We flinched as Becky slammed the door behind her.
“I'm in too,” Sammy said resolutely.
“Okay.” I sighed, not wanting to fight anymore. Fighting was really exhausting.
“So what's the plan? We have to get more than one dragon onboard if we want to pursue this mission.” Lucian took a deep breath.
“What? Why?” I asked, confused.
“It's a long trip. The Sacred Cavern is northeast from Tith. It'll take us at least half a day travelling on top of one.”
My shoulders slouched in disappointment.I didn't think it was that far, and dragons were my last choice when it came to transportation. I couldn’t even consider what I would be like on top of one. The image of landscapes flashing by underneath me made my knees tremble.
“George has no choice. He'll follow Becky,” Sammy said in a soft tone. She looked scared and swallowed hard. It was followed by a couple of deep breaths, and she started to look uncertain.
I didn’t care if they doubted my plan. Deep down, I knew it was the right thing to do.
“You told Blake about this?”Lucian’s arms were folded. He still looked pissed.
“No, he'll tell Master Longwei,” I said, not wanting to involve him for my own sanity.
“Elena, he's the Rubicon, he might offer his assistance.”Lucian’s jaw muscles clenched.
“We have enough people already, Lucian. We can fly with Sammy.” I gave her a look, and she nodded back quickly.
“And what if we get into a battle?” he asked.
“Then we fight. You're not a Moon-Bolt, don't try to foresee things,” I said, growing frustrated that he kept insisting on bringing Blake along.
“So, take it one step at a time.”
I nodded.
He stroked his face and roughly ran his fingers through his hair. “Fine, when do you want to leave?”
“Nightfall at shift change. There's a delay of five minutes,” I said confidently.
“Where do we meet?” He started with something that reminded me of an interrogation in a Law and Order courtroom.
I didn’t know. I never thought about it, until now.
“There is a tower right behind the cafeteria. Becky and I used to go there in the beginning until someone told us it was off limit. It's the perfect place, surrounded by trees. No one will see us from there. It will be an easy escape, Lucian.” Sammy came to my rescue but she didn’t sound happy about it either.
I wanted to give her a huge hug, but instead I left out a huge sigh and hoped that her explanation would be enough to stop the pissed off vibe emanating from him.
He walked towards the window in our room and turned around with a huge frown dented between his eyebrows. “How long have you been planning this?”
“Since the sixth day,” I said.
He huffed and looked at the carpet for a few seconds. “Tonight is Bill's shift.”Lucian drew back the curtains and peeked outside.“George and I will meet you there at half-past eight. Don't be late, or we can forget about making a clean break. Elena, there's only one condition: you do exactly as I say.”
He didn't give me a chance to argue.
“See you tonight,” he grunted, and left.
We ate our supper in complete silence. Lucian was absent and Becky hadn't said one word to me since I said those awful things that helped me change her mind. George didn't approve of the idea either, and I could feel his eyes drilling holes into my soul.
We went back to our dorms around seven and prepared for our trip. Sammy grabbed all the sodas in the fridge and fruit from tonight's buffet line. She chucked everything into her backpack along with two sets of clothes. We all did the same, just in case. We shouldn't be gone that long and hopefully we would make it back before anyone knew we had left. If not, Sammy and George could catch fish. Dragons were known to be excellent fishermen.
We dressed in dark sweat suits, grabbed our backpacks, and left our dorms around eight fifteen. We arrived at the tower early, and when we heard George and Lucian coming up the stairs, my heart beat like a jackhammer.
There's no time for fear, I repeated over and over in my head, trying to calm my nerves. Silently I hoped that this was what the Viden meant. The three of us froze when Blake, Tabitha, Brian, and Arianna arrived with Lucian and George. Blake carried a huge bag around his left shoulder. The ratio of the bag and his human figure was way out, it didn't look natural.
“Lucian?” I wanted to scold him.
“I had no choice, Elena.”
“So, are we going to do this or what?” Blake asked in a pissed off tone, without looking at me.
“Three more minutes, Blake, then we can be off. You guys should get ready,” Lucian said.
I closed my eyes, furious about our new companions. For the love of blueberries,I’d bargained on five people going on this mission, not nine.
The four dragons took off their clothes in preparation for their change. Tabitha and Sammy were in their underwear while the boys stripped down into their boxers. They handed their clothes to Arianna, who was chewing gum like a cow, climbed out the tower window, and disappeared. I had to admit, Arianna even knew how to look sexy on a mission. Her hair that used to hang loose in curls framing her face was tied up into a bun. She seemed nervous though. Lucian put a pair of flying goggles over my head and adjusted the straps so it would fit.
I took another deep breath, trying to calm my anger. “Arianna?” I pulled Lucian back so we could have a private conversation.
“She heard Blake and I talking and wanted a piece of the action.”
“It's not a game, Lucian.”
“I had no choice.”
“Who's going to transport her?” I asked. “The others are Chromatic and Sammy can't take all of us.” I jumped as I heard pieces of rock falling.
“Dammit, you guys should be careful,” Lucian whispered as loud as he could without risking being heard.
I tried to imagine what I would find outside, but for some reason, my mind was filled with so many other crazy things that no picture appeared. In an attempt to end the conversation, he started to repack some of the backpacks to lighten the load.
“She can ride with me and George,” Becky said to Lucian.
She still refused to speak to me as she slid her goggles over her eyes and gestured at Arianna to follow her outside.
“Are you ready?” Lucian peeked down at his watch.
I picked up one of the backpacks and walked to the window. Lucian jumped onto the ledge, and put on his pair of flying goggles. He reached for my hand, clasping it in a firm grip.
I squeezed in front of him and balanced precariously on the thin ledge.
I gasped, staring at the five dragons hanging on the tower's wall by their claws. They were huge even with their wings still folded in place. Lucian gave the sign to go, and I flinched as three of them took flight. George followed with Becky and Arianna on his back until everyone was airborne except Sammy, who still clung onto the wall.
My hands cramped as I struggled to hold on. Pieces of rock crumbled from under my feet as I took sideways steps. For the love of blueberries please don't fall. I silently prayed.
Lucian jumped on her back and held out his hand for mine. When I grabbed it, he swung me onto Sammy's back as she took flight.
I grabbed his waist and held on for dear life. I didn't dare open my eyes and waited for the siren to announce our escape. Nothing happened. Almost there. Just a few more seconds and then we're free.
Sammy climbed higher and higher as her wings drummed loudly in my ears with each flap. I felt queasy and didn't like the speed we flew. It was crazy fast, like being on a bad rollercoaster that never seems to end. My legs, tucked tightly around her torso to keep my balance, moved as her body expanded. I wanted to see her so badly in her dragon form, but I couldn't gather the courage to open my eyes. I just kept them closed and prayed that I would be able to face whatever lay ahead.