“I’ll hold on as long as I can.”
I sniffed and let him go.
He touched my face.
I grabbed his hand on my cheek. “You feel so real.”
“Magic. It’s a beautiful thing.” He smiled.
“I want to ask you a question?”
“We still have time.”
“How did you get Dragonia to stay up in the air?”
He threw his head back and laughed. I laughed with him and he pulled me into his arms again. I didn’t want to say goodbye.
“I promise, I’ll take you through it, and save your theories. I’ll love to hear them.” His lips pressed hard on my head. They were so warm.
I nodded in his chest.
He rubbed my back. “It’s time. Go back into the fire. I’ll stay for a while, maybe he has a hidden agenda.”
“Yeah, everyone keeps saying that.”
King Albert walked with me back to the Rubicon, and I wasn’t ready to let go of my real dad yet. He was still alive. He wasn’t here, not really. I still didn’t know how this was possible to begin with, and I hoped that a part of him was here. That he would remember it too.
I stepped back in the fire, and at once the warmth caressed my skin.
The gasps and twitter returned, and the flames flapped in my ears.
I opened my eyes. Orange and Pink hues surrounded me.
I stared up at the Rubicon.
“Hopefully now you can climb that thread,” he said in a deep, gruff voice. I understood him.
“Seriously. I trained for four months. You couldn’t tell me that this was your plan, or that you were the Rubicon?”
He gurgled.
“There is no threat coming from him.” My father’s voice spoke, but I couldn’t see him. “Be careful with the truth. I’ll count off the days till I meet you again.” His goodbye faded.
Something built up inside my core. It was heavy and uncomfortable, like the beginning of a terrible stomach cramp. I grabbed his tendril as the pain rushed up my core and into my limbs.
“No, no, no, no, no.” Blake spoke fast and ordered, “Breathe through it, Elena!”
I couldn’t. It hurt too much to take that breath and the pain erupted my entire body. My piercing scream ripped from my lips and then it felt as if I exploded.
Everything was dark and cold.
44
ELENA
When I opened my eyes, I was inside my room in the castle.
It felt as if a train ran over me. I grunted and croaked and tried to push myself up.
