Using my Dragon Eye, I followed the sweep of his seven eyes in all directions, catching a pile of decomposing corpses against the farthest corner of the cave—dead sentries. Something told me those were the guards Azazel killed every time he escaped, looking for me.
In a way, I had been in this cave before—managing brief glances of it during my episodes. Still, this was the first time that I saw it clearly, recognizing his struggle. Singed craters embossed the ceiling and floor, now stained with dust, soot, and spiderwebs that said it had been a long, long time since he last attempted to fight for his freedom.
His claw marks split the cavern in several directions, some forming fissures that extended to the ceiling, others collapsing the edges of the obsidian walls. Piles of the dimly lit black crystal lay at his feet, forgotten.
Azazel fought against the power that imprisoned him once upon a time, but the Warlock King had long broken his spirit.
When the guards were satisfied with the strength of his shackles, they marched out through a long hallway directly across from Azazel, and a bright green glow began to illuminate the way inside it. Muscles coiled along my body, demanding action the instant Raithian entered the space, his pathetic attempt at a replica of the Dragon Crown covering his face.
Ire exuded from him in tangible waves, but he didn’t rage this time. He didn’t bellow. He just lifted the staff towards Azazel.
No!
Magic rushed through me the next second, rippling from my core until I appeared in front of him in the obsidian cavern, standing like a shield between him and my soulmate. Behind me, gasps escaped Evanna, Imogen, Willow, and even Kingston, but they, too, vanished from my gaze, just like our room did. Only the cave remained.
What the fuck?
Pulse racing, I briefly looked around me, not fully taking my attention away from the threat.
“Raithian.” My voice boomed along the large space, making me sound more confident than I felt. After all, I didn’t even know how the hell I’d ended up there, only that I’d been desperate to stop him from torturing Azazel, and subsequently, me.
“Braxton…?” His eyes found me in the darkness, bringing his full attention to me. “I must admit, this is quite unexpected.”
His ire gave way to intrigue and a hint of wonder with my presence, shocking me too. I’d expected him to be enraged with my obstructive appearance. Maybe fuming or insulted that I somehow made it past his wards, and yet, his head slowly turned while he assessed me through glowing green eyes.
Raithian’s aggressive stance relaxed, shifting from the desire to inflict pain on Azazel to the desire to discover more. He lowered the staff, straightening to his full height. “I see you are experimenting with your Reality Bending ability…”
“Reality Bending?” I asked, risking a glance at Azazel behind me to see him drop on his side on the ground, like he couldn’t see or sense me there.
Because you are not really there…my mind reminded me.
“Reality Bending, Reality Warping, Existence Manipulation, call it what you will,” Raithian informed, beginning to stroll around me as he observed me—like he liked to do. “The ability of changing your own, or anyone else’s perception of reality through the manipulation of matter, energy, time, or space, to whatever you wish it to be.”
So that was what the mindscape actually was, a reflection of the bending of our reality.
“I didn’t mean to end up here. I was just trying to reach out to you like the last time.” It was only a half lie, but I still hoped to distract him out of the cave all together.
“It is a great ability if you have full control of it… Do you want full control of it, Braxton?” He stopped behind me, his sleezy voice grating against my ear. “You could learn so much from me…” Continuing his stroll, he stood before me. “That is, if you only dared to taste the power that exist within.”
“If you are trying toseduce meinto the darkness, Raithian, it’s not going to work.”
Actual chuckles escaped him at that, and he stood his staff beside him, the light dimming as though he didn’t need its power anymore. The cavern suddenly shimmered at the edges, the sight of it lightly swaying before our eyes until we were in his tower—his favorite place from what I could see.
“Is this real? Are we really here?” I asked, pleased that I’d actually dragged him away from Azazel, and he was now safe. Except, the green smoke swirling around Raithian’s feet immediately called my attention.
“I am,” he answered. “I transported into my throne room; you are just along for the ride.” Resting his staff against the side of his throne, he removed his crown-mask, setting it on the seat. “It is called Translocation, or Instantaneous Transportation. Though I would not get too enthusiastic about that ability if I were you. Only truly powerful Wizards are able to wield it.”
The memory of me transporting from the end of the Dragon sanctuary to Asher’s side, returned. It had been a reaction more than a purposeful move, but still.
“Let’s see how strong or weak your Reality Bending is,” he added, interrupting my thoughts, and turning his hands palm up at either side of him.
Raging flames erupted from the floor around us, dancing against the walls as they grew with each passing second. Lavish rugs immediately caught on fire, the blaze jumping to the curtains and furniture, and rushing towards me. Pulse racing, I glanced at the inferno surrounding me, fighting to breathe through the rising smoke filtering into my nostrils.
The scene dangerously resembling the night my father died.
Unbearable, sweltering heat licked my arms and back the next second, just like that night, and the large scar along my torso sizzled in response. My arm shield began to heat up, the metal scorching my skin until I wanted to rip it from my body.
“Stop this!” I demanded, fighting the memory that had haunted me my entire life.
