Sammy moved, and it sounded so loud in the cool silence. It made him stop and looked around.
He started to run fast as he made his way closer to the volcano. When he was right in the middle of the trap, we acted, confidently jumping out of our hiding places. His back was to me as he looked at the others who were distracting him from the front. I didn't waste any time and went for the sword. I knew where the Dragonian had hid it and could see it in my mind's eye. I saw how I was going to push away his jacket with my one hand and grab the sword with my other, before I rolled into Sammy's path, which would be waiting for me. I reached out my arm, and the strangest thing happened.
He turned around a second too soon, saw me, and I froze.
Chapter Thirty-Two
I couldn't move. I realized after a couple of seconds that it wasn't coming from me. The Dragonian had made it impossible for me to come any closer. The hoody of my blazer had fallen over my head from the instant stop, and I heard a horrible screech sound. At first, I thought it was Sammy transforming out of fear, but the sound didn't come from her direction. His Sun-Blast swept low over our heads, and I could see the Dragonian toss the sword up to him.
Brian was the closest to the path that led to the volcano, and he morphed immediately. Everything happened so fast. When I looked again, Brian wasn't in his spot anymore. Arianna recited a spell, but the Dragonian shouted something that sounded like a counter spell, and she fell motionless.
Lucian grunted next to me. I couldn't see him, and when I tried to turn my head in his direction, my head felt as if it was going to explode.
Becky and George both stood in awkward frozen positions. They must have received the same spell that had me immobilized.
Blake charged towards the Dragonian. As his arm went for the Dragonian’s neck, he got blasted back ten paces.
I didn't know if he was okay. It was so unreal. I couldn’t believe all of this was happening.
Sammy couldn’t hold back any longer and transformed out of sheer fear. Vines and tree roots sprouted out of the ground, forming hands that grabbed her. They pulled her so tight that I thought she was going to burst in half. She squirmed and tried to wiggle herself out of them, but the more she tried, the thicker the roots became. I could hear a soft hum from the Dragonian, as he recited the words to his spells in rapid succession.
Sammy finally gave up and crashed to the ground. I looked around and noticed Tabitha had disappeared. She’d finally fled like the coward she was. Blake came dashing past me again. Soft hums came from him too, but he stuck to the plan and didn't morph.
The Dragonian shouted a spell with his one arm stretched out in Blake's direction. Blake fell down hard, inches from me and Lucian. Our eyes met for one second and he looked away in defeat. A chill run up my spine and my stomach turned.
For the love of blueberries, we are going to die.
The Dragonian started to laugh and crouched down next to Blake menacingly. “You really think you could stop me, boy?”
Blake grunted.
I hoped that the Dragonian wasn't hurting him. It was hard for me to understand how strong magic was, and to be honest, it scared the living crap out of me.
“I’ll kill you one day,”Blake said through clenched teeth.“If it's the last thing I do!”
The Dragonian laughed. He stopped and looked at Blake's arm as he lifted Blake's sleeve with his thumb and forefinger.
“My, my, my, how exciting,” the Dragonian said in a flat tone, but the laughter was real. It made my skin crawl. “The Rubicon tried to save the day. It doesn't suit you, Blake Leaf.”
Blake growled again, and I could just imagine how defeated he must feel right now. There was nothing else he could have done.
“You're so full of anger,” the Dragonian whispered to him. “I revel in the knowledge that deep down inside I know that you like it too.” Even though he spoke softly to Blake I still was able to hear the last part. “You won't kill me, boy. You want to know why? Because when you turn, you’ll be mine.” He laughed again as if this was his favorite game. “Just think what we'll be able to do together. No one will ever get in our way.”
“I'll kill myself before that happens,” Blake roared like a lion being captured. Somewhere deep inside, I knew that Blake was fighting against that, while the Rubicon rejoiced.
“Wanna bet,” the Dragonian mocked him, and stood up from his crouching position. “However, you'll hate me now because I'm going to kill all your friends one by one,”Goran spoke through the Dragonian.“We can't have brave young teenagers running riot when I finally break free from that disgusting hellhole you love so much. Which one should I kill first?”
Blake cussed.
“Blake!” Lucian scolded through gritted teeth too.
“Eeney, Meaney, Miney, Mo.” He counted us down one by one.
My heart thumped louder as he stopped in front of me.
Lucian roared like an insane person.
“Leave her alone, you freak!” Lucian didn't appear to care anymore what he said. The Dragonian ignored Lucian and walked straight over to me. He never took his eyes from me once. I swallowed hard and imagined how a gazelle felt right before the predator's kill. The only difference was that I had lost my ability to run.
My heart beat faster as he slithered near. Lucian was swearing worse than Blake, but the Dragonian didn't pay him any attention. He stopped in front of me and took a deep sniff. He reminded me of the rainbow dragon.
“Not a dragon,” he said, and he slid my hoody off. His face froze. He just stared at me. He didn't make one peep, but our eyes were locked. I could see Goran's evil coiling from behind this man's soft grey eyes. I didn't know how long we stood there staring at each other. It was terrifying that he had so much mockery for Blake, but for me, he had none.
I was probably not worthy enough. Lucian was still ranting like a crazy beast.
The Dragonian's face unfroze, and darkness transformed his eyes from grey to black. I didn't think in a million years that he would do it. But when I felt the blade pushing into my stomach, I knew that I wasn't going to live long enough to apologize for bringing everyone into this mess.
His blade thrust more than once in my stomach, each time a different entrance, twisting through my flesh viciously. He held me tight while the laughter coming from his lips told me that he enjoyed every single thrust.
“No!”Lucian’s voice cried out the loudest, it didn't even sound like him. My whole body felt as if it was on fire. The last stab he kept the blade in and whispered something into my ear. It wasn’t clear, and I only hear part of the words, like “woman” and “condolences.”
I was concentrating too much on the mountain that was home to a blazing volcano. I could feel my sight slowly starting to disappear, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the mountain. In the sky soared my last bit of hope. Not for me, but for my friends. I saw a Sun-Blast diving with the speed of light.
He came so close that I could see the yellow of his eyes and the vertical pupil inside a pair of dark red irises. He picked me and the Dragonian up with his talons, and with one jolt, I was free.
Lucian caught me, but the pain was so intense that it almost made me feel numb.
“Fight, Elena,” he yelled as tears streamed down his face. It sounded as if he was speaking into a tin can. Becky pulled off her blazer and gave it to Lucian. His lips were moving, but this time there was no sound.
I could feel a thud, vibrating through the ground and saw Becky and Lucian jump. Becky disappeared. Lucian lifted me up and carried me to safety. I drifted away into the deep darkness with the smell of his cologne lingering in my nose.