“I’ll shift,” Lana offered, though hesitantly. “Why don’t I just fly us out of here?”
Only a day earlier, Sarah would’ve believed Lana didn’t really want to save their lives, but now she knew better.
Lana’s shifting gaze signaled worry. If she crashed, so would her passengers, and that was a responsibility no one would take lightly.
“We must go now,” Victor said.
Lana took a deep breath, as though bracing herself for what was ahead, then morphed into a giant reptile. Victor helped Sarah up on the animal’s scaly green back and held on tight as she began to move, slow at first only to gain in speed as she jumped over stones and boulders, climbing up the ragged walls that rose for hundreds of feet.
Sarah held her breath as she dared a glance down at the huge clouds of steam that hovered over the red, boiling lake below. The sulfur-like smell made her cough several times, so she took only shallow breath as she let the wind ruffle her hair. Eventually, Lana reached the mouth of the cave, and they darted into the blue sky.
Below, almost swallowed up by the green ferns, the female dragon lay still.
Where is Steve’s camera now?
Sarah thought.
They’re never going to believe this on Facebook without the YouTube to back it up!
Sarah assumed the animal was dead, until her supernatural eyes caught a tiny tremor of the ribcage.
Victor had stabbed her pretty well during the fight for his life. Against all better judgment, though, Sarah couldn’t let the mother dragon die. The creature had only been fighting to protect her territory and her young,
which any good mother would do.
“Lana!” Sarah yelled. “Please stop!”
“No!” Victor replied authoritatively, as though he could sense her plan.
“Please,” Sarah said, ignoring him. “Just drop me to the ground. You’re a woman. Surely you must understand.”
Lana glided on the air between flaps and skidded to a stop in the soft grass.
Victor helped Sarah slide off the dragon, hesitating. “This is a risky move…for both of us.”
“I know,” Sarah whispered, her eyes boring into him. For some inexplicable reason, his approval meant a lot to her, but she didn’t want to push him. He had to see her side and want to help of his own accord.
“It could come after us and hurt us, and then all of us will be lost forever,” Victor said grimly.
Sarah nodded again; he made a good point. “I know, but I still can’t leave her, Victor. It’s not who I am.”
He heaved a big sigh. “Very well. In that case, I guess we should make haste. We will not let her die, but we cannot linger until she regains her full powers and decides to resume the fight.”
She smiled at him and stroked his cheek, lingering there for a tad too long. “It’s the right thing to do.”
“I hope so.” He grabbed her hand and guided her toward the hurt dragon in the distance as he shielded her with his body. “Lana’s right. You’ll make a compassionate and caring queen.”
As they reached the dragon, Sarah fished the gold minerals out of her pocket and sat down next to the motionless creature. In a bold moment, she touched the mother’s cold, reptilian skin to feel for a pulse. It was still there, faint but steady. The dragon let out a long moan as her eyes fluttered open, brushing over Sarah without focusing on her. Sarah breathed out, relieved to know the dragon was still alive but not fully conscious. If she hurried, she could save the animal’s life and fulfill Victor’s wish of getting out of there before the beast regained its memory and attacked them once again. Quickly, she sprinkled the minerals into the corner of the animal’s open mouth and stood up.
“That’s enough,” Victor said. “It should be fine. We must now be on our way before she resumes her quarrel with us.”
“Thank you, Victor,” Sarah said, meeting his gaze as she hurried to stuff the bag back into her pocket. His blue eyes shimmered unnaturally bright, taking her breath away. For a moment, she was overwhelmed by the sudden sense of happiness washing over her. He was like no man she’d ever met before, so proud, so loyal. And then she brushed her hair out of her face, breaking the magic between them.
What am I doing? I don’t belong here, in his world. It’s better not to get too attached because if things go according to plan, I won’t even be with him for twenty-four more hours.
“Okay. Let’s hightail it outta here before Mrs. Snaggletooth is up and at ‘em,” she whispered, hoping he couldn’t hear the sudden tremble in her voice. But just in case he did, she turned on her heels and dashed across the field at the speed of an Immortal.
She could feel Victor following right behind her. A moment later, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up in a tight embrace, forcing her to turn and face him. A tiny flicker appeared in his heated gaze. She turned away, avoiding it because she couldn’t risk weakening her resolve. Her heart melted as the dragon stumbled to its feet and slowly flapped its wings, letting out a low wail. The creature would live to take care of her young, and nothing was more beautiful than that.
“The dragon’s waking! Come!” Victor yelled.
Lana nodded and morphed back into a dragon in a brilliant burst of light.
As they flew off, Sarah watched the creature lumber back into the cave, probably to check on her little ones. And for the first time ever since entering this world, Sarah felt sadness at the thought of leaving soon, even though she knew there was no way she’d ever stay. She had connected with Victor in a special way that night at the waterfall.
This marriage could work if he’d come home with me.
And she hoped she could talk him into coming back to her world. The thought of leaving without him made her sick.
* * *
Smoky incense drifted through the air, tickling Sarah’s nose. Monks chanting prayers in perfect unison echoed from the walls of the massive stone building in front of them.
Victor gripped Sarah’s hand tightly as they raced up the terraced steps to the Immortal courtroom.
Suddenly, a man dressed in black robes grabbed his arm.
“You shouldn’t be here!” the tall man said, leaning against the marble pillar, his long blond hair held in a ponytail. “You’re scheduled for death. We need to hide you!”
Victor turned slowly, regarding him. “No, dear friend. I have something to bargain with. King Taggert is a good man. He will pardon us when I show him what I have to offer.”
The man looked from Sarah to Victor, then to the ground, as though he wasn’t sure whether to share what was on his mind. Even before he spoke, Sarah knew he had bad news to share. “King Taggert is minutes from death. He just handed over the entire kingdom to Ethano. I’m afraid no bargaining will do you any good now.”
Victor hesitated. “Has Ethano been officially crowned?”
The man nodded. “It’s happening now.”
“Until that crown rests on his brow, there is still time to stop it!” Victor said firmly.
“We don’t have a moment to spare,” Sarah whispered. “Let’s go.”
Victor squeezed his eyes shut, and for a moment, the air around them trembled. Some dark shadow moved across the sky, and an instant later, Sarah heard a soft groan escape Victor’s mouth. His forehead creased in concentration, only to smooth again. “Okay,” he said. “The guards are down.”
Sarah guessed they weren’t kidding when people told her he was one of the most powerful Immortals in their kingdom.
They sped inside the building, past the armed knights who lay unconscious on the floor. A choir of gasps echoed all around them as Victor and Sarah burst through the heavy doors of the courtroom.
Ethano knelt down as an elderly priest in a long, flowing garment, a gold cross, and a high, broad-brimmed hat placed a gold crown on his head, whispering, “Ethano, I grant you the Crown of Immortality.”
Blinking several times, Sarah peered at the familiar large room. It looked just like the one in her vision: rows of wooden benches lining the far side of the wall. On the opposite side, the last rays of sunlight fell through tall bay windows and cast a golden glow on the dusty stone floor.
A wrought-iron chandelier held countless white candles high above the center of the room. Straight ahead was a rectangular window, the length of the room, with a stone, life-sized dragon perched on the windowsill. Red eyes, made from rubies, stared back at her. Real fire burned out of its mouth, like some kind of fancy torch.
The groups of onlookers seemed like something out of a movie set, costumed in deep green and dark burgundy clothes that seemed to echo their dark facial expressions. With contempt, they scowled at the intruders for busting in on such a private moment.
The chanting stopped, and the priest was first to break the foreboding silence, his eyes throwing daggers. “What is the meaning of this? You should be ashamed, breaking the ceremony willed by the Lord. Victor, you, of all people, should know that a sacred ceremony such as this is to be honored and respected.”
A falcon landed on the marble windowsill and let out a long cackle, drawing everyone’s attention to it for a split second. The bird’s eyes met Sarah’s in a long and meaningful stare, and Sarah knew the bird was none other but Lana, observing the proceedings.
Victor bowed deeply before the priest. “Father, it was not my intention to dishonor our ancestor’s traditions, but in this case, I bring the most wonderful news! I have found a way to save our dear King Taggert’s life.”
Standing up, Ethano’s jaw dropped.
Sarah moistened her lips as she regarded his every move intently. Clearly, he was caught off guard, and she couldn’t help but grin at his shocked expression.
The priest shook his head. “I am sorry, Victor, but it is too late for our great king. He will be remembered dearly, but all must now respect the one he has chosen to take his throne.”
Victor bowed and repeated, “I’m sorry, Father, but I have a way to save our king’s life!”
“Victor, you are already marked for death for your crimes, and even if you were not, you know the penalty for interrupting a crowning ceremony. Either way, you must pay dearly,” said the priest, pushing up his glasses.
“Aren’t you a man of the cloth?” Victor pleaded with him. “Aren’t you a man who wants to see justice prevail? Ethano has been plotting to take over this kingdom for some time now. He had a cure in his hands, yet he didn’t lift a finger to save our king.”
Murmurs and whispers erupted.
Ethano shook a finger at a group of knights lined against the wall. “Arrest them!”
The priest cleared his throat and motioned at the soldiers. “Wait! I want to hear what Victor has to say.”
The soldiers hesitated, unconvinced, but followed his command nonetheless.
“Ethano is a con artist!” Sarah shouted. “We found the Gold Minerals of Life and were in the process of bringing them back to heal King Taggert. Ethano knew this, but he stabbed Victor in the heart with a Guardian’s poison, then stole the minerals from us. Did he even offer a cure to the king?” she demanded.
Ethano’s voice echoed across the chamber. “They’re delusional, Father! I would never hurt Victor or his wife, and I’d never stand in the way of King Taggert’s healing if I had a way to help him!”
The priest shook his head. “The Gold Minerals of Life are nothing but a myth, Highness.”
Holding the small pouch high in the air, Victor shook his head slowly. “No! That’s not true. I have them right here in my possession.”
The gathering drew a sharp breath in unison.
“We can save King Taggert’s life,” Sarah said. “We have the cure!”
A murmur echoed through the crowd, and countless pairs of eyes turned on Ethano, scrutinizing him up and down.
For a moment, he just stood there, frozen to the spot, his brows furrowed as he considered his options.
Sarah held her breath, wondering whether he’d turn on them or play the sympathy card.
Eventually, his gaze scanned his people, and she knew which way he’d go. “I care so deeply about our king,” he said sweetly, venom dripping from his voice. “After being loyal to him for hundreds of years, surely you must all know that I’d do anything to save his life.”
“Then prove it!” Victor said. “Let me give him the Gold Minerals of Life.”
“Let Victor administer the minerals! We will know soon enough if his words are true! The king is already doomed, so it cannot hurt to try!” a woman shouted.
Other people joined her, as no one wanted to tell King Taggert goodbye.
If there was a chance they could save him, they were willing to try it.
A smug look crept across Ethano’s face. “Fine. I give you permission to go to our king and give him the precious minerals. His wellbeing is my first concern.”
Sarah knew exactly why he had that smug look on his face: He had tried the stolen minerals out himself and had found them to be ineffective. He assumed Victor’s were the same type that he possessed. She couldn’t wait to see his expression when he realized they had found the real Gold Minerals of Life. He was waiting to prove Victor wrong, but in the end, he would play the fool.
“Time is of utmost importance,” said the priest. “Go! If what you say is true, then save our beloved king. I order everyone else to stay put until we know whether to continue this ceremony or not.”