He pulls away, his eyes still closed and his lips still against mine. “Never leave me. My heart shall stop beating if you ever do.”
“And my heart shall stop beating if yours ever does.”
I gasp for air, wheezing violently as though I forgot how to breathe while this memory scorches my mind.
The wind halts abruptly the moment I witness the sword's blade hurtling toward Koen's chest. A ferocious, gut-wrenching roar erupts from the depths of my soul. It feels as if the very Gods have seized my voice, amplifying it for all the Realms to hear.
“No!” I cry out, a sob escaping my lips. My fingertips reach out towards him, trembling in the air as my cheeks are soaked by my tears.
Ivker pauses mid way by the gust of wind that forces both him and Klayra to stumble over, both falling to the ground.
My chest lifts upward as fire rips from my palms with my roaring cry. The fire cracks in the air as the wind whips even faster.
My arms burn like a blazing fire storm as each stone begins to pulse faster.
Tears trickle down my cheek as the dust irritates my eyes. The wind whips violently as the fire inside me feels as if it might explode from my chest.
Colors twist in the air, blending in with the dirty wind that swirls around us. The bright hues blur by the speed, but that's when I see it.Dragons.
Soaring around me in circles.Fire. Ice. Water. Air. Darkness.
They are all there. Matching the realms of Azure.
My bottom lip drops, trembling as my eyes widen before scanning my hands that still flicker with a raging fire.
“What the hell is happening!” My voice cracks, desperately searching for Florian.
I see him. His golden hair is a tangled mess. A grin tugs on his lips and he mouths out,“I told you.”
The dragons erupted from my stones, their figures shimmering in the air, watching me as if they are waiting for my direction.My order.
“This is impossible,” I whisper out.
“You are so close to finding out the truth of who you are, child.”The voice delicately whispers out to me, coherent enough as if the person is right behind me. Yet, they aren’t.
Flames flicker along the fire dragon’s body as it loops in front of me, while shadows flicker out and bolts of lightning explode from the dark dragon's wings. Even though they are small, they are made from the elements of this world. Their bodies have no tails, just wings. I can feel their violent energy radiating from them as they whip around me. The water dragon flows in a graceful arc over me, drops of water falling to my cheeks, leaving trails of mist as it thunders towards Ivker and Klayra.
“What the hell is that!” Klayra’s eyes widen as she scurries backwards, her hands gripping the dirt to try and stand, but the wind is too powerful. “This has to be darkling magic! That is forbidden!”
Ivker stands for a split moment to flee before the water dragon soars over him, throwing his body to the ground once more. “I told you she was cursed! She’s going to kill us all!”
But as they scream my way, I'm in a trance, watching them violently rip through the air, hovering around Ivker and Klayra—warning them, taunting them. The dragons move as if they are listening to me without even having to speak a word. As if my fingers can control them.My mind, connecting with them. Then, it hits me, Kaine warned me this is what his curse feels like… maybe they are all right and Florian is wrong.I have been cursed.But if this will save Koen, I’ll gladly be haunted by this.
I’ll take this darkness in order to rescue him. He must live.
“If they dare move towards him, kill them.” I don’t speak. I just feel them inside me and I know, without even questioning it, that they can hear me. They can feel what I feel. And they know I need them to protect Koen at all costs.
As they soar above Ivker and Klayra with undeniable power, each dragon whips through the air like a fierce wind, swirling around them as the fire dips down, burning Klayra’s arm. She winces, falling to the ground and holding her arm, shielding herself with her back.
“Tell her to stop! Make it stop!” Klayra begs.
“There you are, child,”the voice whispers, and goosebumps form along my body. Shivers run rampant down my spine. “Give into it. Rise for them. Save them all.”
I close my eyes, my heart rate slowing down and the wind beginning to fade away. My chest rises as I deeply breathe in, calming my racing mind and focusing on the voice. Even though my eyes are closed, I can still see the flickers of light from the fire dragon soaring around and the cries of Klayra screaming in fear.
My lips tug into a smile, knowing she won’t mess with me ever again. Or Florian.Or Koen.
I slowly and deliberately open my eyes, watching the dragons move gracefully over them in circles as Klayra whips her hand in the air, trying to get them away from her.
