Page 74 of Bewitched

“Then I hope you have another idea,” said Zann, running back from the pit with Darium. “We put the shields inside, but the sky is dark. There isn’t enough sun to reflect and capture the dragon’s attention.”

“They’re trying to capture our dragon,” King Osric shouted, ripping his sword from his belt and holding it toward the men. Zann and Darium instantly drew their weapons as well. “Medea, stop them. And get that dragon down here so we can conquer the other two kingdoms.”

Rhys looked over at Medea, catching her eye. The darkness inside her was getting scary. She honestly looked as if she wanted to kill someone, probably him.

“Medea, fight the darkness. You can do it. Don’t give in to it,” Rhys told her.

Medea’s face was stone-like. She raised her hands in the air and chanted something that Rhys couldn’t understand. The dragon swooped downward. Rhys and his brothers swiped at it, but of course it did no good. Then, before Rhys knew what was happening, Medea was atop the dragon, and she’d taken King Osric along with her.

“Yes! We’re going to do it, my dark Queen,” shouted Osric from atop the dragon, holding on tightly to Medea as they rode through the sky.

“Medea, come back,” yelled Rhys, feeling so helpless as the dragon made a circle above Kasculbough and then headed toward Evandorm. “Don’t do this,” he shouted, but it was too late.

Medea’s darkness had consumed her. Now, somehow, she controlled the dragon. She would use it to her advantage to do the bidding of the evil king.

“Zoroct’s eyes, we’re in trouble,” Rhys told his brothers.

“We’ve got to warn Evandorm and Sethor,” shouted Zann. “They’ll all be killed.”

“There’s nothing we can do. We’ll never make it there in time, before them. It’s too late,” said Darium. “It seems as if Medea has no intention of returning until she has killed off the other kings and helped Osric claim both kingdoms.”

“I can make it to Evandorm in my wolf form,” said Zann. “It’s not far, and if I run, I’m sure I can make it.” He shifted into a wolf and took off at a run.

“This can’t be happening,” said Rhys, lowering his sword. “I refuse to believe the woman I care for, and the mother of my child could kill others. I don’t believe that she could be so filled with greed, anger, and hate that she would want to claim that much power.”

“Believe it,” said Darium. “Your girlfriend is about to become the darkest spirit in all of Mura.”

“This is bad. Really bad,” said Rhys.

“With a fire-breathing dragon to do their bidding, and also Medea’s black magic, we are all doomed,” agreed Darium. “This will even be worse than the evil that escaped through the portal of the Land of the Dead.”

“I hope you’re wrong,” said Rhys, shaking his head, feeling somehow this was all his fault. As much as he wanted to believe his brothers were mistaken, he was afraid that what they said was true. Medea’s darkness had totally consumed her. Rhys wasn’t sure there was anything that he or anyone could do to bring her back to the light.

Eighteen

Medea rode through the sky atop the dragon, with King Osric hanging on for dear life. She hated everyone and everything at this very minute. Rhys took away her baby, and that was the only thing that had helped her keep her sanity. She could feel the struggle of the light and dark within her, and the darkness was starting to win.

Kill the Kings and claim their thrones, came the voice of her mother in her head. You will hold all the power of Mura. You want it. You deserve it. It belongs to you.

“Here’s Evandorm,” yelled Osric from behind her. “Bring the dragon down and burn them out. Kill them all and it will be mine. I will rule all of Mura. It will be all mine. I will be the only king.”

She noticed that King Osric was no longer using the word we, and had reverted to I. He was a greedy, horrible man. She supposed it should bother her, but at this moment, it really didn’t.

“Down, dragon,” she commanded, and surprisingly it listened. She wasn’t sure but the dragon almost seemed frightened of her. “Burn their village.” She managed to get the dragon to swoop down, noticing all the armed soldiers and people running in the courtyard.

“That’s right. Blast that group of soldiers,” yelled the King, shaking his fist and cheering. Just as the dragon was about to kill them all, she heard the shriek of a bird. She turned her head see it was Darium’s raven. It flew right in front of them and was about to be scorched. The raven reminded her of Rhys, and then she thought of the baby—their baby. Right as the dragon was about to singe the people, she managed to pull it up. The fire hit the roof of the castle instead, sending up a large plume of black, billowing smoke. The flags atop the spires flying the crest of the King of Evandorm blazed with flames like lit torches.

“What did you do?” screamed the King. “Go back and kill them. Do it!”

Medea looked down to the courtyard to see Zann. She somehow couldn’t kill Rhys’ brother. That bothered her, although she didn’t know why.

Kill the wolf, she heard in her mind, but she tried her hardest to shake the thought away. She liked Zann and didn’t want to hurt him.

“I’m going to Macada Castle,” she said instead, managing to use her magic to direct the dragon to the next castle.

“Nay. Wait!” shouted the King, almost falling off when she pulled up and turned the dragon quickly. “I haven’t seized Evandorm as mine yet. Go back,” he cried.

“Shut up!” she shouted, starting to get irritated with the man. She chanted a spell to keep the dragon under her command. Then she directed it to the west coast of Mura. Macada Castle and the kingdom of King Sethor came into sight.