Starlight (The Dragonian Series Book 5) (16 page)

“You know what they did, Annie.”

Tears welled up in her eyes again. “I hope that my cousin finds them and show them hell.”

“I don’t. It will mean that Goran will find him and…”

She touched my arm. “I didn’t mean right now.”

I nodded; the fear of that turning into a reality was evident on my face, but I manage to give her a smile. “I never thought being with another guy would feel like this.”

She laughed softly. “Yes, Plucky always had a gentle side to him.”

“He wasn’t always like that, Annie.”

“Then tell me, what was he like?”

I squinted. “You really want to know?”

“I do.”

I start telling her the story, how he truly hated my guts since the night Matt brought me through. She listened, even gasped at some times. Pure shock was written over her face a few times and right before I stopped, she even had tears glistening in her eyes.

“The dark really had its claws deep inside of him, didn’t it?”

“It did. I just came to know this Plucky you are telling me about.”

She smiled.

“It’s hard to take it all in. I mean, I only knew this side of him. I can’t imagine what he was like being dark.”

“It’s in the past now. He just needs to come back.”

“He will. I know he will,” she reassured me.

“Elena, you ready?” King Helmut asked and I jumped back to the present.

I nodded and saw the first troop that was going to replace one of the farmers.

The first was always the hardest as a fear of the Creepers waking up, making that horrible hissing sound, and finally devouring us, still lingers with me strongly.

When we reached the other side, the next group with lanterns was waiting for us.

I looked up at the sky and saw the starless night. The faces around me were familiar, but not the one I really wanted to see. He was gone.
Please, just be safe
.

I brought out another and the entire ritual started all over.

Emanual and a couple of yesterday’s troops, with Jerry and Semeon, were waiting for the new group to exit from Etan.

Emanual looked after me, brought me water and sandwiches as the time went by.

When the sun started to come up once more in Etan, the second day came to an end.

I’d brought out fifty in two days. Master Longwei was so right that I was going to need to use Monday and Tuesday to complete this. At least Tuesday Blake would be back.

I slept in the next day. I missed my friends. At least with them here, I could’ve had some sort of a distraction.

They would’ve loved the lake. The one where Blake taught me how to fish. The one where he gave me that kiss that made me run away like a mouse.

After I ate lunch, I spent a couple of minutes in the library, just looking again for that missing ingredient.

Two o’clock crept nearer, real fast, and once at the Creepers, the third day started. It was the same thing.

The day ended with a total of seventy-five of King Helmut’s army in Tith, pretending to be the farmers. Tomorrow the last twenty-five were going in and then Blake was coming home. The mission would be over.

On Tuesday I took the last twenty-five troops through and brought out the rest.

The last five troops were the most important as they studied the heads the past three days. Learning everything they could to fool the Council.

They were either going to make or break this mission.

I hoped it was the first.

Charles walked with Remi, the troop that was going to take his place. I could hear him going over the list of things Remi needs to remember, which was of the utmost importance.

When they reached me, Remi laughed, turned around and cupped Charles’ face. “You worry too much. I learned plenty from you the past few days, Charles. I won’t fail you.”

Charles smiled. “Okay son. I trust you. Just watch out for Seymour, please.”

“He will never know the difference sir.”

They said goodbye, and I took Remi inside.

“Princess,” Remi greeted me. I hadn’t spoken to him before, just seen him with the troops and speaking to King Helmut from time to time.

“Elena, please.” I smiled.

He laughed. “You don’t remember me, do you?”

I squinted, trying to think where I should know him from.

“It was my brother you saved that night when we ran into the hippogriff.”

“He was your brother?” I sounded like an idiot and Remi smiled.

“How is he?”

That made him roar with laughter. “You took him in on the second day.”

I felt like an idiot. “Sorry, the past few days were a blur to me, honestly.”

“I can only imagine.”

“So they gave you the big task of becoming Charles. You have some serious big shoes to fill.”

Remi squinted. “I got that much.”

“I have faith in you.”

“Thank you so much, Your Highness.”

“Elena, please.” I laughed.

He gasped too as we reached the core. Everyone did.

When he was safely through, he hit the button of his buyo and became Charles.

“Good luck Remi,” I said as he walked to the farm with one of the other men that had taken one of the farmhand’s places.

I feel sorry for Seymour if they are going to find something out of place. He wasn’t dealing with farmers anymore, he was dealing with an army of dragon riders who all owned abilities and knew how to use them.

The last guy to go back to Etan was a farmhand.

Emanual and everyone waited for us as we exited.

The farmhand had tears in his eyes as he looked at everything around him.

“I’m free,” he said with his arms open wide.

It always closed up my throat thinking about the fear they lived in the past seventeen odd years.

“It’s over,” Emanual whispered next to me.

“One more night, then Blake comes back.”

Emanual smiled and looked at the ground. “I told you he will realize what an idiot he was, Elena. I’m glad you gave him another chance.”

“Didn’t think that I would.”

“I’m sorry that I lied to you.”

“About?” I asked.

“That time in the SUV, when I told you that it was me that sensed them.”

“It’s okay. He told me that he made all of you promise to not tell me a thing.”

“Yeah, told him it was silly, but he said you had to trust him on your own terms. Guess he has a little bit of wisdom.”

I laughed at the way he said it. He opened the door of the SUV for me and we went back to the lodge.

SOMEONE KNOCKED ON my door and I opened. I found Emanual with a cup of coffee.

I stepped out of the doorway and he entered.

“So whom do I owe for the pleasure of your company tonight?”

He chuckled. “Nobody, get dressed.”

“Where are we going?”

“To the other side. I know you want to be there when Blake comes back.”

“You serious?” My stomach flipped just thinking about seeing Blake again, safe in Areeth and not on some crazy mission.

Emanual laughed and nodded.

I jumped up and down and into Emanual’s arms and gave him a hug. “Thanks Emanual.”

“He’d probably have my head, but I promised that I’d protect you with my life. So hurry, before I change my mind.” He let go of me and walked out the door.

I put on my jeans and a warm top and we entered around nine.

The sun was already up and we had to be extra careful exiting the Creepers.

When Emanual felt it was safe, he ran out of the Creepers with me, hit his device and changed back into Charles.

“Isn’t there another Charles already?”

“Yes, but whoever is going to find us, wouldn’t know that. Here, put this over your clothes.” He gave me an old cloak.

I did as he said and we walked into the Benson’s house half an hour later.

Emanual pushed the button on his device and turned back into him once safely inside.

I couldn’t wait for later when Blake was finally going to come back.

Tomorrow it was that time again. The Council was going to come. Blake just had to be back by then.

At two o’clock I started to get antsy. They weren’t back yet.

Then around four we saw the outline of a group of people. They were all wearing cloaks over their heads.

My heart fluttered and I blew out air, as I knew Blake was one of them.

I ran into the house. “They are here!”

Emanual came out.

I start to frown when I only saw five figures, and two of them were Nicky and Max. Something must have happened to Leana, or one of the girls. My throat closed up again. Two of them weren’t alive. Tom? What kind of state wasn’t he going to be in?

They came closer and I could tell two of them were sort of supporting one.

Emanual and Remi, dressed as Charles, ran toward them and assisted.

“Something happened,” the woman or guy that took Gertrude’s place said.

No kidding. “It’s this place,” I said. “It’s dark and evil.”

They finally reached us and Emanual put the one dressed as a lord on the couch. When he hit the device, I found Tom’s figure. He looked like a ghost. Didn’t say a word. His eyes were dull, and he was crying.

Leana. She didn’t make it.

August appeared next and went to sit next to Tom, wrapping his arms around him. Tom started to cry.

Nicky and Max took off their cloaks.

“Elena,” Emanual had that tone in his voice.

A cold shiver ran up my spine. As the last one took off its hoody and hit the device, Raymond appeared.

“No, no, no!” I looked at Raymond. Where the hell was Blake?

I ran down the steps and looked on the horizon. There wasn’t another person coming.

I walked up to Raymond and pushed him.

“I told you not to lose him. Where the hell is my dragon?” I sounded deranged. I couldn’t go through this again. I couldn’t lose him again.

“Elena, we don’t know.” Raymond spoke with his hands slightly on my shoulder.

“Don’t touch me. What do you mean you don’t know?”

“What happened?” Emanual had a gentle tone in his voice.

“There were complications.” Raymond looked at him.

“Raymond just tell us what happened. Does Goran have him?” Emanual asked.

“It was simple, Raymond. Find the women and make sure Blake got back. I can’t do this without him.” I didn’t even want to think if Goran had him.

“I know, but he saw Billy, Elena.”

“What?” I spoke softly with closed eyes as my hands disappeared in my hair. I knew he was going to go mental if he saw one of them. I started to pace up and down just thinking about the consequences.

“He didn’t go after him. But Billy saw him and then chaos broke out.”

“Does Goran have him?” Emanual sounded more demanding.

“No,” August answered Emanual and it felt as if I could breathe just a little bit. “He just vanished.”

“What?”

Raymond nodded. “He’s gone, Elena.”