Once upon a Dragon Gift (Once Upon a Dragon Series Book 4)
Once upon a Dragon Gift: Chapter 17

King Albert losing it was an understatement. Jako was bellowing through the castle when he discovered the news.

“Where is he?” Jako yelled.

I put my hand on the door handle to exit the room, but Micha’s fingers gripped around my wrist.

“Don’t, Blake. Not yet.”

“Staying here makes it worse.”

“Staying here is going to keep you alive.”

“I’m the alpha, Micha.”

“Just let them explain it to him properly.”

“Who? King Albert? He is just as upset.”

She let go of my hand. “Fine, it’s your funeral.”

I opened the door, and his yelling vibrated through the hallways.

My dad tried to calm him down. “Bob, not now. I need to see him. Where is he?”

I had to admit, a part of me was terrified, but another part of me would do it again a million times if the chance presented itself.

“The Vastech’s magic could be the only thing that can save Elena,” my dad insisted.

“She is sixteen!”

“Enough!” I spoke in my alpha voice from the top of the stairs.

Jako’s nose flared, and his lips curved up as he tried to bypass my call, but he wasn’t strong enough. I just needed him contained to explain it properly.

I rushed down the stairs. King Albert glared at me. He knew that what we did could easily be the one thing that could save his daughter.

I reached Jako. The betrayal hardened his eyes.

“I know you are upset. Believe me, I know. It wasn’t my idea; it was hers. As a dragon, you know that it’s difficult to tell them no. As a Dent, it’s impossible.”

“You could’ve tried, Blake.”

“Yeah, not when I wanted the same thing. I will not apologize. You, of all people, know what she means to me. A part of you groomed her for it too. No boyfriends, don’t fall in love, because you knew we belonged to each other. You are looking at this the wrong way. I love Elena with every fiber of who I am. I will love her until the day I die, maybe even longer.”

He grunted.

“You can be as mad as you want to be. You have the right to that, but it will not change the fact that she is more than just my rider. I know we are young, but I’m not sorry. As is, it seems as if the magic linked to the Vastech might be the only loop hole to Goran’s magic. Be grateful for that.”

“Don’t. She is still too young. If I have a say in any of this, this entire thing is annulled. As soon as she gets back, it’s done, you hear?”

“If that’s how you feel.”

“That is how I feel.”

I shrugged and turned around. There was no use trying to make Jako see the positive. Time would show them both that I would not back down so easily. They could try to annul it as many times as they wanted, but the truth of the fact was, it was already done. Elena and I were bound to each other for eternity.

Later that afternoon, Adolph told us about a sigil that was attached to the Vastech.

Ever since Lucian had asked about the magic lingering around the Vastech, Adolph had visited his own library for a couple of ancient books revolving around the Vastech.

The sigil was one of them. It came with a ritual that needed to be performed.

He didn’t waste any time, and I was on my way to meet him in the woods

A part of me was terrified of getting another sigil branded on my chest.

I did not know whether it would clash with the one that was already branded on. To go through that pain again, that fever, but if it was one we needed to get Elena back, then I’d go through ten fevers.

I was deep in thought when I reached him. Micha was busy helping him to set up. She was still in her recovery phase but looked twenty thousand times stronger.

“Ready, Blake?”

“I guess.” I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.

Adolph nodded as the corner of his lips twitched. He lifted his hand, and a book lifted off the ground and opened. The wind paged through the book until it stopped.

Adolph’s eyes opened, and he read the foreign magic language. It didn’t even sound like Latin.

I closed my eyes as a tingling sensation spread all around and inside of me.

The magic grew stronger as he kept on reciting the ritual. I opened my eyes as the coals in a man-made pit glowed brighter. Micha put a branding rod that probably carried the sigil at the end inside the bright coals. Adolph motioned with his hand to bring it to him, and my heart pounded behind my ribcage.

Micha handed him the branding rod and came to stand next to me.

She took my hand in hers as Adolph pointed the sigil to my arm. I closed my eyes, and a second later the skin-tearing burn came from my arm.

The magic lit up my organs, and it felt as if I was on fire.

I grunted as he held the branding rod against my arm. Adolph spoke louder, still reciting the words, and Micha squeezed my hand tighter. Or maybe I squeezed hers. The woman who was trained to kill me had become one of my best friends. How ironic was that?

The smell of my skin burning and the sweat dripping from my temple from the heat overpowered my being. He finally took away the rod, and a heaviness, whether it was from the magic or the sigil or ritual, overtook me. Darkness consumed me.

I woke up a few days later with a brand new sigil that belonged to the Vastech on my arm.

My mother sat next to my bed as Sammy kept staring at my brand.

“Stop staring,” I said.

Mom gasped as her head raised from her chair.

“The Vastech, Blake. None of us was even there.”

“You are upset because you weren’t there?”

Sammy giggled.

“It’s not funny, Samantha Elisabeth Leaf.”

“Mom, I’m with Micha. They are a Dent and seriously, this is getting so old. So they are married? Sure, she is young. Be glad they didn’t get married because they have to.”

“I don’t even want to think about it, and I guess that is what is making the king and Jako so angry,” my mom said.

“They are still angry?” I grunted. “You know what? I don’t care. I’m glad I fucking went through with it, as I might reach her now.”

“I’m not being ungrateful. We are all grateful that you can do that through the Vastech, but, Blake… What were you thinking?”

“That I love her, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life with her, Mom. We would’ve gotten married, whether it was now or ten years from now.”

“Thank heavens Goran doesn’t know about this.”

I didn’t reply. They’d have to make peace with this, all of them. I was a huge part of Elena’s life and that seemed to be the problem that they were having.

“Enough fighting now. I wasn’t there either, and one is my brother and the other one is my best friend,” Sammy pointed out.

“This ritual is barbaric, branding you like you are some cow,” Mom stated.

“It’s the only way a sigil sticks to my body. Ink fades. Believe me, we need all the protection there is with Goran. I’ll brand my entire body if I have to.”

She touched her chest, and the worry was clear on her face.

“You are so young. None of you are ready for this.”

“The Great War was fought by humans our age, some dragons too. So don’t come with that shit, please.” I got up and walked to my dresser, then pulled on some clothes. At least I was still in the palace and not ditched on the street.

I was excited about moving forward, but I needed food first. I couldn’t wait to connect with Elena. I wished I knew what Daniel looked like, then I could appear as him.

A feast waited downstairs, but there was no sign of Jako or King Albert.

“Just give them time, Blake.”

“Okay, let’s hear the disappointment that you feel about all of this, Dad, so we can get it over with.”

He looked at me and shook his head.

“Dad,” Sammy warned.

“No, Sam, I’m dying to hear how I disappointed another person who I love.”

“I didn’t say you disappointed me. I’m just shocked that you didn’t tell anyone, Blake. Weddings are huge. Doesn’t matter if it’s a Vastech or a traditional one.”

Silence lingered.

“I’m grateful that you did that,” Dad added as he put a spoonful of dessert into his mouth.

“But?” I asked.

“No buts. She is to you what she is to you. Heck, if Albert was a woman, he would’ve been your mother, and I don’t even have a Dent with him.”

Everyone laughed at the look on Mom’s face.

He shrugged. “What? It’s the truth. Cut Blake some slack. His life was twenty times harder, is. We prayed for him to be happy, and now that he is, everyone is just hammering hail on him.”

“You’re supposed to be his father, not his best friend.”

“He needs one parent to cut him some slack. I’m done being the asshole on this team. He got it from Albert, Jako, and you.”

I stared at my mother, who crossed her arms.

“Mom is just upset because she wasn’t there,” Sammy announced.

More laughter erupted.

“I don’t know what the big deal is. Kate and Albert weren’t that much older, and I know times were different, but I’m with Micha. Love never changes. It’s still the same. We can get Elena back now, and Albert will think about it more when his anger has subsided. It’s a wonder that the public doesn’t know about his yet.”

“We need to keep it hushed because Goran will find out,” I said. I didn’t want to know what he would do to Elena if he discovered that.

ELENA

Silence was my constant companion. My body still ached every time Cara came out. She’d changed too. She never spoke to me anymore, or if she did, it was a completely different language. One I didn’t understand.

My hearing was gone; I couldn’t hear a damn single thing.

How could a dad do that to his own daughter? That wasn’t love.

Ivanka told him everything. I remembered how I’d gone to save the prisoner because of who my father was becoming. I didn’t like it.

She was so weak that she didn’t even try to kill me. She’d just left. I still didn’t understand half of it because it was all scrambled up. A lot of things were scrambled up since Cara got changed.

He was so mad at me for what I had done, and we left like thieves in the night.

I missed sound. It was so quiet, and I was so jumpy, jumpy at the shadows and silence.

My father had always had a violent streak, but the wyverns loved him. Daniel had loved him, and I felt like the odd one out, as I’d never gotten pulled into any of this. I only became involved after Daniel’s death as I’d wanted revenge, but not like this.

I’d betrayed my dragon, like Ivanka had betrayed me.

I wished I could leave and just be alone. Be the deaf/mute gigantic stone freak.

Sobs shook out of me. The tears rolled down my cheeks. I missed my dragon. I knew Dad had said that she was me, but we used to have talks for hours.

My mother’s death had messed him up like Dan’s death had messed me up. I missed him so much, and I wished he was here.

I cried, and I did not know how loud it was since I couldn’t hear. I didn’t really care how loud I was.

I wanted my brother, and it was so cruel that the guy who had almost killed me had the same eyes as him.

At times, I wanted to be free from this world and just be with my mom and Dan. Free from the pain and the cruelty of this world.

My skin was so sensitive, and I winced every time I moved.

The trail the tears made over my cheeks stung my face, but I couldn’t stop.

I didn’t want to stop either.

I didn’t know yet which way I wanted to go, but all I knew was that I couldn’t carry on like this. I wouldn’t make it.

“Elena,” a soft voice whispered my name. It was weird as I couldn’t hear sound, but her voice was so real.

I looked around, but I couldn’t see her.

My prison changed into the forest. I could hear the birds chirping and the squirrels chattering in the trees.

How, how was this possible?

“Elena…” She was right behind me, and I turned around.

I gasped. She was really beautiful with brown hair and the kindest eyes. They were grey.

She laughed and cupped my face. A part of me knew who she was, but when I tried to say it, I didn’t know. It was the weirdest feeling.

“He is lying to you.”

“Who is? How can I hear?”

“You can with me, baby. Goran is lying to you.”

“Goran. You mean Dad?”

She shook her head. “He is not your father.”

“What?”

“Your life is a lie. You don’t have a brother.”

I pulled away. “No. Who are you?”

“You know who I am. He didn’t replace me. Say it, Elena.”

I stared at her. He didn’t replace her?

“Who am I? Say it!”

“Mom.” The words just slipped out, and I gasped. “Mom!”

It was as if admitting who she was broke whatever that was, and I remembered her, even if I really didn’t. I ran to her, and she hugged me tight. Sobs left me, and her arms squeezed tighter.

“I’m so sorry. He truly became a monster.”

I broke the hug and stared at her.

She touched my cheek. “I swear, if I knew that it was him, I would’ve killed him, and I would’ve raised you the way I was supposed to.”

“Supposed to?”

She nodded. “He is not your father, Elena.”

“Then who is?”

“King Albert.”

I broke away from her. “No, that is ludicrous. He is the monster.”

“He is not a monster. Goran has you under a tight spell, baby. Your father is the kindest man I’ve ever met. Just remember. Think about it. You’ve met him a few times. He didn’t hurt you. He tried to save you.”

I realized what she was saying was the truth.

“Mom, I can’t. I’m so afraid.”

She brushed my hair out of my face.

“But Daniel?”

“You don’t have a brother.”

A sob tore through me. “Don’t.”

“You don’t have a brother. It was what this spell does. You do love someone like that. But it’s not your brother.”

“Then who?”

“His name is Blake.”

I stared at her. “The guy that claimed me?”

“You are not a dragon, Elena. He is in fact your dragon.”

I shook my head. “No. I am a dragon.”

“You are not. You are a dragonian. I know this spell will not make you remember any of them. But they love. I love you. Trust me, not Goran. What he is doing to you., that is not a father’s love, baby.”

My lower lip trembled, and my mother hugged me again. “Don’t leave me, please.”

“Never.” She sniffed and hugged me tighter.

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