Five minutes until the potion would be complete.
In the chair nearby, Tank sawed logs, every now and then letting out a low growl while he slept.
We agreed to take the two days in shifts, and I hated to admit it was a good idea. I worried the pressure of keeping the potion correct would get to him, but Tank had done a great job of keeping it balanced. A quick glance at the clock told me I had three minutes left.
“How goes it?” Slade walked into the room without Everest.
I gave him a curious look.
“She’s sleeping,” he answered.
“Good. And we’re good here, too. Couple more minutes then we’ll add the last ingredient. Fingers crossed it all works.”
“You need him awake?” He pointed to Tank.
“I do.” The words were barely out of my mouth when Slade bumped the leg of the chair.
Tank shot upright with a snarl, looking ready to charge into battle, every muscle tensed, prepared to spring. Until he heard Slade cackling behind him. He reached out and snatched Slade around the throat.
The two scuffled like kids.
I sighed. “If you two are done acting like barbarians, I could use you, Tank.”
They shoved away from each other with mocking glares.
Tank joined me. “Is it ready?”
“Just about.” I counted down the final minute, and the potion glowed blue. “Give me your hand, please. Sorry for this.”
I picked up the dagger as I took his hand and held it over the cauldron.
“It’s a cut. I’ll live.”
I sliced his hand, and he bellowed. I was about to apologize until he grinned.
I smacked his arm as he continued to laugh at me. “Not funny.”
“Kind of funny,” he mumbled.
Blood dripped from the wound into the potion. The color remained blue, but the glow shifted and changed. When enough of his blood had been added, I handed him a clean cloth and told him to wrap his hand. I gave the potion a final stir and stepped back.
The cauldron shuddered.
“Is that supposed to happen?” Tank eyed the cauldron.
“Yes. Give it a second.”
The potion congealed and formed into a thick gel-like substance. Every last drop pulled together and formed a glowing, blue orb. As it solidified, it floated out of the cauldron and hovered, giving off the same glow.
“Amelie?”
“It worked,” I whispered in awe. “It actually worked.”
“Always the doubter.”
I smacked Tank in the chest. “I’ve never used this spell before. You know how tricky it is to get right?”
“What does it do?”
“It’ll lead us to your sister.” Gently, I reached for the orb. It rested on my palm. I handed it over to Tank. “Once we’re outside, we’ll set it free and see where it goes. You ready to find Cara?”
Tank paled, gulping loud enough for me to hear.
Slade gave him an encouraging pat on the back. “Go, man, find your sister. Bring her home.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” he whispered. “I’m ready.”
“Good. We’ll gather up some supplies, in case she takes a few days to reach. Then we’ll go.” I told him and Slade to go ahead and make their way to the foyer, but not to go outside yet. As soon as the orb was in the open air, it would shoot off.
The blue glow of the orb lit up Tank’s face. He said nothing as I left the workroom and trudged through the mansion to my room. I packed a small bag with an extra change of clothes, took an amulet for protection since neither one of us had any idea what we’d be walking into, some healing salves, then ducked into Tank’s room. I picked out an extra shirt and jeans for him, too.
As I left his room, Selma met me in the corridor.
“If you need anything, you call for help.” She took a gold coin from her pocket and closed it in my palm. “Squeeze this. Whisper my name and a message. I’ll hear you.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to take anyone else with you? Just in case?”
“No point risking anyone else. We’ll be alright.”
She hugged me close, whispered a blessing over me, then set me back. “Go with the goddess, Amelie. I hope your trip is successful.”
“So do I. If anything changes with Everest, you’ll contact me?”
“Yes, of course. Now go. Tank has waited long enough to be reunited with his sister.”
I agreed and took the stairs at a run to get to the foyer.
Tank and Slade had just reached it, and were studying the orb in Tank’s hand like it was a bomb about to go off.
I slung my pack over my body cross-wise and opened the front door.
Victor and Peter joined us from the east wing, appearing impressed by the orb. We walked outside into the chilly night air, and I was thankful I’d thought to snag our coats on the way out. Not that he would need his, but if we were going to fly, it was going to be damned cold up there with the wind whipping past.
“How does this—” Tank started.
The orb shot up into the air and circled above our heads. It glowed brighter and brighter, then stopped with a shudder.
My heart sank, fearing it hadn’t worked, after all.
It zoomed toward the south leaving a blazing trail for us to follow.
“This is it.”
Tank didn’t hesitate. He shifted, then lowered his massive shoulder for me to climb onto his back.
Slade gave me a one-armed hug, then I was on Tank’s back. His wings gave a massive push, and we were off, flying into the sky.
I hunkered down low on his back, watching the glowing blue trail through squinted eyes. We aimed south, the orb way ahead of us, breaking through the clouds.
Tank pumped his wings faster and started to gain on the orb.
It was hard to say how long we had been flying when the orb veered sharply to the right, and the air grew even colder.
My hands were numb against Tank’s scaled back, and as if he could sense it, he growled disgruntled.
“I’m fine,” I yelled, but he shook out his massive head. Could I stop the orb from tracking? I hadn’t thought of that when we let it go. “If I can get it to stop, we can land for a while and warm up.”
He let out a small puff of smoke in response.
I sat up, hair whipping behind me. I focused on the orb, sensing the power emanating from it. A power that came from me and Tank. I didn’t want to destroy it. I simply wanted to put it on pause. Visualizing the orb slowing then stopping, I shut my eyes and magic slipped from me through the sky.
Tank snarled quietly.
I opened my eyes and was greeted by the sight of green tendrils that stretched from my hands to the orb, bringing it back to us.
Once it was tucked safely in my arms, I patted Tank on the back, and he circled, looking for a good place to land.
Trees and empty fields were all I saw beneath us. No lights dotted the horizon to indicate any homes or towns that might be nearby. His feet touched down in a field of tall grass.
I numbly slipped from his back, staggering forward. He shifted swiftly, and his arms caught me before I could fall.
“How long were we up there?” I asked, feeling coming back to my legs and damn did they hurt.
“Six hours or so?”
“That long? What time is it?”
He leaned back, studying the sky. “Little after one in the morning.” He frowned when he felt my hands. “You’re freezing. Why didn’t you say something?”
“I was a bit distracted.”
He grumbled, annoyed, then guided me through the tall grass and into the trees. He helped me sit, the orb remaining safe in my arms, then he gathered up sticks to build a fire.
My teeth chattered as I anxiously waited for flames to burst to life.
He sucked in a deep breath, and when he blew it out, fire came with it.
It was true before the war ended Shadowguards could not breathe fire. But since the darkness had finally left their clan, since it let all the clans be, the dragons were finding abilities they believed lost to them. Fire, thankfully, was one of them. We’d all expected it to be water, since that’s what we were taught in school. Apparently, it was a well-kept secret that many Shadowguards had been able to breathe fire. So had the other clans. They simply planned to use it as a secret weapon. But when Radnak took over, the dark magic dampened the Shadowguards natural abilities, and it was thought the gene had been forever lost.
I held out my hands to the flames, scooting as close as I dared without setting my pants on fire.
Tank pulled me back against his chest, rubbing his hands down my arms. “We’re heading west, now,” he said quietly. “Should be getting close to the Rockies.”
“Really? We came that far, that fast?”
“Flying is great for traveling quickly.”
“Apparently. How are you not cold at all?” I complained, shivering even as he wrapped his arms around me. “Not fair.”
“Perks of being a dragon.”
The fire crackled, reflecting off the orb. It gave off a faint glow telling me the magic in it was intact. Nice to know we could pause our search if need be. I shifted against Tank’s chest, fully intending to keep my eyes open and stay awake.
After two days of only sleeping a couple hours here and there, and the excitement from the start of our trip, I fell asleep.
When I woke up, predawn light lit the sky.
Tank snored peacefully behind me, his chest rising and falling, lifting me with it. His arms hadn’t moved at all during the night. The last embers of the fire burned low. Trying not to wake him just yet, I untangled myself from his arms and found a tree to pee behind. Thank god I was not like other girls I knew who couldn’t bear to go camping or pee in the woods. Not ideal, but could be worse.
“Amelie?” Tank yelled my name.
I raced back to our makeshift campsite.
“Tank?”
His eyes were closed as his head thrashed from side to side.
“Tank, I’m right here. Wake up, just a dream.” I held his face in my hands, urging him to open his eyes.
He snarled, and sparks spewed from his mouth, but I yelled his name again, and he jumped as if I’d shocked him.
“Hey, you’re alright. We’re good. We’re both good.”
He blinked, then he held me close in a hug. “I thought you were stolen from me in the night. The Blood Moon Priests. The bastards were here. And they took you.”
“I’m safe.” I ran my fingers through his hair then kissed him.
“It was so real.”
We sat against the tree until his heart stopped beating so hard against his chest and he’d shaken the remnants of the nightmare. He mumbled something about relieving himself then we could get back to the search for Cara.
I squeezed his hand and watched him, worried he was having nightmares again. As far as I knew, he’d been sleeping through the night ever since he was able to put his guilt behind him. Searching for Cara must’ve been stirring up all his old fears and memories.
When he came back, we buried the embers, so nothing caught on fire, then picked up the orb. “How do we get it to go again?”
Unsure, I turned it over in my hands.
Last night, essentially all I’d done was ask for it to stop. This time, I asked for it to keep tracking.
The orb flared to life. It rose into the sky.
Tank shifted.
I climbed on his back, and we were off once again. My stomach rumbled with hunger, but eating would have to wait until we were forced to land again, or until we found Cara.
When we started this trip last night, I’d half-expected the orb to take us through a portal to another realm, but so far we’d stayed in this world. I should’ve been relieved, but if Cara was here, why hadn’t she reached out after the war ended? Surely she knew it was over? Selma had assured Slade that the message she’d broadcasted for him would be heard by every Shadowguard in this world.
Mountains appeared on the horizon before long.
The orb slowed, then dropped.
Tank tucked his wings in, and I held on as we dove, following the blue trail.
Below us was nothing but forests, stretching on for miles in either direction. My legs were cramping, and I was more than ready to land.
The orb crashed through the trees.
I lowered my head as Tank maneuvered around the trees and stayed with the orb. He touched down less gracefully than usual and shifted so we could chase after the orb on foot.
“Where do you think it’s taking us?” he asked, helping me over a fallen log.
“To Cara. The question is, where has she been all this time?”
His face wrinkled in worry and he picked up the pace. Every few seconds, he glanced behind him to check on me, but I waved for him to keep going.
I’d catch up. Ignoring the stitch in my side the best I could, I cursed and gasped. I was never much for running.
Up ahead, Tank crashed through trees and underbrush.
The orb’s trail stayed long enough for me to see it slowly fading then disappear altogether.
“Amelie!”
Had he found her? I ran fast as I could, sprinting around trees.
I slammed right into his back.
I’d had my head down to watch my feet, so I didn’t fall and twist an ankle. “Where’s the orb?”
He pointed ahead.
The orb was only a yard or so away. It seemed unable to go further, shaking and sputtering as the magic fought against whatever force halted it.
I stepped closer.
Tank grabbed my arm.
“I need to see what’s wrong with it.”
“Look.”
I wasn’t sure what he was pointing at. “There’s nothing there.”
He picked up a twig and threw it.
I expected it to hit the ground, but it was thrown right back at us.
A ripple rolled over the magic forcefield that was damned near invisible.
“What is that?”
“It’s a barrier,” I whispered, gingerly stretching my fingers toward it, my power rising.
“Be careful.”
“Usually am,” I replied.
He growled.
“I’ll be fine.” The hair on my arm rose, and an electric shock struck my fingers. I winced, yanking my arm back with a curse.
Tank’s brow arched.
I pointedly ignored him. “We have to get through it somehow.”
“How?”
A high-pitched cry came from the orb. It shook harder.
If we lost the orb, it wouldn’t be a total loss since it appeared Cara was trapped inside this forcefield. But with no idea of how large of an area it covered, this development could slow us down immensely.
The orb cracked.
Tank lunged forward, a look of desperation on his face.
I went to grab him to stop him from getting shocked, but his weight carried him forward.
We both fell through the forcefield and landed on the other side.
It rippled, but nothing happened to either of us. That was weird. Beyond weird, actually.
The orb shrieked again then shattered, the magic dissolving as it blew away on the breeze.
“Shit.” Tank slammed his fist into the ground, shaking his head. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, you?”
“I’d be better if I knew what the hell was going on. Why is there a barrier in the middle of the Rockies?”
“Better question,” I mumbled as he hauled me to my feet, “is why it reacted badly to me, but not you.” I checked him over, just in case, but there were no signs of burns or injuries. “Try it again.”
“You want me to walk through the magical shocking barrier again?”
“Unless you’re scared.”
He frowned.
“I just want to see something.”
He shook his head then sighed. “Fine, but if I land on my ass, I’m blaming you.”
I held up my hands and stepped back. After thinking about it for a second, I took another large step back.
Tank scowled.
“What? Just being cautious. Don’t need you landing on me and turning me into a pancake.”
“Pancake, my ass.” He stretched his hand toward the barrier.
I cringed.
“Will you stop with that look? Making me think I’m going to get electrocuted here.”
“Right, sorry.” I took a deep breath and made my face go blank. “Better?”
“You’re hopeless.” He ran a hand down his face then reached for the barrier again.
I waited for him to pass through it as he had to get us in here.
Thrown backward—right into me—his yelp of pain was a huge nope.
Rolling over, he apologized gruffly.
I sat up, shaking leaves from my hair.
“Wait, how did it let me in, but not you and now we can’t get out? Are we stuck in here?”
I wasn’t sure what I thought would happen, but I approached the barrier, ignoring Tank’s warning to back up. Without touching it, I let my magic slip from my hand toward the barrier. The shock sent me staggering backward.
I rubbed my tingling fingers. “Yeah, I’d say we’re stuck.”
“Not how I saw this day going.” He planted his hands on his hips.
I shared in his aggravation. “Nothing to do except push forward.”
We turned around, studying the wilderness surrounding us.
He sniffed the air, stopped, took a few steps, then sniffed again.
“What is it?” I braced myself, worried we were about to be attacked by a bear or something.
He craned his neck and started forward.
“Tank?”
“Fires,” he murmured as I fell in line behind him. “And dragon.”
“Dragon? As in Shadowguards?”
“Yeah. And not just one or two.” He sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes as if absorbing the air. “I know that smell. Come on.”
He took off at a dead sprint, and I called his name as I struggled to keep up. What had he smelled? If there were Shadowguards here, were they the ones that placed the barrier? It would make sense that they would want to let only their kind in and to keep mortals, other dragon clans, and witches or warlocks out. But why would they not want to leave? It was beyond curious.
Contacting Selma to figure out if we could at least get word to her crossed my mind.
Suddenly, Tank was in front of me, throwing his arm out to stop me from running past him.
I was about to ask what was wrong, then I saw his expression.
His face was set, jaw clenched, eyes wide—like he’d seen a ghost.
I followed his locked gaze to where the trees gave way to a large clearing. A cabin sat in the center of it, smoke trailing out of a chimney. Someone was humming. A woman. Her back was to us, but the brown hair that trailed down her back was the exact same color as Tank’s.
“Tank?” I whispered. “Is that Cara?”
“I don’t know.”
He seemed unable to function. Standing here was not going to get us anywhere. I gave him a helpful shove forward. When that didn’t work, I took his hand and dragged him along behind me.
“Amelie,” he protested.
We’d come too far to stop now. We reached the end of the trees, and when we were couple yards from the woman, I cleared my throat loudly. She jumped with a yelp, whirling around, clutching a sheet to her that she’d been about to hang on the clothesline.
“Hi, sorry to startle you. Are you Cara?” I asked, putting on a friendly smile.
“I am… who…” She trailed off as her surprised gaze slipped from me to Tank. Her jaw dropped, and her eyes widened. Dark blue eyes just like her brother’s. “Tank? You’re alive!” She dropped the sheet and charged her big brother, leaping into his arms.
He hugged her back, swinging her around and around.
“I never thought I’d see you again. How is this possible?”
“I found you, can’t believe I found you.” He set her back on her feet, shaking his head. “Where have you been all this time?”
“I should ask you the same thing.”
“I’ve been protecting our clan leader, fighting the Black Diamonds and the Blood Moon Priests. The war’s over. It’s safe now for all of us. The other clans accept our clan now.”
Cara looked extremely confused by his words. Had she been hit on the head? Or had her memories wiped?
Tank frowned. “What?”
“How could you have been with the clan leader?”
Tank and I exchanged a glance. “I’ve been with him this whole time,” he replied.
“If that were true then you would’ve been here with the rest of us.”
“Us?” he repeated.
I noticed more cabins in the near distance. “How many are there here?”
“A hundred or so.” She appraised me. “You’re not a dragon.”
“She’s with me,” Tank supplied before I could mention that I was a witch. He shook his head subtly. “You’re saying the clan leader is here? Of the Shadowguards?”
“Yes, he got all of us out when Radnak’s forces attacked. He’s the one who killed Radnak.”
“Slade.” Tank nodded. “Yeah, I was there for the final battle. We both were.”
Cara looked puzzled. “Slade? No, Slade was never our true heir.”
Alright, now my head was starting to hurt. What was she talking about? Of course, Slade was the clan leader. Who else would it be? He and Everest killed Radnak.
“If it’s not him then who?” Tank pressed, his anger simmering right below the surface.
“Zion.”
Zion? Who the hell was Zion? I looked to Tank, but he seemed as much at a loss as I was.
“Cara, what did this dragon do to convince you all who he is?” Tank asked. “Have you seen him shift? What does his dragon form look like?”
“Like one of us, of course. Though now he’s unable to shift because of the injuries he endured when he was saving us.”
I glanced at Tank. I was beyond confused. His eyes narrowed.
Cara’s smile brightened as she tugged him toward the cabin. “But you’re here now. That’s what matters. I can take you to meet him. He’ll be thrilled to have another dragon in our community.”
“Cara, wait.” Tank gently pulled her to a stop. “I came here to take you home. To where the rest of our clan resides. Whatever this is… I’m not sure it’s where you belong.”
“But I’ve been here since I escaped.”
“I understand that, but Zion is not the clan leader.”
Her eyes darkened, with the same anger Tank had. “Why are you saying that? He is our true leader.”
“Then why is there a barrier keeping you all here?” I challenged.
She shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal that they were all trapped in the mountains. If they believed Zion was the true leader, then they hadn’t received Slade’s message. This barrier was strong if it was able to repel the magic of Selma and the Council.
“It keeps us safe.”
“Keeps you trapped, you mean,” Tank corrected sharply. “I don’t know Zion, but you are not staying here. You’re coming home with me. Now.”
“I can’t leave,” she said as she laughed like it was no big deal. “And neither should you. There’s someone you need to meet. Then I’ll take you to see Zion. You and your friend.”
Red flags were popping up left and right inside my head. Tank seemed to be on the same page. I read the temptation on his face to scoop up his sister and make a run for the barrier. A barrier we weren’t even sure we could go through.
“Darren? Are you busy? Come out. There’s someone I want you to meet.” She ran to the cabin, her skirts rustling around her legs.
“Something’s wrong,” I whispered to Tank.
“You think? Can you sense magic? A curse?”
The air was heavier inside the barrier, but it wasn’t witchcraft. I wasn’t even comfortable saying it was dark, not like what I experienced around the Blood Moon Priests. The magic was here, though, all the same. “I’m not sure. This guy Zion. Who is he?”
“An imposter.” His hands fisted at his sides. “Maybe we should meet him.”
“We have to be careful. Not sure we can reach out for backup inside this damned area.”
He glanced behind us, his aggravated growl a clear message he did not like the notion of being trapped. Not that I did either, especially if we had no way to get a message out. I’d have to try as soon as I had a moment alone.
“Darren, this is Tank. My brother.”
The anger on Tank’s face shifted into overprotective mode the second his eyes landed on the dragon trailing behind Cara. He rumbled when he noticed they were holding hands.
“This is Darren. My boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend.” He glowered at Darren, but the other dragon was either too dumb to notice, or too cocky to think he had nothing to worry about with Tank.
“I’m happy to finally meet you,” he said, offering a hand. “Cara told me all about her family. We feared you perished, along with everyone else.”
Tank made no move to take Darren’s hand, so I did. “Amelie. Yes, we were surprised to find Cara was alive and well. We came to find her as soon as we heard. If you don’t mind, where exactly is here?”
“This is a Shadowguard town. New Haven. It was founded by our Zion. He’s our clan leader.”
New Haven. That was the best this imposter could come up with? New Haven? I searched Darren’s eyes for any hint he was under some type of curse. There were no outward indications.
I mentally kicked myself for thinking it was a good idea to come here without bringing any backup.
“Come, please. You two look exhausted and hungry.” Cara bounded back to the cabin. “I’ll make lunch and we can catch up.”
“Yes,” Tank replied. “Catch up.” He hadn’t stopped glaring at Darren.
Great. Just great. Not only did I have to figure out what magic was at work here, I had to make sure Tank didn’t attempt to murder the young dragon who appeared to be in love with his baby sister.
Yeah, this was going to be a great trip.