I stumbled into another tree, fighting against the dizziness that threatened to take me to the ground again. He was close, so much closer than before. My skin prickled with an energy unlike anything I’d experienced before. I focused on that set of vibrant yellow-green eyes and using the trees, made it another few yards then fell forward.
Mason, I had to get to him. I giggled until it turned into a grunt of pain. I was losing it. Everywhere I looked red eyes were glowing and looking back at me. Radnak’s growl was in my ear, taunting me. They were close, following me. They were coming for me, but I couldn’t let them take me back to him.
Holding a hand to my right side, I waited for the wave of pain to pass, but all it did was get worse, and the giggle returned. Not sure why I found my impending death amusing. Then again, if I was dead, Radnak couldn’t ever return. He’d be stuck in that half-wraith form forever. Dying might not be the worst option right now.
I’d left my small camp behind what seemed like hours ago. I had no idea how far I made it, but Mason was this direction. Words fell from my mouth, but I had no idea what they were anymore. Half of me wondered if I’d even left my camp or if I was still by the stream hallucinating seeing myself move. I thought last night Mason came to me again, but if he did, he didn’t stay long. My body was flushed and feverish. Sickness was taking hold. I dug my nails into the dirt, willing my body to work with me and move again.
I rested my head on a tree and closed my eyes. A few minutes. I just needed to rest for a few minutes, and then I’d get on my feet again. I’d find him—
I opened my eyes and trembled. “No, no this isn’t happening,” I whispered, horrified.
I was back in that courtyard facing down the red-eyed wraith. He had no face I could see, only eyes. Warren and the other guards weren’t there this time. We were alone. I shut my eyes again, waiting to go back to my body in the woods, but when I opened them, nothing had changed.
“You cannot leave. Not yet,” the wraith growled, coming closer.
“I will do nothing for you,” I snarled. “I will kill you before I let you take my soul.”
“Too bad that is a lie, my precious daughter. I hoped to present you with an empire to rule. Now, I’m afraid it falls to you to pick up where I left off and avenge me.” His words dripped with malice and made my skin crawl.
“Never,” I spat. “I’ll find a way to stop you, I will. If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll make sure you see your grave again.”
“Brave words for someone in such agony. If you come home, I can ease your pain.”
“No, you’ll just make it worse by tearing my soul in half.”
His dark laughter made me clutch my left arm as it burned. I breathed out heavily through gritted teeth, anxious to run away as he stalked toward me and those skeletal fingers dug into my shoulders once again. “Not half, my precious girl, just a tiny bit. That is all I need. You will give it to me one way or another.”
“Go to hell and rot.”
He pinched my chin in his fingers, and I winced. “I have been in hell since Slade and that bitch of his put me there. I am ready to return. You will see that happen.” He grabbed hold of my left wrist, and the burning intensified until I was fighting back a scream. “You won’t have a choice.”
“The hell I don’t.” My scream broke free, and I would’ve fallen to my knees, but he held me up.
“This mark will ensure you do. The longer you stay away from me, the more life it will steal from you. Tell me, daughter, do you wish to die a painful death? For it will be painful.” He leaned in closer as he added, “That boy of yours will not be able to save you from me. You will cause his end. You will cause them all to die if you do not give in and return to me.”
He released me, and I collapsed to the ground at his feet.
“You are the daughter or the great Radnak. Your place is beside me,” he said loudly as he circled me. “If that means you must be in a cage then so be it. You have a chance, Emry, one chance. After that, you will be returned to me in a cage if need be.”
I flipped him off, and those glowing eyes narrowed.
“Perhaps you will change your mind soon enough.”
Fury flooded my veins, and with a yell, I charged forward and fell right into a bush. I was back in the woods. My arm stung where Radnak had grabbed me, but there was nothing there. No mark, no burn. What had he done to me? I scratched viciously at my arm, drawing blood with my nails, but if there was something buried beneath my skin, it remained hidden from view.
Radnak could never return. He couldn’t leave the Fell Gates. I just had to get to Mason and tell him everything. There was no time to waste wondering if I could trust him.
Using my anger to push me onward, I clambered to my feet and trudged through the forest. Night was falling quickly. In the distance, there was a white glow and the murmur of voices and laughter. The sound threw me off, and I stilled. When was the last time I heard anyone laugh? My own laughter didn’t count, not when I was barely clinging to sanity. I rested for another minute, then kept on walking, one slow step at a time.
Mason was here somewhere. Buildings slowly appeared through the trees and the lights spread out around the lawns pulled me closer. Should I just walk out there and find him? There was no chance of me shifting, not as weak I as I was. I didn’t exactly trust myself around innocents either. I had the hood of my cloak up, but I threw it back now, growing hot and cold at the same time. The cloak weighed me down, and madly, I tugged at the clasp until it came loose, then tossed the fabric aside.
A weight crushed my chest, and I struggled to breathe. What was wrong with me? I needed air, but with every step I took, my strength waned. I wasn’t going to make it. I’d never reach him in time. I’d die here in the trees and never be found. I smirked. My death would piss Radnak off, but something told me if I was that close to dying, he wasn’t going to let me go down easily.
My head whipped to the right at the sound of a loud yell. Mason’s voice helped break through some of the fog that filled my mind. A familiar sound. Fighting to keep my eyes open, I stayed in the darkness of the trees and moved toward it. There on a field with several other guys and young women was Mason. They were tossing a football, laughing and shoving each other like they were having the greatest time in the world.
He was right there. I just had to get to him.
I focused on his face and that smile. Despite the danger we were all in, I couldn’t bear myself to move just yet. I simply watched him. His black hair was short, and even from here I could see his strong cheekbones. His shoulders were broader than I first assumed, and he was tall. And handsome. He’d fought fiercely against Warren and attacked Radnak like he didn’t fear death at all. In my dreams, though, he had the air of a warrior. Here, he was different. Kind looking, with warm eyes. I worried about dragging him into this fight. This wasn’t a war for kind people. This was a war for those willing to do whatever necessary to stop a great evil from rising again.
Doubt that he wasn’t strong enough struck me again. I was too weak to keep fighting Radnak. Mason had to do it. He had to be the one to take the fight to that rotten corpse and end him. For good this time.
Sticks cracked behind me.
I stilled.
As the game carried on in front of me, behind me a presence moved closer.
I sniffed the air and growled quietly.
Dragons. Warren’s guards found me after all. I was out of time. But those people with Mason, they were humans. If I rushed out there now, they could be in danger. I came here to save everyone, not put more innocents in danger.
There were two dragons coming up behind me. No, three.
The insane urge to cackle in delight at my darkening situation had me slapping a hand painfully over my mouth. None of them were Warren, at least, but he could be waiting nearby. I was not going back to the Fell Gates, or to the wraith they’d infused with Radnak’s soul. I wouldn’t. My left arm burned suddenly.
I gasped.
The crunching of leaves stilled, and I cursed myself for giving away my position.
Slowly, I turned around and spotted three sets of glimmering eyes in the darkness. My growling silenced the animals nearby, and the air grew heavy as if it held its breath with me.
Waiting. Just waiting. The person meant to save me was on the other side of these trees. I had to get to him. Praying no one would get hurt, I sucked in a deep breath and decided to attack first. It was the only advantage I had.
You better be ready for a fight, I thought to Mason. If not, I was in serious trouble.
Fire churned deep within me, and as I made ready to run, I breathed fire, setting the trees alight and sending the three guards running.
For a split second, I let myself hope they had turned tail and retreated.
Too bad I was never that lucky.
As my fire died down, the three dragons moved in closer, roaring, their heads thrown back they shifted.
Trees were uprooted, and the ground shook as they lumbered forward.
Fire burst to life in their mouths.
I turned to run as they unleashed hell.