Once upon a Dragon Gift (Once Upon a Dragon Series Book 4)
Once upon a Dragon Gift: Chapter 6

Lucian and I went out that morning, seeing if we could find any sign of Elena or the wyverns. King Albert called the search party back for intel.

When we got back, King Albert was scolding someone. “You use it. That is what I taught you.”

“It was me, my king. He wanted to. I told them there was nothing. We failed you and the princess, I’m sorry.”

“Just don’t let it happen again. Say the damn spell when you hear anything.”

Their footsteps came closer to us, and they rushed past me. Lucian chuckled.

“They are more scared of what you would do to them than the king,” Lu whispered.

“What happened?” I asked when I reached my father.

“We think they came through the forest. They were close to a search party, and he wanted to say the spell, but his fellow man told him it was his imagination.”

“Fuck.”

“You’ll be here when she comes again. She wants the Elementals, son.”

“She told you?”

“She heard their clucking and voiced it.”

She truly was a dragon.

“Blake, is there no way you can reach her?” Dad inquired.

“You think I haven’t tried that already? The one thing I’m grateful for about Goran’s spell is that it opened all my abilities, except for one.”

“One?”

I nodded. “I don’t know what it is, but it refuses to unlock.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, Dad. It’s probably one that needs more maturity. It’s all I can think of.”

“An ability that needs you to be wiser?”

I nodded.

He sighed. “We knew nothing about the Rubicons before you.”

“Just like we knew nothing about the wyverns.”

“What do you mean?”

“The names, they got it completely wrong, and their abilities are crazy good. Goran’s fleet doesn’t have nearly the amount that we think he has. It’s an ability of one breed. They can multiply by ten if not more.”

“We know about that. Albert lived with them, remember?”

“Does he know how they get that many?”

My father squinted. “What do you mean get that many?”

“Guess the colony that showed King Albert what they were kept a few things to themselves.”

“Then you need to tell us everything you know; we can compare.”

I nodded. “It why we are struggling to find him. He knows I know too much. He is going to lure me back with Elena. I know it.”

“That cannot happen, son.”

I nodded. “I’m just scared that when he knows he won’t be able to do it, he is going to make me the monster, too.”

“Then show her you are not. The best we can do is make her doubt him.”

“She thinks he is her father. He is slick with all the answers, Dad. I felt like an idiot when I told him what you said to me.”

“You were really scared?”

“To death. If I had a capsule in my canine, I would’ve killed myself.”

“Blake?”

“He refused to give me one. I was too important in his plan. He would refuse giving Elena one too.”

Dad nodded.

“He needs the Elementals, and he needs King Albert.”

“Why?”

“He wants a bad Saadedine, Dad. You need someone pure.”

The horror struck his face. “He wants to put that thing on my rider.”

I nodded.

“He will die before that happens. I still say we kill the mutts and eliminate another thread.”

“And play with Elena’s life? They are the biggest part of his plan, Dad. If you eliminate them, he will kill her. He would have no reason to live then, as he knows I’ll kill him.”

“That’s what he planned. Albert said something big was coming, he just didn’t know what.”

“Probably.”

Dad shook his head, and I could see the struggle on his face coming to terms with that, if Goran had succeeded.

I touched his hand. “It didn’t happen. Calm down.”

He nodded, got up, and walked out of the room.

“He really has lost it,” Lucian said.

“Yeah, I think he lost everything the night the queen died.”

“Who killed her, Blake?”

“A group of wyverns that thought they could control him. I’ve only heard the stories, Lu. They fear him because of what he had done to those wyverns. He made it last for like ten years.”

“What?”

“He is powerful. But he fears something.” I shook my head. “It’s not me. I do not know what it is.”

Lucian huffed. “My dad.”

“I don’t think it’s your dad.”

“I would love to know what then.”

“Me too.”

Lu was on the phone with Tabitha for a long time. She didn’t like that he would not be coming back to the academy. She felt unbalanced.

“Tell her to come here. We have enough rooms, Lucian,” the king offered.

“You sure?”

“You need to train too. All of you. Three Dents are big. Maybe ask the other pair too. Just in case.”

“Albert.”

“It’s Elena. If anyone can get through to her, Bob, I’ll house the entire school.”

“In that case, I’d like Sammy to come. I can keep an eye on her here. She’d be safe under her brother’s eye,” Dad requested.

“She is not a damsel, Dad,” I commented.

“I know. Believe me, I’m still upset that she went with everyone that day.”

“It was me. Her heart guides her.”

“I’ll phone Chong and ask him to get consent from all the parents. They are the future of Paegeia,” King Albert said and got up as I picked at my breakfast.

“Eat!”

I glared at my father. “I eat enough.”

“You need your strength for when she comes back. She will not be lenient. She spoke about her brother that died.”

“Brother?”

Lu’s gaze found mine. “You think he told her you were her brother?”

“He had to direct that love she had for me onto something. It could be, but he would’ve changed my face. It wouldn’t look like me. Like the love I had for Elena, he put it on himself. The love I had for my family. He used it to fuel my anger, telling me that the Night Villain had killed them. And the bond I have with you, he put it on a wyvern named Bane. I honestly believed we grew up together, made that blood promise as kids.”

“Holy fuck. He truly thinks of everything.”

“It’s not him; it’s the spell. I’ll get through to her. Thanks for telling me that, Dad. Did she say a name?”

He shook his head. “She just mentioned that her brother’s death was the king’s fault. She must have answers if he built us up like monsters. We didn’t attack, Blake. We let her go.”

“He will have some fucked up explanation for that, and it will fuel her.”

“Yeah, he was always great at getting himself out of sticky situations.” The memories played off on Dad’s face as he thought about something. He huffed and got up as we continued to eat our breakfast.

Tabitha’s laughter reached our ears as Lu got up and caught her.

“I missed you.”

“Missed you more,” Lu responded. “You want something to eat?”

“Yes, I’m starving.” She put her bag down and plopped onto the chair next to him. “Hey,” she greeted, and I smiled.

She sure was different now that she’d Dented on Lu. I couldn’t believe it was the same babe that I used to toy with.

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