The Witch's Dragon Read online

  She will need you, her lover, and the sword of my companion, to vanquish the evil he has become

  That was the key. I didn’t have to do this alone. I had people to help me out.

  This should have been a comforting thought but instead I felt even worse. What if I fail everyone, especially those who I’m supposed to work with as a team? What if I fail Traian and don’t get to him in time? What if I do something stupid and jeopardize Argo’s life?

  “Would you cease all this negative talk?” Argo squeezed his wings around me. “You will be fine. Challenged to the limit, yes. Pushed in every way possible, yes. But you won’t fail. You are much stronger than you think, and I’ll be here to remind you of this every day.”

  I could feel the emotions welling up in my eyes. “I love you, Argo.” I tightened my arms around his neck and kissed the top of his head. “How did I get so lucky as to be your companion?”

  “It was fate. No luck involved.”

  As the sun rose higher above the northeastern horizon, I felt the pull of sleep tugging on my body and mind. I drew away from our embrace and turned my face toward the warmth of light. Nothing happened. My skin didn’t react to the rays.

  I was so absorbed in the idea that I could walk in daylight, I didn’t notice someone come up the mountain.

  “There you are.” Padrick jumped up onto the flat rock. “What are you doing out in the sun?” He stood in front of me, blocking the light.

  “As you can see, I’m fine.”

  “You won’t be if you keep staring at that ball of fire.” He pointed behind me. “It’s not just that you are a strigoi, but you are a redhead. You can burn if you stay exposed too long.”

  “If I burn, I’ll just heal.”

  Padrick let out a frustrated grunt and placed his hands on his hips. “You don’t need to waste your energy healing from sunburns, when we have so many things to work on.”

  I pulled my crystal mental shield over my head. “Work on what?”

  The next moment, I felt like translucent chains had buckled down on my body, freezing me in place.

  Argo picked up on my slight panic and let out a growl in Padrick’s direction.

  “Easy there, drake.” He held a hand up. The next moment, the chains fell from my body and I could move again. “Go get some rest. I can feel you are tired. When you wake up, we’ll practice shielding your entire body.”

  The next evening, I woke up feeling more refreshed, but I could have slept longer. Just as promised, Padrick started his training. Holding a full body shield proved to be more difficult than the mental shield. After a week of daily, four to five hours of practice, I still couldn’t keep it up for more than five or six seconds.

  “Why can’t I get this as fast as I did the mental shield?” I rubbed my arms after Padrick’s invisible chains had squeezed them tight.

  “I’m not sure. It’s not supposed to take much more energy than protecting your head. What is going through your mind when you are holding it?” Padrick asked.

  I hadn’t thought about that. “I’m not sure. I know I dread the feeling that comes when my shield collapses and your chains tighten around my body.”

  “Are you panicking?”

  Now that he said it…

  “Yes, I think I am.”

  “Why? It’s just me. I will not hurt you.” Padrick uncrossed his legs.

  “I don’t know.” I hated that.

  Right before I would unintentionally drop my body shield, I would have a little freakout that would grow big enough to break my concentration. As the barrier fell, Padrick’s chains would latch onto me like hungry tentacles. My hands would spark, but his holds would keep them from aiming their arcs of light at him. I couldn’t fight him if I tried.

  What is wrong with me?

  “What do you feel when I hold you down with my energy?” Padrick asked me.

  I met his gaze. “That you will hurt me. But I know you won’t, so it seems completely irrational.”

  The corners of his eyes softened. “Did this happen to you before, with Octavian’s witch in the tunnel?”

  My body shuddered just thinking about that experience. “No, but that’s it. I feel exactly like I did that day. Helpless and violated.”

  He nodded and took my hands. “I won’t do anything like she did to you, but there are people out there that will, that and worse. We need to work through this, so it doesn’t happen again.”

  I nodded as a single pink tear fell from my right eye. I hated being so vulnerable and sensitive. How the fuck was I supposed to save the world when I couldn’t even control my emotions?

  “My darling, it’s okay.” Padrick squeezed my hands. “We’ll figure this out by practicing harder. I have faith in you.”

  I nodded but couldn’t look him in the eye. I didn’t share the same faith. Yet I would keep taking a stab at it… that was all I thought would help.

  “Can we try again?” I asked.

  “Of course. When you are ready, though.”

  I took a deep breath and focused on the ice and rock underneath me. Solid. I needed something hard and strong. The granite of this mountain felt like a good foundation to start with.

  “Hello, Everly. I’m always here to help you.”

  I smiled at the woman’s voice rumbling through my head. I hadn’t heard that voice since the night in Romania when both Earth and Wind had spoken to me.

  I placed both hands on the ice. “I need you. I can’t do this alone,” I said.

  “Fear not, Chosen One. Take what you need.”

  Closing my eyes, I visualized a wall of rock growing around me like a cylindric cone, forming a point at the top. The silence inside touched my mind like a gentle hug. I felt like I had been wrapped in a warm, dark cocoon, and the tension in my shoulders melted away.

  I rolled my head from side to side. Ahh. This felt like heaven. So quiet. So peaceful. The only sound in my ears was the leisurely flow of the viscous blood in my veins.

  I hadn’t had this much quiet since I died. My strigoi hearing constantly picked up sounds from hundreds of feet around me during my waking hours. Now, my body relaxed, my spirit calmed, and my mind slowed down, enjoying the tranquil moment. I could have easily fallen asleep.

  I stretched my arms up so I wouldn’t. Where is Padrick? Shouldn’t he be trying to break through my barrier? I didn’t dare open my eyes for fear I’d lose my concentration and fail to keep him out. Maybe he’s waiting for me to weaken and let my guard down. Fat chance I would let him do that. So I waited, basking in my little serene haven.

  My mind wanted to wander off to Traian or Mindy or my family… That’s where my thoughts went when I had nothing to occupy my brain. But I kept it on course, occasionally shifting my weight from hip to hip to keep myself grounded at the moment.

  I’m so sleepy, though. I yawned.

  I finally gave up and opened my eyes to see what was taking Padrick so long to act only to find him, Argo, and Storm staring intently at me a couple of feet away.

  Padrick’s lips moved, but I couldn’t hear a word he said. Storm lifted a paw up and rested it midair. She pushed up on her hind legs as if she was climbing a wall, but there was nothing there for her to lean on. Argo did the same. Padrick formed a green ball of energy and flung it at me.

  I flinched as the invisible barrier took the brunt of his magic and dissipated the force. Storm jumped, arching her back. Her mouth opened as if she was hissing, but I didn’t hear a thing. Argo sent a blast of fire from his mouth, but the flames moved to either side when the fire hit my block.

  “Incredible. Did I do this?”

  “Yes. This is all you, Chosen One,” Earth responded. “I only provided a resource.”

  Whoa. This skill could come in very handy. “How do I take the barrier down?”

  “Use your mind as you did to raise it,” she responded.

  I closed my eyes for a moment and placed my hands on the icy ground. Thank you for your help, you can retreat now.
/>   The ground rumbled as a cacophony of noise exploded in my ears. Argo let out a whining sound as he jumped into my lap, knocking me flat on my back. His hot, rough tongue licked my face.

  “Eww.” I laughed as I tried to dodge his affection.

  “You gave us such a fright.” His voice in my head sounded so much louder than before.

  “That was the most remarkable shield I have ever encountered. Even more powerful than the witch we ran into in the tunnels.” Padrick towered over me.

  A soft paw on my cheek drew my attention to the right where I met a wet kitty nose.

  “Well, you seem okay. I’m going to look for some lunch now.” Storm hopped out of the snow cave as if nothing interesting had happened.

  I let out a long sigh. “I can’t believe I did that.”

  “I can.” Padrick crouched by my head. “How are you feeling?”

  “Okay.” I think?

  “Good, can we go hunting now?” Argo stared down at me with the dragon equivalent of puppy eyes.

  “What the heck. Let’s go.”

  Chapter 20

  “Everrrrrrrrrrly!”

  Traian’s voice screamed in my head, pulling me out of a deep sleep.

  I sat straight up, my body covered in a pink sheen of sweat as I trembled. Muted light from the entrance cast strange shadows in our cave, revealing I was the only one there.

  Where did everyone go?

  It didn’t matter. I focused on Traian’s voice.

  Was that a dream, or did he call for me?

  There was no way to tell, but it felt so real. My stomach twisted into knots as tears spilled off my cheeks.

  I hated not knowing. The severed bond had left me empty and disconnected from the source of my existence.

  A sense of dread sent a wave of ice over my body.

  What if my father has grown tired of my game of hide and seek and has decided to finally finish Traian off?

  Nope. I refuse to go there.

  Padrick popped his head in. “What is going on? I could smell your fear from a mile away.” His eyes grew when he noticed the red streaks on my face and the pink sweat dripping off my skin. “Mercy, what happened?” He rushed over and took my hand.

  Argo pounded into the cave and pushed his head past Padrick to look me straight in the eye. “I heard him too.”

  Fear paralyzed me. I couldn’t talk. “I don’t know what to do.”

  Padrick massaged my hand. “Traian is tough. I really don’t think Octavian will kill him.”

  I met his gaze. “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because I’ve known the lad for five millennia.” Padrick’s voice softened. “Octavian tortured him for thousands of years and could never break him.”

  “But that was before me.”

  My statement sounded so egotistical, but I didn’t mean it that way. Traian’s past lover had already been dead when he was captured by Octavian the first time. There was nothing to taunt him with. But this time, I was still alive. Octavian could conjure all kinds of delusions to torment Traian.

  “I know.” Padrick squeezed my hand. “You’ve changed the playing field.”

  “Octavian has my blood. He could do anything with it.” I gulped.

  Argo lowered his head onto my lap. Its weight seemed to have a grounding effect, diffusing the racing thoughts in my mind and calming my shaking body. I rested my hand on top of his head, soaking up the warmth that radiated from it.

  “I have to go back now.” My newfound voice crackled with emotion.

  “Are you crazy?” Padrick gawked. “You won’t be welcomed with open arms as before. Your father is not the forgiving type.”

  “I have to do something.”

  He nodded. “All the more reason to train harder, help your dragon grow, and learn to use your magic.”

  “We’re running out of time.” I shook my head.

  “We will go there when the time is right. But right now, you need to feed yourself. There are a couple of polar bears on the back of the island. One has an injured paw from which he won’t recover. Go put him out of his misery.”

  I wanted to argue, but then my throat burned. It had been two days since I’d last hunted, and I could feel it. Animal blood didn’t satisfy me as much as that of a human. But given that there weren’t people living on this island, I couldn’t be picky. Plus, I really didn’t like the idea of feeding on live humans. The one encounter I’d had still unsettled me.

  I gave in. “Fine. But first I need a quick dip in the ocean.”

  Storm hopped into the cave. “You ruined my hunt. I had a perfect rat, but then I heard you scream.”

  “I didn’t scream. That was Traian.”

  Argo lifted his head and looked me in the eye. “You screamed too.”

  I glanced up at Padrick.

  “You did. That’s why I came running.”

  Holy hell. I shook my head. “I’m sorry, guys.”

  “Don’t be.” Padrick rested his hand on my shoulder.

  I needed to get out. “Let me go for a swim, and then we’ll figure out our next move.”

  “It’s broad daylight.” Padrick pointed at the doorway.

  “I’ll be fine.” I jumped to my feet.

  “I’m only pointing out it’s noon, and you haven’t slept long.”

  Oh.

  My body continued to change with each passing day. Every strigoi before me had never seen sunlight until after they’d completed their seven-year cycle of transformation. Most never even survived that. My own survival may have something to do with my father being the oldest vampire in the world, and the magic that had been involved in my conception. Regardless, I grew weary of the constant unknown when it came to my body. I longed for any semblance of normalcy for once.

  The pull to the ocean drew my focus. That’s where I could get away for a moment and forget the weight of my destiny.

  I patted Argo’s head, which now came to just below my shoulders. “I need the cold water to help me focus on what we need to do next.” I bent down and kissed the spot between his nostrils.

  “Take your time.” Argo nuzzled me with his nose.

  “I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” I called over my shoulder as I ran out of the cave into the blazing sun.

  “Don’t let anyone see you. There is a cruise ship about two miles off the southern shore of the island,” I heard Padrick say.

  I didn’t stop running until I reached the beach. Then I stripped away my pink, sweaty t-shirt and leggings. The water felt divine on my skin. As I let my body sink deeper, I combed my fingers through my matted hair. Once we returned to mainland, I planned to get a jumbo-sized bottle of hardcore conditioner to get these tangles out.

  I missed having facilities. Even in the ancient cave in Romania, we had running water.

  My feet touched the bottom slope of the shoreline, and I let my body float back against the rocks as if I were laying down. The current was just strong enough to keep me from totally relaxing. The swoosh of water past my ears was the only sound. My hands swayed back and forth with the movement of the sea.

  I wonder if I can make sparks underwater?

  Closing my eyes briefly, I recalled the only time I’d made love to Traian. The familiar zing in my palms came the next second. Tiny arcs of silver light zipped across my skin. Normally, the sparks only appeared on my palms, but now I had the cross symbol imprinted on my right palm, my power extended up my arms, halfway up to my elbows.

  I held my arms above my body and let the energy build between my hands, forming a ball of light. The center grew so bright, I could barely stare at it.

  “That’s amazing.” Bella swam toward me. “I thought I tasted you. Are you bleeding?”

  I glanced past the sphere of energy to see the white whale getting closer. “No. Why?” I returned my attention to the magic.

  “I sampled blood in the water. Your blood.”

  “Ah, that was my sweat. It contains little bits of blood.” The ball of light
pulsed between my hands. “You have a keen sense of taste.”

  “It’s the one thing that keeps us safe, along with our hearing. I heard you dive in. What is this light you are creating? It’s too bright for me to look at directly.”

  That’s when I sensed we weren’t alone. I felt their presence, though they were still a good distance away. Shit. I need to get rid of this.

  “It’s the sharks. They must have sensed your blood.” Bella swam around and put herself between me and the incoming visitors. “I will call on my family for help.”

  Panic filled my veins as three massive sharks approached out of the dark sea.

  “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Stay calm.” She let out some clicking sounds and a high-pitched whine.

  I glanced down at my hands and realized I needed to get rid of the energy. Can I take out one of the sharks? I moved next to Bella, and before I could hear the thoughts of the approaching predators, I flung the ball of light at the one in the center.

  The body of the shark became encased in the electricity. He turned belly-up and floated toward the surface, the spark of life gone from his eyes.

  Shit, I didn’t mean to kill him. I covered my mouth with both hands.

  “That was effective,” Bella said as the other two sharks turned tail and swam away. “That will teach them to hunt somewhere else.”

  “But I didn’t mean to kill.”

  “What’s wrong with you? You have to kill to live. You just killed a creature that was about to attack us.”

  Just then the sound of a motor and the propeller slicing through the water drew our attention. A hundred feet above us, a small, inflatable boat traveled on the surface. If I concentrated a little, I could hear the twenty-two people on the boat.

  Damn cruises and their excursions.

  “Humans. I’d better warn my family.” Bella patted me with her flipper on the back. “Well done, my friend. I’ll be back soon.”

  As soon as she disappeared, I realized that the dead shark was getting closer to the surface. It would attract unwanted attention.

  Padrick is going to kill me.