Marked by the Dragon King (3 page)

Chapter Five

“Yes, this is Melinda Merrick. She is one of our most trusted librarians. In fact she had the closing shift last night,” Mags replies briskly to the man, submissively keeping her eyes averted from his.

“Merrick? Any relation to Kylan Merrick?” he asks, growing more suspicious. Hearing my father's name sends ice through my veins.

“Yes, we're... related, but that's none of your business,” I answer back instinctually with venom, giving him my best go-to-hell glare. That was stupid. What’s gotten into me?

Before I can even blink he's uncomfortably close. Lowering his face to mine with a snarl he says, “Insubordination is a punishable offense, little witch. I don't care who you're related to.” His breath smells like rotten meat, making my throat constrict and I choke back vomit.

I spot a small gold SIGMA pin attached to the collar of his hooded robe. Shit. Seekers of Illegally Gained Magical Access. I knew that King Aralt's henchmen were supposed to be horrifying, but this guy is beyond that description. I have only heard the rumors of what the SIGMA does in the Underground and I thought that most of them were made up to keep magical people in line! If SIGMA is here it's a big deal. They work directly for the King and they can practically do whatever they want in the name of defending his Underground Kingdom.

“I am the head Seeker of this investigation,” he says, forcing me to take a step back to get away from the awful scent reeking from his mouth. “I am authorized to test your magic levels and recent usage. Do you have anything you would like to admit to before your Investigation commences?”

My legs shake with fear. He's going to test me? I want to turn and run but I'm rooted to the spot. I wonder if he's holding me with some sort of spell.

“No,” I reply shakily.

”Hmm,” he murmurs before snapping his fingers and releasing his spell.

The energy runs up and down my spine quickly. I double over in pain as it spreads throughout the rest my body, falling to the floor when it reaches my brain. It feels like someone is hitting me over the head repeatedly with a hammer and I start to scream, as the Seeker cackles in sick satisfaction. Mags joins me on the floor and takes my head into her lap, stroking my hair.

“It's almost over Melinda. Just a moment more,” she whispers.

The pain subsides when the spell has run its course. I take in deep lungfuls of air and try to catch my breath as Mag's helps me sit up and looks into my eyes knowingly. I wonder if they already did that to her.

I can see the Seeker standing next to us in some sort of trance, eyes closed and palms turned out to the side. He takes a deep breath in and opens his pale eyes.

“You’re only a Level 1 user?” he asks dismissively. Obviously someone my age should be above a grade school level of magic, especially if they're a Merrick.

“Yes,” I respond, embarrassed and frightened.

“Can you even perform any spells?”

“No,” I whisper. He must not be able to detect the brand on my leg. That’s strange. And very convenient, too.

“Did you notice anything unusual in the library during your shift?”

“No,” I lie.

“Well it’s unlikely, if not impossible, that you could have triggered any spells on your own. You're barely a witch,” he scoffs, his words laced with disgust. “Do you have anyone else coming in today?” he asks, turning his attention towards Mags as she helps me get to my feet.

“You've questioned nearly everyone already,” she replies bitterly.

They have a brief discussion about my fellow librarians who haven't been tested, but I can hardly pay attention. How could he not tell? Something that powerful should stand out like a flare in the dark. He demands to search the main office again, leaving me relieved but confused and certainly unsure of what to do now.

“Melinda!” Fee whispers, pulling at the back of my hair to get my attention. She zooms around my head and off to a corner with books piled high enough to afford some privacy. They’ve obviously finished searching this shelf. Oh Melinda, that was
close
!” she squeals with a nervous glance at me. I can tell that she is beyond anxious as her wings change from blue to red and then to a bright shade of orange. If I can’t get her calmed down she might accidentally release some magic and become a target of the Seekers.

“Fee, calm down! Take a deep breath or one of these freaks will notice you. You’re leaking magic again!” I bend down behind the pile to make sure we can’t be seen. She does as I suggest and takes a few deep breaths. Her wings gradually stop changing colors and become a deep, burning red that I’ve never seen before.

“That spell was hard to hide but I think I did it, didn’t I? He didn’t find it?”

“What are you talking about?” I ask, wondering if she can sense the book’s magic on me that the creepy SIGMA obviously missed.

“You have a spell on you! Well, besides the one I just did to hide the mark…”

“No, he didn’t find it Fee. He knows I can’t use magic, I think it’s okay,” I say, trying to relieve her some more.

“Mel, the spell… that brand on your leg… it’s what they’re looking for! It’s what we’ve been searching for almost a thousand years!” A sad expression darkens her dainty face and she frowns at me.

What does she mean? I know that Sprites are a little strange but this is getting kind of weird. I'm not surprised that she can see the mark on my leg. I mean, Fee can detect almost any magical spell on anything. It’s always helpful having her around a library full of magical books that might do any number of things to you if you don’t know what you’re looking at.

“The rune was on a book that I found in the library last night,” I confess.

“Can you read the book?” she asks, fidgeting nervously.

“I read all that I could before I had to leave. It was all about Dragons and basilisks and wars...” If she knows something about the book and the brand, she must know about Ash! She could be my answer to getting him out of his prison. “Do you know something about that book, Fee? Are Dragons actually real?”

“This all goes back so far. It’s a long story...”

Glancing around, I can see that no one is paying us any attention. It looks like black robed Seekers are finished dumping books off shelves and have regrouped near the front of the library. The SIGMA leader throws his hood over his head and shouts for his minions to march. I sigh with relief as I watch them file out the door.

“Why have you been searching for this symbol?” I say.

“Oh! You’re going to be so mad when I tell you. Please promise you won’t hate me, Melinda. I only did my job,” she explains. I can tell that she is close to tears. Fee has been my only friend for years, I can’t imagine anything that she can do or say to make me hate her.

“Fee, I promise. I could never hate you. Just tell me what’s going on.”

With a big sigh she says, “I’m not just a book loving Sprite. I’m actually a Guardian and I was sent here to observe you, Melinda. You are my job! We’ve been watching you since you came of age,” she spits out as fast as she can talk, covering her face with her tiny hands and finally succumbing to tears. At least she isn’t changing colors again.

“What the heck is a Guardian? And why would you be watching me? What do I have to do with any of this?” I can't help the edgy tone to my voice. How could she? I thought she was my friend...

“I can’t tell you everything. A spell keeps me from speaking the true history of the Underground. All I can say is that long ago it was Prophesied that a flame haired witch would come to be who could break the Binding, restoring the balance of magic with the Dragons.”

“We?”

“The knowledge of the Guardians isn't important for you to know yet, Melinda! The witch is supposed to have magic that hasn’t been seen in the last millennia. We have guardians spread out in the Underground watching anyone that might fit the prophecy.”

“But I don’t have
any
magic,” I say.

“It’s all very complicated!” she huffs. “But you’re the only candidate that has been claimed by the King’s Mark, so as far as I’m concerned-”

“Wait a second,” I interrupt her. “What do you mean
claimed
by the King’s Mark?”

“He… well, the Dragon King must have chosen you. This scar is the symbol of the Dragons that ruled over this land. If it’s on you it means that he has claimed you and you are under his rule. The Prophecy said that the witch would be branded.”

“What else did this Prophecy say?” I ask, demanding to know if my body was going to be claimed in any other way. I realize that it already has, my cheeks flushing at the memories of all the crazy things I’ve done with Ash.

“We don’t know the actual words of the Prophecy. Just that a witch would be born with lost powers, branded with the sigil of the house, and given a key to restoring magic with the Dragons. You need to find the key. What we've hoped for over three millennia has come to pass!” Fee says.

Three millennia. Poor Asher. My mind flashes on the flaming drawing in the book and Ash’s determination to kill a basilisk for a fang that won’t disappear, but my compassion is soon overtaken by rage. I can’t believe she did this to me. I can't believe Ash would do this either. The only two people I've ever trusted. The only people I've ever loved.

“I thought you were my friend, Fee,” I blurt out. “My only friend. A
real
friend.”

“I am.”

“Then what gives you the right to spy on me?” I snap.

“I’m sorry, but you need to keep your voice down or-”

“Or what? The librarians will learn about whatever secret society you’re involved in?” I say, a little too loudly for her comfort.

“Melinda!” Fee pleads trying to cover my mouth with her tiny hands. I slap them away without much thought, sending the tiny sprite spiraling out of control. She lands on a pile of books with a soft thump and permeates the air with a cloud of sparkly dust, looking up at me with a hurt expression.

“If you think I’m just going to play along with this, then you really don’t know me that well. I don’t care what is on my leg. I’m not under anyone’s
rule
. I wouldn't let my family treat me this way and I won't let you. Nobody
owns
me.”

“But the other candidates…”

“I don’t care about any other candidates!” I shout, drawing the attention of the other librarians scrambling to get things back in order.

Other candidates. What does that even mean? Is this some sort of sick contest? Am I the only one that’s been having these dreams? What if Ash is… oh my God! Is he doing what he does to me to any witch that stumbles by in the caverns? Has he been evaluating our performance, seeing which one he likes the most?

“Melinda, you’re not thinking about this clearly. It’s an honor to be chosen. This could be what you’ve been waiting for.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think!” she says, excitedly flying in circles around my head. “Your magic might be working now! Have you tried to cast anything lately?”

Instead of answering her, I decide to try a spell, something simple, something that I’ve almost managed before. Gathering my magic within me, I can feel the focus building. This time it feels different. There’s warmth in my core, just a hint of that inferno I’m starting to miss almost as much as I long for Ash. I tap in to it and find a slow burn, an ember of energy with a pulse of magic. It will work this time, I know it. I'm so excited it’s difficult to maintain my focus.

The wounds of deceit and betrayal with Fee and Ash are too fresh, I can’t ignore my fury. Instead of losing the spell my anger deepens the burn, like adding gasoline to the spark. It’s not the raging fire that I felt when I found the Dragon tome, but it’s still more energy than I’ve ever touched before when casting a spell. Releasing my spell, I barely whisper, “Return” and the pile of books hiding us flies into the air and neatly organize on the shelves. It worked!

“Hah!” I laugh and throw my hands up in celebration. Ecstatic and amazed that it worked, I could cry with relief of 21 years of pent up frustration. The anger I felt fades with the excitement, but it still simmers just below the surface.