Page 36

“So, what happened?” she whispers, her eyes glued to the door. I pull her over to me before going in and turning the shower on just in case they are listening.

“You need to get out of here; you need to tell your mother to take your daughter and run,” I tell her. She looks at me confused, the tray shaking in her hands from her worry.

“Why? Do they know?”

I shake my head and explain about the seer stones and what they do. Her face turning from confused to horrified.

“I can’t leave, I am not permitted past the gates while Silas is here.”

“Have you got a phone?” I ask and she shakes her head.

“I might be able to borrow one, but what am I going to do? If they find me, they will hunt them down, anyway,” she says hyperventilating. I rub her back, trying to calm her as her breathing becomes heavy.

“Did they say what time?”

I shake my head. I told her everything I know. I wish I had more information to give her but that is everything.

“I need to go; I need to figure something out. Come find me if you hear anything else,” she says running from the room. I turn the shower off, creeping out to my bedroom, only to find Dragus leaning on the doorframe making me jump in fright.

“Geez, you scared me,” I told him.

“What happened to Abigail, she looked upset?” he says.

“Nothing, she just wants to speak to her family, she misses them and was a little upset,” I tell him, and I am shocked I didn’t feel the urge to tell him more, shocked that I lied and it didn’t cause pain, but more shocked I actually could lie. Dragus nods, stepping into the room.

“I am just here to see if you will change your mind about staying with us.”

I shake my head, and he sighs.

“Tomorrow?”

I look away, and he moves forward, gripping my arms and gently rubbing his hands up and down them. “You will stay tomorrow; the Dragon heat could start at any time, Lora; you need to think this through. You should be with us.”

“I don’t agree to being marked, Dragus,” I move away from him.

“You don’t have a choice. When will you see that we won’t lose you.”

I can feel myself getting angry. They keep trying to force my hand but I don’t want this. Why can’t they understand that?

Dragus growls when I don’t answer, storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him. Ignoring his tantrum, I hop in bed, climbing under the covers mentally and physically drained. Sleep comes easy to me but staying asleep not so much when I am awakened. At first, I think it is the Dragon heat as I feel myself burning up, yet it isn’t uncomfortable. More like a light buzz spreading over me. Reaching for the small clock beside the bed, I look at the time: 10:03 PM. I gasp at the realization. I feel a wave of something delightful rush over me, when the room fills with purple light, blinking like a beacon in the dark. Casting shadows throughout the room.

Sitting up, I stagger to the bathroom, my entire body has pins and needles. An unnerving feeling takes over me as I move and am forced to my knees. My legs go limp under me, my entire body feels like it is becoming engulfed in the purple lights. The feeling rushes over my skin making it glow subtly. That’s when I realize the blinking light isn’t a light at all, but my eyes burning brightly.

My eyes throb in my head, making me scratch at the light as it becomes blinding and all I can focus on. The pulsing moves over my entire body, literally feeling every cell in it pulsating to its own beat. The beating gets stronger and all-consuming. I feel a shudder that pains me. I bite into my arm to stop from screaming when suddenly I feel the beating getting stronger and stronger; then it bursts out of me. The entire room is blasted with light, and it vibrates throughout my body. I scream and it is muffled by a hand. Cool hands go over my mouth, muffling my agonized scream until it burns out and I collapse on the floor.

Waking up, I see Marian kneeling beside me. She brushes my hair from my face.

“Marian?” I ask, confused. She nods, smiling down at me sadly.

“Hello, Elora.”

“Did they hear?” I ask, panicked. She shakes her head.

“No, I got here in time thank the heavens.” Sitting up, my head is pounding. “What happened?”

“Take a look for yourself,” she says, and I stand to look into the mirror. I gasp at my reflection. My eyes glow brightly like amethyst crystals. That isn’t all I notice. It is the purple vines going from my temple to my cheek, it looks like a tattoo with little purple blossoms.

“Shit, I manifested. I thought it would fizzle out.”