“What makes you think I could do anything to help you, anyway?”
Heat began to radiate off her. It was a familiar heat, the sort of heat that I had felt when I had been near the dragon. It left my skin taut, almost as if I was baking. A soft burning built within my belly, steady at first, but it increased the longer that I stood there in front of her. She watched me, an unrecognizable look on her face.
“Do you feel that?”
“I don’t feel anything,” I said.
She grinned at me. “You are feeling it. I must admit I’m surprised. When we had the summons within the city, it surprised me that we would come across someone with any potential. Of course, Thomas arriving threw a wrench in my plans, though thankfully, he didn’t linger for very long.”
My mind raced. Thomas was the dragon mage who had left on the dragon. If only he had stayed behind. He would have interrupted what she had intended to do, though I still didn’t know what that was or why she was doing it.
“He was always convinced we would find potential on the outskirts of the kingdom. Others weren’t nearly as convinced as he was, though yet again, he has shown why he is the Chief Dragon Mage.” She let go of my chin finally. Her hand traced her way down my neck, leaving a burning all the way through my throat, into my stomach. “Then there’s you. Someone not influenced by the call, and yet you and the dragon connected.” She shook her head. “So few have such a natural connection. The call should have identified you, but perhaps you are too old.” She laughed. “Here I was worried about those from Berestal, but it’s a farmer from the plains outside of the city that I needed to be more concerned about. So you see, you will help me find my dragon. You will help me get him back under control. And once he is, then we will return to the Djarn city.”
That was what this was about? The dragon and the Djarn?
“Because you serve the Vard?”
She chuckled. “If that’s your concern, then so be it. I serve who I need to serve. You will find the same practicality, I suspect.” She waved her hand, and it seemed as if flames streaked away from her, twirling around my arms, forcing me to my feet.
Strangely, it didn’t burn the way I would’ve expected. I was aware of the heat, and my mind cried out as if to say that I should be afraid of it burning me, but there was no sensation along my skin that went with it. No pain to go with it.
“You will lead me to the dragon,” she said softly.
“If you’re a dragon mage, then you don’t need me,” I said.
She grunted. “Unfortunately, there are connections to power I’m not able to separate. The dragon was to serve me to find the Djarn, but you interfered. Now it seems as if it will serve you, though I will prevent that. I need to uncover what the Djarn have kept from us.”
What had the Djarn kept from her?
Something the Vard wanted badly enough to risk attacking a caravan of wagons from the Academy and revealing that they’d influenced one of the dragon mages.
There was a sound nearby, and I jerked my head around, looking into the forest. I could’ve sworn that I heard a soft rumbling. More than that, I felt something deep within me, as well.
Elaine must have noticed it. “He’s here,” she said.
“He wouldn’t come so close to us,” Barton said from behind me.
“I hear him.” She nodded to me. “What’s more, it seems he felt him. If his damn mesahn decides to attack, we won’t be able to do anything,” she said. “He must have somehow known we planned this.”
I struggled through everything, trying to make sense of what I knew, but the problem was it wasn’t nearly enough. I didn’t understand what was taking place, only that Elaine and Barton and the Vard were willing to hurt my sister. They were willing to take her from me, and I’m sure they were more than willing to harm others within my family.
More than that, though, I didn’t know what to make of what Elaine had said about me and the potential that I had. I didn’t know whether or not to believe her, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had when it came to the dragon. I could feel the burning energy when I was around the dragon, and more than that, I had felt compelled to return to it.
Strangely, it was the same sensation my father had described.
Had he known more than he let on?
The remaining Vard took off into the forest.
Elaine grabbed me, dragging me over to the wagon and to my sister.
Alison looked up at me, her eyes wide. Tears streaming along her face. I tried to reach for her, but with my hands bound behind me, I couldn’t.
“What’s going to happen to us, Ashan?” she whispered.
“Your brother is going to help me recover my dragon, and then we will remove this nuisance.”
“What nuisance?” Alison whispered.
“I think she means the mesahn—”
Something struck me, sending me staggering forward where I collided with my sister, collapsing to the ground. I rolled over, trying to get my feet, but I couldn’t. Pain seared through me. It felt as if thousands of needles had been jabbed into my skin, working all the way into the center of my body. Everything throbbed. I panted, trying to control my breathing, trying to get everything under control again, but I could not.
Elaine crouched down next to me. “You feel the dragon, don’t you?” she said softly. “Not many would be so finely attuned to it. You want to deny the truth of your potential, but there is no denying what you are.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking
