
The cave rumbled and shook again as it crumbled completely.
One of the boulders hit me on the head and I lost my grip. I started to fall as more boulders and rocks followed me to the ground below.
Fly, Elena. Fly. The voice inside my head yelled. It sounded like me, but I struggled to believe the flying part.
My shoulder blades moved and I could hear a strong gush of wind flapping in my ears. When I turned my gaze I saw both my wings flapping like crazy.
I pushed my body forward and missed a huge chunk of rock.
I ascended up into the air with my heart bouncing inside my throat. It sounded so loud that for a moment I thought dragon hearts were located inside their ears. Lucian. I had to get to Lucian and I darted forward as I flapped my wings harder.
The wind blew hard from the front and I tried to stabilize myself the way Sammy always did. She made it look so easy but, then again, she had been a dragon since birth.
Lucian. I didn’t know how on earth I could be a dragon but a part of me didn’t really care about that right now. I knew where I needed to be and if I had to do it in a dragon form, then so be it.
I tumbled a bit and my wings found their beat again. I could see Dragonia Academy in the distance but it moved from side to side like a seesaw.
I couldn’t get this flying thing under control and was twirling in the air.
My vision zoomed in onto the gate and I could make out a lot of people. Master Longwei’s gaze found me. Then I saw Blake again, he was wearing one of those robes.
He pulled it off and transformed the minute he saw me.
My heart beat faster as his humongous body came nearer.
He flew in perfect line, he was the picture of control and I tried so hard to do what he did, but my wings flapped all over the place.
I hoped that he’d heard me saying that it was me. He ducked below me and gently started to support my body from underneath.
I collapsed on his back as he took full control and closed my eyes.
I knew I was going to wake up soon and find out this had been one hell of a nasty dream.
A thud made my eyes open again and Blake lifted me gently off his back.
He transformed back into his human form but his eyes stayed on me.
Becky just stared at me in horror. While Dean was holding Sammy tightly as she shook with sobs. George frowned and Master Longwei just gave me a puzzled look. Professor Pheizer and Mia were there too. A couple of other students were frozen in their spots as they stared at me. They all had one thing in common though, red rimmed eyes and running noses. Tears still ran over some of their cheeks and then I looked back to Blake.
He had tears glistening in his but he controlled them and they disappeared. “You need to change back.”
“Blake, where the fuck is Elena?” Becky yelled at him.
He flung his head back at her. “You are looking at her.”
Everyone’s gaze snapped back to me. Gasps left everyone, and jaws almost reached the ground.
“How can this be?”
“I don’t know Master Longwei. She was already in her dragon form when I reached the cave.
I looked past Blake and saw a body covered with a blanket.
My feet gave away. “No!” the demon voice left my mouth again. I pushed Blake out and he flew a couple of feet in the air before he landed with a thud on the ground. A second scream came out.
The earth shook as my feet touched the ground. When I reached the body I yelled a couple of times. “No!” It was followed with a cry. The sound was pitched high but a strong sad sound lingered through it. It didn’t stop. All sorts of wails came out of me as I fell down beside Lucian’s corpse.
More sobs and cries followed from the crowds. Arianna was in there somewhere too, yelling and it pierced through my ears.
He couldn’t be dead.
I felt a huge wing on my back and when I looked up a Swallow Annex’s head brushed against mine. She spoke, but I still didn’t understand a single word.
Blake said something to the Swallow Annex and she just stared at me for a couple of minutes. She said something back to Blake and he nodded his head.
“Constance says you need to calm your mind, Elena.”
“Calm down!” The voice growled. “Where the fuck were you?” I screamed again.
“Calm down.” He grabbed a horn that came out of my chin and pushed my head down to meet his gaze.
I just stared into his blue peacock eyes that glistened with tears. So many questions lingered in them. Today’s events were washed from my mind, as well as Lucian. Everything vanished and it was just me and those beautiful blue eyes. “Now imagine your human body.”
I saw my body. A picture I’d seen a million times in the mirror jumped into my head.
His body changed and became bigger, but he didn’t morph back into his dragon form.
“That’s it, Elena,” I heard his voice. He was almost normal size and when he became bigger than me, all the energy I’d felt a minute ago left at once.
I collapsed into his arms. I didn’t faint or lose consciousness, but our gaze broke. Everything came back to me at once. The cave, what Paul had done, the Elemental’s cries and Lucian. His corpse lay on the floor. I screamed again and kept staring at his body but for some reason I couldn’t get to it. I was trapped, held in place.
When the screams turned into sobs I realized that it was Blake who was still holding me. He whispered in my ear but I didn’t hear one single word he spoke.
He kept holding me tight and I felt a soft blanket touching the skin of my back and shoulders.
“Bring her inside,” Constance said and I could feel the rhythm of Blake as he moved me away. My eyes stayed on Lucian’s body underneath the white blanket until I couldn’t see him anymore. Blake put me on the bed and our gaze met for a short second. He mouthed fast, I’m sorry, turned around and left.
Constance hands swept over my body fast. I could smell her fragrance as if she was right on top of me. Sweet lilies mixed with vanilla overpowered my senses. When her face came into my sight tears streamed down her face too. “I’m so sorry, Elena. I’ve tried everything.” Her voice broke. “I wasn’t strong enough to take it out of him.”
My entire body shook again with the last bit of energy I had and her arms pulled around me. Her body shook with mine. She held me like that until everything went silent.
