Page 4 of Taming the Kraken

CHAPTER THREE

“Is anyone around?! We need some help over here!!”

Alexa glanced at Mikah and they both sprinted toward the cliffside. They knew that voice very well. It was Brian, and he sounded panicked, something that was unusual for the arrogant dragon prince.

“Brian!” Alexa yelled as she saw him looking down over the ledge.

“Lex. I can’t get to him. I can’t touch him. This damn aura is getting worse. I can’t even help him.” Brian shook his head bitterly as Mikah charged over the hillside, not even assessing the situation, and Alexa ran up to Brian, who was looking over the edge. She noticed a child laying on a rocky platform below, unconscious.

“What happened?”

“He tried to force a shift. His damn father is being hard on him since he hasn’t shifted yet. He’s only thirteen. Hardly even a late shifter.” Brian shook his head. “I tried to grab him, but as soon as I got close, he started screaming in pain. This aura is still getting worse, Lex. People I used to be able to go near … maybe one day you won’t even be able to go near me.”

“As if your fire will ever be stronger than my ice. Arrogant dragon.” Alexa bumped his shoulder with hers, sending a wave of ice crystals over his hot body. The sound of sizzling filled the air, along with a light layer of steam.

“Brian, I’m coming back up with him,” Mikah yelled from the hillside.

Alexa immediately grabbed onto Brian’s arm, stopping him from leaving. “It’s okay, Brian. You don’t have to leave. I won’t let you burn the child.” As she spoke, she raised a misty snow shield around Brian. It was like putting a veil completely over him.

“Lex …”

“It’ll work. Trust me.” She looked in front of her and down over the hillside. “Bring him up. It’s okay.”

Mikah effortlessly climbed back up, carrying the boy in his arms. He gently placed him on the ground and glanced up at Alexa. “He has some cuts and I think a broken leg. I’m going to get your mother. She will be able to heal him. His dragon isn’t strong enough to restore him.” He looked at the snowy veil over Brian and smiled. “Nice, Lex. I didn’t think something like that would work.”

Alexa walked over and knelt beside the boy. His brows were furrowed in pain, but she could tell it wasn’t from Brian. His skin didn’t look like it was burning at all. This was the first time she had ever tried a frost shield with Brian. It was never an issue before, but lately, his aura has been getting stronger and stronger. Just like his father, he was now burning people just by being close to them. Not everyone, but those who were lower-tiered, and young dragons were especially susceptible.

It wasn’t like she was making the icy shield blindly, though. She had tried it once with Xander and had success, which was why she was confident that it would also work with Brian. She looked up into his hazel eyes that were filled with sadness.

“Brian,” she called out to him with a smile. “The boy will be just fine. It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay. I should be able to help my people. What kind of curse is this?” he growled, bitterness seeping into his voice.

“I don’t think it’s a curse at all. I think it’s a type of natural protection.” She looked at Brian with a reassuring smile. The boy next to her moved slightly and let out a soft sound. “Hey … just hold still, alright? We’ll get you patched up in no time.”

The boy’s eyes widened as he stared at Alexa. His mouth gaped, and he began to fumble over his words. “The princess … Leviathan’s daughter … you shouldn’t … your father will … you should leave.”

“Shh. Now just relax. You had a nasty fall. And what do you think you were doing, trying to force a shift? Young man, I better never hear of you pulling a stunt like this again. Do I need to explain to your father the importance of not forcing a shift?”

“If he hears I failed at forcing a shift, he’ll only be more disappointed in me.” The boy winced as he tried to move, but Alexa immediately pushed down on his shoulders.

“Just wait. My mother’s on her way.” She watched his eyes fill with fear. Because Leviathan was her father and her mother’s mate, a lot of dragons gave them a wide berth. They didn’t want to do anything to upset their deity. “You know … there’s no reason to be disappointed in you. For one, it is still normal that you haven’t shifted.”

“My father shifted at the age of twelve,” the boy spat out, disgusted with himself.

“As if when you can shift means anything. Who cares? Who cares if you can even shift? It isn’t everything in life. Your father expects too much of you.”

“She’s right. My cousin Anna didn’t shift until she was seventeen. And she is stronger than most of the dragons in the West Dragon Kingdom. You’ll shift, buddy. But you don’t want to force it and maybe end up injuring your dragon and yourself.”

The boy closed his eyes and frowned. In the corners of his eyes, they could see the tears beginning to pool. “I just wanted him to be proud of me,” he whispered.

Alexa and Brian looked at each other. She was boiling inside because his father had made him feel like he had to shift in order to be proud of him. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind, but she could see the rage in Brian’s eyes. This was something he already planned to handle.

“I’m here!” Reiya called out as she ran toward them. Of course, in true fashion, Alexa’s father Levi was right beside her. The two were inseparable. They had a bond that she dreamed of having one day. There wasn’t a thing they wouldn’t do for the other. They could get lost staring into each other’s eyes all day long. They didn’t need anything else. Just each other. It was amazing.

Reiya knelt down beside the boy and placed her hands over his body. Within moments, a light glow emanated from her as she began to heal the young dragon. Her mother was a fairy queen and had the power to heal. Though it wasn’t as strong as her grandmother’s, it was still strong enough for something like this. Fairy magic didn’t always develop all at once, and it continued to change as you got older. Alexa wasn’t an experienced healer yet. But it was something she should develop to some degree eventually.

“There. That should do the trick,” Reiya said as she felt Levi’s hands on her, pulling her back up to her feet and into his arms.