Page 15 of Dragon Claimed

"Yet she does not understand that your place is here?"

Kaida growled this time. "My place is with all of our people. The Elemental Dragons should be here with us. Since they are not, I need to be with them and all my mates until you understand that."

Gemar's eyes flashed green again. "You will remain here, complete the traditional ceremonies to become the king and queen and rule here as you should. You will forget about that island and what has gone on there."

The magic washed over her again but rolled off like it did last time. Enzo's hand gripped hers, and she could feel his legs shaking as if he wanted to run.

Good. It doesn't work on either of us.

Kaida took a step forward, calling her magic to her. Gemar noticed her purple magic pooling into her hand. His eyes went wide before his magic was in his hands.

"You don't control us anymore," she stated as she allowed her magic to grow.

Gemar smirked. "Then there is no reason to keep you around."

Ablast of lightning and plasma collided and caused the walls to shake. Kaida pulled up a shield in time for Gemar's second attack, feeling the sizzling energy go through her arms as the lightning crashed into her shield. She winced as Gemar smiled.

"The legends are true. You do have a powerful magic. One that can contend with a Storm Dragon," Gemar told her as he lowered his arms. Kaida could see that his magic was still present around his hands. It was blue gray in color, like the clouds as a storm rolled in.

While holding the shield in place, anticipating another attack, she retorted, "I know a few Elementals that can kick your ass."

Kaida noticed his eye twitch. "Elementals don't hold a candle to our power." There was a growl in his voice. He hated Kaida for saying Elementals were powerful.

Why though?

Kaida smirked at him. "Wanna bet? I'd love to see you go up against my mates. They would kill you."

Gemar cackled. The growl was still there, adding a level of creepy Kaida had never felt before. "If you think those children could kill me, you are more delusional than I thought. There is no chance of the Elementals ever having a chance to 'kill me.'" Gemar used air quotes to make a joke at her.

Enzo tugged at her hand. She noticed the guards behind Gemar. They were trying to conceal themselves, pulling in clouds in the hall with their magic. They weren't staying still, making the clouds move and give their position away. Kaida couldn't risk glancing backward to know if they were blocked in the hall.

"Kaida," Enzo whispered, "We need to leave."

A well of power filled the room. Kaida felt it brush against her. She tried to hold in her smile. If she did, Gemar would know Enzo's plan, and they wouldn't be able to make their escape. Kaida pushed more power into her shield as the scent of the rain after a storm filled the small space. Gemar's nostrils flared, and he threw his arms outward. The scent of ozone overpowered Enzo's, and Kaida fought herself not to rub her nose. The scent smelled wrong as Gemar's magic built, lightning crackling around his body. Enzo let his magic loose, shrouding the hall with his cloud, and they dashed down the hall as Kaida felt Gemar and the guards slam against her shield.

"Turn left ahead!" Enzo shouted, leading her away to safety.

Kaida heard the stampede of the men behind her. There was a lump in her throat as she ran for her life, wishing she were in her boots instead of heels. Enzo created a space inside of the cloud around them so she could see him. It wasn't enough for her to know which way they were going, so she had to rely on watching him. The footsteps behind them grew louder as the guards and Gemar closed in. Kaida stopped to blast a ray of her plasma down the hall. Purple magic filled the space, and hearing the men scream in agony or fall to their feet gave her the confidence to believe they could make it the rest of the way to the door.

Enzo grabbed her hand and pulled her along again. This time, he didn't let go. With his other hand, he threw a lightning bolt down the hall every few steps without looking. Kaida tried to do the same but almost lost her balance. The throne room was on the back side of the castle. There were a lot of halls and stairs to go through before they would make it to the front. How they were going to survive this felt like she didn’t know, but if they did, it would be miraculous.

Especially if I can't even run properly.

Someone collided with Kaida from the side and tackled her to the ground. She heard the thunk of another body hitting the ground next to her. A fist connected with her cheekbone when she tried to confirm if it was Enzo. Kaida saw stars from the hit, and her dragon roared inside her. Energy from her plasma magic crackled around her hands. The guard on top of her looked young. He couldn’t be much older than her. He was seated by her hips and left her arms free. Kaida thought this kid must have been new if he allowed her arms to be free. She pulled her hands to be on either side of his head and allowed the magic to sizzle around his head. Arcs of light danced between the space, and she heard him cry out in pain for a few seconds before collapsing beside her.

Enzo came into view, his shrouding cloud covering them once again. He held out his hands to hoist her up. With the cloud around them and him pulling her into a run, Kaida didn't get to look at the kid again. Her heart clenched as the shadow of his body on the ground disappeared.

I just killed someone...I’ve never killed anyone before. I took a life. How could I do that?

It was self-defense. You had to. Buckle up. You might have to do it again before we can get out of here.

Her dragon wasn't comforting, but Kaida knew she was right. Instead of dwelling on what she had done, she continued to move her feet. Kaida felt the twists and turns of the hallways as they ran as fast as they could. Enzo tugged her to the side. There was a little alcove beside a door. She heard a few footsteps run past them as they tried to catch their breath. The cloud gave them enough coverage that the guards couldn't see them.

"I don't know how much further we have. I know the castle, but I'm trying to lead us where they aren't. I can hear them, but if I drop the cloud, they can see us as we see them, and we’ll be prone," Enzo explained.

Kaida struggled to catch her breath. She pushed her body against the cold, hard wall to keep her steady. Her lungs were on fire, and her throat and mouth felt so dry that saliva couldn't be produced. Enzo made the clouds thicker where they stood, giving them just enough time to catch their breath and regroup.

"Where are we in the castle?"