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

“We have to get the Elemental dragons back, sweetheart,” Dad said, as we had to make camp in a new area because the last one was jeopardized. “You don’t want them to use the Elementals to create the Saadedine, do you?”

I do not like that, Sugar. My scales are tingling again.

Cara, my dragon form, was restless. I didn’t like when she spoke about scale tingling. I didn’t want them to conjure the Saadedine either.

Push, we need to take back the throne and bring peace to everyone.

I hated that she was much braver than me, but then again, she was at least twenty feet tall covered in thorns and scales that could breathe purple lightning.

“Why don’t we just attack? Take our place in this world.”

“It’s not how this world works. Remember what I told you, as minor casualties as possible,” Dad reminded. “We have to get rid of the ones ruling from their thrones and let Paegeia become one.”

“When are you planning to do this?” I asked.

He slammed his hand flat on the table, making me flinch. “Don’t question me. I’ve told you so many times why we can’t strike now.”

Dad always had a temper, and I shouldn’t push it. I should listen. He did not want to strike. I understood it perfectly clear.

“Be careful of the Rubicon, Elena.”

Cara hissed inside me. I hated the stories of the Rubicon. Since I was little, they hunted Thunderlight dragons like me. Their fire was lethal, and they carried so many other abilities that it was hard to keep track of them.

“They are sinister, and the lies they spew would put you in a trance. Don’t you dare listen to him. I can’t lose you the way I’ve lost your brother too.” Tears glistened in Dad’s eyes, pricking in mine.

“Then give me the capsule. Plant it in my canine, Dad. I’m ready to die for this cause.”

“What don’t you understand? I won’t lose you. You are all I have left of your mother. The king took her from me, and I’m not letting him take you too.”

I hated the king.

They called him Albert the Barbaric. He was barbaric. He’d destroyed my father’s dragon form, but Dad gave him a scar, a burn on his face, as a reminder of what happened when you killed a dragon’s form. It was a miracle that he was still alive.

Thandi had nursed him back to health, and they’d had a bond ever since.

Dad should’ve killed the king, not given him a scar, then we wouldn’t even be here right now.

He got up from behind his desk and walked toward my chair in front of his desk. He crouched down next to my chair and brushed his warm lips against my temple.

I met his gaze as he leaned his head inside his palm, elbow resting on the table, just staring at me.

“You have so much of your mother in you and so little of me.”

I huffed as my lips curved slightly.

“You know I would’ve gone after them myself if I could, right?”

“Dad, don’t. Please. I understand why you are doing the things you are doing. I was wrong to question you. After Daniel—”

“Don’t say his name.” Dad closed his eyes.

“Sorry,” I whispered.

He nodded and opened his eyes, now glistening with tears. “Remember what I told you about the Prince of Tith as well? He is vicious, Elena. They won’t think twice about killing you. His dragon, don’t underestimate her. She is really smart.”

“She is blind. I don’t understand why you are so worried about her.”

His jaw muscles pumped. “Paul failed. She can see again.”

“What? How?”

“The Rubicon.”

The Rubicon could heal dragons? That put an unknown fear into me. It didn’t matter if I killed them, he would just heal them again, bring them back to life.

“Her ice clashes with your thunder. Snow Dragons destroy as many Thunderlights as the Rubicon has.”

Dad’s words sent a shiver down my spine.

“If you are not ready—”

“No, I’m ready.”

“Remember not to listen to anything they say, Elena. If you do—”

“I won’t.”

Silence lingered as Dad looked at me. “When you are uncertain, hit the sphere—”

“Dad, I don’t like how it makes me feel.”

“Wear it, Elena! Your brother died because he was stubborn. He didn’t wear the shield either…” His voice faltered, and Dad hid his face behind his hand as his body shook.

I grabbed him around his arms and hugged him tight. “I’m sorry.”

Dad didn’t reply, just sniffed as his shoulders shook. Tears pricked my eyes. I still missed my brother. His quirkiness and the way he made me feel safe. He died more than a month ago, almost two months now. It was how we’d lost the Elemental dragons too, as he was stubborn and didn’t like the way the sphere had made him feel.

I still see his blonde hair and freckles lightly dusting his nose. His eyes were this peacock color that looked as if he could see into your soul.

Dad stopped crying and pushed himself off his haunches and toward the dresser. He took out the harness that carried the sphere and pulled my arm through it, then the other.

He clasped it tight behind my back. The straps were magical and would expand if my dragon form came out to play.

He pulled me from the chair and into a tight hug. An oak and musky scent filled my nostrils. This was my dad. I prayed I would not disappoint him tonight. That I would get the Elementals and bring them back.

“Go, stay with Bane and Noah. They will keep an eye on you, but you have to go in alone, Elena.”

I nodded.

“You want to look at the map again?”

“I’ve memorized that map. I’m ready.”

“Don’t get distracted.”

“I won’t; I promise.”

Bane walked into the tent. The brute of a guy was a Black Weaver and one of my dad’s trusted allies in his fleet. Dad looked up at him. “Make sure she gets home safe. Even if you have to die.”

“Of course, my king,” Bane responded, and Dad hugged me one last time before letting me go.

“Give them hell if you have to.”

My lips fanned into a smile as I let go of Dad and walked with huge strides toward Bane and Noah.

Before I left the tent, I looked back, and my father’s eyes were closed. His lips moved fast as he twirled his hand in a circular motion. In front of us, the portal that was going to get us as close to where we had to be appeared. It came as a vortex that would suck us through any minute.

I didn’t fear Albert’s fleet. Bane and Noah’s shield would protect us. There was no spell that could penetrate a wyvern’s mind.

This is for you, Daniel.

The vortex grew, and the force grew stronger. It sucked us in and for ten seconds, my head spun like crazy. It stabilized fast and then came the drop.

I landed on my feet and crouched low.

“Shh…” Bane crawled toward the incline up ahead. Voices close by reached my ears. My hatred for them filled my core. I would kill them all for what they had done to my brother, and mother, and everyone that I deemed family.

Noah signed; he knew exactly how far we were from the castle.

Cara was restless. She wanted out.

Not yet!

When?

Soon. I promise.

My heart thumped behind my ribcage as the stories that I grew up with filled my memories. I could feel Cara’s scales tingling.

Albert the Barbaric got his name not because of the way he treated his enemies, but the way he treated his people.

Not to mention his Night Villain dragon. He was ruthless and killed his own kind to prove loyalty to the king.

Dad had told me that all the men in his fleet had to prove their loyalty by killing all their loved ones, including children. Only then did he deem them as worthy enough. It was a lifelong sentence of slavery if you asked me.

I walked behind Noah and Bane as one guard came to investigate.

He was going to hit us with that spell, and even though they wouldn’t be able to see through Noah and Bane’s vanishing gift, the spell did harm them, caused them pain and fatigue. Something we didn’t need at this moment.

They both got ready as my thoughts of what they would do to us overpowered my mind.

“Stop,” a guard behind him instructed. “There is nothing here.”

“You know, they use spells to mask themselves.”

“We would’ve been dead if they were right in front of us. That is how I know there’s no one there.”

I frowned as I looked at Bane, but he motioned with his hand to walk past them toward the castle.

The guards turned around, and it felt as if I could breathe again. Over the incline, we took the path through the forest that led to the castle. I gasped when the place where my mom had died stood gigantic in front of me.

The Elementals were in there, and I picked up their clucking really fast. I didn’t like the way it made Cara feel.

It was as if they called out to her.

Now that help was near, I truly believed that they didn’t want to become a monster.

Bane signed that it sounded as if it came from the dungeon, and I nodded. The only way to the dungeon was through the castle, and there were way too many guards.

This was the part that I hated. I glanced at my watch and tuned into all the rooms. Some of them were soundproof, but the others that weren’t, snores came from them. I didn’t know whether those snores belonged to the king or his dragon. One of them might lurk somewhere in this castle.

Good luck, Bane signed as I took a deep breath and nodded for them to release their shield. I rushed to the castle’s wall and kicked the front of my boot hard against the bricks. Spikes emerged from the front and soles as my gloves turned into sucking cups that gripped around the stones that covered the wall.

I climbed and focused on one thing; I must succeed where my brother had failed. My heart pounded behind my ribcage and almost exploded as the window came near.

Just as I was ready to climb in, the guard looked out the window and straight at me. I pulled him over, trying to break his neck in the process before he could sound an alarm, but he yelled to the ground.

Fuck.

He splattered at the bottom, and I knew I had to be fast. I climbed through the window, ran down the steps, and down the hallway. I knew every hook and turn as if I lived in this castle.

Footsteps sounded, and I tried to find the panel that would take me inside the walls, but there were none.

I had no choice as I looked at the ceilings. It was big enough for Cara.

Now, Sugar!

The first guard came into view. He attacked, but I broke his neck and used my electricity on the one behind him.

They were making a ruckus as I worked my way through them. I had no choice. “Now!” I yelled.

Cara growled as my scales took the place of skin. My body expanded as limbs grew bigger and wings unfolded.

“Elena! Wake King Albert, now!” The dark-headed man looked at me as more guards ran around the corner.

Who is that? Elena’s voice sounded in the back of my mind.

Nobody important, Sugar!

We breathed electricity on all of them, but their shields came out and protected the dark-haired man.

“Calm down, Elena,” He used my human form’s name so formally, as if he knew us. Dad had warned us this would happen. The Elemental’s clucking came from everywhere, driving me crazy.

“Where are they?” I yelled.

“The Elementals,” the guy spoke. Panic arose as they surrounded me.

Cara! Elena panicked too.

Relax, deep breaths. You will be fine.

I didn’t know if I should hit the sphere or try to push through.

Electricity left my lips again.

“Elena, stop!” another man’s voice yelled, and it was him. The man that had killed my mother and brother.

I growled at him.

“Albert, stay away.”

“Calm down, sweet pea. We can work this out.”

“Stop calling me that. You killed my mom and took everything away from my father.”

His face slacked from all emotion, grew even more pallid. He knew what I was talking about as tears glistened in his eyes.

“You are misinformed. I didn’t kill your mother.”

“Silence. My brother’s death is all your fault.”

“You don’t have a brother,” Albert the Barbaric stated.

“My father gave you that scar. He should’ve ripped you to pieces.” I released my lightning on him, and a shield came out of nowhere, protecting him.

A Copper-Horn flew in behind me. He spoke Latin. I didn’t understand. It was what made Thunderlights different from the other breeds.

“She speaks English, Jako,” the black-haired man yelled.

The dragon disappeared, and a man with copper hair stood in its place. A vague memory flashed through my mind.

Who is he? Elena asked.

I don’t know.

I’d seen him before, but I didn’t know where.

His hands were in front, palms facing me. “Bear, go, because I do not want you to regret anything when the spell wears off.”

Spell? Both Elena and I said at the same time.

“Go now!”

I looked at the window, and he motioned with his hands. I jumped out through it.

I hit my sphere, and the vortex opened, sucking me back to my father.

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