Claimed by the Dragon King (6 page)

“Why didn’t you just report over the rings?” Ash asks, suspiciously. He’s got a point, we set them up so we wouldn’t need to seek each other out.

“Cat’s don’t wear rings, sir,” Edgar says with a hint of sarcasm. I guess he’s not entirely over Ash making him shift in front of me. “Plus we wanted to have one of our own stationed with you, just in case. Lucky me.” Edgar jumps down to the ground and winds body through Ash’s legs. 

“Let’s go,” Ash says seriously. Colin leads Ruby ahead of us. She looks back at me with a nervous smile and turns to ask him something. I hope she’s not saying anything too crazy to him.

Chapter Ten

Eventually we make it through the throng of people and get into position in front of the castle. A black robed man pushes his way through the crowd. Shit. SIGMA! I grab Asher and pull him into a long kiss. I keep my eyes open and watch as his glance passes over us. I pull away from Asher and take a huge gasping breath.

“Not that I mind but what was that?” Asher asks with a chuckle.

“SIGMA,” I whisper, pointing at the back of the Seeker.

“We will have to be more cautious now that we are close,” Ash says activating his ring. “SIGMA spotted at the right flank of Position 1. Maintain vigilance but try to blend in.”

His voice echoes through my head as my ring relays his message. A bright tune reaches my ears and I look for the sound. Ruby, with her Spelled lack of inhibition, is singing. Her voice is beautiful and a small circle forms around her to listen. I peek a glance at Collin and find him absolutely enraptured by my friend. A man with a guitar comes over and plucks a gentle song that matches her voice nicely. A few people pick partners and start to dance. I shift uncomfortably and look at Asher. He turns to me and smiles wickedly, extending his hand.

“Would you like to dance my lady?” he asks.

“I... I can’t dance,” I squeak. He grabs my hand anyways and pulls me into his embrace. I awkwardly step on his feet as I attempt to find a rhythm.

“We have to blend in, remember,” he says. I can tell that he’s still watching the crowd intently but he’s actually enjoying himself. I take a deep breath and try to relax, only to step on his foot, again. I just can’t seem to see where his feet are going to go next!

He pulls me in closer with a hand at my lower back and uses his other hand to tilt my head up.

“Look at me,” he says. “I know it’s hard for you but try to follow my lead.” He smiles wickedly and his hips push me backwards. I throw my foot out behind me to catch myself and find that he’s already turning into another step. My feet follow his automatically! Before I know it, I’m actually dancing! The song comes to an end and the crowd breaks out into enthusiastic applause. Asher breaks away from me and bows regally.

“I didn’t know you could dance!” I say with a chuckle.

“One of the perks of being raised as a prince,” he replies while pulling himself out of the bow.

“Lindy!” Ruby whispers loudly, waving me over. “Lindy, I’m scared.” She looks worried, and I can tell that something is wrong. The happy energy of the song has faded and the small crowd loses interest in their muse.

“What’s going on Ruby?” I ask her.

“I don’t know… it’s this spell, I think. I can tell that something is getting ready to happen. I feel funny. And there’s something echoing in my head, words, but I can’t tell what they are yet.”

I look around at the people around us and notice that a few of them with their foreheads scrunched up in confusion. Maybe they can hear it too? Tears are forming in her eyes so I pull her into an embrace, more than just for the comfort. With the energy of this crowd, if anyone sees her upset they will realize that something is up.

“Ash,” I barely whisper his name and he’s by my side.

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

“Ruby says she’s hearing words in her head,” I whisper. “Something in that drink must be taking effect.” I point out a few of the confused people in the crowd.

“We should get her out of here before--”

“No,” Collin curtly interrupts. Ash growls at him and Collin throws his hands up and takes a few steps back. “Let me explain sir,” he stammers. Ash nods, indicating for him to continue. “We need to keep Ruby close by,” he says quickly. “Whatever effects the drink is having on her and everyone else is for a reason. We have not consumed the potion so we would be a few seconds behind on reacting to it. Those few seconds--”

“Make all the difference,” Ash finishes his sentence. He nods at the Werewolf and turns to me.

“But--” I start.

“Lindy you know Ruby would want to be useful,” he says looking at my friend with a worried glance. “No matter how ridiculous she is being.”

I look down at Ruby and find her sitting cross legged on the dirty ground tossing pebbles back and forth between her hands. At least she’s giggling again. Collin comes over and helps hoist her off of the ground. She cackles wildly and twists out of his grasp.

“No need to get frisky, big fella,” she says with a wink.

Collin backs away and blends into the crowd but I catch glimpses of him watching her intently.

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Ash shifts nervously from foot to foot. We’ve been in place for the last hour and the suspense is starting to get to all of us. Ruby seems to finally be acting more like herself, thank goodness.

“Something’s getting ready to happen,” Ruby says mysteriously, looking up at the castle. Our eyes follow her gaze and we see a small group of finely dressed people making their way out onto the platform. Black robed guards line the stairs up to the platform like black unmoving pillars.

The crowd around us stops and robotically turns to the stage. Their glassy eyes fixed on the figure who has just come to the front. Arralt’s maroon robes billow around him, making him look much larger and more impressive than he actually is. His gold crown glints in the artificial sunlight. He holds his hands up for silence but it’s not necessary. No one is making a sound.

“Thousands of years we have been living in harmony with each other. Thousands of years we have maintained peace amongst ourselves and shared the magic that the Underground has to offer. Today we honor our ancestors and celebrate the very spells that allow us access to this magic by Renewing our bond with them.”

Ash holds his hand up, waiting to give the signal.

The small crowd of advisors spread out and clasp hands. “Fuck,” I hiss when I see my father amongst them. Of course he would be here, amongst Arralt’s top advisors.

Ash brings his hand to his mouth.

“Now,” he shouts, giving the order to begin the attack. Our hidden soldiers push their way forward. The glassy eyed crowd shifts uncomfortably, their spelled unconscious selves becoming slightly aware as they are jostled and shoved aside.  Arralt’s guards break their stony stillness and fan out in front of the stairs leading to the podium.

The Catfolk reach them first. I stand back in awe of the tiny figures, some shifting into their human form, as they brutally attack with claws and teeth. The guards stand their ground and my heart sinks when two of the Cat bodies don’t get back up again. Others reach the front line and soon enough all of the guards are occupied with attackers. Ash recognizes the opportunity and roars with approval as he shifts into the impressive black dragon. The crowd turns their attention to him as he flaps his wings and shoots a jet of fire into the sky. They clap with delight. Ruby claps along with them but she huffs in frustration instead of cheering.

“They think it’s a part of the celebration!” Ruby shouts, keeping her eyes glued to Arralt. “We’re all linked in some way, it’s part of the spell!”

Crap. Part of the plan was to have the majority of the crowd gone by the time Arralt could even start the spell.

“Asher!” I shout, trying to get his attention but it’s no good. More black robed figures are pouring out of the castle gates and are joining the fight. Arralt looks on with a smile. He thinks he’s already won.

The King turns to his assembled advisors and has them link hands again. Oh no! He’s going to start the spell. I watch as the crowd snaps their attention back to Arralt and thousands of people eagerly take each other’s hands.

I rub my ring and hope that Ash can still hear me. “Ash, they’re starting the spell!”

“We’ve got to get up there. Hold on!” He flaps his wings, buffeting the battle with gusts of wind. He gently grabs me around the waist and flies onto the podium. The podium shakes and a loud boom echoes through the cavern as he lands.

Arralt and his advisors scramble back to avoid being smashed by Asher. He breathes a hot stream of fire at the King. Arralt looks on, utterly nonpulsed. The fire splits in two and wends around him, not hurting him at all. He must have some sort of Shield up. I focus my Witchsight and try to find a hole in the spell, anything that might help bring it down. The Shield wraps around him, like a giant egg. If I don’t take this Shield down, I won’t be able to reverse the spells on him and Asher. Damn it!

Guards swarm around Arralt and I lose my focus. This is going to be even more difficult than I imagined with all of these other people around!

Chapter Eleven

“Everyone retreat as far as you can!” Georgia’s voice echoes through my head. Ash swivels around at her command and roars in anger. What is she up to? We can’t retreat yet!  I run over to the edge of the platform. Georgia is running straight for the main group of SIGMA fighters with her hand raised.

“No!” I scream. Clutched in her hand is the stone we found in Asher’s treasure vault. She looks up at me and smiles sadly as she activates the spell held deep within. A bright white light erupts from her hand and a shockwave blows through the black robes, knocking them to the ground, either unconscious or dead. Our fighters surge forward through the opening and are met with a new tide of Arralt’s soldiers. I can’t fight the tears that are spilling over my eyes.

“Georgia!” I hear a scream and Ruby runs over to one of the bodies on the ground and shoves it aside. I drop to my knees when I see her amongst the dead. “Georgia, no! Georgia wake up! Wake up, please wake up.” Ruby shakes her body but the woman is gone, her body oddly still. Ruby sobs and clutches Georgia to her, not noticing the soldier heading straight for her. I’m too numb from the realization that she’s dead. But she can’t be dead. She’s one of the strongest people I know! My body shakes involuntarily. I never got to hug her, to tell her that Ash proposed. To say thank you...

“Ruby!” I scream, trying to get her attention but I know she can’t hear me from here. Colin materializes from the crowd and tackles the soldier to the ground. He hasn’t shifted to full wolf but his hands and teeth form claws and fangs, ripping the soldier's throat out in a bloody spray. Colin grabs Ruby and pulls her away from Georgia’s body. Ruby fights him at first but the wolf overpowers her and she eventually succumbs and clutches his body instead.

Before I can even think about what I’m doing, I cast a spell that encases Georgia’s body in a protective shimmery orb. I know that there’s no way to bring her back but I can’t stand the thought of her body being defiled by the battle. I stand up and turn back to Asher. He’s fighting with at least five black robes. His long black neck shoots out and his jaws latch onto one of Arralt’s guards. With a sickening crunch, Ash tosses the body and advances on the remaining fighters. Arralt looks nervous as Ash pads towards him. Good. A new power is surging through me. I’m angrier than I’ve ever been in my entire life. I step towards the fight and pull out my spelled dagger from my thigh holster.  It lengthens into a shining metal blade, lightweight enough for me to swing but deadly just the same.

“Trap him! Start the spell,” Arralt screams and retreats into the castle.

“Coward!” I scream. His advisors grasp hands behind the SIGMA guards and start to chant. My father amongst them makes eye contact with me and smiles a sad smile. Bastard. I scowl at him and heft my sword. Kylan drops the hand of his fellow advisor and reaches into his robes. What is he doing? The man next to him is shouting at him and reaching for his hand. What the fuck? My father pulls his hand back and slams it into the man. He’s holding his own knife and it’s covered in blood. I have no idea why, but my dad just killed someone! Why would he do that? One of the SIGMA guards notices my father’s treachery and buries his sword deep into my father’s chest.

“No!” I scream. He was trying to help me. I can’t even begin to wrap my brain around this revelation because the black robes are pulling in a lot of magic. What are they getting ready to do?

A glowing green net arches up over Asher, and crushes him to the ground. I use my Witchsight to look at the spell. I can’t cut it off of him but I see that it’s being maintained by just 3 of the remaining guards. The fury that I feel for Georgia, for my father, Billius, Fee and all of the other dead. We have to stop this. I touch the connection with my coven, pulling their magic into me. My dagger elongates into a gleaming silver sword. The coven’s magic is coursing through my veins and I can feel the fire within. I raise my sword above my head and release the magic all at once-- sending a gigantic ball of fire hurtling towards the guard. Enough of them run that I have a clear shot at the three maintaining the net. Before I can sprint towards them, a buzzing noise distracts me. I spin around and see a black mass of swirling… insects? No! Not insects, sprites! They zoom towards me and I can hear their tiny voices screaming war cries as they descend. The remaining advisors drop their hands and jump from the platform, into the crowd.

There’s only one of the guards left to maintain the net. It’s weakening but it’s not weak enough yet. Ash roars and tries to push at the net but it’s not going anywhere. The dragon drops back against the stone platform with a loud thud. Something’s wrong, I can feel it. Ash wouldn’t give up so easily. I can See that the spell on Asher, the chains of words that were holding him so tightly when I first saw the dragon, are tightening and getting stronger. The guard who’s maintaining the net turns to me and laughs, dropping his hood. It’s the one SIGMA seeker I want to kill. The same creep who so easily dismissed me in the library, the one who kept me in that dark cave.

“You’re too late,” he says gleefully.

My rage threatens to overtake me. I can feel my magic becoming unstable as my emotions flare. If I don’t get control of this I might burn myself up. Burn myself up… that’s an idea. I focus on the spot next to the creep and turn my attention back on my fury. Georgia, Billius, Fee, my father… Georgia, Billius, Fee, my father. The fire engulfs me and instead of trying to stop it, I release it fully and become a pillar of flames. I’m not dead, instead I’m a towering inferno. I can See how to do what I want to do. I focus again on the spot next to the guard and send myself there. I appear suddenly next to him with my sword already swinging. His head hits the ground with a satisfying thump and the green glowing net dissolves, leaving Asher and I alone on the platform. Holy shit that felt good. Ash slowly shifts back to his human form and I run over to him.

“That was incredible,” he says, smiling and getting to his feet.

“Are you alright?” I ask him. He looks pale but his muscles are rippling underneath his skin. The spell is working on him but he’s not locked away just yet.

“I’m fine,” he says but his eyes reveal a different story. He’s got to be terrified of being locked away again. He gets to his feet and pulls me into a quick embrace. We walk over to the edge of the platform and look down at the crowd. They remain, glassy eyed and yet slightly confused. They are still murmuring the words of the Renewal curse but more than a few look like they’ve lost the thread of the spell. A few of our fighters are helping the injured. There’s no sign of Ruby or Collin, I hope they made it out okay.

“We have to stop them,” Ash says crumpling over in obvious pain. Sweat beads on his brow and his skin looks oddly pale. “It’s this spell. I don’t think I can take this much longer Lindy,” he says. His eyes look unfocused for just a moment and he grits his teeth in anger.

I rub my ring, activating the spell within. The skin under the ring glows warm. “We have to stop the spell! Please someone try something, anything to get the crowd to stop!” I don’t try to hide the panic in my voice.

The Spites answer my call. They zoom through the mass of magicfolk, alighting on people’s shoulders and poking them in the eyes. Their magic isn’t very powerful but they do know how to use what they have. They use Cleaning spells to squirt water into faces and Cooking spells to burn their sensitive skin or toss pepper into their eyes. It’s working! A few of them actually loose enough focus to stop the spell and turn to swat at the annoying creatures.

“Good job! Keep going!” I say into my ring. I watch them for a brief moment before realizing that it’s not going fast enough. The spell should be complete soon. The glowing words on Asher are only getting stronger.

“We have to go after him,” I say to Asher. He nods at me solemnly.

“Let’s get this over with,” I say, making my way towards the castle doors.